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Originally Posted by Joel
If that's the case then including additional Optimus parts with other characters simply increases the price and weight of those other characters. The final cost is the same no matter how you want to cut it.
I can understand XM may be trying to make this work despite having gone out to early with info. Please just don't lock me into having to spend $2-3000 on something else to get an extra arm that I will ultimately feel I need to complete my baby. Yep you might say Optimus will be complete "as is" but I can assure you there are others out there like me that will get so disappointed if we don't get a particular available switchout down the track.
Glad you are planning to get the whole line and therefore not be upset by this, but put yourself my my shoes for a second. I am planning on buying 2 major statues over the next 12+ months; Optimus and Hulk Buster. They are both SIGNIFICANT outlays of $'s for me. I want to know that the big decision to take the plunge on these has got me the best of the best IN THAT PEICE. Not an amazing statue that I know could be better if I spend another huge amount on something I don't consider mandatory for my collection.
Maybe I fall in love with the whole line and decide I want to buy them all;
And what if we do want the character that comes with another peice to complete Optimus but can't get our hands on that character to get the "bonus Optimus switch out" it comes with?? XM statues aren't exactly easy to get at RRP and aftermarket prices on these guys will likely price me out even if you only add 30% to RRP.
So if XM are keeping the price and shipping managed, fine, just let us buy the add ons separately and pay the commensurate cost and shipping of said pieces. Please don't hold me to ransom to buy other statues.
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Ok....first bold point. Would you feel the same if Hasbro said...nope XM we change our minds...you can't do the hologram arm? Would it change your mind about getting this Optimus? Be honest, because even long before the hologram arm, alt head, and right arm holding the matrix was shown, Optimus Prime was already a must buy just simply due to the concept, design, size and what not.
I get it...the hologram arm IMO is my favorite display for the left arm...and I absolutely want that part. And looking at it from your point of view...kind of SOL since it doesn't come with the main statue anymore. I'd be pissed or bummed about it but it wouldn't diminish my opinon of the statue itself. See the arm for Optimus now becomes an EXTRA (which is what it always was).
Let's say XM was to offer anyone to buy the extra parts (it wouldn't just be one because the cost would be even more for having different packages made to accomodate each piece). Would you buy all the extra parts? See personally, now that the matrix comes in his chest and lights up...I don't care for the extra arm holding the matrix anymore. But others might be different. Some may not want the trailer...but they do want roller. Others don't want roller but they want the trailer. Do you see the potential logistical problems that can arise from this? Doing it this way is too complex and even more costlier in the long run.
Let's look at a second way of solving this problem. Say XM offers the collector the opportunity to buy all the extras (left arm, right arm, head, trailer...possibly, roller, etc.) all in one package. Now you are looking at less of a logistic nightmare...but now you are looking at the cost of a single XM statue just to have the extra parts that was shown before...with some newer stuff like the trailer...if they do the trailer that is. The cost for those extra parts would cost at least a good $600USD or more.
Now let's go the third way...XM could offer everything in one frikkin huge box but instead of $2199 SGD = $1577 USD you would now be looking at 2999 SGD = $2151 USD. That is not taking into account a much bigger box or a third box that would cost an extra $300 - $400 more than what you would be paying for the Optimus as is. See how pricey that is?
Now let's go a fourth way...XM could offer both a regular Prime (which is the current way it is set up), and also offer a DELUXE Prime (which comes with the extra parts). Well, the cost as stated before still stands. I guarantee you some will forgo the Deluxe because of the cost and also they may think...I don't need all that extra stuff anyway...I just want Prime. Then you will have those like yourself and myself that want everything that was shown. You still want to pay that high cost for the few extra parts?
Let's go to the final way which is the current way XM has it set up. Get the Optimus Prime (which you and I plan on getting anyway...cause even without the hologram arm and head...it is an unbelieveable statue) that comes with lots of switch out parts (2 left arm, 2 right arm, 1 rocket pack, 1 truck mode, 1 light up matrix in the chest). That's a lot of stuff to come with a statue...period! But XM is thinking hey...we can still have all the parts, but mitigate the cost of Optimus significantly by splitting the EXTRA parts into a couple other various autobot TFs. IF a collector wants Bumblebee as an example, now they don't have to pay an a ton of money to get an extra part for Optimus. Bumblebee, keep in mind is a small character. To add the extra arm and head to that package is much, much less than if you put all the extras that some may not even want in one big box. The shipping cost would now be more like $60 - $100 more than what it would have cost if it was just Bumblebee itself. Much less than $400 - $500 dollars.
I am not sayin this is all how it is...but more how it could be and all the logistical decisions one has to make when trying to take into account cost, effective packaging, and giving the collector the most XM can the most reasonable way.
The second bold point, you would be able to get the part you want especially if want another character that the part comes in because it is MTO (Made to Order) with a cap on ES more than likely. This is great because it will significantly or maybe altogether cut out aftermarket overpricing shenanigans.
Lastly, XM isn't holding anyone ransom to buy other characters in the TF line. You are going to buy other characters because you like that character...not because Prime extra parts come with. At this point, any extra parts that come with other Autobots would just be icing on the cake.
