43 replies to this topic

[WhiteFang]

Dear all,


*Special thanks to Eurobricks Bionicle Moderator, Brickthing for the design of the teaser poster*

It's highly uncommon for me to put up a topic like this in the Special LEGO Themes forum. Perhaps, some might felt it is unnecessary to highlight something which is of a past news but I do like to emphasis the objective and the rational of this topic.

With the assistance of our EB Bionicle Moderator, Brickthing who have kindly designed this teaser poster on behalf of Eurobricks. This CMF teaser poster is meant to signal and reinforce the upcoming exciting news of the 71000, LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 9 which is done in a well-coordinated fashion by releasing of teaser information in an authorised source by TLG first. This excites many because none of us had actually got any idea on what Series 9 is going to look like until 26 November 2012 which they first revealed a collage of these nice teaser shots of the Series 9 minifigures' back-view.



It all started with the TLG Teaser image provided by the Facebook official LEGO page, a new approach to outreach its fan through social media platform.

The comment left by the official TLG representative indicates as followed,

Quote

Just a little teaser of the upcoming Minifigures Series 9! Check back 12/3 for a better look ;)

Thus, I come to believe that 3rd December 2012 could be the very date of unveil the true story behind Series 9 which will take the LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series into another whole new level.

What do the rest think? Do you think TLG have done a great job to keep this information until an appropriate time of release? Or will you like to see waves of preliminary images flying in and out to spoil us? I am putting this discussion across is like to find out what our community thinks?

What will you like Eurobricks to do to celebrate the new Series 9 launch and its continuation? I am leaving to you guys for discussion. In less than a week, it will all be reveal.

You may find the Eurobricks discussion on Series 9 in here

p.s: I am equally excited as you are.

WhiteFang

[Kai NRG]

I think TLG was pretty smart to "tease" us with just the back images (and edited at that), it's a bit of a shame for them that we're already seen S10!  Now I'm not quite sure if I like it, or would rather have leaks first, but it seems to have worked pretty well this time...

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I actually like this for two reasons:

1 - I like better OFFICIAL teaser than leaked pictures.
2 - If teasing works, there will be more minifigures waves, and more whitefang's reviews (is it, fangy?)... so !

[Dane]

Well, the question seems a bit academic now since pictures of new parts and figures from series 10/11 have been revealed (by accident ?) and very much discussed here already...

But for a series that has not been any pictures of it is, as always, exciting to see new images of coming Minifigures

Edited by Dane, 28 November 2012 - 02:45 PM.

[Spider-Man]

I also like the official teaser I think it makes it more exciting and suspenseful!

Also, does anybody else think the bottom right box looks like the girl from Disney Pixar Brave?

[WhiteFang]

Kai NRG, on 28 November 2012 - 02:22 PM, said:

I think TLG was pretty smart to "tease" us with just the back images (and edited at that), it's a bit of a shame for them that we're already seen S10!  Now I'm not quite sure if I like it, or would rather have leaks first, but it seems to have worked pretty well this time...

I used to think the same way as you are, but I really prefer how they organise it together to show it in a much better approach.

Itaria No Shintaku, on 28 November 2012 - 02:31 PM, said:

I actually like this for two reasons:

1 - I like better OFFICIAL teaser than leaked pictures.
2 - If teasing works, there will be more minifigures waves, and more whitefang's reviews (is it, fangy?)... so !

Point 1, yes I agreed with you. Point 2, only time will tell!

Dane, on 28 November 2012 - 02:40 PM, said:

Well, the question seems a bit academic know since pictures of new parts and figures from series 10/11 have been revealed (by accident ?) and very much discussed here already...

Although Series 10 and 11 have been revealed but I do believe there is some surprise to it instead of being ruined by it totally. This is my only belief and I have complete faith in the future of the LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series.

The poll questions served as a summarised statistics only. I am aware of the detailed discussions by our members. It will be good to consolidate in a much organised topic.

[Graysmith]

I voted no simply because it's a pretty crappy teaser. Really bad photo quality, off "Instagrammed" colours.. They look like someone at LEGO brought them around town and tried to fit them into random backgrounds. Very amateurish for such a big company.

A much better teaser would be to release a proper quality publicity photo of each minifigure every day for 16 days. That'd give you something to be excited about seeing every day for two weeks.. Much preferred to seeing their unprinted backs in bad quality.

[SirBlake]

Looking at the poster with date, my first thought was that I needed a time machine to go back to March 12, 2012. I suppose I need to keep in mind that it is EURObricks, after all, and be mindful of the different convention when displaying dates across the pond. :P

I love the teaser. It's nice to put some of the debate to rest about the details (what helmet will the Heroic Knight have?!?!), while still keeping much of the design a secret.

Edited by SirBlake, 28 November 2012 - 04:14 PM.

[J.V.D.]

Graysmith, on 28 November 2012 - 03:02 PM, said:

I voted no simply because it's a pretty crappy teaser. Really bad photo quality, off "Instagrammed" colours.. They look like someone at LEGO brought them around town and tried to fit them into random backgrounds. Very amateurish for such a big company.

A much better teaser would be to release a proper quality publicity photo of each minifigure every day for 16 days. That'd give you something to be excited about seeing every day for two weeks.. Much preferred to seeing their unprinted backs in bad quality.

I share your opinion here Graysmith...  a teaser is nice when it comes up unexpected... and should build up exitement.  But we already had lists, semi confirmed by the pictures in the Lego magazines, so knew more or less what was comming. But the teaser rather disapointed than exited me. Not that much because of the intentional quality of the pictures... I guess that was ment to make them look more mysterious..
But why did they have to show backs of figures that in some cases do look unfinished/neglected?  ( I am, a.o. looking at you Ceasar... had high hopes to get a comander for my legions... and now I am stuck with this image of a statesman mooning at the world..)

I am in favour of official teasers..but it all depends on how the teaser campaign is directed..

[Mencot]

I like that TLG gave out an teaser, great idea and they could do it for some sets and stuff, like CMF and maybe exlusive sets but not for regular.
But then how they made the teaser, I agree what Greysmith said:

Graysmith, on 28 November 2012 - 03:02 PM, said:

I voted no simply because it's a pretty crappy teaser. Really bad photo quality, off "Instagrammed" colours.. They look like someone at LEGO brought them around town and tried to fit them into random backgrounds. Very amateurish for such a big company.

A much better teaser would be to release a proper quality publicity photo of each minifigure every day for 16 days. That'd give you something to be excited about seeing every day for two weeks.. Much preferred to seeing their unprinted backs in bad quality.

The quality, what is that, no no. TLG if you wanna make a teaser you can do better than that.
Then an other thing, I know Facebook is like a big thing and a great way to get out stuff and info to alot of people at the same time. But they should use some other ways also at the same time, so those that don´t have (and don´t want) Facebook/twitter ASO

[Hammerstein NWC]

I think these are a very good idea.

For people who aren't on Eurobricks like my Sister and her 9 year old son (my nephew) they were made up when I shared this link!

Not everyone is as savvy or involved as the folks here at Eurobricks. If it wasn't was the discovery by Aanchir and peeps like that I wouldn't have been aware of the new parts so props to them!

[fhomess]

I could care less about the teaser.  I like having some idea of what's coming, but I don't particularly care if I know exactly.  I like the idea that there will still be a surprise or two when the product actually ships.  As for the poster, I'm not sure what it's supposed to be telling me.  Is the product actually shipping on 3 Dec or is that simply the date Lego is releasing more info.  It seems like the former and I wonder if that might not be jumping to conclusions.

I'm actually quite disappointed that S10 & S11 have already had so much information revealed about them.  To me, it's a bit like watching a sports event where you already know the outcome, or opening a Christmas present when you already found out what it was in your parents' closet a few weeks earlier.  Not as much fun.  If information gets leaked (intentionally or not), I'd rather have that be more spread out and not too far in advance.

[Wardancer]

IMHO TLG needs to be careful not to destroy the special aura that surrounds leaks.

Official teasers are everywhere, only few products are celebrated and discussed as much as CMF when leaks come up. Leaks are viral marketing for free.

I still have the hypothesis that with the CMF  TLG tries to recreate the pre-christmas experience of AFOLS' childhoods (facing a present with hidden contents, having to wait, feeling or dotcoding their contents and thereby trying to beat the one who hid it). Leaks are not directly linked to that, but they add to the atmosphere. TLG for AFOLS has the role as parents have for their child (they decide when the presents are given) and part of the scheme is that the child can beat the parents. Leaks could be compared to accidentally hearing what parents give for christmas (=having information that is supposed to be secret) and therefore should better be used strategically.

[Chocolatecake]

I like the instagramquality of the pictures, because we see the back of the minifigures.
If it were the front I would be disapointed, but here there is still something to wait for, is the color of the policeman black or dark blue (just an example).

[Hrw-Amen]

I don't really like teasers, I just prefer to know in advance what I a getting. I have fallen foul of the saving up for a big purchase only to find it is discontinued and out of stock by the time I have enough to buy it. Obviously that does not really apply to custom minifigs as they are not expensive, but it has kind of put me off the idea in general. I'd much rather have as much notice as possible, that way I'd be getting all excited seeing what I am going to buy. Teasers just don't do that, they simply frustrate me.

[CallMePie]

I like leaks, but I can appreciate a teaser. I like the idea, but while the photo effects are cool, seeing as how they're only photographing the back of the figures again, I don't think it's really necessary. Still, it's a nice marketing tactic and shows how in-tune TLG is getting with its fans.

As for celebration of Series 9's launch, I'd like to see something new and more unique than another CMF vig contest. Maybe a 'design a teaser' contest of some kind.

[Jargo]

[humour]Lego is like a drug. Teasing releases is like holding out on the supply of the drug in a sadistic way.Hahaha! Lol! Roflmao![/humour]

To be honest I'm not bothered one way or another. Pictures arrive when pictures arrive and if that's months before the product is on sale or five minutes before the release it's all the same to me.

[snefroe]

well i think it's a cool idea to use a teaser like this. on the other hand, it's revealing too much. a minifig is after all, just a minifig. sure, you're not seeing the front side, but the photos give away quite a lot...
oh well... better than leaked pictures... I remember the times on EB when we posted whatever leaked pic we could find. "everybody loves a rebel", we thought... hmmmm... looking back to those days, there wasn't all that much love around... teasers are better than leaked pics...

[Aanchir]

I voted "Neutral" for the first question. I don't absolutely need to see leaked images before sets come out, but I will also happily look at them and become a part of the discussion if they become available. I don't care about the surprise being ruined, but it can be a burden sometimes to follow discussion on a product where details are emerging slowly and erratically, as is the case with most leaks. Especially since leaks can lead to widespread misconception-- my original idea for Series 10 was that the two newly-colored chemical flasks went with the female nerd/scholar character. When it was later found that she was a librarian, I revised my list, but not before someone had already shopped together a "nerd girl" complete fig, confusing people who couldn't find her on the official chart or couldn't understand why a librarian fig would have two chemical flasks.

For the second question, I voted "Yes". Some of the sites I use have strict rules against leaked information. It's fun to speculate on and discuss upcoming sets with the people on these sites (or with people who, as a matter of preference, avoid leaked info entirely of their own volition) rather than having to keep my mouth shut about a theme until it actually appears on store shelves/in an official press release. Not to mention that deliberate teasers can often be a lot less misleading than the first whisperings of leaks, which are often full of confusing hearsay and call the information's veracity into question.

This isn't to say that teasers can't be misleading themselves-- I remember when a mysterious BIONICLE figure appeared on a poster at a 2006 Toy Fair event, and never ended up appearing as a set. It wasn't until the summer sets were out that we could get official confirmation that no, this wasn't some unknown set that was still going to be released, but rather a very, very early preliminary version of a character from the summer lineup.

But in general, official teasers are designed to build up anticipation without creating confusion and disappointments later on down the line, which is more than could be said of confidential information that gets spread entirely outside the control of TLG. As such I greatly look forward to future teasers, even though I imagine leaked info will usually preempt them in some form or another.

[Kristel]

I voted yes on both counts.  It's nice to get some confirmation and I like how they haven't given everything away by only showing us the backs of the minifigs.

However, I wouldn't want to see the official early teaser images too early.  The speculation discussions wouldn't be as interesting then!  And the anticipation would turn into frustration while I wait for the actual series to be released in stores.

[CM4S]

Lol. The front post and the poster make it seem so dramatic.

Can't wait!

-Sci

[MonkeyCrumb]

I voted YES!

Everything Lego-related inspires creativity. As an AFOL, I get many, many ideas when I see new Lego products. I'm already planning projects for the multiple minifigures from this wave I want.

WHY do I want info early? Well, the timeliness of this tease, for me, coincides with a lot of sales going on, including the 2-day BOGO sale at TRU. Due to this official tease, I have bought more existing sets in anticipation of future MOC needs based on these new figures.

More knowledge of what's coming lets us ALL plan our finances better. The tease of series 10 & 11 also has me snapping up sets that I never planned to get in the first place, and now I can get them before they are out of print, so Lego gets more of my money (win-win for both of us!)

I really, really hope this is a start of Lego sharing more upcoming releases with us much sooner. For items that people have no interest in or plan to pass on, seeing it sooner isn't going to hurt or change their mind. BUT seeing them sooner fosters more creativity and better sales (especially in my case, and I bet I'm not alone!) It allows people to set aside more money for what they want, especially from non-Lego stuff, and I think it helps spur sales of existing sets. Plus, giving us more lead time to plan MOC's in LDD is always a good thing.

And, as CMF's go, these figures are always pure gold. Sure, a lot of us army build, but a lot of us customize as well! I buy so many extras with specific intentions of parts-swapping among series. Now that I see the Chicken Suit guy, for example, I'm going to go track down *another* s7 Evil Knight just to put the "evil" face inside that chicken suit! (I did the same with the Bunny suit and it's so cool!)

The only reason companies like Lego hide releases for so long is due to concern over competitors trying to beat them to the market. That's a good idea for new, unique themes like Galaxy Squad for example. But for established themes like City, CMF's, etc, there is NO competition as far as many of us go. If Playmobil ever beats Lego to market with a figure in their copied blind-bag minifig series, I'll still wait for the Lego version because that is where my passion is.

Long story short: I think Lego won't lose any sales by releasing info sooner, but would rather GAIN more sales instead as a result!

[GuntherThePenguin]

SirBlake, on 28 November 2012 - 04:12 PM, said:

Looking at the poster with date, my first thought was that I needed a time machine to go back to March 12, 2012. I suppose I need to keep in mind that it is EURObricks, after all, and be mindful of the different convention when displaying dates across the pond. :P

I love the teaser. It's nice to put some of the debate to rest about the details (what helmet will the Heroic Knight have?!?!), while still keeping much of the design a secret.

Yes I thought the exact same thing about the date!

[Ardelon]

I voted "yes" on the first question, as I like to see what TLG is giving us in advance (whether unofficial leaks or official teasers) and get my appetite whetted; Im not one of those that can hold off something just for the surprise factor.

As for the second question, I voted "no", simply because I didnt see much added value in the teaser images. Sure it showed us a lot of new parts, but in an "incomplete" or "unfulfilling" way - yes, just like a teaser does... The main info for me was what the figs are going to be, and with that known, I would prefer better quality images or at least frontal images of this quality. These pics were a bit too "artistic" for me, and it seemed to me to be rather unnecessary to release these if the official release really is only one week away (that was the crucial info of this leak for me).
That said, I generally would welcome any info prior to the release, even this teaser . its not bad and it didnt spoil anything for me, its just that the prior leaks were better.

[Zzz]

A teaser is nice but as Graysmith said, the photo quality was hopelessly off. Also I second that a teaser at a time we got a more or less complete list already is just too late. I would suggest to have a teaser a) not covering the whole line up, b) much better photography skills & c) before any other rumours (I know it's hard to control but it can be controlled)

Still, this is only valid for 2014, as we have basically pics of S10 and 11 already.