QUESTIONS FOR HASBRO - round 94

[JediTricks]

Hey JT,
It is being reported around that Saga Legends will be ending in 2011 and will be replaced with a new line called "Movie Heroes". I guess Star Wars Action News got this info in the latest Q&A. This makes me wonder if we need should remove question 11. Seems like it may be a bit of a waste to ask about a line that will be ending so soon.

Yeah, I just heard that answer right now. However, the existing question doesn't really change, even if the line does. "What is the cause of those counter-planned characters, and are they cannibalizing sales from each other as we suspect? Is there any concern that having the same figure out in 2 movie-based lines accelerating its market ceiling being reached?" None of that actually concerns itself with Saga Legends or not, only a secondary movie-based line. I'll add a sentence just before the question to let them know we already know about Movie Heroes and don't need to bother playing around with another announcement.

[LTBasker]

Hmm, although I know they'll give a not-really-an-answer that makes the blood boil, I'll confirm my second vote for #5.

[El Chuxter]

11. Not really excited about the others, but someone can try to convince me.

[DarkJedi5]

11. Not really excited about the others, but someone can try to convince me.

I'm not above a shameless plug for question 3.... I don't know if you're into the FX sabers at all but it's a pretty solid question that has been languishing on the list for a while and may be a candidate for removal if it isn't selected soon. I really think that now is a good time to ask about the FX line since there was no new product shown at SDCC to try and help show that there is interest in the line and to plant the seed of improvement moving forward.

[JediTricks]

Last 8 hours to vote in this round.


I tweaked question 5 a little as it's not quite as timely now that, come September, the line is finally starting to see some drive behind it and I don't want them to answer it with a stock "we're taking measures" generic answer.

[JediTricks]

Well, without fail, the ol' "last day to vote" thread has ensured no more votes. It's like a friggin' curse.

Anyway, that's it for this round. Which questions won the day?

1) The issue of characters appearing in the Saga Legends line around the same time that they appear in The Vintage Collection is something that in the past Hasbro said they were trying to avoid, but lately has changed gears on. For the Saga Legends figures under the TVC line, out of 32 figures 15 of them were repeats of TVC figures on shelves around the same time, such as Anakin, Obi-Wan, Luke ESB Pilot, the AOTC and ROTS Clones, the Stormtrooper, C-3PO, Vader, Grievous, Jango Fett, Mace Windu, and the Super Battle Droid (who is identical aside from a slight change in deco, and a pistol). The Saga Legends versions are often $2 cheaper than their TVC counterparts, and sometimes are even superior in some ways - look at the helmet situation on the TVC Episode III clones compared to the properly-sized, never-green, correctly-painted Saga Legends clone that's also cheaper and comes with a stand. We understand Saga Legends is being replaced by "Movie Heroes" line, but the question remains for that as well. What is the cause of those counter-planned characters, and are they cannibalizing sales from each other as we suspect? Is there any concern that having the same figure out in 2 movie-based lines accelerating its market ceiling being reached?


2) At the SDCC panel, Hasbro talked about the new Battle Droid and even a new ROTJ Speeder Bike in the works. Both these items are ones that previous iterations have suffered significant wilting on, their plastics were too soft to support their long, thin designs for any real amount of time. Dave Vennemeyer, during the Convention, mentioned on the Battle Droid that he slightly thickened up the legs to accommodate the transformation scheme and to add a little more articulation, but he did not not specifically say it was to counter the wilting. The wilting, we've been told by Hasbro, is softer materials being used by the factories, and that team Hasbro Star Wars has been talking to them for some time about addressing the soft plastics issue. So, with the new Battle Droid and Speeder Bike, is something going to be done to avoid that frustrating wilting?


Thanks to everybody who participated! Look for a new round of voting soon.