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 Bi-Weekly Q&A Session, here's a handy guide to help you get all the info.
From Action Figs: 1) In the past, Hasbro's had a fairly good ability to get new Star Wars waves and lines onto shelves in a timely fashion within the prescribed dates Hasbro claimed. However, a few lines recently have suffered delays, such as the Saga '03 line, TAC twice (wave 1 and 4), the General Grievous starfighter wave, and now the announcement of the preview Captain Rex mail-away figure not coming out until July (thus negating the "preview" aspect). Why has it been getting more difficult to get new Star Wars products released on time?
2) With the AT-TE and Millennium Falcon being released on the same day, while exciting it does lead to a few questions: After years of saying there's not enough interest in large vehicles, how do we get 2 extremely large vehicles at the same time, was there something specific which precipitated this change in thinking? Why release them at the same time, wouldn't conventional wisdom say to release them months apart so they don't detract from each other's sales or retail shelf real-estate? For those collectors who want both but cannot afford 2 $100+ pricetags at the same time, for approximately how long will each vehicle be shipping to retailers? And finally, will these be produced in roughly equal amounts, or is will there be more of one vehicle over the other, and if the latter, which vehicle and why?
3) Will you ever release any Neimoidians & Separatist Leaders in the Galactic Heroes line? How about a General Lando/Nien Nunb set?
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From Cool Toy Review: 1) I would very much like to know what unique challenges (if any) were presented when developing the Indiana Jones line as opposed to Star Wars.
Your sculpting and tooling techniques have evolved considerably since 1995 and you've managed to come up with some innovative ways to incorporate incredible articulation and action features while keeping the figure or vehicle as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
Has moving from a fantasy-based line like Star Wars, with all of it's fantastic aliens, creatures and technology to a more earth-bound line like Indiana Jones been an easier or more difficult transition for your team?
2) Some of the concepts in the Indy line are great! The Deluxe line with mini playsets or double packs and the dios in the vehicle packaging are cool, and well worth the wait to see a return. Will we see some more concepts in between IJ and SW, such as Deluxe Packs and Comic Packs (Indy and Sasquatch from Star Wars Tales, anyone?) in the Indiana Jones line or Deluxe Packs in the Star Wars line?
3) While the new toys are great, and it's awesome to finally get modern versions of Indy toys, some of the figures' paint apps are poor in quality (mostly on figures' faces). Can we hope to see these paint apps corrected for the currently released (and upcoming) figures? It would be greatly appreciated! And speaking of paint apps, will the horse be corrected with a mostly-white paint app?
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From Galactic Hunter: 1) Can you give us a full rundown of what we can expect on July 26 So we loons can have an idea of how much scratch we will need that night?
2) Now that a "mock up" of the Disturbance at the Lars Homestead Battle Pack has leaked out, is there any comment on what this set may actually contain (rather than the very basic figures in the mock-up)?
3) Ackmena (as performed by Bea Arthur, legend, thespian, American Treasure, and former U.S. Marine) does LFL own the rights to this character from the 1978 Star Wars: Holiday Special? (No, we're not asking you to make her, just asking if you have the right to do so in any event.)
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From Imperial Shipyards: 1) Isn't it about time for a new super articulated Gungan army builder? After all, clones weren't the only army that the Battle Droids had to face. Please make a new Gungan Warrior!
2) Seeing you have stated we are getting Lumiya next year (and you have even included a second head for her, which I cant wait to get) what other Marvel Characters do you have planned, are we likely ever to see Cody Sunchilde, Jaxxon and Amaiza done in realistic colors or the funky colors you claim we like (which we dont).
3) Seeing as we now have ultimate versions of Han Solo in all of his different outfits from the movies (with the exception of Bespin), how do you plan to keep putting fresh versions of this core character into the lineup year after year? Re-releases? More concept art Hans? EU versions from the comics and novels? I would also add cut scenes from the movies, but with this year's awesome sandstorm Han, I think cut scenes have now been covered! I'm sure there are already some great plans in the works, but could you please just fill me in a bit on which direction you may go?
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NEW: From Jedi Defender: 1) In an earlier Q&A, you said that you hoped to squeeze a 5th Sandtrooper variant (Clean with Black Pauldron) into the Saga Legends assortment before the end of the line in June. So far though, the only Sandtrooper that has shipped with the Fans’ Choice Legends is the Clean, White Pauldron Sandtrooper figure. Will the Clean, Black Pauldron version make it out before July 26th or has it been dropped from the plans?
2) You’ve mentioned in the past that you’ve considered doing figures from the Droids and Ewoks cartoons, but you haven’t really found the right spot for them. Would you consider adding them to the line much like how the McQuarrie figures were included? Perhaps one in each wave plus exclusives? That won’t get us all of them, but it would be a really good start!
3) Any chance we could get a better picture of the pack-in pilot that is coming with the Wal-Mart exclusive A-Wing later this summer? Is he just a Tycho repaint or does he indeed have a new head?
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From Jedi Insider: 1) In the new Clone Wars trailer, we see Ahsoka Tano standing on the nose of the AT-TE. Will there be a foot peg or something allowing kids to re-create this scene with the toy?
2) Jabba the Hutt seems to play a large role in the upcoming Clone Wars movie. What are the chance of seeing a Clone Wars version of this character and some type of Jabba's Palace or Sail Barge toy?
3) With the upcoming Force FX Lightsabers, will you be offering a version with removable blades and what will be the price point on these in general?
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From JediNews.co.uk: 1) Knowing how long it takes for a product line to be developed, have you discussed anything with LucasFilm about the live-action TV Star Wars series, and if not, when do you expect those conversations to begin?
2) The first wave of Indiana Jones figures from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' seem to have taken a step back in terms of sculpt and also paint application. With the great work you're doing on the Star Wars line why is this?
3) UK fans are hoping that the new Wal*Mart Droid Factory twin sets will make it over to these shores - can you tell us if we will and if so when and where?
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From Jedi Temple Archives: 1) The Republic Gunship has seen a number releases since it was introduced back in 2002. It's seen releases in support of Attack Of The Clones and Revenge Of The Sith along with 2 Clone Wars related releases. One of the first things fans saw leading up to the new Clone Wars movie and television series was once again, the Republic Gunship. Can we expect another Gunship release in support of the new TV series and movie? And could it potentially feature new deco like the nose-art seen in the first clips shown at Celebration 4? Additionally, could we also see any mods to the existing mold, like fully closing doors (as seen in the footage) or the ball turrets?
2) A number of fan generated figure wishlists have been calling for REVENGE OF THE SITH style Palpatine/Darth Sidious figures that have the high levels of articulation that we see with many Jedi figures. Does this particular character pose a serious challenge to articulate given the intricate nature of the costumes?
3) The B-wing like shuttle that's been shown in clips of the upcoming Clone Wars movie & series appears to play a prominent role. Is it being considered a contender for the vehicle line?
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From MouseDroid.com: 1) Looking back at your original Clone Wars animated figures, had you given them "super-articulation" the asethetics of the artwork would have been compromised. Those designs had very sharp angles which would have restricted the movement of any limb with additional articulation. Having said that, the designs of the upcoming Clone Wars series also have some sharp angles which could also pose problems for articulation. I know that articulation for realistic-style figures can be hidden in clothing, so was it a little more challenging to create these new "animated" figures than say the original Clone Wars figures, or even the realistic figures?
2) With the numerous problems and an anti-climactic release of the Sideshow Collectibles Darth Sidious version... What are the chances of seeing Hasbro create a 3 3/4 scale Holographic Darth Sidious on mechno chair in the near future?
3) In the Titanium Series line, so far you've made the Attack of the Clones (AotC) Jedi Starfighter with Hyperspace Ring, and a normal Revenge of the Sith (RotS) Jedi Starfighter. In an upcoming wave we see that there will be a new RotS Jedi Starfighter with Hyperspace Ring, so are there any plans to make a larger AotC Jedi Starfighter, perhaps with added features such as landing gear?
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From Raving Toy Maniac: 1) Will Mighty Muggs get more accessories/playsets/vehicles/anything? Maybe an accessory pack sold separately, or sold online?
2) Is there any version of a Star Wars character you feel is the "definitive" version - which would preclude him or her from ever being remade again? If not, is there one that you feel is "really close" to being the definitive version?
3) For Indiana Jones, the Indy figures have such a questionable likeness to Harrison Ford, especially compared to Hasbro's Han Solo figures. So we know the scale is not an issue. Given the lead time required to get these to market, can we expect to see better likeness' on upcoming Indiana Jones figures?
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From Sandtroopers.com: 1) Are there any plans to bring back cinema scenes? The ones with newly-sculpted figures and accessories and/or diorama pieces?
2) Now that the Clone Wars TV show is set to bring back the media focus seen previously in movie-years, wouldn't now be a good time to bring back the Deluxe line / $10.00 price point? Throw in some OT goodness like Admiral Ackbar and his command chair to make the OT fans happy and mix the assortment with Clone Wars deluxe items.
3) Last year's Tantive IV battlepack premiered new head sculpts for the Rebel Fleet Troopers. Can we expect to see this continue with other battle packs where there are more retools in the army-builder packs to give our troops more variety?
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From Sir Steve's Guide: 1) Ever since the '04 OTC line, it seems like Hasbro's scheduled out an entire year's worth of figures only to find out later that the release schedule comes up short at the end and there's a scramble to fill that void with a wave or 2 of repaints which have to stretch the end of the year and sometimes even 1st quarter of the following year. It happened with the ROTS line, the TSC line, the TAC '07 line, and now apparently in The Legacy Collection line (though we know that is due to a delayed wave), and it's not just the SW brand, the Transformers brand has been doing this with almost every line for the past 5 years. Besides unexpected delays, what generally causes this sort of thing? Why repaints and not just a schedule with pacing that is spread further out to avoid such troubles (the TAC line's 2nd half really got slammed together in release scheduling before its repaint wave)?
2) With the Indiana Jones line's release, this question can no longer be contained... what has happened to the paint quality on the 3.75" figures' eyes over the past few years, both with Star Wars and now with Indy? The overwhelming majority of figures in the Indiana Jones line have big, sloppy whites and oversized pupils - too often also not painted at matching angles or painted looking upwards - which heavily detracts from the headsculpts, and the Star Wars line has been getting there as well. The Star Wars line had been doing much better in this realm up until a few years ago, a perfect example is comparing the Saga Luke Jabba's Palace with the TAC version which uses a modified version of the same head, the '04 Saga figure's eyes are much smaller and more realistic compared to the '07 TAC counterpart's which are bigger and gazing upwards.
3) The rumor mill had a Disturbance at the Lars Homestead battle pack appear in the Toys R Us computers, and recently a photo of a mock-up of this set has shown up. Can you give any comment on this set? The mock-up seems to show the old POTF2 Owen Lars figure which is well over a decade old and hasn't held up with the passage of time, will this be replaced with a new Uncle Owen? What other figures will come with the set, perhaps the April Fools Joke extra-crispy Owen & Beru skeletons? And does the igloo-type dome open to reveal an interior?
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NEW: From Star Wars Action News: 1) Why was the decision made to have the Clone Wars 7/26 midnight madness toy release the same time as San Diego Comic Con? This leaves a lot of fans unable to participate in the frenzied buying.
2) will the "first day of issue" figures only be in a wave's initial shipment or will they be spread throughout a figure's lifetime?
3) I remember as a child mailing away for figures. I had no money, no checking account, but I didn't need them. If I could get a stamp my Kenner proofs of purchasewere my currency and I could get a figure.
In 1997 we had the Ghost of Obi-wan figure mail away and it cost $1.99 in shipping but as it was Frito Lay POPs and a seemingly reasonable shipping amount, I understood.
But with the George Lucas Stormyrooper shipping went up to $4.95 (about half the cost of a VOTC figure retail) and now with Captain Rex it's $6.99 which is what most figures retail for. Given the cost is the same as that of a figure it really seems to make customers question how "free" the figure is.
Why have the "handling" costs for a figure risen so sharply and, given that this is a "promotion" which has people buying figures for the UPCs in the first place, why require money at all?
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From TheJawa.com:1) You confirmed that a Visionaries figure is coming. Can you reveal how its coming, i.e. a Battle Pack or Basic Wave?
2) Was the cancelled Obi-Wan Evolution Set the ninth Evolution set? Does that mean that there will be eight in all this year? I'm not complaining, the one's we have are great.
3) We've seen (at least) two different Secret Apprentice costumes that were not in the Evolution set: Rhen Var rags and a Mandolorian-esque costume. Has any thought come into making these costumes into figures? If there are enough, is another Evo set in order maybe?
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NEW: From The Private Universe:1) I would like to know when/if Hasbro plans to continue their Attacktix line? Many fans, including myself, are very eager to hear any news regarding the supposed relaunch, but as the months go by, we can't help but feel like we're just holding our breath.
With that in mind, I would also like Hasbro to know that fans are organizing to show their support for Attacktix using this
online petition.
2) If someone in the UK logs onto www.hasbro.com/starwars and selects the link for Collector News, you have started re-directing these links to the UK site, so collectors in the UK cannot access the collectors information at Hasbro.com . Why is this? It wouldn't be so bad if the UK site had been updated since August 2007! Can you remove this forced re-direct, at least until the UK is updated more regularly than once a year?
3) Hasbro have crossed Star Wars with other Hasbro products of recent years, Transformers for example, is there any plans to do more cross over's in the future, maybe a FurReal Friends Ewok?
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WELCOME: From Toy News International: 1) Will we get a Toht figure in the 3 3/4" line, and what are the chances of getting a veriant with a burned off face?
2) Indiana Jones tends to have a lot of religious and political references (i.e., a lot of characters based on members from the Nazi party). For a toy line geared to kids and collectors alike, how difficult has it been to deal with these issues and yet stay true to what these movies are about. I believe it's been said there is not much chance of seeing a Hitler figure in this line yet we have Nazi soldiers. Where do you draw the line, and how do you draw the line for what's appropriate and what's not for a toy line like this?
3) We asked this question awhile back in one of the SW Q&A's but were wondering if there has been any more thought about it. Any chance of seeing some type of Harrison Ford collector pack featuring a Han Solo and Indiana Jones?
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From Well of the Souls: 1) For the IJ & KOTCS line, there isn't a Marion Ravenwood figure. The classic ROTLA one is nice, but will there be a KOTCS version?
2) For the Star Wars line, there have been a few George Lucas figures released. Any chance of this continuing in the Indiana Jones line? Any possibility of Steven Spielberg being made as a figure?
3) I've personally been to at least 3 different Targets, 3 different TRUs and 4 different WalMarts, on several occasions after the May 1st street date, and I've found Indiana Jones figures at exactly two of them (both TRU stores FWIW). And I don't mean that the other places had been sold out and had empty pegs, they didn't even have sections or shelf tags for Indiana Jones toys. Any idea what's going on with that? I would have thought that on May 1st everyone would have their selections out in full swing.
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From Yakface: 1) Each year, Hasbro’s designers “kick it up a notch” in the area of sculpting, articulation, accessories and soft goods, especially in regards to Jedi and Sith characters.
With that, have the designers entertained the possibility of including alternate combat / force hands (ex: force push, choke, Obi-Wan’s signature 2 finger hand gesture, etc) as part of the figure’s standard pack in accessories? If so, is this something we can expect in late 2008 or 2009?
2) During the last QnA session (with Rebelscum), you confirmed that there was a retooled/modified E2-style Jedi Starfighter in the works for the Clone Wars line.
For further clarification, will the astromech droid be fixed (like the E2 mold), a removable plug (like the E3 mold) or something colllectors have wanted for sometime - a truly interactive droid socket to use with our existing astromech figures?
3) Normally when there is a SW movie you have deluxe figures, will their be any for Clone Wars?
4) How much does the BMF (Big Millennium Falcon) weigh?
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NEW: From Yoda's News: 1) First, thank you for confirming the release of an SA sculpt Gray Coruscant Clone. Can you confirm that he will be the sculpt that uses the communications antenna and will the antenna be included with him?
Second, you say that you will not be continuing the TFU and SL Fan’s Choice waves through till July. I’m not so much worried about the TFU wave, I’ve seen plenty of those around in my area. My concern is regarding the Fan’s Choice wave of Saga Legends figures. These figures were voted for by the fans, and thus are the ones that we would like to see at retail the most. Packing them one per case pack does not allow everyone who wants them to get them. Especially since the other 7 figures you included in the case pack (specifically referring to case pack W4 R1 08) were already peg warmers, and have now plugged up the pegs even more.
I still would like to see more Darktroopers as I didn’t have a chance to get the amount of them I wanted, and I still know other people who never found them. And, as an army-builder, if you cut me off short of my Commander Neyo and Covert Ops Clone wants, I’m going to be completely buggered! So my question is this, is there any chance that you will be releasing solid cases of the 5 fan’s choice figures in the US before they are discontinued? Or perhaps a case pack that contains multiples of each and no other previously released pack-ins? Do you have some plan in mind that will get these figures to the people who voted for them in the quantities they desire? Let’s face it, most people don’t vote for clones so that they can only buy one.
2) Upon examination of the new Jedi Starfighter for the Galactic Heroes line, I noticed that the R4 droid is located in the wrong place: the droid sits in front of the cockpit instead of the side of the cockpit. I am curious as to why Hasbro chose this position instead of the movie-accurate position. Thanks!
3) Are there plans for more Ultimate Galactic Hunt chase figures this year? If so will they be part of the Legacy collection, Clone Wars collection, or both?
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