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 Tri-Weekly Q&A Session, here's a handy guide to help you get all the info.
Don't forget to check
Rebelscum's Q&A Session as well!
From CollectionStation.com: 1) Recently, pictures of the TPM wave surfaced online, and they seem to be of final production samples. We've seen a trend in the last few years of deco work becoming steadily weaker and weaker, with the Gungan Warrior sporting a particularly weak deco. On all previous Gungans, the colored parts of the arms have been detailed and accurate to the film and the different colors on the face have blended together well; on this new version, the paint seems sloppy, with no details on the arms and a stark contrast between the dark and light colors. While we understand that you've cut back on weathering and other details due to cost issues, this Gungan seems a bit much. Will we continue to see increasingly poor paint applications as the line continues, is there too much budget given to articulation at the expense of deco, and if so, what reasons are behind these issues? Will the line's deco get cheaper and more toyetic as the prices increase due to ever-tightening budgetary issues?
2) Hasbro has had a long history of packing new figures or improved sculpts in various multipacks with re-released figures. This essentially makes longtime collectors choose between re-purchasing figures they may have multiple times already (Vader and Han Solo are notable repeat offenders), or completely miss out on the new figures in the sets. This has, unfortunately, caused many unscrupulous collectors to purchase the sets, remove the figures or accessories they want, replace them with older, less desirable figures, and return them to the store for full credit. Though honest collectors will bring this to the attention of store management, many times the tampered-with items are back on the shelf the next day for whatever reason. Though we understand the business sense behind offering the new with the old, the practice of figure-swapping-to-return theft is steadily on the rise and far less rare than it should be, while employees are less able or diligent to keep that tampered product off their shelves. Isn't there anything you can do to potentially slow the problem, both the initial swapping and the employees re-stocking the tampered items after it's been brought to their attention?
3) A recent disassembly of your Titanium Series V-19 Starfighter led to the surprising discovery of a detailed cockpit underneath the opaque yellow canopy. Why was this item released with the opaque canopy rather than a transparent one which would have shown off the detailing underneath? You guys are paying to design, sculpt, and tool up that interior, so why hide it? Will this be addressed in some sort of re-release before the line's end?
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From Galactic Hunter: 1) Now that Pod Racers will be coming only one-per-card, does that mean that you will start doing the same with Ewoks? I hope not, but if that is the case, it would be nice to get a really nice accessory with each Ewok. Some cool Ewok accessories to date have been the Imperial Helmet Drums with Drumsticks; C-3PO's Ewok Deity Throne; the trap net that came with R2-D2; the Ewok Glider; and the Wokling. [Editor's Note: More Woklings, please.] I hope you can find a way to add some more to the mix like the Ceremonial Roasting Spit with Fire Pit!
2) Since the beginning of these Q&A sessions there have been hints about the resurrection of beasts (in particular the Dewback). What time frame are we looking at now? A lot of collectors are expecting/hoping to see this come to fruition at Comic-Con 2009.
3) How good is the chance of getting an Revenge of the Sith Beru Lars retooled/repainted from the [currently shipping] Attack of the Clones Beru Whitesun? The Revenge of the Sith version appears to have the same style outfit except in a different color scheme, with a different hairstyle. Therefore she only needs a new headsculpt and a repainted body. We need Revenge of the Sith Beru Lars to hold our Baby Luke Skywalker figure!
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From Han's Hideout: 1) In previous Q&As, you've revealed that there will be "a couple" of Cantina Dudes in the Fall ANH wave... but you've also indicated that you'd like to keep their exact identity secret until SDCC. How about this - we'll list off a pile of Cantina Dudes and you tell us generically if we've ID'ed one, two, or none of the figures? Sound Good? Ok, here we go: Mosep (aka Marvel Comic Jabba), Baniss Keeg, Reegesk, Hrchek Kal Fas (Saurin), Tzizvvt, Arliel Schous (Defel), Leesub Sirln, or Solomohal. How'd we do?
2) Any chance we could get some bigger pics of the Fall TRU exclusive Galactic Heroes Cinema Scenes (AotC Kamino and ANH Droid Purchase)? Staring at the tiny pics from the Toy Fair collector presentation has been hurting our eyes and we'd love to get a closer look at them before they hit stores in a couple months.
3) Here's another Han Solo for your "parking lot" - what about combining the parts of Hoth Han and Bespin Han to give us an Echo Base Hangar Han Solo figure? One where he's wearing his brown pants (with yellow stripes) and the notorious Blue/Brown winter parka (hood down). Part Hoth Han, Part Bespin Han, but all good.
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From Imperial Shipyards: 1) We have heard rumors of a newly tooled ATST being released this fall. Can you tell us what price point we are looking at for this item, and if possible, will it include driver figures or inspire the release of a 2 or more driver battlepacks to man up the ATST? And will it be released in either an Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi theme (we would love a little sneak pic if possible please)?
2) With the increasing sophistication in figures, particularly in the excellent articulation, will Hasbro be revisiting any other older figures for a revamp, like was done with the ESB Hoth Rebels and Ugnaughts? Examples would include: ANH Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, her Service Droid, Wuher, Naboo Security, Bespin Security, Sebulba, and so on.
3) I have noticed that some of your not yet released Clone Wars figures have been showing up for sale on ebay. Some are listed as official Hasbro figures and some are listed as customs, but obviously are not. Some are loose and one, Commander Ponds, are MOC. I am talking about Gree, Bly, Thire, Ponds, and Droidbait coming from Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Phillipines. Are these figures already released in these countries and not in the US yet? We are including a few examples of sample ebay auctions for reference that can be searched through ebay.
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From Jedi Defender: 1) It's time for some love for the Endor Rebels. We're curious to know if a possible future Endor Rebel figure could maybe be modeled on the "Sergeant" with the trench coat (like Sideshow's recent 12" figure). Also, the vintage Kener Endor Commando (with the opened camo coat) has never technically been recreated for the modern line. He'd make a good unique looking Endor Trooper in the future too! *hint hint*
2) Lots of Star Wars video game updates were doled out at the big E3 show this month. In particular, we're all totally excited by the look of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Based on the fact that we've seen you pull from the recent games (KOTOR, TFU), we're hoping you've got something cooking for potential SWTOR figures in 2010 and beyond?
3) What are the chances of sneaking the Yavin IV Technician figure from the Scramble Battle Pack into the Legends assortment this Fall? Lots of folks out there would love to put together a little army of techies. Or are there other plans for his tooling that would keep him out of the Legends assortment?
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From JediNews.co.uk: 1) You've said that the Battle Pack format will be changing shortly. Can you tell us how and when this format will be changing - will it be the contents of the packs (to include more vehicles, and less figures, like the recent Yavin Pack) and/or will the size be changing? When these first started out we had 4 troopers in small mailer boxes and then this evolved into the Cinema Scenes so we're intrigued as to what's next? Also, will the recently shown pictures of the Kamino Conflict Battle Pack feature any revised sculpts?
2) We've seen images of the animated Clone Wars Cad Bane figure - will we get the other Bounty Hunters from the last episode of Season 1 of the Clone Wars including Aurra Sing and others?
3) Wave 2 of the Clone Wars 2-Packs arrived in the UK at Sainsbury's a couple of months back but we've not seen Wave 1 at retail - will we see these in the UK and if so when? Also, are there any plans for anymore Clone Wars 2-Packs and if so what figures will feature - any chance we'll see any repaints of Battle Droids in these packs as it seems an easy way to get them out there to the fans?
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From Jedi Temple Archives: 1) One of the big attractions of the Ultimate Battle Packs has been the inclusion of some never before made set pieces. Items like the new Hoth Rebel turrets, the Sarlacc Pit and even the Endor logs wound up being a significant draw for some collectors. But something that collectors have become more and more mindful of in the Q&A process is that tooling these items is costly, and these sets take up a good deal of space at retail.
With that in mind, will collectors see more of these exclusive Ultimate Battle Packs in the future? And what of the larger accessories? I know that I for one would LOVE an Imperial Turbo Laser station from the trench run in A New Hope!
2) A continual point of discussion amongst figure collectors is articulation, articulation and articulation! And since the introduction of the modern vintage line we have seen basic figure articulation improve significantly.
But one of the things that has been a hallmark of the Star Wars saga is that life forms come in all shapes and sizes. Yoda told us that size matters not. But how does the size of a small character such as Yoda impact the sculpt and articulation of a figure? Especially when such a dynamic character as Yoda is involved.
3) One of the much talked about images from Clone Wars season 2 has to be the clip of a Mandalorian warrior that was shown at Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World. Can we expect to see a Clone Wars Mandalorian in that line in the coming year? And can you offer any insight into who this Mandalorian might be?
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From MouseDroid.com: 1) My question is about Padme Amidala. Looking over the figures of her that you have produced, I noticed that you have almost completed her "Episode 1 Collection", with only 2 gowns to go, her "Post-Senate" appearance in Palpatine's Apartment, and her "Return to Naboo" appearence.
On top of those, we could use an upgrade to both Padme in her Battle outfit and her Tatooine Disguise (even though the original was great, additional articulation would be appreciated). Being aware of your plans to produce at least 1 Padme per year, what are the chances that any of these figures may appear in the line up in the next few years?
And while I'm on about Padme, if you did a new SA Padme in her Ep1 Battle outfit in the next few years, you could easily create a Battle Pack featuring her Handmaidens in the same outfits, by creating several new heads, for when the demand for Episode 1 becomes greater - as you have predicted.
2) I really liked your idea of adding extra guns to the saga legends figures during legacy. Are you going to change this up abit and maybe add jedi robes and lightsabers to the jedi legends that are release?
We can never have enough soft good robes or lightsabers these days.
3) Way back at 2002's New York Toy Fair with the Attack Of The Clones line was first officially unveiled, the Geonosian Arena Playset was shown with a Geonosian Sonic Cannon. This was ultimately left out of the final set, presumably for cost reasons. What are the chances that we may see this finally released, perhaps in a Battle Pack, or even as part of the Geonosian Arena 2-Packs - should they continue beyond 2009?
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From Raving Toy Maniac: 1) Many popular characters from Season 1 of Clone Wars, such as Cad Bane, have had upwards of half a year between the time they appeared in the show and when their figure was released because it was impossible for Hasbro to design and produce the figures quickly enough. However, Season 2 of Clone Wars was completed several months ago, even though the new season won't premiere until later this fall. With this additional lead time, will we be able to see new characters appear as action figure close to, or even before, those characters appear in the show?
2) Could they clarify a previous answer? In the last Hasbro Q&A RTM posted the answers to, Hasbro said that the only Padme Mighty Mugg they would release was the Queen Amidala Mugg. That was a strange answer, as up until now, there has been no Queen Amidala Mugg, no mention or rumor of an impending Amidala and the line seems to be coming to a quick halt. Is a Queen Amidala Mighty Mugg forthcoming, or was that answer a mistake?
3) The Build-A-Droid promotion that has been part of The Legacy Collection has been one of the most fun and exciting pack-ins in action figure history. Will the Build-A-Droid promotion definitely end in 2010, or is there a possibility of it continuing for a longer period of time? There are still many, many background droids that could benefit from this program, such as R2-X2, a better R2-B1, and R2-A5.
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From Sandtroopers.com: 1) Why the big price increase on the new Y-Wing? It sounds like it's the size of the $20 ship assortment, maybe the B-Wing size of $40 tops. Does it include electronics and lights to bring the cost up so high? I'm afraid that if it is "plain jane" you are pricing the collectors and the kids out of the market, especially in these difficult economic times. As cool as it looks, many of us will not pay the $65+ dollars that is being asked for this.
2) How come Star Wars figures don't have a list of what the items included are or instructions if needed? For instance what is the tiny item on the new Captain Typho's belt?? There have been a couple of instances in the past where just figuring it out takes an adult time, why wouldn't it be made easier for a kid?
3) After the success and positive customer/fan response to last year's Force Unleashed figures that tied in with the video game of the same name, what are the chances that we might see some figures from the upcoming Old Republic video game? And what characters would have the best chance of being made? There were several in the cinematic trailer alone that would translate well into plastic.
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NEW: From Snowtroopers.ca: 1) The new Lt. Sunber figure in the Empire comic pack looks great, as does the figure he comes with. Seeing that Sunber is such an important character in the Empire/Rebellion line and even has a movie mention, will we see him again in a clean uniform and with the correct Lieutenant insignia?
2) The Clone Wars has shown us many interesting creatures like the Gutkurrs (Innocents of Ryloth), the Gundark (Dooku Captured), the Narglatches (Tresspass) and the Mastif Phalone (Jedi Crash). Any chance we will see these creatures at some point even if they are in the form of episode themed deluxe packs like a Talz and Narglatch or Lurmen and Mastif Phalone?
3) Given the huge lag between Canada and the US, many Canadian collectors are worried that we'll end up missing the last TESB and AotC waves before the line resets (not to mention losing out on the BaD droids). Will Hasbro Canada carry over the figures and BaD from these last 2 waves to the new cards in order to ensure we don't get burned by the slow rate at which Canada gets its new figures compared to the US?
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From Sir Steve's Guide: 1) Understanding that it's still too far away to talk about and that plans could always change, with the upcoming live-action TV show on the horizon to again boost interest in Star Wars collecting, would Hasbro release those figures as their own separate line, or would they be integrated into an overall line such as the Saga series?
2) As the first generation of TLC and Clone Wars packaging nears the end of its run, we are noticing smaller amounts of new waves hitting local stores, and odd case assortments in those waves and their revisions. The ESB wave seems to be trickling in very slowly, with many collectors not having seen it "in the wild". The AOTC wave has appeared online, but still not in stores as of June. Clone Wars wave 5 has appeared in short supply and with a case assortment that still only includes 1 of each new figure, padding shelves with existing figures that aren't in short supply and don't seem to need significant restocking, while ensuring new figures get choked out, and it seems to be continuing for the next few CW and TLC waves (we understand the Hasbro argument about not having enough new product manufacturing volume for a wave, but there seem to be less revisions to address that, and more figures not moving fast enough to make way). While we understand that there is always a retailer reset of the lines with new packaging, a holding of the breath, it seems like this year it's been a longer-term problem and many collectors are growing frustrated with the scarcity of newer figures. Are there other reasons behind the lack of new figures on shelves, is there a remedy for it before the new packaging comes in?
3) Perhaps a longshot, but does Hasbro have access to the old Kenner Droids line's vehicle molds, the Side Gunner, ATL Interceptor, perhaps even the infamously never released White Witch? Will there be any chance to see these given new life and released under Hasbro one day?
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NEW: From Star Wars Action News: 1) It has been announced that Wal-Mart is going to be shrinking its toy departments by half or more. While it has been said the biggest impact will be felt by independent toy producers we can't but help wonder what impact this will have on Star Wars toys. What have you heard about this and can you tell us if this means no more wal mart exclusives for Star Wars of if we will see less Star Wars in our Wal-Mart stores?
2) For the Toys-R-Us exclusive V-Wing it came with a clone pilot. Does this pilot differ from the figure called Oddball on regular cards and if not why not just say the vwing comes with Oddball?
3) It had previously been said the new sized cards would not have clamshells that fit. However the sdcc luke figure comes in a clamshell. Can you clarify about availabily of protective cases for these new smaller figures?
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From SWCollector.com: 1) Several core characters are still in need of updated accessories to bring them current to the modern line. Now that we have an Episode I Obi-Wan with a flare-bladed version of his lightsaber, Episode I's Darth Maul still needs a flare-bladed double-saber and Episode VI's Jedi Knight Luke needs a flare-bladed green lightsaber. Any hints as to when we might see these inprovements made?
2) In a recent Q&A you stated one of the upcoming Concept Art figures would be a Clone Trooper. Will this be an Episode II or Episode III clone concept?
3) Photos of a cardboard Death Star Playset prototype have surfaced online recently. Is this something currently in development, or an old concept that was abandonned?
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From TheJawa.com:1) In a recent Q&A, in regard to the collector-oriented figures you stated that "the collector figures really started to struggle compared to all past years." My question is how do you account for Bane Malar? He shipped in EQUAL quantity to Ak-Rev and Yarna Gargan and yet he completely sold out! Gargan was a very niche figure and not action-oriented, and Ak-Rev was so poorly articulated and as such both had little play value. Based on the success of Bane Malar, does Hasbro recognize the potential of collector oriented figures that are well articulated and chosen wisely? Yes, we know that super-articulation adds to your costs, but compare the sales figures and I'm sure you'll see the benefit. Please look at what you did right in the initial Legacy wave instead of focusing on the mistakes when planning the future of the line.
2) Since Ewoks always seem to be good sellers, have you ever considered including a female Ewok to the line? If it's a possibility, how about making it Chief Chirpa's daughter Princess Kneesaa? Even though she was not in Return of the Jedi, she was the most marketed EU character of the Original Trilogy era, appearing as a main character in cartoons and comics, as well as in many different kinds of merchandise: plates, stickers, cards, books, games, dolls...you name it! From '84-'85 Ewoks were huge and Kneesaa was pretty much the number two Ewok character behind Wicket. To this day she is probably the most heavily marketed EU character of all time, yet she has never been made into an action figure. Is there a desire at Hasbro to some day get a Kneesaa figure out there?
3) For the other rebel ground crewman that was dropped from the Scramble battlepack, can Hasbro include him in a way that makes it easy to army build? For those of us who want to recreate the Yavin ceremony, there are dozens of these crewmen in the audience. Hasbro may love it if we buy a dozen battlepacks to get more of this guy, but our wallets sure wouldn't. And what about making it easier to swap heads with future rebel figures so that we can try to diversify the looks of the crewmen (they aren't clones after all).
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From Yakface.com: 1) Unofficial pics broke online of the upcoming Octuparra droid, and from what were able to see this will be in the mid sized vehicle range and that it's going to be very tall when the legs are extended. How tall is it compared to the Tri-Droid from the 30th Anniversary Collection. Also can you confirm if the legs are going to be sturdy like the Homing Spider Droid, or are we going to see a bit of "bendy" plastic like the 3-3/4" Tri Droid?
2) Unofficial pics broke online of the upcoming Tank Droid and from what were able to see this will be in the mid sized vehicle range and the sculpt looks amazing! Can we see a picture or two of it with figures for comparison, and will the final product have foot pegs on the sides for Battle Droids to ride into battle?
3) Now that we've received pretty much the ultimate Imperial officer sculpt in Captain Needa, can we expect an updated A New Hope version of Grand Moff Tarkin (or other officer) in the not to distant future?
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From Yoda's News: 1) Can we get a high resolution picture of the new ewok 2-pack Paploo and NoApaak? More ewoks please!
2) When making future troop-builder type of figures (Imperials, Pilots, etc.) can you consider making the ball joints on the heads the same size in all of them? This would make easy customizing possible; we buy extra figures, swap their heads and have "new" reinforcements for our legions.
3) Can you address the Target Rancor Paint Variants? Some seem to have a dull white or snow like look while others have a glossy dark brown or green look? Was this a running change or just a fluke?
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