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| Sunday, 23rd December 2007 |
| Hasbro Q&A - Wrapping up 2007! |
| Reported By - Phill - 15:18:49 (GMT) |
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Although it seems that some other UK sites have already closed for Christmas, TPU were able to squeeze a final festive round of Q&A out of Hasbro (a sure sign that Republic credits do still work in this galaxy...)
Read their answers after the jump !
1. Despite the strong showing of single carded figures in 2007, there seems to be an ongoing format trend towards multi-figure packs (Order 66, Battlepacks, Comic 2-packs, 2008's Force Unleashed 3-packs and new Evolutions). What's the rationale behind this?
'Cinema Scenes' were popular in the past, so are we seeing Hasbro trying to increase playability by giving the consumer several characters which can interact, balancing obscure and mainstream characters so that more 'fan-favourites' get made, or justifying re-releases with the inclusion of newly-tooled sculpts?
Basic figures still remain the heart and soul of the 3-3/4" collection, and it's important to maintain our focus there to make sure there are an ample number of new figures released, and that this "collection" maintains the core of the movie figure lineup. However, the Star Wars universe holds so much potential and fun that we have actively pursued a variety of alternate means of delivering new figures from both the films and EU sources.
We work closely with retailers to match the opportunity (such as an off shelf display in the checklane register, or an end-cap or promoted item) with an idea that we may have been thinking about. That is how the Order 66 2-packs came about - an idea we had had for a while centering on the relationship between Jedi and the Clones, to an out-of-aisle placement that made sense. So the impetus for more multi-pack offerings is really a product of having a brand that is still in very high demand with story opportunities that lend themsleves to trying many different things to complement the core line.
2. So, action figure stands are back in 2008 - something we all seem to agree is a great move on Hasbro's part. However, do you have any plans for that vintage / early modern classic - the carry case?
We've seen C-3PO, Vader, Chewie's Bandolier and even a Rebel Troop Transport in the past. With the number of collectors who like to open their figures (they do exist), surely there is a place for a new storage system from you guys? We don't all have abundant shelf-space!
The stands will be back for Spring. However, we have no plans to bring back the figure cases at this point (or make new ones). We *have* looked at it but the cost is just too prohibitive to make it work, and previous sales (in 2005) have not really shown that the demand is high enough to make continued efforts worthwhile. Not to say we won't look at it down the road, but right now it's not a high priority for us.
3. Star Wars toys obviously go through various proof-of-concept stages between initiation and production. What percentage are discarded during initial (paper) design due to cost constraints, licensing issues etc? How many make it to sculpting but don't progress due to design constraints? Can you give us any examples of figures that have been abandoned?
We don't have many modern examples for you because our design team has been in place for a while and has an exceptionally well-developed sense for what can/cannot be done in different segments. As a result, we are very efficient when it comes to ideation and implementation, especially when it comes to basic figures, battle packs, vehicles, and role play.
The area where, quite frankly, we have spent considerable effort at brainstorming and model-making, but have been stopped at the costing stage, has been the area of playsets. Our challenges with mock-ups of Death Star-type playsets have been well-documented, but we have found it's not just 3-3/4" playsets that are a challenge - any set that used a substantial number of parts and plastic is going to present a costing problem, and ultimately has a high risk of getting bumped from the line when the price point proves prohibitive.
Thanks again to Hasbro for being so forthcoming this year. They were even kind enough to send us the following note to sign off 2007...
"To all contributing Star Wars fan sites:
Wow! It's hard to believe, but here we are at the end of 2007, and what a great year it has been for Star Wars! What made our job extra fun was being able to interact with everyone via the Q&A (and, in some cases, live and in person at CIV, C Europe, and Comic Con) this year.
It’s the passion and dedication displayed by you and your members that keeps the Star Wars collecting community vibrant, informed and excited about the future – and it’s that very same energy that keeps us focused.
We look forward to working with everyone in 2008. And what a year 2008 is shaping up to be....!
Happy Holidays.... The Star Wars and Indiana Jones Team."
Remember - the Q&A sessions will continue into 2008, with the first round of questions due to TPU by Friday, January 11. |
| SOURCE: Click to send your Question to "Ask Hasbro" |
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