That Bot wrote:Instead of four different color planes on the pegs, they have two planes, a helicopter, and an F1 racecar. This looks much better to everyone who isn't familiar with the G1 combiners, which is pretty much everybody in the child target audience and many of their parents. We'll probably get the final "correct" Aerialbot a few waves down the road, or as an exclusive of some sort. Also, retool/redeco potential is important. A helicopter mold can be reused for both Bruticus and Defensor, so by changing one Aerialbot's alt mode they just took care of one limb from three separate combiners. That's a good return on an investment if I ever heard one.
Also, how many kids could raise $85-100 to complete an entire gestalt in the time that the first wave will be on the shelf? I mean, I'd be ticked if I was scrounging from a meager allowance and lemonade sales or something, and I managed to get three of the jets, only to have them all disappear off the shelves, displaced by a set of cars, before I could get the remaining two.
Honestly, if it'd been up to me, I might have downplayed the actual set team thing, and played up the Scramble City aspect, picked 4 gestalts to do, and then released one component for each gestalt with each wave. Assuming I were willing to shuffle a few alternate modes, and characters, I'd probably plan it like:
First Quarter
Voyager
Optimus Prime (Autobot SemiTruck)
Aerialbot Silverbolt (Autobot Jet)
Deluxe
Aerialbot Fireflight (Autobot Jet)
Stunticon Dragstrip (Decepticon Car)
Protectobot Blades (Autobot Helicopter)
Combaticon Brawl (Decepticon Tank)
Legion
Stunticon Blackjack (Decepticon Car)
Second Quarter
Voyager
Aerialbot Silverbolt (Autobot Jet)
Stunticon Motormaster (Decepticon SemiTruck)
Deluxe
Aerialbot Alpha Bravo (Autobot Helicopter)
Stunticon Breakdown (Decepticon Truck)
Protectobot Streetwise (Autobot Car)
Combaticon Blastoff (Decepticon 'Jet')
Legion
Protectobot Groove (Autobot Motorcycle)
Third Quarter
Voyager
Stunticon Motormaster (Decepticon Semi-Truck)
Protectobot Hotspot (Autobot Firetruck)
Deluxe
Aerialbot Skydive (Autobot Jet)
Stunticon Deadend (Decepticon Car)
Protectobot First-Aid (Autobot Truck)
Combaticon Vortex (Decepticon Helicopter)
Legion
Combaticon Swindle (Decepticon Truck)
Fourth Quarter
Voyager
Protectobot Hotspot (Autobot Truck)
Combaticon Onslaught (Decepticon Truck)
Deluxe
Aerialbot Air-Raid (Autobot Jet)
Stunticon Wild-Rider (Decepticon Car)
Protectobot ???
Combaticon ???
Legion
Aerialbot Powerglide
Buyers could complete a hybrid gestalt with the first wave, a full Decepticon or Autobot gestalt by the second wave, and a named gestalt by the end of the year. That'd keep the shelves diverse all the way through the year with at least three characters from each faction, and at least 4 different alternate modes out there. It would also keep customers coming back with each wave.