Unpopular Opinions about LEGO

[doomguy]

On 2/15/2021 at 2:36 PM, koalayummies said:

The strategy: rummage through Wikipedia for any "good old days" entertainment license and find out when the next Hollywood remake or TV spinoff will be. For example a book (ancient) that was adapted into a movie (window passed) that was rebooted into another movie (not current) that was remade as a cartoon (too limited) that is currently in studio negotiations for a TV series (jackpot!).

The implementation: Disregard everything about Lego and instead focus on the timing of an existing multimedia license rehash. Let TLG handle the rest including polishing the 6-minute-design. Crank these submissions out like Funko Pops.

/disenchantment summary

Couldn't of said it better myself 

[smazmats]

On 2/15/2021 at 1:36 PM, koalayummies said:

The strategy: rummage through Wikipedia for any "good old days" entertainment license and find out when the next Hollywood remake or TV spinoff will be. For example a book (ancient) that was adapted into a movie (window passed) that was rebooted into another movie (not current) that was remade as a cartoon (too limited) that is currently in studio negotiations for a TV series (jackpot!).

The implementation: Disregard everything about Lego and instead focus on the timing of an existing multimedia license rehash. Let TLG handle the rest including polishing the 6-minute-design. Crank these submissions out like Funko Pops.

/disenchantment summary 

You forgot the final step: Spam it EVERYWHERE. If a website/page is frequented by AFOLs or people that might have a tiniest fraction of interest in the subject of your project you need to share it and ask for support at least every month!

I don't mind seeing an Ideas project every now and then and if its really well done I'll take the time to support it, however the over saturation of project promotion everywhere online just low-key annoys me now.

[Trekkie99]

On 2/15/2021 at 2:46 AM, Tube Map Central said:

So many unpopular opinions that would be get me shunned forever ...

Here is one:

Don't submit to Ideas if you only have renders. If you can't be bothered to buy it and build it then why should I?

You have to wonder whether some people on Ideas have ever even held a Lego brick before in their lives, if there is no physics then it is not Lego!

Actually, I know that MOCing can be unbelievably expensive, but I personally think that anyone who has got to 1000 and is looking promising SHOULD build the thing and show us the photographs.

Nah. If TLG makes it then alot will probably be changed anyway unless your model was already up to official Lego standards in terms of structural integrity (aka kinda boring imo lol). Look at Pete Reid's mech for example. 

[howitzer]

Continuing with unpopular opinions about Ideas:

Licensed stuff should have a blanket ban on Ideas. The whole point of the Ideas is for people to be able to present something new and original, and there's nothing new and original about taking someone else's already-produced and widely distributed IP and submitting it to the platform.

Sets like the Treehouse and Ship in a Bottle are nice examples of how original ideas can be made into a great set, while others like Central Perk and the Flintstones are just about recycling the creations of someone else.

[MAB]

23 minutes ago, howitzer said:

Continuing with unpopular opinions about Ideas:

Licensed stuff should have a blanket ban on Ideas. The whole point of the Ideas is for people to be able to present something new and original, and there's nothing new and original about taking someone else's already-produced and widely distributed IP and submitting it to the platform.

Sets like the Treehouse and Ship in a Bottle are nice examples of how original ideas can be made into a great set, while others like Central Perk and the Flintstones are just about recycling the creations of someone else.

What is original about a ship in a bottle, a globe, a typewriter, a piano, a maze, ... these are all existing objects copied in lego form. Why is that any different to an original lego design based on a licensed property? 

[Flak Maniak]

Let's go one step further: A castle or a pirate ship is also an existing object or concept in Lego form!

So the only original-enough things would be... Truly abstract builds with no precedent in reality or fantasy!

[Karalora]

I'm pretty sure @howitzer means Ideas sets should succeed on the strength of the model design itself, not piggybacking on the popularity of a given franchise brand. A ban on explicit IP usage would not prevent anyone from being inspired by an IP, and they could communicate that to other fans and give us "<IP> in all but name" set ideas.

[MAB]

4 hours ago, Karalora said:

I'm pretty sure @howitzer means Ideas sets should succeed on the strength of the model design itself, not piggybacking on the popularity of a given franchise brand. A ban on explicit IP usage would not prevent anyone from being inspired by an IP, and they could communicate that to other fans and give us "<IP> in all but name" set ideas.

But why bother with that when it won't necessarily appeal to fans of the IP if it is not the actual IP. IDEAS is meant to appeal to a wide range of fans and not just existing LEGO fans.

[Karalora]

19 hours ago, MAB said:

But why bother with that when it won't necessarily appeal to fans of the IP if it is not the actual IP. IDEAS is meant to appeal to a wide range of fans and not just existing LEGO fans.

I'm just saying that's what they meant by "original." Not "nothing like this has ever been seen before," but "this is not directly aping any work of media that already exists."

[howitzer]

On 2/18/2021 at 9:37 AM, MAB said:

What is original about a ship in a bottle, a globe, a typewriter, a piano, a maze, ... these are all existing objects copied in lego form. Why is that any different to an original lego design based on a licensed property? 

Naturally I didn't mean that all submissions should be genuinely new and never seen before type of builds. What I meant was about using third party IP to turn it into a Lego set. If I had to draw a line I'd say that as long as TLG could release it as a set without making a licensing contract with a third party it's ok.

So Barracuda Bay is ok but The Flintstones isn't.

[Alexandrina]

1 hour ago, howitzer said:

So Barracuda Bay is ok but The Flintstones isn't.

But for some licensed properties (The Flintstones is a great example of this) the license is the only thing that's going to give the concept enough popularity to sell. The Flintstones is an iconic cartoon that has an audience. A generic "prehistoric-esque family in stone houses" without the Flintstones name would never get a look in unless the build was both genuinely innovative and only appropriate for that particular niche.

[MAB]

5 hours ago, howitzer said:

Naturally I didn't mean that all submissions should be genuinely new and never seen before type of builds. What I meant was about using third party IP to turn it into a Lego set. If I had to draw a line I'd say that as long as TLG could release it as a set without making a licensing contract with a third party it's ok.

So Barracuda Bay is ok but The Flintstones isn't.

So you'd cut out anything licensed based and only sell IDEAS sets to what for the most part will be existing LEGO fans, instead of attracting new buyers?  Lego probably has a pretty good idea what the next object on the shelf type set could be and could go on producing those forever. They also probably know they can repeat some large models with a classic theme vibe. However, they do seem to need help with working out which licenses would do well as one off sets.

[Tube Map Central]

5 hours ago, MAB said:

So you'd cut out anything licensed based and only sell IDEAS sets to what for the most part will be existing LEGO fans, instead of attracting new buyers?  Lego probably has a pretty good idea what the next object on the shelf type set could be and could go on producing those forever. They also probably know they can repeat some large models with a classic theme vibe. However, they do seem to need help with working out which licenses would do well as one off sets.

Friends, Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory, Flintstones, Mickey Mouse, Sesame Street, Dr Who.

It's not difficult. Long running, international success, recognisable ensemble cast, successfully rebooted (possibly as film). Could probably write an AI computer programme to pick them.

Scooby Doo, Loony Tunes, Frasier, Tom & Jerry, Top Cat, Wallace & Gromit.

I came up with this list off the top of my head, then checked Ideas. Yes, all doing well, except Top Cat but the ones I saw looked dreadful.

Wonder if Sergent Bilko is worth a shot, or is comedy army out as far as Lego is concerned? We could probably come up with a good list if we wanted to. Or run through this list.

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-tv-shows-ever-2/

Lego could check out this list too if their marketing department can't cope with IP mining

[MAB]

3 hours ago, Tube Map Central said:

Friends, Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory, Flintstones, Mickey Mouse, Sesame Street, Dr Who.

It's not difficult. Long running, international success, recognisable ensemble cast, successfully rebooted (possibly as film). Could probably write an AI computer programme to pick them.

Scooby Doo, Loony Tunes, Frasier, Tom & Jerry, Top Cat, Wallace & Gromit.

I came up with this list off the top of my head, then checked Ideas. Yes, all doing well, except Top Cat but the ones I saw looked dreadful.

Wonder if Sergent Bilko is worth a shot, or is comedy army out as far as Lego is concerned? We could probably come up with a good list if we wanted to. Or run through this list.

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-tv-shows-ever-2/

Lego could check out this list too if their marketing department can't cope with IP mining

In other words, IDEAS is no longer needed.

[Flak Maniak]

Split IDEAS into a no-licenses, original-builds thing (basically current IDEAS but no licensed projects allowed), and a website that just says "vote for your favorite licenses and plead for Lego to acquire them".

[MAB]

2 hours ago, Flak Maniak said:

Split IDEAS into a no-licenses, original-builds thing (basically current IDEAS but no licensed projects allowed), and a website that just says "vote for your favorite licenses and plead for Lego to acquire them".

That is not what happens in licensed though. Some people submit absolutely terrible builds based on popular licenses and they don't go anywhere. 

If it is just vote for your favourite licensed theme, then also have vote for your favourite past lego theme, or for your favourite object you want to be made from lego without needing a build. There is skill in the builds for licensed themes, just as there is for non-licensed themes. I don't really see why some people see no value in licensed IDEAS submissions. There have been licenses I am a fan of, where I have not voted due to the bad build.

Edited February 20, 2021 by MAB

[Alexandrina]

2 hours ago, MAB said:

That is not what happens in licensed though. Some people submit absolutely terrible builds based on popular licenses and they don't go anywhere. 

On top of that, a build might get improved but it's not like Lego are going to take the license and do something different with it. If Star Wars had never been licensed, and an X Wing got into the review phase and got approved, sure Lego will fiddle around with the design of the X wing but they're not gonna release a TIE Fighter and pretend it's the same idea

[howitzer]

14 hours ago, MAB said:

So you'd cut out anything licensed based and only sell IDEAS sets to what for the most part will be existing LEGO fans, instead of attracting new buyers?  Lego probably has a pretty good idea what the next object on the shelf type set could be and could go on producing those forever. They also probably know they can repeat some large models with a classic theme vibe. However, they do seem to need help with working out which licenses would do well as one off sets.

This topic is about unpopular opinions about Lego, is it not? I have no illusions of my opinion here actually affecting anything TLG does and I'm not obligated to support Ideas (or any other for that matter) sets that I don't think are worthy.

About needing help in working out which licenses would do well, I'm not so sure about that. The only Ideas submission that has spawned a full-fledged theme is Minecraft, while others like Friends or Sesame Street are obviously not something that could become a long-running product line. Maybe they are useful in catering to 30-40 year old people who have no previous interest in Lego, but I somehow find it hard to believe those people would become regular customers anyway. They take the one set's worth of money from those fans and that's mostly it.

[Pinnacle]

I think that there are much as AFOL’s as that er are opinions about TLG and what they should do or not do. Speaking for myself, I am not very interested in sets or themes. The only thing I like most is the parts in all kinds of shape and colours. And easy to buy in bulk for a reasonable price. Bags of 1000 or so.

Then I can build my own themes. I need no LEGO-company to feed my creativity.

[Alexandrina]

8 minutes ago, Pinnacle said:

The only thing I like most is the parts in all kinds of shape and colours. And easy to buy in bulk for a reasonable price. Bags of 1000 or so.

The only question that raises is what parts go into the bags? Is a bag of 1,000 just 1,000 of the same brick? 1,000 different bricks? How does Lego determine what goes in? I don't think Lego will ever move away from having at least an idea book with a Basic set now, if for no other reason than to determine the contents of the Basic set. There are too many unique parts and colours now to sell bricks the way they did in the 1950s, and too many AFOLs used to the wide variety for them to ever condense their range to a core of fifty different shapes again.

[Pinnacle]

16 hours ago, Alexandrina said:

The only question that raises is what parts go into the bags? Is a bag of 1,000 just 1,000 of the same brick? 1,000 different bricks? How does Lego determine what goes in? I don't think Lego will ever move away from having at least an idea book with a Basic set now, if for no other reason than to determine the contents of the Basic set. There are too many unique parts and colours now to sell bricks the way they did in the 1950s, and too many AFOLs used to the wide variety for them to ever condense their range to a core of fifty different shapes again.

Sorry for being unclear. I meant to say; bags of 1000 pieces of the same shape and colour. Or better, a possibility to make it easier and cheaper to order bricks in bulk.

It is extraordinary that I can order 1000+ 2x4 bricks for on an average ten Euro-cents on BrickLink while the same brick costs 22 Euro-cents by LEGO’ pick a brick. And there is a limit of 999 pieces.

[Peppermint_M]

Oh, I would love to be able to get 1000 of the brick wall bricks; 1000 of each production colour. Mmm, just what my MOCing needs.

[Flak Maniak]

On 2/20/2021 at 4:27 AM, MAB said:

That is not what happens in licensed though. Some people submit absolutely terrible builds based on popular licenses and they don't go anywhere. 

If it is just vote for your favourite licensed theme, then also have vote for your favourite past lego theme, or for your favourite object you want to be made from lego without needing a build. There is skill in the builds for licensed themes, just as there is for non-licensed themes. I don't really see why some people see no value in licensed IDEAS submissions. There have been licenses I am a fan of, where I have not voted due to the bad build.

How many times do you see a project for a license you don't care about, but the build is so good you support it anyway?

[Lira_Bricks]

2 hours ago, Peppermint_M said:

Oh, I would love to be able to get 1000 of the brick wall bricks; 1000 of each production colour. Mmm, just what my MOCing needs.

Bricks like 2x2 dark bley tiles or foliage would be sold out so quickly haha

[Alexandrina]

32 minutes ago, Lira_Bricks said:

Bricks like 2x2 dark bley tiles or foliage would be sold out so quickly haha

Fingers crossed everyone will be too broke on buying those so there's plenty of medium nougat 2x2s and 2x4s for me!