35 replies to this topic

[Teddy]

I've splashed the cash on the current pirate line.
Hoping the theme would last for a while.
I have waited a #%$#%#! 13 years for the comeback of the pirates line.
It felt like, and actually was, a dream come true.
Now its beig killed again. Just like 13 years ago.
But now after just one wave of sets.
And again I feel uttely gutted. There never even was a soldiers ship this time round.
It al feels like a really horribly bad hangover.

Rumours of the pirate line giving way to a POTC licensed theme are rampend on the internet now.
I'm so utterly frustrated and feeling powerless about all this.
I'm so depressed I even had dreams about burning POTC sets.  
All I can think of is a boycot of any replacement line. Voting with my Euros/Dollars so to speak.
But I'm not sure if this could dent Lego's profits on that line or influence the decision making proces in terminating the current line.
Well I'm just depressed right now.
Any thoughts on how to influence Lego except for the petition that Zorro started?
Kind regards,

Teddy

[Ratshot]

Teddy, on Sep 18 2009, 10:00 PM, said:

Any thoughts on how to influence Lego except for the petition that Zorro started?
Kind regards,
Teddy

You need to go see your local congressmen boy

Maybe you should ask Bonapart for ideas. Other then that I can't really think of anything
Sorry.

[Sir Wellington]

I want to start a protest against what is happening. I was sadly not living for the original Pirates Theme, so when this one came I thought I had a chance, now look at the results.

[Destroydacre]

It is very disappointing, but if Lego is really thinking about starting a PotC line, I really don't think anyone is going to change their mind. Everything seems to be shifting towards licensed sets now. I won't be buying any PotC sets if they are made, but that's just because I'm not a fan of the series. The sets themselves probably won't be bad.

[Admiral M]

I really wish lego would continue to make the theme, it really could become quite popular. Oh well, what's done is done, and I don't think we can change it.

Destroydacre, on Sep 18 2009, 09:26 PM, said:

Everything seems to be shifting towards licensed sets now.

Do you think they are genocidal against yellows?

Edited by Admiral M, 19 September 2009 - 03:31 AM.

[Captain Zuloo]

Where do ye get the idea of a POTC line? Yeah people have mentioned that it is a possibility, but is there any news or rumors coming from The LEGO Group? Or is it all just fan speculation?
I highly doubt there will ever be a LEGO POTC line, and I expect we'll see a return of Pirates within the next 3 years. Lighten up fellas, if you want more sets, build them yourself!

[blueandwhite]

Captain Zuloo, on Sep 18 2009, 09:35 PM, said:

Where do ye get the idea of a POTC line? Yeah people have mentioned that it is a possibility, but is there any news or rumors coming from The LEGO Group? Or is it all just fan speculation?
I highly doubt there will ever be a LEGO POTC line, and I expect we'll see a return of Pirates within the next 3 years. Lighten up fellas, if you want more sets, build them yourself!

At this point a PotC line is pure speculation.  There are no concrete rumours from any official source.  Most of the speculation is drawn from the fact that LEGO has picked up the Disney licence and the fact that Pirates 4 was recently announced as a 2011 film.  There's nothing wrong with a bit of speculation so long as we fans don't start to confuse speculations with rumours or facts.

In all honesty, this is one bit of speculation that actually seems very plausible to me.  The notion PotC line seems to fitin line with the Indy/Johnny Thunder scenario where a licence is used to push an otherwise moderately popular theme.  If this is the case, fans will at least have a series of pirate accessories for the future.

[Edgehead]

Admiral M, on Sep 19 2009, 12:31 PM, said:

Do you think they are genocidal against yellows?

this is horrible, somebody please point me in the direction of the first lego set to feature fleshies so i can buy one and burn it on LEGO's doorstep in protest

[Rick]

I am really surprised - besides SW - that those licensed lines seem to be making a bigger profit than its own lines for TLG (there must be a sensible reason for TLG to invest in the Disney and other licenses, so it must be making them money). Licensed themes - again besides SW - typically last for only a few runs. I really feel TLG should be building its own brand image, through its own themes. They used to be strong on that in the 80s and halfway through the 90s, so why can't they be now? Children (used to) have enough imagination to 'play' PotC with Lego's regular pirate lines. At least I never had problems with the fact that the forestmen sets didn't have 'Robin Hood' written on the box and the minifigs didn't look like Kevin Costner. Lego had a super strong brand image with my parents, knowing that they could always expand my collection next year, because there always would be City, Castle, etc. sets that would match my existing collection. I am afraid TLG is not investing enough in its own brand loyalty (also: its 'own' yellow figs, compared to licensed flesh-colored figs), but then again... maybe that's not so important anymore nowadays. Playmobil - another strong brand with my parents when I was a kid - seems to be investing much more in its 'own' brand, staying away from licenses and nevertheless producing great themes with innovative set ideas (not that I am a fan of Playmobil or even buying the sets).

I really doubt whether 'we' - AFOLs - have any influence on TLG's product line decisions, or are even considered in these decisions. I think the maximum that we can expect to achieve is to have S@H exclusives tailored to the AFOL market every now and then (Modular series, MMV, and I still haven't given up my hopes for a Pirates exclusive set). In recent years, TLG has been pretty 'generous' - which means it must be making profits for TLG, but that's fine, they earn it for making good products - towards AFOLs in this respect.

[Thee Pirate]

Edgehead, on Sep 18 2009, 09:49 PM, said:

this is horrible, somebody please point me in the direction of the first lego set to feature fleshies so i can buy one and burn it on LEGO's doorstep in protest

Star Wars or Harry Potter, 2005. Availability data is incomplete on Brickset, so I don't know what sets were in the first wave.

[blueandwhite]

Rick, on Sep 19 2009, 02:20 AM, said:

I am really surprised - besides SW - that those licensed lines seem to be making a bigger profit than its own lines for TLG (there must be a sensible reason for TLG to invest in the Disney and other licenses, so it must be making them money). Licensed themes - again besides SW - typically last for only a few runs. I really feel TLG should be building its own brand image, through its own themes. They used to be strong on that in the 80s and halfway through the 90s, so why can't they be now? Children (used to) have enough imagination to 'play' PotC with Lego's regular pirate lines. At least I never had problems with the fact that the forestmen sets didn't have 'Robin Hood' written on the box and the minifigs didn't look like Kevin Costner. Lego had a super strong brand image with my parents, knowing that they could always expand my collection next year, because there always would be City, Castle, etc. sets that would match my existing collection. I am afraid TLG is not investing enough in its own brand loyalty (also: its 'own' yellow figs, compared to licensed flesh-colored figs), but then again... maybe that's not so important anymore nowadays. Playmobil - another strong brand with my parents when I was a kid - seems to be investing much more in its 'own' brand, staying away from licenses and nevertheless producing great themes with innovative set ideas (not that I am a fan of Playmobil or even buying the sets).

I really doubt whether 'we' - AFOLs - have any influence on TLG's product line decisions, or are even considered in these decisions. I think the maximum that we can expect to achieve is to have S@H exclusives tailored to the AFOL market every now and then (Modular series, MMV, and I still haven't given up my hopes for a Pirates exclusive set). In recent years, TLG has been pretty 'generous' - which means it must be making profits for TLG, but that's fine, they earn it for making good products - towards AFOLs in this respect.

I think the market has changed significantly since I many of us were kids.  Heck, even as a child I know I longed for a Star Wars theme.  Licences obviously have a limited shelf life but I don't think that really matters given that most of LEGO's in-house products don't last for more than 3 years either (City being the obvious exception).  While many AFOLs would love to see some continuity in LEGO's products, I suspect that casual consumers feel differently.  I don't know what spurred the change from continuous lines like Space, Castle, and Town to short-lived themes like Rock Raiders, Ninja, and Alpha Team but it seems like that the continuity of the 80s was no longer marketable.  

The comment about children lacking imagination seems a bit derogatory to me.  I certainly don't think that children themselves are any less imaginative than they were 25 years ago.  As children we made due with what we had, but given a licenced alternative I firmly believe that many kids who were playing with G.I. Joe or Transformers in the 1980s would have also had a larger interest in the plastic bricks that we AFOLs still know and love.  Do you really think that LEGO Star Wars wouldn't have the same impact in the 80s as it does now?  Children today really aren't that different; they simply have a larger selection of consumable merchandise to choose from.

[Rick]

blueandwhite, on Sep 19 2009, 03:53 PM, said:

The comment about children lacking imagination seems a bit derogatory to me.  I certainly don't think that children themselves are any less imaginative than they were 25 years ago.

I never said that - at least I certainly didn't mean to say that. I don't know about today's kids, I just know for sure that when I was a kid, (most) kids used to have imagination. Not trying to say kids today don't, I just don't know for sure, that's why the "(used to)" is in parentheses.

Rick, on Sep 19 2009, 09:20 AM, said:

Children (used to) have enough imagination to 'play' PotC with Lego's regular pirate lines. At least I never had problems with the fact that the forestmen sets didn't have 'Robin Hood' written on the box and the minifigs didn't look like Kevin Costner.

What I mainly meant to say was that I think TLG should consider whether they wouldn't be better off in the long run (I guess this is the heart of the problem, there is no 'long run' anymore today) building their own brand reputation, like they did in the 80s, instead of relying on SW, PotC, Indy, and so on. To make kids go to the toy store to buy Lego, not buy PotC 'merchandise'. I just feel licensed products take away some of the creativity, imagination, you can build anything you want, ... I know there are SW builders out there who are very creative, but still... it just isn't 100% 'Lego' for me. Perhaps I'm getting old.

But given TLG's business decisions, it indeed seems profitable to focus on licensed themes. It may hit Pirates now, and that's fine in a sense: I really can't blame TLG for trying to make money. I'll most likely just stay away from those lines. As long TLG is making profits on licensed themes to make 'yellow-only' (does this make me a racist?) City and excellent S@H exclusives every now and then, TLG is getting my money.

[Ratshot]

Can someone please tell me what POTC means.

Thanks in advance

Ratshot

[mikey]

Ratshot, on Sep 19 2009, 05:08 PM, said:

Can someone please tell me what POTC means.

Thanks in advance

Ratshot

Pirates Original Theme Crushed?

Edited by mikey, 19 September 2009 - 04:28 PM.

[Rick]

Pirates of the Caribbean

[Darth Legolas]

mikey, on Sep 19 2009, 11:27 AM, said:

Pirates Original Theme Crushed?

That's a joke right? It Pirates of the Caribbean. I think that was the most milked movie franchised in the world. And no, I don't mean milked money-wise, I mean talent-wise. The last movie simply was awful. I really would like to meat the director and slap him across the face. And johnny Depp too.

But... MB... has the POTC line. Maybe Lego just got it when they teamed up with Disney, the way...MB... got the Spiderman line. In fact, that makes sense. Lego+Disney=Awful movie franchise sets!  

[Ratshot]

Darth Legolas, on Sep 19 2009, 02:12 PM, said:

But... MB... has the POTC line.

I think it ended. I'm not totally sure though.

Edited by Ratshot, 19 September 2009 - 05:33 PM.

[mikey]

Darth Legolas, on Sep 19 2009, 06:12 PM, said:

That's a joke right?

Sorry, my attempt at some humour to see us through these dark days.

But saying that, yes, Pirates Of The Caribbean Lego would be a joke.  But not as funny as mine, and in really bad taste.

Edited by mikey, 19 September 2009 - 05:40 PM.

[Commodore Cheng]

Teddy, I am just like you, I am born in 1991, I don't have any of the classic pirates line    

I wait for more than 10 years and it was really like a dream come true when I first see the Google image of the new 2009 lines. I immediately call my local toy store and ask about it, and to my delight, the shipment arrives in 2 months time. Well, I make reservation for Soldier's Fort, the Brickbeard's Bounty and 20 Soldier's Arsenal.

After two months, I get it, and was so so happy and excited about it. I sign in classic-pirates and update myself with the LEGO news, and to my dissapointment, no new waves    

Let's hope the petition works  

[Big Cam]

If you read the frontpage news, you'll find out that Bonapart has informed us that pirates is not going away, it is just on a break since it is not a regular theme.

[Yeow]

Big Cam, on Sep 19 2009, 12:18 PM, said:

If you read the frontpage news, you'll find out that Bonapart has informed us that pirates is not going away, it is just on a break since it is not a regular theme.

The word "break" is quite ambiguous however. The last "break" that Pirates went on (not including 4 Juniors and the four Lego Legends sets) lasted 12 years.

[Sir Wellington]

Yeow, on Sep 19 2009, 07:16 PM, said:

The word "break" is quite ambiguous however. The last "break" that Pirates went on (not including 4 Juniors and the four Lego Legends sets) lasted 12 years.

Im not waiting till I am 23 for Pirates to Return.

[bootstrap]

maybe the company can be convinced to produce a limited edition? if there is still a small yet loyal market, they should have no issue :s

[5150 Lego]

blueandwhite, on Sep 19 2009, 05:42 AM, said:

At this point a PotC line is pure speculation.  There are no concrete rumours from any official source.  Most of the speculation is drawn from the fact that LEGO has picked up the Disney licence and the fact that Pirates 4 was recently announced as a 2011 film.  There's nothing wrong with a bit of speculation so long as we fans don't start to confuse speculations with rumours or facts.

In all honesty, this is one bit of speculation that actually seems very plausible to me.  The notion PotC line seems to fitin line with the Indy/Johnny Thunder scenario where a licence is used to push an otherwise moderately popular theme.  If this is the case, fans will at least have a series of pirate accessories for the future.

Agreed. We have no concrete evidence at this point, but a POTC theme seems to make sense with the so called "Break" in the pirates line.

Rick, on Sep 19 2009, 09:20 AM, said:

I am really surprised - besides SW - that those licensed lines seem to be making a bigger profit than its own lines for TLG (there must be a sensible reason for TLG to invest in the Disney and other licenses, so it must be making them money). Licensed themes - again besides SW - typically last for only a few runs. I really feel TLG should be building its own brand image, through its own themes. They used to be strong on that in the 80s and halfway through the 90s, so why can't they be now? Children (used to) have enough imagination to 'play' PotC with Lego's regular pirate lines. At least I never had problems with the fact that the forestmen sets didn't have 'Robin Hood' written on the box and the minifigs didn't look like Kevin Costner.

I'd agree with you,.... But this is not the 1980's. Back in the day not to many toy companies to advantage of license (most companies didn't share licenced theme's) so it was hard for multiple companies to get them) Now we have multiple companies sharing Licenced theme's and it seems to be very popular with kids. Think about it...
As a child if a pirate related movie came out and LEGO badged it as say... POTC, you would have ate it up as a kid. Same if Batman LEGO came out in the 80's.

Rick, on Sep 19 2009, 09:20 AM, said:

I really doubt whether 'we' - AFOLs - have any influence on TLG's product line decisions, or are even considered in these decisions. I think the maximum that we can expect to achieve is to have S@H exclusives tailored to the AFOL market every now and then (Modular series, MMV, and I still haven't given up my hopes for a Pirates exclusive set). In recent years, TLG has been pretty 'generous' - which means it must be making profits for TLG, but that's fine, they earn it for making good products - towards AFOLs in this respect.

Finally, someone that understand that a children's building toy isn't based on what Adults what to see. Kids have, and always will be the for front of what TLC does in terms of theme's and sets. This is fact people. Trying to get a petion to bring back Pirates and an attempt to squash any hopes of a POTC theme with a few signatures isn't going to do squat. Not Only that, but its down right selfish! Who are we to hold back potential profit and a theme that hasn't even seen the light of day? Com'on guys. Light'en up!

[Teddy]

5150 Lego, on Sep 19 2009, 10:11 PM, said:

Finally, someone that understand that a children's building toy isn't based on what Adults what to see. Kids have, and always will be the for front of what TLC does in terms of theme's and sets. This is fact people. Trying to get a petion to bring back Pirates and an attempt to squash any hopes of a POTC theme with a few signatures isn't going to do squat. Not Only that, but its down right selfish! Who are we to hold back potential profit and a theme that hasn't even seen the light of day? Com'on guys. Light'en up!

I am Teddy and I'm a multi-thousand-dollars-a-year-Lego-costumor.
As costumor I am King, and I will kindly ask for what I want.
Since, I splash the cash to back it up.
It is up to Lego to decide if they want my business.
And it is up to me to decide where I spend my honoust and hard earned cash.
I vote with my Euros/ Dollars.


---------------------------Off topic ---------------------------------------
Those guys at Lego are selfish, only thinking about making profits to add to their bonusses.  
Little less profit for them and a lot happier costumor is what I prefer.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edited by Teddy, 20 September 2009 - 01:44 AM.