Clone Wars Figure Rumors/Speculation

[McMetal]

Good points by all.

I don't want to get drawn into the Twilight argument again, because I know from previous experience I am alone in my feelings on that one, but I will try to make the same point in a more general way.

Pretty much NONE of the vehicles they have made for the TCW line would qualify as iconic by Hasbro's standards. You could make a case for the Turbo Tank, AT-TE, and the Gunship, but outside of that it's a real stretch. I don't see how one could objectively quantify the Y-Wing or Shadow Arc as more iconic than the Twilight within the context of the show. That's all I meant, wasn't trying to diss Plo. I like Meat Curtains.

Again, fine with them not making it, just don't like the implicit disparaging of the thing as an excuse to pass on it. I'd much prefer just hearing that they don't feel the line (or economy)  can support any big sized ships and they don't feel it would be a viable option to get the price down while still featuring all the options and "playability" they would want to include. No problem.

Likewise, I wish they could just say they don't want to make a figure because they don't think it will sell. "Obscurity" is not really the proper term to use for bypassing certain characters. I think "Marketability" is the real issue.

[Keonobi]

Not to side track the conversation, but for some reason that Cad Bane with Pirate Bike looks a lot like a lawntractor.  Are there yard services in Star Wars?  That front repulsor generator (or whatever is where the front wheel would be) just looks like it houses lawnmower blades.

Cad Bane - Killing Jedi and bagging the clippings....   

[McMetal]

LOL...it's funny cause it's true...

That front section would also pass for a good industrial floor vac, or linoleum polisher.

[Brian]

Although it is a different world these days in the toy aisle (and with everything being "collectible"), I think the CW line is being run in a similar way to the vintage Star Wars/ESB/ROTJ lines of our childhood (or some of our childhoods anyways).  I mean, we're seeing main characters get re-released throughout the year/line, we aren't getting a lot of real obscure stuff (unless they are an interesting looking alien), and then there is the whole deluxe/mini rig line as well.  That being said, I hope we see all three of the figures being discussed here (Satine, Bail, Palps), but I sort of see where Hasbro is going with things beyond that.  I do think those three are all significant enough to get figures though, but I wouldn't be holding my breath for any/many Senators, etc.

[Greg]

I wouldn't mind seeing Satine in a BP with a couple of Mando warriors and either an Obi-Wan or one of her bodyguards. She certainly did see a fair bit of action in her story arc. I still can't get over the fact that Hasbro is making the random Mandolorian Guard but they refuse to make Satine.

Though Bail and Palpatine would be nice to have, they aren't high priorities for me. In Hasbro's defense, they were some of the worst selling characters in the ROTS line.

[Jabba the Slug]

I'm actually pretty happy that Hasbro says (according to their recent Q/A) that either Kit Fisto or Plo Koon will be made in their snow gear from the Clone Wars comics In Service to the Republic story arc! For anyone who doesn't know what those outfits look like:



I'm actually pretty surprised that the character will be based on a comic appearance, as Hasbro had said before that that they were pretty much staying away from these comics. And I'm betting it's Plo Koon that's gonna get the slot, since he's a visually more appealing character (IMO, anyway) and he's sold through better in the line thus far.

[Darby]

From RTM this week:

2) While several Clone Wars Mandalorians were shown at Toyfair, the Duchess of Mandalore (Satine Kryze) was very conspicuous by her absence. As the Duchess is the protagonist of that arc and is shown to be a capable woman when she rescues Obi-Wan, would she be considered for a figure in the Clone Wars line or is she just considered not "kid-friendly" enough for inclusion?


Answer: We will not be producing a Duchess Satine figure. Clone Wars is a line that is consumed overwhelmingly by kids, and she is not a figure that they want or care about.

So... is my money something you want or care about?  It seems more and more Hasbro wants to segregate the collector/kid markets completely.  Why I don't know.  Money is money.  This kind of thing, as a collector, doesn't inspire me to buy any of this line.

[Jesse James]

Well, they've always segregated the line, just not so visually...  Now CW stands out as not only completely kid-targeted but completely different looking to the realistic line too, at least to us of course.  Soon it'll be packaged completely different too.

Hasbro wants your money too, I'm sure, but to them your (collector) money isn't enough to warrant the tooling for Satine, who they figure the minimums needed to make whatever profit margin they insist on meeting isn't there...  I'm sure you're not alone too, others want her.  To me it's like Padme figures, which I think they consider equally sketchy for the realistic line, and so unless the balance is there, we rarely get the odd Padme in ______ (insert gown type there).

Satine, in a line aimed at the kids 99%, is just a matter of risk vs. reward, and she loses out to basically everyone else in the pool of characters they can make. 

I'm honestly surprised they even came out and have said, "No", with nothing else about it really...  I figured figures like that they'll keep "No" close to their vest and just say, "Maybe if we think she can be slotted in and sell", and just keep collectors in the dark on their actual opinion, to avoid backlash.

[McMetal]

Complete and utter rubbish.

What a smug response..."she is not a figure that they want or care about". Really? I'd like to see the market research to back that up, Hasbro. What kind of representative sampling did you perform? Feel comfortable speaking for all kids the whole world over do you? 

Some schmoe in Production probably asked his 10 year old son if he was interested in a Satine figure and he said no so they closed the book.

It's like they're going out of their way to drive collectors out of this line. (What few of us there are)

How f-ing exciting was Admiral Yularen? Were the kids in your test group clamoring for that one? Yeah, his playability quotient was off the charts...guess that's why I see him stacked 6 deep in every store I go to nowadays.

[Brian]

Yeah, although I'm not surprised we won't be seeing Satine (and in a way I can understand it in a "kids" line), I thought their response was a little on the snippy side.  We get it is a kids' line, but it is almost like they seem upset when the collector sites even ask about stuff like this (or they are getting tired of this type of question).  I'm one that wouldn't have minded seeing Satine as well, but I do understand it is more of a kid-focused line - plus, in these days it seems like it is tougher and tougher to get a senator/collector-oriented, etc. type figure slotted into the realistic line, let alone the animated one.  I was a little surprised they just came out and said "no way".  I could see this type of figure showing up in an exclusive battle pack or something - I know we all get annoyed with the "one new figures, the rest repacks" scenario with battle packs, but it is better than not getting a figure at all in many cases.

[Jesse James]

How f-ing exciting was Admiral Yularen?

How many episodes is Yularren in though, by comparison, to Satine?  That will play a big part in things too.  I think actually, they probably look at Yularren as a big failure though as well, and that may be a reason they're not willing to make a Satine.

I mean, I figured they'd make the Clone Officers using Yularren's mold, but they seem reluctant to even go that route.  The bodies made, they're Clones...  but they are boring Clones I guess.  But still...

I'm curious to see how this line shapes from here out...  Figures like Yularren may be much less likely in the future, and Satine's perhaps getting sucked into that fate because they've got the track record of "those types" to support why it's a bad idea to produce them.

Just some possible rationale they're looking at is all.

[Jayson]

A quick count shows Yularen in 13-14 episodes including the movie vs. Satine's 4 episode stint.

[Jesse James]

Pretty big gap.

[Nicklab]

Yularen is a military character who's been involved in *some* action.  Satine?  She's nice to look at, but I can't see the appeal of that figure to kids.

As for the market research?  I think it's highly likely that Hasbro has kids watching episodes of Clone Wars and answering questions.  Questions about which character they would want as an action figure.  On the corporate level Hasbro does a great deal of research, both for safety purposes but also regarding a product's marketability.  Of course Hasbro won't share the info that would come from a focus group like this, but this is almost certainly the method by which Hasbro has come to their focus on Jedi, Clones, Droids and other action oriented characters for the Clone Wars animated line.

[Jabba the Slug]

I'm surprised why Hasbro so quickly assumes that Dutchess Satine wouldn't sell - the same they do with Jocasta Nu, despite high demand. I bet Jocasta could have won the Fan's Choice and they still would refuse to produce her.

If not willing to make Satine in her throne room dress, then why not in her "adventure" clothes (like the 2009 TCW Padme)? Then she would have an action feel, and could easily be adopted into the action-oriented TCW collection.

Hasbro obviously has a hard time listening to what fans really want. It took them years to decide to make infamous Ice Cream Maker Guy - and he's selling well! Not one store that I have been too have had over-amounts of this figure.