2024 Space sets

[Space78]

16 hours ago, danth said:

I swear I just saw a recent leak pic that showed those on a shelf at Target. I was wondering the same thing.

More Lego astronaut keychain lights showing up on U.S. e-bay, including one in pink.  Need to get to the local Target to see if they have any.

[danth]

4 hours ago, Space78 said:

More Lego astronaut keychain lights showing up on U.S. e-bay, including one in pink.  Need to get to the local Target to see if they have any.

Nice! I think I have a red one somewhere but might be tempted to pick up more.

14 hours ago, Lyichir said:

I think the name on the box is only a sticking point for a small contingent of AFOLs with a somewhat purist view of what makes a theme "Lego Space". For everyone else, the Lego City brand is probably more of a benefit than anything else, since it comes with a built-in audience and reputation.

Agree to disagree on that. I think it's confounding. People who want futuristic space ships and aliens are going to be turned off by the City label. The City label means these are modern day astronauts on local planets interacting with aliens, which is dumb. So you have to ignore the City label, but in the back of your mind, it's still there, annoying you.

I take the whole thing as more overwhelming evidence that Lego can't do a non-licensed Space theme due to licensing agreements.

[Lyichir]

26 minutes ago, danth said:

Nice! I think I have a red one somewhere but might be tempted to pick up more.

Agree to disagree on that. I think it's confounding. People who want futuristic space ships and aliens are going to be turned off by the City label. The City label means these are modern day astronauts on local planets interacting with aliens, which is dumb. So you have to ignore the City label, but in the back of your mind, it's still there, annoying you.

I take the whole thing as more overwhelming evidence that Lego can't do a non-licensed Space theme due to licensing agreements.

You keep claiming that Lego "can't do a non-licensed space theme" because of some hypothetical licensing clauses but by any reasonable metric, this IS one, and proof enough that no such clauses exist. There's no way that a licensing partner like Disney would be like "you can't have an original theme that's based on sci-fi futuristic spaceships and planetary bases but you CAN put a giant "SPACE" label on a bunch of existing themes and include all that same subject matter, or make sets based on pre-existing space themes, and none of those concerns apply anymore". Such a clause, if it existed, would be as good as useless, especially since the distinction between what themes qualify as "space" and which ones don't is generally arbitrary and fan-devised (as evidenced by the long-running debates about whether Earth-based themes focused on sci-fi spacecraft like Alien Conquest, or space-based themes that don't leave a single planet like Rock Raiders, qualify).

I also think the claim that "people who want futuristic space ships" will be turned off by the City label is, again, wild conjecture. I doubt non-AFOLs really have any strong opinion of what the City label means—the insistence that it must be modern-day, must be realistic, must have all these specific qualities, are again, mostly fan-devised (and have had to be revised repeatedly as the City theme has stretched beyond the "city limits" in recent years). I doubt many parents would be bothered or upset by the fact that these space sets have a City label—the most association they're likely to have with the Lego City brand is "something my kids already like".

[Lion King]

I feel like I’m in minority…but I do want sets that feature futurustiic spacecrafts and alien and the City label doens’t bother me at all. I’m not “turned off”…  As long as it’s still an in-house theme, I’m fine with it. 

At the same time, I like modern day models in City. I don’t mind modern astronauts. 

But  let’s face it - this is the old news on Space banner for City subtheme. 

[icm]

Just let danth do his danth thing. Nothing's going to change his mind on this. It's the hill that he'll die on. I'm with Lion King here.

[danth]

45 minutes ago, Lyichir said:

You keep claiming that Lego "can't do a non-licensed space theme" because of some hypothetical licensing clauses but by any reasonable metric, this IS one, and proof enough that no such clauses exist.

It's literally not a Space theme. The Space sets are literally released as City sets, and Friends sets, etc. There's no Space theme. Maybe a non-standalone subtheme at most. Not sure how this is hard to understand.

45 minutes ago, Lyichir said:

Such a clause, if it existed, would be as good as useless, especially since the distinction between what themes qualify as "space" and which ones don't is generally arbitrary and fan-devised

Nope, the City Space boxes literally say City on them. Fans aren't devising that. I can say I consider Chima to be Fabuland Wars but it doesn't change the fact that Chima is not Fabuland.

 

45 minutes ago, Lyichir said:

I also think the claim that "people who want futuristic space ships" will be turned off by the City label is, again, wild conjecture.

Yes, wild conjecture, even though it's how I feel, and I've seen the same sentiment all over here, reddit, Brickset comments, etc etc.

9 minutes ago, icm said:

Just let danth do his danth thing. Nothing's going to change his mind on this. It's the hill that he'll die on. I'm with Lion King here.

Today I learned that releasing futuristic space ships sets with aliens under the City theme is just common sense, and I'm the crazy one for thinking it's weird.

So do you and @Lion King think of City Space 2024 as modern day astronauts in the Solar System interacting with martians/lunarians?

Edited 10 hours ago by danth

[icm]

I'm with Lion King in that the City label doesn't bother me at all.

[Space78]

Orange one now on U.S. e-bay.  So far, two CS astronaut colors that were not issued in the past as keychain lights, pink and orange.

Wonder if more are coming (yellow, black, green,...)?

[danth]

11 minutes ago, icm said:

I'm with Lion King in that the City label doesn't bother me at all.

Hmm, yep. You said as much already.

[Classic_Spaceman]

20 hours ago, danth said:

Right? The idea that most of kids that were shown these sets hated them, but Lego edited them out, and then released this video to push Space is laughable.

I am not sure that anyone said that, did they? 
 

19 hours ago, danth said:

I think they basically did Bring Back Space with the 2024 sets. The only thing that made it weird was releasing them under City. If they changed the boxes to say Gem-Tron or something instead of City, they would absolutely work as a continuation of vintage Space.

16 hours ago, Lyichir said:

And yeah, I think the City/Friends/etc. sets are Lego's vision of "bringing back space", which is probably part of why Lego produced and published this video this year.

Maybe, though I still wonder why the video features old sets instead of the new ones. Kids obviously would like the new sets (as they passed LEGO’s focus testing), so the only reason that I can see for the emphasis on old sets is that LEGO intends to bring Space back as a full theme. 
If Monkie Kid truly is on its way out, then a slot for a story-driven sci-fi theme is opening up - Perhaps Space will be the next “Big Bang” theme? 🤔
 

[danth]

Just now, Classic_Spaceman said:

I am not sure that anyone said that, did they? 

Yes, someone insinuated as much.

[Classic_Spaceman]

2 hours ago, danth said:

Agree to disagree on that. I think it's confounding. People who want futuristic space ships and aliens are going to be turned off by the City label. The City label means these are modern day astronauts on local planets interacting with aliens, which is dumb. 

Not really; the box art is as futuristic as any past Space theme, and the planet being explored is clearly unlike any in our solar system. 
 

59 minutes ago, danth said:

It's literally not a Space theme. The Space sets are literally released as City sets, and Friends sets, etc. There's no Space theme. Maybe a non-standalone subtheme at most. Not sure how this is hard to understand.

Technically true (the sets are part of the Space subthemes of City and Friends), but this is really splitting hairs and reaching in order to make the argument that LEGO cannot make a Space theme. 

1 hour ago, danth said:

Today I learned that releasing futuristic space ships sets with aliens under the City theme is just common sense, and I'm the crazy one for thinking it's weird.

So do you and @Lion King think of City Space 2024 as modern day astronauts in the Solar System interacting with martians/lunarians?

It is certainly weird to see future astronauts and aliens in City sets, but I am not complaining - I am more concerned with the sets themselves than with how they are marketed! 
 

[danth]

1 minute ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

Not really; the box art is as futuristic as any past Space theme, and the planet being explored is clearly unlike any in our solar system. 

Cool, so why release them under City?

1 minute ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

Technically true (the sets are part of the Space subthemes of City and Friends), but this is really splitting hairs and reaching in order to make the argument that LEGO cannot make a Space theme. 

Oh you better believe I'm splitting hairs. Technically true is what matters.

2 minutes ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

It is certainly weird to see future astronauts and aliens in City sets, but I am not complaining - I am more concerned with the sets themselves than with how they are marketed! 

Agreed! I bought almost all of the City Space sets (still don't have 60433) and I for the most part don't care about them being City. But it would be better if they were stand alone Space sets -- then I wouldn't have to actively ignore the City label.

[Classic_Spaceman]

8 minutes ago, danth said:

Cool, so why release them under City?

Probably because data suggests that sales would be better if the sets were marketed under the City line? Alternatively, LEGO may not have a free slot for a major new theme this year, so the sets that they wanted to make got shuffled into existing themes. 

10 minutes ago, danth said:

But it would be better if they were stand alone Space sets 

The reason I want a standalone Space theme is longevity - City subthemes generally last for a single HY (Stuntz was an exception), while full themes are planned to last for at least three years (with two waves per year, though the third year may only get one). 
 

[danth]

16 minutes ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

Probably because data suggests that sales would be better if the sets were marketed under the City line? Alternatively, LEGO may not have a free slot for a major new theme this year, so the sets that they wanted to make got shuffled into existing themes. 

My question is, how far down the path of absurdity can we go with that? I think space ships and aliens in City is weird, but some don't. What about Castle sets in Star Wars? If they sell better that way, let's do it!

18 minutes ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

The reason I want a standalone Space theme is longevity

Yeah, that too. A separate line implies a bit more commitment.

[Classic_Spaceman]

1 minute ago, danth said:

My question is, how far down the path of absurdity can we go with that? I think space ships and aliens in City is weird, but some don't. What about Castle sets in Star Wars? If they sell better that way, let's do it!

Star Wars is a license, so it is a different case compared to City. A better comparison would be Ninjago, which did actually get a Castle wave (basically Fantasy Era 2.0) with Master of the Mountain. 
 

[Lion King]

I think Classic_Spaceman makes good point that Lego might not have a free slot. Lego is already planning new several themes this year - Animal Crossing, Decprable Me, Wednesday, Wicked. No themes discontinued yet. 

So cross-theme is a perfect marketing method. 

[danth]

1 minute ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

Star Wars is a license, so it is a different case compared to City. A better comparison would be Ninjago, which did actually get a Castle wave (basically Fantasy Era 2.0) with Master of the Mountain. 
 

Eh, I don't see anything out of the normal for Ninjago in that wave. Is there a set I'm not seeing that has an actual medieval castle?

[Lion King]

and I’m with Jim. i will let Darth do his thing (sorr dude!).

[danth]

1 hour ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

If Monkie Kid truly is on its way out, then a slot for a story-driven sci-fi theme is opening up - Perhaps Space will be the next “Big Bang” theme? 🤔

Do you think, if it happens, it will be under City?

[Lyichir]

2 hours ago, Space78 said:

Orange one now on U.S. e-bay.  So far, two CS astronaut colors that were not issued in the past as keychain lights, pink and orange.

Wonder if more are coming (yellow, black, green,...)?

Speaking of "not really Lego" merch, the other day I saw a photo of some plushes from Target. Orange seems to have ALSO joined the ranks of plush Classic Space minifigures, but what I found even more charming was the plush of one of the new aliens from the City space sets! I already thought those were cute as heck so seeing it turned into a cuddly plush is amazing!
 

 

EDIT: On a different note, the other day when we were discussing the new space parts from Build-a-Mini, I mentioned that the main thing I thought would improve the jumpsuit-style torso would be if one or both arms were reddish orange (matching the right side of the torso print and giving it slightly more of a Futuron feel). Unfortunately, reddish orange minifigure arms didn't exist... but today I learned they soon will, since one of the newly revealed Animal Crossing figs has arms, hips, and mid-length legs in that color! Still no standard-length legs or hands (so you can't quite go full Futuron with it), but still a nice development!

 

Edited 8 hours ago by Lyichir

[Space78]

Just back from Target and Lego space merchandise put a dent in my wallet!  They had a "Space" themed end cap with adjoining shelves on the sides.

Along with the plushes, they also had the keychain lights in all the colors (red, pink, orange, blue).  I took one of each leaving the back row.  I was very tempted to buy the whole box!

They only had one orange one (which I took), leaving two blues, a red an a pink.

Lots of other Lego merch that really has nothing to do with "Space" other than they put the logo on it.  Makes me think the "Space" theme this year is more of a marketing theme than a "real" Lego theme.  They had minifig display cases in gray and blue:

Lego storage containers in the shape of a 2x3 brick:

And then water bottles, 2x2 brick carrying cases, and the empty hooks were labeled "backpacks":

All of these items had the gray triangle with the space logo and the word "SPACE" printed on a card attached to the item.  I did not see the space logo anywhere on the item itself.

Didn't get a picture of it, but the series 26 CMF boxes where on two rows of hooks on one side of the display.  I have not figured out how to scan the QR code to determine which minifig is in the box.  I'm really only interested in the nurse with the pink space baby.  Any suggestions?

Edited 5 hours ago by Space78