I'm not defending the price increase, just offering a counterpoint to it being caused by licensing fees. It could just as easily be a combination of fees and production or simple greed.

Oh yeah, I don't think its licensing issues at all......it might just be the margins don't work out for those ships and they see a way to make a bit more.

It's unfortunate, but it is what it is, sadly.

Any chatter on the FFG boards about the price point (I rarely visit them)?

I saw one thread speculating on the price, but no one seemed upset in that thread when the prices were revealed. The few wave 7 threads I have read didn't seem to have any complaints either, but there may be some complaining buried in other Wave 7 threads that I haven't read.

Most of the complaints I have read have been about the ship choices.

Not sure why there is a price increase really, only way to know would be to outright ask them and I doubt anyone would have a straight answer for us.

Hopefully we get something extra for the increase but I highly doubt it. For the contents I'm a little worried we aren't getting our money's worth as it doesn't seem to be as many upgrades with the new expansions as it was before, but that might just be the nature of the beast. Without seeing the Hound's Tooth in hand and comparing it to the Decimator, there isn't a way to tell if it's just as big as that ship or not.

I would hope for the 40 that we would get another z-95, but that's just me.

I'm pretty certain it all has to do with packaging. The StarViper needed new packaging, thus it got bumped up in price. Now, it does appear that ships in the StarViper, Punisher, and K-wing sized packaging are getting more upgrade cards than the normal small pack. The cardboard that comes with them is also larger. Which is pretty important with the Wave 7 ships, since we are getting new mines, 2 of them with a large sized token. Not to mention, each seems to have double of one potential new "fixer" upgrade.

The Hound's Tooth apparently gets the Decimator packaging. Likely due to it's length, even though it has less mass. Not thrilled with it, especially since I kind of want at least 2 of the BH ships (also not thrilled by the lack of new upgrades).

They have stated that the Falcon probably has the thinnest profit margin of the expansions, but it's okay, because it's the Falcon. It will sell. I'm not sure when a price increase will happen, but hopefully it will be a while. I've already seen what appears to be a price bump in Descent.

And Galactus, you must have visited the forums after the official announcement. There was a LOT of whining about the K-wing and Punisher after the announcement at Celebration.

I stated as much when I said the only complaints I read were about the ship choices.

The question I was answering in the first paragraph was in relation to price complaints which I personally did not see much of, but doesn't mean they aren't there.