As part of Hasbro's bi-weekly Q&A session, Rebelscum passed on 3 of your burning questions and now we've got the answers for you.
Rebelscum: So now we know that the VOTC Stormtrooper was pulled from the fan voting because the tool was being used for the removeable helmet trooper in wave 3 of The 30th Anniversary Collection. Does that mean that the original unmodified tool will be available for 2008?Hasbro: We do have plans for Stormtroopers in '08, but it's too early to reveal any details.
Rebelscum: It has been said many times that larger vehicles are a tough sell due to their size and cost to produce, so Hasbro is understandably reluctant to make them. However, several recent larger-scaled exclusive vehicles (Toys "R" Us AT-AT, Target Imperial Shuttle) have sold out. Is this a good indication that there is demand for these? It appears that fans will support larger vehicles.Hasbro: The recent success of the 3-3/4" high-price vehicles has certainly helped the case for the potential success of larger (more expensive) vehicles down the road. However, we won't commit to anything right now because it's still very far from when we'd introduce anything new that is larger
than our $20 assortment, and also because things have a way of changing. But know that larger vehicles are on our radar and we consider them an important part of the Star Wars 3-3/4" play pattern.
Rebelscum: Will Hasbro ever decide to change the distribution in their waves? Let's face it, army builder or not, clones (and the like) are easily the best selling figures due to their numbers on screen. Why not release a wave containing 1 each of slower moving characters such as Palpatine, Darth Vader, Senators, and Cantina extras and another consisting solely of clones (maybe 2 or 3 different ones per case). This way, Hasbro could ensure that peg warmers would not be over-shipped and there would be enough clones for all. Hasbro: The best way to manage the line, as we have been doing very successfully for the past two years, is to stick with a balanced approach. We balance our cases to ensure that we have the best mix at retail for both kid-targeted figures and collectors, ensuring the best retail "turn" on the pegs. Producing solid case packs of "niche" characters is a sure way to doom the productivity and would lead to these types of figures being dropped entirely, which nobody wants to see.
Got any burning
Star Wars questions you need answered straight from the source? If so, post your questions in
this thread in our forums, and with any luck, you'll get your answers next week!
