1/6 Star wars 1/6 SDCC 2019 Speculation

[Knightstalker]

I like this Star Wars lull. I wish it was permanent.

The way Disney is handling the franchise, you may just get that wish.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I think the Mandalorian will be the "new Star Wars" thing.

 

[Knightstalker]

I think the Mandalorian will be the "new Star Wars" thing.

Man, I hope so. Everything that I’ve seen of The Mandalorian points towards the future of the franchise being on TV.

 

[DCFett]

Not “whining” just pointing out that these items we’ve wanted may simply not get made. SDCC is a big US show for HT, maybe you’ve noticed all the fanfare???
SW is a bigger market in the US, so while it not the ONLY place HT can show new figures, it makes better business sense for the reveals to be done here in the US versus overseas, just kinda simple business sense. I mean honestly, they’re doing Venompool

 

[Asta]

I think the Mandalorian will be the "new Star Wars" thing.

The Mandalorian > MCU Phase Bore.

 

[TaliBane]

I’ve admittedly been waiting for Wicket, and pointedly with non-sculpted fur, probably since Chewie was first released, so to be honest SDCC was good for that reason, and because it resolidified Endor Leia is coming. But also because the signal that HT made with the character selection is that they will start to veer into the types of characters most said they wouldn’t — if they’re making Kit Fisto they’ll make Greedo, if they make Jawas they’ll make sand people, etc. I’m sure you’ll find at least a couple mentions that HT won’t be making Jawas in the Sideshow thread.

Of course pre-orders need to follow otherwise it is just what everyone predicted. But honestly the frustration over Bespin Han not being shown I don’t fully get. We know he’s coming at some point when he’s ready, but maybe the head sculpt is trash right now and it’s being reworked. Or it’s possible they’re waiting for Solo Han to either get released or sell through since some might just shift that money toward a superior version of the character. Given the fact that they’ve only held the license for 5 years and I have about 30-plus SW figures I’m not that desperate for them to keep dropping major must-buy figures all the time. It’s allowed me to get Rogue One figs I likely would have skipped if the OT kept humming along with heavy hitters like that first year.

But I get it that some people are waiting for Bespin Han as it’s a grail figure, or cause they have a Hoth Leia sitting idly (had it) or the Bespin Leia arriving soon with pretty much zero characters to display it with (me).

Bespin Luke is a let down. People have been saying over and over that he’d be re-released, and it’s great that they will be, but the re-used sculpt is a bit lazy and unfortunate. Maybe their crude business plan is to update it when they finally release the Snowspeeder outfit. I know we’re all waiting for them to do an update of the farmboy sculpt when they announce an x-wing pilot outfit. So if they just trot the Tom Cruise farmboy sculpt back out it will be a sad day.

I just think it's a bit weird to have a Leia Bespin about to ship with no sign at all of even a Han Bespin reveal, let alone a PO. It also feels like a figure that's been consistently rumored as being close for at least two years, so maybe that's where some of the frustration comes in too.

And frankly, Wicket is the last Ewok I would have liked them to have done. He already has an unreal toy-like look about the character design, and HT's figure idealizes him even more into a teddy bear look (the face, while an amazing achievement, kinda looks more animated Ewoks Wicket than ROTJ Wicket.)

He's also tiny, like not much bigger than Yoda. I would have loved to have seen a Teebo, Logray or Chirpa before Wicket, just because they look (well, a bit) more real and bit more badass (displayed next to say a Scout Trooper,) and bigger/taller, but I'll take a Wicket. At minimum a great pairing for Leia Endor.

I like this Star Wars lull. I wish it was permanent.

I juest want them to get to some key figures before we transition to the era of $250 "regular" HT figs. Every SDCC that doesn't deliver those figures drags us closer to that day.

 

[slikkerias]

Plus, we got a Death Star gunner, which surely would not be as popular as the dst. Makes no sense. I would buy 3 at this point.

Maybe the gunner just didn’t sell? I kind of have a feeling that we overestimate the OT background character sales numbers.
I mean. We had the bounty hunters releasing from SSC with a limit of 2000. Most of them took a long time to sell out and might not even have reached the 2000 number - 4-LOM didn’t. I know that HT probably automatically sell more than SSC, but I’m not sure that a Death Star gunner sold more than Bossk.
Now imagine if you as a company can choose between a Death Star trooper that might sell a little more than the gunner or you can put a new Spider-Man or Ironman in the production line and sell many times that.
I honestly am afraid we need to be happy with the background characters we do get, though I really wish it wasn’t like that. All I want is background characters and aliens, but with SSC out of the game I’m afraid we won’t get many... [emoji26]

 

[TaliBane]

Maybe the gunner just didn’t sell? I kind of have a feeling that we overestimate the OT background character sales numbers.
I mean. We had the bounty hunters releasing from SSC with a limit of 2000. Most of them took a long time to sell out and might not even have reached the 2000 number - 4-LOM didn’t. I know that HT probably automatically sell more than SSC, but I’m not sure that a Death Star gunner sold more than Bossk.
Now imagine if you as a company can choose between a Death Star trooper that might sell a little more than the gunner or you can put a new Spider-Man or Ironman in the production line and sell many times that.
I honestly am afraid we need to be happy with the background characters we do get, though I really wish it wasn’t like that. All I want is background characters and aliens, but with SSC out of the game I’m afraid we won’t get many... [emoji26]

The gunner was kind of a strange choice if you're going for a big selling trooper. You'd think the DST would be more more iconic (always alongside Vader and Leia in the DS, seen a fair amount in ESB and especially in ROTJ) but maybe not.

The gunner did seem to sell out fairly fast - I thought about grabbing it but it had sold through, but I didn't hunt beyond the normal places..

 

[TonTon]

Human head sculpt might present an issue in the cost analysis for the DST. Have they ever released a random background army builder that had a human head for any of their recent licenses?

 

[CrankbaitJon]

Human head sculpt might present an issue in the cost analysis for the DST. Have they ever released a random background army builder that had a human head for any of their recent licenses?

I think this is something that they factor into their marketing decisions. At the detail level of Hot Toys 1/6, they will look identical and not a lot of people will army build with twins or an army of clone DSTs. Hot Toys is probably not viewing this as a trooper that will sell a lot of multiples to a single collector like other troopers.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Man, I hope so. Everything that I’ve seen of The Mandalorian points towards the future of the franchise being on TV.

Yeah, Star Wars now seems better suited for the GoT type epic series. The trilogy thing is so played out.

The Mandalorian > MCU Phase Bore.

If the Mandalorian is a hit, the unfortunately side effect will be the plethora of SW TV series that Disney will churn out -- cartoons, CGI-fests, live-action, musicals...

 

[Asta]

If the Mandalorian is a hit, the unfortunately side effect will be the plethora of SW TV series that Disney will churn out -- cartoons, CGI-fests, live-action, musicals...

There's already six too many films. Eight if you count the Ewok movies.

And that really bad cartoon, Resistance?

Don't want Star Wars to become like the MCU.

Less is more, if it means higher quality and better use of the characters. Rather than selling them out as George did with the PT. (Hmmm, wouldn't it be great if baby Vader built C-3PO...)

 

[Mike86]

I still kind of think it makes sense holding back some Original Trilogy characters. Those are always going to sell and it doesn't matter too much when Bespin Han or Lando go up. Plus really once those go up they won't have a lot of major reveals left.

For Sure:
Bespin Han
Bespin Lando
ROTJ Vader

Maybe:
Hoth Han
Hoth Luke
General Lando
Boussh Leia

I don't think I'm leaving out any major characters that haven't been done by Hot Toys except Jabba, which I'm not sure they'll do.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Oh, they'll do Jabba. Too much money on the table not to. And they'll do it the way everyone wants it to be done -- poseable eyes, real-feel skin, poseable tail, poseable jaw, poseable arms. It's not too much to ask.

Grievous and Jabba will be their "big" SW projects. The ones that drive sales of other characters to go with them.

 

[Mike86]

Forgot a couple that they need to do and probably will. Endor Han and a C3PO.

 

[CrankbaitJon]

I don't know about an articulated Jabba without exposed joints. The seamless bodies don't last and we you are paying close to art money, you expect the thing to last. ( I'm not interested in a Jabba tho, just a Dewback )

 

[Wor-Gar]

An HT 3PO would be nice to see in hand...

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

I have no idea what to expect from HT Star Wars anymore. My feeling is that they would view Jabba and throne as too large and complex to be worth their time. But I already own and like the Sideshow version so perhaps my view is skewed. Now that Sideshow appears out of the game my wish for Gamorrean Guards seems very unlikely to happen

 

[Mike86]

An HT 3PO would be nice to see in hand...

It would be for sure. Oddly the versions I want aren’t his classic looks though. I would take the traditional look but I’d like the unfinished version from TPM (although that might be nightmarish to make) and the broken version that Chewbacca carries in the backpack on Bespin.

 

[TaliBane]

I have no idea what to expect from HT Star Wars anymore. My feeling is that they would view Jabba and throne as too large and complex to be worth their time. But I already own and like the Sideshow version so perhaps my view is skewed. Now that Sideshow appears out of the game my wish for Gamorrean Guards seems very unlikely to happen

Has this been confirmed anywhere? It seems SO weird that SSC didn't show any 1/6 products at SDCC for the first time in over 10 years and no site reported on it or asked anyone.

I don't know about an articulated Jabba without exposed joints. The seamless bodies don't last and we you are paying close to art money, you expect the thing to last. ( I'm not interested in a Jabba tho, just a Dewback )

There's really no other way to do it other than the way SSC did - and that's sort of sad (I'm of the opinion SSC should have just done two different upper torsos, not the swapable eyes, mouths and arms.) Maybe a 1/6 version of that Hasbro VOTC Chewy with recessed joints and slightly soft plastic with super thin tolerances might work, but that would look weird on the tail, looking a bit "segmented" even with super thin joining.

Oh, they'll do Jabba. Too much money on the table not to. And they'll do it the way everyone wants it to be done -- poseable eyes, real-feel skin, poseable tail, poseable jaw, poseable arms. It's not too much to ask.

Grievous and Jabba will be their "big" SW projects. The ones that drive sales of other characters to go with them.

They even made an Oola for you too made of the same "real skin" stuff. Fortunately she was only $230, not the $750 you paid for your real skin Jabba.

Even if they do it with real skin, even if it looks stellar, that would be one of the biggest 1/6 gambles to buy. In two years, the first "cracks" pics show up (and there were stories of the HT Wonder Woman body cracking after only three MONTHS) then you sit there sweating, month by month.

If HT had finally nailed the soft rubber bodies and left behind the cracking thing, I would LOVE to see a rubber body Jabba. But this is still happening today, and with a $700-800 piece having the same stuff it would be so unbelievably scary to own.