That's odd. The one steps and Warriors I've seen have been flying off the shelves.

 

So many baffling decisions from Hasbro....so little time.  

Yay I guess?

WHY?

We haven't had any really good multipack exclusives in a while.

 

Soon to featured in the Clearance End Cap.

 

At least with last year's 6-pack it was just a redeco of Optimus, but this time it is a new mold... that you'd hope would be released on its own, but after seeing various Megatronus toys being exclusive to ToysRUs, who knows anymore.

 

(Imitating Rainier Wolfcastle): Upon closer inspection, that Prime appears to be a re-tool of AoE Prime.

 

Yes, it indeed looks like a major remold, as the hinges seem to be the same, but the legs, arms and abdomen are completely different.

 

Target really seems to think this the same product as the AOE six-pack, if their website is any indication.

 

I saw this set at Target the other day.so it's hit our area.

 

Oddly enough the ones in the Target by me were stickered 'as is' @ $13.99. Couldn't help picking one up at that price.

 

While Target is incapable of separating this from the existing listing for the AOE One-Step Changer six-pack, ToyWiz managed to get it in stock and even has official Hasbro promotional images:
Robots in Disguise Collection Action Figure 6-Pack 3-Step Changer

 

Target always uses the same DCPI for multiple items. This is not new. They have this set at my local store, too.

 

For assortments, yes. For what should be one-off items, this is kinda unusual. It'd be like, I dunno, considering 2015's Titan Devastator the same item as 2013's Metroplex.

 

Really and truly, when near-on every part of a toy is changed and all that remains the same are the hinges and the transformation scheme, would we still even call it a remold? The extensiveness of some remolds leads me to question the point the line would be drawn at.

 

The term you're looking for is "reshell". Keeping the engineering but changing most, if not all of the detail tooling.

 

But they have been doing it the last few years with their exclusives. These to EZ tf sets are one example, the Marvel Legends 3 packs are another. I don't follow enough toylines to know them all, but its been like that for a few years now.