So much drama!

Like Trent said, sometimes it's the idea that's selling well, rather than the actual toy. I remember having plenty of fun battles with my transformers that didn't require a whole lot of articulation.

I know of several instances where co-workers (Engineers of different breeds so you'd expect them to be able to nut their way through most problems) have brought in Deluxe transformers for me to transform for their kids, or have at least asked me for advice, or where I've visited someone's house and in the toy box is a half transformed mangled heap of 'robar' with missing doors or wheels because it was too hard and got left at the bottom of the stack.

Price point is what they can charge and have people buy them at, sure, we feel it's expensive, but it's the visual appeal that supports the price.
Plastic is cheap, and does not contribute to the overall price of a toy in any significant meaningful way.

Most of the deluxe and voyager toys we see on shelves probably have a dollars worth of plastic in them. if that.

The size of a toy in it's box, makes it more expensive to ship because it takes up more space, but that's about the extent of the effect on price that the size of a toy has.

If they can reduce engineering hours and mould/part count there is a lot of money to be saved there. If they can then charge a premium for 50% of their product line and still make a profit off the remainder of the line when it's discounted to Reject shop prices, they've done their job.

Longevity of brand, is something that they are probably (should be) working on, but if they can keep that up with Studio Series, and Masterpiece and the Generations style lines, why wouldn't they milk the brains out of lines like this? especially when they are producing toys that are easy to play with.

How many of you have heard the story of the parent buying the expensive toy, only to have it discarded for the box it came in... ? I'm pretty sure that's still a thing.

Perhaps, simpler toys that require a bit more imagination is something the world needs, and the transformers toy brand is doing just that.