[TheBlueMarvel]

@Tim

Hey, dawg! Whuts gud, buddy! Edit: About your question, I thought Symbi's use of Shatterstar's legs was the best choice...See everybody?? I don't hate kitbashing...now let me continue my rant against kitbashing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by webz

I definitely see the potential issue here. It's like the Target exclusive MJ/Spider-Man pack. I see MJ being modded into all sorts of female characters. I've yet to see a set in the wilds. She's turned out to be a popular set, but Hasbro doesn't attempt to meet demand, so there's an unnatural scarcity. Kraven/Spidey is sitting in clearance aisles by the boxes, but MJ is scooped up before they even take them out of warehouse.

I'm all for store exclusives, but IMHO they shouldn't be "central" characters. Moonstar doesn't bother me, because I don't care for her or the New Mutants. I've seen others, such as Agent Venom, etc, who were really a headache to find.

That's definitely a nuanced spin on where I was going and I agree that this sort gimmick does have multiple unforeseen consequences.

What happens if these kitbash ready figs sell better than other standard wares? I could easily see a scenario in which 1/3rd of waves became kitbashing fodder by the simple virtue of it being a lucrative cost saving measure. Any company would be stupid not to pounce on that and what is startling to me, based merely on the last few pages, is that many collectors are already there psychologically. "Hey Hasbro, I'll pay you money for parts of figures that look sort of like the ancillary characters I want that you don't have time to make...don't worry, I'll save you the trouble and cost of new tooling and manufacturing and pay you full price to do the work myself." Anyone that thinks that corporate strategies aren't deliberately designed to condition consumers in ways that work toward their benefit is naive about certain elements of business. Signaling to Hasbro that this is a winning model opens up the possibility for abuse, hence my cynical comment about "getting what we deserve." Thank you, sir, may I have another...

There are many branching paths off this road. Do I want a deluxe $50 kitbash friendly set featuring two mismatched physiques (not matching in the sense that they're a departure from what we are familiar with in the books) a la Hasbro's old Wolverine/Forge 2pack? Well, to be fair, I did buy it when it came out (2008ish?), so I'm not necessarily opposed. However, I'd much rather set slots be used for unique figs such as the Mad Thinker and his Awesome Android, Clea and comic Baron Mordo, or a Nightmare and D'Spayre set.

Again, in an effort to temper this, it's a good thing that this approach only works with certain teams and characters and there's a built in limit. However, the slippery slope this all represents is very clear to me.