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: Congratulations on a fantastic year of Star Wars, and thanks SO MUCH for the Q&A sessions!! It's really great to be able to let our voices be heard and to be able to communicate directly with the Hasbro team. 2007 has been a BIG year for everyone, and I look forward to continuing to work together next year, and for many years to come!

Anyway, on with the questions...!

Is the modern "Vintage" line pretty much done? We know there isn't a wave planned for 2008, but to be honest, the basic figure line has pretty much caught up to the Vintage line in terms of articulation and soft goods. Plus, with the return of the Evolutions sets, the high-quality standard is maintained with an opportunity for an even greater choice of characters. With all of this in mind, the only reason to continue the "Vintage" line is for nostalgic packaging in a protective case, which raises the price.

Hasbro: Thanks for the good word, Dan. We love the Q&A and are glad that we are able to have great dialogue with fans.especially as interest heats up for 2008. Keep bringing the Q and we'll supply the A.

Regarding Vintage, the concept is probably over as far as a high-end, premium clamshell packaged line consisting of 100% new figures, for the reasons you mentioned (a welcome overall trend toward articulation) as well as the fact that there are few really iconic main characters left to do that would be strong anchors for future waves. We do not rule out the possibility that vintage could return in the same format, but we are also looking at other ways where we can harness the great nostalgic power of that very iconic line look. We don't have a timetable for when we bring it back, but know that we are looking at it for farther down the road.


Rebelscum: We've heard rumors earlier this year that The Clone Wars line will see the return of action features, which are primarily targeted toward a younger audience, and the results are often not esthetically pleasing. While "quick-draw" and "lightsaber slashing" action is great for play value, many collectors prefer the see added articulation and detailed sculpts instead. Is it too soon to talk about this yet? If they are returning, how extensive will they be?

Hasbro: Dan - we hear you and think you will be very pleased when you see the lineup. While we won't get too specific at this point, we will say that we are developing the line so that it achieves both objectives - the figures have feature play (although it won't be built-in in all cases) and also meet the sensibilities of collectors. Stay tuned...!


Rebelscum: With the popularity of the McQuarrie figures this year and their impossibility to find on peghooks, I know you are good at getting more out in later wave revisions, but have you considered releasing a wave of nothing but McQuarrie figures? There's enough out there to put only 1-2 of each per case...

Hasbro: What you suggest would be a poisonous mix for the kid fan who is focused on the main characters. While you might say "that's what Saga Legends is for!" it's vital that each and every case pack of both lines offer attraction for the kid audience. Instead, we'll be chasing the figures, to the best we can...but with demand running even hotter than we can chase, the basic figure line basically wrapping up at the end of June to make way for the new Fall 2008 basic figure line, and three great waves of basic figures still to go in Spring....the slots in which we can re-pack and chase the McQs are not going to be as great as hoped and some of these figures are probably going to remain scarce. There are still quite a few figures and waves shipping, and we're not deliberately shorting any
figure, so we're hopeful fans can still find what they need.


Finally, a word from Hasbro's Star Wars & Indiana Jones team:
"Wow! It's hard to believe, but here we are at the end of 2007, and what a great year it has been for Star Wars! What made our job extra fun was being able to interact with everyone via the Q&A (and, in some cases, live and in person at CIV, C Europe, and Comic Con) this year. It's the passion and dedication displayed by you and your members that keeps the Star Wars collecting community vibrant, informed and excited about the future - and it's that very same energy that keeps us focused. We look forward to working with everyone in 2008. And what a year 2008 is shaping up to be....!

Happy Holidays!"


The STAR WARS Q&A session will resume in 2008, with the first round of questions due back on January 11th....so if you've 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 time!