Although SWCT has been working with actor autographs since the first Lando Calrissian card during the lead up to Episode VII, its getting a big more focused on two specific actors now that Boyega and Ridley have signed deals that allow their likeness to be used. There are reasons why this is pretty awesome, and also reasons to pull back on the throttle, and I wanted to detail both sides.

Why the New Signatures are Awesome

I have already stated that for the most part, the new signature relic cards are pretty great looking. They have a high end looking design and offer some top cards in the signature area. They dont really compare in cool factor to the new splatter sigs, which are literally the best I have seen in the app – period. They use a card design that is already incredible looking in its own right and add the autograph in a way that adds to the look. Im really quite impressed.

Considering that the team already scored with the movie vision signatures, and the way those look, I think that overall Im a big proponent of the way the sig designs have played out. Sigs are the main factor for Huddle and Bunt too, and its only natural they do an intense focus now that they have some sweet material to play with.

What Doesnt Work

First off, we are getting nothing but Boyega and Ridley, which are good in spurts, but not as an entire focus for the app. There are other actors they have licensing rights to that I would love to see some movie vision and signature relics for. Ray Park, for example.

I also think that per usual, variants are out of control. I would love to see them use different stills for the different signature colors, or at least different material for the relics as the variants get rarer, but I dont see any of that.

Lastly, I dont like open edition anything. Im fine with it showing me how many are in circulation – even if that is above 10k. Low card counts are nice, but you dont need to completely hide the count on a white background. Its not worth the effort to me.

Suggestions for the Future

First off, I think its clear that as more actors sign physical autograph deals, more digital signature subjects will come. If that is the case, I hope the way the actors fall together will be reflected in a positive manner.

I would really like to see more focus on sets and less focus on variants, first off. Because the actors arent REALLY signing the cards, its shouldnt be a huge deal to pump up the number of looks that any given design is given. If open edition is the future, than run off a big set so that people will chase them.

Also, its time to move away from the original signature design 100%. Start fresh and do a weekly release similar to the other apps. Instead of a box or a bundle, release coin packs with a weekly chase that is similar to a marathon. Hell, make it a marathon if necessary.

I think it would also be cool to pack out pieces of a card in packs and have people shred the pieces for the finished product. Puzzle cards were supposed to come a long time ago, and I never saw them actually used.

Live signatures are probably coming too, and I support that 100%. Would be awesome to see the tickets for personalized cards be part of the deal, but at least some cool signatures that are inscribed with nice stuff.

Overall, I think that the content for autographs in the app is still something I welcome 100%. I like the relics and signatures, but I want to see them more readily available and with more of a long term structure and plan. It just has to be done with more purpose, and I feel it can be a popular element to the app.