* - The US exclusvies still tend to be based on retailers wanting them (Zellers, TRU). It seems that the 25th line just isn't strong enough to warrant large interest up here (from retailers). I can hope, but I think we already have been told it is up to the retailers and how well the line does. If we are lucky then the movie will increase interest/sales and make it more likely to get exclusives.
Granted it also depends on if the retailers are interested in them. But are they being offered them? Is Hasbro actually marketing it to them? Or just tossing some UPC codes at retailers and nothing more. And tell me that the US really has the interest when the UBP starts at $63 and drops to a reported $28 in some areas? Don't you see a potential marketing strategy that is flawed here?
You can also pretty much answer a lot of questions with "retailer interest". The Rattler and Conquest were to be available to a wider distrubution during one Hasbro Q&A and then they release them again as another Target exclusive. So Hasbro is retooling molds for only Target?
Quite frankly, I don't care if Hasbro answers this question. I'm really tempted to quit or significantly scale back on GI Joe purchases mainly due to the lack of availablity of exclusives in Canada. So much so, that I packed up all my Joes and don't care if I get another one right now. I know people have used that as a threat before, which is why I posed the question as I did.