A: We certainly look a the Ultimate Battle Pack concept as a way to deliver more play features but at the same time not weigh down a product with a massive tooling burden. As has been well-documented, playsets are backbreakers from a tooling and product costing perspective, and their return on investment is still not justified relative to the higher level of interest in figures and vehicles. That's why there were new elements to these sets, but they were not the sole focus of the sets themselves. By using a considerable amount of existing items, we were able to justify some tooling expense, which we spent on the turret and the logs. Surprisingly, the turret did not take up that many tools and was very efficient from that standpoint compared to some of the other suggestions which are more intensive from a tooling and piece price standpoint. The exception might be Yoda's hut, which is a pretty good suggestion and one we should look into. So the sucess of the UBPs (and they have been very successful) does not mean a change of format to more playset-dominated sets, but it does open the door to opportunities that have a similar type of format - i.e. some newness mixed with a good dose of existing to keep our costs down.

A: It still doesn't change our belief that the comic packs might not be the best place to deliver a Corran Horn figure. He's still high on our wish list with some other prominent figures, but we'll have to wait a while longer yet before we can look to do something with him.

A: Excellent suggestion, but too late to impact this figure, which is being built now for shipment soon.

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

A: Good point - Wedge is a very important character in the OT and the EU. While we don't have any plans for a carded basic Wedge figure, there will be at least one cool new Wedge figure in the line next year if our schedule holds. We will have info available around Comic Con on what that may be.

A: Great question. In the specific issue included (#4), Fel does have a well-developed Van Dyck and that is the starting point for the package artwork. However, we were directed to actually deco him more like the first issue in the story arc, where he is initially clean shaven, then gradually develops more and more scrub and then finally the full-on facial hair as the story ensues. Right now we don't have plans to do any facial hair variants, but if we do release another Fel it would be good to get the facial hair in there.

A: There is a good bet that at some point we will see these variations, but it may take a while to find the spot for them in the lineup.

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

A: By now, fans have seen more of our vehicle direction as we have announced the AT-AP and the Grievous Starfighter. We prefer aggressive vehicles for the new tools, and unfortunately airspeeders are pretty much not the coolest and most aggresive vehicles. So we'll be focusing on other opportunities that Clone Wars (and the films) have given us for the foreseeable future.

A: They are not in the plan - but we are looking at EU possibilities for future waves, and it's possible someday they could make it into the line.

A: Long-term chances are not too bad - but it may take a few years. Actually, this exact figure has been "on the bubble" (not a bad pun) for a few years now, on our wish lists we draw up for a given year, but has been put off in favor of other figures.

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

A: 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. Episodes III-VI will each have waves along with a The Force Unleashed wave and a couple other surprises in there.

A: Before too long we will probably be updating Jar-Jar. From our research, kids still like him and the Gungan concept. We just have to find the opportunity to bring him out.

A: Thanks for the comments. In general, there has always been variety to the likenesses 3-3/4" figure line and while we would like every likeness to be exact, at our scale this is not something that we can expect. We're sorry you have been disappointed; while some of your comments are areas we hope to improve upon, for others, it's the first we have heard about overall dissatisfaction with these figures.

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

A: If and when we get to some of those Rebs, we'll look at the bodies available and try to pick to make meaningful height differentiation among pilots… that is a good goal to have.

A: We can't say for certain that some fans did not vote from different accounts... that is certainly possible. We did the vote this way to get the broadest possible voting, and there were indeed some big surprises to us in the final vote order based on the initial web site straw polls and top 10 lists. One thing that is clear - backing up the first Saga Legends poll, is that troops are still in demand. Here's the complete top 20 in vote order: 1. Shadow Stormtrooper. 2. Commander Neyo. 3. Covert Ops Clone Trooper. 4. Utapau Shadow Trooper. 5. Zev Senesca. 6. ARC Trooper (Clone Wars) red & gray. 7. Clone Trooper Pilot w/ball turret. 8. Clone Trooper (Saleucami). 9. Zutton. 10. R3-A2. 11. Graxol Kelvyyn. 12. Ephant Mon. 13. Stormtrooper (Vintage OTC). 14. Colonel Wulf Yalaren. 15. Coleman Trebor. 16. Pablo-Jill. 17. Chewbacca. 18. Gungan Warrior (Fambaa set). 19. Sio Bibble. 20. Bespin Guard. We are considering more of these for release in future lines beyond Saga Legends, but don't have any specifics. Suffice to say, it was great to get the fans and fansites involved in the character selection and it will have a great impact on things we do both in Saga Legends and elsewhere.

A: We go out to retail constantly to check on our local stores and see if there are any key learnings or trends to be aware of. We are careful not to jump to conclusions based on what we see locally, and to check what we see locally against the nationally-reported data before reacting. In some cases, if we see locally jives with the national data, we will revise future case-pack weightings (ratios) or the items we are about to manufacture and which will hit shelves in several months. In other cases, what we see locally is not a national trend and does not need to be addressed or is a flag to watch from week to week to see if we have spotted what could be an issue.

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

A: We do not have access to individual store level inventories to know what figures are where and in what quantity - that level of information simply doesn't exist. That's why we report that on a national level - the greater whole - waves are shipping as planned, and the replenishment process by which stores are "resupplied" is something we watch on a weekly basis. To be clear on how it works - 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. However, it doesn't work like clockwork all the time, and the number of older figures of a subline could impact which waves are shipped so it could be possible for a store to miss a wave depending on how much stock and how fast it's selling and what wave is available to ship next. We would ask that if colelctors have noticed problems in certain stores, they please send the Store # of the WM store with the issue (via the same process you use to submit questions) and we will have our retail teams look into it and see if there is a way to "unclog" a local store if its within our merchandising teams coverage area.

A: We like the idea a lot, and don't rule out that in the next couple years we could weave some of these figures into the line. We can't give you exact details, but we are optimistic. Fans should know that we realize how important these characters have been and we can't wait to see them materialize as well.

A: We're glad you like the Rebel pilots - we do too, and are trying to find ways to get some more of these largely unsung heroes out there like we are with Tycho this Fall. We think you will be very pleased with some interesting figures next year...that's all we can say right now!

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

A: We have been trying to figure out how the distillery section would work, and there are challenges as you point out but a few ways to solve. We have also thought about a smaller straight bar section, but that's an expensive piece for a small effect and collectors could probably just use another straight section (perhaps a good excuse to re-release). We will not be resculpting the straight bar section, though. If we release it in the future and if we do that, we'll look for deco to more closely match the curved section.

A: Repaints are an inevitability for a line like Titanium, and thanfully the range of on- and off-screen opportunities that have presented themselves over the years give us the confidence to commission new tools knowing that we will be able to get multiple decos out of them. We will say that we are going to be judicious about which ones that we are going to be repainting, and going more toward the fleet approach when it makes sense (Red Squadron, Gold Squadron, EU squadrons even) and less toward the pewter/battle-damage route.

A: That's a cool idea, but we're not ready to go with such a Jawa-focused set yet. The ideas for the droids are good ones and perhaps those can be used down the line, even if not in a set like this.

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

A: We certainly hope so. While they are not in the line for next year, they are on our short list for the line as it continues on.

A: The actual figure lines themselves are managed completely separately and replenishment to stores is based on demand and sell-through, as long as we can supply inventory as need. Delays with the coins have held up the basic figure schedules so far (as well as Saga Legends), but that should all be settled down now and you will see more regular wave deliveries.

A: Actually, we have indeed gotten that question before from some sites, and have been willing to explore it given the availability of slots in the line. For the $20 vehicles, it would be unlikely to be an open-ended vote like the Fans' Choice for figures. Titanium is probably something more amenable to being open-ended. We will look at it and get back to you… it may be something we can effect for early next year to influence later 2009.

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

A: Yes, over the next few years you will see some more of these cool guards either get their turn for the first time or get a resculpt. You'll have to be patient though - we'll only be able to get to a couple new ones a year.

A: We look for characters that have interesting or important subplots or are uniquely iconic, so that explains Dark Woman (who appeared in numerous comics and who is tied to the origin of Aurra Sing) and a new take on Vader. We have looked at the Marvel stories again, but just don't see the characters from this storyline making the future cut - they did not have much importance to the Marvel run. It is more likely that other new characters from the Marvel run will be selected before these guys.

A: We have looked at the TX-130 and it is a cool vehicle, but right now would only go after it if it was featured in the upcoming Clone Wars animation.

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

A: Up until now, we have just been focusing on exterior (visible from the outside) mods. That's a great suggestion to consider for the next time we do some classic vehicles, and we'll look into it.

A: The SRP for all basic figures is the same, whether or not they are 30th Anniv or Saga Legends. If we reduced the price of Saga Legends, it would draw an unfavorable (and confusing to the average consumer) value comparison to the 30th line. We want to keep our tooling budget healthy for our mainline figures, and pricing parity helps protect our ability to deliver more new figures like we have been doing this year.

A: The belt pack issue is an assmbly error and one we CAN address, but the rest are a little trickier. There are multiple unique sets of tools used in the production of the SA Clones, and what you are seeing may be inherent variety in the different sets. We will take a look at the issues you have pointed out to see if there is anything identify the tools from which these originate and anything we can do to correct, but it may not alway be possible until we have a need to create a new set of Clone tools.

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

A: This is a great question, since the LucasArts video games have indeed been strong and our figures tied to them have proven to be very popular. Next up are the two Battlefront II multi-packs slated for this Fall from Diamond Comics, which will be debuted at Comic Con. After that, we will see where the direction leads. Probably the first priority for us will be looking to the name games Lucasfilm has been doing, but we do not rule out covering some of the other memorable characters from previous games. Probably the best way to gauge overall fan demand for these figures would be to embark upon another "fans' choice" poll (discussions we've already begun with Toy Fare Magazine) ideally early next year. Last year's poll gave great visibility, and underscored demand for the KOTOR figures, and it's possible that now that we have addressed many of the major wants from the last poll, new choices from classic videogames will emerge as favorites on the next one. If so, we will certainly consider them. Thanks, too, for the detailed list - it's very helpful.

A: We are always trying to deliver the most accurate likeness possible. As you have probably noticed, it's a challenge in the 3-34" medium to really nail likenesses, so we get as close as we can. There will always be variation between sculptors and changes that occur in the production process.

A: A very interesting question. Hasbro (and Kenner) have periodically had a need to tailor vehicles to strategic, consumable pricepoints for vehicles, such as the mini rigs back in the 1980s. Such was the case for the creation of the Cruise Missile trooper, when our designer Mark Boudreaux set about to create a new mini-vehicle that fit into the Star Wars universe. Of course, due to the need to come in on cost targets, it had to have a dedicated (not removable) pilot, deciding to spend more of the "cost" of the set on getting a substantial vehicle feel rather than the figure element. In consulation with Lucasfilm, the idea took hold and the concept came to life. It has a cool silhouette, very "Empire" as you note, but the reason it probably hasn't been picked up and embraced by any writers (novel and comics) is a question better asked of them. As far as we know, it's fair game to use.

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

A: Since there is no one standard scultping "buck" that we use, each figure is created independent of the other. Variation is possible right from the outset and over the course of the hundreds of figures we have done, there is an acceptible range of both head sizes and overall figure proportions that we try and hit. In the natural course of scultping, it is more often easier to make adjustements and tweaks by taking away material, rather than adding more on, so the tendency, if all figures started equal but some needed a little more work, is to have some end up a little smaller than others. Sometimes we do plan future uses for heads (such as the possibility of fitting into helmets if there is a chance for it, like the Hoth Han).

A: The obvious ones would be the dignitary (Sate Pestage-like character) and some of the Ewoks, as well as the ones you cite like the black Bespin guard and Klaatu ceremonial dress figure. As it happens, we have been looking at these because we know the fan demand is there (especially for some of the Return of the Jedi figures) and because they would be interesting to see re-done. It may be a couple of years before we get to most or all of these, but we are pretty confident they will find their way into the line either in basic figures, Vintage, or perhaps another avenue.

A: We hear you. Quite frankly, the ramp-up for other Titanium lines (figures especially) caused us to divert some of our resources and tooling dollars to these other lines, but now that the Titanium Series picture is more clear, we are back and in full development of the next year of Titanium 3" vehicles, and the future is as bright as the past has been for the vehicles we have coming. Hang in there, using this Fall as a time to fill in holes as we re-release some vehicles that have been scarce (both Star Wars and Galactica), and get ready for a great 2008.

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

A: This is a good idea, but collectors for the most part like to shop at the brick and mortar stores and that's why we created the UGH concept - to reward those who like to hunt. In the past several years, it seems that scalpers had largely come to ignore Star Wars, but do to recent success it seems that scalping has raised its ugly head again. The UGHs unfortunately feed into this, and we are releasing more UGHs and more of each this year than we did last year to give more fans a chance to get one (or more). As answered previously, figures that are 1/case are desginated as such for tooling capacity reasons and we will be chasing many of the McQ figures and the Animated Boba Fett throughout the year (like we did with Cody and Scorch last year).

A: Beyond what we have shown, there is only one more wave. It's a pretty cool wave, with one new retool based on a McQuarrie painting - a concept Snowtrooper on Snowspeeder. Beyond that, there is a Hoth deco AT-ST, a new AAT, a revised V-Wing, and a black chrome AT-AT. That'll be it for 2007, but 2008 will be chock full of goodness Titanium 3" vehicle front, so stay tuned!

A: Glad you appreciate the new sculpts. As always, we strive to get all the details right, but on a line as comprehensive as Star Wars, and with the number of sublines that are fully engaged, we (and Lucasfilm) will occasionally miss a detail. It should also be pointed out that not all the reference is consistent from scene to scene, and without knowing the real scoop on these two, it's possible that there was ambiguity in the reference. In any case, we do work hard to get the details right but we don't claim to be perfect! We just hope that collectors enjoy the end-results and continue to stick with us on the exciting path we're on.

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

A: Like we've said before, Vader is a very important kid-cool anchor of the line, and juding by demand, he is still the most popular of all Star Wars figures. So we plan to keep him in the line, but to do it in a way that either completists who already have him can skip him (packaging completists though are kind of stuck here with a hard choice to make) or as part of a Battle Pack where the overall value and differentiation is still the triggering factor. We also like to look and see how we can make him different and updated from time to time, so we do see a new Vader being introduced every once in a while. We're trying to balance it all out so we keep Vader going in all relevant sublines, but don't "force" anyone to have to be compelled to pick him up when he's repacked on a basic figure card.

A: We felt that to celebrate the 30th Anniversary, we really wanted to come up with unique figures to anchor the key events. If there wasn't a CIV, those figures wouldn't have been produced, or they would have gone elsewhere and replaced others. So this year really is a celebration with more exclusive figures than usual.... next year will be back to normal. As far as online, the availability was based on what we percieved to be the demand, but the reaction to Luke has been great. We will make available some extra CIV allotment for hasbrotoyshop.com and these will go back up the week of June 18th. Beyond that, if demand still remains high, we will look at making another release. Also, regarding the McQuarrie R2-D2 & C-3PO, by now you should have seen more sites (such as StarWarsOnlineShop.com) carrying this set as well so the fans back at home can have broader access to the figures.

A: We have not many any announcement about additional exclusives, but will show the rest of the line-up at Comic Con.

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

A: If there weren't new entertainment on the horizon, we would continue to keep the "Saga" line fresh for fans regardless. We would look at the concepts and decide which of those would be most exciting and relevant, and could stand without the entertainment backdrop, and proceed from there.

A: The "April Fool's" spoof was really meant to have fun with the types of more obtuse and macabre characters that some fans have expressed a desire in seeing someday, but a character like Yarna does stand a good chance of becoming a figure at some point. When that is, we can't say for sure, but the odds are very good.

A: It's because they are not off our list, it's just that we have selected what we feel are more interesting characters to round out our EpIII waves so far. Some time down the road we'll get to these figures, but it will take time.

A: We'll look at it, but it's not high on our list (it's sort of like the Cloud Car, cool but maybe not as aggressive as vehicles). Part of that has also been because of the child safety constraints we must abide by for the nose of the vehicle, which makes it a little less "hard" than we'd like.

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

A: We do not set retail pricing for our items, that is decided by our retail partners. In any case, soft goods are generally expensive and we could not get the bantha to cost out where we wanted. Knowing this, we went with the direction of adding more Tusekns to justify a higher price point, and to make it more like a complete Tusken clan set. On the fur, we wanted something different and more like the movie banthas with a matted look. We did the best job we could wih the fur available on the market in the time we had for completion of the set.

A: We have not considered doing this figure, but it makes sense for a down-the-road variant of the Rebel Fleet Trooper -- at least for the head. We probaly won't update the Rebel Fleet Trooper body for a long time, as it is, it does pretty much everything you could ask of these poor doomed corridor fighters. (ed note: we at SSG would respectfully disagree as the Rebel Fleet Trooper could also use elbow, waist, and better shoulder articulation. -JT)

A: There is little we can do to correct this this year, but a solution is in the works for 2008. Since the shelf tags are labeled and the product is separated by branding and visible product differentiation, it is up to the retail personnel to reset them to their right areas. This may or may not be happening due to the individual store. What is certain is that is SW Titanoum continues to sell down, it will continue to flow back in to that retailer. Typically there is not a lot of backstock on SW Titanium so the stores put it out as soon as they get it; it won't get in the way of getting new product out there.

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

A: We have found that while it's a good start in some cases, 3-3/4" figures needed in some cases more expression than the scans provided, so we have gotten into the habit of simply sculpting fresh almost all the time.

A: It's a definite possibility, but for this year at least that's the only way to get this figure.

A: Lucasfilm did not think the aesthetics of the hood-up head sculpt were right for the product, so they asked us to pull it out. Given that it was too late to resculpt the accessory, we pulled it from the product rather than rework it and delay Vintage more than it had already been delayed.

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

A: We think the universe for Star Wars figure possibilities is unlimited, rather than limited. We have never been more excited about the possibilities unfolding for the line! It is a tough decision at times, between articulation (more points = more tools, deco, and labor to assemble), accessories, and deco. We add it when it makes a meaningful differernce to a previously released character to make them an "upgrade." When it comes to new characters like Cantina patrons, sometimes we can afford more and sometimes not so much so it really varies based on the wave and full-year cost. With so many new figures on the year (2007), it means the pressure is high and we aren't able to liberally distribute super-articulation like we know some fans want. Also, with the comic packs in particular the fact that there are two figures at a sharp price means that we have to manage them so we don't get into trouble and jeopardize the program. As you probably guessed, there are some figures we do hope to update down the road when we get a chance and can get another crack at them. But with new Clone Wars series and great stories being told in comics and video games, it's uncertain when we'll be able to get back to any particular figure.

A: We hear the fan demand for a Kyle Katarn figure and are looking for ways to get him into the line, hopefully by the end of 2008. We also like the idea of a post-EpVI Luke and will be releasing him (along with Mara Jade) in an Heir-to-the-Empire comic 2-pack in a few months. There are other worthwhile Lukes to look at, but only time will tell when we can get to additional Lukes. The other two charcters are not high on our radar screen right now... the best way to rally support for them would be in the next round of a fans' choice poll like we did with Toy Fare last year. We'll discuss the idea of sequelling that great poll with them.

A: We still do not have any plans for Action Fleet at this time due to other priorities for the line. As for the Ultra series, the last vehicles are coming to TRU as exclusives and that will complete this series. There is nothing more planned for this line exclusive or otherwise.

A: We will not be pursuing this idea in any of our sublines right now. While some collectors like these, they don't seem to be universally popular and we have chosen to spend our development dollar in other areas.

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

A: Your suggestion is certainly a valid one. We are looking at doing a new Jabba at some point, but he has taken a back seat to some other ideas we've been working on. When we get back to him, we'll look at what makes the most sense regarding style.

A: We'll look at it at some point, but with the animation coming up-to-speed, the slate is certainly getting more crowded. We know the demand for AT-ST is out there though.

A: There are still several waves to be revealed for 2007, but you will not see a Yarna in the line this year.

A: We didn't see this figure as particularly short, at least it wasn't designed to be deliberately so. When we do another new one, he'll probably be more of an average height (regression toward the mean).

A: Very unlikely at this point. The Titanium series figures slated to go through Spring will be the last of the series. While it would be cool to create a metal series of droids, we don't have any plans for this as these are pretty expensive relative to our 3-3/4" regular line.
(Editor's note: this question was sent in right before the news broke about the line's demise. - JT)

A: We are looking at the Galactic Heroes vehicle situation, and agree with you that they deserve another shot. However, before we commit to new vehicles, we have some research to do with kids to get at what they want to see to further their Galactic Heroes experience. We are also looking at getting some of the other un-released Playskool figures and vehicles back out there.

A: She is based on the Dark Horse comic imagery.

A: Obviously, higher price points do better before the holidays since that's when gift giving really ramps up and that is the ideal timing for anything that is not an "everyday" priced item (we consider the $19.99 SRP Starfighter Vehicle collection to be sustainable all year long and will keep that going with continued fresh waves). As far as our optimism for large vehicles succeeding based on the recent success - we knew that there was a market for the larger vehicles, the challenge is the extraordinary cost of doing new ones. We are looking at every opportunity to bring all-new ones out. We can't confirm anything right now though. If we did, because of timing, it might not be until 2008.

A: We start any year by planning out themed waves to take advantage of each movie, or catch-all EU theme and then work from there. This means digging into figures we have yet to do (usually collector-targeted) and finding ways to keep the core characters fresh to provide a "hero" appeal to the wave for kids. However, the waves can and do vary in size mostly by what we come up with for a good overall wave balance and may be as few as five new and as many as 10. So there is no set formula except for the theme idea to work, we have to have a minimum. Now in some cases, we may feel that we don't have enough ideas we are excited about for figures compared to say another movie, so we might skip a movie in a year (Empire and Phantom Menace are particularly challening because all the core characters have been produced and we don't feel we need to go back to them every year).... in that case we may take a rich movie like RotJ or RotS and split them into two waves each. Now your question on the challenges it presents when figures are late.... we prefer to keep waves intact and sometimes the wave might be delayed if we feel strongly we need to keep them together. There are other times when we may split and recombine like we did in '06 with the Endor/Naboo wave, which was previously two different waves with more figures, some of which were shifted off into '07 or later due to delays.