QUESTIONS FOR HASBRO - round 74

[JediTricks]

Please post your VOTE for up to 6 {six} of the questions provided in this thread, letting us know which ones you most want to see asked on October 2nd. Keep in mind that your votes in round 73 do not count in this round, so if your question is still on the list you may want to vote for it again.

Also, feel free to post new questions. For reference, here are Hasbro's answers to previous SSG questions; and from other sites. The questions we asked last round can be found here.

Current questions (vote for up to 6):

1. - In Hasbro's awesome Comic-Packs line, we've been treated to Marvel Star Wars issues 1-4, and Dark Horse Revenge of the Sith issues 1, 3, and 4. Any chance we could get comic packs of the missing Marvel SW #5 and 6, and Dark Horse ROTS #2, to complete their respective tales? (Just spitballing ideas: we could certainly do with a Leia/3PO pack for MSW#5 and perhaps a Rebel/Imperial Pilot set for #6, and ROTS #2 could use Grievous and a new deco Clone.) And what about Comic Packs for the other movie adaptation comics like Marvel ESB and ROTJ, or Dark Horse TPM and AOTC?
2. - Why are the Droid Factory build-a-droid parts for C-3PX incompatible with the basic figures' build-a-droid parts, especially the other protocol droids like RA7's? 3PX has a ball joint for his head while RA7 has a post, and the pegs for the arms and legs also differ, thus making it impossible to mix-n-match parts, which the concept had otherwise highly adopted. Was this done on purpose, and if so, why?
3. - In a recent Q&A, you mentioned that "[Hasbro] will continue working with Sideshow on their 12" figure program." As we know, Sideshow sub-licenses their 12" Star Wars through Hasbro's Star Wars license, but the intricacies of this relationship are not fully understood. With your recent comment above, collectors are ever more curious as to how exactly Hasbro and Sideshow work together on that 12" figure line. What types of input does Hasbro have into the Star Wars items that Sideshow produces?
4. - Beyond Star Wars, many other franchises have tried their hand at Titanium Series - Battlestar Galactica, Indiana Jones, Marvel, Transformers, even Stargate was floated as being in some level of planning - yet they all eventually faded away from Titanium Series' light. What lessons has the Titanium Series team taken away from those other licenses' lines and their passings? For example, you put off the wave with the BSG Basestar and couldn't find a slot for this new tooling before the license ran out, yet you released a Starbuck repaint of the Viper mk 2 at theproverbial 11th hour (and didn't hit shelves until the 13th hour), an unusual distinction which fans don't really understand, and could use more behind-the-scenes insight into - why didn't that Basestar tooling get shoehorned into a later wave before the license with Universal ran out? Why release a repaint vehicle that won't satisfy fans as much, rather than an all-new mold which fans have been clamoring for?
5. - Regarding the future of Star Wars Mighty Muggs, what wave will be the final one at retail before the line becomes a TRU exclusive? Will some sought-after previous entries like Leia and the Stormtrooper be re-released? For Entertainment Earth's shared exclusives, who will they be sharing those with?
6. - What was the decision making process behind creating a Jabba the Hutt animated figure instead of a Ziro the Hutt figure? Ziro has appeared in the Clone Wars series more than Jabba so far, and his animated behavior fits the Clone Wars animated series better than Jabba. Was it merely the character recognizability of Jabba, or the fact that you had existing accessories for him, or was the idea of an evil Truman Capote Hutt just too out-there for ya?
7. - The end of the Titanium era has brought much dismay to collectors, not simply because of the grim unlikelihood for the future behind the "hiatus" status, but also because it leaves many great ships nearly impossible to find. Many Titaniums that saw limited releases or worse and were expected to get re-released in the future are now going to be mythical at best, such as the Gungan Bongo Sub (now doomed to be postponed into eternity), Trade Federation Landing Craft, Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, Rogue Shadow, Luke Skywalker's X-wing (Sculpt 2), AOTC Naboo Royal Cruiser, P-38 Magnaguard Starfighter, and more. What with the line's demise skunking the fans out of some great molds, would it be possible to get any sort of limited rereleases of these incredibly difficult to acquire treasures - and the ones that almost made it such as the Bongo - as HasbroToyShop exclusives? If not, why not? Isn't seeing ANY financial return on molds that haven't made their money back better than no return at all?
8. - Mace Windu has been represented in action figure form for 11 years now, and a large portion of those figures were released with some unique, non-standard aspect. Mace has been the first "sneak peek" and a mail-away in the modern line, the first hard-shell "choco" robe, AOTC had a deluxe before basic which has a smiling face and a second figure, AOTC basic had the screaming face, 2003 AOTC basic had the "ultimate lightsaber control" stick gimmick, ROTS had the Force Lightning throw-off gimmick, and now the Clone Wars version with removable armor and saber-swinging waist. While there have been a few normal Mace figures, and even a super-articulated one finally, it seems as if Mace Windu has been tapped by Hasbro to be the sculpting and gimmick guinea pig. Is this pattern intentional, do you think he can't sell without these sorts of things, is it just happenstance, or does someone there subliminally not realize they keep picking Mace to be the test guy?
9. - In this year's SDCC slideshow presentation, you previewed the first Knights of the Old Republic comic-pack, which features Rohlan Dyre and Jarael. Why though is the series main protagonist Zayne not included in the first KOTOR pack? Any chance we will be seeing him released soon after that pack, or at least at some point?
10. - In The Force Unleashed, Admiral Ozzik Sturn piloted an AT-KT (All Terrain Kashyyyk Transport) in a boss battle against our hero and the enslaved Wookiees. The AT-KT is merely a heavier-armed version of the AT-ST. Now that we have a new AT-ST coming out, might Hasbro be willing to do a modified version for the AT-KT as well?
11. - On the new red & white cards for Legacy Collection, the character photos in the upper corner are rather bizarre works this time around and lead to several questions. Why are so many of the characters holding their weapons near their faces for the images? Some sabers and guns make sense, but other accessories look odd like on the Gungan Warrior card. A few are out of scale, like Slave Leia's vibro-staff. And why are some characters using images from other movies, like Sidious Hologram using a picture from ROTJ, or Luke Jedi using an ANH likeness, or Romba altered to sub for Paploo? And what is with the "artist's interpretation" image for Malakili that looks like an oil painting? While these might seem like minor nitpicks, after a few years of quality card character art, these really stand out and take the line back a few steps. Doesn't the line deserve better?
12. - Has there been any thought to creating a repaint of Clone Wars C-3PO in his "Droids" cartoon coloring? This mold is already fairly cartoony in design and realization. It would make a nifty collectible for fans of the classic cartoon, yet also could work for new collectors unfamiliar with the series as an alternate protocol droid with a unique color scheme. Any chance of seeing this happen from Hasbro, or would it have to show up in the new cartoon first to even be considered?
13. - In Episode I, the Escape from Naboo sequence was a very memorable scene in the movie. Over the last 10 years, you've managed to release all the brave astromechs involved in the scene except for R5-A7 (aka G8-R3). What are the chances that we'll see this figure done in the near future? What format would it likely be done as, perhaps a basic figure, a pack-in from a set, a build-a-droid, or something else?
14. - With any white-armored trooper figure, one of the things that is a hard fight for looking realistic is that white coloring. Generally, Hasbro goes for the white of the prop or whitest shade of white plastic they can make, but in the films and even on the Clone Wars show, there really isn't enough lighting to display an all-white figure as truly all white. The lighting used in the films and show give it a subtle off-white, barest-hint-of-cool-gray tone which is tough to scale down on a figure using real world lighting. Has there been any consideration of trying to replicate that look in the figures by changing the base plastic color slightly?
15. - Unleashed has been a collector-favorite line for a while now, long after its cancellation. Fans crave higher-end statues without the higher-end pricing, and Hasbro delivered that with their plastic Unleashed line. Have you considered going back to the Unleashed well at a slightly higher pricepoint to make it profit-feasible line, perhaps even using the look of some of Lucasfilm's higher-end packaging motif?
16. - Will you be reissuing the Scramble on Yavin Battle Pack in the new packaging design? Although a sleeper at first, it seems to be very popular and now many collectors themselves are scrambling trying to find it. We know you said that future Battle Packs would go back to the kid-focused styles, but as this is existing tooling and it's popular and it had a relatively short run due to the packaging change-over, it should get a re-release in the '09 packaging, don't you think?
17. - The new packaging so far has been shelved pretty inconsistently by store clerks, with the coloring differences completely overlooked. This makes for a mishmash of Clone Wars and Saga Legends (with Legacy Collection still not hitting at full strength yet) which collectors have to dig through, and therein lies the focus of this question. The new packaging's J-hook is easily the wimpiest one yet, the hook is so shallow that figures are constantly flying off the pegs as consumers look for their figure of choice, leaving the section a total mess and further mixing up the various lines. Why are the J-hooks on the new cards designed like that, and might you be willing to do something to address this problem?
18. - The Clone Wars line has been a boon for its droid designs, but is following suit from the realistic lines with the sagging leg problems. This is especially noticeable on Clone Wars Battle Droids and General Grievous. Yet in the same line, IG-86 and the Commando Droid don't suffer this, the difference being that they have ankle joints while the BD and Grievous figures do not. It seems like the joints take stress off the thin leg elements helping cope with wilting issues, and that's a pretty big deal. Obviously including either knee or ankle articulation on them isn't a cheap undertaking, but it seems like a necessary one in the scheme of things since if a figure can't stand up, it's going to be far less fun. Any possibility of including one type of lower leg articulation or another on future versions of these figures as this partial solution to this long-time problem?
19. - One of your answers in the September 10th round mentioned that R2-X2 is a corrected version of the droid that came in the Entertainment Earth Exclusive set. Another figure in one of those sets, R3-T2, was also painted incorrectly in comparison to its onscreen counterpart. The version you released had a white dome with a metallic brown stripe, while it should have a red dome with white panels. Are there any plans to release a corrected version of R3-T2 down the line?
20. - Why did K'Kruhk not come with his mythical hat as an accessory? Many of his fans had high hopes for its inclusion, as it's an important part of his persona. Did you consider this when you decided to make him, and if so, why didn't it make the cut?
21. - In the Sept 10th Q&A, you were asked about a hypothetical lineup for the SW team's own choices for the Fan's Choice poll. Some (possibly insane) fans couldn't help but notice Jaxxon and the Nelvaan Warrior popping up on this list, two figures which a lot of collectors would really love to own, but have thought were at best extreme longshots. Although those 2 figures might not be the biggest sellers, they would really make a lot of people happy, and it appears that includes some of the designers at Hasbro. Realistically, given that you've spilled the beans on your own love for these two, what are the chances we'll see these two figures prior to the end of Hasbro's current SW license?
22. - With your recent answer about the Holiday Special aliens, you've put another nail in the coffin by pointing out that it is "forgettable" (though we'd argue clearly not as 3 generations of SW fans now talk about it and ask for figures from it despite having only grainy bootleg videos as their source) and figures from it won't be produced. In the past, you've done both animated-sequence figures (Boba Fett) and live-action-sequence ones (Zutton), so there is precendence to ask our question: what about Chewbacca's family? All 3 of them have appeared in other EU sources beyond the Holiday Special, but due to their origination, do you consider them figures that have little to no chance of production, or is there hope for any/all of them at some point down the line? (They wouldn't even have to come with their Life Day robes, if you absolutely couldn't find it in your heart to include them. But wouldn't that be like making a Tiny Tim figure and not including his crutch? That would be cruel... but we digress. ;-) )
23. - In light of several answers by Hasbro stating that sales for the collector-focused Legacy Collection line have fallen off sharply in the last year, causing sales bottlenecks at retail, there have been several theories about why this is happening. Some theories include the simple "the price went up too high for the market to bear in an economic downturn" theory; there's the one saying the casual collecting market (kids, parents, casual collectors) have abandoned the movie lines for The Clone Wars line; there's a theory arguing the Build-A-Droid concept has taken the wind out of sails of every type of collector who isn't a completist and knows they will have a hard time completing their droids; and there's another argument saying that the line over the last year has focused on so many redos that don't quite hit the mark, as well as new figures coming in exclusive packs that require buying old figures as well, that it's choked off interest from the main collector fanbase. Does Hasbro subscribe at all to any of these theories as to why the TLC line has run into so much trouble, or if not, why does the SW team think this problem has come up for the line?
24. - We know you designed the first Evolutions Clone Pilot figure's deco around the Battle of Hypori Rancor-tooth Republic Gunship (TRU-exclusive, 2006) originally seen in Clone Wars micro series chapter 21, but the actual pilot in the episode has significant deco differences, as well as a rangefinder on the helmet, because he's an ARC Pilot. It seems like the wind has gone out of the realistic-line's sails in terms of Clone Trooper variants lately, and while we dig that you're looking to do a Fordo figure, not to mention the Heavy Gunner figure you already made was from that same CW chapter, it seems like a good addition to the line to also do an ARC pilot. You don't have to say "Clone Wars" anywhere on the packaging to avoid confusion with The Clone Wars line. So what are the chances of seeing an ARC Pilot figure? If poor, what specific factors are the holdup for something like this? If it's just Clone Wars cross-pollination concerns, why isn't just releasing the figures without mention of their origin enough of a solution?
25. - There have been a lot of Jedi figures lately, even main characters, who don't come with their robes. Ep 2 Obi-Wan, Ep 2 and Ep 3 Anakin, even the new Plo Koon, they are pretty major players and yet... robeless. A Jedi's robe is part of what defines him as a wizard, as well as disguising him as a warrior, it's a signature part of the costume, and right now there are too few Jedi figures released with theirs. While we understand these cloth robes aren't cheap to produce, they're still necessary. Anakin's robes are different from the standard robes but no less important to those prequel iterations of the character. So any chance that when these figures get re-released in some format, be it Saga Legends or Battle Packs or even Greatest Hits-style re-releases a few waves down the line, might they get their Jedi robes included?
26. - Have you considered sealing magnets into figures' feet and including metal stands to avoid the numerous problems that have come up with footpeg holes over the years? Kotobukiya is doing that with their new ARTFX+ line of statue kits to great success, and although 3.75" figures are a smaller medium, magnetic feet would go well with your action figure line with all its challenges keeping figures standing.
27. - We've now seen Hasbro imagery of deluxe Anakin with Desert Sport Skiff, and us old-fogey collectors who have been around since 1996 are quite surprised to see that accessory's return. It wasn't exactly popular back in the day, its styling wasn't that Star Warsy, and its wobbly guns didn't help much, yet now we have it back for a whole new generation of Star Wars collectors. The other 1996 deluxe releases - Crowd Control Stormtrooper, Han Solo with Flight Pack, and Boba Fett with Mega Jetpack of Doom - weren't exactly crowd-pleasers either, but will we be seeing any of them re-released? Though the idea of a small vehicle for Anakin makes sense, re-releasing this piece seems like such an odd choice. Could you guide us through the thought process on this one? Did the failure of the original influence the decision at all?

Vote now, and suggest new questions too. Thanks for participating!

[vger]

1, 12, 13 and:

One of your answers to a question this last round mentioned that R2-X2 is a corrected version of the droid that came in the Entertainment Earth Exclusive sets. R3-T2 from the Entertainment Earth sets was painted incorrectly in comparison to its onscreen counterpart. Instead of a brown dome with a white stripe, it should have a red dome with white panels. Are there any plans to release a corrected version of R3-T2 down the line?

[Blue2th]

Question:

Will K'Kruhk (Legacy 2010 Wave 1) come with his mythical hat as an accessory? Many of his fans would like to know, as it's an important part of his persona.
If not, did you consider this when you decided to make him?

[Blue2th]

Question:

Any chance on getting an updated General Veers, with ball jointed elbows and knees so he can actually sit in an AT-AT, and a re-sculpted head so he doesn't look like Quentin Tarantino?

[Blue2th]

Question:

You mentioned in an earlier Q&A Session that Captain Fordo Phase 2 armor and the Clone Pilots were high on your list of characters to do from the Micro Series.
With a good ROTS Phase 2 SA Clone Trooper already made, and the excellent re-sculpts of the Clone Pilots in the Gunner Pod Battle Pack, repaints to get Fordo and the Arc Pilots would seem an obvious choice. Maybe even a Battle Pack of the Gunner Pods and two Arc Pilots for the yet unrealized Pilots for our TRU Exclusive Gunships.

Any plans, opportunity (with LFL's permission) in the near future to get these figures realized?

Mousedroid Session 14
QUESTION #1
Dear Hasbro
I am a huge fan of The Legacy Collection's Wave 2 - Clone Wars. Every single figure is just fantastic. I cannot remember the last time a Wave was released where I couldn't wait for every figure. Do you have any plans for more Waves based on the Clone Wars Micro-Series or figures as part of an EU Wave?
I would really like to see a Battle Ravaged Anakin from his duel with Asajj Ventress on Yavin, a Battle Ravaged Ki-Adi-Mundi from Hypori, the nervious looking padawan Sha'a Gi and his Master Daakman Barrek, Advanced Recon Commando pilot, the Clone Marines who accompany Saesee Tiin, and Captain Fordo in Phase 2 Armour.
Thanks
Commander Collars

HASBRO REPLY:
We're glad you liked that Wave - we agree that it is a super wave and a great way to say goodbye, with a bang, to the original Clone Wars micro-series. It will be our last wave to focus on that series, as at the request of Lucasfilm we have been concentrating our Clone Wars efforts on the new series. It is possible that we could get approval to do an occasional one here or there and we will take your suggestions into account if we do have an opportunity (Fordo and the Pilots are great choices and are highest on our list!).

[Cane_Adiss]

New Question:

Revenge of the Sith has been one of the most thoroghly covered movies when it comes to figures, but there are at least four more interesting alien characters from this movie who have yet to be immortalized in plastic. The Nikto jedi J'oopi She, senators Eeusu Estornii and Veedaaz Awmetth. And finally, the Mon Calamari Dancer who Hasbro has stated previously was "on the bubble". How long do we have to wait to add these interesting aliens to our collections? They would add some diversity and color to an otherwise drab and monotone wave of clones and jedi resculpts wouldn't they?

[Ando]

[FONT=Courier New]10+13 and if Blue2th's ARC pilot questions gets added, that one too.[/FONT]

[bigbarada]

I thought up this question as more of a joke; but, in light of the outrage that is brewing all over the internet over the upcoming DS2 Luke figure, I thought it might be interesting to bring up:

Twice in the history of modern Star Wars figures, ROTJ Jedi Luke has been depicted as a partial cross-dresser. The first instance of this was the high-heeled boots on the 1996 POTF2 Jedi Luke figure. Then there was the "halter-top" Jedi Luke that was released in the 2007 TAC line that seems to have become the current "default" Jedi Luke (as evidenced by his inclusion with the new Rancor toy). There was never any indication of Luke being a transvestite in the films, so why the tendency to depict Jedi Luke as wearing feminine articles of clothing?

[El Chuxter]

I'd like to pose a few:

1) In last week's Q&A, another collecting site posed a question about a hypothetical lineup for your own choices for the Fan's Choice poll. Some of our (possibly insane) members couldn't help but notice the Nelvaan Warrior and Jaxxon popping up on this list, two figures a lot of collectors would really love to have, but have thought were extreme longshots to ever see production, at best. Although they might not be the biggest sellers, they would really make a lot of people happy, and it appears that includes some of the designers at Hasbro. Realistically, given that you've spilled the beans on your own love for these two, what are the chances we'll see these two figures prior to the end of Hasbro's current contract?

2) The official word on Holiday Special figures still is a bit confusing. Boba Fett and Zutton proved that they're not off-limits, and you've expressed some interest in a few of the weirder aliens, but the other live-action characters were confirmed last week to be a no-go. (This has prompted some fans of Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman to gnash their teeth and wail in the streets, by the way.) So we'd like to clarify one minor detail: Chewbacca's family. Given that all three of them have appeared in other Expanded Universe sources, are they off-limits as well, or would they be possibilities for figures at some point?

(And, if you really insist on no Akmena, is there any chance that maybe you might pursue the license for Golden Girls figures and just happen to re-release Shmi Skywalker at the same time as Dorothy Sbornak? No? Aw, well, it was worth a shot, right?)

3) You mentioned that many of the live-action Ewok movie characters are on your short list. However, we couldn't help but notice the glaring omission of Teek. Since (by virtue of his appearance in the Star Tours safety video) he has had more mainstream exposure than the rest of the new characters, would you consider him as well, in the unlikely event he doesn't sweep the Fan's Choice poll?

[El Chuxter]

If #3 is used, it could possibly even mention the Marauders, who look freakin' awesome even if you have no clue what they are. And that could be a nice way to get a blurrg.

Another one I just came up with:

4) The nominating process for the new Fan's Choice poll has shown a good deal of interest in human characters who play minor but memorable roles in the films: Jocasta Nu, Cliegg Lars, Queen Jamilla, Torryn Farr, Fozec, Queen Appailana, Jira, etc. Each of these would sell to a good portion of adult collectors, but likely would not appeal to a more mainstream audience. Could these be considered for inclusion in exclusives of some sort, be it store exclusive BattlePacks, an online-only multipack, or even a store exclusive wave, or possibly in some other manner that involves a lower production run, so as to satisfy the collecting community without creating pegwarmers?

I'm really tempted to propose asking them if they really can't see the dropoff in spending by adult collectors overall is due to a combination of rising costs, endless re-dos that don't quite fit the bill, and requiring people to buy reissued figures to get new ones (no matter how much they deny doing it).