SSG's Bi-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - August 31st

[JediTricks]

It's the perfect Labor Day gift (bet you didn't know there were Labor Day gifts) - Hasbro's answers to SSG questions for August 31st, 2007. Thanks again to Hasbro for the answers, to all the folks who sent in questions and especially those who voted on them.

Hasbro Q&A for the week of August 31st

Q: With Mandalore being produced for the Mandalorian Evolutions set, will other Tales of the Jedi figures - specifically Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun - be in queue for a future wave of Comic 2-packs?
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.

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Q: Originally, it seemed that Saga Legends was supposed to compliment the main TAC line, so as to have multiple "new" figures out at once. However, wave 3 of the main line started showing up at the end of May, and here in mid-August wave 4 is barely starting to show up - yet the first 2 waves of Saga Legends are steadily coming in. Did you stop shipping figures from the main TAC line for a while in order to focus on Saga Legends? If so, wouldn't that be the opposite of the intended goal of simultaneous shipping? Will more waves of the main line be pushed back this year to allow for Saga Legends figures to gain momentum? Right now fans are getting frustrated at the current lack of authentically new product on shelves and are worrying that the final few months of 2007 will be an avalanche.
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.

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Q: With the fans choice polls over the years, you've shown a great openness to suggestions for figures from the collector community. Would you consider extending the concept of fans choice polls into $20 vehicles and/or Titanium Series vehicles?
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.

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And the questions at ActionFigs.com:

• - With all the Padme costumes left unmade as 3 3/4" figures, would Hasbro consider making an exclusive multipack - such as the Lucas Family set or the Republic Commando or Death Star Briefing - or even a series of multipacks to get those outfits out of the way? With anywhere from 3 to 7 apiece, they could be organized by movie: Ep I - purple Return to Naboo/Qui-Gon's Funeral; gray Coruscant kimono; black Coruscant/Naboo reception; and perhaps a new, complete version of the senate outfit. Ep 2 - any of the 10 remaining outfits but especially the Chancellor's office outfit; the packing gown; the picnic dress. Ep 3 - there's 9 more outfits, not counting the hospital gown or the funeral gown. Even if you only do a few 3-packs of figures, those are figures that would normally not be seen for years, possibly ever, which fans want. Would you at least consider a Padme evolutions set to get 3 of those unproduced outfits figures out of the way?
• - Will Hasbro be re-releasing the straight sections of the cantina bar in the near future to coincide with the release of the curved end pieces that were just released? If so, please consider re-releasing the blue Snaggletooth from the K-Mart exclusive as well. Also, on the straight sections, would they be the same or have their inaccurate barstools removed?
• - How many Evolutions packs will we be seeing in 2008?

[El Chuxter]

Q: With Mandalore being produced for the Mandalorian Evolutions set, will other Tales of the Jedi figures - specifically Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun - be in queue for a future wave of Comic 2-packs?
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.

So, uh, anyone else find it odd and a little annoying that they're jumping at the chance to make Legacy figures, which has been ongoing for barely a year, and have already made figures based on Purge and Infinities, yet have no plans for two of arguably most-requested (and much older) characters?

Have these guys even watched the movies or read any of the comics? Seriously.

[Old Fossil]

Also, on the straight sections, would they be the same or have their inaccurate barstools removed?

Removing the barstools would be dumb. The whole Bar as we have it is not movie accurate, but that in no real way diminishes its play or dis-play value. Taking out the barstools altogether would be a bad move... but they could make them completely removable, I guess, to placate those who are sticklers for accuracy. But I'd buy 'em either way, just to make my bar longer.

"Bar"-ing the Tonnikas getting released, they could make blue Snaggletooth and Bannis Keeg (the other Duro, Ellors Madak's friend), and pack in straight bar sections with them. Two easy money-makers for re-Hashbro, there.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

That Saga Legends answer isn't really completely satisfying, though I guess I'll believe their mention of the coins getting held up.

The Padmé Evolution set answer also kind of told us that they're not going to make any more of one figure, like the Anakin/Vader one.

[Tycho]

Since we know the Saga Legends aren't being put on separate pegs from the TAC out in the isles, maybe we could assume the computer that tracks sales and re-orders stuff at the retailers is smart enough to figure what to get in?

I have some doubts, but it's possible.

Anyway, the stockers still won't stock if they have a surplus of either hanging on the pegs and thus limited room. But you'd figure if the computer inventory was so well organized, there would actually be room.

But that's not the problem (Saga Legends) at my stores:

Galactic Marines
R2D2
Obi-Wan
Mace
Airborne
Super Battle Droid
Han Solo
Death Star Trooper
Darth Vader
Luke Vaporator
Stormtrooper (really)


In fact it's easier to list WHAT DOES SELL:

Lava Miner (probably doesn't ship in large quantities)
McQuarrie Trooper
Rebel Honor Guard (really)
Luke Yavin Hemophilliac Version
Biggs Pilot
Concept Fett
Biggs Academy
Jawa and LIN Droid
Mc'bacca
(wave 4 of course)

Plenty of Transformers - which is probably directly related to Star Wars' slow-down.

[Devo]

A question at JediDefender-

1. At the past few conventions, you’ve confirmed that the Distillery portion of the Cantina Bar will be coming in 2008 or 2009. A lot of folks are left wondering how it’s all going to fit together since there isn’t a lot of room left in the middle if you use the two corner sections from the recent Cantina figures alone. Any plans to tweak the bar or will the answer be simply "use a straight piece between the curves to make more room"?

** Well that's the real trick, isn't it? We are trying to figure this out as we speak. We don't have any answers yet, but we're trying to get it in there.

So they didn't sorta maybe think about this before they made these new curved sections? They're only thinking about it now, after the fact. Brilliant and typical. I knew this is exactly how it would happen. They're going to simply scale down the distellery and squash it between the two sides of the bar, completely overlooking the fact that wuher should be able to walk down either side.

[Sinscia Fat'o]

So, uh, anyone else find it odd and a little annoying that they're jumping at the chance to make Legacy figures, which has been ongoing for barely a year, and have already made figures based on Purge and Infinities, yet have no plans for two of arguably most-requested (and much older) characters?

Have these guys even watched the movies or read any of the comics? Seriously.

You know i really got to say this chapped my @**, i've been waiting, waiting and waiting. I've supported countless figures i truly have no intrest in such as the KOTOR figures coming out in wave 5, the expanded universe two packs (I really didnt need the marvel sets), and a few others (ALA 75% of the prequel figures) just to get my Exar Kun,Ulic Qul Droma, and if god and the jeep company who sued lucas over the name sunrider willing maybe a nomi sunrider.

As much as i know the legacy figures will do well, because the comic is on stands, and is selling well, and has characters with the last name Skywalker in it, i have to and i do have to say why not do both? is Cade Skywalker really going to out sell Kun? Probably, but will kun and Ulic be peg warmers? doubt it...just a bad move by jobbing two of the most important characters of the Golden age of star wars EU to characters that havent proved their worth. Espically with all the name dropping done in KOTOR comics and games toward the tales of the jedi characters...

[Tycho]

I agree with all the praise sent Exar Kun, Ulic's and Nomi's way above. It should be noted that although there are not a lot of people voting in our EU figure want-list poll (about 22 so far I think - the poll's still wide open - use my signature below to jump to it), Exar Kun, Ulic, and Nomi are totally leading most of the EU (definitely Legacy) by tons of votes.

The top genres are Tales of the Jedi, New Jedi Order, and Heir to the Empire. Legacy doesn't even enter the Top 20, or possibly not even the Top 30 of the want-list (I'd have to double-check - but click on the thread and find MadSlantedPowers' last totals to see where we're at right now).

Anyway, with TOTJ, I not only want "the big 3," but Master Arca, Cay, Sylvar, (Sith) Tetan War Droids, Tott Doneeta, Warb Null, Freedon Nadd, Master Vodo, Ulic as a Sith Lord, a Mandalorian Warrior of that era (they're making Mandalore in the Evolutions set!) and so on.

[Mad Slanted Powers]

That Saga Legends answer isn't really completely satisfying, though I guess I'll believe their mention of the coins getting held up.

The Padmé Evolution set answer also kind of told us that they're not going to make any more of one figure, like the Anakin/Vader one.

Yes, that kind of confused me as well. Anakin/Vader was one character. The Clone Trooper/Stormtrooper looks more like the same character than Padmé in different outfits would.

[Kidhuman]

Anyone Else look at the Droideka pic from JD? I looks like crap with the sheild around it, they should have just released the bubble .