Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Woo-hoo!



HASBRO LAUNCHES A NEW MILLENNIUM FALCON™ FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS

Iconic STAR WARS™ Starship Toy Undergoes Major Overhaul

Pawtucket, Rhode Island, July 1, 2008 -- Updating the fan-favorite MILLENNIUM FALCON for the first time since its introduction in 1979, Hasbro is launching the largest MILLENNIUM FALCON toy to ever travel the galaxy. The new STAR WARS LEGACY COLLECTION MILLENNIUM FALCON includes electronic lights and sounds, and is approximately 30% percent larger than the original version of the toy.

Over the last 30 years, ever since it was introduced on the screen in 1977 and to toy enthusiasts two years later, Han Solo’s signature starship, the MILLENNIUM FALCON, has become one of the most recognizable “characters” in movie history and one of Hasbro’s most popular STAR WARS toys. Last year, the toy’s steel production mold – which was used to create hundreds of thousands of MILLENNIUM FALCON toys – suffered a crack that rendered the tool damaged beyond repair.

When creating a new mold, Hasbro used the opportunity to improve its toy’s play value by increasing the ship’s size (which now accommodates 18 action figures, sold separately) and adding authentic lights and sounds, making this the most exciting Corellian freighter in the galaxy.

“We’ve always wanted to make a bigger MILLENNIUM FALCON. When we literally “broke the mold” we seized the opportunity to fulfill ours wishes as well as the fans. Legions of young STAR WARS fans have grown up playing with the original MILLENNIUM FALCON toy,” said Derryl D. DePriest, director of marketing for STAR WARS at Hasbro. “In designing the new MILLENNIUM FALCON for a new generation of fans, Hasbro’s design team succeeded in adding new features that will both excite kids and thrill our devoted collectors.”

The new STAR WARS LEGACY COLLECTION MILLENNIUM FALCON will soar onto retail shelves on July 26 with an appropriate retail price of $149.99. Fans attending San Diego Comic-Con (7/23-7/28) will have a chance to see it first hand a few days before the toy arrives in stores.

SIZING THEM UP...

Features on The All-New Star Wars Legacy Collection Millennium Falcon versus The Original Star Wars Millennium Falcon

     New                   Old

Approximate Size (LxWxH):    
       
32”x23”x8”       23"x17"x6"
Includes 3.75-inch Han Solo & Chewbacca action figures: 
      Yes                     No
3.75-inch action figure capacity: 
       18                       8
Light-up headlights:
      Yes                     No
Light-up engines: 
      Yes                     No
Authentic movie sound effects: engine boost, cruise mode,
   fly-by, firing cannons, etc.
      Yes                     No
Authentic movie phrases: 
      Yes                     No
Light-up cockpit: 
      Yes                     No
Medical bay:
      Yes                     No
Auto-opening boarding ramp w/ sounds:
      Yes                     No
Secret smuggling compartments:
      Yes                    Yes
Pivoting gunner station:
      Yes                    Yes
Rotating radar dish:
      Yes                    Yes
Light-up, "holographic" Dejarik game table:
      Yes                      No
Electronic, rotating laser turret w/ sounds:
      Yes                      No
Electronic, 3-missile launcher w/ sounds:
      Yes                      No
Electronic docking bay:
      Yes                      No
Electronic Jedi training probe w/ sounds:
      Yes                      No

2 comments:

Octopunk said...

Okay, I have to admit that I didn't read this entire article until tonight, and now that I have, HOLY SHIT, what a cool toy! I hope I redeemed myself by going in and reformatting the article so the new/old comparisons could be more easily read. Here are my favorite parts:

The old mold literally broke!
The new toy is waaay bigger!
Light up engines!
They slimmed down the edge of the saucer. To my mind, one of the most egregious inaccuracies of the first toy was that from the edge it looked like a fat, juicy cheeseburger.

JPX, dude! You gotta set aside some time and bust that beauty out of the box!

If I went for large scale action fig vehicles myself these days, I probably would've got one. Wow.

JPX said...

Thanks for cleaning up this post, dude, it reads a whole lot better. You should totally pick this thing up, it's a beauty!