Yeah this still makes no sense to me, like if you know a product line is going to be super popular... make more of it????Quote:
Originally Posted by nalops
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Yeah this still makes no sense to me, like if you know a product line is going to be super popular... make more of it????Quote:
Originally Posted by nalops
Could be very wrong but I imagine the normal WFC line, the SS line and the Netflix line are all manufactured in the same place which already stretches things. Add in the pandemic and they're suddenly not able to make as much as they would've liked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimi194
In saying that, Hasbro easily could've avoided stock shortages if they'd made the toyline a Netflix Collab from the beginning instead of trying to make customers double or triple buy the same figures.
Does anyone have any ideas who the wave 2 mystery spoiler unboxing is?
* It can?t be Ultra Magnus as he was Wave 1.
* It can?t be Optimus Prime as he is Wave 2 Voyager.
The only other figure that hasn?t been repainted in the Netflix line is Shockwave, but ugh, they?ve already done RadioShackwave already in Generations Selects.
It would be unlikely to be a brand new mould, unless they repaint something from an earlier series?
Kinda surprised we didn?t see Windblade repainted for Siege Netflix too, unless they specifically decided not to include her in the animation. Maybe we?ll get a better clue when the animation releases on Netflix.
The whole 'Giza' hidden code on the packaging immediately suggests a certain black and teal Transformer with many suggesting a retooling of Galaxy Upgrade OP which is already a retool of Ultra Magnus.Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
The thing that throws me off is the number of steps (34) since only ER Prime has that number. Then again, GU OP has 44 and it mentions 9 armour pieces so could be????
Unfortunately, Hasbro is definitely not shy in reusing a mould either. Multiple moulds have 3 or more variations. Siege Megatron alone has 4 just repaints (Regular, Gen Selects, 35th and Netflix), 5 with Earthrise. Siege Optimus has 3 repaints (Regular, 35th and Nemesis) with ER having a further 2 plus a minor retool (Regular, Alternate Uni and Netflix).
Edit: Totally forgot about Siege Seeker mould: 7 different characters!!!
Seen a lot to indicate it's Nemesis Prime?Quote:
Originally Posted by reillyd
The reason is simple - the factories are constantly running, with a production schedule set up months in advance, which means they can't increase a production run by too much more than the quantity that is scheduled, as it would delay products scheduled to follow it... while a second production run might need to wait 2-3 months for the next available timeslot (if Hasbro felt that there is enough demand for a second run and retailers are willing to wait that long, as other stock would arrive before it anyway).Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimi194
So, if a toyline is more popular than American retailers expected and want to significantly increase their orders too close to the next wave's release, the factories might have already finished production of that wave, or can't produce too much more to cover it, so the stock allocated to other countries gets redirected to America. Hasbro is an American company, and are not going to sacrifice their American business & profit (and retailer reputation) to make sure other countries get stock.
This is sometimes why we miss waves or exclusives here (most of the time it is because there is not enough demand here for extra products that aren't in the retail lines), but this year it looks like Hasbro America reduced all of their production numbers due to the global downturn in retail sales from the recession, but some rare items like the Netflix toys, ended up exceeding their new lower estimates.
Story time... :p
Several times at BotCon, the organisers noted a number of times that they wanted to increase the number of exclusives (2011 had boxsets sell out in 6 days of pre-registrations opening up), but were often unable to, because 2-4 months before the event was too late to increase to increase production and too late to squeeze in a second production run to make up the extra numbers. Most years they would comment that their tight schedule with convention and club exclusives would often have the toys arrive just a week or two before the convention (time to be produced and shipped).
Back when Armada came to Australia in 2002, the first wave of the toyline was released in America in July, but came out in Australia in December.... and I was told by Hasbro Australia at the time, that this was due to the higher than expected demand for the toyline by American retailers, absorbed all of the stock, and we (and other countries) had to wait until a second production run was done 5 months after the first production run.
(according to Aaron Archer (I think, without looking it up) at BotCon one year, the Armada toyline was in such increased demand by American retailers to the previous year's toyline (RID), that we saw the back end padded out with a lot of redecos that weren't in the cartoon, including those Beast Wars moulds we saw)
First they screw us when it comes to releasing Siege Impactor. Now they screw us when it's Netflix Impactor!:mad:
Speaking of Armada BW toys, Armada Rhinox is possibly the first toy I ever bought with my own pocket money at Big W Underwood. Was released 2003 according to TFWiki but most likely 2004 meaning I was 11/12?
Quote:
Originally Posted by nalops
Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options in the Leader class under WFC for us to get something interesting... and these packs are noted as having a Leader Class inside the box.
From WFC we have the following Leaders so far....
Ultra Magnus - not likely, as it was already used in the wave 1 box
Shockwave - I hope not, as we already had a grey redeco last year as a Selects toy, and unless he is a major character in the cartoon, I don't see a 3rd version in this mould.
Galaxy Upgrade Optimus - not likely, as it would mean havinng two "Optimus" toys in the one wave of 8 toys... even if it is an evil version (an easy plot device for the cartoon)
Astrotrain - it's possible, as it hasn't been re-used yet, other than a re-release in Earthrise packaging... provided it is a character in the cartoon.
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Earthrise Optimus - not likely, as the cab is in one of the voyager packs in the same wave.
Doubledealer - it's possible, but unless it is a weathering redeco like Ultra Magnus had, could this toy be redone as another character.
The clue of "Giza" (a partner figure to that POTP Nemesis Prime toy) could be a red herring, as I would be surprised if they have a clue being that obvious on the outside of the box.
If they did him in a G1 cartoon accurate shade of purple then I'd buy him. Since wave 2 toys look much cleaner and more like the G1 cartoon I could see it happening.Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin