Seriously, how did this happen?

[jimmynick]

That seems like a bit of a non-sequitur. People feel more nostalgia for classic space sets than they do for the Nexo Knights wingsuit. So what? Does that contradict @TeriXeri's assertion that classic space sets seemed to represent near-future tech at the time they were released?

[TeriXeri]

1 hour ago, JintaiZ said:

@TeriXeri - But classic space has much more noglastia

Of course it has nostalgia for many people, it lasted quite long in comparison to many themes nowadays.

The first Classic Space style lasted from 1978 to 1987, with the open helmets, but a fairly similar style continued up to 1989 with Unitron/Blacktron-1/Space Police-1

I'm not saying that 90s space was vastly different, but it sort of was a soft reboot of sorts, with factions called Blacktron 2 and Space Police 2.

So that's a legacy of more then 10 years of continued sets, very few current themes did that today, Ninjago being the first and only newer in-house theme that has a 10 year streak in 2021.

Edited September 23, 2020 by TeriXeri

[JintaiZ]

2 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

Of course it has nostalgia for many people, it lasted quite long in comparison to many themes nowadays.

The first Classic Space style lasted from 1978 to 1987, with the open helmets, but a fairly similar style continued up to 1989 with Unitron/Blacktron-1/Space Police-1

I'm not saying that 90s space was vastly different, but it sort of was a soft reboot of sorts, with factions called Blacktron 2 and Space Police 2.

So that's a legacy of more then 10 years of continued sets, very few current themes did that today, Ninjago being the first and only newer in-house theme that has a 10 year streak in 2021.

But then Technic is lasting 42 years

[MAB]

4 hours ago, JintaiZ said:

But then Technic is lasting 42 years

What has that got to do with anything here?

[Merlo]

Lego has fantasy space covered with Star Wars and semi-realistic space covered with City. Why would they detract from that with additional space themes with factions unknown to the buyers? From their point of view, that probably wouldn't make financial sense.

From my point of view, and I loved SW decades before it was cool, I'm sick of it... give me any other fantasy space property and I'll be very interested. Exo Suit was great... how cool would it be to have a few Alien Lego sets, for example?

We're now well into the period where both weapons and horror elements abound, and with literally black boxes labeled 18+ I can't imagine there aren't more properties out there worth exploiting than what we've got so far.

Edited September 24, 2020 by Merlo

[MAB]

17 minutes ago, Merlo said:

From my point of view, and I loved SW decades before it was cool, I'm sick of it... give me any other fantasy space property and I'll be very interested. Exo Suit was great... how cool would it be to have a few Alien Lego sets, for example?

If LEGO wanted to do Alien sets, they could probably do them. They have done other movie franchises alongside Star Wars in the past. No-one here knows if there are blocking clauses in the agreement. Would it be worth LEGO dropping Star Wars to pick up Alien? I somehow doubt it.

You may be sick of Star Wars, but if LEGO drops the license another company will pick it up and create their own brick-building Star Wars sets. Instead of being filled with LEGO SW, the shelves will be filled with MB Star Wars. There will be just as much SW on the shelves, the only difference is that less of it will be LEGO.

[Merlo]

Why would they have to drop SW to pick up Alien? Or drop SW at all?

 

[MAB]

8 minutes ago, Merlo said:

Why would they have to drop SW to pick up Alien? Or drop SW at all?

 

As noted right above, if there are blocking clauses in their agreement with Disney, blocking other Sci-Fi movie themes. Nobody knows.

 

 

[JintaiZ]

7 hours ago, MAB said:

What has that got to do with anything here?

It pretty much means bestselling themes could last really long.

[icm]

There is actually lots of other sci fi / fantasy space on the shelves ... It's called Super Heroes.  Both the DC and Marvel lines have been responsible for a few spaceships a year since they began.  Marvel Super Heroes, notably, falls under the Disney umbrella like Star Wars does.

[TeriXeri]

21 minutes ago, icm said:

There is actually lots of other sci fi / fantasy space on the shelves ... It's called Super Heroes.  Both the DC and Marvel lines have been responsible for a few spaceships a year since they began.  Marvel Super Heroes, notably, falls under the Disney umbrella like Star Wars does.

True, there has been various trans-colored parts via DC and Marvel.

Also quite a lot of black parts via Batman.

And many angled plates/bricks via Quinjets/ Milano / Helicarrier, and other sets.

 

Personally I still don't buy licensed sets for parts when I have no interest in the subject.

A set like the 75272: Sith TIE Fighter might have a ton of wing plates in it, but I don't see it worth a parts pack when I have zero interest in the theme.

Edited September 24, 2020 by TeriXeri

[JintaiZ]

1 hour ago, TeriXeri said:

A set like the 75272: Sith TIE Fighter might have a ton of wing plates in it, but I don't see it worth a parts pack when I have zero interest in the theme.

And the price of 75272...

[Lord Insanity]

I find it absolutely fascinating that so many Lego fans have no idea what the brick competitors are doing.  Mega Construx has had the Alien license for at least a year now.  So far it has been primarily figures in their Hero's line but there are also slime filled eggs with 2 Alien figures in various colors.  There are plans for a fig scale Alien Queen set for 2021.  They also have the Predator license.  So even if Lego was interested in making sets for R-rated movies, it won't be Alien or Predator.

On the whole early classic space was near future inspired for its time... remember back in the 1970s it was widely believed we would have permanent moon bases by now (2020).  It was also commonly assumed that "space planes" would be routinely flying people and cargo to and from said moon bases.  Obviously we know in hindsight that the real space shuttle never lived up to that lofty design goal.  Today near future space exploration is all about Mars, not the moon.  The city space line being focused on shuttles and rovers to Mars is where the current pop-culture belief of where we will be 40 years from now is.  The design aesthetic of the current sets are much more realistic but the idealism behind them is still just as optimistic as early classic space was.

[Merlo]

Alien was just an example, just like Predator is. We're hardly lacking Sci-Fi property that adult fans could jump at.

And the fact I've never seen Mega Construx in a store in my life probably has something to do with it as well ☺

I did see this amazing Jie Star though

 

 

 

 

 

[MAB]

22 hours ago, JintaiZ said:

It pretty much means bestselling themes could last really long.

Comparing distinct themes like Classic Space or Ninjago to a style theme like technic (or duplo) is rather pointless in terms of longevity. Technic (and duplo) has changed dramatically over the years but keeps the name.

20 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

Personally I still don't buy licensed sets for parts when I have no interest in the subject.

A set like the 75272: Sith TIE Fighter might have a ton of wing plates in it, but I don't see it worth a parts pack when I have zero interest in the theme.

If the parts are useful to you, then what does it matter what it says on the box? If you have a way of selling on the minifigures, you often get a decent deal on the parts too. Often much better than buying the parts from the set (minus the minifigures) on bricklink.

7 hours ago, Lord Insanity said:

I find it absolutely fascinating that so many Lego fans have no idea what the brick competitors are doing.  Mega Construx has had the Alien license for at least a year now.  So far it has been primarily figures in their Hero's line but there are also slime filled eggs with 2 Alien figures in various colors.  There are plans for a fig scale Alien Queen set for 2021.  They also have the Predator license.  So even if Lego was interested in making sets for R-rated movies, it won't be Alien or Predator.

 

It is a shame, I don't think the Mega Construx Alien figures have made it to the UK.

 

I did buy one of these about four years ago from ali express though, for about $1. It needed a tiny bit of work removing the moulding mark on the head and on my one the print was much better centered than this. The nice thing is that they print the torso and legs assembled, so the print is continuous to the edges of the parts across the hips join and also matches up perfectly. So even if the print isn't perfectly centered, it still joins properly.

[JintaiZ]

3 hours ago, MAB said:

If the parts are useful to you, then what does it matter what it says on the box?

But then that price...

[MAB]

29 minutes ago, JintaiZ said:

But then that price...

They didn't mention the price. The same parts are the same parts, no matter what the theme. It doesn't matter whether the parts are originally packaged in a Star Wars box, a Creator box or an in-house story theme box.

 

[JintaiZ]

39 minutes ago, MAB said:

They didn't mention the price. The same parts are the same parts, no matter what the theme. It doesn't matter whether the parts are originally packaged in a Star Wars box, a Creator box or an in-house story theme box.

 

But the price is really a letdown...

[JintaiZ]

@Merlo - That must be a really old set!

[pombe]

Whelp...if TLG won't do a far future fantasy sci fi theme, considering how most FOLs don't really want it anyway (my observation), maybe it is time to look at third parties

I'll do some research.

[Merlo]

11 hours ago, JintaiZ said:

@Merlo - That must be a really old set!

Why? I'm guesstimating 2016 or so.

 

7 hours ago, pombe said:

Whelp...if TLG won't do a far future fantasy sci fi theme, considering how most FOLs don't really want it anyway (my observation), maybe it is time to look at third parties

I'll do some research.

I mean... why not? :)

[JintaiZ]

8 hours ago, Merlo said:

Why? I'm guesstimating 2016 or so.

Then it's probably a re-release of an old set...

[gryffindorbrickkid]

I think plenty of people were annoyed with the 2020 versions because it was too small and bad minifigures

 

[icm]

With the 2020 versions of what? Speak up, Gryffindor Brick Kid, I can't hear what you're saying.

[SteamSewnEmpire]

Provocative thread. Here's some more kerosene:

I grew up with Lego Space and, aside from Blacktron, found it to be completely vanilla and largely uninspired (even as a little kid). Unlike Lego Castle and Pirates, which are (or were) rooted in compelling history, Space was always just generic sci-fi. The fact that the vast majority of large sets were all designed as unimaginative rectangular ships with the same cockpit, moon monorails, or starbases set on repetitively desolate cratered baseplates just drives this home - Space was always the weakest major theme by a longshot, due entirely to passionless management by Lego. What should have been a vibrant, optimistic theme populated by ever-changing ship designs, and visits to alien worlds was instead sullen, storyless, and bereft of vision.

The shift to Star Wars was - and remains - welcome, and I never want to go back. I'd happily welcome the return of Castle and Pirates to the yearly rotation, but Space can stay dead.

Edited September 26, 2020 by SteamSewnEmpire