Wow, didn't mean to get you so riled up man. I disagree with most of what you're still complaining about though.
Nah, no worries, arguing is fun. I know you're not meaning anything personal and I'm not either.
1.) Star Wars has lines with EU stuff verus movie stuff. I know for a fact that a number of people collect only movie figures. Other people just collect figures they think are cool, but not every one of them. Still others like to keep their stuff sealed. Its really no different than the Legends stuff - if you want mail away coins or Lucas Trooper or whatever, you need to buy everything offered to get it.
Ok, no. First, yes, lots of EU, but how hard is it to figure out a blackhole stormtrooper? Darth Revan? Wow, that's tough. But who says I'm buying it? Maybe some I am (bhs) but some I'm not (Revan). Same philosophy as my approach to Legends.
And if I want a Lucas trooper or coin, I buy five figures that are core figures in the movies. They typically consistent of a main character (Luke/Leia/Han) a bounty hunter or two and some other relatively historically significant main character or even better, an army builder of Imperial origin. I'm not stretching just to figure out who someone is. Plus these are 'premium' figures to begin with, not filler in the line like the 75th release of Cantina Han or Wolverine. It's not even remotely the same. Xorn = VOTC Stormtrooper? Nope, not even close. Hell, you can't even make that a valid comparison for any of the figures released in VOTC/VTSC.
More to your point, compare the number of SW figures to the number of legends and I would argue that its ten times easier to follow the backstory of every legends character made to date than it is to figure out the story behind every SW figure that is released. And if you're really struggling that much on who xorn is, a simple google search will tell you in about 30 seconds and its free!
Google, what's that?
And even if I did Google him (which I don't need to, I actually do know who he is) what makes you think just because I suddenly know who it is I'm going to give a **** and drop $10 on it?
I'm not sure how you can seriously compare the SW universe to Marvel's universe. For the most part you're talking about 12 hours worth of movies versus thousands of issues of comic books. Sure, the EU not withstanding messes it up a bit, but I'm not jumping all over the EU stuff, so my argument remains consistent. A pointless Cantina alien doesn't have much a backstory with 1.3867 seconds of screen time, it's just filler we lap up. Totally different scenario: being in the scene is sufficient to make me want to complete the scene. Whole other character with full backstory I don't give a crap about = me no buy.
At least you get a BAF with Legends. What do you get free with SW stuff? Mini chess pieces, a coin, a stand? I'd rather get a BAF of some kind, regardless of its size. You could get nothing at all. If you only want three of the eight figures, then just toss your extra Blob pieces and be done with it. Or...
You're sort of assuming I love all the BAFs here, which I don't. Blob I like, it's a key character in the comic book based X-men line. Onslaught I don't give a flying hooey about, so I don't have the figure. It's not as simple as getting something for "nothing" because we're not getting it for nothing. I never really cared for the comic books being included. I really don't care all that much for the mini-holos in the SW figures, aside from my absurd OCD in finishing things out at times. Stands are cool and functional, but I'd rather they pack in a Real Stand that has a consistent dimension. The best choice would be to go with the Target retail exclusive for Blob, IMO. Then if I want the figure, I'll find a way to buy it, rather than bumbling and stumbling around trying to get the missing pieces or dropping $50 on it.
If you really want the Blob, you can buy the extra figures or buy a loose Blob on Ebay. Either way costs you about $50. If that's more than you want to pay, then don't buy it - at least you have an option. I would really like the C4 McQuarrie exclusives and will probably have to pay twice the price to get them, but that's life. At least witht he BAF you have a chance to get the figures at retail. If there was no BAF parts and Blob was a convention exclusive for $50, would you be happier?
How can you say I have an option and you don't? That's utter BS. You don't HAVE to buy the McQ figures, you could just live without them, like you're suggesting I do (and likely will) with the Blob figure. If you exercise just a little bit of patience you'll probably be able to get the McQ figures for about $5 over retail. That's what the C3 Vader runs these days. Remember, it's not a $6.99 retail figure either, they're selling it for $15-18 plus $3 for the star case, so it's $21. If you pay $25, that's a whopping $4 over cost, somewhat different than dropping $50 to finish out Blob. And I don't think Blob will settle out in price, just like the Sentinel hasn't either. You see I've been watching them on Ebay to see if they come down to a price that's not unreasonable and they haven't. Blob won't either, because many collectors are in the same boat as me. Not all, but a big enough chunk of them.
On top of all of that, I'm still guessing they'll release the McQ figures down the line on another cardback. Why? Hasbro consistently says they won't retool something entirely because it's not worth it for them. Previous Celebration exclusives have been retoolings or a minor change by adding a different head or accessory, but not totally new. Toyfare Vader was just a repaint when it comes down to it. No, if you wait a year, you'll be able to get the same darn figures in a regular assortment for $7. Now, Hasbro could release Blob down the road in a regular assortment too, but I think that less likely.
Were it a $50 con exclusive I wouldn't buy it, because it's a complete ripoff at that price. Again, it's no bigger than a Hulk Buster Ironman figure that retailed for under $10.
I don't think anyone likes every figure in every line of any kind of toy that's released. Look up the forums on the TAC waves and you will find dozens of people that don't want a Scuba Trooper or another Han or repainted clones. There are others, both kids and collectors, who do want those figs and maybe they don't want some of the ones you would consider cool. Hasbro will never please everyone with an entire line of figures - SW or ML.
Agreed.
What it all boils down to is this - you're getting something free with your collectible figure and complaining about it, and that's what I have a problem with. I think if you take a moment to think about it this way, maybe you'll be a lot less upset about something that should be bringing you joy. 
And obviously I disagree. I think Hasbro should have released Blob as a regular figure, it's important enough to do so. With ToyBiz, they were releasing figures that were considerably larger and not practical to fit into a regular package (Galactus, Sentinel, Giant Man). There was merit to it and I sucked it up to complete those figures too. I didn't really want or need even a second Thor figure but I bought it to get the Giant Man figure. Throwing a third at me this fast? Nuh-uh.
This just isn't the case with this figure that is a fairly important figure in the comic books. And I'm really unclear how exactly this constitutes something "Free"? You don't think the price reflects this piece being in there? Wow, that's an amazing approach to economics. Unlike the holograms with star wars, these pieces are unique and can't be made into something different by injecting different colored plastic into the mold. No, I assure you, I'm paying for this piece either by the change in packaging to something smaller, the discontinuation of the posters/comic books or the increase in price. It ain't free, no way, no how.
I'd rather they drop the BAFs and pull the price back down. If they want to make store exclusives for larger figures, I am completely for that because I'll be able to pick and choose whether I want it or not and if I think the price is fair. If I don't want it, I don't accumulate anything, especially unwanted extra figures.
Put it this way: At the size of figure they're releasing Blob is at best a $20, maybe $25 figure, but that's an awful lot of leeway for Hasbro (again I bring up larger figures in the past sold for under $10). It's not worth accumulating five figures I don't want and will have a hard time selling. It's not worth the $50-80 it'll generate on Ebay, though given what the figures cost, it is a reasonable price for the seller to expect considering that's what they spent on the item. Blob should have been a regular release, plain and simple.
