by dayraven » Wed Jul 29, 2015 11:38 am
so, getting some more time to think about this, and seeing the proposed release this morning, let me amend/proviso my earlier sentiments...
to be entirely fair, the new team running things does seem to have a better head on their shoulders, and i do believe when they say "we tried to work this in to the existing product budget and it just wasn't happening" unlike with TGs tyrannical rule, i buy that that is true, and so, if we wanted the torso at all, it was either next year, which would have pissed me off even more, or they do what they're doing and create a new slot. so in that regard, nice move...
and seeing the piece now, i have... slightly fewer concerns about the torso? like, i think the choice to make the lower legs he comes with snake legs is inspired, but it creates the odd dichotomy of him now seeming like too much of his own character... so i'm more likely to keep this as a stand alone piece, so YAY! no floating useless legs in my parts bins, but now i have three king hissae? i wouldn't even begin to know the nomenclature for multiple king hisses... hissen? mangosteen all, i don't know. and while that might seem like a first world problem, cuz it is, it does beg the question, do i really need this in my collection? and it still leaves me with a worthless serpent torso from vintage hiss who looks like a two dollar knockoff of this kit. so they saved me two torsos, but still leave me a dud, and i have to create shelf space for a new figure.
i also am glad to get the alternate serpent weapons instead of another snake staff, i have all the caduceus staves i need, thanks... except, can this hsss even hold them? the shield sure as starfruit won't happen, but the larger snake heads, MAYBE will be able to grip the hafts of the weapons... but maybe not. so these are strictly for arming the rank and file. cool, but not exactly screaming "MUST HAVE!!" not at 30 bucks.
i'm trying my damndest not to be debbie downer about this starfruit, i really am... but even when they least-botch a decision, they can't seem to get it right. does that make sense?
finally, there is very much a point here to be made about showing us too much. this year, we all cheered the transparent, upfront showcase of essentially most of the sub figures for both subs, and we were generally positive on that move... but as i pointed out with snake mountain, showing us too much is as bad or worse than not showing us at all, because it sets up expectations that they frankly just may not be able to deliver on. there is already chatter about what features of that snake mountain that got shown people are most willing to part with, and to me, that's like arguing which sailor gets the final go at mary jane rottencrotch before they ship out... you shouldn't have to be mentally preparing yourself for what your willing to give up, expectation management is their job, not ours. they should have showcased the set at the right scale, and not a minute before, then they should have surprised us with the throne and bluetooth speaker as things became clear that they could be afforded realistically, and to "plus up" and and build hype for the release. now, all news is bad news, and that's asstastic. which is precisely what they're running into this time with king hiss, every decision is a bad one, or turns us further away from the pie-in-the-sky deal we were teased with. i hope, for this new team's sake, that everything ELSE they showed at SDCC is pretty much in the can, because the minute they announce that teela is getting pulled from the point dread pack because she couldn't cost out, it'll be ToyGuru 2.0 and they'll have lost every ounce of trust they've restored. that could very well end the line once and for all.
Prying open my third eye
