LEGO Star Wars 2016 Pictures and Rumors

[GreyBeard]

I remember hoping a re-release of 10188 with updated minifigures existed two years ago. You know, to have a more current, a go-between version, before the "real upgraded Death Star" would arrive at some point. I wondered why Lego hadn't done that, but concluded that they won't because a genuinely new Death Star would be needed so soon anyway. But now it's 2016, and if what CM4Sci said was accurate, then this is just a re-release of 10188 with updated minifigures, and not a new Death Star at all. Having gotten over the initial disappoinment, this makes me chuckle a bit, because I really didn't expect TLG to do a re-release at this point anymore. But maybe they can afford to play it safe, moneywise. It's not the 90s, and they are the second largest toy company in the world.

I feel slightly stupid. Like a kid, I waited for a "new" DS for over a year, and then it's precisely the re-release I would have liked existed in 2014. Well, I got my expectations wrong.

Also, just a guess, but perhaps Lego would have liked to do the re-release a couple of years ago, but decided to wait, because there was a new movie about the Death Star coming in just two years? Meaning Rogue One. Marketing, marketing.

Edited August 16, 2016 by GreyBeard

[Mymaker123]

Speaking as a newbie AFOL and as someone who discovered Lego a few months after the EOL of 10188, I Can't Freaking Wait for the new release. I had to pay almost $50 over Original price for 10188 and because of its investment opportunities, have never unsealed it. So, Bring on the New Set!

To those of you who are investors and feel somewhat let down by the reissue of the old DS, I feel bad for you. But for those of us who are new and still love the build, wahooooo! This is going to be awesome. From the thrill of opening the box and ripping open the new bags of never used bricks - to the silly mistakes that mean you have to take it back apart to figure out what you did wrong - to the very end where we sit and stare at the new creation! Oh, and lets not forget the minifigures. Lego has really been delivering on the designs. As far as I am concerned, Lego can keep making decisions based on people who love the build. The secondary market for Lego is not going to dry up. I am proof of that having bought three after-market QAR's (couldnt help myself).

My only problem is that there are three sets to purchase before the new DS and they are all pricey. Luckily there are five huge sets waiting to be built in the closet. All i need now is spare time. And more room in my home to display these awesome sets!

I salute your positivity here. This is the sorta thing I really like reading. People who just, plain and simple, love LEGO. No moaning about pricing or rehashing or low figure count or display ability, just straight up enjoy the brand and the build for what it's supposed to be; fun.

Back on topic, I think that the DS may be revealed within the next 48 hours. The time of day that the Disney Castle got revealed was about 1hr 30 mins from now, so, high hopes :)

Edited August 16, 2016 by Mymaker123

[Savage Oppress]

I salute your positivity here. This is the sorta thing I really like reading. People who just, plain and simple, love LEGO. No moaning about pricing or rehashing or low figure count or display ability, just straight up enjoy the brand and the build for what it's supposed to be; fun.

Back on topic, I think that the DS may be revealed within the next 48 hours. The time of day that the Disney Castle got revealed was about 1hr 30 mins from now, so, high hopes :)

I don't think that the DS will be revealed, considering it is movie spoilers for Rogue One

[mattyman]

Is this the new DS?

[Robianco]

I don't think that the DS will be revealed, considering it is movie spoilers for Rogue One

Come again? Aren't we 39 years into a rather big spoiler for the film?

[Calanon]

Is this the new DS?

I'm going to say no. Looks exactly like the old one but with a different piece for the superlaser that looks worse. The window from the Emperor's throneroom looks like the old piece and I highly, highly doubt they would reuse it when they can use the new TIE-cockpit style piece which they used for the Final Duel set.

[mattyman]

OK - wasn't sure

[Alonzo Brickovsky]

Is this the new DS?

Definitely not. No cheese slopes there.

[nikhkin]

That picture just looks like the superlaser doesn't have the ring around the emitter on the original. Comparing it to pictures of the original the remaining structure appears to be identical.

I feel like this is almost entirely an issue of timing. If they re-released the older modulars now I am sure it would be met with a lot more positivity. The main reason people are annoyed seems to be because an updated version comes so soon after the original retired.

[Sir Gareth]

No cheese slopes...

The new version has no cheese slopes either.

[Brainslugged]

Give me a chrome 3PO, R2 with rear printing and I'll be happy with the remake. Haven't got round to building my Death Star yet, but absolute worst case scenario is it becomes a big parts pack. The best thing about it is that it increases the chances of getting a revamped UCS Falcon - something I've wanted ever since the last one was a avilable but I wasn't fully out of my dark ages yet.

Don't fully understand the hate about a remake. Sure, it possibly sucks if you have the old one, but then again, no one is forcing you to pruchase it. For every person that's unhappy it's been remade, I bet there's ten who will be happy - some of which won't even have been born yet if it this new one remains on shelves for as long as the prior one did.

[Robianco]

I'm assuming that as people have seen the DS and not mentioned it C-3PO isn't chromed? It would go a long way to making this more attractive to some people but I think we'd have heard about it by now.

[nikhkin]

The new version has no cheese slopes either.

I would have expected cheese slopes to help get a smoother look to the sphere.

I'm assuming that as people have seen the DS and not mentioned it C-3PO isn't chromed? It would go a long way to making this more attractive to some people but I think we'd have heard about it by now.

They also haven't mentioned that he is chromed.

[LegoFjotten]

Lego can keep making decisions based on people who love the build

I think re-releasing a set is the opposite of that actually, it caters only to those who haven't built that set before.

Personally I was hoping for more of an update, maybe keeping much of the basic structure but reworking the interiors to bring them more up to date. Not too bummed though, I will wait for proper pictures and then decide. I would have like a cool new SW UCS set this year though, the big sets are the ones I really enjoy building.

With that said, I prefer an updated version with new figs on the shelf as opposed to keeping the 10188 on the shelf for another 5+ years. For some perspective though, if LEGO did a similar job on the 10179 - basically same set with updated figures - I bet a lot of us would rejoice.

Personally I feel the design of the sets have been so-so, people having a go at the designers is also appropriate (pretty sure some of them visit this page from time), how else will they improve otherwise? If it is acceptable to compliment a job well done, surely its equally acceptable to be critical to a job done poorly.

I think criticising the designs is appropriate, as well as TLG's set choices, but having a go at the designers is not. For all we know the job for the designer(s) on this DS was to simply update the minifigures and fix issues with the original build that customer service have had complaints about - in which case the designers job may have been performed exemplary. LEGO will be able to improve just fine if we criticise the sets instead of the designers. Name calling and "having a go at" will just keep them from sharing some insight from time to time.

Personally, I have not been very excited about the SW sets this year either, but a lot of the reason for that is that I'm mostly into OT sets. The RO sets for example fails to excite me but they do look like decent LEGO system representation of those vehicles. Maybe I will be more excited once I see the movie. Either way I'm pretty sure the build quality of those sets will be excellent.

[Bricky Dee Williams]

I don't know, even for the quality that picture looks convincing. The new TIE fighter design there is well, new. I don't know why there an antennae thing on the top,especially not for scale. I also think I se stickers going down the wall, but they don't look like that classic Death Star "wallpaper."

Edit: nevermind, I'm not really convinced here.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Aegis2000

[nikhkin]

The new TIE fighter design there is well, new.

How can you even make out a TIE Fighter in that picture?

[strangely]

If the customers (children) change all the time, as you say, then surely it would make more sense for lego to keep the same system sets on the market longer than the current six months-one year instead of rehashing it every so often. Which is how it used to be in the old days. I remember the same playmobil sets on the shelves for years.

I also remember never buying Playmobil because it seemed boring and old and there never seemed to be anything new for it. Plus, I don't think you can do that with Star Wars. There's a decently long list of sets they recycle, to have them all sitting on the shelves all at once would consume the entire Lego section of any given store (and the world ). By re-releasing every few years you're able to filter all the fan favorite sets through the stores without over-saturating the market. Too, by putting a couple of years between releases you give the market time to rest. You can swap in that years gimmicks (stud shooters) and add some new and cool art to the box and throw in a couple of updated minifigures and you have a set that not only new customers buy, but the old ones too.

My question is if there was very little changes to the new Death Star, why even retire the old one? This isn't like a typical rehash as in most of the previous LSW sets had years in between them. The Death Star was only a matter of months. I agree that Lego seems to be valuing money over "Only the Best is Good Enough". Even this is a child's toy, more thought should have gone into it. Unless CM4Sci is purposley jerking our chains.

Well, I don't think you can really update an existing set without it being a different set number. If they just threw the new parts into the old box then technically everyone who bought the set can demand the updated parts through customer service. After all it'd be the same set number, wouldn't customers be entitled to have what they already actually bought? How many millions of those minifigures would Lego suddenly be forced to ship out to customers for free? It would be a costly controversy. Lego wants to keep selling the Death Star, but some parts of it just don't pass current standards and thus as time goes by it's a harder sell (I really wanted the set but by the time I got into a position to where I could buy it I opted not to due to the fantastically out of date minifigures). Hence releasing a slightly updated set.

Sure, it sucks for the people who bought the last one, but the same thing happens with the smaller sets too (It's just the bigger price of the Death Star sets that compounds the issue).

It is unusual that this is releasing while the other is pretty much still out there and inevitably that'll lead to some blow back (Just look at this thread after all), but ultimately people will get over it (Ultimately most of the minifigures will show up in smaller sets). They probably should have waited a year or two, but I'm guessing the Rogue One movie with it's focus on the Death Star made them want to push it out now to capitalize on the moment.

[That Orange Thing]

I feel like this is almost entirely an issue of timing. If they re-released the older modulars now I am sure it would be met with a lot more positivity. The main reason people are annoyed seems to be because an updated version comes so soon after the original retired.

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head there, it's way too soon to re-release the set. Imagine if the the old USC Falcon was being re-released instead of this, with updates using modern techniques and pieces to make it even more sleek, this forum would go into meltdown as that set has become so mythical and desired by us.

But that is what we want as AFOL's. Lego will re-release the DS and it will sit on the shelf for another 8 years and sell very well, making a bucket load of money for lego. This was the smartest business decision they have made in a long time.

[Bricky Dee Williams]

How can you even make out a TIE Fighter in that picture?

Forgive me, that's not a TOE fighter's solar dish I saw...it's supposedly the new turbo laser. Whoops.

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head there, it's way too soon to re-release the set. Imagine if the the old USC Falcon was being re-released instead of this, with updates using modern techniques and pieces to make it even more sleek, this forum would go into meltdown as that set has become so mythical and desired by us.

I completely agree, I think that retiring the product the same year as releasing a face-lift is innaporpoiate. But, we're not here to discuss the three modulars I'm missing...

[CM4Sci]

That is not what it looks like, where is that from?

[mattyman]

just a post a saw on FB

[Bricky Dee Williams]

That is not what it looks like, where is that from?

Oh thanks goodness. Kind of makes you wonder why it's on display. Maybe it's an old preliminary display, if that's a thing.

[mattyman]

must be pretty similar if its a re-make of 10188 though...

[nikhkin]

That is not what it looks like, where is that from?

Well at least that tells us it isn't 100% identical

Oh thanks goodness. Kind of makes you wonder why it's on display. Maybe it's an old preliminary display, if that's a thing.

I assume it's an old picture from back when the original came out and was on display in a store.

[bountybossk]

The image is just a close-up of an image posted by Zussammengebaut on Twitter. The tweet says something like: "Oh, a LEGO Star Wars Death Star in HeidePark ;)". I guess HeidePark is a place in Germany. That's all.

Edit: Heide Park is an amusement park in Germany.

Edited August 16, 2016 by bountybossk