Precisely-- if $8 is "too much" it's pretty unlikely that whatever any direct-to-consumer company doing runs of 10k or less would come across as a good deal. I don't think there's any 3 3/4-inch figure that would honestly, truly benefit from a nearly unlimited budget. (Sure, Darth Vader could use better cloth, but cost vs. what I'd get would likely never be worth it.)
Hasbro makes a pretty decent figure for $8. (Sure, a $10-$11 Transformer is more impressive but it doesn't have a lightsaber.) Besides, after looking at some of the Sideshow 1:6 items, some are wonderful, and others have faces that... did not excite and amaze.
For me, I look for the Hasbro logo. Unless someone got into the business of super-cheap rotocast plastic Hoth Wampa caves, I can't imagine expanding into any new territory for Star Wars at this point. Hasbro's toys (and Dark Horse's comics, and Topps when Galaxy Series #4 hits) are about all I can manage given the incredible size of Hasbro's line.
I guess a better questions might be is there any reason to do a higher-end figure? We've seen some experiments from Hasbro over the years, like the $15 500th Vader (which went on to be a $7 figure), the Titanium Series line (...), and a few individually packaged exclusives. The only reason I could see to do a higher-cost (or higher-end, lower-run) figure is because the character was SO obscure that even Hasbro viewed it as risky. And after seeing BoShek, Breha Organa, and even Willrow Hood, I don't think there is a figure Hasbro won't consider on the basis of obscurity/collector-ness.
The best analogy I could see here is Gentle Giant's Bust-Ups line, which were largely 3 3/4-inch figures minus the legs and articulation. Some were as good or better than Hasbro figures, and others weren't so much. I don't think the Stormtroopers were all that hot, but Gentle Giant's Greedo Bust-Up had a good sculpt, as did their Ponda Baba. But I'm fairly sure Hasbro could probably make figures to that level if they decided they wanted to.