Has bionicle 2007 started badly?

[Optimax X]

Simple really, i have read an alarming number of posts of people saying that they don't like this year and won't buy any of the sets.

Now time for the rant-

I think it could be slipping abit. After last year they finished on a high, light up features, launchers, new pieces, and most bionicle fans were practically buzzing for more.

The barraki came- battle ship one sunk. Most people did not like them to start with, no new pieces, no light up features, a somewhat gimicky looking launcher, and was that "blood" around pridak's mouth? Indeed, so everyone went into overdrive, mothers an' all.

Now people are getting them, i can't say things look any better, many people hate them, can't work the launcher (like i) hate the so called "collectables" don't like pridak.... others i probably have not mentioned.

Now toy fair pictures have come in- battle ship 2 partly sunk. Again people don't like them, the weapon launcher looks gimicky, some of the masks an other features are very unpopular and no light up features or anything by the looks of it.

IMO- bionicle can keep this ship floating if they improve the real sets BIG TIME but i can't see it happening. Nobody seems that fused about the playsets either.

Will the biggest battle ship be down by the end of this year- the whole of bionicle? Sadly, it could happen if things go the way they are at the moment. Lego are too presurised after last year, and have made rushed desisions trying to cram to many things into the sets. Lego need to go back to basics or bionicle could be sum-merged under the oceans, permanatly, and it's not gonna float back up easily.

If one of lego's biggest selling themes goes down, it could have a huge impact on the rest of lego. *shudders* i don't even wanna begin to think what they could be.

[prateek]

yes. they are running out of ideas. stop making them.

[Zaktan of the Shadows]

No. It started out lovely. The summer sets, thats what I'm worried about?

-ZotS

[Darkness Falls]

Started badly? The Barraki are great canister sets! The Mahri are the only things that might disappoint. Every year has their problems... I hated the Hordika. The Mahri I dislike slightly less. Other than that, this supposed downfall of Bionicle is a myth. Bionicle -setwise- is going strong as ever. Storyline, however...

Oh yeah... I have not heard this on Eurobricks. The reaction here is pretty positive, surprisingly. BZPower is full of people who believe they are "purists" and want exactly what they envision to be the next batch of sets. They whine, while the New York Toyfair pics SUCKED. The ones in the recent Toyfair topic's pages are much better, and I believe the sets look better.

Long story short, BZPower's members go on instinct. The people who took the pictures on that site should be... yelled at angrily... or something to that effect.

[Kahgarak]

No,i think that 2007 is completely wonderful.

[phoinix]

all bionicle looks the same to me :-P

[Shakar]

I (STILL) don't own any 2007 set, but I'll review this year from what I've seen so far.

The Matoran are fine little sets. I love their two newly-coloured masks and their knives. The Hydruka are also very nice.

I myself think that the Barraki are wonderful. Each is a different building experience and a different figure. I think each is really good, I'm especially fond of Takadox, Mantax and Pridak. My least favourite is Kalmah, but he's still pretty cool. I don't like the squid launchers.

I like the Titans. I really have no problems with them.

The Toa Mahri are looking quite good. With the new pics, I can see some very good aspects of them. I still don't like the launchers and I still think that some of them (Hewkii, for example) look more like villains. Overall, strictly as sets, they're quite decent. Tough I certainly prefer the Barraki.

The playsets are looking pretty good too.

Shakar

[ghoulrealm]

I personally think the more organic look is the best thing to happen to bionicle ever. The second best thing is the "systemized" versions (not sure exactly what the mini version sets are called). I don't particularly care for most official builds, but are great for mocing parts.

I've noticed that quite a few complaints were about the storyline? *wacko*

Too much emphasis is placed on the story! I thought one of the major values of the LEGO company was to use your imagination. So even if your not mocing with parts you can at least invent your own story no mater what the writers,comics, or movies say. I've never cared for any theme's comics and threw them away. :-P

[JINZONINGEN73]

No,i think that 2007 is completely wonderful.

I've noticed that quite a few complaints were about the storyline? wacko.gif

Too much emphasis is placed on the story! I thought one of the major values of the LEGO company was to use your imagination. So even if your not mocing with parts you can at least invent your own story no mater what the writers,comics, or movies say. I've never cared for any theme's comics and threw them away. tong.gif

Sets - wonderful.

Story - megablocks.

:-)

[Visorak-kal]

I voted no; it has not started badly. It has started out great!

Hydruka and Matoran are good; although the two Matoran are clones and the two hydruka are clones, the two sides are very different, and they're just great sets. (I've got Dekar and Thulox.)

Barraki. Some of the best canister sets in years. As a group, they're amazing. Different build, and although a lot of people complain they have no new pieces, let's take a look--

Piraka (Number of new pieces--remember that 2006 had the most new pieces since 2001):

Leg armor--1

Leg-1

Feet-2

Head(Skull)-1

Body-1

Eyes-1

Rubber heads/arm armor-6

Arm-1

Weapons-6

Zamor-1

Zamor Sphere-1

So add that together and we have 22 new pieces for the Piraka

Barraki (Number of new pieces)

Leg armor-3 (Kalmah, Takadox, and Carapar leg armor)

Arm Armor--None

Feet-3 (Kalmah, Mantax, and Pridak)

Heads-6

Mandibles-1

Eyes-1

Body Armor-1

Spines-1

Weapons-6

Squid Launcher-1

Squid-1

Total-23

Barraki have more new pieces. And they're great and awesome sets. I'm not crazy personally about Mantax, but that's me. I have Pridak and Kalmah, though my brothers have the other four. About the so-called blood, Greg Farshtey commented that it is actually his coloring in the story (that is how Greg is incorporating it, I believe), and the set designer is the one who told him that he had intended blood. So, LEGO didn't intend blood, and probably is not marketing it as blood. That is the set designer's intention. Me? I don't care if it's blood or not, it's red, and red is my favorite color, so there.

Mahri:

All those hating the Mahri should look at the new toy fair pictures from Wednesday's exhibition; the ones at the Collector's Party were way-prototypes. I know I changed my mind on Matoro and Hewkii's mask. Although the Mahri are somewhat a letdown from the Barraki, they are a hit-and-miss group, IMO. Jaller, Hahli, and Hewkii (Despite his spiky armor) are fantastic. Kongu is okay, I wish he didn't have two big guns. (Actually, the guns look smaller and are silver in Wednesday's pics.) Nuparu, not bad. Matoro, pretty good; at first I didn't like him, I still don't like some parts, like arm armor on thighs and one Toa Metru arm, but he's better.

Titans: Perfection, once again.

Playsets: I won't comment, I'm not a mega-playset fan, though the minifigs are so awesome.

So, I don't think the boat is sinking, I think it's right on course. After all, 2006 and the Toa Inika were viewed as horrible to some, beginning BIONICLE's demise. BIONICLE became #1 again in 2006.

By the way, that is good news, BIONICLE is back on top and once more a priority for the LEGO Group! Perhaps all you wishing for more scrutiny from LEGO's top management might get it now! Selling at #2 toy line for boys in the U.S., and making DOUBLE-DIGIT profit. Inika sold through the roof, according to Greg Farshtey, and Piraka sold great. Go Bionicle! :-D

VK

[dillthepill]

I accidently voted yes because I thought that you said it started good. I don't think Bionicle started badly, especially because the Barraki were downright awesome and villainous.

[JINZONINGEN73]

About the so-called blood, Greg Farshtey commented that it is actually his coloring in the story (that is how Greg is incorporating it, I believe), and the set designer is the one who told him that he had intended blood. So, LEGO didn't intend blood, and probably is not marketing it as blood. That is the set designer's intention.

X D

In layman's terms, that translates to:

"Of COURSE it's blood! Look at it! Sharp teeth and the blood it loves. Piranha RAAAAAR! Lord help me I'm being ripped to shreds! Blood, fool, BLOOD!

P.S. (We can't officially say that lol)"

;-)

[Lord Thrawn]

I think it has started really well with Barakki, the small boxes and Nocturn. It's going down the pan though slightly by summer.

[hewkii9]

Nocturn is the best set of the year. It has four arms, looks awesome, and has lime Viking horns. All the others are stringy and carry guns bigger than their heads. Exept Gadunka.

I voted 2k7 has started badly.

[Visorak-kal]

X D

In layman's terms, that translates to:

"Of COURSE it's blood! Look at it! Sharp teeth and the blood it loves. Piranha RAAAAAR! Lord help me I'm being ripped to shreds! Blood, fool, BLOOD!

P.S. (We can't officially say that lol)"

;-)

Yeah, lol. Blood is blood. The point being, LEGO can't really say its blood, can they? Therefore, in official storyline, it should be disregarded.

In personal storyline, however...

Pridak: I will feast on your flesh.

Kongu Mahri: I will defend against your teeth! Oh wait, I only have two Cordak blasters, and no close-range waeapon. Bummer.

[Commander Xalax]

The sets.....uuuuuhhhhhh... they look like ugly underwater zombies *skull*

No, hate this sets.

May get matron but wait..................No.