Hasbro Q&A Sessions

[Paul]

There was a also a specific question regarding the possibility of the VTSC Death Squad Commander. The answer was interesting because they said they have to figure out a way to make the saga mold better first.

Is the person that answers the questions a sculptor/designer or just a marketing/cheerleader person.  I realize everytime one of us whines about a figure or blasts it that these guys are basically hearing how terrible we think THEY are etc.  But the way they really latch onto to certain sculpts and think they are the best ever really concerns me.

No one wants to do their best and be told it could be better, but look at it subjectively...no Saga Sculpt lives up to the VOTC/VSTC standard (unless it was once released as VOTC/VSTC).

A DST based on any Saga sculpt should start with the DS Gunner boots and be all new  all the way up.

[Jesse James]

Yeah there is no DST figure save for the original back in 1998, so I dunno what the thought was there... 

Look at it this way though guys.  I personally asked about a new, to-scale Speederbike now that we have a new Biker Scout that's all spiffy and whatnot...  I got a very favorable response back on that, and that the idea was an interesting one, etc...  I was geeked. 

Then SSG asked like the last round of Q's about a new Speederbike because, well, I can only assume they don't pay attention, don't care, or it simply slipped past their radar on the Q's and they duplicated...  They got an ok response but they also got a reply that implied the current Speederbike is "decent"...  Obviously that's coming from 2 different mindsets it seems.

I think wires just get crossed is all...  I don't know what was up with a DST there, but there's nothing to compare to so I'm assuming they just misread the question on some level and thus the answer.

BTW thanks for the kind words on the Q&A...  It's actually fairly hard in its own way to get in the good Q's and get back equally good answers.  Duplication is already rampant in the Q&A, the question quality wavers as Hasbro make it clearer and clearer what they will/won't answer, so it is nice to know the efforts being made are appreciated.

Hasbro's been pretty good about the Q&A too themselves, despite some utterly **** answers from time to time...  The Q&A has still been a positive I think.

[Jeff]

The Hasbro QnA for JD from 9/15 has been posted.

- Why is Jerjerrod so angry?
- Is it time for a transforming Droideka yet?
- ANH McQuarrie figures only or ESB and/or Jedi concepts too?

[Jesse James]

The answer for Jerjerrod is the kind of thing I wish they KNEW annoyed collectors. 

Did it enhance the figure?  No.

Did it make it more interesting for the kiddies?  Every time I see Endor Wave, he/3PO are who I see so I'm gonna say no.

Did it really leave the collectors wanting a GOOD version of him?  I think so...  for those who wanted the character made in the first place.

On the bright side, the figure can have his legs repositioned doing the "Boil & Freeze" I do believe...  The face, well, with some snappy painting one could fix it but it's nothing "simple" like the boil & freeze and that's really something many won't want to do.  I'm disappointed honestly. 

[Gatillo]

I assumed Jerjerrod was angry b/c of the time it took Hasbro to turn him into an action figure

[Artoo]

No Jawa sort of sucks.
A SA Jerjerrod, would be a figure taht would move Hasbro!

[Darth_Anton]

The answer for Jerjerrod is the kind of thing I wish they KNEW annoyed collectors. 

Did it really leave the collectors wanting a GOOD version of him?  I think so...  for those who wanted the character made in the first place.

Not only that, but that decision seems to be an old way of thinking. I would think it should have been proven by now that accuracy above all else is what helps to make figures well liked.

[Matt]

Well, Hasbro, you have confirmed that there will be a new Qui-Gon next year. You've also confirmed that there will be a new Mace Windu, as well. Now can you tell us if a brand new Luke Skywalker (in his Death Star 2 outfit) is coming next year? (YF, 9/22/06)

You have asked the right question, but you'll have to wait until closer to a specific wave before we can reveal more 2007 figures. Does that help?

After hearing news on both super articulated versions of Mace Windu and Qui-Gon Jinn, what are the chances of seeing a super articulated version of Luke Skywalker in his Death Star II costume? We now know this Luke was among the top 25 in the Fan Choice poll results but not the winner, yet this iconic version of Luke from the last half of ROTJ has long deserved a high-quality figure, and it'd even have several additional applications (such as a removable vest, and removable Endor helmet & poncho), so when can fans expect to see this? (AF, 9/19/06)

You will have to wait and see if a new Luke is part of the line next year.

When will we see a Luke Skywalker in Death Star 2 outfit figure? In the fan's choice poll, "super articulated final duel costume Luke" made the top 25, and fan's want this figure over any other Luke Skywalker from Return of the Jedi (no Jabba's Palace vest). What are the chances we'll see one next year? (F, 6/30/06)

We can't answer this before the results of the Fan's Choice Poll are revealed prior to Comic-Con.

As the Fan's Choice Poll revealed, collectors are clamoring for a Super Articulated Luke Skywalker in his Death Star II outfit, the 2003 Saga figure (Throne Room Duel Luke) was a let down and fans badly want a version of this figure done right a la Ep 3 Pilot Obi-Wan or Count Dooku. When can we expect to see this figure, assuming he has not won the Fan's Choice Poll? (SSG, 6/30/06)

We can't answer this before the results of the Fan's Choice Poll are revealed prior to Comic Con.

You said VOTC/VTSC figures are based on fan popularity. Does this mean that an SA Jedi Luke (with removable soft goods cloak and grey tunic) is a good bet for this line? His popularity with fans is obvious since he made the Top 25 in the poll. (AFI, 6/23/06)

Very good question. A SA Jedi Luke is at the top of our list of potential candidate for the next line of vintage figures.

Attention all other sites: 

Please stop asking about a new "Luke Skywalker in Death Star II outfit" figure.  Everybody wants one, including Hasbro, who have even hinted about it on several occasions.  It's more a matter of "when" as opposed to "if."  It's gonna happen, sooner or later.  And if not next year, then it's a shoe-in for 2008--Jedi's 25th anniversary. 

So please quit asking questions about this guy and save those questions for "original" things like big vehicles, big playsets, and Darth Bunghole or whoever from the latest Exhausted Universe cash-grab.

Thank you.











P.S.

Of all the figure that have been released in the modern era(1995-2006), are there any you'd personally like to see resculpted? (YF, 6/23/06)

Personally, of all the figures in the modern era, I'd like to see a really great resculpted Jedi Luke.

[Jesse James]

I'm amazed how quickly redundancy actually took over the Q&A as it has...  It's just a surprise I wouldn't have expected out of an open Q&A thing going on with the H.  I suppose it's part of why it took them a while to open up to the fans more, and that I shouldn't have been surprised due to what has been asked at Q&A's at conventions in the past, I still just was a little shocked that questions seemingly dry up fast around the net.

[CorranHorn]

I'm amazed how quickly redundancy actually took over the Q&A as it has...  It's just a surprise I wouldn't have expected out of an open Q&A thing going on with the H.  I suppose it's part of why it took them a while to open up to the fans more, and that I shouldn't have been surprised due to what has been asked at Q&A's at conventions in the past, I still just was a little shocked that questions seemingly dry up fast around the net.

I'm not too surprised actually as it became clear early on that some sites weren't getting a lot of thought out questions. Just like the DS2 Luke questions Matt just posted, there was a similar occurence with SA Mace questions early on from several sites, including I believe a couple of sites which asked the question more than once. Then you had many of the sites asking the "when are we going to get this" questions and it wasn't until a few weeks in that we started to see well rounded questions out of more than 2 or 3 sites. I wasn't too surprised when Hasbro's rep for the most part stopped answering the "when are we getting figure A or vehicle B" questions as that's rather exhausting and doesn't exactly give us juicy info.

In fact it's been my observation that a couple of sites are just asking the same questions near verbatim the week after other sites have posed them - especially annoying when it's a question Hasbro went into depth earlier and don't seem to want to answer again. This leads to one of two scenarios, either the sites aren't paying enough attention to what is being asked elsewhere and that's only likely in a couple of cases where the site in question thinks of themselves as the only ones around asking the questions. Or the other possibility is that the site or the people providing the questions for the site has a narrow view of where their readers go to and expect that the questions they ask are being seen for the first time by their readers.

[Paul]

It boggles the mind really.

I would almost like to see Hasbro go Soup Nazi on some of these guys and not let them ask questions for a week or two.  I'd accept it if JD was asking questions like "How many fingers am I holding up?" or "If Teflon is a non-stick surface, how does it stick to the pan?"....

As stated above, everybody wants certain figures, but Hasbro and the self-important question answerers have clearly stated they will not be aswering those questions.  I don't know, I'd almost be embarrassed at this point if any of the answers came back as...."Can't tell you now" or "We will not release that information".....

Makes me appreciate the staff here more every week.  (Even if they haven't asked my question yet).

I know I stray to the other sites on Fridays just to see what the questions are.  I only knew of SSG, GH, Scum and here before this whole question thing...

[Matt]

This one had me scratching my head this last week:

Any plans for a VOTC Bespin Luke or Han Solo figure in 2007? (JI, 9/19/06)

We can't address any more specific character questions for the line next year. You'll have to wait and see...

Why was that so befuddling to me?

Because the same site asked the same exact question two months ago.

Any chance of seeing a VOTC Bespin Luke Skywalker or Han Solo figure in 2007? (JI, 7/26/06)

You'll have to wait and see what the 2007 vintage line has in store.

So are they asking the same exact question because they think that, since Hasbro has let slip a few moments of candor with regards to some other figures in past weeks, that now's the time to ask again about the Bespin dudes?  Or are they just idiots who aren't keeping track of their own questions?

I know I stray to the other sites on Fridays just to see what the questions are.  I only knew of SSG, GH, Scum and here before this whole question thing...

Yeah, I hear ya.  If only we had a feature here which compiled all the questions in one place, so that one wouldn't have to travel to a dozen different sites just to read all the questions. . .   

[Paul]

Yeah, I hear ya.  If only we had a feature here which compiled all the questions in one place, so that one wouldn't have to travel to a dozen different sites just to read all the questions. . .   

Oh your fine work is not lost on me.  I just get bored at the office on Friday afternoons and have instant gratification syndrome.  It has become more of a morbid fascination now, just to look at the train wrecks across the Web.

I'll stay in my own backyard (JD.com) from now on....

[Matt]

I'll stay in my own backyard (JD.com) from now on....

No worries, Paul--just giving you a little **** in my roundabout, passive-aggressive way.

[Gatillo]

You know that is part of the reason that Hasbro has to always mess with us.  B/c of the way this questions are made and the fact they are often repeated (between sites do not even get me started on within sites) it tells them we are unorganized and fragmented as a community which translates to more $$ for them.

It is practically a license to dick us around with repaints, repacks and rehashes b/c we will take it.

I have not been in a toy run in about 2 weeks and I feel so relaxed about it.  I guess I am almost done with this hobby.