Starwars.com had an interview with Sam Smith, Hasbro Star Wars design manager, among other Hasbro creative leads. In it the veil is finally lifted on what the HyperReal line truly is and why on God’s green Earth, it had to be a different scale than 6″.
HyperReal Darth is available for order currently at these retailers:
It turns out that one of the major goals for HyperReal Darth was to eliminate action figure joints that lift the photograph viewer out of the experience that toy photography provides and makes the viewer remember that they are looking at a toy.
“[Joints] made it a direct correlation with it being a toy versus being something real,” … “We strived to remove that piece, to start to blur the lines between reality.”
Apparently, in order to do so to the standard Hasbro was aiming for, a larger scale was necessary:
“An eight-inch scale was required to do that well,” says Patrick Schneider, senior brand manager of Star Wars.
In order to produce a seamless points of articulation, a full steel internal structure was necessary and Hasbro took their inspiration from Hollywood moviemaking techniques past:
If you’re a fan of Star Wars, or even classic Hollywood action-adventure films, you’ll be pleased to know that HyperReal Darth Vader’s technological origins stem from an old special-effects technique. “Stop-motion maquettes were definitely part of what spawned the internal structure,” Smith says. “We wanted something was going to not only be poseable, but would also hold that pose. So internally, you’ll find a full, steel-structured, articulated maquette.”
Apparently, this line is intended to continue with other characters as well. It wouldn’t have been too bad if Vader lived in isolation as an 8″ figure. I’d just have him pummel my 8″ Mego Gorns. Schneider teased a HyperReal Bespin Luke, though:
Hasbro wanted to make sure that the steel structure inside the figure would work, and not just for Vader, but other characters down the road.
‘Bespin Darth Vader needs someone to spar with,’” Schneider teases. “Our vision is that these figures won’t live in isolation.”
More later. DrunkWooky out.
