SSG's Bi-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - June 8th

[JediTricks]

After a month off for Celebration IV, it's the return of Hasbro's answers to SSG questions for June 8th, 2007. Thanks again to Hasbro for the answers, to all the folks who sent in questions and especially those who voted on them.

Hasbro Q&A for the week of June 8th

Q: Some collectors are growing a little tired of seeing Darth Vader over and over lately, often it's just a reuse of a previously-existing figure. Might you ease up on the Vader releases, especially in Battle Packs and pack-ins? As well, might you consider giving Anakin ROTS #02 a rest since the figure has been reissued half a dozen times in just 2 years?
A: Like we've said before, Vader is a very important kid-cool anchor of the line, and juding by demand, he is still the most popular of all Star Wars figures. So we plan to keep him in the line, but to do it in a way that either completists who already have him can skip him (packaging completists though are kind of stuck here with a hard choice to make) or as part of a Battle Pack where the overall value and differentiation is still the triggering factor. We also like to look and see how we can make him different and updated from time to time, so we do see a new Vader being introduced every once in a while. We're trying to balance it all out so we keep Vader going in all relevant sublines, but don't "force" anyone to have to be compelled to pick him up when he's repacked on a basic figure card.

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Q: This year has more convention-exclusive figures than any other: CIV McQuarrie Droid 2pack, CIV McQuarrie Luke, SDCC Shadow Scout on Bike, SDCC McQuarrie Obi-Wan & Yoda 2pack, and the 5 variations on the Disney SW Weekend exclusive Cantina Band Member. What's the thinking behind all these convention exclusives? And why only offer any scant leftovers online, why not just make enough for a larger online presence and make them available to everybody a little later. A lot of collectors cannot make it to these conventions and don't want to shell out scalper prices just to get a complete McQuarrie concept line, can't more accomodations be made?
A: We felt that to celebrate the 30th Anniversary, we really wanted to come up with unique figures to anchor the key events. If there wasn't a CIV, those figures wouldn't have been produced, or they would have gone elsewhere and replaced others. So this year really is a celebration with more exclusive figures than usual.... next year will be back to normal. As far as online, the availability was based on what we percieved to be the demand, but the reaction to Luke has been great. We will make available some extra CIV allotment for hasbrotoyshop.com and these will go back up the week of June 18th. Beyond that, if demand still remains high, we will look at making another release. Also, regarding the McQuarrie R2-D2 & C-3PO, by now you should have seen more sites (such as StarWarsOnlineShop.com) carrying this set as well so the fans back at home can have broader access to the figures.

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Q: In the rumored upcoming TRU exclusive Geonosis beasts pack which supposedly includes the Acklay, Reek and Nexu, would the Nexu and Reek retain their electronic sounds or would those features be absent? Also, would the Acklay's weak legs problem be fixed so that it can stand on its own, along with the irregular jointing of the hips where some move vertically and others move horizontally (adding ratcheting swivels to the legs just below the universal-joints would probably solve this)? And would there figures included in this set as well as creatures, and if so which ones?
A: We have not many any announcement about additional exclusives, but will show the rest of the line-up at Comic Con.

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And the questions at ActionFigs.com

• - Why has it seemed that so many of the items high on fans' wish lists ("Snowbunny" Ilum Padme, the Senate Pod, and now Galactic Heroes Qui-Gon and Jar Jar) only see release in large, pricey multipack sets that contain many items that we either already have (such as the rest of the Galactic Heroes/Playskool Naboo set) or that are inferior quality (e.g., the incorrect C-3PO from the Illum battlepack)? Given that the cost of developing molds would be the same whether they are released in this manner or on normal cards, why not release them as regular basic figures instead and most likely sell more of them at the original retail price (as opposed to clearance prices of as much as 75% off the original price, which so many of these sets wind up selling for) - and keep longtime collectors happy as well?
• - Are more properties aside from Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Marvel, and Transformers planned for the Titanium Series brand? What about maybe some nifty Star Trek and Stargate Titaniums to go up against our Star Wars ones?
• - In 2002, heavy pegwarming led several figures to be recalled, sent back to Hasbro. Will this happen again anytime soon, perhaps to remedy the problems of Moff Jerjerrod, Lushros Dofine, and the abundant TSC-era Greatest Hits leftovers which are still pegwarming hard nearly a year after their releases?

[El Chuxter]

So, in other words, "Thanks for asking. We're not going to answer. Again."

Not like they don't have the freedom to decide who gets produced for the damned GH line. Or like anyone would've missed the chameleon droids had the Padme just been carded.

[Jargo]

haha they didn't answer that coz I asked the question. hehehehehehehe.

sounds like they're pretty miffed about all that info being leaked before C4 leaving them with not much to say. gues they're being tight lipped and we'll get a lock down on info and these Q&A things will peter out. or become tri-monthly.

[Kidhuman]

Well, thats a load of carp about the GH. How could they not have the 2 main characters from TPM planned out at any point, then again its Hasbro.

[JediTricks]

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

So, in other words, "Thanks for asking. We're not going to answer. Again."

On which one? The one about the Geonosis Beasts pack? How could you guys not expect that one to get shot down, especially this close to July? It was reaching pretty far.

Not like they don't have the freedom to decide who gets produced for the damned GH line. Or like anyone would've missed the chameleon droids had the Padme just been carded.

They're claiming they don't have that freedom, that once it's scheduled it's much harder to shoehorn new product into the middle of that. I'm buying it after how much advance notice they plan their brand out.

As for the Chameleon Droids, they thought the audience who wanted Ilum Padme wanted them too, I guess. I think the whole set is lame.

Originally Posted by MR. DADDYPANTS

haha they didn't answer that coz I asked the question. hehehehehehehe.

sounds like they're pretty miffed about all that info being leaked before C4 leaving them with not much to say. gues they're being tight lipped and we'll get a lock down on info and these Q&A things will peter out. or become tri-monthly.

Tri-monthly would be better since it'd be 3 times a month instead of the 2 we got now. Anyway, as I said above, I'm not surprised they shot the question down in flames. I should have made it more blatantly hypothetical.

Originally Posted by Kidhuman

Well, thats a load of carp about the GH. How could they not have the 2 main characters from TPM planned out at any point, then again its Hasbro.

When was the last time you got a Jar Jar figure scheduled for the basic line? How about a new Qui-Gon? Right.


Personally, I'm surprised nobody's commented on that last answer on AF, I am going to have fun as hell with that noise.

[Jargo]

ok so I meant once every three months. not tri-monthly.

I'm tired. leave me alone.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

I had asked the question about the pegwarming. Lately I haven't seen as much of Lushros, but every store still has a few Jerjerrods. The Greatest Battles/Heroes and Villains were never a problem in my area, but I know many people had problems with them. I'm reasonably satisfied with their answer, I may or may not take them up on their offer.

[JediTricks]

Originally Posted by MR. DADDYPANTS

ok so I meant once every three months. not tri-monthly.

I'm tired. leave me alone.

Actually, you're right and I'm wrong. For some reason, I thought you wrote "tri-weekly" and ran with it (since they're currently bi-weekly), but I got my signals crossed and made a fool of myself.


JabbaJohn, I plan on shooting anything I see like that. And the best part is, I don't need the manager to tell me the store number, it's on each chain's website.

[Kidhuman]

Do you want us to send you the info on the store numbers and stuff?

[JediTricks]

Originally Posted by Kidhuman

Do you want us to send you the info on the store numbers and stuff?

I'll set up a thread right now, I guess, and we can start posting in it.