The Saga edition won't necessarily require miniatures for play, but rather give you more examples of how to use miniatures. Like D&D 3.5, it'll probably have diagrams and pictures illustrating things like Cover and Line of Sight, that sort of thing.
And as for miniatures... I recall in the early days of the Living Force campaign, people were using LEGO(r) figures to represent stormtroopers, characters, critters... You really can use anything you like, since part of the purpose of a miniature is as a placeholder to determine where your character is and what your character can see, shoot, and get shot by.
I know someone who got some Play-Doh(r) and baked up little disks with numbers impressed in them. She uses them to represent goons.
And as for miniatures... I recall in the early days of the Living Force campaign, people were using LEGO(r) figures to represent stormtroopers, characters, critters... You really can use anything you like, since part of the purpose of a miniature is as a placeholder to determine where your character is and what your character can see, shoot, and get shot by.
I know someone who got some Play-Doh(r) and baked up little disks with numbers impressed in them. She uses them to represent goons.