Lego City 2021 Rumours, information and discussion

[Salix]

4 minutes ago, Powered by Bricks said:

LEGO revealed something interesting :design your own LEGO City set

                Here is a link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2QuHHJbXg/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

That's not LEGO themselves though, that's lego_brick_news. I can't find where LEGO themselves said it.

[Powered by Bricks]

I found more information on zusammengebaut

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://zusammengebaut.com/lego-lab-designe-dein-eigenes-lego-city-set-105985/&ved=2ahUKEwjy99TG7tTsAhWq3OAKHTJAAe8QFjAXegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw1hwH66gMBA3sbyowhIn0q4

[brimbolet]

according to https://info.lego-lab.com/ it's Denmark only for now and the price is 649 DKK, so roughly 85$/€... nice idea perhaps, but far too expensive to be successful

[rzmpf]

The idea is nice because it would open the possibility to order certain buildings/cars without unwanted ancillary stuff that is often part of the set and is just there to raise the price.

But 85$/€ for 2 building facades (out of at least 3), 2 vehicles (out of at least 5) and 3 (!!) out of 11 minifigs and one animal out of 4, not even one minifig per building/vehicle, that's just outlandish.

I mean the ski resort 60203 is somewhat comparable in size (ski patrol station and ski shop, snow plow truck and helicopter) but that comes with 11 minifigs + dog plus snow mobile, halfpipe, rail and tea stand and all of that costs 80€ (retails for around 60). Or take the Police Brick Box 60270, a small police station (about the size of the one shown here, if not bigger) a patrol car, a crook's pickup, a motorcycle, an atm and 4 minifigs and a dog plus the box and instructions for an alternative model for 40€/$.

If the price would come down and there would be a nice selection of stuff it may work, otherwise it's a pricey gimmick very few people have a use for.

P.S.
Fun fact, the adult and kid in the background of the picture showing the box prefer to play with the ski resort as well.

Edited October 27, 2020 by rzmpf

[JintaiZ]

2 hours ago, brimbolet said:

but far too expensive to be successful

That's not going to keep people from trying it 

[Aanchir]

2 hours ago, brimbolet said:

according to https://info.lego-lab.com/ it's Denmark only for now and the price is 649 DKK, so roughly 85$/€... nice idea perhaps, but far too expensive to be successful

 

37 minutes ago, rzmpf said:

The idea is nice because it would open the possibility to order certain buildings/cars without unwanted ancillary stuff that is often part of the set and is just there to raise the price.

But 85$/€ for 2 building facades (out of at least 3), 2 vehicles (out of at least 5) and 3 (!!) out of 11 minifigs and one animal out of 4, not even one minifig per building/vehicle, that's just outlandish.

I mean the ski resort 60203 is somewhat comparable in size (ski patrol station and ski shop, snow plow truck and helicopter) but that comes with 11 minifigs + dog plus snow mobile, halfpipe, rail and tea stand and all of that costs 80€ (retails for around 60). Or take the Police Brick Box 60270, a small police station (about the size of the one shown here, if not bigger) a patrol car, a crook's pickup, a motorcycle, an atm and 4 minifigs and a dog plus the box and instructions for an alternative model for 40€/$.

If the price would come down and there would be a nice selection of stuff it may work, otherwise it's a pricey gimmick very few people have a use for.

Keep in mind that Danish LEGO prices in general tend to be some of the highest in the world. So while this might seem absurdly expensive from the perspective of those of us who are used to living in countries where LEGO is cheaper, it's not nearly as exorbitant compared to the price of other sets in Denmark.

For reference, the Ski Resort set is around 90 USD in the United States and 80 EUR in Germany, but it's 749 DKK in Denmark — which is equivalent to about 120 USD or 100 EUR under current conversion rates. By comparison, 649 DKK is a more typical price in Denmark for sets that cost around 70 USD/EUR in the United States or Germany like 4 Privet Drive, Mia's House, Friendship Bus, or Heartlake City Airplane.

Obviously, it's only realistic to expect SOME kind of surcharge for any "on demand" service like this, since the packing process can't be automated or done in huge batches like with more standardized products. But truthfully, this seems like a much more efficient way of handling that sort of thing compared to previous attempts at "on demand" ordering like LEGO Factory or LEGO Design by Me (which had to be sorted and packed by hand, and couldn't offer any guarantee that the models and instruction manuals people received would would meet the same quality standards as regular sets).

It'll definitely be interesting to see how this program goes and whether it might pave the way for similar services like this in the future! But it's certainly far from guaranteed, which is probably why LEGO chose to roll it out on such a limited (i.e. Denmark-exclusive) basis before deciding whether it's ready for a wider release.

[The Brick Boss]

5 hours ago, Powered by Bricks said:

LEGO revealed something interesting :design your own LEGO City set

                Here is a link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2QuHHJbXg/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Sorry! It only works in Denmark. I tried to use it. 

[rzmpf]

41 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

 

Keep in mind that Danish LEGO prices in general tend to be some of the highest in the world. So while this might seem absurdly expensive from the perspective of those of us who are used to living in countries where LEGO is cheaper, it's not nearly as exorbitant compared to the price of other sets in Denmark.

For reference, the Ski Resort set is around 90 USD in the United States and 80 EUR in Germany, but it's 749 DKK in Denmark — which is equivalent to about 120 USD or 100 EUR under current conversion rates. By comparison, 649 DKK is a more typical price in Denmark for sets that cost around 70 USD/EUR in the United States or Germany like 4 Privet Drive, Mia's House, Friendship Bus, or Heartlake City Airplane.

Obviously, it's only realistic to expect SOME kind of surcharge for any "on demand" service like this, since the packing process can't be automated or done in huge batches like with more standardized products. But truthfully, this seems like a much more efficient way of handling that sort of thing compared to previous attempts at "on demand" ordering like LEGO Factory or LEGO Design by Me (which had to be sorted and packed by hand, and couldn't offer any guarantee that the models and instruction manuals people received would would meet the same quality standards as regular sets).

It'll definitely be interesting to see how this program goes and whether it might pave the way for similar services like this in the future! But it's certainly far from guaranteed, which is probably why LEGO chose to roll it out on such a limited (i.e. Denmark-exclusive) basis before deciding whether it's ready for a wider release.

Well ok, if you account for that and reduce the price by about 20% to match the "normal" price difference between DK and other countries then it becomes more palatable.

And I agree, having a preselected range of sets to be combined by the customer is much more realistic and affordable than other things they tried. So they just have to put certain bags and instructions in the box and the other thing is the individual box art, but with today's digital printing that's also much more easily and cheaply done and both processes can be automated.

[Aanchir]

Sort of a side note, but has anybody else felt a bit weird about how widely the term "facade" gets thrown around to describe LEGO buildings these days? Don't get me wrong, it's a totally appropriate term for describing structures that are extremely narrow, like the ones in Airjitzu Battle Grounds, Cloud Cuckoo Palace, Harley Quinn Cannonball Attack, or  Police Dog Unit . What makes them "facades" is not just the open back, but the lack of pretty much any useful interior space. They function not as settings in their own right, but as props or backdrops to define a larger scene outside themselves.

But lately it feels like I've been increasingly seeing people referring to ANY open-backed/dollhouse-style buildings as "facades", even ones that are 8–12 studs deep with full ceilings and side walls (like Diagon Alley, Elf Club House, Townhouse Pet Shop & Café, etc). And I feel like using it that broadly strips the term of its usefulness in making that much more important distinction between "a building" and "a backdrop shaped like the front of a building".

I realize that for adults with full "tabletowns" (especially ones intended for display in the center of the room rather than on shelves along the sides), any sort of set without a back wall might be inconvenient or frustrating. But there are a lot of reasons that a dollhouse style can be better for many sets. Most notably, it lets you view interior scenes from more or less "eye level", which is accurate to how we would typically perceive these scenes in real life, on stage, or in cinema. It's much rarer to observe any sort of interior scene from a top-down perspective outside of video games… unless you're Ceiling Cat.

Also, to keep things in perspective, open-backed, dollhouse-style buildings were overwhelmingly the norm in classic themes like Town, Castle, Pirates, Space, Trains, etc. There were a few of these sets that included a hinge so that you could easily open them up for interior access from behind or close them for finished walls on all four sides, but most sets just omitted the back wall entirely and kept the depth of the buildings narrow enough to ensure builders could reach in from behind to rearrange their occupants or furnishings. Sets like the Modular Buildings were — and remain — a departure from that norm.

Does anybody else feel this way?

[TeriXeri]

39 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

Does anybody else feel this way?

I agree, sets of different themes are being directly compared and dismissed, especially see it when it's comparing a Creator Expert Modular versus a City/3-in-1/Friends building, but also with Winter Village sets.

I don't think it's right to compare sets of such different scale/prices directly.

And while it's true that even within the same theme, like 3-in-1 had both Hinged and Open back buildings, still can't compare them 1:1 with Creator Expert Modulars imo.

I agree that City might not offer the most size/volume for the cost of the buildings, even in a large set like the 2020 Main Square, it's fair to be critical of that, but even then I feel comparing a set that costs less like again, a Creator Expert Modular, is unfair when it comes to pure buildings.

Also see it happen on Brickset random set of the day, which displays older sets, when a Town set appears it's usually a mixed reaction of awesome, nostalgia, or calling the set too simple/small/juniors when it's just a typical 80s/early 90s set.

Edited October 27, 2020 by TeriXeri

[The Brick Boss]

1 hour ago, Aanchir said:

Does anybody else feel this way?

Unfortunately, I have to say yes. 

I mostly collect City for vehicles, though I do have some of the older buildings that were made back when the standards of City sets were much higher. Buildings like this are the 2014 Police Station, 2016 Service Center or the 2013 Train Station. Buildings like that were perfect. 

But I also have some current buildings such as the tuning workshop - which I have to say is amazing. Though I did add another sets of windows to the side near the garage door so it would fit my standards. I plan to eventually convert it into a generic garage. I'll post that when I get to it.

Good news though. I also was able to acquire the main square set. I'm so excited. I dunno why people are so cruel to the town hall building. I actually like it. I also love that diner. I love that tram too. 

Most of the time, if I don't like a current set, I just go for an older version that looks better to me. City is my favorite theme. But I mostly collect the older sets that were made before the series came. With some exceptions. I also plan to buy the City Center set for 2021. 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Brandon Pea

[brimbolet]

1 hour ago, Aanchir said:

What makes them "facades" is not just the open back, but the lack of pretty much any useful interior space. They function not as settings in their own right, but as props or backdrops to define a larger scene outside themselves.

Personally, I think the roof is the most important and often neglected element that draws the line between a building and a facade. Without it you have no enclosed space, even if the interior is 8 studs wide. 4-5 studs depth + roof are good enough to play and to have a decent street landscape. 

[toopizza13]

17 hours ago, Brandon Pea said:

Unfortunately, I have to say yes. 

I mostly collect City for vehicles, though I do have some of the older buildings that were made back when the standards of City sets were much higher. Buildings like this are the 2014 Police Station, 2016 Service Center or the 2013 Train Station. Buildings like that were perfect. 

But I also have some current buildings such as the tuning workshop - which I have to say is amazing. Though I did add another sets of windows to the side near the garage door so it would fit my standards. I plan to eventually convert it into a generic garage. I'll post that when I get to it.

Good news though. I also was able to acquire the main square set. I'm so excited. I dunno why people are so cruel to the town hall building. I actually like it. I also love that diner. I love that tram too. 

Most of the time, if I don't like a current set, I just go for an older version that looks better to me. City is my favorite theme. But I mostly collect the older sets that were made before the series came. With some exceptions. I also plan to buy the City Center set for 2021. 

i bought the main square, and i highly recommend it. it is basic is the building ways but it is fun to build, and it looks great on display. there is also a lot of small details that suprised me, but, i got it with my brothers discount, 200 dollars is kind of stupid for the set, its good but it is not worth 200 dollars.

[The Brick Boss]

9 minutes ago, toopizza13 said:

i bought the main square, and i highly recommend it. it is basic is the building ways but it is fun to build, and it looks great on display. there is also a lot of small details that suprised me, but, i got it with my brothers discount, 200 dollars is kind of stupid for the set, its good but it is not worth 200 dollars.

Yeah! The price was my biggest conceren. That's why I ordered mine off of eBay for only $160 USD. I consider it a good deal. Its definately funwhether it's a toy for a KFOL or an AFOL's table town. Good for TFOLs too. 

Edited October 28, 2020 by Brandon Pea

[Aanchir]

I was just looking into this new "design your own City set" thing a bit more and I found this Hoth Bricks article which helps clear up what building and vehicle options are available (beyond what can be seen on the parts of the site visible outside of Denmark).

So far, there are nine vehicle options:

• The armored bank truck from 60198 Cargo Train
• The armored police truck from 60140 Bulldozer Break-In
• The pickup truck from 60148 ATV Race Team
• The helicopter from 60183 Heavy Cargo Transport
• The police motorcycle from 60141 Police Station
• The crane, ice cream trike, and sports car from 60200 Capital City
• The fire off-road vehicle from 60215 Fire Station (but without the "light and sound" brick from the original set)

And six building options:

• The bank from 60140 Bulldozer Break-In
• The bus station from 60200 Capital City
• The security gate from 60169 Cargo Terminal
• A brand-new fire station design
• A brand-new police station design
• A brand-new birthday party design

Honestly, the three new building options surprised me. I would've expected all of the building designs to be pulled from other sets like the ones we saw in the promotional images. It also surprises to me that you aren't locked to a specific number of vehicles, buildings, figures, and animals — instead it's got some sort of values assigned to them internally so that you can choose to have more vehicles in exchange for fewer buildings, more minifigs in exchange for fewer vehicles, etc.

The example of a set they designed seems quite a bit larger than the ones in the promotional images, as well — with five minifigs, two buildings, and four vehicles. It'd be interesting to see an analysis of just how varied the range of options is and which options fill up the status bar most/least quickly.

[The Brick Boss]

@Aanchir I wonder if that was a hint to a new fire station. 

[Powered by Bricks]

That fire station and police station we re interesting for me, it was surprising see new designs instead of repeated buildings. 

[Aanchir]

5 minutes ago, Brandon Pea said:

@Aanchir I wonder if that was a hint to a new fire station. 

Maybe! Although I wouldn't expect them to be from any waves later than the second half of 2021. And it's also totally possible that both of those builds and the birthday party might've been designed specifically for this set, since they are smaller than they would typically be in a dedicated fire or police station set, and don't seem to require any exclusive elements besides a sticker sheet.

[The Brick Boss]

8 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

Maybe! Although I wouldn't expect them to be from any waves later than the second half of 2021. And it's also totally possible that both of those builds and the birthday party might've been designed specifically for this set, since they are smaller than they would typically be in a dedicated fire or police station set, and don't seem to require any exclusive elements besides a sticker sheet.

Dualy noted! I think it would make sense in that case. It seems like the options are pretty limited as of now. I hope they'll add more options and import the game to the states as time progresses. But you know what they say about people who hope for too much. 

[TeriXeri]

It certainly is an interesting concept, and using old designs is likely part of the experimental phase, but those small scale Police and Fire buildings are pretty good.

Edited October 28, 2020 by TeriXeri

[jonwil]

If this was available to me I would probably go for it (I want that police station) but its not :(

 

[toopizza13]

yeh i would say those are not future police or fire station sets, i would guess the new fire station if they do one will have road baseplates

[Vindicare]

A great idea that I wish was around the last few years. All these big “center” type sets always have smaller bits that interest me but I missed out on most because I didn’t want to pay the sticker price. I really hope this test run goes well & it gets expanded to include more stuff. 

If it’s successful though, I wonder what it will do to those big sets...

[Powered by Bricks]

I checked for more imgagaes about this idea and the pick up truck from the set 60148 includes the trailer from the same set 

[brimbolet]

I wonder why the lab idea includes elements from City only, and not from other successful indoor themes like Ninjago, Friends or (wishful thinking) Pirates/Castle.