Quote Originally Posted by kup View Post
I honestly dont think it's just mold degradation. To me it's the use of cheaper materials.
Quote Originally Posted by heroic_decepticon View Post
I think so too.

These industrial grade metal molds are made to cast thousands if not millions of pieces, not easy to degrade. It's the plastic that they inject into these molds that make a difference.

molds affects --> joints, how parts fit together, etc
materials --> colours, density, strength of plastic, etc.

That's my view anyhows
Yeah, you guys are probably right.

Quote Originally Posted by kup View Post
Hasbro is on the record saying that they will not do proper gestalt combiners because 'it's too hard.'
D'oh!

Come to think of it, other than Mini-Con gestalts and Combiner Class Devastator, I don't think Hasbro's engineered any gestalts since 1997 (Magnaboss & Tripredacus). Most other gestalts since then have been from already existing moulds, e.g.
+ Rail Racer --> redecoed JRX
+ Ruination --> redecoed Vuldigus (who himself was a redecoed Bruticus anyway)
+ Universe Micromaster gestalts --> repackaged G1 Micromaster reissues
+ Energon gestalts --> redecoed Super Link gestalts
+ ROTF Legends Devastator --> repackaged EZ Collection Devastator

Then again, Takara said that they wouldn't do a reissue G1 Devastator either for similar reasons, but they've done a 180 on that (although it's taken them over 11 years ); I sure hope that we don't have to wait till 2022 until we see a Classicsesque gestalt.