Hasbro's Questions & Answers #42

     Don't forget, you can submit questions in our forums and we'll try to get as many as possible submitted to Hasbro. We can send only three questions per week, so make sure they are good ones! Now, on to this weeks Questions and Answers directly from Hasbro.

Q. You had indicated in a previous Q&A sessions that the re-released blue Obi-Wan Starfighter and the green Anakin Jedi Starfighter would have the same white paint applications as the original release.  This picture from Entertainment Earth (http://www.entertainmentearth.com/images//AUTOIMAGES/HS87690lg.jpg) seems to indicate that the paint apps have been updated to better reflect what we saw in the film and we like what we see.  Can you tell us if this new "grey" paint application is what we'll see on these re-released vehicles?

A. Ok, this is an odd one.  We did not spec any changes to this vehicle, and have no record of a new paint master. Which means that the product that is shipping will most likely be the same one released before but in a new (closed) box. We do not know where the shot referenced came from. We'll dig into it some more...

Q. The Dutch Vander figure was a fairly revolutionary figure when it was introduced back in 2004.  Since then, it has been the basis for a number of Rebel Pilot figures.  It's been reused to give us new versions of Wedge Antilles, Biggs Darklighter and most recently Lt. Lepira with the current Toys R Us exclusive Y-Wing as well as the forthcoming Derek "Hobbie" Klivian.  However, this body is so large that it will not fit in the modern X-Wing fighter that we've come to accept as the standard.  The good news though is that this figure works in other fighters like the Y-Wing.  But considering the appeal that the pilots of Rogue Squadron have with fans and collectors, could we see a retooled series of Rebel Pilots that have the modern articulation that we've become accustomed to that will also fit in the cockpit of the X-Wing?  It would certainly open up the potential to match up pilots with fighters, like Garven Dreis with Red Leader X-Wing, Wedge with the Red 2 X-Wing, Biggs with Red 3 X-Wing, and so on.

A. That is our intention at some point, but we haven't slotted in another X-Wing Pilot with this update yet.  Hopefully we'll find a way before too long to look at some tweaks, either in the mainline or as an exclusive.

Q. You revealed in recent Q&A sessions that the Vintage line of figures will be taking 2008 off, and that the Evolutions line will be the venue for premium sculpted figures in the line.  Additionally, we seem to be getting figures with large accessories in the Basic Figure line that might ordinarily be placed in a Deluxe Figure line.

With those factors in mind, can we expect a Deluxe Figure line to take the Vintage figure line's place in the retail planogram for 2008?

A. There are no plans for a separate Deluxe line.  Also, as we have indicated before, we like to do the "bonus" accessories when we can, but we don't want to promise that we'll be able to afford doing them as frequently going forward.  As costs inevitably creep up it's hard to get these in without sacrificing the figure articulation.  That's one of the reasons why, for Wave 1 '08, we created the lava droid/platform figure from what were originally intended to be accessories for Obi-Wan and Anakin.

Check back in a few weeks and we'll post the next round of Questions (and answers) as soon as Hasbro offers them.