I don't know if I'm the only one who thinks this, but it seems or gives me the feeling that LEGO is trying to make unnecessarily large sets simply to achieve the target price they want, especially I see it all over the +18 line where I think the most striking examples, overblown proportions, limited playability and compatibility... maybe the recent Hulkbuster comes to mind but that's just one example.... It doesn't make any sense except for the fact that they have a lot of parts and therefore manage to justify being expensive.
It's something I hadn't thought about too much but it seems to be a trend lately, where I also think that in many occasions they are not making the grade with the design, maybe for rushing the release of sets?
I don't know and we probably won't know, but I think it's something that LEGO should consider and start to put the brakes on, and think if it's the right thing to do, I don't think $500+ sets are going to become mainstream soon if ever, so they should pay more attention and justify the price not only for an excessive number of pieces but also for the design and overall polish of the set, which I think is leaving a lot to be desired.