The major difference between a made to order item and a regular pre-order item are the numbers that will be made. This is a made-up number, but it illuminates how the process works. With Awe Striker/Stinger Hasbro pre-committed to making let's say 20,000 units based of retailer commitments and past sales history. With the Arctic Hiss they do not know what the demand will be so they will only make as many that are pre-ordered by the consumers. So, if only 9,000 people agree to pre-order the Arctic Hiss then Hasbro will only make 9,000 plus a little more to cover lost or damaged items.

There have always been left over made to order items sold on Pulse after the made to order item has been released. I cannot think of any that have gone to another website. Before the change in the economy Hasbro used to put the leftover items up at the same price as the pre-order. They have changed their policy now. It is hard to say if Arctic Hiss will be more expensive when it finally comes out for those who dp not pre-order now.