Q&A Session With Hasbro's Star Wars Brand Team December 21 Round-Up

By Jay Cochran on 2009-12-22 in Action Figures
In order to make it easier for you to check out all the different Hasbro Q&A's that are posted around the Internet, we have gathered up all the questions with links to the actual sites where you can easily go to and see the answers. Here is the round-up for December 21st's batch of questions. Click here to check out the JediInsider ones.


Rebelscum.com

Rebelscum: It's been awhile since we asked about this...any new info regarding the drink dispenser centerpiece for the cantina bar? Last we heard, it was said to be coming with an updated Wuher.

Rebelscum: Can you share what, if any, the replacement pack-in will be once the Droid Factory Build-A-Droid series ends? For the record, I would like to thank you for the B-A-D promotion. As a collector, I have been able to add a nice handful of diverse droids to my growing ranks. I just wish the B-A-D pack-in would continue to allow even more variations on the models/molds you have already created.

Rebelscum: With the recent long-awaited announcement of Celebration V finally here, word has come out that there won't be an exclusive Hasbro action figure. Please say this isn't so! Surely there's SOMETHING that can be whipped up in time for August 2010!!


YodaNews.com

YN: Are there any The Clone Wars Geonosis scene vehicles and figures in the pipeline? Super Tanks? Bugs winged and no wings? Camo clone troopers? Bad Kitty Republic Gunship?

YN: Any word as to when we might see those missing Galactic Heroes sets? The "Kamino Showdown" and "Purchase of Droids" sets were supposed to show up at TRU stores in August hit the shelf? So far we have neither heard nor seen anything. Have these sets been cancelled? Please say NO. Thanks!

YN: I'm sure it has been asked before but I could not find it, any chance that Hasbro will start up a Official You Tube Channel and put up videos of the figures, ships and toys in a "toy progression" that follow it from inception, to early prototype and then final products being made at the assembly plant? LEGO, Gentle Giant, Sideshow and many other have done it and I think it would be awesome to see this from Hasbro!


YakFace.com

Q1: SInce the Build-A-Droid/Droid Factory concept is coming to an end in 2010, what can collectors expect to see in terms of the next pack-in? Will there still be a new "bonus item", will we see a return of the figure bases or will extras like this be dropped altogether in favor of controlling costs?

Q2: With the demise of the comic packs and the focus shifting away from the Expanded Universe (EU) sources toward more "core" Original Trilogy and Clone Wars sources for 2010 will that shift also mean less "Concept Art" type characters in the basic figure line too? (Hopefully not as many consider these some of the best figures in the entire line.)


Q3: Some friends and I were throwing around our own "OT wishlists" the other day and we were wagering a few credits (read: cold beverages) on whether or not some are/were in the "parking lot" of upcoming soon-to-be released figures. Without been specific of course, care to give a count as to the ones "on the list"?

ANH
Princess Leia (Ceremonial)
Cantina Band Member
Grand Moff Tarkin

ESB
Luke Skywalker (Hoth Gear)
Leia Organa (Hoth Gear)
Dengar

ROTJ
Admiral Ackbar
EV-9D9
Saelt Marae ; )


Han's Hideout

1. Things have been awfully quiet on the mid-sized vehicle line. We got a couple of great new additions this past summer (still loving the Droid Tank), but nothing since then. Any chance that you can spot us a couple of hints on upcoming starfighters/ships we'll see on the shelves this Spring?

2. With Comic Packs and EU basic figure waves seemingly headed for a hiatus, we'll have to postpone our crusade for a Marvel Star Wars #15 Han Solo & Crimson Jack Comic Pack for a while. But before we move on, we thought we'd give the pack one last plug in case you get a chance to bring the Comic Packs back. Staying on the theme of "comics that would have made sweet, sweet Comic Packs if you'd had the chance to do them", which comic issues/series do you guys regret not being able to sneak into the line?

3. A question from one of my boys - Will you make a new Galactic Heroes "TIE Fighter with the bendy wings" [aka a TIE Interceptor]? Liam, Age 3.


JediDefender.com

1) Jedi Robes are great accessories. The recent The Phantom Menace Obi-Wan in particular had a really nice robe. Any chance we'll see Jedi figures get a little more standardized in terms of their accessories so that they all come with nifty soft goods robes and unlit lightsaber hilts?

2) It sounds like we're heading for a break from EU figures in the basic figure line after the upcoming EU wave ships. Is the break from EU figures just in the basic figure line or will we see an overall drop in EU based figures in 2010? Any plans to mix in more EU versions of the main 'A List' characters to sort of fill the gap for the EU figure fans?

3) Following up on a previous Q&A, you had asked us to poll our readers to see if they desired updates of the Delta Squad Commandos with the new Evolutions sculpt or if they would rather just see new Commandos instead. Most folks that responded said they'd prefer to see Delta Squad redone over new Commandoes. One note that popped up a lot during the voting was a desire to see further improvements made to the Republic Commando sculpt - removable helmet, ball-jointed shoulders, etc. Is the Evolutions Commando sculpt likely the last revision of that sculpt or is there a chance you'd add more improvements over time?


Dewbackpatrol.com

1. Are there any “sneak peak” images of upcoming figures that you can to share with us (us being the collector community)?
– Redleader76

2. Have you considered doing a box set, or seven pack, or something, made up of cancelled figures that have already begun production? I am talking about a collector-orientated set. I would bet it could be done as a great exclusive similar to the G.I.Joe Cobra Island battle packs or the Mandalorian battle pack. Just some thoughts but you have started some really cool figures like the Hoth soldier, the 2nd Utai, Holo Nute, Exar Kuhn, Ulec Quel, DARTH NIHL, to name a few. It seems to me that this would be a good way to target the collector audience.
– Dewbackhunter

3. In the past you said that you might release some of the animated clone wars TV characters in the regular line. I agree that there is no need for all of them, but perhaps it is time for a few. I would think Ahsoka, Cad Bane, Commando Droid, and Rex would be prime candidates. So, any chance of this happening? P.S. You should be so proud of the new slave Leia. It is one of the best figures ever. I bought two so I could have one standing and one sitting. – Dewbackunter


Jedi News

1) An image of what appears to be the new packaging for Star Wars product was recently posted on Yakface.com, with a continued focus on Clones. Is this also going to be used for what will replace The Legacy Collection i.e. movie-realistic figures, even though the Clones only really figure (excuse the pun!) in the prequel time span? If so, what is the thought-process behind such a decision?

2) Would you ever consider selling unpainted Star Wars figures, a bit like the black and white Mighty Muggs, or perhaps bags of arms, legs, heads, etc.? It could be a bit like Build-A-Droid and would give customizers and any collectors with artistic tendencies a blank canvas to more easily create their own unique figures.

3) As you can imagine, we are all disappointed to hear the news about the Comic Pack line (but I'm at least relieved we'll see Tholme and Tra'Saa released!). What do you consider to be the reasons that the line's success has gone downhill? Has it been the price increase, have the best characters been released, or the general collector slowdown?


Imperial Shipyards (Scroll down)

1. Dear Hasbro, a couple of weeks ago, the new Clone Wars episode "Landing at Point Rain" aired showing us two alternate color schemes of clones that we had seen before and one design that we had never seen on the series before. We had been wanting the snow version of the flamethrower trooper sculpt since the episode where it was debuted last season. What are the chances that we will see a release of the flamethrower trooper, the earmuff trooper " as it has been called" and Waxer and Boil type camo Arf trooper figures in the future? Also, even though you had stated that it is unlikely to happen, any random release to the Legacy line of a version of one or all of these troopers would be loved by all legacy collectors.

2. Over the last several years I have been absolutely amazed at the number of high quality pieces of Clone/Imperial Trooper fan art and custom figures that have been produced. Many of these pieces have made me, and I'm sure others, wish that one or more of their favorites could make their way into the official Star Wars universe. Which brings me to my question. Would you ever consider having a contest where fan's could submit their trooper concept art to Hasbro, LFL and Hasbro could narrow their top choices down to maybe a top 30, and then turn it over to collectors to vote for which concept they would like to see made into a figure?


JediTempleArchives.com

Q. As of this writing, Celebration V has just been announced for August 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Comments from Steve Sansweet on December 3rd indicate that an exclusive figure like those at past Star Wars Celebrations may not be likely.

However, in a November 16th Q&A session with Jedi Temple Archives, Hasbro indicated that some items from the due to be cancelled Expanded Universe comic 2-pack line were now slated to possibly become convention exclusives. Obviously, the announcement of a Star Wars Celebration Hasbro exclusive is usually something of a news event of it's own. But can we expect one of the previously seen comic 2-packs to become a Celebration 5 exclusive? Or should we expect any C5 exclusive to be themed around the 30th Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, since that is one of the main themes of Celebration 5?

Q. The production sheet that you shared with Galactic Hunter was such an amazing and informative piece of information. It makes us think that of course there must be one of these for every figure. Would you be able to post these on your website or provide them to collectors? They are absolutely mesmerizing and it makes us want to see them for the other action figures. If you cannot provide them on the web or in some other similar way, can you work with Lucasfilm to perhaps generate a book of the all and sell as an exclusive? We are confident that this would sell beyond all expectations. The Wooof production sheet created such a buzz in the collector community and these are the types of resources we want to see. Any others you would like to share with us? We would love to add these to our archives!

Q. We've seen an admirable effort by Hasbro to offer some variety to the more anonymous characters of the Star Wars universe by offering running changes. However it seems that a number of possible factors affect the feasibility of bringing all of them to retail in a way that works for Hasbro, collectors and retailers. There seemed to be a question about the second Cloud City Wing Guard (Utris M'toc) until one site received a correction on that figure.

But on that roster of running change characters we've seen the Hoth Rebel Trooper, the Ugnaughts, Cloud City Wing Guards, the Utai and Imperial Scanning Troopers. Only the second Ugnaught has made it to market so far, and the Cloud City Wing Guard running change should be shipping with the next wave. How are the other running change figures faring? Can we expect these other figures reasonably soon? And in which format are they likely to be offered if at all?


Sandtrooper.com

1) Now that CV is announced, what's the plans (if any) for an exclusive? ANY clue?

2) Will you try to improve the quality of the packaging? The red package might be the easiest to damage yet. We realize Hasbro is only concerned about the product inside, but does this really not matter?

We haven't changed anything about the current red/white package except a smaller size for the blister backer card. The card thickness is the same, the blister itself is a standard thickness, and the heat sealing method is unchanged. Likewise, the die-cut (shape of the card including the protrusions and cutouts) does not have a lot of sharp points that could get damaged. So, we're a little unsure about what damage you are seeing and what would make this card any more susceptible that any previous card version. Likewise, we have not gotten any complaints from retailers about widespread damage. Can you supply some more information based on what you have seen in the field or with your own collection? Pictures would help. Thanks!

3) Is there any chance Hasbro could make Anthony Forrest and Koo Stark available to sign the convention exclusive at their booth?


Galactic Hunter

1. This is your last chance before the end of 2009 to dispel any Star Wars toy rumors — start dispelling! [As voiced by Stewie Griffin.]

2. Is the Build-A-Droid system a goner after Toy Fair? If so, what's next?

3. What was the most surprising information gleaned from the now-completed Fans' Choice Poll? (Ackmena all the way, you know it.)


If you don't see your site listed and have a Hasbro Q&A Round posted and would like to see your site added to our Round-Up, just shoot us an email at Questions@ENewsi.com.

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