Third 2015 LEGO Ideas Review - Guessing Game

[Blondie-Wan]

Sorry I meant it was available until 2015.

I'm pretty sure Character Building's Doctor Who stuff was available until not all that long before Ideas began accepting submissions based on the property (indeed, I know they were still in stores, even if CB wasn't selling them any longer itself). For that matter, I remember Mega Bloks' Marvel and Cars stuff being still being on shelves even as TLG's licenses to those properties began.

What's important here is whether K'Nex still has the license for Yellow Submarine. The fact their site has absolutely zero mention of it anywhere (other than the archived press release from back when they first announced it), not even a "Sold Out" message, suggests to me that not only are they no longer selling the set, but that they in fact no longer have the license. Of course, anything's possible...

Ultimately, I think the success of the TYS IDEAS project will depend on whether TLG can see long-term use of the license because the license Beatles license is costly.

And yet K'Nex was obviously able to get it, at least for a short while. I doubt TLG would have trouble affording a license K'Nex got. I don't think they're concerned about whether they can use it for the long term, either - I really doubt they're planning on doing a lot more with their The Big Bang Theory license, after all (though granted, I was wrong about them getting it in the first place, but still...).

[Another Brick In The Wall]

I doubt much K'Nex has the license

THe BBT and the Beatles are not really comparable licenses though so I'm not sure how far you can stretch the analogy. So we don't know whether it economically viable for TLG to license it for one set, which has limited demographic appeal. (And let's be honest, if I was a Beatles fan, I would have purchased the almost identical K'nex model in the last 4 years.)

Also, the subject matter of the project is highly questionable material for the image of TLG.

[x105Black]

(And let's be honest, if I was a Beatles fan, I would have purchased the almost identical K'nex model in the last 4 years.)

Also, the subject matter of the project is highly questionable material for the image of TLG.

I am a Beatles fan. A big fan. And I didn't buy the K'Nex model because I don't care for K'Nex. Also, you say it's almost identical, but this Ideas project is much better looking overall than the one made by K'Nex.

As for the subject matter, I don't think there are any issues. It's a great animated movie based on the music of arguably the greatest band of all time. I think it fits very nicely. It's actually pretty comparable to Adventure Time, although it's older and overall happier.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

I am a Beatles fan. A big fan. And I didn't buy the K'Nex model because I don't care for K'Nex. Also, you say it's almost identical, but this Ideas project is much better looking overall than the one made by K'Nex.

As for the subject matter, I don't think there are any issues. It's a great animated movie based on the music of arguably the greatest band of all time. I think it fits very nicely. It's actually pretty comparable to Adventure Time, although it's older and overall happier.

No issues other than being a euphemism for a drug they were on at the time.

[tafkatb]

[citation needed]

[Another Brick In The Wall]

[citation needed]

"Drugs occurred, like everything else, in almost wearisome profusion. The need dated from Hamburg and the months without sleep; it remained, amid the dizzying fame, to prop their eyes open through each night's arduous pleasure. Now the pills were bright-colored, like new clothes and cars--French Blues, Purple Hearts, Black Bombers, and Yellow Submarines. The reflex grew in their growing boredom with everyday pleasures. More exciting than worship or sex, champagne or new toys, was to swallow a pill, just to see what would happen."

Source: Shout!" the definitive Beatles biography p. 272

Yellow Submarine is temazapam

Source: Google.

Temazapam tablets have more than a passing resemblance to the Yellow Submarine model

Source: Google images.

HTH.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Another Brick In The Wall

[Blondie-Wan]

THe BBT and the Beatles are not really comparable licenses though so I'm not sure how far you can stretch the analogy. So we don't know whether it economically viable for TLG to license it for one set, which has limited demographic appeal. (And let's be honest, if I was a Beatles fan, I would have purchased the almost identical K'nex model in the last 4 years.)

My point about The Big Bang Theory is merely that it likely illustrates that TLG is fine with acquiring a license for a single set (since presumably the TBBT Ideas set is not only the first but also, presumably, the last thing TLG will produce for that particular franchise).

I think the demographic appeal of Yellow Submarine is sufficiently broad. At the same time, I know many Beatles-loving FOLs surely felt mixed emotions upon seeing the K'Nex set, as many would surely love to get a set of the ship if only it were LEGO. I include myself in this group (just like I'm a Pixar fan who saw the Mega Bloks Cars sets but bought only LEGO ones, a Marvel fan who avoided MB's Marvel sets but has bought several LEGO ones, a Doctor Who fan who held out on the Character Building sets in hopes LEGO would get the license, etc.).

But perhaps you're right. At any rate, we should know in about four months, give or take a few weeks.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Well, for the record, i voted for TYS and naturally would buy it. I just want Victorian London Christmas (and perhaps 20,000 Leagues) more ;)

[CM4Sci]

Lets be realistic here, a bunch of modular buildings cramped together won't win. It's a nice model, but still.

I'm still positive Yellow Submarine is the winner of this bunch!

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Lets be realistic here, a bunch of modular buildings cramped together won't win. It's a nice model, but still.

I would be just one Modular plus the creation of a new theme. This is what they would have done with Western Modular Town but for the license conflict with Lone Ranger.

Three Creator modulars will be retired this year (Pet Shop, Palace Cinema and Parisian Restaurant) so demand for Modular Buildings will be there. An annual Modular (released in Winter) makes plenty of sense if you think about it.

Btw, Victorian London Christmas was the second fastest CUUSOO/IDEAS project to reach 10,000 votes.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Another Brick In The Wall

[Blondie-Wan]

I love the Victorian London Christmas project as well, and voted for it, but I'm hesitant to bet on it getting through; while I'm sure they will indeed approve such large projects eventually, I don't know if they're ready to do so just yet.

Btw, Victorian London Christmas was the second fastest CUUSOO/IDEAS project to reach 10,000 votes.

There are quite a few that have done it faster, actually - Minecraft did it in just 48 hours, the Doctor Who project that got approved took four or five weeks and the competing one that didn't took about half that, Alatariel's second set of scientist vignettes took about three weeks, the Golden Girls project that made it to review was also fast... the Victorian project certainly got its votes faster than most, but it's not quite the second-fastest.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Somebody made that claim on another forum -- admittedly I didn't fact-check it.

Shaun of the Dead was another that made it to 10K in less than two months.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Another Brick In The Wall

[tafkatb]

Source: Google images

That's cute. "Yellow submarine" only became a slang term for pills after the song, which is deliberate nonsense written for children, became popular. I understand lots of people really really want everything to be a drug reference, though, so believe whatever you want.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

That's cute. "Yellow submarine" only became a slang term for pills after the song, which is deliberate nonsense written for children, became popular. I understand lots of people really really want everything to be a drug reference, though, so believe whatever you want.

[citation needed]

Did you read the excerpt from the Beatles biography I posted?

(Probably not)

Edited March 21, 2016 by Another Brick In The Wall

[AFOLguy1970]

I was kind of leaning towards Saturn V due to the historical significance as well as physical appeal to all ages. I figured if the Mars rover could last only a matter of days, then the rocket could be very marketable. How many parts are necessary to build it? Another possible downside issue to it would be stickers. It would either have to be stickers or several printed parts. Lego could do well with this especially if they could sell this at places like the space centers and museums where space exploration is highlighted in addition to the Lego store and online.

I also get the potential that Yellow Submarine has. If they can do BBT and Adventure Time, then certainly this could attract at least as much support.

[Artanis I]

Did you read the excerpt from the Beatles biography I posted?

(Probably not)

Every biography and documentary on The Beatles seems to contradict the others in terms of what is or isn't a deliberate drug reference. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I don't think you could take much written as 'gospel' though. Plus, drug references in the mid/mid-late 20th C (while still frowned on by many) weren't as bad a thing as today, now that we've seen much more of the destruction caused by use & abuse.

But I still say that probably nothing will pass this review.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Artanis I

[Blondie-Wan]

But I still say that probably nothing will pass this review.

Really? That's pretty pessimistic. On what basis do you think they'd decline even the Saturn V? I can't see any real obstacles for that one.

[Artanis I]

Really? That's pretty pessimistic. On what basis do you think they'd decline even the Saturn V? I can't see any real obstacles for that one.

It's a giant pencil, not very interesting. I know a lot of people (Americans mostly) love space programme stuff, but rockets don't look that great. Would kids want a rocket like that? It has a chance, but I think it's a bit dull, and maybe too big for what it is. A shuttle would definitely be a different story (we've seen plenty of those as sets).

And no, it's not pessimistic, you know there's much more to passing review than being a nice model or popular idea. You've seen plenty of good projects fail. I am saying that I would not be surprised one bit if no project passes, while one or two could, but I think 0 is slightly more likely. And 15% of poll respondants say so.

[Blondie-Wan]

It's a giant pencil, not very interesting. I know a lot of people (Americans mostly) love space programme stuff, but rockets don't look that great. Would kids want a rocket like that? It has a chance, but I think it's a bit dull, and maybe too big for what it is. A shuttle would definitely be a different story (we've seen plenty of those as sets).

If you say so. I'd dearly love to have it, though (just as I'd dearly love to have the MSL Curiosity Rover you similarly dismissed). I think it's an elegant, beautiful model of one of the most amazing things ever created by human beings.

And no, it's not pessimistic, you know there's much more to passing review than being a nice model or popular idea. You've seen plenty of good projects fail. I am saying that I would not be surprised one bit if no project passes, while one or two could, but I think 0 is slightly more likely. And 15% of poll respondants say so.

And I think that's simply unlikely. The odds against any one single project (even the Saturn V) not passing might be somewhat longer, and it's certainly true some particular projects have very little chance, but we can be sure they would rather be able to say "yes" to at least one thing than "no" to everything, All it takes is for them to approve one project, any one, for the answer to be greater than "none".

Edited March 22, 2016 by Blondie-Wan

[AFOLguy1970]

If you say so. I'd dearly love to have it, though (just as I'd dearly love to have the MSL Curiosity Rover you similarly dismissed). I think it's an elegant, beautiful model of one of the most amazing things ever created by human beings.

And I think that's simply unlikely. The odds against any one single project (even the Saturn V) not passing might be somewhat longer, and it's certainly true some particular projects have very little chance, but we can be sure they would rather be able to say "yes" to at least one thing than "no" to everything, All it takes is for them to approve one project, any one, for the answer to be greater than "none".

The Saturn V would make my buy list as well. I was born right after the first moon landing, but can only imagine the memories people have of the launch to the landing to the recovery. Besides being an attractive model, it represents the only time mankind has ever set foot on solid ground outside the Earth. Kids enjoy rockets, and AFOLS would appreciate the significance of the model in addition to the sleek attractive display. The only thing I am unsure about is the number of parts. It looks large, but it Lego is willing to take a chance on a larger set, this could be the one. We plan on taking the kids to Space Center Houston this summer, and I could only imagine how well a Lego Saturn V would sell at a place like that. If this thing was in aerospace museum gift shops worldwide, I would hypothesize that those places alone could carry sales even before you considered the Lego Store and S@H.

[CM4Sci]

It's a giant pencil, not very interesting.

To me, personally, space projects are the most boring ones. They don't do much. Anything at all, really. I guess it's only if you're into that kind of stuff. I'm thinking kids, would kids want this? Kids like WALL-E, kids like Doctor Who, kids LOVE Minecraft, ROBLOX, kids AND adults like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, etc.

[Blondie-Wan]

Gee, I guess all those science-y projects must simply have cheated their way to 10,000 votes, huh?

Smart kids love science - maybe not all, but enough of them (and I'd hazard a guess there's more than a little overlap between that group and LEGO fandom). There are entire companies surviving and even thriving around just science-based toys.

Moreover, the project here is really more about the vehicle itself. I'd argue a rocket is way, way cooler than some boring, mundane thing like a car (for example). Especially if it's a rocket that actually, for real, let people set foot on another freaking world.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Blondie-Wan

[P3_Super_Bee]

Hmmm...

Jurassic Park Explorer: NOPE. Lego already has the licence. Don't think they do ideas they already have licence for.

20,000 Leagues: NOPE. Size

Toyota Land Cruiser: NOPE. Size

Yellow Submarine: Possible, licence could be issue

HMS Beagle: NOPE. Size

Apollo 11: Possible.

Concorde: Possible

Park Service: NOPE. Not a world-wide intrest.

Victorian Christmas: NOPE. Size

Out of the 9 i have three possibles. my two that make it to the shelves would be:

Concorde

Apollo 11

[legonerd54321]

Am I the only person that wants to see the Concorde a set? It's a big part of aviation history, and it'd be a nice plane for us to get.

[Blondie-Wan]

Am I the only person that wants to see the Concorde a set?

Of course not - it got 10,000 supports, after all! Every single project that makes it into a review batch is inherently one that several thousand people, at least, want to see as a set.

(I voted for the Concorde project myself, as I did most or all of these others. If you meant "am I the only person in this forum that wants to see the Concorde a set", then still no - I'd like very much to see that as well!)