TLC "Shield Generator Assault" Battle Pack

[CHEWIE]

Am I missing where there's definitely going to be a price hike?  If it's from something they said in a Q&A, I don't know if I believe them.  They've been known to be misleading in them before.

EE has these listed at $26.99, the same as all the other battle packs that are already out (which is the same price they have their Evolution sets at too).  So maybe we'll see the battle packs stay at the current price point...?

[JangoTat]

screw this BP, just give me that scout trooper and the bunker in that picture and I will be happy.

[JediJman]

I'd much rather see more figures for less dollars, but if other 5 figure BPS are being released at $20, then I don't see how Hasbro is justifying 4 figure sets at the same price unless something else is included.  That being said, packs of 4 or 5 figures at $5 each is still a significant savings over $7 or $8 basic figs.

[Jeff]

Am I missing where there's definitely going to be a price hike?
[snip]
So maybe we'll see the battle packs stay at the current price point...?

There will be no "price hike" per se, that's the whole point of dropping a figure - to avoid a price hike.  They want to keep the $20 price point, so rather than raising the price to $25 for 5 figures, they are moving to a $20 for 4 figures plan for the BPs

In some ways, it is a "price hike" because you're getting less for your money, but I guess that's just arguing semantics... 

CHEW, here was my original post with the linky...

From the Hasbro Q&A at SSG:

"Hasbro: People should get used to 4 figures in Battle Packs"

Yep - it was either $20 4-figure BPs or $25 5-figure BPs and they indeed chose the $20 price over the 5-figure format.

Not a big surprise with all the price hikes lately... 

Here is the full text for the context of the quote in my post...

SSG: With the recently shown "Assault on the Shield Generator", why are there only 4 figures with this set instead of the slideshow image's 5? Will this be the first of many battle packs with less than 5 figures and no vehicle or large accessory to make up for less? If so, why is that? Do you think the line can handle the change?

Hasbro: People should get used to 4 figures in Battle Packs, and that's not the case of us gouging, it's the case of... because we could have put the price up on Battle Packs, but $20 is an important strategic pricepoint. And because a lot of our Battle Packs aren't collector-targeted, they're generally kid-targeted, so doing neat things like the Shield Generator [Battle Pack] is kind of a new approach, and that's because we want to get some collector-focused ones in there, but the focus will still be on the kids' stuff. So, our choice was either put them up to $25 still with "5 figures worth", or start to take it out, and we made a decision that "keep it at $20", and that meant that we started to have to compromise. Even with what we showed you, that was a recent decision, the only way to afford that set.

SSG: That's across the board, right, not just this wave?

Hasbro: That's going to be the direction we're going across the board.

SSG: Are you going to work a little harder for new figures in these packs then?

Hasbro: In Battle Packs? In Battle Packs we're going to have the same kind of approach we've had, so you'll see, you know, the Arrest of Palpatine, you know, that may come down to a 4-figure set, but ideas like that are still critical, which is it has a high hero content, we'll still all those kid-targeted sets where nothing changes, they're all existing figures mixed in with, you know, new figures or new sets that meet the collectors' mentality. It's still gonna be a kid-first focus, but we want to get some cool collectors focus in there too. Do we think the line can handle the change? Obviously, you know what, unfortunately, that's kinda what we're faced with...

SSG: So it's a reality either way.

Hasbro: Yeah, it's a reality either way, and we chose this decision to keep it at $20 rather than [go to] $25.

[JediJman]

I don't understand why they were "forced" to either move the price to $25 or exclude a fig to make it $20.  Some all-powerful being has decided that a 10% increase to $22 wouldn't be a strong enough margin play?   

[Daigo-Bah]

That pic looks great; nice set of figures.  You know, another variation of Imperial that was seen at the bunker battle was a DST with an officer's head.  I made one by painting a Jerjerrod cap and putting it onto a DST body.  That might be an option for variations or something.

[Nicklab]

I don't understand why they were "forced" to either move the price to $25 or exclude a fig to make it $20.  Some all-powerful being has decided that a 10% increase to $22 wouldn't be a strong enough margin play?  

It could very well have to do with a couple of things:

-Hitting certain profit numbers.  Executives like to show growth in their numbers.  And sometimes they achieve that goal by cutting costs.

-Oil prices impacting production.  Higher oil prices will affect the cost of running a factory, the cost of the plastic itself, and transportation costs.

[Darth_Anton]

I'm sure it's more to do with the oil/fuel costs going up and purchases going down (because of higher fuel costs.)

[CHEWIE]

Thanks for posting that Jeff.  That does suck.  Maybe we'll luck out, but it doesn't sound like it after reading that.

I wonder why the EE listing has 5 figures still. 

[JACKOFTRADZE]

It could very well have to do with a couple of things:

-Hitting certain profit numbers.  Executives like to show growth in their numbers.  And sometimes they achieve that goal by cutting costs.

-Oil prices impacting production.  Higher oil prices will affect the cost of running a factory, the cost of the plastic itself, and transportation costs.

You are dead on, I can confirm the oil prices are the culprit from my company's experiences. It affects the actual plastic manufacturing to make the figures and then punches you again with the freight cost to ship overseas. Every product company out there, especially toys, is feeling it and we all had to make price increases. The days of the $10 and $20 price points are gone, you cannot deliver much anymore for those. Consumers are adjusting, you are now more commonly seeing the oddball prices like $10.99, 12.99 type prices etc.

As JJ mentioned they should have went to $21.99, I would understand and the value is still there.

If they only want to include 4 figures fine but lose the R2 and give us the officer then! Even kids have enough R2's as it is.

[iFett]

Hasbro: Yeah, it's a reality either way, and we chose this decision to keep it at $20 rather than [go to] $25.

Umm....I thought Hasbro always said that retailers set their own prices 

[Jeff]

Ultimately retailers do technically set their own prices, but Hasbro has always offered a "manufacturer suggested retail price" (MSRP) for their products. 

It is up to the individual stores if they are going to undercut the MSRP (like Walmart often does), stick to the MSRP (like Target/TRU usually do), or go above it (like EE and other specialty retailers).  It all depends on their business model, volume, etc etc.

[Dressel Rebel]

From RS:

Gotta love the scout.

[Jesse James]

Note, Nik Sant is blonde, not old... 

People always call him the "old guy with the big white beard" but he's actually just a blonde guy.  I think SS's 12" figure tried a compromise by making him totally bald too, but basically he's just a blonde dude, not particularly old.

ANd he dies if anyone is curious too...  In the Matte Painting LFL used for the view looking out from the doorway into Endor's forrest, you can see Nik Sant lying without his helmet on dead, apparantly shot at the onset of the Ewok ambush.

[Muftak]

Note to self: don't masquerade as one of the enemies when you are relying on primitive back-up.

I'm not entirely sold on this set. It comes real close to what I want, but I think it is missing the mark just enough...

The Han is a nice trade-off of the VTSC version; I like the upgraded ROTJ head.

The imperial is nice to see as well...can we just consider this guy at long last an update of the vintage Imperial Commander? Please?

Nik Sant is a nice treat...one of those things I first caught post '95, but not really one of my must-haves. I would've rather they held him back as a reason to do the eventual Scout update incorporating the new-style hip articulation they will need to ride an updated bike. And a flip-up visor would've been great, too.

Artoo. <sigh> It's a conspiracy, all right. There is absolutely no reason every vanilla Artoo sculpt since 2004 has had to be based on the vintage mold. I didn't buy it then and I don't want it now. If this had been the R4 sculpt at long last, that would have made enough of an incentive to me to buy it. Anyway, this set should've been a retooled swiss-army knife version through and through. The electricity accessory is a nice try, and I would've totally gone for it if they hadn't just released the droid factory version with real simulated damage on it. You can do better, I've seen it.

As far as the four figures go, I can see the sacrifice to maintain the price-point. If you are still skeptical, check out the "half-gallons" of ice cream at the supermarket next time you go. They have been steadily shrinking for years. Five bucks a figure is a significant discount now, and if they can keep throwing new stuff in it is worth it.

That said, I have yet to purchase a battle pack in any form. I thought the Hoth Recon would finally get me to step up, but I've seen it a few times and still passed. Maybe eventually...and maybe this set, too.