Why do or don't you like Bionicle?

[VBBN]

Two questions here, do you like or dislike Bionicle and why or why not?

As for me I like them, because I enjoy the story and I like action figures. I kind of ignore the fact that they are Lego, and just imagine them as toys.

So, how about you guys?

[Erdbeereis]

I don't like them for these reasons:

1) I'm really not a big action figure fan.

2) To me the main appeal of LEGO bricks is that you can combine them in so many different ways to make so many different things. With Bionicle, all you can make for the most part are other Bionicle-like creations.

However, this is just my opinion.

[The Dor]

I love Bionicle.

I like the story, not the best story, but it certainly has its good parts. The main part I like about the line is definitely the sets though. Especially the newer sets. Articulation FTW! :)

[Lego12]

I kind of like it...its cool, but I would rather have actualy LEGO bricks. It's a good theme, but you can't play with them as much as you can with Lego minifigures. Plus, with LEGO minifigures, you can make them cars and buildings!

[Icerakx Crenod]

I love them, they entertain me, cool story, etc.

[Bundalings]

Like like Bionicle for the story, mostly. The sets are cool and all, but they're getting pretty repetitive. Thankfully next year's look a bit more unique in terms of style and color, buuuut...

Why do I like the story? It's cool. I like sci fi and fantasy, so it's perfect for me. There are some weird things that make no sense, and some plot holes and quick fixes, but it's still got a heck-uv-a-lot better story than the new Star Wars trilogy.

I also love to MOC, but I've been doing it somewhat less lately as I'm terrified of breaking the ball joints. >_>

~Bunda

[Wrinkledlion X]

Yes:

-Storyline

-Mocing

-Good fuel for the imagination

[Phantoka Kopaka Nuva]

Yes, because of the story and the love for action figures.

[pr0visorak]

Well, my love for bionicle is very real as you can see from my name. Besides that, bionicle is challenging to build and it has a reat storyline. It is also one of Lego's longer lasting products. So yes,I love lego!

[Buttons]

No I do like them, unlike VBBN I do see them as being Lego and the original concept of lego of Lego many many years ago was to construct models creativly and Bionical is not creative enough for me, Sorry .

[Tohst]

Even if I didn't like the sets, as a fan of Lego I would love Bionicle.

Why? Because they made Lego money when they really needed it. Bionicle is the reason Lego is where it is today giving us amazing non-Bionicle sets.

Now, having said that. I do think the sets are cool.

-Tohst

[Guss]

I don't really like Bionicles, why ? I don't know... some sets are cool ! but generally I think they're ugly ^^ I don't even know why, just a matter of taste I think ^^

[Dwarvenlord]

I like the bionicle because of the nostalgia . I have alot of the old bionicle like the toa and the rahkshi. I don't like the new sets; they aren't Lego anymore, IMO. The rahkshi, for example, are awesome action figures and can be combined to terrifying creatures without looking like the work of a 6 year old, and with all the new, "better" parts from the new sets it's difficult to make something that looks... "proffesional".

[Pickerel]

I don't like them for these reasons:

1) I'm really not a big action figure fan.

2) To me the main appeal of LEGO bricks is that you can combine them in so many different ways to make so many different things. With Bionicle, all you can make for the most part are other Bionicle-like creations.

However, this is just my opinion.

This is my belief exactly.

Also, the bricks are large and can't really interact with other parts. Since normal LEGO figures are small, you can build entire buildings. With Bionicle, it's pretty hard to build environments. (not that a house made of jagged, over sized technic bricks would really be that pretty! )

Pickerel

P.S. Tohst, I strongly disagree with you!

Bionicle first appeared in 2001. LEGO was already a strong company and had been a strong company for many decades! Star Wars, Castle and City (I'm pretty sure) have bigger profits than Bionicle. Before Bionicle existed there was Adventurers, Town, Normal ol' Basic Bricks, Duplo, Star Wars, Technic, Space, Castle and Pirates to name a few! All of these were very profitable. From my background knowledge Bionicle is not essential at all to LEGO. It certainly makes them some nice money, but if they were to discontinue it LEGO would not die because of it!

Bionicle is not the reason why we are having great non-Bionicle sets!

[Bundalings]

P.S. Tohst, I strongly disagree with you!

Bionicle first appeared in 2001. LEGO was already a strong company and had been a strong company for many decades! Star Wars, Castle and City (I'm pretty sure) have bigger profits than Bionicle. Before Bionicle existed there was Adventurers, Town, Normal ol' Basic Bricks, Duplo, Star Wars, Technic, Space, Castle and Pirates to name a few! All of these were very profitable. From my background knowledge Bionicle is not essential at all to LEGO. It certainly makes them some nice money, but if they were to discontinue it LEGO would not die because of it!

Bionicle is not the reason why we are having great non-Bionicle sets!

Wrong.

Well, kind of.

~Bunda

[Pickerel]

Wrong.

Well, kind of.

~Bunda

Hmmm... you learn something everyday!

I still think that Bionicle is not the reason why we're getting so many great non-bionicle sets, like Tohst said!

Wiser Pickerel

[VBBN]

Wrong.

Well, kind of.

~Bunda

Where does that link lead to? It's not showing up for me for some reason.

Thanks,

VBBN

[F0NIX]

I don't like bionicle because the parts have restricted number of uses and ways to be attached. And that is a key element of other LEGO parts, they can be used in many ways and conected in many ways.

Bionicle is only for the story, not a realy good one either.

Too bad the LEGO-company has used time and money to develope Bionicle, I would rather they used the time and money to develope other areas first...

I know the Bionicle sells good, but I don't know why people like them... they are ugly too...

[Zarkan]

I love bionicle, for the reasons other people here love bionicle.

I know the Bionicle sells good, but I don't know why people like them... they are ugly too...

"Ugly" is really an opinion. A lot the fans that like bionicle enjoy the variation from other toy styles - it has a distinct, mechanical/organic look that you won't find anywhere else. Besides, just about any major toy brand could be called ugly by someone - it's just a matter of personal taste.

[Captain Green Hair]

Though i have seen some Bionicle parts used into system sets very smartly...i must say i don't really like the sets.

It doesn't appeal to me as ''regular'' lego does and i don't like the concept and design of them.

I didn't vote in the poll because i don't really care, if lego makes money on this to make more awesome system sets, then i'm cool!

[Algernon]

I like Bionicle because it's an original and visionary spin on robotic action figure toys.

I don't like Bionicle because the very reason why it was good, originality, has since dissipated into a flurry of repetitive storyline and incredibly stupid looking models. It makes me sad to think that the very reason why Bionicle was worth paying attention to is now working against it, or at least until LEGO works up the courage to try something new. Also, the horrible writing and pathetic excuse at "lore" isn't doing the line any favors. Until I see something from LEGO that recaptures the mysterious atmosphere, combination of primitive and advanced technology, and the mythical omnipotence of the enemies I will not be interested in this line for anything other than parts.

LEGO fell into a pithole that many companies do. They try something new- and it works! Unfortunately, they forget that half of the reason why people noticed their idea is because it was unusual. Now they keep using the same idea over and over again, and the more time passes the harder Bionicle is to distinguish from every other godforsaken toy line out there.

Bring me back the Bionicle we all know and love, LEGO.

[Tohst]

P.S. Tohst, I strongly disagree with you!

Bionicle first appeared in 2001. LEGO was already a strong company and had been a strong company for many decades! Star Wars, Castle and City (I'm pretty sure) have bigger profits than Bionicle. Before Bionicle existed there was Adventurers, Town, Normal ol' Basic Bricks, Duplo, Star Wars, Technic, Space, Castle and Pirates to name a few! All of these were very profitable. From my background knowledge Bionicle is not essential at all to LEGO. It certainly makes them some nice money, but if they were to discontinue it LEGO would not die because of it!

Bionicle is not the reason why we are having great non-Bionicle sets!

You can disagree with me however strongly you want. There is definately some room for interpretation here.

But read this article:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/50/lego.html

from August 2001. The venerable company was not strong.

Then look at http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=timeline

and some of the deficits they were running.

There are also articles in magazines such as Brickjournal you can look at where the convential wisdom boils down to:

1) Lego was having a very tough time in the late 90s and early 00s.

2) This was due to multiple factors including bloated processes, tougher competition, and the stagnation of set design based on insular thinking

3) Bionicle, introduced in 2001 was a big factor in making enough money to get them trough the end of the rough patch to the healthy company they are today.

Believe it...or not?

-Tohst

ETA: check out the company's annual report, especially for 2003, an especially bad year. Star Wars/Harry Pottter/ and Bionicle sales were all down, but Bionicle was the best selling line they had.

Edited October 24, 2008 by Tohst

[Pencoin]

I love it when someone posts that, . It's not true at all! I know the true reason, want me to share?

[Trexxen]

Firstly, let me say that, in a non-condescending manner of course, those of you who say that it's hard to build anything else with Bionicle parts are very wrong. The combination of Bionicle and System, whichever is the main element, is an amazing MOC technique. Mind, you probably won't find much use for most Bionicle parts if you're, say, a city MOCist - but honestly, saying that Bionicle parts don't have enough places to be connected to? While for a few parts that even Bionicle fans hate, this is true; for the VAST majority it isn't. If you can't find enough places to connect a Bionicle part to something, with again a few exceptions, you're not really trying hard enough.

That being said, I love Bionicle. Not as much as in recent years, as I've re-discovered System; but I love Bionicle. The sets are great, not really the small sets or most of the canister sets (07 was an exception; the Barraki were AMAZING, and the Mahri were too, if slightly less so.) but the "Titans" and "Vehicles" are just amazing. As much as I've shyed away from Bionicle MOCing, and for the record I NEVER buy sets just for the models - I usually buy them just to MOC, but I build the models anyways to pick up on techniques - Axalara T9 is still at the absolute top of my Christmas List this year; and will likely be the only "large" thing I will get, besides a guitar of course =P

Not only that, but as Tohst has said much better than I could, Bionicle brought Lego back from the brink of destruction. Even now, with so many great sets coming in 09 from the Pirates and Castle lines that I'll be unable to put much money into Bionicle, the line is strong, one of the "evergreen" lines such as Space, Pirates, Castle, and City; and it is great. Even if you don't like the line, you cannot deny that without it Lego would be in a much worse shape, if any, than they are now.

~Trexxen

[Algernon]

Trexxen is definitely correct when he says that you can build any number of different things with Bionicle sets... but, it's also true that Bionicle parts are generally less versatile than system parts. I've noticed that in most (good) larger MOCs, smaller parts are used. Though not always.

I also agree that the Axalara T9 is awesome.