Any chance we could see a re-release of Barracuda Bay?

[thewatchman]

1 hour ago, Lion King said:

Sure, but we had Nexo Knights and we have Ninjago. So why not a high-tech pirate? Or a fantasy pirates? Something new and original. 

But i get that we want nostalgia set s for adults. 

I’m of the mindset that if they advertised and made the effort they used to with any classic themed sets, they would sell. 
 Making entire ranges around zero attention span tiktok addicts is only going to end badly for the company when they realise that marketing to those people who have zero interest in construction toys doesn’t work out. 

[Jiesdeo]

7 hours ago, thewatchman said:

I’m of the mindset that if they advertised and made the effort they used to with any classic themed sets, they would sell. 
 Making entire ranges around zero attention span tiktok addicts is only going to end badly for the company when they realise that marketing to those people who have zero interest in construction toys doesn’t work out. 

See: Hidden Side and Vidiyo...

[thewatchman]

3 hours ago, Jiesdeo said:

See: Hidden Side and Vidiyo...

Yep. These themes will perform average to badly and rely on tech addicted smartphone kids. 
 They were smart making mine craft sets because that is a game set around construction so they could poach fans from both the game and of construction toys. 
 I remember the fantastic lego adverts of the past that inspired play and showcased the fantastic range of the product in fantastic stop motion, maybe that is just nostalgia though. 
 Ultimately what lego currently need to learn after the success of branching out into licensed themes, is that they can please most of the people, most of the time, but trying to please all of the people, all of the time isn’t a real outcome. 

[Yperio_Bricks]

Hidden Side had some very good sets though! The app, marketing and box art on the other hand....

[thewatchman]

15 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Hidden Side had some very good sets though! The app, marketing and box art on the other hand....

100% loved some of the sets, but I don’t think they were successful because of the focus on gimmick 

[TalonCard]

On 7/23/2023 at 12:25 AM, Jiesdeo said:

Sadly, kids don't seem to be interested in pirates and knights these days, and kids are needed to get the volumes to motivate a full theme, so nostalgia bait is probably all we're going to get for the foreseeable future.

I feel like there has to be some other reason for the general lack of full Pirates waves after 2015 (and from 1997-2009 for that matter); I think one probably could have said that kids of 1989 weren't calling out for Pirates sets either--video games, robots, ninjas, and high fantasy toys were what was big at the time. Playmobil has been cranking out pirate sets consistently since before LEGO made theirs; they don't seem to have ever stopped so someone must be buying them. And most of the new LEGOLANDs continue to include pirate areas and rides, so it's seen as part of the LEGO experience. And to top it all off, they have to keep the pirate moulds in use if they want to make pirate sets in the future, which is probably why you see pirate adjacent sets like the roller coaster, Suntz, or the 4K sets pop up almost every year. (TLG retires inactive mounds after awhile to save space.)

So other toy manufacturers make and sell pirate sets, pirates are consistently tied to the LEGO brand regardless of whether they make the sets, and there is a very good internal reason to make sets so they'll have the elements available to do these occasional big releases. I have no idea why the theme goes virtually dormant for 10 year periods without a larger lineup of sets; TLG doesn't do things without a reason, but darned if I know why.

Edited July 24, 2023 by TalonCard

[thewatchman]

20 minutes ago, TalonCard said:

I feel like there has to be some other reason for the general lack of full Pirates waves after 2015; I think one probably could have said that kids of 1989 weren't calling out for Pirates sets either--video games, robots, ninjas, and high fantasy toys were what was big at the time. And Playmobil has been cranking out pirate sets consistently since before LEGO made theirs; they don't seem to have ever stopped so someone must be buying them.

I imagine that POBB get 2 releases and still selling out might have made them consider otherwise.

[Lion King]

15 hours ago, thewatchman said:

I’m of the mindset that if they advertised and made the effort they used to with any classic themed sets, they would sell. 
 Making entire ranges around zero attention span tiktok addicts is only going to end badly for the company when they realise that marketing to those people who have zero interest in construction toys doesn’t work out. 

 

7 hours ago, Jiesdeo said:

See: Hidden Side and Vidiyo...

Sure…but I Alwyas enjoy collecting cool parts from these themes (Hidden Side, Vidiyo, Nexo Knihts, etc). I’m thrilled aoutDreamZzz theme myself becuase of colorful and new parts.

I guess it will be a drought for pirate fans - no water for ships after El Dorado (sarcastically). 

4 hours ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Hidden Side had some very good sets though! The app, marketing and box art on the other hand....

Agreed!

I didn’t use apps for Hidden Side or Vidiyo myself. 

[Doddsino]

On 7/20/2023 at 6:30 AM, MAB said:

I'd also prefer to see a new ship rather than a re-release. A new, different rocket probably wouldn't sell as well as the Saturn V re-release, but they have much more freedom here.

The Red Beard Runner would be ideal for this.

 

Hopefully with less foliage than Barracuda Bay though.

[thewatchman]

15 minutes ago, Doddsino said:

The Red Beard Runner would be ideal for this.

 

Hopefully with less foliage than Barracuda Bay though.

Skulls eye would probably be the better choice of classics. 
 A remake of the armada flagship in full Spanish glory would be my personal choice but I simply cannot see them doing it.

[Doddsino]

1 hour ago, thewatchman said:

Skulls eye would probably be the better choice of classics. 
 A remake of the armada flagship in full Spanish glory would be my personal choice but I simply cannot see them doing it.

I think Skull's Eye Schooner is a little too close to the Black Sea Barracuda. I do like the idea of the Armada though.

[Khargeust]

A new Armada Flagship would be a dream, but unfortunately I don't think this faction is iconic enough for LEGO to dedicate a reboot to it. I secretly hope so though. In 2014 we had a wonderful Conquistador figurine, which shows that the heritage has not been forgotten. but it's probably nothing more than a wink.

Imperial Flagship is the next remake of the Pirates universe, I'm reasonably sure.

[thewatchman]

8 hours ago, Khargeust said:

A new Armada Flagship would be a dream, but unfortunately I don't think this faction is iconic enough for LEGO to dedicate a reboot to it. I secretly hope so though. In 2014 we had a wonderful Conquistador figurine, which shows that the heritage has not been forgotten. but it's probably nothing more than a wink.

Imperial Flagship is the next remake of the Pirates universe, I'm reasonably sure.

I think enchanted island is far, far more likely 

[Khargeust]

27 minutes ago, thewatchman said:

I think enchanted island is far, far more likely 

I don't think so because LEGO has every interest in riding the Pirates vs Imperials wave by giving the Barracuda a rival ship. An opportunity perhaps for them to also reboot the redcoats. Many people are enraged, myself included not being able to afford the 10210 Imperial Flagship released in 2010. Have you seen its price now? It was the ultimate ship. There is no doubt that remaking a ship of this type would be a huge success, and this beyond the simple fans of the Pirates theme.

The Islanders have a strong following but only among Pirates fans I think. Of course I would love to see them doing a comeback! But don't you think LEGO is now more cautious about producing again Native Americans sets, especially in the context of a confrontation with Westerners minifigures ?

Edited July 25, 2023 by Khargeust

[iragm]

On 7/25/2023 at 3:49 AM, Khargeust said:

A new Armada Flagship would be a dream, but unfortunately I don't think this faction is iconic enough for LEGO to dedicate a reboot to it.

I hated the armada when it was out, to the point that I traded my armada figures to a friend for redcoats.  I still think I got the better end of that deal, even seeing today's prices for the figures.  I have not interest in seeing that theme -- or anything from the 97 pirates -- return.

However, a full Spanish galleon would be great.  Actually, any decent non-pirate ship would be cool.  For example, I'd love to see a full UCS East Indiaman with cloth sails and string rigging.

On 7/24/2023 at 10:59 PM, thewatchman said:

Skulls eye would probably be the better choice of classics.

Skull's Eye has held up remarkably well. I built it for the first time a couple years ago and was shocked to find it was a better build than the Black Pearl.  It's surprisingly cheap, too, considering how rare it is.  If we had to have a remake of a pirate ship, this would be my choice as well.  But there are already a dozen large pirate ships out there, so I'd greatly prefer a civilian or imperial ship.

22 hours ago, Khargeust said:

[10210] was the ultimate ship.

Barracuda Bay in ship form is a better build IMHO.  A lot of the techniques in 10210 remain unchanged from the 1989 pirates line, and while it's a nice ship, it's lacking a some of the wonderful detailing (such as proper tumblehome) found in Barracuda Bay.  The colors are lovely, though, and it's certainly my favorite pirate set from 1996 to 2020.

[thewatchman]

1 hour ago, iragm said:

I hated the armada when it was out, to the point that I traded my armada figures to a friend for redcoats.  I still think I got the better end of that deal, even seeing today's prices for the figures.  I have not interest in seeing that theme -- or anything from the 97 pirates -- return.

However, a full Spanish galleon would be great.  Actually, any decent non-pirate ship would be cool.  For example, I'd love to see a full UCS East Indiaman with cloth sails and string rigging.

Skull's Eye has held up remarkably well. I built it for the first time a couple years ago and was shocked to find it was a better build than the Black Pearl.  It's surprisingly cheap, too, considering how rare it is.  If we had to have a remake of a pirate ship, this would be my choice as well.  But there are already a dozen large pirate ships out there, so I'd greatly prefer a civilian or imperial ship.

Barracuda Bay in ship form is a better build IMHO.  A lot of the techniques in 10210 remain unchanged from the 1989 pirates line, and while it's a nice ship, it's lacking a some of the wonderful detailing (such as proper tumblehome) found in Barracuda Bay.  The colors are lovely, though, and it's certainly my favorite pirate set from 1996 to 2020.

Aww man we nearly agree on everything!

 Contrary to common opinion I actually hated imperial flagship remake, it felt flimsy, empty and quite boring, where as the build for pobb felt clever and sturdy, with a better overall shape.

 The lack of innovation in the flagship was probably the number one reason as you stated.

 I really feel that the armada suffered from a bad release date after great earlier pirates sets.

 Lego we’re producing god awful sets in the late 90s but the idea was solid and I loved a few of the smaller sets.

[Aanchir]

4 hours ago, thewatchman said:

Contrary to common opinion I actually hated imperial flagship remake, it felt flimsy, empty and quite boring, where as the build for pobb felt clever and sturdy, with a better overall shape.

Yeah, the 2010 Imperial Flagship (much like Medieval Market Village from the year before) was very much a product of its time — a time when LEGO was still testing how far they could/should go beyond a KFOL building level, especially in sets like those two that were specifically meant to tie in with recent KFOL-targeted products. Barracuda Bay definitely went a lot further with its use of hinges and SNOT techniques to achieve a realistic hull shape. Its interior was also much more detailed (not only in terms of furnishings, but also structural details like the "ribs" of the ship and the base of the masts), and its rigging made great use of string pieces to add authentic detail.

I figure even most folks who have expressed enthusiasm for a new Imperial Flagship would prefer an update/redesign over leaving the entire thing as-is. After all, some changes would be necessary regardless to account for retired parts like the 2x2x11 columns used for the masts — so any designers updating the model for a re-release might as well make other improvements in the process.

[icm]

I for one would not want a re-release of 10210 for a new Imperial Flagship. A redesign from scratch to at least the standard set by 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay would be the least I would expect. Why settle for less?

[thewatchman]

47 minutes ago, icm said:

I for one would not want a re-release of 10210 for a new Imperial Flagship. A redesign from scratch to at least the standard set by 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay would be the least I would expect. Why settle for less?

Ideally a full trading ship would be great. 
 Some plain white sails or trade insignias. Maybe some raiding pirates on a raft or small boat too.

[azog]

Personally, I would rather not have a re-release of 10210 Imperial Flagship but instead an entirely new ship. Maybe, "The Iron Ram" from the old comics or something like that!

[Jiesdeo]

11 hours ago, azog said:

Personally, I would rather not have a re-release of 10210 Imperial Flagship but instead an entirely new ship. Maybe, "The Iron Ram" from the old comics or something like that!

Yes, a new ship with some proper sailors uniforms would be great. Not just reusing soldier uniforms. Maybe four sailors, a couple of marines, a captain/admiral, and a lieutenant.

But any set with some civilian clothes would also be appreciated.

[Bfin9691]

I'd rather a new ship, but agree prices now are crazy expensive. Hope you can find a fairly prices one