[Joe Moore]

Hasbro Star Wars Panel Notes from Toy Fair 2015

Nothing shown for collectors at all. All kids bs.

[Joe Moore]

Looking around the web after this, the Star Wars fan sites are PISSED. The panel was a complete waste of time for those guys. No idea what's in the room yet, but man, they all had their live blogs set to be shown 3 kids things.

[Nightrain]

Yeah Hasbro can fuck off. Seriously. I hate to be one of "those" fanboys, but I'm ready to declare my limited money will go to Hot Toys and Lego unless Hasbro shows us something on the floor.

[Iceman]

It's weird they didn't at least show some of the annouced stuff that we've never seen a picture of. Heck, there are preorder items that we don't know what they look like.

[User897]

Hasbro has been in serious decline with Star Wars collectors for over 3 years now. It's painfully obvious that they care much more for their Marvel license, amongst others. You'd think that they would covet their relationship with Star Wars, but it seems that after Hasbro swallowed Kenner, the trouble was only beginning. It's a damn shame when a (obviously clueless - see COMMAND piling up at stores the world over) company loses touch with one of it's many cash cows. Hasbro is so hell-bent on trying to remind us that "toys are for kids" and they must make more "kid friendly" product. You know, the very same product that is rotting away on pegs and shelves now. How's that working for you, Hasbro? Your "focus groups" and proponents of "simplified" toys are probably spies for your competition! You are one of the biggest toy companies to ever exist, Hasbro. Time to start acting like it. We will support your Star Wars products as soon as they aren't insulting to even look at. By now, you might want to recognize that speaking with us can bring you better results than paying focus groups and others that have put it in your heads that alienating collectors was a good thing.

[Nightrain]

Star Wars will never be a children's property no matter how hard they try. That's like trying to make, say, Terminator a children's property. No. It will ALWAYS be an adult majority who buys the product regardless of what aisle it's in.

[Iceman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by User897

Hasbro has been in serious decline with Star Wars collectors for over 3 years now. It's painfully obvious that they care much more for their Marvel license, amongst others. You'd think that they would covet their relationship with Star Wars, but it seems that after Hasbro swallowed Kenner, the trouble was only beginning. It's a damn shame when a (obviously clueless - see COMMAND piling up at stores the world over) company loses touch with one of it's many cash cows. Hasbro is so hell-bent on trying to remind us that "toys are for kids" and they must make more "kid friendly" product. You know, the very same product that is rotting away on pegs and shelves now. How's that working for you, Hasbro? Your "focus groups" and proponents of "simplified" toys are probably spies for your competition! You are one of the biggest toy companies to ever exist, Hasbro. Time to start acting like it. We will support your Star Wars products as soon as they aren't insulting to even look at. By now, you might want to recognize that speaking with us can bring you better results than paying focus groups and others that have put it in your heads that alienating collectors was a good thing.

I think maybe it's just the natural ebb and flow instead of Hasbro trying to neglect the lines. Once they announced new movies it would have been clear that Episode VII would be the time to hit the market again and until then they are just on auto-pilot and trying new things.

Also, I thought I read that Hasbro made gains this past year while Mattel lost ground? Maybe I'm remembering that wrong.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightrain

Star Wars will never be a children's property no matter how hard they try. That's like trying to make, say, Terminator a children's property. No. It will ALWAYS be an adult majority who buys the product regardless of what aisle it's in.

What!?! I'm sure their sales figures and brand research would have something to say about that. You would be right to that about many of the overpriced Star Wars releases in recent years though. Kids aren't paying $200 for a Falcon but kids have always loved Star Wars. Rebels and the Clone Wars TV show clearly indicate that Star Wars is a property made to be consumed by kids as well as adults. Terminator isn't in the same ballpark in terms of content. When was the last R-rated Star Wars?


The issue isn't that kids aren't into it. The issue is that kids have 20 TV channels just them, plus youtube, multiple gaming platforms etc. Just like a major hit TV show today doesn't even come close to Seinfeld ratings from the 90's. We aren't so limited in our choices and that means everything is "less popular". Nature of progress.

[Nightrain]

Hasbro sales figures isn't the end-all be-all of Star Wars.

[CrockAlley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by User897

You'd think that they would covet their relationship with Star Wars, but it seems that after Hasbro swallowed Kenner, the trouble was only beginning.

That was 20 years ago. Hasbro has done some amazing things with Star Wars. Not lately, but I wouldn't go around saying that the "trouble began" when Hasbro bought Kenner.