Quote:
Originally Posted by CAF
Do you think we will ever see Masterpiece combiners?
What about Triple Changers?
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Triple changers? Most likely.
Combiners? Possible. Likely? In my opinion, probably not.
Even within the collector market that MP's are intended for, there are going to be sub-segments for buyers that make the target for an MP-scale combiner even smaller, and therefore the economic viability becomes even smaller.
Using what we've seen as the basis for existing MP figures so far, let's assume that an MP-scale Defensor would consist of 4 bots the size of a current MP Autobot car, and one bot the size of an MP Decepticon jet or perhaps Soundwave.
My VERY low-balled estimated costs are:
4x MP car-size bots = $80 x 4 = $320
1x MP jet-sized bot = $150 x 1 = $150
Total = $470 before taxes/shipping.
That's a spicy meatball, even for collectors.
And if we take it even further and say that an MP Superion would use 4 jet-sized limbs and one Magnus-sized torso, then the price goes even higher.
Then consider how many collectors jumped at Generations Devastator (well under $200) as a part of their MP shelves, and you can see how the price tolerance of bigger figures is a huge factor in determining their large-scale availability.
I just don't see Hasbro/Takara devoting what would essentially be an entire year (perhaps two years) of MP figure development time and launches for a combiner when they can continue to produce two or three individual bots in the MP line each year and appeal to a broader collector base and hit lower price points.
My two cents.