So many questions, so little space... Many other
Star Wars collecting sites also submitted questions you need answered, so if you want to know the latest answers from this week's Hasbro
Star Wars Weekly Q&A Session, here's a handy guide to help you get all the info.
From Action Figs: 1) Would Hasbro willing to create a catalog of replacement parts for those parts that break or get easily lost on vehicles and playsets so consumers can always get replacements even long after the toy has stopped manufacturing? If not, why not?
2) Will fans have a chance to vote for any never-before-made figures in 2007?
3) Will the final 22 The Saga Collection figures be available in Canada?
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From FFURG.com: 1) Customizers and diorama builders debated for years but have determined that Star Wars and GI Joe are roughly 1:18 scale. We love to get the background accessoies, like the recent Bespin Vader's boxes, or Luke Tatooine's Footlocker. When designing vehicles and accessories, do you try to keep to that exact scale whenever possible? Also, are there any accessories you'd really like to make someday?
2) You've mentioned that certain products coming out next year, like the Imperial Conference Room set, would not have enough support to be done later if it wasn't for the 30th anniversary theme of the 2007 lineup. Given this "last chance" for the original trilogy mindset, wouldn't it make sense to re-release the vintage Dagobah playset to accompany the awesome X-wing we got at TRU earlier this year? Are the Kenner molds and tools still available for this playset?
3) The "Hunt for Grevious" battlepack was a very inovative use of a head swaps and customizing to make the heavy gunner action figure. Are we going to see this figure re-issued (given it's current rarity) anytime soon? His gun accessory would be awesome to get in a carded figure.
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From Galactic Hunter: 1) During the beginning of the recent Greatest Hits (now known as Saga Legends) campaign, there was an indication that the Y-Wing Starfighter is in the running to become an exclusive. May we firmly encourage Hasbro to use the classic, vintage mold with a functioning droid port, rather than the less-functional modern refreshed version? If Hasbro isn't open to this expandable playability, why not? Is there a reason that the classic mold hasn't been used?
2) Do you ever put into consideration that a figure might sell twice if you do some simple things to it. I bought two of the Imperial Gunner (one to have the vest on and one to have it off), I also bought two of the VTSC Han Solo, because I could have one with the jacket on and one with it off. These both made sense movie wise. The rumored Endor Leia would have a removable poncho I assume too. That would be another fig that I would buy two of. From a marketing point do you consider this?
3) Now that we've seen Darth Vader's Sith Starfighter, might we see Lord Vader's Sith Speederbike, his own personalized Sith Infiltrator, or other toys that can be tailored around our favorite Dark Lord?
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From Jedi Defender: 1) Can we get a picture of the 2007 Galactic Marine, sans removable helmet? Does he have the same head as the 2007 Airborne Trooper?
2) Early catalog images of the "Ambush at Ilum" battle pack appeared this week thanks to an e-tailer (so I'm sure you'll see this question asked by someone else). Will this set come with one or two of the new droids pictured on the packaging?
3) Early catalog images of the "Capture of Tantive IV" battle pack also appeared this week (so I'm sure you'll also see this question asked by someone else). Collectors are already asking about those Stormtroopers. Are they based on the VOTC sculpt or the Evolutions sculpt or something else entirely? Will the Stormtroopers be nice and clean or will they be "battle damaged" or dirty? The mock-up images make them look pretty dirty which is disappointing if true, everyone knows the Stormtroopers have shiny new armor; it's the rest of the imp troopers who get dirty.
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From Jedi Temple Archives: 1) With the release of more Battle Droids in the future are you planning on using the plastic that was used on the Episode I droid? They were the only ones that really stood up without bending over time.
2) The Battle of Naboo wave is just starting to show up at retail now and there are 22 more figures slated for the Saga Collection and less than 2 months to go before the new year. Are these all slated for release in 2006 or is the plan to have them released in 2007 and lap over the start of the 30th Anniversary Collection?
3) How many comic book 2-packs are planned for 2007. Can you tell us which story arcs they cover?
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From Sandtroopers.com: 1) Since you are delving into the EU are there plans for figures such as Commander Faie, Commander Keller, Clone Assassins?
2) Most of us hate the elbow swivel joints they are using, it makes posing too hard. Are there any plans to change this, or will this be what we see from now on?
3) The Heroes & Villains, Greatest Battles, and other figure re-hash lines have been teeming the pegs at all of our stores. This begs the question: are these product lines actually profitable? Hasbro has frequently stated that one of the reasons (if not the only reason) for this re-packing is to filter popular characters to younger collectors, who ultimately only want the popular characters. Is this philosophy based on the actual sales of these type of figures, or focus groups of children who may or may not be collectors? Will Hasbro provide a comprehensive analysis that demonstrates their philosophy that lines like Heroes & Villains and Greatest Battles ACTUALLY sell? Doesn't the mass amount of figures from these re-hash lines collecting dust, while waves of the new line are selling well, demonstrate that younger collectors--like older collectors--are also more interested in new product? Does this lack of sales of the Heroes & Villains/Greatest Battles waves cause stores such as Wal-Mart and Target to purchase less Star Wars figures from other lines of new product such as The Saga Collection and, potentially, the upcoming 30th anniversary line?
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From Sir Steve's Guide: 1) Why go with the full card-width bubble and figures displayed in poses via the tray? Have you thought about going back to side-bubble, neutral-posed figures for basic figures a la the Vintage, POTF2, and Episode I lines which were easier to store carded and could fit more units into cases?
2) What are the chances of seeing a relauch of the Collector Fleet series (the larger, electronic starships of the Rebel Blockade Runner, Imperial Star Destroyer, & the very-rare Super Star Destroyer from '96), with new entries such as ROTS ships like the Venator Class Star Destroyer and The Invisible Hand?
3) Vacuum-metallizing is nearly always used for C-3PO and R2-D2 even though it seems to be more troublesome to work with, makes the parts more fragile, is difficult to keep paint applied to, limits the amount of articulation & gimmicks that can be have, and the chromed-look doesn't scale down very well. The only time R2's vac-metallized dome has looked right is on the Episode I figure where a dull-coat was applied over it, and unfortunately this technique was never used again. And painted R2-D2 domes generally aren't painted shiny enough even though Hasbro has used shinier paints in other items. Why use vac-metallizing so often with these figures, why not use shiny metallic paints instead, and for remaining vac-metallized elements what about using dull-coat again?
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NEW: From Star Wars Action News: 1) What is Hasbro's process in the decision to release a Foreign Exclusive, like the Uk's Woolworth Vader, and the Mexico exclusives Encuentros Luke/Yoda and POTJ 4-pack? How is it decided which stores or events will get the exclusive, and what the exclusive will be?
2) What was the hardest figure to get to the store shelves, from concept to sales floor, that may have got hung up for some reason or another, and why/what happened that slowed its progress down?
3) Hasbro's Star Wars line has always experimented with new styles, scales, and price points. Since the ToyBiz Marvel Legends line will be moved to Hasbro in 2007, has any thought been given to doing a Star Wars line in the Marvel Legends scale/style?
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From SW Collector: 1) Would any future "Force spirit" action figures, such as a new Spirit Yoda or new Spirit Anakin, be done in a style similar to the OTC Spirit Obi-Wan? Or would we see a return to the translucent blue figures, such as the old POTF2 Jedi Spirits Cinema Scene?
2) Dark Horse Comics' new STAR WARS: LEGACY monthly is certainly stirring up the imaginations of figure customizers, with multiple Sith Lords and all-new Jedi and Stormtroopers. Any possibility of seeing figures from this comic in the next few years?
3) With the new, spring-loaded electronic lightsabers now hitting the shelves, any plans for an updated, ROTS-style Mace Windu lightsaber or a Darth Sidious lightsaber?
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From The Jawa: 1) A number of the offerings in the vehicle line have been character specific. For instance, we've seen the images of the upcoming Saesee Tiin Jedi Starfighter, and it looks pretty sharp. However, it seems that we're much less likely to get a pack-in figure with the offerings of the Assault Vehicles line. Is there an active effort going toward offering Basic Figures that will compliment what we're getting in the Assault Vehicles line? A pilot version of Saesee Tiin would be a welcome offering with this new Jedi Starfighter, as would a reissue of the OTC TIE Fighter Pilot to compliment the upcoming TIE Fighter.
2) I can't wait to get my hands on the recently confirmed Sith Infiltrator and V-wing starfighters in the '07 vehicle line. How many ships are scheduled for the line and will General Grevious's Fighter be among them as well?
3) More and more it seems that we only see figures packed in with exclusive vehicles. What goes in to determining whether or not a vehicle includes a pack-in figure?
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From Yakface: 1) Since, just like the vehicles, some of the old Kenner molds are often reused for role-play weapons like the Han Solo and Stormtrooper blasters, I was wondering if the mold for the vintage Biker Scout pistol still exists, and if so, could we see it return to retail?
2) Will the vintage Rebel Transport vehicle ever be redone for the modern line?
3) We know that all good things must one day come to an end, that being said, what is the ONE dream project that the SW team at Hasbro would love to see happen before the line finally ends? (Please say Death Star Playset, lol).
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From Yoda's News: 1) Aside from monetray issues, why is tape used to seal the 3.75" figures to their cardbacks for the ROTS and TSC lines? Will tape be used for the 30th Anniversary line? You do realize that a chunk of your makret is made up of collectors that don't open their figures and tape sealed figures will not do well in posterity?
2) Will there be any more Vintage Style figures coming back again or have we seen the end of that run?
3) The "re-release" of the 7" Unleashed has not gone well (at least from what I see here and read on the fansites), Both Wal-Mart and Target have "red-tagged" these down to under $5 and yet they still sit. Even the resculpts at Wal-Mart sat around for long time. Is it safe to say these are done and only the smaller line will continue?
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