Officially not a toy anymore

[astral brick]

In relation to the new rating "18+", good marketing strategy, many potential customers won't feel embarrassed while buying a set and Lego has the perfect justification to charge even more money for big models. Hopefully, aside the increased depth of adults' wallets, there will also be a growth of mature themes or, at least, some serious revival of the classic ones.

Finally, after years, Afols are officially recognised, it is time to celebrate it with a new acronym, Official Adult Fans of Lego.

Long live the Oafols! 

[Vindicare]

Take off the drama crown...why people are suddenly losing their minds is beyond me. Is that two year jump really that critical? All those years of 16+ was fine, but now it’s the end of a kids toy company? We’ve been recognized for years...

At it’s core, it has always been a toy, despite the way us AFOL’s tend to use it. Yes, we see it as much more than that, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a toy. 

Edited May 13, 2020 by Vindicare

[koalayummies]

33 minutes ago, Vindicare said:

Take off the drama crown...why people are suddenly losing their minds is beyond me. Is that two year jump really that critical? All those years of 16+ was fine, but now it’s the end of a kids toy company? We’ve been recognized for years...

Agreed.

And its doubtful that "18+" means what some are thinking it means. It's not an ESRB or MPA rating. For those hoping to see war/sex/substance abuse and other mature themes; don't hold breath.

[AmperZand]

53 minutes ago, koalayummies said:

Agreed.

And its doubtful that "18+" means what some are thinking it means. It's not an ESRB or MPA rating. For those hoping to see war/sex/substance abuse and other mature themes; don't hold breath.

Well, that’s me disappointed. I was really looking forwards to the next minifigure series including a junkie, a hooker, and an axe murderer with a collection of bloody body parts. 
 

(Just kidding! )

Edited May 13, 2020 by AmperZand

[Vindicare]

47 minutes ago, koalayummies said:

Agreed.

And its doubtful that "18+" means what some are thinking it means. It's not an ESRB or MPA rating. For those hoping to see war/sex/substance abuse and other mature themes; don't hold breath.

In regard to the Haunted House, it’s a bit puzzling. But looking at the others that have been labeled as 18+...it seems to me the distinction is more display rather than play. That’s what I thought with the Helmets. UCS has always(looking back, more recently) have been 16+. I don’t quite get why the age for display type sets what upped, but I find this huffin’ & puffin’ a bit strange. 

[The Brick Boss]

1 hour ago, Vindicare said:

We’ve been recognized for years...

I couldn't agree more with that statement.

Though with the clothing, DOTS, collectors items and movies centered around Lego - Lego is beyond a toy these days. Lego is a lifestyle. One where both children, teenagers and adults can come together and have a brick of a time! 

[dr_spock]

18+ means you can tell your kids this is daddy's set, you can't play with it until you're 18.  Also I can't buy this for you since you're not 18 yet. 

 

[koalayummies]

LOL to all this. My only question not yet answered is: are they going to check ID? I want to feel young again.

[Karalora]

The title of this thread is flawed. Since when does being marketed to adults mean that something isn't a toy? Adults play with toys...and no, not just "that kind." Who doesn't love toys?

[Vindicare]

14 minutes ago, koalayummies said:

LOL to all this. My only question not yet answered is: are they going to check ID? I want to feel young again.

The new underground scheme....fake IDs for illegal LEGO buying. 

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, Vindicare said:

The new underground scheme....fake IDs for illegal LEGO buying. 

or waiting outside the store and asking someone to buy it for you!

[howitzer]

Some of the new licenses are definitely adult-oriented though, like Stranger Things and Fast&Furious. Of course teenagers can (and do) watch those, but Lego has come pretty far from the days of being strictly kid-oriented. When I was a kid the age recommendations were based on technical difficulty (consider 8868 or 8480 with their recommended age starting at 11) of building and not thematic content as everything was kid-friendly in that respect.

[adwind]

I mean does word "official" means so much to you? I loved Lego sets with 16+ badge and even 4+ (toy story for example) just as much as I will love 18+ sets. You overrate the event. While the set is absolutely gorgeous! 

[astral brick]

8 hours ago, koalayummies said:

For those hoping to see war/sex/substance abuse and other mature themes; don't hold breath.

"Won't somebody please think of the children!" :-)

3 hours ago, Karalora said:

The title of this thread is flawed. Since when does being marketed to adults mean that something isn't a toy? Adults play with toys...and no, not just "that kind." Who doesn't love toys?

Rotfl, I knew someone would have made this joke

3 hours ago, Vindicare said:

The new underground scheme....fake IDs for illegal LEGO buying. 

Rotfl! Anyway, the taste of "forbidden" may actually increase the sales of 18+ sets among children and teens. Genius marketing of Lego.

 

[Mylenium]

9 hours ago, astral brick said:

some serious revival of the classic ones.

I seriously hope not. Why people are waxing nostalgic over the "Golden Times" all the time is just beyond me...

Mylenium

[Peppermint_M]

 

38 minutes ago, Mylenium said:

Why people are waxing nostalgic over the "Golden Times" all the time is just beyond me.

Because it feels comfortable for people, the things they are nostalgic for usually occurred in childhood when (for most people) they had few cares and concerns in the world and were looked after. They didn't have to worry about mortgages and holding down a job, so they desire things that bring back that feeling. 

(Psychology!)

If we get a classic theme revival, I would like a bit more Adventurers than a sticker-sheet and a few rebuilt features in an expensive set! (Also, they got the names wrong in the write-up!)

Personally, I think the 18+ is just a way to let those with "issues" about buying toys can now argue that it is a "sophisticated interlocking construction system" and not truly a toy. There are so many sets around now that are collector items; it is likely behind the scale change for Speed Champions even. It is a marketing gimmick. Selling it as something to build as a model and put on display to look interesting. 

The new Star Wars helmets are certainly "desk pieces", joining the architecture sets to become a "quirky" thing for someone to have on their desk/in their office. 

As a lifelong LEGO fan, I have never worried about looking odd to the general public, I have been buying LEGO for myself since I earned money! However, this is a great way to get people to buy sets.

[Mylenium]

12 minutes ago, Peppermint_M said:

Because it feels comfortable for people, the things they are nostalgic for usually occurred in childhood when (for most people) they had few cares and concerns in the world and were looked after. They didn't have to worry about mortgages and holding down a job, so they desire things that bring back that feeling. 

(Psychology!)

Yeah, sure, but it's an unproductive waste of time and frankly why anyone would want some of those atrocities back still eludes me. I recently noticed how ugly for instance the Barracuda Bay actually is and people want more of that? SRSLY? The next thing they'll be asking is for MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice to make 1990s music again...

Mylenium

[howitzer]

19 minutes ago, Mylenium said:

Yeah, sure, but it's an unproductive waste of time and frankly why anyone would want some of those atrocities back still eludes me. I recently noticed how ugly for instance the Barracuda Bay actually is and people want more of that? SRSLY? The next thing they'll be asking is for MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice to make 1990s music again...

Mylenium

It wasn't ugly in it's day, but you are correct in the sense that the sets of 1980 to early 1990 don't compare to sets of today at all. If you remove all the nostalgia and the inherent value of an earlier installment, you get a set that's more like a shitty MOC than a high-quality product made by a major company. As a basic themes (space, castle, pirates) I do miss those, as many of TLG's own product lines have been discontinued in favour of licensed themes and apart from Star Wars, there's really no product lines currently to cater to people who like these themes.

I find Technic a curious theme here, because while technology has certainly marched on, lots of core concepts are still the same as in 1980's and there were some truly genius techniques used (linkage in 856 bucket, the robotic arm of 8094 or the whole of 8868) and such cleverness doesn't seem to be around as much anymore. Also, while in the earlier days Technic sets were all about functions with very little attention given to looks, today the aesthetic side of things is just as important, and while I understand the reasons for it, I kind of miss the days when you could actually see how the functions worked inside the model instead of everything being covered in panels.

[ARC2149Nova]

31 minutes ago, Mylenium said:

Yeah, sure, but it's an unproductive waste of time and frankly why anyone would want some of those atrocities back still eludes me. I recently noticed how ugly for instance the Barracuda Bay actually is and people want more of that? SRSLY? The next thing they'll be asking is for MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice to make 1990s music again...

Mylenium

I mean, classic stuff is classic for a reason. I personally never grew up with Classic Space, Pirates, Castle, etc., but I look at the brickset entries and appreciate those sets for what they are. I feel that people want moreso the idea of the classic themes conveyed (not straight up rehashes), so modern techniques infused with the curiosity of space exploration, the daring nature of piracy, or the valor of knighthood. I for one would love to see classic themes given a new design, a sort of neo-classic design.

As for this new 18+ thing, as long as I don't get carded for buying a Lego set, I'm fine. It's not like it's contraband or something mature, so I don't get why some are acting like it is. I do understand that the idea of something marked "18+" is risky, but not risque. 

I would be lying if I said I didn't want them to do something a bit more mature set-wise (nothing quite Game of Thrones or GTA), like something military related (even if it's just a Jet or Humvee), but Lego does have values that it upholds and that is commendable. Seriously though, a Haunted House is really kiddish (and yes, I know there are more mature ones), so I think that kinda shows where Lego's mind is at with this rating system. It's the price and piece count, nothing more, nothing less.

[TeriXeri]

7 hours ago, Mylenium said:

Yeah, sure, but it's an unproductive waste of time and frankly why anyone would want some of those atrocities back still eludes me. I recently noticed how ugly for instance the Barracuda Bay actually is and people want more of that? SRSLY?

I could say the same about many other themes, especially Licensed themes.

Classic themes were more open-ended imo, with no need to tie it to some existing story/source material, or even realism.

I don't think people are strictly asking for reboots of sets/themes to be exact copies, but rather some more basic open-ended sets/figures without releasing the same figure 5 times in a single year, or the same building/spaceship/movie scene every few years.

Even an In-House theme like Hidden Side suffers from having the same characters made over and over, even if they are different a bit per wave, there are 10 Jack figures in just 2020 sets.

I'm in no way bashing Harry Potter or Star Wars or Super Heroes (all themes that have been around 10+ years on and off), they just personally don't interest me, but if they sell, I wouldn't want to take those themes away from the people that do like them.

Edited May 14, 2020 by TeriXeri

[The Brick Boss]

7 minutes ago, TeriXeri said:

I'm in no way bashing Harry Potter or Star Wars etc, they just personally don't interest me, but if they sell, I wouldn't want to take those themes away from the people that do like them.

.....and that's 100% okay, my friend. I personally don't like licensed themes myself. I prefer generic yellow people themes as there are no races or anything like that. 

[koalayummies]

10 hours ago, Peppermint_M said:

it is a "sophisticated interlocking construction system"

"But we bought it at the toy store"

"Yes, but the way I'm using it makes it an adult thing."

"The box for this one said ages 8 to 14"

"That's a suggestion. They have to put that on there."

10 hours ago, Peppermint_M said:

Because it feels comfortable for people, the things they are nostalgic for usually occurred in childhood when (for most people) they had few cares and concerns in the world and were looked after. They didn't have to worry about mortgages and holding down a job, so they desire things that bring back that feeling. 

(Psychology!)

Wouldn't a therapist be a better choice than repetitively posting on an internet forum how :insert company: needs to bring back a childhood comfort blankey?

Right now is the golden age of Lego. Look at the colors and pieces we have now. All those old sets were like building a Piet Mondrian composition.

[Vindicare]

I got to thinking about who else has a similar box. Kotobukiya has a plain black box with just an image of the item inside. Now, they don’t have an age range on the front(at least the Stormtroopers box I looked at). But they are similar to these 18+ sets, as they’re meant to be display pieces(minus the Haunted House that is...kinda). But, likewise, I checked Hot Toys boxes & they have colorful designs. So I’m not quite sure I can pinpoint where the idea for plain black boxes came from. 

Speaking for myself, I couldn’t care less what age number is on the box or what color the box is, I’ll buy the set if I like it. Whatever the reason for this change, it wasn’t directed as us. 

[Mylenium]

20 hours ago, ARC2149Nova said:

I feel that people want moreso the idea of the classic themes conveyed (not straight up rehashes), so modern techniques infused with the curiosity of space exploration, the daring nature of piracy, or the valor of knighthood. I for one would love to see classic themes given a new design, a sort of neo-classic design.

You're exactly making my point and that's why Barracuda Bay absolutely fails for me on so many levels - no advanced techniques, no good use of new parts and to boot it uses this ghastly basic color scheme from way back than. It doesn't advance the theme, it merely panders to a certain kind of fans indulging in their childhood memories. I mean the fan design was awesome, but they completely ruined it by forcing it into their corporate formula.

Mylenium

[howitzer]

1 hour ago, Mylenium said:

You're exactly making my point and that's why Barracuda Bay absolutely fails for me on so many levels - no advanced techniques, no good use of new parts and to boot it uses this ghastly basic color scheme from way back than. It doesn't advance the theme, it merely panders to a certain kind of fans indulging in their childhood memories. I mean the fan design was awesome, but they completely ruined it by forcing it into their corporate formula.

Mylenium

I haven't seen the set myself, but many reviewers praised the building techniques in the set, especially the use of flex-axles in the ship's nose and how the rear-end above the waterline was constructed.

As for pandering to the fans reminiscing their childhood... yes, it obviously does that, but what was the point in the original submission, other than to indulge in childhood memories? I don't see the submission as an attempt to bring something new or fresh to the table regarding the pirates theme but as a tool for adults to revisit their childhood.