Hasbro Announces Black Series 6" Centerpiece Line

[Jesse James]

I'm not banking on that personally but this is in the realm of what people like for displaying.  Not as versatile of course, but it works I think.

It's funny.  When 6" rumors began, then came to fruition, I was at the head of the pack of people who basically hates the idea...  I want 3.75" stuff only, and articulated.  But at the same time, not everything is doom and gloom...  this maybe isn't perfect, or intended for the scale I like, but I can see the use for it too.  I'll take what I can get with a smile.  It's not like I have much else to spend $ on right now anyway.

[McMetal]

I don't think the statues are removable though?

[JediJman]

I heard they have pegged feet just like the old Unleashed stuff.  I don't know if that means you can swap out an actual 6" figure for the statue, but probably allows for some kinds of customization.

[Nicklab]

It's an interesting take on things, Jesse.  And the notion of being able to use these environments for 3.75" figures is something that cross my mind, too.  Personally, I think I would prefer sets like these without things like the battle damage and blast marks.  But I think that's the difference between what collectors want and the type of dynamic setting that Hasbro marketing thinks will sell to a broader audience.

The kicker really is the price.  At $50 per set, this is a little bit of an investment.  But looking at the pricing of 3rd party stuff that's been gaining traction lately, I may have to adjust my own expectations regarding pricing.

[GrandMoffNick]

In a who cares about price and space world I'd love to own these. I like how they look. I see Jesse's point on using them as environments for the 4" stuff as well.

But that is still a stretch to make me feel good about this being a choice Hasbro made of a line to produce. I'd have like to see them go a different route and I'm all in on the 6" stuff.

[Dave]

Jesse's points are a nice silver lining, but then you think about what Hasbro could have done at the $50 price point if they actually tried to create an environment like this for 3.75" figures.  You figure the 6" "Unleashed" figure is $15 on its own, so another $15 of design towards a 3.75" environment would be nearly twice as cool as what we're getting with the Centerpiece environment.  Or stick in a repacked 5POA Stormtrooper and squeeze out a few more design enhancements for the $50.

I don't think I'll buy this at $50 for an environment, but would consider it if it was marked down enough.

[Darth_Anton]

I'll be skipping this line entirely.

[Jesse James]

I can definitely see the $50 pricepoint argument...  for me, $'s everyone's own individual battle and it either works for you, or it doesn't.  Perceived Value was a basic thing I had drilled into my head throughout school, and how it varies so greatly from person to person.  I've cited it before, and gladly will again, that I've plunked some serious coin down for things I like like Acid Rain toys and stuff...  I mean a LOT of $, and sometimes I haven't hesitated because what it is appeals to me so much.  $30/figure (roughly, a lil less) is a tough pill to swallow and I usually buy in 3s  now when I do my initial pre-ordering with EE.

Looking at these, I get it that $50 is absurd for some, and for me it kind of is too.  I haven't 100% decided If I'd buy one, both, or none at full price.  I think, if I do, I'll get the Vader one full price because I easily can see my Bandai Kit figures working with it too, but I could just as easily see myself waiting for sales/clearance because that price scares me a bit too.  It doesn't really move, or have much "play" to it at all.  It's really just a "glorified stand" (I should trademark that like Pawlus did "different enough to make you mad").

I like that it lights up and the effect appears to be well done.  I like the detailing (screws/rivets detailed into the sculpt, etc.).  And again I'd say compare this to that Lars Homestead and it's not all that different in terms of what you ultimately get with it.  It's also not an "iconic" scene from any of the movies though, and more just some imaginary mega-stand.

At the same time, and this is more to the hypothetical debate, yes you could've would've should've gotten something cooler for 4" but you're not going to...  not now anyway.  But I get that POV too, Dave.  I just am taking the thought that life handed me lemons, and I'm going to make some kind of 4" scaled Lemonade from it I guess.  I can look at the ENTIRE 6" line that way (that it sucks and I want 4" scaled stuff) but that's not likely to change.  Not this year anyway.  Maybe not ever.  So these are there, and these may work for me...  in some capacity at least. 

But again the Perceived Value argument, yeah, sure anything hits a price point low enough and it's easier to look past the hatred.  And I'm there too.  Right now I'm not sure if I'll need a discount to buy one of these or not though.  I am still debating.  But I could see at least the Vader one appealing to me.

Re: them coming off the base, from the looks of it in pictures they're separate pieces, at the very least.  Whether they're intended to come off the base or not, I'm not sure, but I think they certainly CAN come off the base with persuasion.

I really can't say I'm arguing for you guys to buy them, or not, as I really hate 6" stuff too and all that.  And I don't know what I'll pay for one of these either.  I appreciate you guys reading it though, and giving some feedback and personal thoughts in return.  It's a hell of a lot more fun than watching everyone just say they hate everything and F Hasbro and F the hobby and stuff.  Why be here at all then, ya know?  Gotta find fun somewhere, even if Hasbro's not looking at you as particularly important right now.  I know they're not looking at me that way, at least. 

I'm still finding fun though, every year.

[P-Siddy]

There is a lot of Hasbro-hate right now...mostly on other sites.  It's mind boggling.  And some of the same complainers use the derogatory names toward Hasbro and yet say I don't collect their stuff anymore and X Company has way better product.  So why bother commenting at all?  Just be happy to collect the lines and brands you do and if one company doesn't offer it, move on.  Life is too short to get upset about toys.

[Darby]

Seems like the only value in some people's hobby is in their hatred of it. I agree completely, if you hate it so much, quit. Some sites are invested in perpetuating a brand, so their 'anger' is fake AF, while other people are genuinely put out by X Y or Z but yet stoke this juvenile beef with Hasbro. The hobby is so different on so many levels. I think we'd all like to go back to the days when we walked in a store and there were mountains of stuff but the reality is the collector market has been segmented so heavily by imports, scales and choices that Hasbro SW is never going to be what it was. Bums me out but I enjoy what we get and look forward to more.

[GrandMoffNick]

I enjoy what we get and look forward to more.

Amen. I wish more people could look at it that way. Nothing wrong with wanting other things in a perfect world, but if someone can't basically feel as you stated above then maybe getting out of the hobby is the best bet for their psyche.

[P-Siddy]

Totally agree.  There are some out there that feel entitled, that Hasbro owes them for collecting since (enter year here).  Do I wish we'd get figures like Sim Aloo or the Tonnika Sisters?  Sure.  But I'm not going to fret about it. 

Hasbro's a company and if they feel a shift in scales is to their benefit, who's to blame them for trying something new?  Granted, we've seen Hasbro try things that are questionable but it's their line to do with as they please.  But it seems to be working for them.  It seems to have brought in fresh blood into collecting.  And as Darby put it (better than me), is it worth the headache to complain about something you don't like.  Move on... and be better for it.

6" inch figures are nice and I've been trying to limit my purchases to mains, bounty hunters, and troopers.  I look at them as companion pieces and not a complete replacement of the 3.75" line.  It's mainly a space issue and the fact that I own these figures already that I don't go all in.

The only sad thing is I miss doing the wishlists at here.  Those were always fun to do.  To limit my wants to ten and then see what others would like to see.  I suppose if we continue doing it, we might have to do each movie/cartoon/etc, but in each scale or just 6".

[Jesse James]

I enjoy what we get and look forward to more.

Amen. I wish more people could look at it that way. Nothing wrong with wanting other things in a perfect world, but if someone can't basically feel as you stated above then maybe getting out of the hobby is the best bet for their psyche.

Agreed.  And don't get me wrong here, I'm not discouraging disliking stuff too...  but good god there has to be something you're happy about or why be involved?  I'll reiterate that I love 3.75" SA stuff, hate 6" anything (I appreciate it for what it is, but hate any budget going to it), and I've largely refused to budge on that.  I have 3 figures from Hasbro, one given to me, one for like $5, and Bossk cuz Bossk is Bossk.  I hate it.

I've had the luxury of some interesting insight into the manufacturing end of things...  I don't think Hasbro's quite as dumb as folks make them out to be, regardless of whether that fits my wishful thinking or not.  Things in China are pretty tough these days.

[JediJman]

In all honesty, I don't think I would buy these even at the $20 price point, so $50 puts them so far outside my consideration factor.  They take up too much space, they're not poseable, the cost.  Its just not for me and I don't really see the appeal being there for the vast majority of other collectors.  It seems like there's more obvious choices out there if they want to expand the 6" line - a Dewback and Sandtrooper, small scale figures, etc.

That all said, I don't hate Hasbro for making these.   They're not forcing you to buy it, so if you don't like just pretend it doesn't exist.  I don't get why an offering that you don't like would make you upset.  Sure, they could have devoted the resources that went into making this into something you like even more, but they also could have dedicated those resources to electronic Chutes & Ladders or Trolls action figures.  If you don't like it, just skip it and move on to stuff you do like. 

[Nicklab]

Having had a little time to read everyone's feedback, and look at these myself?  I find two points where I think the Centerpiece line could be a better offering for collectors:

-PRICE:  Get these sets down to $40 and I think you would have more takers.

-THE FIGURE:  I get that Hasbro is trying to make a literal CENTERPIECE for their 6" Black Series line.  Integrating existing 6" Black Series figures into the scene makes it that much more dynamic.  But what about the figure in the Centerpiece set?  It's a veritable statue, not a figure.  That lack of any articulation for these versions of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader makes these sets seem a little too static, and not in keeping with what the 6" Black Series figures can do in terms of articulation.  In that regard I see the figure component of these sets as a failure.


I get the sense that Hasbro may have gone down this road because there may be concerns about having some diversity in the offerings of the 6" figure line beyond basic figures and multipacks.  They had to see how so many people played the waiting/clearance game on the First Order TIE Fighter.  Does Hasbro have concerns about the viability of a vehicle program in this scale?  Are more beasts or speeders seen as a challenge?