Hasbro Pulse - Fan First Friday on 8/21/2020So before I read all the 5,124 comments below today's livestream on Hasbro Pulse's Facebook page, I want to digest my own thoughts, first:
1)
HasLab: I hoped that Hasbro would reveal their next HasLab project today. Instead, they only said that they'll announce it in a few weeks in September. At least they told us right at the beginning. Bummer. Not the best way to start such an event. It's nothing personal, but I'm still not happy with the current crew for the brand team. They're quite superficial and sort of artificial, too. Who knows to which extend this has to do with Disney and their strict guideline for licensees.
2)
TVC: Glad they began with The Vintage Collection this time. The Galaxy's Edge Falcon was still hyped, no word on the whopping $399.99 plus exclusivity.
The Tantive IV playset made my heart skip a beat. It's plain awesome! It's surprising that one of the biggest toy companies in the world needed 24 years to make this a playset when other small, private companies made this as soon as they could and offered their 3D printed sets 10 years ago already. But I'm not complaining. No price was mentioned for the set, but it's a tribute to the 5th Anniversary of Rogue One. Well, if you miss to bring stuff out when the movie hits theaters, then you can still wrap it in paper and give it as anniversary present years later. Funny. At least we get Chirrut, K-2SO and hopefully all the other main characters with VC number in the next couple years...
The pack-in figure for the playset is a Rebel Fleet Trooper with new head sculpt on RO card. What a welcome repack! I still hope they'll include an alternate head to swap and create two different Rebel soldiers. But if they did, they would've probably mentioned it. It would make sense since this playset is also modular. So they are aware that people will not buy two, but multiples of them! So glad they decided to make this one. I'm curious to see the packaging.
Comments in discussions on YakFace said that it was likely to be the Tantive IV hallway or the Cantina because both appeared in Rogue One and The Mandalorian - Disney's own properties. And since this playset is based on Rogue One (at least it's labeled that way), it appears to be another evidence that their suggestion is true: Disney does prefer their licensees to produce their own properties - not the ones of George Lucas.
When they talked for ever about the other "very important" character of this particular scene, my heart exploded in excitement! Is it FINALLY ANH Princess Leia, fully updated, all new sculpt with photo-real tech? They mentioned photo-real along with the Fleet Trooper. But NO! It's Vader from Rogue One! Another VADER!! Don't get me wrong: Figure and card look amazing and Vader is always a welcome addition to the line-up, but come on: People are dying for a new Princess Leia!
Anyhew, I'm thrilled for this new playset! Do you remember all the dioramas Hasbro created on SDCC 2017? The Tantive IV hallway was among them. I'll take a look back to see what else they had there...maybe a little tease and further hints there of what's to come next?
The Hondo Onaka looks just brilliant! It was nice to hear how much thought they still put into a single design. His coat seems to be made of PVC, which gives it a nice flexibility. They also introduced that distinct shade of yellow for all further characters based on Galaxy's Edge. I really dig it!
3)
TBS: The Black Series was rather on the short side today. And I do hope 6 inch collectors felt today what 3 3/4 inch collectors have been feeling the last 7 years. The Imperial Purge Trooper for the Gaming Greats was such a needed choice! Just a repaint with (new) accessory, but still a welcome additio to your collection of Jedi: Fallen Order! I so hope they'll also re-release the first one with red deco.
The Phase I Clone Lieutenant as a Walgreens exclusive was just another lazy repaint here. It's come so far that hot army-builders are sold as exclusives by now. Artificial limitation is the key-word here...so not necessary.
Still, there's so much to be officially announced by Hasbro and if I was a 6 inch collector, I'd put my bucks aside for all the good stuff to come...
4)
3.75" announcement: The return of 5POA! For limited time. They gotta be kiddin', right? They told me on Comic Con Germany last December that they decided to abandon 5POA and they even admitted they didn't perform well. HA! To keep it short: They're back. And sold in Multipacks of 5. Interesting.
I think I like the packaging design more that the actual content! If I see the boxes empty somewhere in a dumpster, I'll get them out just to put some super-articulated figures inside. The choices of characters they include strongly remind me of all the single-carded figures that did NOT sell and were either destroyed after they didn't even sell at discount stores or went offshore...
I mean seeing multipacks return is thrilling! Do they try to make them more interesting when they only offer them for a "limited time"?! No word on prices again, but children need to save their pocket money for some time, if they really are their target audience for these packs...I mean come on! They say at the beginning that children want more play features and they come up with the idea of bringing back 5 POA figures? To me thats just a lazy excuse. It seems they took back some stock that didn't sell and now try to sell it again in different packaging. No words...if they only added more articulation like in 2005. What could've been...
Also some wird choices: Ahsoka's Astromech Droid to be the selling factor for 4 other Jedi (with photo real tech) that every kid already got? REALLY!!? Droid Factory seems to run well! If they think I'll buy all this junk for a single figure...I wonder how many people will walk into stores again, and "swap" the droid in the pack, when they actually steal it. tunghori here I come!
5)
Role-play toys: Darth Sidious Force FX Lightsaber - brilliant choice! Incredible detail and accuracy for Hasbro's standards. Good to see we get some villians' weapons, now. I just got the one from Count Dooku.
When they first showed the commercial for Darth Revan's lightsaber, I was sure they'd announce Revan's mask for the Black Series next, but NOPE! Dew it instead!
So that was 46 minutes of my lifetime and for the sake of the Tantive IV playset, I can say it was not wasted.
Some people do nothing, but complain and I wonder why they even join such a livestream. Some comments were actually deleted, which were not offensive in my eyes. The questions at the end were very good, although Hasbro would never give us a straight and honest answer.
What are your thoughts? Any guesses for the next HasLab?
Hasbro Pulse uploaded the full event on their Facebook page including the growing number of comments, which I'll try to read now...
Have a great weekend everyone & stay safe!
