By JediTricks
Published: June 21, 2008
Updated: June 21, 2008
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Thanks again to Hasbro for the answers, to all the folks who sent in questions and especially those who voted on them. Here come Hasbro's answers, and remember to check out ActionFigs.com for their weekly Hasbro Q&A as well (which also got an update today).

Hasbro Q&A for the week of June 20th

SSG: For years, fans have wanted a resizing/upgrading of the Millennium Falcon and, HOORAY!, now Hasbro has delivered one. Hypothetically, under ideal circumstances, what other vehicles would Hasbro consider resizing/upgrading? What would it take, under this train of thought, for Hasbro to resize the AT-AT, for example?
Hasbro: The AT-AT would be a cool one to do, and we have thought about it, but nothing really beyond that until we have results from this Fall. But it sure is nice to dream about a new one. Beyond that, there are a couple others we'd like to take a crack at, but aren't near the huge size of the Millenium Falcon.

SSG: The recent Clone Trooper and Rebel Trooper role-play blasters are pretty cool. With that in mind, will Hasbro be offering more role-play weapons such as all-new sculpts of Han's blaster, the Stormtrooper blaster (with more accurate size and folded stock under the barrel), Biker Scout pistol, and perhaps even larger ones like the Hoth Rebel rifle and Clone Trooper long rifle? (Please discuss the specific possibilities of each of the examples in this question.)
Hasbro: Sorry for the blanket answer, but since none of these blasters are present in the Clone Wars animation, we do not have plans to pursue them. Our role play efforts are really focused on trying to match what on-screen opportunities the entertainment brings (last year's Rebel Trooper blaster notwithstanding).

SSG: With 2 of the finalists in the most recent Saga Legends fans choice poll being from the Battle of Geonosis - Pablo-Jill and Coleman Trebor - might Hasbro consider releasing a second Battlepack focused on the Geonosis Arena battle containing those 2 figures? Pablo-Jill could use some actual leg articulation and this would be a good time to add it to the figure, you could also include a retooled Nikto Jedi (his actual name is Fi-ek Sirch) since he was in the scene but the figure was nearly unarticulated, and of course the prerequisite core characters that each Battlepack needs. This would make a nice counterpart to the first Geonosis Battlepack, plus it'd get some popular figures re-released.
Hasbro: That is a pretty good idea for a Battle Pack, but we won't be doing it for reasons that will be seen next year. At least one of those characters will be updated in 2009, and we would like to do more if possible as the Arena is one of our favorite scenes. Stay tuned for more details next year.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of June 6th

SSG: Might we ever get a Grievous figure as he appeared in ROTS when he was running from Obi-Wan on Utapau, where he inverted and ran on his arms, turning into a scorpion-like appearance?
Hasbro: We refer to this version as "Grievous as bug form" and he has been considered for the baisc figure line but we haven't put him in yet. We have some other designs for Grievous that we will get to first.
(editor's note: we were going to refer to him as "Bug Grievous" in the question but weren't sure Hasbro would understand what was meant by that, guess that was unnecessary. -JT)

SSG: Recently you said that there's a very, good chance of us getting Holographic Darth Sidious with Mechno-Chair. Would this have the actual removable chair part as well (the part we see Nute Gunray sitting in), or just the holo-projector part? If it had the chair part, would Nute come with this (seeing as there's no Nute figure that can sit in a chair),or would a Nute figure be offered later?
Hasbro: This would be an expensive figure for us, so it would probably just be the walking projector base and holo figure. We don't know if we would offer a Nute later, but once we had the chair it would be a good thing to look at, and certainly very cool. It would probably be too expensive for the basic figure line so it might make a better candiate for another venue like a Battle Pack.

SSG: Word on the street (proverbially) is that the Titanium Series SW line is hanging by a thread and in danger of being canceled despite Hasbro's recent assurances that the line would go on through 2009. 2008 wave 4 has vanished from pre-orders, and store computers look unfortunately empty. What is going on? Is this just an SKU changeover, or something more drastic? If the line is continuing, what will we be seeing this year? When you said there were "12 all new tools for the Fall", did that mean 12 vehicles in just the Fall or for everything leading up to the Fall including vehicles currently out? And does that include Battlestar Galactica, is there anything new there?
Hasbro: The line is changing over to a new Assortment number, so that's probably what happened. The 12 new vehicles are just in the Fall lineup alone. The line will continue through 2009 at this point - we are moving full steam ahead and do not have any plans to shut it down. There are a couple new Battlestar ships and then that'll be in for that sub-series; our license expires at the end of the year.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of May 23rd

SSG: Ever since the '04 OTC line, it seems like Hasbro's scheduled out an entire year's worth of figures only to find out later that the release schedule comes up short at the end and there's a scramble to fill that void with a wave or 2 of repaints which have to stretch the end of the year and sometimes even 1st quarter of the following year. It happened with the ROTS line, the TSC line, the TAC '07 line, and now apparently in The Legacy Collection line (though we know that is due to a delayed wave), and it's not just the SW brand, the Transformers brand has been doing this with almost every line for the past 5 years. Besides unexpected delays, what generally causes this sort of thing? Why repaints and not just a schedule with pacing that is spread further out to avoid such troubles (the TAC line's 2nd half really got slammed together in release scheduling before its repaint wave)?
Hasbro: Great question that deserves an answer. We (speaking for Star Wars) initially plan our line for periodic refreshes designed to get some new excitement out there every 6-8 weeks on average. This is based on the time is has typically taken waves to come in and sell through; we ideally time the new wave to come in when sales are tailing down and keep productivity high. That's an ideal plan, of course; delays and schedule changes happen and we have to find ways to deal with them. In some cases the delay comes at a very bad time so when we get caught back up we are put into a position to release a lot at once (like what happened last holiday). Still, though, it's our intention not to intentionally short or go too long on any one figure to keep the overall rate of retail turnover healthy. It's not a perfect system, but within it we have been able to bring forth what we think is an amazing array of figures the last four years and hopefully far into the future. And hopefully, collectors will forgive us for sometimes long delays and compressed cycles getting there.

SSG: With the Indiana Jones line's release, this question can no longer be contained... what has happened to the paint quality on the 3.75" figures' eyes over the past few years, both with Star Wars and now with Indy? The overwhelming majority of figures in the Indiana Jones line have big, sloppy whites and oversized pupils - too often also not painted at matching angles or painted looking upwards - which heavily detracts from the headsculpts, and the Star Wars line has been getting there as well. The Star Wars line had been doing much better in this realm up until a few years ago, a perfect example is comparing the Saga Luke Jabba's Palace with the TAC version which uses a modified version of the same head, the '04 Saga figure's eyes are much smaller and more realistic compared to the '07 TAC counterpart's which are bigger and gazing upwards.
Hasbro: We have been working with our principal Star Wars factories for years now and the process is well-honed; for IJ, it was a fast development cycle and a new factory, and overall we are pleased with the results and are fine-tuning the process as we go along. We have had some issues with consistency of paint deco on some figures, but we hope that we have worked through those issues and what you'll be seeing meets your standards. As for Luke, we didn't deliberately spec a new eye deco; it may have been a result in a process change at the factory (sometimes it may be hand-applied, sometimes tampo) that we did not notice.

SSG: The rumor mill had a Disturbance at the Lars Homestead battle pack appear in the Toys R Us computers, and recently a photo of a mock-up of this set has shown up. Can you give any comment on this set? The mock-up seems to show the old POTF2 Owen Lars figure which is well over a decade old and hasn't held up with the passage of time, will this be replaced with a new Uncle Owen? What other figures will come with the set, perhaps the April Fools Joke extra-crispy Owen & Beru skeletons? And does the igloo-type dome open to reveal an interior?
Hasbro: Details will be revealed at Comic Con, if not earlier. Collectors should not expect too much from the figures, though, as the building is the real centerpiece and what really cost us to develop. We can confirm there are still no extra-crispy skeletons in the package or elsewhere in the Star Wars lineup.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of May 9th

SSG: Are there folks today at Hasbro who were working on the Star Wars line back when it was reborn in 1995? Was there any clue behind-the-scenes back then that the Star Wars toy line would garner such a huge adult collector following? Were adult collectors considered at all on any level back then when forging the line's beginnings? What do you folks think of the extensive adult collector enthusiasm for the line today, 13 years later?
Hasbro: Interesting question! There are indeed folks who were with Kenner back when the line was relaunched, who are also an important part of the nucleus of the team today. While we do not mention names here in the Q&A, the faces should be familiar to those who attend or view any of our panel presentations from Celebration or Comic Con. The answer to your question is that yes, when the line was relaunched, consideration was taken as to who the audience would be and what their wants and desires would be to collect the modern line. This shaped the complexion of the line at relaunch and also has been a continuous influence as it has moved forward. This consideration is seen most importantly in three ways: 1. The 3-3/4" scale was chosen as the "default" scale for the relaunch (despite there being no 3-3/4" line in the market at the time and the trend in other lines was moving toward 5-6" figures); 2.The choice to keep the nostalgic 6"x9" basic carded format, which has now been the "heart" of the line now for 20 years inclusive of Vintage; 3. The vehicle designs and approach selected during the relaunch and afterward. Regarding the last point, it was felt that since a portion of the audience would be adult collectors, and that many of them already had the vintage vehicles in their collections, that newness in feautres and electronics was needed to make them different and move the brand forward. This important priority on vehicles, while it has waxed and waned, has never left the line and has been taken to a new level this year with two of our biggest vehicles - the Millenium Falcon and the AT-TE. We should note that there is also a fantastic backstory to the making of the new Millenium Falcon that will be revealed as time goes on....stay tuned!

SSG: With a wave pushed out of this year making way for another repaint wave, does this give Episode I fans a chance to buy some figures in 2008? There's the oft-requested Holographic Nute Gunray, or perhaps a different color variation to the Post-OTC Queen's Handmaiden (Rabe) figure. This could compliment nicely next year's Ep 1 wave that you've already confirmed, so, what do you say?
Hasbro: There won't be any EpI figures slotted into the lineup for the redeco wave.

SSG: With The Force Unleashed videogame being pushed back to mid-September, will TFU product be re-released to coincide with the game's release?
Hasbro: Aside from the two Wal-Mart 3-packs, scheduled to launch with the game, and one basic-carded Stormtrooper Commander whose release is being managed by LucasAsrts, there are no other major re-releases planned. A couple select figures (including Vader) will be re-released for the Legacy/Droid Factory waves, but that's it. This is simply because of the logistics of the launch and the need to bring in the rest of the figures this Fall. It will be something we watch going forward though, and it's possible we could look to re-release some of the more popular figures as time goes on, but it will not be synched up to the Fall release.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of April 25th

SSG: C-3PO's presence in the saga is constant, he speaks the first and last lines, he facilitates the most important deeds, and while fussy his actions helped lead the Rebellion to victory, all while remaining one of the most recognizable cultural Star Wars touchstones, so surely he's an important enough character. That said, C-3PO figures have seemed a bit held back by the insistence on using a vacuum-metalized finish which limits articulation and fine detail. This despite the fact that 3PO's shiny, clean finish is rarely seen in the films. Is there some way we could get a super-articulated C-3PO figure sporting a shiny but not vac-metalized gold paint finish, while avoiding the dull look of the Saga Ultra C-3PO?
Hasbro: We have had problems getting the shiny appearance of C-3PO on a super-articulated, super-detailed body but we think the Endor Deity version (with the introduction of the knees) gets darn close. We are always looking at new paint that meets the needs of our quality (wear and tear), has a super lustre like vac metal, and is affordable. So far we have not found the perfect paint to achieve all objectives but it remains part of something we are always looking at for C-3PO.

SSG: Will the Republic Gunship be re-released to coincide with the release of the Clone Wars cartoon? Several are featured in the preview, and some even have new deco.
Hasbro: We can confirm that there is a redeco in the works, but can't release info yet. Look for an announcement in the next month or two via our Republic News posts.

SSG: The 3¾" action figure system has always straddled the toy market - on the one hand it's small enough that kids can have plenty of toys in the system without taking up a lot of space, while on the other it's not as big as many popular action figure scales out there so it's seen as "less product". With yet another round of price increases, this scale seems to be heading for a bit of a quandary: how does a $7.99 Star Wars or Indiana Jones figure in this scale compete with a similarly-priced 5" or 6" figure that sports as much detail and articulation and is perceived as being "more toy for the money". Pack-ins can only take it so far - although obviously you are gambling on the Build-A-Figure concept to take it an extra buck farther - so the question becomes, is there any concern that the eight-dollar Star Wars basic figure will be the pricepoint the brand or the scale itself cannot breach, especially in a sagging toy industry fraught with market-erosion from both video games and the internet, all while during an economic recession? Is there any concern with this price increase over the potential loss of collectors, both hardcore and casual (including kids) alike? You say the majority of your cost concerns are found in new tooling, and the greatest hits-style lines have been selling extremely well for you the past few years, yet the greatest hits-style lines like Saga Legends have no significant tooling costs to worry about beyond routine maintenance since it is all re-releases (aside from the pit droid anomalies). In the past we've asked about why the Saga Legends line shouldn't be a cheaper MSRP in relation to the main line and the answer was to support the system, but shouldn't the recent increased income from the high-selling line of purely existing tools help defray the costs and thus help lower pricing on the main line?
Hasbro: We are confident that consumers will continue to enjoy our figure offering as a great way to experience the magic of Star Wars. To this end, we have worked to make sure that the lines have good value (firing projectiles in Clone Wars, Droid Factory parts to build and collect, and extra Clone gear in Saga Legends). Typically our discussions of "cost" have centered around tooling, since most questions are regarding new sculpts and added articulation, and we do set targets we must adhere to. However, that is just one factor that goes into our management of the line and there are many, many other financial factors that funnel into the end result.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of April 4th

SSG: Regarding Luke Jedi in his Death Star 2 look, the only basic figure of this is from 5 years ago, is preposed, has an action gimmick with floppy arms, and a likeness somewhere between "caveman" and "Harpo Marx". That despite Luke DS2 being the only OT main character figure in the last Fans' Choice poll's top 25 - 10 of the 14 figures above him are made or confirmed, as well as 4 of the 9 figures beneath. Hasbro's past answer on this matter was "theming issues, it may be a while, hang in there," yet since the 2003 DS2 Luke figure there have been 7 ROTJ waves and 2 Vintage-style lines with ROTJ figures; as well as 4 more Luke Jedi with Jabba's Palace outfits and Toy Fair has shown yet another ROTJ wave, this time with a Jabba's Palace-styled Luke Jedi from a deleted scene; and the previous new Luke Jedi figure could have fit the bill with its removable vest and outer belt yet was designed specifically against making it into DS2 Luke. Fans want Luke DS2, most of the other Fans' Choice poll results have been made or confirmed, Hasbro's had several opportunities, now we have sandstorm Luke coming - a deleted scene figure - over Luke DS2 which is baffling. So what's the full story here, why no Luke Jedi DS2 yet again? When can collectors finally get the last main OT character's significant costume yet to be done as an action figure?
Hasbro: We chose the deleted Sandstorm theme to bind several core characters together. We had long planned to do both versions, but the Sandstorm scene came first in rotation because of our desire for the new Han and Chewie, so a new Death Star II Luke was slotted into the next Episode VI wave. We are pleased to announce that if our schedule holds, you will see the next Episode VI wave in late Spring 2009.

SSG: Back in 1996, Kenner/Hasbro was developing a Virago vehicle toy for the Shadows of the Empire figure line to go along with the 2 other vehicles the line produced. Several pieces of concept and packaging art were produced, a retailer-enticement sheet describing some cool features was found not too long ago, as well as a prototype model, but the vehicle never materialized. The Galoob Action Fleet Virago remains one of the most sought-after vehicles on ebay, as this ship makes for a unique and exciting Star Wars toy. Did your Virago design ever get turned into a mold? Does Hasbro still have any molds or prototypes of it? What would the chances be of seeing a Virago released today?
Hasbro: The Virago was never tooled, as the somewhat ambitious plans for the continuation of the EU line at the time were scaled back. While it is a different story to do, we are committed to figures and have not gone the vehicle route for EU aside from repaints. It is doubtful we will get to the Virago in anything other than perhaps Titanium.

SSG: The current R5 droid mold (used on R5-D4, R5-J2, and R5-F7) is close to "perfect", but there are a few glaring issues that should be addressed before this mold becomes the all-purpose version. They include the antenna, which comes out and may be lost easily; the pop-up motivator, which worked on R5-D4 but had diminishing returns on later uses; and the chest plate being a separate piece, which has been a problem on every figure to use the VOTC R2-D2 body. The head could just be retooled and used on the more-accurate R4-G9 body. Will these issues be addressed, or will we continue to get more less-than-perfect R5 figures?
Hasbro: Most often it is a capacity issue - which tools are available when, etc. Certain elements, like a pop-out chest plate, are necessary parts of the design, but we will take your comments into account the next time we release.

SSG: Also, could we get clarification on the Ishi Tib answer we received last round since there actually is no vintage precedent that we're aware of?
Hasbro: (Thanks for giving us a chance to update out answer. We obviously misremembered the PotF version as vintage). While no new Ishi Tib is planned, we would probably do a Jabba's Palace one first. However, we're not sure on that…. given that the Ishi Tib have been fairly prominemt backgrounders in many places, it's possible we would do an entirely different version first.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of March 20th

SSG: Should Hasbro ever decide to revisit the Ishi Tib species with a new figure, would you be more inclined to do one from Jabba's palace first, the prequels, or would you want to update the figure from 1998 of the unnamed rebel?
Hasbro: We would probably go with an OTC version. While an Ishi Tib is not in any planend waves for the next couple of years, it is a good candidate for eventually updating since there is also a vintage precedent.

SSG: With the upcoming Comic Pack figure of Cade Skywalker, you seem to have nailed his look, but he doesn't seem to be coming with his green lightsaber. Might that be rectified in time for the figure's release since it's unlikely we'll be seeing another Cade Skywalker figure for a while? Cade's even holding the hilt on the cover of Legacy #2, and after all, your figure of Quinlan Vos wasn't entirely accurate to the issue he came with, instead opting for his more popular look, so why not give Cade his saber?
Hasbro: Originally, it was planned that Cade would have a saber hilt. However, the hard copy was misplaced and by the time the mistake was discovered, it could not be included. We decided to release as is (since he has his blaster rifle).

SSG: While it's our site policy to avoid rumors, our readers have been wound up a bit on this one so they demanded we ask.... It seems like there was a lot of hype and rumor about a new Millennium Falcon vehicle for the main line, including the leak of a Target DCPI number that came with the AT-TE - which Hasbro is indeed materializing. There was a lot of expectation that Hasbro would unveil both the AT-TE and this new Millennium Falcon at Toy Fair, and while the former appeared, the latter did not, so might you comment on these Falcon rumors at all? If nothing else, a simple confirmation or denial would ease a lot of collector tension.
Hasbro: We have no comment on anything to do with a Millenium Falcon item, other than to say that it is not our policy to comment on certain rumors especially as they pertain to items that may appear in the Target (or any other retailer's) computers. Often, there is a reason for this secrecy because some items may be part of that retailers promotional tactics such as the Ultimate Battle Packs at Target. Whether or not there is another such concept in development will not be commented upon for this reason.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of March 12th

SSG: Why was Titanium Series so poorly represented at your Toy Fair display? Can you tell us what's forthcoming for Titaniums later in the year (preferably with pictures), and why they are delayed until fall? Are we ever getting the Outrider mentioned back in '06?
Hasbro: We simply could not give adequate coverage to everything at Toy Fair, and some sublines regrettably did not get the true time and attention they deserve. Titanium certainly was not alone in this respect, as we lightly covered it as well as Unleashed 2" and Star Wars Transformers Crossovers as well. In Fall, we will be doing a Clone-Wars inspired redeco wave for the 7/26 Clone Wars brand reset. After that, Titanium will have some exciting new vehicles, a total of twelve all new tools for the Fall including the Cloud Car, and some other surprises we will reveal at Comic Con. Going forward, we are determined to keep Titanium vibrant and exciting, with new tools drawn from movies as well as Expanded Universe.

SSG: The Hasbro SW Toy Fair press release has The Legacy Collection clocking in at 30 basic figures. Back in October, you told us "For 2008, we are going to take the classic total down by about one wave. So from the current 60 figures this year, expect around 53 figures or so." The '08 TAC line has 15 figures total across its 2 waves, so according to your info, adding another 30 basic figures will give us a total of just 45 figures, a whole wave smaller than the 53-ish you originally stated. Has an '08 wave been pushed back out of the year, or are there more figures to be expected in the TLC line than the press release stated?
Hasbro: The answer is that yes, a wave has moved due to sculpting delays, but no the number will not come down to less than 50 figures for 2008. Here's the score: you know about the 15 from TAC in Spring, along with the 16 that were shown between Waves 1 and 2 of Legacy Collection (Droid Factory), bringing the total to 31 "seen" so far. In addition, another 24 figures are on schedule, including a redeco wave which was created to replace the delayed wave (there will now be 8 unique Droid factory figures for the Fall figures, four Astro droids in Waves 1 & 3 and 4 Protocol droids for the subsequent waves). These figures will be spaced out from 7/26 launch until the end of the year, or about 6-8 per month through the Fall if all goes according to the firmed up schedule.

SSG: In recent years, many Darth Vader figures have included a silver piece of fabric material around the neck to represent the chain that holds Vader's cape on. However, every time this feature has been included, the "chain" ends up looking too big and out-of-place, while Vader figures that do not include this chain end up looking much better. In the interest of accuracy, could the chain either be scaled down (to better match its look in Episodes III, V, and VI), or done as sculpted plastic (as on earlier incarnations), or simply left off (as in Episode IV) on future Darth Vader figures?
Hasbro: The thickness of the soft goods chain cannot be reduced any further than it already is due to minimum material strength needs. Sculpted plastic would be the alternative, but it doesn't always work with the soft goods that we choose.

As well as the questions, we sent to Hasbro these 2 comments:
- In your Toy Fair display, one of the Comic Packs is from SW Legacy, it's of 2 Imperial Knights. While the figures look very accurate, they are sporting red lightsaber blades which is inaccurate, in the comics they use "silver" saber blades as seen here . We're mentioning this now so if it was done as a mistake, it could be corrected before the error goes to production.

- Finally, on behalf of the readers and forumites of SSG who have been campaigning for over 7 years to get a Yarna d'al Gargan figure made, and the collector community overall, it is a great pleasure to extend a huge thanks to the folks at Hasbro who have made our Yarna figure a reality. THANK YOU TO THE HASBRO STAR WARS TEAM!!!

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of February 27th

Q: Would Hasbro ever consider releasing figures based off artist Feng Zhu's Imperial Recruitment posters which appeared in the Star Wars: Visionaires comic series, perhaps as Comic 2-Packs? There's 2 designs in the official series, and 4 more posters drawn but not released. Besides the sexy female recruits in the posters, the SW: Visionaries comic has other great characters like cyborg Darth Maul, Darth Sidious and the Sithisis Worm, Corporal Jobin just to name a few that would make great action figures, especially coming off the heels of the TAC concept figures since the comic was done by ROTS concept artists.
A: We love those posters, but it's very doubtful that we'd do figure versions of them. We will confirm that at least one of the figures you mention will become a figure before too long based on a Visionaries story.

Q: Concerning pegwarmers and Saga Legends taking up TAC shelfspace, back on Sept 28th you told us "stores will be resupplied based on what has sold down, not based on what is sitting on what pegs, which is invisible to the automated ordering systems. So if Saga Legends is selling in those stores, it will be reordered. If 30th Anniv. is selling, it will be reordered. To finish that discussion - the stock of one has no impact on the other." Understanding that you have the 2 separate SKUs and assortment numbers in place to avoid these problems, what your argument seems to miss is the rampant amount of human error in the process, pegging Saga Legends on TAC pegs (whether done by store employees, or customers who simply don't notice the difference between the red accents vs orange accents of the basic cards), so in your argument, if Saga Legends takes up all the pegspace, TAC can never sell down and be reordered because it never leaves the back rooms to hit the pegs in the first place. Keep in mind, the TAC & SL cards are pretty much visually identical, and the assortment numbers which are supposed to separate them don't stand out on packaging and at a quick glance appear the same (87500 vs 85770) especially for an overworked, underpaid retail employee who is trying to get too many things done at once. So how can sales be generated for a specific product if it doesn't reach the floor in the first place?
A: What you outline is a problem if *only* one (or the other) of the assortment is put out at the exclusion of the other. The same risk - that of human error - has always existed with side-by-side figure lines in Star Wars. Since all case packs are clearly marked by assortment, and replenishment is directed automatically, the impact of human error is minimized.

Q: What are the chances of seeing an Evolutions set of the Seperatists' droids, consisting of updated, all-new versions of the Battle Droid, Super Battle Droid, and IG-100 MagnaGuard (aka Grievous' Bodyguard)?
A: We just did a new Super Battle Droid in the 30th Anniversary Collection, so we do not have plans to do a set like this although we acknowledge that both regular BD's and Magna Droids are in need of a new sculpt at some point.

Discuss this week's Hasbro Q&A in its Forums Thread!

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Hasbro Q&A for the week of February 1st

Q: We understand the need for exclusives, but isn't it too much when 1 store has multiple exclusives all at once? Target having the 2 Ultra Battle Packs, 2 vehicles (TIE Bomber and ARC-170), a regular Battle Pack, the AT-RT 2-pack, and 2 Galactic Heroes battle packs all coming out in roughly a 30 day period - and that's just 1 of the 3 major retailers with exclusives! What happened here? Plus, with all these exclusives coming out at once on top of regular new product, it makes getting them even more difficult, is there any chance we'll be seeing production continue on the harder-to-come-by stuff such as the Target- and TRU-exclusive Galactic Heroes battle packs? Could next time, you get them to space out their exclusives' releases a little better please?
A: We make recommendations regarding when to stage exclusives, but it is up to our retail partners to decide on when they want to get them on shelves and how to promote them. We will certainly take your feedback into account when we meet with our retail partners. Regarding those two battle packs specifically, their run at Target is over and no more will be flowing onto shelves there. However, if you are patient, we are looking for a way to get these back into the market later this Fall at a different retailer.

Q: Is Hasbro considering continuing the Galactic Heroes line with more figures from Jabba's Palace (like Tessek, J'quille, Oola, the band etc.) and the Mos Eisley Cantina (like Elis Helrot, Kitik Keed'kak, Muftak etc.)? Also, bounty hunters Aurra Sing and Zam Wesell would be round out the bounty hunter set nicely.
A: Those are all fun suggestions for additional "background" characters that could be brought into the GH world. We are not going that far into the secondary characters just yet, as there are still some major ones to be focused on, but it's a possibility that given the success of these little guys, someday we could see your choices immortalized in a squishy, fun form. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Q: The Snowspeeder has only been an exclusive item in the past two releases for it where prior releases were regular mass-retail. Why the exclusivity and accompanying higher pricepoint on this vehicle? If it's due to its somewhat large size compared to other vehicles, could it be scaled down to accurate proportions (since it is actually a little over scale as-is) and released in the $20 line?
A: Because of the size and greater cost, it has not been possible to get the existing Snowspeeder into the $20 vehicle pricepoint. You and your readers have been instrumental in the past in championing for a "true to scale" version and for this reason we have held off at using it in more exclusives. We have heard you....and are looking at ways to bring a new one to market within the next couple of years. Stay tuned!

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