Hasbro 'til 2018

[sith_killer_99]

Well, it looks like we will have to put up with Hasbro until at least 2018!

This is a double edged sword if you ask me.

Currently, Hasbro is running Star Wars into the ground. I am of the opinion that the current line is the worst overall line since the reintroduction in 1995. Personally, I like the ugly buff figures better than many of the new ones they have come out with.

Granted, there are some real winners in the SAGA line, Ephant Mon, Royal Guard, etc.

But this line is honestly the first line to break me of my completist ways. It did so by making too many figures that I just plain hate! I can accept a bad figure or two here and there, but when there are 2 or more bad figures per wave in every other wave it's just too much.

However, if not for Hasbro we may not get Star Wars figures in the non-movie years. Hasbro has also stayed true to the 3.75 inch scale. I fear that may not have happened if not for Hasbro.

Sculpts have improved greatly over the last 8 years.

POTJ was the greatest line ever, IMHO. So this major step backwards may only be temporary.

Hasbro has shown that they listen to collectors...sometimes, which is more than I can say for some companies. They gave us the Blue cards that we soooo begged for, they hold Fan Choice Polls, we have seen the new Troop Builder sets and Target Exc. Acc. Sets not to mention Cantina aliens in the form of Wal-Mart exc. Some of these points are argueable, but they appear to be trying to satisfy the collectors.

I'm just not sure at this point if I want Hasbro to continue the line. If they keep things up the way they are, then I would have to say no.

However, if they drop the gimmicks (which detract soooo much from the figures) and get rid of the one pose wonders in favor of articulation (poses we can make ourselves), then I say full speed ahead.

In any case, it seems that Hasbro and Star Wars will be together for a long time to come.

Hasbro, please, I beg you, get rid of the gimmicks. Not a single compliment has come from these gimmicks.

Maybe it's our fault?!?!? Maybe we all wanted a rocket firing Boba Fett soooo badly that you misinterpreted us.

If so, we appologize, but please, please, please for the love of God, stop the gimmicks, and end the one pose wonders. Give us articulation and great sculpts (which we can see you are capable of).

[Beast]

Running it into the ground? With record sales and the number #1 best selling toy line of summer 2002? Wow, I bet every toy company would love to run their lines into the ground. If it means they would strike oil. We're just a small cross-section of the collecting community. Not everyone complains about their toys. There are kids and adults that enjoy them.

Good, Hasbro has broken a lot of people of their completists ways. Maybe people will finally actually decide that they can skip figures they don't like. Instead of buying and complaining. Toy collector's I swear, are the only people that buy somthing they dislike. Maybe Hasbro would realize people were displeased, if they didn't buy the stuff anyway. It's only sensible. Seeing "I hate that figure" and "But I bought 3 of them.", makes about as much sense as....well, it makes no sense.

You're right about the scale thing. If Hasbro wasn't in charge of the line, we could kiss that goodbye. I'm sure most of us recall when the line was up for renewal, and we saw the 6" Bespin Luke figure that Playmates had mocked up. That would have been the utter doom to any chance of vehicles and probably a lot of obscure charecters. Not to mention, how many times did playmates put the same charecters out over and over again in the Star Trek line. Malibu Stacy with a new hat.

The Saga Collection 2 stuff is on par or superior to POTJ, in my opinion. Even some of Collection 1 stuff is on par. Now as we move further away from E2, I think the quality will increase again. We already have some magnificant C1 and C2 stuff coming. And a lot of 2002's C2 stuff was great. And we have even more Collector orientated stuff in the second half of this year.

I like Hasbro with the line, I don't wanna see a new company with a new scale. I like them at 3 3/4", and don't want to have to rebuy every charecter over again in 6" or so. Hasbro does pretty good, but it's hard to make everyone happy. Atleast they haven't carded a Luke: Tatooine in sometime, so they do listen. More then you could say, if a new company got the line.

Hell, even a few people here complained about Ephant Mon. No, not as much as gimmicks and pre-posing, but we did hear it. Now I know some people think I never usually say anything all that bad about Hasbro, but I think some of the gimmicks could have been incorperated better. Or atleast worked better. But some of them were pretty cool. Takes me back to toys when I was a kid.

I like the gimmicks on most figures, but there are a few that I definatly hate. A small button or such, doesn't hurt the figure to me. They're toys, if I wanted 100% realism I wouldn't be a toy collector. Padme: Arena's arm, which would have looked and worked so much better like Zam's or Padme: Pilot's. Same with Han's. And the kicking action on Anakin: TA doesn't work. If it actually worked, then fine.

I think we'll see gimmicks fading out later this year. Hasbro has seen they weren't that well receieved. We're probably going to be seeing the end of them halfway thru the year. It's just due to the almost a year lead time before the figures come out, that they didn't have fan feedback at the time. They have that feedback now. And most agree, that it's time to sit aside those again. Even though most people never complain about them in other toy lines. We here gimmicks suck from people that buy LOTR's and MOTU stuff. I guess it's ok for other lines, but Star Wars is sacred.

I think the future looks pretty bright. The second half of 2003 has some great often requested figures coming. Padme: Wedding Dress, Wat Tambor, Coleman Trebor, Waitress Droid (WA-7), Lt. Faytonni, Darth Sidious, Bail Organa, Padme: Tatooine, Imperial Dignitary. And let's not forget the Screen Scenes, somthing we've been calling for since Cinema Scenes died. And we already have two fan favorites, General Jan Dodonna and Captain Colton Antilles on tap for 2004. Things can only get better.

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[sith_killer_99]

Maybe you are right, maybe it is just taking a long time for them to catch up to the fact that collectors (and kids) hate gimmicks.

Although, the cry went out before Aayla Securas' design began.

Anyway, maybe they will get back on the ball. It would be nice if I could own an EP2 version of Anakin Skywalker, since I refuse to buy any of the garbage they have spewed forth thus far. Three Anakins in one year and not a single one of them worth my money. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Lately I have spent more money on, and been happier with, LEGO Star Wars than the Saga line. I got an Imperial Shuttle, Jabba's palace, some cool mini sets and much much more. I'm even tempted to spend $80.00 on the Gunship, with all the money I have saved on not buying Hasbro's stuff.

Did Hasbro have a great year, yes. Does that mean their customers were happy, not really. Let's face it, there were a lot of strategic moves they made (from the EP1 fiasco) that helped the cause:

1. The price was lower.

2. Less overkill, Hasbro overestimated the demand for EP1 toys, they were much closer to the target this time around, live and learn. Not to mention the gimmicks to sell/re-sell figures (K-Mart 2 packs/KB 4 packs).

3. More, different, figures in a single year. The EP1 line only had 50 figures total (including the 4 Battle Droid variations). That was over about an 18 month period. Whereas the Saga line started in April and cranked out 53+ figures by years end.

4. The April push. Figures were more plentiful on the release date last year than they were in '99! At least that's what I saw. Most folks found the first 16 or so with ease. Plus Hasbro used the old "Variation" gimmick to sell doubles to collectors.

So, yes the line was more successful this time around, but I would say that a big part of that was due to management.

Don't get me wrong, now that the "movie year" is over, I look forward to things calming down a bit and Hasbro going back to the straight and narrow (no gimmicks). I'm just frustrated with the garbage Hasbro has put out lately, and seeing the new "Spear chuckin' Obi-Wan" up close hasn't helped matters any.

[Beast]

No, a vocal majority hate gimmicks. Trust me, try to say somthing positive around here that you like gimmicks and you get labeled a Hasbro plant or nuts. And you wonder why the positive group doesn't support the stuff online.

Aayla Secura isn't gimmicked, she's got a load of articulation. Even the new Anakin: Secret Ceremony is a C1 figure with no gimmicks. That's a step in the right direction, I'm sure. Atleast for the anti-action feature crowd.

I have more to say, but I don't want to sound preachy here. Just intrested in discussing the pros and cons. I think Hasbro does a pretty good job. And hopefully will continue to from now until 2018. Damn, that's still amazing news.

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[sith_killer_99]

Yeah, I'm sure my wife will be thrilled when I tell her I'll still be hunting for new SW stuff when I'm 44!

28 (29 in May)+15=43 (44 in May 2018)

[Rogue II]

The main reason I'm glad Hasbro extended the the license is that they will keep the 3-3/4" line and hopefully will continue making the Playskool line.

I don't like the action figures. They ruin sculpts and poseability. I only own 3 figures with the gimmicks (Bespin Luke, Vader, and Endor Han), so I will only use those as examples.

Vader and Luke are great sculpts. But, Vader's feature doesn't match the scupt. He is posed so that he is reaching out to Luke. Luke is great, super poseable, but you lose waist articulation and has a peg sticking out of his back.

Endor Han, well, he is just over posed as most Han figures are. I can't complain about the sculpt, but the huge bolt through his shoulder is ugly. POTJ Bespin Han is probably one of the best Hans made, neutral pose, good artuculation in his arms. Why can't we get more figures like him?

It seems like it would cost more money and generate more work to add the action features.

If Hasbro feels they need to add features to their toys, keep them on weapons or accessories. Jango Fett's and 300 Boba Fett's backpack are a good example. The backpack launches a weapon, but it also is well hidden. The Saga Bespin Chewbacca is another good example. C-3PO with light up eyes is a nice accessory to an awesome figure.

Hasbro, your sculptors do amazing work keep it up over the next 15 years. Just quit ruining their work with those action gimmicks.

[The Overlord Returns]

the way I see it...by 2018 technology should allow sw figures to run around of their own volition and talk to you....

[Patient Zero]

Well let's see! EP3 comes out in 2005...then maybe the second trilogy special editions say 3 years later (2008)...Then maybe we will finally get special, special editions of the original series on DVD say another 3 years after that (2011). So someone please explain to me the licencing till 2018??????

[sith_killer_99]

EP4 1977 (SW toys 1978)
EP5 1980
EP6 1983 (SW line dies 1985/revived 1995)

EP1 1999
EP2 2002
EP3 2005

Special Edition EP1-EP3 plus Special Edition EP4-EP6 on DVD 2006

EP7 2009
EP8 2012
EP9 2015

License ends 2018

Star Wars movie toy franchise the only line to span five decades!

Re-release of the entire vintage line 2025.

and on

and on

and on

and on

and on

The Star Wars, the Energizer Bunny of toy licenses.

[jjreason]

The "Gordie Howe" of toy lines....

I just want things to slow down a little. I don't think I'll be happy if I have to afford another year like last.