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Jedi Temple Archives: Hasbro Q And A - Your Questions Answered!

Posted by Paul | August 25, 2012 at 01:14 AM ET

Here are many, many of your questions answered by Hasbro! We didn't get to them all today, but we're hopeful to get to the rest later! Stay tuned! In the meantime, click through!

Please make us one Jabba Sail Barge!!!!! My collection need one!!

While Hasbro admits it’s a great vehicle, it's not anywhere on their radar to make. The undertaking is just something that doesn't fit into their plans for the foreseeable future. The ultimate Sail Barge is just not in the plans.

Why does the new Teebo in the TRU exclusive set have a Logray head and not the superior, cooler, and more aggressive looking Teebo head shown?

So they could sell it again later (laughter). There were some licensor comments made about the mouth of that particular figure and it was determined that The Vintage Collection Logray was the better fit for Teebo. The head sculpt that everyone likes wasn't tweaked at all. Instead, Logray was used.

As a collector since the '70's I have had the wonderful opportunity to get every figure made and I must say I worked hard to get those figures at retail. That being said, ever since the last wave of TAC "The Force Unleashed Wave" things became harder and today nearly impossible. I have so many holes in my collection from the last 3 years and I refuse to pay 50 dollars for Jacen or Jaina or 70 for Shaak Ti, 50 for Malgus, Same goes for the Clone Wars line as well. Will I have an opportunity to catch up again and will you (Hasbro) allow me the opportunity to once again get my collection back on track? In other words I truly hope you have a plan to get the impossible and in demand figures from the last few years back out.

Some of the figures mentioned are preliminarily being considered for rerelease in the new Droid Factory line. Hasbro is limited every year what number of figures can be included in the basic figure line up. It's a frustrating task, but available spots fill up quickly especially when trying to release all-new tooling to collectors. (Editor's Note: We also asked about the cancelled 2009 LC Imperial Scanning Crew and 2009 LC Utai. Hasbro confirmed that tooling has been completed for both and after our discussion they're interested in bringing them out and Droid Factory would be the perfect place to get them out to collectors. So we've sort of reawakened Hasbro to these figures. Hopefully they'll see rerelease at this point.)

Why do you keep releasing Sandtroopers with Stormtrooper belts when you have a perfectly good Sandtrooper belt tool available from the Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper Evolutions set in 2005? That belt fits perfectly on the current Sandtrooper mold and is much more accurate.

This has been a complete oversight on Hasbro's part and they weren't aware of the issue. They told us they will make note of this for future releases.

From the mile high view of a daily retail hunter, the problem at retail since late 2010 has been caused by three things. Case assortments. Case assortments. Case assortments. I can’t go into the mountain of issues with the assortments, but I can go into one that I hope highlights the fact that whichever group is choosing them is clearly not in touch with the market specificities of individual figures. Bom Vimdin was released in three case assortments in 2011. The original case and carried forward into both of the “Revenge of the Jedi” fall cases. Demand for the figure was served so much so that the figure achieved less than retail value on the secondary market. Something you must start paying attention to when choosing which figures to carry forward or re-release. Ponda Baba barely appeared at retail in 2011 and the demand was far from met to the point where the figure has achieved a roughly 2.5:1 secondary market value. The character also has a much more prominent role in the film. How was it decided to carry Bom Vimdin forward again in 2012 in 2 more case assortments over Ponda Baba which had so much pent up demand?

AND

Here's another one: will any 2010-12 Vintage figures---especially some of the harder to find ones like Ponda Baba or the Hoth Rebel Soldier---see repack and rerelease in Droid Factory/Legacy? We know TVC is done for the time being, but could we see some of the more badly distributed Vintage molds get reissued in Droid Factory packaging as sort of a kiss-and-make-up for how poorly their original run was handled?

This is a great question. And it has a disheartening answer. From Hasbro's standpoint, wave 7 of The Vintage Collection was the hardest for most collectors to locate. It was their goal to get this wave out again in its entirety whatever ways possible. In order to make this happen, Hasbro released cases with wave 7 carry-forward figures all together in a case assortment and then individual carry-forward in various case assortments. The Ponda Baba wave (wave 9) was produced in similar numbers to the rest of the line. The problem is that it suffered from distribution problems. Hasbro has a warehouse full of The Vintage Collection and this wave is part of this overstock. This wave (wave 9) has already hit Canada is discount chains and we are working with various American discount chains to get the rest of our stock out there.

There is still product on the pegs from the January street date. Are you going to try and fix this the next time there is a street date? Will we be able to get figures easier next year? (Hasbro, please say "yes.")

Yes, Hasbro has learned from their mistakes. The Droid Factory line opening street date product will be significantly revisited. The merchandise will of course in no way be rare, but they are reducing numbers to ensure even distribution and availability of figures. Hasbro will ensure that the bottle-necking of a line never happens again.

How about re-issuing the Republic Gunship for the AOTC 2013 3-D release? They sell for big bucks on the secondary online markets so I have a strong feeling they wont stay on the shelves for long. I would suggest reissuing the "Crumb Bomber" only this time painting it in its original "stock" paint scheme. (no nose art) They've already got the molds so it should be an easy money making no brainer.

Hasbro replied to this answer with "Did you like the Death Star Trench Run?" After looking at them incredulously, JTA was told go and think about it. So we believe that Hasbro plans to do a set similar the Death Star Trench Run in the style of Attack Of The Clones which may or may not include a Republic Gunship.

What's the word on the "postponed" Clone Wars Class I Vehicle Boba Fett & Speeder Bike and Obi-Wan Kenobi & Republic Attack Recon Fighter? That new Kenobi sculpt looked fantastic!

There are no plans to produce these items.

Will I ever be able to find the 2012 N-1 Naboo Starfighter at a local retail store?

Unless the first wave of Class II vehicles are able to sell through then probably not. You may have to go online to purchase the vehicle or wait for other secondary resellers (discount chains) to pick it up. As we learned from the Hasbro presentation, the Class II line is changing to a smaller scale anyway.

Why haven't we seen C-3PO from the B.A.D. mold yet? It is coming, and if so, when?

We will look into seeing if we can release C-3PO into the Droid Factory line at some point. Last time it was proposed to Lucasfilm, Ltd. they didn't like the idea of C-3PO's body being compromised to come apart in the way it does. This of course doesn't make much sense because they've already released R2-D2 in the Build A Droid sculpt already. Hasbro will look into this possibility again.

Will we see sought after TVC figures repacked in 2013, such as ROTS Darth Sidious, Magna Guard, Royal Guard, and even the Gamorrean Guard (again)? These look like great candidates for battle packs, do you agree?

All of these action figures are excellent candidates for the Droid Factory line as carry-forward figures.

The point of "soft goods" skirts is usually to allow for more articulation. That being said, the Legacy Mon Calamari Warrior and Quarren Soldier have this feature, but don't have articulate knees. This seems odd. Are there plans to bring these two figures back in some fashion, either with plastic "skirts" or articulated knees?

The Tartakovsky line is not something we will be focusing on in the future. So updating the Quarren Soldier or Mon Calamari Warrior is not something that is going to happen. Hasbro believes the figures we have are excellent and they're very proud of them as is.

As cool as the last couple of SDCC exclusives have been, some of the figure choices in them have seemed almost random. Would you consider a more thematically cohesive set with all the figures coming from a specific scene like Jabba's Palace or the Cantina? This seems like a good way to get some great repacked figures on TVC out that might not do so well at retail (Yarna, Malakili, Bane Malar, Giran, Nysad, Hrchek, Pons Limbic etc...)

An exclusive for SDCC would not have any repacked figures in it. Hasbro would either approach them with all-new pre-release figures (like they did in 2011 and 2012) or it would be a figure with new tooling. Hasbro would not release any repacks for an exclusive like that.

The dark green uniform and cloth skirt on Tarkin have been a point of contention within the fan community since it's reveal, is this a figure that may see an update with the release of ANH 3D?

No, Hasbro was dissatisfied more with the color of Tarkin's skin tone than the soft-goods. The only way that a figure can come with a plastic molded skirt is if it was sliced on the sides and Hasbro has received feedback that this is not ideal for an action figure from collectors. But collectors like the option of having their figures sit.

While there are many great figures in TVC there seems to be a few key players that slipped through the cracks, how did we end up with multiples of some characters and no versions at all of others like Chewbacca and Dooku?

After asking this question, Hasbro was surprised that Count Dooku and Chewbacca were missed in the 2010-2012 lineup of The Vintage Collection. When TVC returns, they plan to make these figures a priority, especially Chewbacca on a Star Wars card.

Do you understand that telling collectors to "Buy whole cases online" is not a valid solution to your own atrocious distribution problems, especially with the ridiculous amount of uninspiring carry-forwards in each case; and that all it will lead to is people leaving the hobby, since the "thrill of the hunt" is half of the fun?

AND

With distribution problems for the last 6 years how are you going to fix the problem so stores can actually get new product in a timely manor and not have an overly produced wave hanging rotting on the peg hook? (and please just don't tell us to buy whole cases online) is their some sort of street date that can be put on the new box of figures and shipped to stores to ensure new product goes on the pegs on time? And old figures get sent back or marked down?

Hasbro has been surprised that they're often quoted as saying this and they truly don't feel that collectors buying cases online is a solution by any means. The case assortments designed were for the sole purpose of retail, but due to the distribution problems, collectors have been forced to resort to buying online. If Hasbro made a case of Star Wars action figures with a "direct to market" approach, they would tailor the cases to absolutely be significantly more collector-friendly.

Is Ziro the Hutt ever going to be made? He has had a big impact on the Clone Wars and needs to be made.

No, Ziro is not on the table to be produced. (Hasbro joked about the Fighter Pods version coming out. It wasn't funny.)

Will we ever see a Queen Neeyutnee or Padme in senate gown?

Both are possible releases for the collector focused main line.

Will a Clone Wars Adi Gallia be made? She is one of the more popular that hasn't been made yet.

That is very unlikely. In fact, it’s unlikely.

Will Ima-Gun Di be made?

Hasbro would love to do this figure, but it's very unlikely at this point. The Clone Wars line will focus on core characters as well as the obligatory cones going forward.

Most fans a hole in their vintage collection as they don't have the Revenge Salacious Crumb and Mouse Droid. Is there the slightest chance that these figures could be done on ROTJ cards and offered as a mail away for the 30th anniversary of ROTJ next year?

Hasbro was intrigued by this question. They thought it was a rather brilliant idea. They are also aware of the thousands of collectors that have holes in their collection in the numbering convention of The Vintage Collection because of these two figures. Derryl DePriest suggested to his staff to jot down this idea for a future exclusive. Derryl also expressed that these two figures would also have to be packed with something else to make it a worthwhile exclusive for collectors. Stay tuned! (Right now no, but a great suggestion is what they - Hasbro - ended with.)

Will The Clone Wars figures be better articulated in 2013, like in the good days of the line?

No. Derryl DePriest told me that they are slowly weaning "us" to accept that these figures will eventually come with only five (5) points of articulation. Yes, you heard that correctly. The Clone Wars is a kids' line and they have done studies which suggest that kids get frustrated playing with figures with too much articulation, especially when trying to put weapons in the hands of them. Obviously this is very disheartening news for adult collectors. But this couple with the fact that The Clone Wars is losing viewership at a staggering loss is forcing Hasbro to put their dollars elsewhere in the line. We can basically say "stick a fork in it" to the way we used to know about The Clone Wars line. 14 points of articulation no more.

Is there any chance of a new blue, classic-flavored Power (Gonk) Droid on a Legacy/Droid Factory cardback next year? You can always tweak and repack him later on whenever you revive the Vintage Collection, but the new Gonk mold seen in the new Target Droid Set 3-pack deserves a repaint before it starts to get a little moldy. I wouldn't mind getting a Vintage-looking Gonk on a Droid Factory card. It beats having to wait a couple more years or so and I know most of us would happily accept him being on a non-TVC cardback just to be able to get him.

Figures like Yak Face, Sim Aloo and the blue Power Droid will be saved for when The Vintage Collection returns. Hasbro wants to release all of the original Kenner vintage figures, so they would wait for the next opportunity to do so.

Will you ever update the Death Squad Commander in the correct gray uniform and ranking badge.

Apparently Hasbro is still confused about this action figure. After JTA explained the key differences of what makes the commander unique from the trooper, they were interested in pursuing it more. They said they will look into this in greater detail so it matches the vintage figure. They honestly acted like they have never been asked this question before so maybe we assumed for much too long that they were just avoiding it altogether, but this wasn't the case at all.

Are there plans to make any other "The Old Republic" figures?

Yes.

Will twice the amount of Clone Wars figures be released next year like with the 2010-2011 "Shadows of the Dark Side" line?

No, there will be the same amount. Next year could be less than 2013.

Why did you sculpt the guns into the hands of the new 12" figures coming out?

There is a great problem in South America with 12" figure accessory theft. While that seems humorous, that is a huge one-sixth scale market and they've had problems for years with this. Interestingly, this 12" line was intended for non-USA markets, even though they will be sold in the USA.

In a past Q&A when asked if Ree-Yees or Yakface would show up on a vintage card, Hasbro said at least one of them are planned for a late 2012 release. Now that we know the last vintage wave is the online exclusive "Weequay Wave" - was one more wave planned, but pushed back for when the Vintage card backs return or could we see one of these two appear next year???

They were cut from the 2012 lineup. When TVC returns, Hasbro will bring them into the line then.

What is the fate of the Battle Packs line going into 2013. Is it still a viable option for mainline retailers, will it be relegated to store exclusives only or will we see it as a concept disappear all together?

Aside from some store exclusives, the Battle Packs line is dead.

Do comic packs have any possibility of return considering the great success and demand of the Expanded Universe figures?

Hasbro would like to revive the Comic Packs line and are hopeful it will return. Hasbro staff is passionate about these characters, especially Rogue Squadron.

Fans wanted Jocasta Nu for a while, but Hasbro was understandably concerned about how well such a figure would do at retail. The solution seems to be to charge a higher price ($25) and make the figure an exclusive – a higher price to offset lower demand. This seems like a smart way to go. After all, collectors often pay high prices for rarer figures (such as the EU Legacy wave) on secondary markets. Is there any chance Hasbro will use this model in the future to make figures of “niche” characters that might not do well at retail (such as Sim Aloo)? Is Jocasta Nu a trial for this type of marketing strategy?

No, Jocasta Nu was a special one-off type of figure. Hasbro advised to not expect many characters like this. They did Jocasta Nu to make fans happy since she ranked so high in multiple Fans' Choice polls.

Why is there a decrease in how many figures get released anymore? It just seems to be a dry well anymore.

Hasbro's strategic objective is to reduce the number of individual items year over year over year. They've run into item count issues, but Derryl has fought for certain lines, especially The Vintage Collection to be hit the least with cutbacks and less figures, but instead increase articulation and number of paint operations to make them as authentic as possible. With less product released per year, Hasbro is able to produce bigger and better products. It's a skew rationalization theory.

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