BrickJagger

Future Castle Sets?

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Just now, x105Black said:

I guess it's possible, but I would much rather see a Castle theme.  That said, it would probably provide a decent number of useful minifigure parts and other pieces.  Other builders might be into the dragons, which I would assume to be brick built.

Optimally, I'd hope that the figures would feature both normal heads/hairpieces (as opposed to specialized molds) and normal eyes (nothing stylized). As for the dragons, I'd preferably want to see them brick built, just as long as they were good constructs. 

Besides, do you think Lego will ever attempt another in-house Vikings theme? How to Train Your Dragon might be the best we could ever hope for currently. :shrug_confused:

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Report is in from the Toy Fair. This will make most of you happy: 

At the Toy Fair, we were told what has been speculated for weeks: there will not be a sixth wave of LEGO Nexo Knights in the summer. Say: The recently released five sets will be the last and the product cycle has been shortened by half a year.

At the press conference, Frédéric Lehmann, Managing Director of LEGO GmbH, once again emphasized the importance of the digital component, mentioning the Nexo Knights app. Probably one last time. The knights of the future move on: A quiet farewell.

What strikes me as interesting here is the fact that the production run is being halved. The newest wave will be off of the shelves by summer, which would give stores enough time to clear them out...before a new Castle theme shows up in 2019? :moar:

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1 hour ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Optimally, I'd hope that the figures would feature both normal heads/hairpieces (as opposed to specialized molds) and normal eyes (nothing stylized). As for the dragons, I'd preferably want to see them brick built, just as long as they were good constructs. 

Besides, do you think Lego will ever attempt another in-house Vikings theme? How to Train Your Dragon might be the best we could ever hope for currently. :shrug_confused:

I wouldn't rule out another in-house Vikings theme. Let's not forget that there was a ten- to twelve-year gap between Rock Raiders and Power Miners, Ninja and Ninjago, or the Studios monsters series and Monster Fighters. Plus, what with LEGO being a Danish company, it certainly feels like the type of idea they'd want to revisit.

How to Train Your Dragon sets would definitely be cool. I know Ionix held the building toys license currently and Playmobil has a license for it currently (though the latter would probably not conflict with a LEGO license, since Playmobil is not a building toy). If LEGO started getting Dreamworks licenses I would also hope it could lead to Trollhunters sets, since I've been really into that series lately (though admittedly there's probably not quite so much there for Castle builders, given its modern-day setting).

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19 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

Plus, what with LEGO being a Danish company, it certainly feels like the type of idea they'd want to revisit.

Yes, that's true.

19 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

LEGO started getting Dreamworks licenses I would also hope it could lead to Trollhunters sets, since I've been really into that series lately (though admittedly there's probably not quite so much there for Castle builders, given its modern-day setting).

The only thing is, would a broad DreamWorks license clash with what relationship TLG has with Disney/Pixar?

The way I feel about most themes, I usually prefer it when Lego consolidates smaller franchises/themes under one large umbrella theme, something that would be cool to see done for both Disney and DreamWorks. But, instead, perhaps Lego would instead take it one movie/franchise at a time?

Edited by Digger of Bricks

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The shortening of Nexo Knights likely means that current interest has waned enough that the cost of the image recognition coding per shield design is not expected to be covered by theme sales. Themes that get the 'Big Bang' treatment require a certain level of return to maintain operating costs, including theme branded secondary products. Ninjago's sustained level of appeal has proven to be an exception, not the rule.

If LEGO has been paying any bit of attention to the wealth of ideas offered here, which unlike Ideas are not subject to the sharing of sales profits, there is enough fodder for ten years worth of sets.

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4 hours ago, BrickJagger said:

before a new Castle theme shows up in 2019? :moar:

The candle of hope is once again lit after the evil reign of nexo knights has ended :grin:

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32 minutes ago, Roebuck said:

The candle of hope is once again lit after the evil reign of nexo knights has ended :grin:

 

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17 hours ago, BrickJagger said:

Report is in from the Toy Fair. This will make most of you happy: 

At the Toy Fair, we were told what has been speculated for weeks: there will not be a sixth wave of LEGO Nexo Knights in the summer. Say: The recently released five sets will be the last and the product cycle has been shortened by half a year.

At the press conference, Frédéric Lehmann, Managing Director of LEGO GmbH, once again emphasized the importance of the digital component, mentioning the Nexo Knights app. Probably one last time. The knights of the future move on: A quiet farewell.

What strikes me as interesting here is the fact that the production run is being halved. The newest wave will be off of the shelves by summer, which would give stores enough time to clear them out...before a new Castle theme shows up in 2019? :moar:

You were right, Jagger. That does make me happy. Hopefully they've had a regular castle theme at least partially developed and ready for production. Fingers crossed.

 

As for How to Train your Dragon, it wouldn't hurt my feelings in a "better than nothing" kind of way, but true Lego castle would be the real win. 

 

Imagery for the new Legoland California Castle Hotel seem to be mixing mostly 2013 Castle and Kingdoms references, though older 80's dragon knights and 90's lions heraldry can be seen too. I don't really expect that to hotel to be too plugged into super-current or future themes, but it's an interesting thought.

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Here's a rather bonkers idea, what if the Ninjago theme introduced an adversary with medieval European design influences? For that matter, why couldn't the theme give us allies and/or antagonists inspired after other ancient/medieval cultures besides oriental ones? :shrug_oh_well:

4 hours ago, SirBlake said:

As for How to Train your Dragon, it wouldn't hurt my feelings in a "better than nothing" kind of way, but true Lego castle would be the real win. 

Besides HTTYD, what other currently relevant animated TV/movie franchises could you see making for some useful licensed themes that would be of interest to Historical AFOLs? The one thing that can be useful about some licensed franchises, is that they can offer sets and minifigures that are darker and more realistic in their aesthetics compared to what would usually be offered from an in-house theme focused upon the same historical period (Disney's POTC and The Lone Ranger, for instance).

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Just now, Digger of Bricks said:

Besides HTTYD, what other currently relevant animated TV/movie franchises could you see making for some useful licensed themes that would be of interest to Historical AFOLs? The one thing that can be useful about some licensed franchises, is that they can offer sets and minifigures that are darker and more realistic in their aesthetics compared to what would usually be offered from an in-house theme focused upon the same historical period (Disney's POTC and The Lone Ranger, for instance).

I couldn't stomach yet another licensed theme, medieval or not. What's the problem with a traditional Castle theme? I think we're due for a theme similar to Fantasy Era next year.

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53 minutes ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Besides HTTYD, what other currently relevant animated TV/movie franchises could you see making for some useful licensed themes that would be of interest to Historical AFOLs? The one thing that can be useful about some licensed franchises, is that they can offer sets and minifigures that are darker and more realistic in their aesthetics compared to what would usually be offered from an in-house theme focused upon the same historical period (Disney's POTC and The Lone Ranger, for instance).

I don’t know. HTTYD is really probably the best fit as far as that goes. You make good points about the tone being more realistic in licensed themes, but I’m really more interested in non-licensed. 

Look at the crownies from Fantasy as a good example. That dark blue and silver is a great look. Darker and more sophisticated than something like 2013, but still fun and yellow. That’s what I’m looking for. 

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1 hour ago, BrickJagger said:

I couldn't stomach yet another licensed theme, medieval or not. What's the problem with a traditional Castle theme? I think we're due for a theme similar to Fantasy Era next year.

I know, I know, I myself am more inclined towards in-house themes over licensed ones. But, for the sake of speculation, specific licensed franchises can offer something for fans in terms of both parts and minifigures, so hence my question.

Besides, an honest-to-goodness Castle theme will come sooner than an in-house Space theme seemingly ever will, thanks to you-know-who and company. :hmpf_bad:

10 minutes ago, SirBlake said:

Look at the crownies from Fantasy as a good example. That dark blue and silver is a great look. Darker and more sophisticated than something like 2013, but still fun and yellow. That’s what I’m looking for. 

That's true, as that theme did nearly border on a level of grimness that slightly resembled LOTR, but perhaps with a bit more optimism. Heck, speaking of HTTYD, even Lego's own Viking theme had a rather gritty aesthetic come to think of it!

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On 1/30/2018 at 9:43 PM, BrickJagger said:

This will make most of you happy: 

Very happy indeed.

5 hours ago, BrickJagger said:

What's the problem with a traditional Castle theme?

4 hours ago, SirBlake said:

I’m really more interested in non-licensed.

Agreed 100%.

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With the demise of Nexo Knights, this seems like the perfect time to bring back the classic Castle theme. I would much prefer non-licenced sets. The only licenced stuff I'd be interested in seeing is sets based on Game of Thrones but doubt that would ever happen.. sigh!

I think Classic Castle would work well at the moment. There is a lot of interest in medieval themes and styles created from TV shows and movies like Game of Thrones. On top of that it's the 40th anniversary of the original Castle theme so now seems like the perfect time to bring it back.

Unfortunately I doubt it would happen for maybe a couple of years after Nexo Knights ends. Traditional style sets would seem like a step backwards for kids who've grown up seeing Nexo Knights on the shelves. No doubt adult fans including myself would love to see the old style Castle theme return but I do think they'd struggle to attract the same children who've been used to playing with Nexo's.

So sadly I think it would probably be summer 2019 at the earliest before any other sets connected with Knights or Castles get released.

Edited by Bricked1980

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9 hours ago, BrickJagger said:

I couldn't stomach yet another licensed theme, medieval or not. What's the problem with a traditional Castle theme?

Presumably the answer is sales / financials. Only LEGO knows what the sales figures for traditional castle themes are like.

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As I've said a handful postings above, and which you guys obviously didn't read, Playmobil already owns the HTTYD license! So this part of the discussion is rather futile!

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1 hour ago, kabel said:

As I've said a handful postings above, and which you guys obviously didn't read, Playmobil already owns the HTTYD license! So this part of the discussion is rather futile!

As Aanchir said before you, Playmobil isn't really in the construction toy category so maybe there's a chance? I personally doubt it, but stranger things have happened. 

Playmobil and Lego Porsche's have been on the shelves at the same time.

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2 minutes ago, SirBlake said:

Playmobil and Lego Porsche's have been on the shelves at the same time.

Yes and Lego and playmobil ghostbusters.

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Still, they are both fishing in the same pond, which is why I think it's highly unlikely

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Interesting thing about playmobil: Not only do they have the HTTYD license, they now make fantasy stuff ala dwarfs.

I honestly believe, they have realized, that Lego is lacking any sort of castle, and are now catering for the children, wanting to play with knights/ historic stuff. They have Romans, Knights, HTTYD, and now Dwarfs at the same time, which is just a ridiculous selection. They are surely hunting in the grounds, the absence of lego castle/fantasy/ historic has left open.

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1 hour ago, kabel said:

Still, they are both fishing in the same pond, which is why I think it's highly unlikely

I agree it's unlikely, but not impossible. 

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1 hour ago, josykay said:

Interesting thing about playmobil: Not only do they have the HTTYD license, they now make fantasy stuff ala dwarfs.

I honestly believe, they have realized, that Lego is lacking any sort of castle, and are now catering for the children, wanting to play with knights/ historic stuff. They have Romans, Knights, HTTYD, and now Dwarfs at the same time, which is just a ridiculous selection. They are surely hunting in the grounds, the absence of lego castle/fantasy/ historic has left open.

This is one of the reasons why I get frustrated when people try to say kids don't like medieval fantasy stuff.  There is a sizable audience of kids as well as adults who love this stuff.

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11 hours ago, Bricked1980 said:

With the demise of Nexo Knights, this seems like the perfect time to bring back the classic Castle theme. I would much prefer non-licenced sets. The only licenced stuff I'd be interested in seeing is sets based on Game of Thrones but doubt that would ever happen.. sigh!

I think Classic Castle would work well at the moment. There is a lot of interest in medieval themes and styles created from TV shows and movies like Game of Thrones. On top of that it's the 40th anniversary of the original Castle theme so now seems like the perfect time to bring it back.

Unfortunately I doubt it would happen for maybe a couple of years after Nexo Knights ends. Traditional style sets would seem like a step backwards for kids who've grown up seeing Nexo Knights on the shelves. No doubt adult fans including myself would love to see the old style Castle theme return but I do think they'd struggle to attract the same children who've been used to playing with Nexo's.

So sadly I think it would probably be summer 2019 at the earliest before any other sets connected with Knights or Castles get released.

It's super confusing to read things about "classic castle" here because compared to Classic Space (which is usually used to refer to a specific aesthetic and design philosophy), I'm never sure when people say "classic castle" whether they mean something with specific throwbacks to the original LEGO Castle set designs, or just castle in the generic sense which encompasses such wide-ranging aesthetics as Dragon Masters, Royal Knights, Fantasy Era, Kingdoms, Forestmen, etc.

But anyway, if new Castle sets were anything like past Castle themes, then your concern about following up Nexo Knights shouldn't be too pertinent, because most Castle themes are aimed younger than Nexo Knights, not older. Also, part of why themes run their course is because over time they no longer have as much novelty. So I think Nexo Knights ending means audiences are probably ready for something different. As for whether "different" means "more traditional", it certainly can (though it doesn't have to — cyber-knights are far from the only non-traditional direction that a Castle theme could take).

Since 2004, Castle has been "refreshed" every three years pretty much like clockwork. By that argument, it's not unrealistic to expect a new Castle theme in 2019. But of course, like any tradition, that renewal cycle isn't necessarily binding, and LEGO could delay a new Castle theme if they don't think the time is right. I'm personally anticipating new castle sets of some kind in 2019, but not necessarily at the beginning of the year.

Edited by Aanchir

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8 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

It's super confusing to read things about "classic castle" here because compared to Classic Space (which is usually used to refer to a specific aesthetic and design philosophy), I'm never sure when people say "classic castle" whether they mean something with specific throwbacks to the original LEGO Castle set designs, or just castle in the generic sense which encompasses such wide-ranging aesthetics as Dragon Masters, Royal Knights, Fantasy Era, Kingdoms, Forestmen, etc.

When I use it, unless specifically referencing specific themes or sets, that's exactly what I mean. Specific aesthetic and design philosophy. For example: Kingdoms certainly qualifies.

Though for the sake of clarity, I think I tend to use the term "traditional castle" rather than "classic" because classic can sound like it's only referring to old stuff.

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