Ben 10 discussion thread

[Omicron]

It looks like a gamble on Lego's part, but Ben 10 is hot property, the name sells a toy that is essentialy a method of encapsulating cheap plastic figures in agar jelly... It should sell alien action figures that you can swap sround, if only for a year or so.

Exactly.

I think what most people are forgetting is that Lego is just like every other company in the world, and making money is key. And like companies, they will have to make new ways of approaching different demographics and also make a quick buck.

-Omi

[Fluyt]

I am not entitled to an opinion according to Omicron.

-please delete-

Edited October 12, 2009 by Fluyt

[Omicron]

and focus on making real lego.

What exactly is real Lego? :P

Is it those wooden cars and trucks? :P

-Omi

[Peppermint_M]

Its all a bit negative isnt it?

If it works, Lego will make money and then they can make more themes and sets (Maybe even the system and figure style sets some desire).

If it doesn't work Lego will lose a little money (not as badly as they did with Galidor, they are in better financial shape these days) and if they lose too much they can always produce another Star Wars set with exclusive figures

I think I might get some of those purple bits if they are pin/peg attachments (they appear to be) and the wings look ever so interesting. My little brother will want some, certainly.

[Fluyt]

What exactly is real Lego? :P

Is it those wooden cars and trucks? :P

-Omi

I am not entitled to an opinion according to Omicron.

-please delete-

Edited October 12, 2009 by Fluyt

[simonjedi]

Oh, and I wouldn't trust those prices, guys. Many of the Amazon prices released today don't sound very realistic. I would expect these to be more around $15.

Which isn't exactly better 14 pieces for $15.

If Lego did that to the Star wars license, imagine the posts! It'll probably cause KimT to just close the star wars board completely and end up lying in his lego room sobbing onto his UCS Falcon Whilst having a mental breakdown. Naked.

[Front]

Piece count to prize ratio is so stupidly irelevant when comparing Lego sets, especially across building systems.

Ben 10 is Lego Technic for 5 year old kids. Am I the only one to notice the drop from 6 to 5 years as starting age, compared to Bionicle ?

[Gus 263]

In my opinion, lego is a construction toy, as expressed in technic, system and duplo. To me, themes like this (ben 10, galidor and bionicle) don't fit in that, since they're mainly just action figures (I don't think clickits and stuff like that "fit" with lego either). Sure they have some nice parts to use in system or technic, which is great, but they feel more like "any general toy", which could be made by any company just as well, or maybe even better than TLG does. "Shoemaker, stay at your last" (or whatever the saying is).

But, if it nets TLG some profits, oh well... let them do it.

I agree with you in some parts. There are some themes that I think another company could have done better (just like Galidor). But I just disagree with you about Bionicle.

Bionicle was even originated from Technic. Some of it's most complex Bionicle sets are unknown (or even ignored) by many AFOLs. Here is a link of a Bricklist I made:

http://www.brickset.com/brickLists/?55

It has a personal selection of what I consider as the most complex Bionicle sets.

It is also important to remember that just like every Lego theme, Bionicle have different categories. They have small, medium-sized (commonly named as canister sets), and bigger (Titans, warriors, etc.) sets. They passed through many transformations over the years. All of them are compatible, though some became more distant from technic and system. So it is hard to define what really makes them Bionicle or not. There is a common classification: Bionicle are any buildable action-figure with balljoints. But it isn't completely true: the set 8539, as example, don't moves through balljoint connections.

If the newest Bionicle sets became "far" of Technic sets, those ben 10 became even more. But that don't means they are unuseful in other ways. That makes hard to classify Lego as one only form of toy...

[Omicron]

In my opinion, lego is a construction toy,

Gonna stop you right there.

con⋅struct

–verb (used with object)

1. to build or form by putting together parts; frame; devise.

2. Geometry. to draw (a figure) fulfilling certain given conditions.

–noun

3. something constructed.

4. an image, idea, or theory, esp. a complex one formed from a number of simpler elements.

What exactly do you do with Bionicle, Ben 10, and by extent Galidor? You build them. They qualify as Lego because that is what Lego intended them for, to be built into many things. You are just looking at it through black & white.

-Omi

[Dunjohn]

Which isn't exactly better 14 pieces for $15.

If Lego did that to the Star wars license, imagine the posts! It'll probably cause KimT to just close the star wars board completely and end up lying in his lego room sobbing onto his UCS Falcon Whilst having a mental breakdown. Naked.

Don't rule it out. I can totally see this happening. Well, not the KimT bit... okay, maybe that, but mainly Lego Ben10-style figures of Darth Vader or General Grievous being made. We already have Star Wars Transformers, Star Wars Galaxy Heroes; they keep making variations on the same Star Wars theme to see how much money they can milk from the license. If these Ben 10 figures turn out to be a success - and I'm in the camp that says they will, the Ben 10 license is extremely hot and I'd never even heard of Galidor until about a month ago - then Lego will likely seek to expand the system. All it needs is for Hasbro to be okay with it. And they love new kinds of action figures.

[simonjedi]

but mainly Lego Ben10-style figures of Darth Vader or General Grievous being made.

Actually they sort of did figures like this. The UCS grevious, and the technic models. Most of them were really good.

[David Thomsen]

I wasn't going to bother commenting, but every time I try to picture these Ben 10 sets on the shelves of my Lego retailers, a little part of me dies.

I know Ben 10 is popular, I sell the DVDs at work, but this isn't going to work. Proper Ben 10 toys are much better than this, and much cheaper.

There go my hopes that this range would at least introduce us to some interesting new pieces.

[Brickthing]

Actually they sort of did figures like this. The UCS grevious, and the technic models. Most of them were really good.

I hardly think UCS sets would suit Ben 10 much. Most of the people buying UCS sets wouldn't have the faintest interest in Ben 10, and the people interested in Ben 10 are just advancing from the DUPLO age-group.

Speaking of DUPLO, the worst price to piece ratio of Ben 10 (given Amazon pricing) is currently about $1.30 per piece, which is about the same as the worst of Thomas the Tank Engine sets, at $1.36 per piece. Both Ben 10 and Thomas the Tank Engine sets are licensed themes with awful price to piece ratios and neither are very compatible with our preferred forms of LEGO, yet I don't see people crying in outrage at the Thomas the Tank Engine sets, so why the problem here?

[simonjedi]

I didn't even know there was Thomas the tank sets.

Looking at S@H they seem to be Duplo and aimed at 5 year olds. The figs look quite complex to manufacture (i think they are motorized) so thats going to increase the price quite a bit.

[NewRight]

"Hey guys looks Bionicle and Galidor had a baby!"

"It must take after Galidor though, 16 parts for $18!"

I will not be buying these with prices at over $1 a brick! I don't think that they're motorized either. Where would you store a motor in and action figure.

[The Green Brick Giant]

I suppose they're not really aimed at people who would think in terms of pieces. I mean, a reguler Ben 10 action figure only has one piece, and they're obviously hot. A kid who buys these will be able to mix the limbs around, and interchange them with a second model to creature their own aliens; that's where the appeal seems to lie. Modular, maybe, rather than constructible.

The problem is an action figure cost half the price of these.

I think the price is what will kill them, they are just way too much. Even if kids want them the parents will say no.

[Mission Commander]

When I saw this theme I thougt it would have some new figs, bad job TLC

[Fluyt]

Gonna stop you right there.

I am not entitled to an opinion according to Omicron.

-please delete-

Edited October 12, 2009 by Fluyt

[-JD-]

Jeez! These suck!

I hate the style of them, and as you all say the price is apalling.

I think LEGO will regret this...

[Zenox]

Im so getting Swampfire and Jet Ray.

Galidors didnt even look like lego...

Edited October 11, 2009 by Zenox

[RocketClone]

If Lego did that to the Star wars license, imagine the posts! It'll probably cause KimT to just close the star wars board completely and end up lying in his lego room sobbing onto his UCS Falcon Whilst having a mental breakdown. Naked.

You know i dont know what freaks me out more the fact that you typed that or the fact that you imagined that.

[Omicron]

You missed " as expressed in technic, system and duplo."

I didn't miss it. I just stopped before that. Also Bionicle is Technic, they just don't advertise it as such anymore.

If TLG would make real chairs which you have to assemble yourself (like IKEA for example), would you consider that "true lego"

Yes. Lego is Lego. Of course then again, Lego didn't start off as plastic building bricks, so using your logic, those aren't true Lego either.

the style is very different.

Well duh, of course it is. Sets today aren't like sets 10 years ago. And those sets 10 years ago are nothing like sets 20 years prior. Lego is keeping with the times and trying new things. If they didn't try new things, they would just go out of business very easily.

-Omi

[Fluyt]

I didn't miss it. I just stopped before that. Also Bionicle is Technic, they just don't advertise it as such anymore.

Yes. Lego is Lego. Of course then again, Lego didn't start off as plastic building bricks, so using your logic, those aren't true Lego either.

Well duh, of course it is. Sets today aren't like sets 10 years ago. And those sets 10 years ago are nothing like sets 20 years prior. Lego is keeping with the times and trying new things. If they didn't try new things, they would just go out of business very easily.

-Omi

Never mind, you clearly don't understand.

And apparently you feel the need to insult me and my opinion in pm's (and not even allowing response).

Edited October 12, 2009 by Fluyt

[curtisrlee]

Hope this fails!

[Front]

As I understand it, most of the AFOL I see her on EB, are most concerned about what print minifigure heads have, and how many tiles the can use to completely hide the knobs in their mocs. In that context I don't find it strange that people whish Lego to do bad in 2010.