[Snowflakian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToyAddict

I've read it somewhere before that manufacturers use different parts to differentiate one line from another. So with Iron Man, who gets done over and over again between movie lines and Marvel Universe, they'll use different combos of articulation (or lack of) to be able to tell one from one line or the other. "This one has full articulation, so this is the one from Marvel Universe" or "this one doesn't have a knee bend, so this was from the movie line."

Bonus for them that lack of articulation also saves them money. I think saving money AND product differentiation is what they're doing.

Movie Thor is more easily distinguishable from comic Thor than Iron Man (for the masses I mean. . .I know everyone here probably knows the difference easily).

Pretty much.

How else are they going to make you buy the same character 2-10 times?
Release one for the hype... People bite.
Release a better one, people bite again.
Release better than that, people bite again.
People are filled up...
Start over with much lower. People feel satiated.
Much later after that, shock them with much higher yet again. People buy in droves from skipping the previous meal.


You can see the same with Avengers.
Most of the costumes won't be changing for the next movie except for Ironman and whoever else is new. So the only way to keep making money on them is to start off with lower articulation. Then reuse for a sideline to get more costs back. Keep repeating until next avengers movie, then up the articulation again so people buy again for all new versions of the character they bought a few years ago.

So really, it works in Hasbro's favor to always enhance articulation, but it also works in their favor to feed out some low artic figures too.

It's a matter of balance. How much product needed to move, and how much time needs to pass before audiences are ready to rebuy what they just bought. (Exclusions to this rule are Transformers and GI Joe. Engineering for TFs makes the repeat point moot, and for Joes, the accessories and troop building are the bigger appeal. GI Joe it's promoted to intentionally buy multiples.)