The Imperial Shipyards
Kenner / Hasbro Collecting => Black, Mission, and Saga Legends Series => Topic started by: Cmdr_Vulkus on January 29, 2013, 03:43:47 PM
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http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/story/Hasbro_Producing_6_Star_Wars_Black_Series_Figure_Line_150021.asp
Follow the link above. Its been on all the main sites so thought I'd spread the good word here. Set to release in August of this year, it'll have Luke, R2, Darth Maul, and an Imperial Sandtrooper. Mainly they're gonna focus on OT character but there will be some "key" PT characters as well. Pricing is set at $19.99 and its aimed at adult collectors
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Welcome to the shipyards, Cmdr-Vulkus and thanks for the scoop. Now there is an interesting surprise.
Thanks to usatoday.com for these pics.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8428535544_76eefde2f9.jpg)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8427444717_20d7e6dd37.jpg)
Luke is looking pretty good, here. Considering that we have been paying $20 a piece to get the 3 3/4 figures that we can't find on the shelves anyways by way of the internet, dropping a 20 for one of these might not be that bad.
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Clint beat me to the punch. Glad I have you guys around to report too. Thanks!
I love the looks of em. Gonna have to have that pilot Luke probably. Not sure though, might just stick to Battle of Hoth Figs. It looks like everything we have wanted in a figure though. Shame they won't do it in three and three quarter size though.
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I think you beat me to the punch actually, buddy. I was waiting for my photos to upload.
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If the ones that follow the Luke (X-Wing Pilot) prototype look as good as this one does, I'm in. I'll be selective, especially at that price point, but these have definitely peaked my interest.
The question is whether I can afford enough of these---or find hem for that matter---for customs...
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Im all for collecting these! the sand trooper sounds so cool.
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That was my next question. These look good, but are they too pricey for folks to customize? Guess not if folks are customizing things like Sideshow items, etc.
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I'm leaving these alone....once Hasbro do the last few 3 3/4" figures i'm hoping they do and the few resculpts that need doing that's it.....My SW days are over.
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It looks super cool but are they quiting 3 3/4 figures :(? That stinks if they do because I have collected 3 3/4 just about all my life.
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Hope to pick up a Boba Fett and Luke. I hope this will just be another option for size, kind of like the Marvel Select figures. It would be a shame if they did away with 3 3/4.
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No clone10, they are still going to produce 3 3/4 figs as well. These are supposed to be aimed at adult collectors, mainly any of us that grew up collecting/playing with the original Kenner figs from the early days
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I'm all for 6 inch figures the customizing and diorama prospects is fantastic.
Ron
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i will probably just pick up vader ,imps and droids
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I have mixed feelings about this line. The first figure looks great, so that is encouraging. I just don't see why we need another scale for Star Wars figures. I realize they can get better detail at this scale but the Vintage line proved that they can get almost the same detail on a 4 inch figure, if they try. I know they are aiming these at the adult collector but who is going add a room on to their house to store another line of figures? I think they are fishing for options as they cant figure out what is going on with the 4 inch line. I have decided that Hasbro is just clueless as to what customers want and how to get it to them. I wonder if we will even be able to find these things! I wish they would stick to 1 scale and do it right. Figure out a way to get the product to the people that you already have available. Repack those hard to find figures and leave the 50th unarticulated Luke, Han, etc. you shoved down our throat out of the mix. They are all over the place with this and grabbing for staws the way I see it. If I want a really good larger scale figure my money would go to Kotobukia. Those guys are doing things right!
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I completly agree with you Spry and could not have said it better !! There is no promise that we will be able to pick these figures up for regular price . Hasbro keeps missing the target finish the 4 inch line aim it at adult collectors with the remaining figures from the vintage line as well as unproduced figures then Hasbro wont have to worry about not making the the 4th quarter and cutting jobs.
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Yeah, I think perhaps applying this to their 3 and 3/4 line and making it a special adult action figure line aimed at dads would have been a better choice. How many times have folks shown here what you can really achieve on a three and three quarter level.
Then, there is the obvious qustion that goes with this; are there going to vehicles, etc. to go with these?
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I will probably get the R2, and when Vader is released I will defiantly get him. There are a few I might buy (Fett, Chewie) but I doubt I could devote myself to a 6 inch line. I am surprized this took so long to see the light of day though, I have heard demand for years.
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I will probably only buy the imperials. Definitely that Sandtrooper
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I can remember seeing an awesome six inch boba fett among things from someone besides Hasbro a few years back. Anyone remember that?
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I see Hasbro just sent me an official email about the new 6-inch Black Line:
"Star Wars fans,
Yesterday, Hasbro's new line of collector-targeted Star Wars figures, Star Wars Black, was announced on USAToday.com, which will include both traditional 3.75-inch action figures and a brand-new scale, 6-inch figures. Hasbro is excited to now share with you its official photography for the first 6-inch Star Wars Black figure, X-Wing Pilot Luke Skywalker.
The official description for the 6-inch line is below:
STAR WARS ® BLACK SERIES 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES
(Approximate retail price: $19.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: Fall 2013)
In 2013, Hasbro takes collectible STAR WARS action figures to the next level with the introduction of the BLACK SERIES action figure line! For the first time ever, Hasbro is introducing a 6-inch scale of the greatest characters from the STAR WARS universe. This exceptional collection of figures features incredibly accurate design and a high level of articulation. Each sold separately.
There will be 8 Star Wars Black Series 6-inch action figures available in 2013, with the first wave—Luke, R2-D2, Darth Maul and a Sandtrooper—hitting in August.
And they sent two official images which we have seen already:
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f115/CTtamer/Tamer%20Cont%202/lukeblack3.jpg)
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f115/CTtamer/Tamer%20Cont%202/lukeblack2.jpg)
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No clone10, they are still going to produce 3 3/4 figs as well. These are supposed to be aimed at adult collectors, mainly any of us that grew up collecting/playing with the original Kenner figs from the early days
O ok, thanks for the answer.
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It looks super cool but are they quiting 3 3/4 figures :(? That stinks if they do because I have collected 3 3/4 just about all my life.
They said in the article they will continue the vintage line
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It looks super cool but are they quiting 3 3/4 figures :(? That stinks if they do because I have collected 3 3/4 just about all my life.
They said in the article they will continue the vintage line
O, well I didnt read the article but I thought they where just going to quit the vintage line after this year, so I didnt know. :)
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I think the one red flag I got when reading that article was the fact that they are gearing this line towards adults, which is fine, but then go on to say that the three and three quarter line can be used to play with their kids. Now I could just be pessimistic here, but does that mean we can kiss what articulation and good sculpting we have seen so far good bye with the three and three quarter line up as they are hoping this new six inch line will get most of the bells and whistles? If that is the case then I think Hasbro will have finally sealed their coffin.
I am wondering if they would have been better off to give this "bells and whistles" treatment to their three and three quarter line up and charge us a few dollars more per figure. I think most of us could have lived with a three and three quarter line up that was a bit more per figure to get super articulation and good sculpting. Perhaps this line would have been smaller, with not as many waves, but would probably have been more fruitful in the long run when dealing with the SW Line Up.
I am also a bit miffed that the fan sites, which have been faithfully reporting on Hasbro for years, have to wait a day to get the official announcement from Hasbro and that usatoday got this a day before the rest of us. I think we should have all got this news at the same time. Not a good way to repay loyalty if you ask me. To be honest it has me thinking of just giving up on Hasbro alltogether. Oh well, I will think on that for a bit.
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Very good point Tamer but i also think that Hasbro is a bit panic stricken with the Disney merge . So i think that Hasbro is in a rush to get whatever they had planned out to collectors before Disney starts to tell them what to do or for that matter looks to buy out Hasbro. If i remember didnt Disney put in a bid or talk about that??? can anyone help me with that ... I don't think that Hasbro will totally abandon the 3inch line all together it just wont be tvc . After all they did say they were gonna give us the final four figures that were made back in the day that were'nt made yet , But again coming from Hasbro that means a whole lot of nothing . I am just as mad as every collector is over the treatment of us loyal star wars fans who have (imo) kept Hasbro in business . But i am a completest so i plan on riding out this wave till the end i am curious to hear what you all think
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Maybe i'll buy a few (Jawas perhaps) but I wouldn't even think about a Dio on these. ::)
I've been narrowing my targeted areas to purchase anyway. I look for HP and POTC as much as SW on E-bay.
Didn't have interest in LOTR 6" back in the day but Bought 2 LOTR 4" figures at WM before Christmas and now they have disappeared :'(
Hit and run. That sucked. >:(
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I think essentially the only change the vintage line will see is a packaging change to "BLACK" and a early summer price increase. Let it be known that marketing geniuses at Hasbro are going to try a "black" label approach to boost sales as would a refined whiskey or fancy aged cheeses.
What is needed is (as it has been mentioned above) accessibility to the figures we want. I always hear Hasbro answer the question about the endless Obi-Wans and Lukes to the effect of "those are the popular one's, the main characters everyone wants." I just can't believe that when in every store those are the very figures clogging up the re-order process.
Price. Tamer I know you said above we'd pay a little more for a better figure but I won't. To me they don't give enough for what they charge now. I buy my daughters $10 Barbies all the time that are three time the size of a Star Wars figure. They have articulation, some like the LaTeeDa dolls are very articulated and come with little shoes and cloth clothes and hair and stickers and purses and jewelry... $10 to $14 dollars. Hasbro could do better.
The Droid parts were great. That's why the Legacy line was the most popular. Great figures and Droid parts. I think if they tried harder to standardize the way their parts connect on the regular figures and made them a little easier to take apart it would open up a whole new era in action figures. Build a figure series wouldn't just be for droids, and kit bashing would become easier especially for the little ones who'll one day grow up and retain the hobby as we did.
How about a surprise accessory in the package. It doesn't necessarily have to pertain to the figure it comes with. They used to send a small box of weapons with one line but I think it would be more fun to get some armor and belts w/holsters, maybe some goggles and helmets. Just a thought.
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Good points from the both of you there too.
I tend to agree with DS' point about already paying more than we ought to for these figures.
It is probably gonna be an interesting Toy Fair.
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I won't be collecting any of these. I'm a die hard 3 3/4" adult collector. Not looking to change over to an all new line when I have so much invested in the smaller scale. I see this going bad for Hasbro. This will probably only see one wave and then clog the shelves where they are sold ...then later abandoned.
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clearance isle custom fodder! Lets hope poor Tamer will see some in the esb packaging before it dies. We had discussed in the podcast tonight and pondered over why, in the first wave, do we not see the iconic characters of Vader or a Stormie?
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One would have thought that for the very first wave, probably the one that will determine whether or not others will get made, that they didn't use more iconic characters, perhaps even the first twelve figures created like farmboy luke, leia, r2, vader, stormy, you get the idea.
And on that same note I also heard a new rumor that there is going to be an SDCC Exclusive 6 inch Figure. What a way to start this line by not being able to get one. Does anyone remember how hard it was to get the Carbon Freeze Set last year? What a way to start.
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sounds like they are going for the collector hype with this line. I wonder if tunghori will get his hands on these? Kind of harder to smuggle a 6 inch figure out of the factory in your pocket, I would think.
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I will not be collecting this line at all. If anyone wants to hear my rant just listen to CAFN episode 48.
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Im actually kind of excited to see this finally arriving! I always wondered when SW was going to get into 6 inch figure market and im excited to see the outcome. Also, I think I could have some fun giving it a shot at customizing some of these...
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Hasbro has completely mismanaged the 3 3/4" line
the only people they have to blame is themselves
Vintage was supposed to be a collector focused line and look what they did to it ,they strangled the Clone Wars line in an attempt to drive collectors off of the line as they want to make it a kids only line (as i said in the collecting podcast and as Paul Harrison sort of confirmed that the current Star Wars brand manager is not a fan of the Clone Wars )Hasbro have decided to chase the Kid dollars at the expense of collector dollars (a doomed to failure strategy) you will see the 3 3/4" lines become a very pale reflection of their former selves and this 6" line is to keep the collectors happy whilst they dumb down the other lines,i predict a reduction in the number of figures right across the board ,i suspect that there will be a big hoohah at toyfair about the 6" line and lots of very kids focused items ,they will go mad for fighter pods again,will not acknowledge that the MH line has been a disaster for 3 3/4" collecting .
the danger is that Hasbro has screwed things up so badly that they are gonna possibly alienate the only support they still have and the fact that they were going to delay things to coincide with the 3D releases which have now been postponed indefinatley (which i said i wouldnt be suprised if it happened as Ep1 was a very poor 3D movie)they are left swinging in the breeze, so i believe Toyfair will be a "Fudge" at best.
only time will tell if this line live up to the hype or gets canned before release.......watch this space.
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Looks like Jay could have joined our overall rant last night. Lets face it, myself included, will buy a few of these. Will it save or revitalize what Hasbro has done to the SW AF Line Up. No way. It is getting to the point where nothing Hasbro does anymore will surprise me.
I also think LE made one of the biggest points last nght when he said how can you make some of the best action figures we have ever seen in the vintage line, yet then fail to deliver them at retail. All of us would probably go past the point of no return if we knew how many were sitting in warehouses now.
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First of all, this scale lends itself for the manufacturer to add more detail and use different materials compared to the 1/18 scale figures. From what I've seen so far, I like the overall look of Luke and did I see the R2 somewhere online as well?
However, I have no interest in this line at all. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Hasbro stating this line is for the 30-40 years old dads of today, is just rubbish, in my opinion. Being one myself, I grew up with the Kenner figures, and like DarthDaddy, the 3 3/4" figures are all that interest me.
I don't really uderstand Hasbro's move to 6" either. Over time, many lines have transitioned from whatever scale to the immensely succesful 3 3/4" format. That scale is just perfect for combining playability with articuation, sculpt and collectibility. Imagine the space needed to army buid 6" Stormtroopers.... And of course the possibilities for creating additional vehicles, ships, playsets are abundant. Sure, true scale has been and will be an issue, but one has to compromise between playability and correct scale.
With a 6" line, we can only expect to see figures. I don't see an X-Wing coming for that Luke. Maybe a Speeder Bike or something like that, but that would be about it.
From a customizer's point of view I can see some advantages. Apart from the Marvel Legends figures, a lot of the other lines are pretty hard to come by, at least for me. Having a SW 6" line will add more diversity for the 6" scale customizers. That is, if Hasbro manages to actually get their distribution right....
The latest CAFN episode also addressed the lack of articulation and detail in 3 3/4" figures lately. Don't Force choke me on this, but I actually can see where Hasbro is coming from, regarding the downsizing of p.o.a.. Back when I was a kid, I played a lot with my figures. A lot. This often resulted in joints becoming loose eventually. If you play the heck out of your 16 p.o.a. figure, you'll eventually get a lot of loose joints, to a point where playing with it isn't fun anymore.
Then again, these days kids don't care about action figures anymore, which makes Hasbro's reasoning redundant.... As a customizer, I guess I should follow Sithfire's lead and heavily develop my sculpting skills, buy a Sith load of articuated base bodies and go from there.
On that Luke figure again, I find the lack of a holster and a decent '77 Mark Hamill headsculpt most disturbing....
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I think Hasbro got turned on to the 6 inch scale by Marvel Legends (when they took over for Toybiz and jacked the price to double taking out the comic as well). Some say TB went bankrupt but the truth of the matter was that Marvel was in bankruptsy and needed quick revenue, Hasbro was willing to pay for the license up front and they got it, Toybiz never failed, Marvel just moved there toys out of house.
Knowing that, we can blame Marvel for our woes with this 6 inch line, although since the beginning of ML I have heard people express a desire for a 6-inch SW line.
HOWEVER, I think Hasbro missed the boat here. They say they are aiming this at us adults, fine, however looking around the message boards those of us in that catagory are getting out of the "Slap brand name on it and we'll buy it" mentality. Completeists only exist in the vitage areas (My speculation is you can clearly define your goals and wants verses the rat race collecting has become over the past decade resulting in disappointment and overspending). Add in the fact that Hasbro had made repeating characters to the point of nausium (Vader, r2, Luke, for GI Joe its Snake Eyes, storm shadow and Duke, for Marvel its Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Wolverine< for Transformers its Prime, Megatron, and Bumblebee). Many collectors are seriously saying "Why do I need 50+ versions of 'X' character?" and as a result have become more selective. Everywhere I look even people who years ago cheered for the idea of a 6-inch line are changing their tunes to "I'll just get some favorites" which I think is very, very telling.
Also, everywhere I look everyone is downsizing the collections, The good part is you can get some HTF stuff at reasonable rates (I saw a Darth Reven go for $5 in an action one day, granted he had no accessories but it's still Reven). Focus (or should I say "foci") is shifting and Hasbro refuses to look at the market and change with the times. Instead they step backwards looking at ideas that SHOULD have been done 5 years ago. Not noticing they are losing support by an outdated line of thinking (ie only kids collect 3 & 3/4 inch figures, one look at the many message boards shows this to not be the case).
Hasbro has been screwing up year after year. I kind of am laughing at the appologists who kept insisting they knew what they were doing, especially when statements we fans knew to be false ended up coming to light (ie, Clone Wars sold better, then last year CW has been struggling all that time).
Hasbro needs to address their real issues (distribution, case pack outs, character selection) and get off the BS "Yes man" wagon that perpetuates the problems in collecting or they stand to alienate the last bastions of support they have. Should THAT happen I doubt they will recover at all.
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I do agree with everything you just said and, we will be wAtching.....
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Just read on scum that a black line boba fett is to be a SDCC exclusive.
I understand that various colors will be available so it could be an animated version or possibly a prototype or McQ deco version.
http://www.rebelscum.com/story/front/The_411_Hasbros_SDCC_2013_Exclusives_150139.asp (http://www.rebelscum.com/story/front/The_411_Hasbros_SDCC_2013_Exclusives_150139.asp)
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I read that somewhere too. Why in the world wouldn't they make it the TESB or ROTJ version for starters?
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I read that somewhere too. Why in the world wouldn't they make it the TESB or ROTJ version for starters?
probably so the rest of us wouldnt be mad that fett was an exclusive only. My guess is that they will give us the normal version and use an alternate as the exclusive.
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It would be moronic to have Fett an exclusive only, then again this is Hasbro.
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Another wise choice by Hasbro. Having such a minor character like Fett as an exclusive is much better than mass producing him and throw him on the market so everyone can have a shot at him. Phew, glad they finally woke up and smelled the coffee! Geez.....
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Dear Hasbro, why are you trying to drive your company and the action figure industry off a cliff?
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Well it looks to me like, outside of the Black series, that they are going back to 5 poa on all SW Figures.
I have to admit the six inch figures looked flawless at Toy Fair.