Dread Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 I was already reeling from the news that not only was LEGO expanding their Batman license to include the rest of the Justice League, but using their partnership with Disney to now carry Marvel's Avengers... and then I see commercials for LEGO LOTR... I hope they make a LEGO Magneto so I can stand him up next to my LEGO Gandalf. What are your thoughts on LEGO stepping up on the licensing? My feelings are mixed but leaning toward the positive, as the more popular LEGO is, the longer they stick around for us to enjoy. (I was watching a show the other day and they said Star Wars sets were all about self preservation, as they were losing money hand over fist in the 90's)
HawkLord Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 I hope they make a LEGO Magneto so I can stand him up next to my LEGO Gandalf. One of the current Marvel sets actually has a Magneto, as well Wolverine, and Deadpool. As for more licensed sets? That's always a good decision to me. So far, their choices for licensed themes this year have sold well - Marvel, DC, and LOTR are all moving in my area. Anything that helps them make money and create more unique pieces is a win-win in my book.
just2good Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 As for more licensed sets? That's always a good decision to me. So far, their choices for licensed themes this year have sold well - Marvel, DC, and LOTR are all moving in my area. Anything that helps them make money and create more unique pieces is a win-win in my book. There are also some new Cars sets (System and Duplo), Disney Princess sets, Hobbit sets (those are going to sell well), and even rumored Phineas and Ferb sets.
sologuy369 Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) They are good. As long as Lego still have their own themes. Someone should add a pole. "Do you think that Lego has too many licensing?" Edited June 17, 2012 by sologuy369
Bilbo Baggins Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 I actually prefer licensed themes over regular themes.
1974 Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 Way too many! Where is the cool space/castle stuff? No, it's not BoredOftheRings or Star-LucasIsGonnaChangeHisMindForever-Wars .. I'm a bit tired of all the creative efort is going into those themes. Let Kenner, Hasbro whatever do that stuff and TLG do some original toys, how about that? It worked pretty good for .. oh 30/40 years? City isn't exactly what is used to be, nice vehicles, but where are all the buildings? Space seems desperate, I luve SPIII though, but there's no .. hmm, lineage? And all those actions themes .. while I do love most of them , why can ther be no CONTINUITY?? ADHD seems to bigger than AIDS these days and attentionspan is shorter than 30 seconds .. Make something kids wants to follow, get deep into, build an expand .. and continue to follow in many years Worked pretty good when I was a kid in the early 80's without those licenses (and we didn't have ADHD back then either, think about that) And the result are all these AFOLS using this forum
TheLegoDr Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 The main thing that upsets me about all of the different licenses is TLG releasing too many beautiful sets that I have to somehow purchase. I loved the late 80s/early 90s sets before all of the licensing hoopla. I realize people are obviously wanting these licensed themes, so they keep making them. But it would be nice to have some more unlicensed sets/themes that people can rally behind. I was a huge fan of Kingdoms and I could have got behind some new lines with that, but I also welcome Lord of the Rings for new building pieces/ideas/figures.
Thego Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 ADHD seems to bigger than AIDS these days and attentionspan is shorter than 30 seconds .. I don't think that's a particularly useful comment.
lightningtiger Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 Interesting topic, all these licensed products are for one thing only.....MONEY, making money either selling toys or having the toys promote box-office or TV ratings for even more advertising dollars to flow. '1974' why the reference to ADHD, know something about this do we.....I do, my son is a sufferer of this ailment so I know what goes on in a child's mind that has this. Besides I feel that has nothing to do with why Lego or any other toy company produces licensed products. Lego were producing licensed products back as far as the early 1950's.....Ferguson Tractors if my memory serves me correct. In pop culture of film or TV what's in now is what goes forth onto toy store shelves, hence the more films/TV shows that can be marketed towards children the more themes appear on those shelves....being the latest trend. Is it too much, well that's a personal choice there I feel.....I don't mind the broad selection. It's kind of fun and I can share the fun with my son who enjoys POTC, Harry Potter and most of all Star Wars.
Fives Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 I actually prefer licensed themes over regular themes. %100 agree.
1974 Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 I don't think that's a particularly useful comment. Well, disregard the the first part (but it's still truthfull, like it or not), attentionspan IS a problem today amongst kids and TLG is NOT helping by shifting themes every year
Jedi master Brick Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 Well, disregard the the first part (but it's still truthfull, like it or not), attentionspan IS a problem today amongst kids and TLG is NOT helping by shifting themes every year Well they are trying to keep up, in the modern world you have to change and innovate. It stops the company from becoming stale
1974 Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 Interesting topic, all these licensed products are for one thing only.....MONEY, making money either selling toys or having the toys promote box-office or TV ratings for even more advertising dollars to flow. '1974' why the reference to ADHD, know something about this do we.....I do, my son is a sufferer of this ailment so I know what goes on in a child's mind that has this. Besides I feel that has nothing to do with why Lego or any other toy company produces licensed products. Lego were producing licensed products back as far as the early 1950's.....Ferguson Tractors if my memory serves me correct. In pop culture of film or TV what's in now is what goes forth onto toy store shelves, hence the more films/TV shows that can be marketed towards children the more themes appear on those shelves....being the latest trend. Is it too much, well that's a personal choice there I feel.....I don't mind the broad selection. It's kind of fun and I can share the fun with my son who enjoys POTC, Harry Potter and most of all Star Wars. I'm sorry I brought up ADHD (yes, it's close to me also) Now back to licensed themes .. Yes, TLG have been doing this forever .. sort of (think 'Shell/ESSO'), but it's not been until recent years it's has taken over whole themes, like Space, Castle and Pirates I do object. Because I think too much of the creative energy have been directed towards these themes and not the original themes. And that saddens me Also, licensed themws are mouch more expensive. Not good as LEGO is, for a lot of people, very expensive And fleshies bring a certain racist flavour to LEGO that I dont like (be it movie precise or not) Well they are trying to keep up, in the modern world you have to change and innovate. It stops the company from becoming stale They can very well keep up with their own themes. Spend some time to innovate _that_ Making LEGO Cars just makes LEGO _not_ stand out on the shelf in the toyshop since there's a gazillion Cars (By Cars, I mean cars from the Pixar movie "Cars") Same thing with SW When I was a kid I went to section with LEGO to stare at LEGO .. I didn't go to the SW section to pickout a particular manufacturer of toys
Darth Lurtz Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 I'm sorry I brought up ADHD (yes, it's close to me also) Now back to licensed themes .. Yes, TLG have been doing this forever .. sort of (think 'Shell/ESSO'), but it's not been until recent years it's has taken over whole themes, like Space, Castle and Pirates I do object. Because I think too much of the creative energy have been directed towards these themes and not the original themes. And that saddens me Also, licensed themws are mouch more expensive. Not good as LEGO is, for a lot of people, very expensive And fleshies bring a certain racist flavour to LEGO that I dont like (be it movie precise or not) How is it racist to have racial diversity in lego sets? Also Non licensed sets benefit from licensed sets with elements that wouldn't be made otherwise, like Thor's hammer in the Monster Fighters theme. Lastly if you look at a lot of Non licensed sets, a lot of them are also overpriced.
1974 Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 How is it racist to have racial diversity in lego sets? Also Non licensed sets benefit from licensed sets with elements that wouldn't be made otherwise, like Thor's hammer in the Monster Fighters theme. Lastly if you look at a lot of Non licensed sets, a lot of them are also overpriced. It's racist because it brings race into it. All yellow = no race A licens brings up the price, there's no doubt about it. Just look at the latest Jabba Palace compaired to the Dino HQ. Big new detailed unique molds, similar piece count - not exaclty the same end price ..
Sam892 Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) It's racist because it brings race into it. All yellow = no race A licens brings up the price, there's no doubt about it. Just look at the latest Jabba Palace compaired to the Dino HQ. Big new detailed unique molds, similar piece count - not exaclty the same end price .. I'm sorry but I have to totally disagree with your argument on racism. Like it or not everyone is different and unique it just a fact of life. By making different skin tones doesn't mean Lego is racist. However Lego city sets represent the model society, a place where everything is perfect, the good guys always win, no death and ever problem can be solved. Oh and everyone is yellow is considerable more racist. Instead of covering up under brainwashing BS, we should celebrate everyone's cultural backgrounds and move on as a society. By your standards in order to offend less people Lego would probably have two torsos, one head, one pair of coloured legs and one male and female hair style( no different coloured hair just brown). That is crazy and if anything singles out anyone who isn't two that distribution as not normal. At school I was taught that racism affects anyone whether it's down to skin colour, hair colour and even gender and sexuality. I always look at Lego like its the Simpsons where the yellow skin tone represents white people and the brown mini figs represent black people. I am positive that if Mace windu or Lando or Seso where yellow mini figs that the black community would be deeply offended. Bringing race into the equation isn't racist it's only when Lego says one race is inferior to another that they maybe called racist. So far to my knowledge Lego has never made a set like that and never will . Equality is about seeing that everyone is different and unique but not labelling stereotypes or by calling those differences inferior. Edited June 16, 2012 by Sam892
Vindicare Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 They are good. As long as they still have their own themes. Someone should add a pole. "Do you think that Lego has too many licensing?" Im with you. While I buy moat of the licensed stuff. I wish they'd have their own themes dominate the shelves. Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of great in house themes/sets. 10193 MMV and more recently, 10228 Haunted House, just to name a few. There's Atlantis, Pharaohs Quest, Alien Conquest, Dino, and now Monster Fighters. All brilliant themes. I certainly would like to see less licensed and more original themes, and make them last. How is it racist to have racial diversity in lego sets? Also Non licensed sets benefit from licensed sets with elements that wouldn't be made otherwise, like Thor's hammer in the Monster Fighters theme. Lastly if you look at a lot of Non licensed sets, a lot of them are also overpriced. Not necessarily true. It's not like LEGOs Mjolnir is just a big, fantasy type weapon that I'm sure they could've came up with on their own. They make plenty of cool, original weapons. If they didn't have that mold, they certainly would've made something great, maybe even better.
The Blue Brick Posted June 15, 2012 Posted June 15, 2012 I actually think this licensing overload isn't that bad. Before, when Lego mainly produced Star Wars, I was very into it. This was in the late 90's and early 2000's. Then for me, it got quite stale. Now they are making all of these licenses, and producing great sets. To me, I would rather have a licensed product instead of a made up one. I do still love the old pirates as that is part of my nostalgia, but I love the new themes just as much. The licensed themes I can relate to, which is why I'm becoming more fond of them. TLG is about innovation, and seeing what they can do, not produce the same sets every few years such as the police line. Licensing allows them to expand and try out new things,which I really enjoy. This is why I really don't mind many licensed themes at once.
TheDarkness Posted June 16, 2012 Posted June 16, 2012 I love all the different licenses right now. Yes I want some of everything, and I am struggling to keep up, but the stuff coming out is awesome. The licenses helped make my kids more interested in it, and now they do alot more building of their own accord. They want to make their own Batmobile to chase down Two-Face, or whatever else they come up with. It is great.
The_Chosen_1 Posted June 16, 2012 Posted June 16, 2012 I love licensed sets, especially because almost all of my favorite franchises have now been reproduced in Lego. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel, and DC. It's really only a Jurassic Park theme that's missing (no, I don't count those Jurassic Park 3 Studios sets).
Vindicare Posted June 16, 2012 Posted June 16, 2012 I actually think this licensing overload isn't that bad. Before, when Lego mainly produced Star Wars, I was very into it. This was in the late 90's and early 2000's. Then for me, it got quite stale. Now they are making all of these licenses, and producing great sets. To me, I would rather have a licensed product instead of a made up one. I do still love the old pirates as that is part of my nostalgia, but I love the new themes just as much. The licensed themes I can relate to, which is why I'm becoming more fond of them. TLG is about innovation, and seeing what they can do, not produce the same sets every few years such as the police line. Licensing allows them to expand and try out new things,which I really enjoy. This is why I really don't mind many licensed themes at once. Yeah, like the X-Wing or TIE fighters or Hogwarts.
TheLegoJoker Posted June 16, 2012 Posted June 16, 2012 I'm happy with all the licensed lines we have. The licensed sets are just about all I buy anymore. I'll buy non-licensed sets if it's a particularly nice building or car, or is something non-yellow like the monsters from the Monster Fighters line. As for the yellow people who inevitably come with the non-licensed sets, I either go to bricklink to find comparable fleshie heads/ hands, or I sell/ trade the yellow figure. I've got a bunch of yellow heads and hands in my LEGO bin at the moment, waiting for a new home. I know it sounds crazy to be a LEGO fan and hate the yellow figures, but the flesh tones are just so much better to me. I don't want my Superman to have a yellow face, and I certainly wouldn't want an eventual Nick Fury to have one. It's all about diversity for me. I look at all my fleshie minifigures and I'm fairly certain that if they were all yellow headed, I'd probably be done collecting LEGO by now. I know I'm probably in the minority (pun intended) but I'd be happier if LEGO did away with the yellow skin tones altogether.
jrosen Posted June 16, 2012 Posted June 16, 2012 I like them both, but my kids really like the superheroes. We probably wouldn't be as much into LEGO if the minifigures were just generic yellow men.
HawkLord Posted June 16, 2012 Posted June 16, 2012 Wow, comments like "Lego is racist" are just as amazingly bad as "ADHD is bigger than AIDS". As for yellow being no race, it's really more like yellow is one race. I prefer the diversity in race with the theme sets - it's realistic and illustrates to collectors and children alike the differences there are in the world. Instead of using yellow to impersonate a race or culture, skin toned pieces further identify those cultures. Look at the recent CMF Series 7 figures of the Aztec Warrior and Bagpiper - wouldn't it be more authentic to have varing skin tones to further demonstrate their regional backgrounds. Why just have the race of "yellows" essentially pretending to be every race out there when Lego can actually make those races?
purpleparadox Posted June 16, 2012 Posted June 16, 2012 Wow, comments like "Lego is racist" are just as amazingly bad as "ADHD is bigger than AIDS". As for yellow being no race, it's really more like yellow is one race. I prefer the diversity in race with the theme sets - it's realistic and illustrates to collectors and children alike the differences there are in the world. Instead of using yellow to impersonate a race or culture, skin toned pieces further identify those cultures. Look at the recent CMF Series 7 figures of the Aztec Warrior and Bagpiper - wouldn't it be more authentic to have varing skin tones to further demonstrate their regional backgrounds. Why just have the race of "yellows" essentially pretending to be every race out there when Lego can actually make those races? I agree with everything you just said here. However, I think TLG has a reason for still keeping the yellow figs. If they changed them now, they'd have a lot of angry AFOLs on their hands, and could potentially lose many customers.
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