Word is (joe battlelines) the current Hasbro GI JOE guy (there's a new one every year, seems like) said something about correcting issues, like the hip articulation. Scale wasn't one of them...but...at least they claim to notice. They've been good at doing that in the past. As well as passing the buck...

Like the $7 price tag for Star Wars figures. "It's based on retailers"

Even though the MSRP (manufacturor suggested retail price) is $6.99.

This time the factories in China are the scapegoat. Funny, GI JOE has factory issues, but Star Wars doesn't seem to.