Quoted from Eskaybee:How about #3; LCD introduced and prices remain the same. I think this will be the case hence the long awaited delay of the LCD as they try to incorporate it at a reasonable worthy value
This has been my feeling all along. The incremental increase in cost every couple releases the past few years have all been so that the eventual cost of the LCD models don't seem so "crazy". Meanwhile, the past couple years Sten could use the extra profit per machine from the cost increase to both fund their development of the LCD and SPIKE tech, as well as acclimate the hobby to the higher costs once the LCDs final land.