So how come Hero Factory doesn't rate a proper TV show?

[pocketmego]

Ninja go did some pretty impressive story telling and probably will again when it returns. China isn't my thing, but seems poised to be an epic. Both properties are allowed to grow and evolve concepts and characters.

Yet, Hero Factory (Hot enough to score a big budget flick by Universal) only seems good enough for a short film every six months or so?

I've watched and liked them all so far. I suspect they could do a lot of fun stories with a TV show. So what's the deal? Is there some official word from Lego on the matter? If not, any speculation from you guys?

[MakutaNocturn]

Whenever I try watching Hero Factory TV series

I was suprised because I acctually liked Ninjago series and I have watched all episodes with my sis. Hero Factory has got potential, I mean in each episode there is 5%-10% that extends my imagination. Mostly... it is a crap.

[Aanchir]

Well, for starters, I think viewership is a factor. Remember that Ninjago, like Friends and Atlantis, started out with just a two-episode pilot before it was approved for a full season. That let the LEGO Group, Cartoon Network, and networks that aired the pilot in other countries assess viewership numbers and gauge interest. The same happened with Hero Factory with its "Rise of the Rookies" miniseries, and perhaps TLG and Nickelodeon just didn't see the viewership numbers they wanted.

Additionally, sales is a factor. Hero Factory has been selling well, but its first-year sales were not nearly as groundbreaking as Ninjago's. And to be honest, given how BIONICLE was struggling in its later years, TLG would have been right to simply anticipate lower returns for Hero Factory than for its minifigure-based themes, which had been showing strong signs of success for many years.

And finally, Ninjago and Chima simply have much larger product lines than Hero Factory, spanning a much wider range of price points. That's probably a big factor in and of itself. This means that there are more vehicles, collectible trinkets, and character designs for Ninjago and Chima to draw from, but additionally it means that there's more marketing benefit in devoting more minutes of animation to those themes. Why devote over nearly three hours of airtime over the course of several weeks to advertising the same 15-22 sets when you can devote the same airtime to advertising over 30 sets?

The interest in a Hero Factory theatrical release is an entirely separate matter than whether it is seen as a suitable subject for a TV series. Plenty of things become movies based on premises that might not be suitable for an ongoing series. In fact, it's not uncommon for movies to be released to gauge and possibly generate interest for a TV series later on down the line. It's the same principle as releasing a couple of pilot episodes as a TV special to gauge interest, but with a substantially larger upfront investment. If a TV series were a safer bet, then logically things would work the other way around.

[pocketmego]

I guess, I can't blame TLG. NOBODY wants the TRAGEDY of 2002 to ever befall mankind again! So many lives ruined...so may families decimated...

Galidor must NEVER EVER be forgotten.

[Vinyl Scratch]

Ninjago has a longer and "complex" storyline for a TV show. Hero Factory only has Missions and not a really complex storyline so far, it's not enough for a full TV show.

[ZORK64]

Technically, Hero Factory could provide enough material for a series.

However, the thing is, the first films didn't even made that much with the few characters they had.

At least that's the feeling I get. I tend to compare Hero Factory with Transformers Prime, and HF always feels a bit dull compared to Prime.

Edited May 5, 2013 by ZORK64

[Bigger Fish]

I think the reason is because the Hero Factory specials have some of the most atrociously written and painfully nonsensical dialogue ever made. And it just keeps getting worse and worse every year. (This fire shield is great for absorbing fire, anyone?) Which is sad because it's got so muany good things going for it. Like the animation, (Some of the best I've seen) The music and the actors. (Which unfortunately suck because of the horrible dialogue.) Now, if the writing was in capable hands, then I would be more inclined to watch it

[DraikNova]

Galidor must NEVER EVER be forgotten.

LEGO's never going to live that down, is it? Anyway, I think the thing is that HF was never intended to be a very story-driven theme. To a certain degree, HF was meant to replace Bionicle in a way that had less story.

[Bigger Fish]

LEGO's never going to live that down, is it? Anyway, I think the thing is that HF was never intended to be a very story-driven theme. To a certain degree, HF was meant to replace Bionicle in a way that had less story.

Hey! I liked, and STILL like Galidor! It was quite a unique and refreshing LEGO theme and I personally wished they stuck around with it longer. Also, it's a dang shame the Hero Factory was meant to have a less involved story because has potential to have a great and involved story. Not as complex as Bionicle, of course, (Though I could easily follow the twists and turns when I was a kid.) but still have a nice and complex backstory with good writing.

[pocketmego]

LEGO's never going to live that down, is it? Anyway, I think the thing is that HF was never intended to be a very story-driven theme. To a certain degree, HF was meant to replace Bionicle in a way that had less story.

A less complex story, yes. But, they could do a lot to improve the writing without making the story overtly complex. Right off the top of my head... Not every villain needs to have a secret past with Stormer. Bulk, Stringer, Zib, and even Makura could be more included in these types of vendettas.

And as for Makura, its friggin' Malcolm McDowell. MAKE SOME DECENT USE OF HIM!

[CabooseBM]

You can do some pretty decent things with Hero Factory's story just using the seeds planted through out the different story years. You don't have to have the thick layers of overgrown canon-vines like Bionicle did.

I think the main reason LEGO isn't interested in doing a Hero Factory cartoon is because they're not interested in the entertainment business, any story is a vehicle to sell sets. Which isn't even a bad thing, really.

Edited May 5, 2013 by CabooseBM

[DraikNova]

My point is that because of the problems Bionicle was having with the story, LEGO's being extremely cautious when it comes to plot.

[pocketmego]

My point is that because of the problems Bionicle was having with the story, LEGO's being extremely cautious when it comes to plot.

No, I get where you're Coming from. And, obviously the current strategy is working, because from what I gather HR. BUT, I do wonder how much of those sales are Bionicle MOCers buying for parts.

[Aanchir]

No, I get where you're Coming from. And, obviously the current strategy is working, because from what I gather HR. BUT, I do wonder how much of those sales are Bionicle MOCers buying for parts.

I'd say not too many, just because at this point BIONICLE ended nearly three years ago and typically younger kids are the primary audience for sets rather than TFOLs and AFOLs. So I'd say a substantial percentage of Hero Factory buyers may never have had the chance to experience BIONICLE for themselves. Granted, there are a large number of BIONICLE fans and MOCists who have gone on to buy Hero Factory sets, but I imagine that number is dwarfed by the number of fans who first got into LEGO action figure themes after BIONICLE ended, especially since the size of the BIONICLE fan community (or at least, the portion that was still buying sets) had dwindled significantly by the time that theme ended.

Overall, I don't mind Hero Factory's simpler, less serious story. The only thing that especially bothers me is when the dialogue breaks character, like Stringer's "cattle wrangling" comment in Savage Planet. Otherwise, I'm not all that bothered by any of the series' silliness. Meanwhile, for those who want to experience a more serious storyline, Greg Farshtey's Hero Factory Secret Mission chapter books definitely look at the story through a somewhat more serious lens.

[pocketmego]

Overall, I don't mind Hero Factory's simpler, less serious story. The only thing that especially bothers me is when the dialogue breaks character, like Stringer's "cattle wrangling" comment in Savage Planet. Otherwise, I'm not all that bothered by any of the series' silliness. Meanwhile, for those who want to experience a more serious storyline, Greg Farshtey's Hero Factory Secret Mission chapter books definitely look at the story through a somewhat more serious lens.

Yeah, I was jolted by that line too. I was like..."Cattle russlin' back home at the factory!"

I have contemplated some of those books.

[ZORK64]

I don't think Hero Factory needs a long, complex story like Bionicle. I'm completely fine with every film having a story of it's own and doesn't require knowledge of the previous films to enjoy it.

The thing is just, I miss many of the funny quirks that were present in other media but absent in the film. For example, when Ordeal of Fire was new, there were those animated shorts with Zib and Stormer where they tested out the new tools. That was much more entertaining than Ordeal of Fire itself.

Or Evo's funny phrases from the comics ("I'm pleased with these new updates." "Stringer, I require your assistance!").

It's stuff like that, which would greatly help to flesh out the characters (and give them more notable differences aside from colour and voice). So why is that kind of stuff not in the films?

[PenPlays]

I watch every television length+ show from Lego, and I will continue to do so with the likes of Hero Factory. I have noticed some bit of an improvement, but I still find it a tad shy of the likes of say, Ninjago. I somewhat got into the sets originally, but then I drifted away, in part, due to my lack of interest in the story. Only recently I realized that story doesn't matter, and I'm slowly starting to warm up to the sets. Hero Factory sets aren't just at the top of my list, and I don't believe the story will push it up any further for the time being.

I also would like to say that, if something is fantastic, give it a sweeping saga (i.e. Dragon Ball and all of its iterations, Adventure Time, Star Wars). Bionicle was fantastic. It may have been a little overwhelming, but every time I look over the story lines on BS01, the excellently structured Bionicle wiki , I lose myself in how massive and gorgeous that universe was. I can see Lego re-booting it, although only vaguely mentioning the previous storyline, but this is not the thread for that.

Now, if they made a movie off of Hero Factory (with a popular, and capable movie writer) and a better, much more workable voice-cast, I would pre-order tickets if such options are available (I'll be going to Piece of Resistance opening night, heck).

[ToaJaller78]

I watch every television length+ show from Lego, and I will continue to do so with the likes of Hero Factory. I have noticed some bit of an improvement, but I still find it a tad shy of the likes of say, Ninjago. I somewhat got into the sets originally, but then I drifted away, in part, due to my lack of interest in the story. Only recently I realized that story doesn't matter, and I'm slowly starting to warm up to the sets. Hero Factory sets aren't just at the top of my list, and I don't believe the story will push it up any further for the time being.

I also would like to say that, if something is fantastic, give it a sweeping saga (i.e. Dragon Ball and all of its iterations, Adventure Time, Star Wars). Bionicle was fantastic. It may have been a little overwhelming, but every time I look over the story lines on BS01, the excellently structured Bionicle wiki , I lose myself in how massive and gorgeous that universe was. I can see Lego re-booting it, although only vaguely mentioning the previous storyline, but this is not the thread for that.

Now, if they made a movie off of Hero Factory (with a popular, and capable movie writer) and a better, much more workable voice-cast, I would pre-order tickets if such options are available (I'll be going to Piece of Resistance opening night, heck).

Dood...They are making a HF cinema movie and the Preators writers are making a script.

[DraikNova]

Dood...They are making a HF cinema movie and the Preators writers are making a script.

The thing is, the only "movie" we're getting is a 22-minute special, which is the same length as all the other episodes up till now.

[PenPlays]

The thing is, the only "movie" we're getting is a 22-minute special, which is the same length as all the other episodes up till now.

Hey if the writing style is going to get deeper into some story, I'm all for it!

[MakutaNocturn]

Dood...They are making a HF cinema movie and the Preators writers are making a script.

You mean Predators?

[ToaBulk98]

A less complex story, yes. But, they could do a lot to improve the writing without making the story overtly complex. Right off the top of my head... Not every villain needs to have a secret past with Stormer. Bulk, Stringer, Zib, and even Makura could be more included in these types of vendettas.

And as for Makura, its friggin' Malcolm McDowell. MAKE SOME DECENT USE OF HIM!

Not every villian does. What about Black Phantom, Voltix, or Dark Maker? I mean, 2 (maybe 3 if you count Fire Lord, but nobody cares about him) villians have had a past with Stormer.

Also, Bigger Fish, the line is "My new fire shield is working just fine."

[Chro]

or Dark Maker?

...

No.

[bacem]

The thing is, the only "movie" we're getting is a 22-minute special, which is the same length as all the other episodes up till now.

22 minute? that movie is the one that universal picture are worked on right? it should be al least 32 minutes or more.

[Aanchir]

22 minute? that movie is the one that universal picture are worked on right? it should be al least 32 minutes or more.

Yeah, I think DraikNova misunderstood your comment and thought you were talking about the one Advance and Ghost are producing for next year. Though as far as I know, a feature-length Hero Factory movie isn't yet in development. The last I heard was that Universal was in negotiations for the rights, and I don't think there have been any subsequent news updates on its status.