October 2010 - Every couple of weeks, Hasbro will answer two questions per web site about their Star Wars products. Here are the questions and answers for the latest round:
1) The "figure as game piece" concept has been around for awhile (Star Wars: Escape the Death Star, Shadowrun Duels, Marvel Superhero Showdown) and while the figures are cool, frankly, none of the games have been that great. What can you tell us about the pack-in Galactic Battle Game to get us jaded gamers/figure collectors to give it a try?
Answer: The idea is to give kids another way to play with their figures, adding an element of social play to complement the more solitary figure play. The goal was not necessarily to have The Galactic Battle Game be complex with a lot of levels of play or set-up time, but to make a game with the figure (via the base) as the center of the game. It's not very complex, but lots of fun for the kids we've tested it with. As such, it's not something we would recommend for fans to get into, unless it's to play with their kids!
2) Ziro the Hutt has been long-rumored to be released as a figure since the Clone Wars movie came out in 2008. In previous Q&A's, it's been said that Hasbro was trying to find a retailer to take Ziro as an exclusive, and later on said that Ziro could potentially end up as a mailaway promotion. With Ziro returning in Season 3 of Clone Wars, desire for this character is high, as he is probably the most important Clone Wars character not to be immortalized in plastic. Can you share any news with us on the status of this pivotal character?
Answer: Plans to have Ziro as a mail-in fizzled when we prioritized the Galactic Battle Game mail-in promotion. We did not slot him back into the lineup, and he remains in limbo. He is not a figure that kids have shown a lot of affinity toward, and we don't think collector enthusiasm alone is enough to get the job done for Ziro.
