Hasbro wants our Questions:

[jokabofe]

Why can't you make a removable helmet figure that looks like the person still has a neck under the helmet? Or  that actually looks natural? On every one of the removable helmet figures I can think of, the helmet either a) sits right on the shoulders, so it looks like there's no neck or b) the chin sticks out from the bottom of the helmet. What's up with that?

[Major fett]

What's with the new removable helmet Stormtrooper's face? Why does he have scratches and "battle damage" to his head under the helmet?

Why what's wrong with it, I love it! In battle one might aquire scars.

Under your helmet, and without any damage to the helmet itself?

They can't request a new helmet?

[jokabofe]

I'm not saying they couldn't have been injured previously. But then again, when did we ever see Stormtroopers get "injured"? They usually just get blown up altogether, or blasted in the chest and die. Anyway, my point is that the damage on the face looks like it's fresh - it's like bright red, like the wounds are still bleeding. If they would have made a scar - like the Cody or Jango faces... then it might be okay.

But still, why make an army builder character like this with a distinguishing mark like that? Makes it look like there should be only 1 Stormtrooper.

[Major fett]

I'm not saying they couldn't have been injured previously. But then again, when did we ever see Stormtroopers get "injured"? They usually just get blown up altogether, or blasted in the chest and die. Anyway, my point is that the damage on the face looks like it's fresh - it's like bright red, like the wounds are still bleeding. If they would have made a scar - like the Cody or Jango faces... then it might be okay.

But still, why make an army builder character like this with a distinguishing mark like that? Makes it look like there should be only 1 Stormtrooper.

Ok now I get where you're coming from I haven't seen this figure in person yet so I didn't know what deal was. I agree on that fact about army builders but on stormies you just leave the helmet on anyways, and can have any head under it. I prefer to use that head on custome Clone Commanders and place random heads on thes guys.

[jedibrian77]

3) Are you planning after you release your JSF with the hyperspace ring, to sell the hyperspace ring alone so we can outfit some of your former JSF that didnt come with rings? Perhaps do a set with the different paint jobs to match the ships that were released without this?

There are no plans right now to just sell the hyerspace ring by itself. It's possible the we will do future versions of the ring to match other prominent ships, but we haven't made any more decisions beyond this version right now.

I really hope they change their minds on this and make a pack of hyperspace rings (probably an internet exclusive)

[jokabofe]

Why do almost all of the more recent figures have such wide leg stances?

[lordabell]

Why do almost all of the more recent figures have such wide leg stances?

I thought that the Rebel Honor Guards were starting to do the splits in the movie!  They weren't?  Man, Hasbro and their play features, I can have them do the splits with the way-open stance and angery Jerjjerrod.  Yippie!

[Hothchad]

Here is a question for hasbro, someone already eluded to it.
Hasbro, why do you make the stances so wide on figures?  It really seems like you are limited the type of poses that can be achived by doing this that looks somewhat natural.  I just opened up my C4 concept luke and he looks real ackward trying to pose him, unless I would use the pose that was in the package.  So what is your criteria for the stances on a figure.

[TAMER]

So I am assuming now that the Grevious with shield that we saw at C4 is not an SDCC exclusive anymore. What store or line will this be releasing with now?

[scalperhunter1]

I posed this question a week or two ago. I think it's an area of the Hasbro marketing/decision making department that hasn't been explored and many of us would be interested in knowing.

You commented in one of your previous rounds of questions that making something like the Twin Pod Cloud Car is a poor choice for Hasbro since it won't produce enough sales due to a low relative strength of demand.

What I want to know is what resources does Hasbro use to determine a figures/ships "relative strength of demand?"
I am curious as to if you use internal discussion data, information from outside research firms or do you have an internal polling system to determine a products popularity?
Would you please enlighten the masses as to your system?

[Master Frank]

Dear Hasbo,

What do you have in store for the Titanium Series carded vechicles? There are countless vechicles that have yet to be made, and yet we're seeing duplicates that are just repainted. Please tell us that you have plans for new never before seen carded titanium series vechicles and what should we expect to see in the future. If you think you've done them all, you would wrong. If you need conceptual design help, just ask :-)

[jacensolo66]

now that u have a ready made stormtrooper body with a removable helmet can we expect to see han and luke as stormtroopers in the near future? or are we supposed to settle for the marvel colored junk?

[Major fett]

now that u have a ready made stormtrooper body with a removable helmet can we expect to see han and luke as stormtroopers in the near future? or are we supposed to settle for the marvel colored junk?

Yes they are coming.

[Darth Spice]

The VERY early latest!

What do you have in store for the Titanium Series carded vechicles? There are countless vechicles that have yet to be made, and yet we're seeing duplicates that are just repainted. Please tell us that you have plans for new never before seen carded titanium series vechicles and what should we expect to see in the future. If you think you've done them all, you would be wrong. If you need conceptual design help, just ask.

1) There is one more new vehicle based on a McQuarrie painting - the Snowtrooper Snowspeeder (which has a new figure). Aside from that figure.

You commented in one of your previous rounds of questions that making "certain items" is a poor choice for Hasbro since it won't produce enough sales due to a low relative strength of demand.

What I want to know is what resources does Hasbro use to determine a figures/ships "relative strength of demand?" I am curious as to if you use internal discussion data, information from outside research firms or do you have an internal polling system to determine a products popularity? Would you please enlighten the masses as to your system?

2) We have actual sales data for each of our sublines, down to the item level, and we can track relative velocity of any individual item.  We often use "like" data to inform our decision making for figures or any line we might consider. In some cases, like launching a broad McQuarrie series, we go with our gut on whether this concept would be popular among collectors after internal consultation both within Hasbro and at Lucasfilm.  When we don't have data from which to draw or we are looking at a large investment in resources or capital for a launch, we engage in market research to find an answer. This is done in any of several ways, which I won't discuss for competitive reasons.

Hasbro, why do you make the stances so wide on figures?  It really seems like you are limited the type of poses that can be achived by doing this that looks somewhat natural.  I just opened up my C4 concept luke and he looks real ackward trying to pose him, unless I would use the pose that was in the package.  So what is your criteria for the stances on a figure.

3) Our design team set out to achieve a certain aesthetic, and then it's up to our sculpting manager to find a solution to achieve that aesthetic. If a figure isn't designed to specifically have ball and socket hips, for example, then a different mechanism will be chosen. As a defult, we prefer a slightly more actiony pose when we know we aren't going to be able to do full super-articulation.

[Major fett]

The VERY early latest!
Hasbro, why do you make the stances so wide on figures?  It really seems like you are limited the type of poses that can be achived by doing this that looks somewhat natural.  I just opened up my C4 concept luke and he looks real ackward trying to pose him, unless I would use the pose that was in the package.  So what is your criteria for the stances on a figure.

3) Our design team set out to achieve a certain aesthetic, and then it's up to our sculpting manager to find a solution to achieve that aesthetic. If a figure isn't designed to specifically have ball and socket hips, for example, then a different mechanism will be chosen. As a defult, we prefer a slightly more actiony pose when we know we aren't going to be able to do full super-articulation.

I would have frased this as a request to end this stance as opposed to a question of why they use it.

[jokabofe]

Do you track secondary market demand/prices for recent/currently shipping action figures to see which ones should be re-released in future waves? I see that the new Wave 3 cases are shipping with 2 Galactic Marines and 1 Airborne Trooper snuck in from Wave 1. They were fairly scarce at the time of the original release, so I think it was a good idea to re-pack them. It would be nice to see the McQuarrie figures (Stormtrooper, Boba Fett, and Chewbacca so far) get another release, since they have been so scarce at retail and are commanding a high premium on ebay and at toy shows, just like the Galactic Marine and Airborne Trooper were at one point.

[Lt. Starfox]

What do you have in store for the Titanium Series carded vechicles? There are countless vechicles that have yet to be made, and yet we're seeing duplicates that are just repainted. Please tell us that you have plans for new never before seen carded titanium series vechicles and what should we expect to see in the future. If you think you've done them all, you would be wrong. If you need conceptual design help, just ask.

1) There is one more new vehicle based on a McQuarrie painting - the Snowtrooper Snowspeeder (which has a new figure). Aside from that figure.

are they saying there is only 1 other totally new ship for titanium line ?

[scalperhunter1]

That's the way I read it Dave.

[Major fett]

What do you have in store for the Titanium Series carded vechicles? There are countless vechicles that have yet to be made, and yet we're seeing duplicates that are just repainted. Please tell us that you have plans for new never before seen carded titanium series vechicles and what should we expect to see in the future. If you think you've done them all, you would be wrong. If you need conceptual design help, just ask.

1) There is one more new vehicle based on a McQuarrie painting - the Snowtrooper Snowspeeder (which has a new figure). Aside from that figure.

are they saying there is only 1 other totally new ship for titanium line ?

That is what they said and have said in previous Q&A's why this was asked again I have no idea. Personally I get tired of the same old questions being asked as I'm sure Hasbro does, and probably thinks we're all crazy.

[Lt. Starfox]

What do you have in store for the Titanium Series carded vechicles? There are countless vechicles that have yet to be made, and yet we're seeing duplicates that are just repainted. Please tell us that you have plans for new never before seen carded titanium series vechicles and what should we expect to see in the future. If you think you've done them all, you would be wrong. If you need conceptual design help, just ask.

1) There is one more new vehicle based on a McQuarrie painting - the Snowtrooper Snowspeeder (which has a new figure). Aside from that figure.

are they saying there is only 1 other totally new ship for titanium line ?

That is what they said and have said in previous Q&A's why this was asked again I have no idea. Personally I get tired of the same old questions being asked as I'm sure Hasbro does, and probably thinks we're all crazy.

guess I missed this question somewhere else, then again, I don't read every sites Q&A

[Darth Boa]

The answer to question #1 sounds awkward and incomplete. It appears to be only part of an answer.

My buddy and I were able to talk to the Hasbro guys at C-IV and they were able to tell us to expect 30 new Star Wars sculpts for the the 3" Titanium line now through next year. The only reason we are seeing so many repaints is because the line has taken off far better than expected, and they needed product to satisfy retailer demand.

I'd like to mention that these are real nice guys and they are definitely in tune with the fans and what they expect. They are big Star Wars fans themselves and are more creative than they are given credit for. Alot of the things we as fans complain about are compromises they had to make to get the product out at all with the risk of them being rejected altogether by Lucasfilm or the bean counters.

And I gotta say, show a little more open-mindedness when asking your questions. "If you think you've got them all you'd be wrong.." is so condescending. " If you need conceptual help, just ask" is so presumptious. These guys are thinking so far ahead of us you'd be amazed.

[Cane_Adiss]

Any chance of a Mon Calamari Dancer figure (based on Aaron McBride's concept art) anytime soon? The character actually did appear in the movie, albeit very briefly and very tiny. This is one of the coolest designs in Revenge of the Sith and I'm more than a little suprised we haven't seen her yet!

Any chance of a retooled Yarael Poof with better articulated legs (no unileg!) so he can both sit and assume cool battle poses?

Any chance we'll see Cane Adiss, Loje Nella, Joh Yowza (resculpt) or the original Trilogy Sy Snootles in the near future?

[Master Frank]

The answer to question #1 sounds awkward and incomplete. It appears to be only part of an answer.

My buddy and I were able to talk to the Hasbro guys at C-IV and they were able to tell us to expect 30 new Star Wars sculpts for the the 3" Titanium line now through next year. The only reason we are seeing so many repaints is because the line has taken off far better than expected, and they needed product to satisfy retailer demand.

I'd like to mention that these are real nice guys and they are definitely in tune with the fans and what they expect. They are big Star Wars fans themselves and are more creative than they are given credit for. Alot of the things we as fans complain about are compromises they had to make to get the product out at all with the risk of them being rejected altogether by Lucasfilm or the bean counters.

And I gotta say, show a little more open-mindedness when asking your questions. "If you think you've got them all you'd be wrong.." is so condescending. " If you need conceptual help, just ask" is so presumptious. These guys are thinking so far ahead of us you'd be amazed.

Thanks for providing more background to the question and answer.
I posed the question and my feelings were of excitement not trying to come across condescending, but I can now see how it could be interpreted very differently.

I also remember reading an answer to a prior titanium question, but newer vehicles and repaints weren't addressed if I remember. Rather the question and answer dealt with the popularity and continuation of the line.

Frank 

[Blitzkriegtrenchwolf]

With the major popularity of the McQuarrie "subset" in the TAC collection, is there any chance of a re-release of the Airspeeder Pilot and Cloud Car Pilot (A.K.A.-A regular Cloud City Citizen) on thier own individual cards or perhaps as a 2-pack?
The Airespeeder Pilot could be a straight repack as he pretty much matches the concept sketch, but the Cloud Car Pilot could warrant a repaint as well (owning to the fact his colour scheme doesn't match his sketch).

And as a suggestion, you could run the McQuarrie "subset" 'till 2010 and replace it with a Joe Johnston range for a few years 'till 2013 and repalce it with a multi-artist range (Chiang/Church/etc. etc.).
BLitzkriegtrenchwolf?:>}

[jokabofe]

Why can't there be any kind of consistency with the amount of new figures per wave? I see from the casepacks at Entertainment Earth that one upcoming wave has 7 new figures in it, the next has 10, and the wave after that only has 4? Can't we get it down to a point where each case of 12 figures contains 2 each of 6 new figures with no repacks? And then if you want to do the revised cases that EE seems to have an abundance of listings for, you can toss in a few figures that seem to be selling well, or some extra army builders. Making each case pack of 12 contain 2 each of 6 new figures would help out collectors like myself who order from EE and just want 2 of each figure.

[Mithel]

Since you're making the first official black tunic officer (cmdr Praji), if he sells well will you make the badgless black tunic officers from the endor bunker?

PLZ ask this.   

[Bloodant]

Hasbro would you consider making these two battle packs?

1) Commander Durge with on his speeder bike with two of the black IG88 droids on two other bikes.
2) Commander Clone Armor Kenobi on his speeder bike with two clones behind him on two other bikes.

Thanks

[TAMER]

Hasbro would you consider making these two battle packs?

1) Commander Durge with on his speeder bike with two of the black IG88 droids on two other bikes.
2) Commander Clone Armor Kenobi on his speeder bike with two clones behind him on two other bikes.

Thanks

boy I would love to have these!

[Jaing Skirata]

Hasbro, how bout the following...

1. SA Jango w/removeable bucket, so we can finally have a good one!
2. Jango in fatigues
3. Clone in red fatigues
4. Clone in black undersuit... a better version than the deluxe one
5. Stormie in black undersuit

[Major fett]

Hasbro, how bout the following...

1. SA Jango w/removeable bucket, so we can finally have a good one!

5. Stormie in black undersuit

The first one is rumored for this years AOTC, or possibly next year.
The second one, wouldn't that just look like a deathstar trooper?