The heartbreak of missed Licenses

[Pingles]

Ugh. My Daughter keeps choosing the wrong Properties to fall in love with.

First it was Yo Gabba Gabba: Megablocks.

We actually bought a set and it was horrific. The characters were great but the block quality is terrible. We retired those blocks to being part of a Humpty Dumpty wall and it keeps collapsing because so many of the bricks just won't hold a connection. I have tried to ferret them out to outlying positions but still the structure won't hold up to use. Humpty Dumpty is supposed to fall... NOT THE WALL!

I lucked out and bought a Thomas Duplo set last year but was heartbroken to see MegaBlocks got the license since.

And now: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is her thing. In the toystore she went crazy for the MegaBlocks box but I lucked out when she decided on some wooden Thomas toys later.

PLEASE LEGO: Start upping your bids on the Licenses. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

[Brickdoctor]

TLG as you said had the Thomas license for a while, so if they've now given it up it must mean licenses like that aren't making money. TLG has to pay more for those licenses, and they aren't part of their core themes.

[vexorian]

It can't be helped. Megabloks lack of good designs and overt focus on cheapening things makes them unable to compete without getting licenses, so they will try and try very hard.

I think we probably need less licenses. But I think that the Mickey mouse stuff is probably not a new thing for megabloks. TLG won Disney back last year and perhaps we will have the Mickey theme back.

I would get non-construction toys for the licenses and non-licensed LEGO if she really likes the construction toy stuff. Overall I think that having a license is not a great reason to buy LEGO or clones. Specially because licensed tend to be more expensive.

[r1chard]

Mega Bloks also have Hello Kitty and Smurfs!

I think Lego just have to keep quality than going on a lot of popular themes.

Lego has Ben 10 but not really releasing (yet) any 'bricks' on that theme.

And bring back Spidy and Batman. I missed those sets.

[Rook]

Yeah for many years I'd hoped TLG would get the Transformers License. Nope, got to let some crap brand carry it instead.

[Blondie-Wan]

I don't think Transformers ever stood a chance, since it's first and foremost another toy company's toy to begin with, not just a movie/TV license that other companies happen to have made toys from. TLG apparently (and if so, understandably) has absolutely zero interest in licensing IP from other toy companies, judging from the absence of Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Barbie & Ken, etc. from the Toy Story sets.

[vexorian]

Yeah for many years I'd hoped TLG would get the Transformers License. Nope, got to let some crap brand carry it instead.

Transformers is not a license. It is a toy brand. The TV shows and movies are actually 30/90 minute long adverts for toys. A toy brand owned by Hasbro who would never let TLG or any competitor win more market using their characters. The "crap brand" that is make transformers construction toys is Hasbro, under the BTR (before) and now Kreeo/whatever alter ego.

It is not LEGO that does not want to make those franchizes. Potato head and Barbie not appearing in LEGO toy story is most certainly because Fisher price / Mattel wouldn't like a competitor earning market with their stuff either. Pretty sure they have construction toys.

Edited May 11, 2011 by vexorian

[Blondie-Wan]

It is not LEGO that does not want to make those franchizes. Potato head and Barbie not appearing in LEGO toy story is most certainly because Fisher price / Mattel wouldn't like a competitor earning market with their stuff either. Pretty sure they have construction toys.

Ah, Ok, of course. I knew it was one of those...