LEGO Star Wars 2011 Pictures & Rumors

[Bane]

Just found some news on the net. German Galeria-Kaufhof has the new

7961 Sith Infiltrator (69,99 €) and the

7965 Millennium Falcon (149,99 €)

on their webshop. Yesterday the sets were neither online nor in the store.

Just wanted to write this.

Btw, if you have a twitter account, I recommend you to follow our forum news acc (imperiumdersteine) here. It's in German, but it may be of interest to you as we have some LSW news now and then. (Navy Trooper Fenson is also tweeting)

I hope it's ok if I linked this.

That would have been worse. Mundi really needs his own mold to look even slightly good. I don't really see the hate for this mold actially- it looks pretty good to me.

Well the mold is quite okay, but the face... awful. I would have preferred a "double head" like in the Lego Star Wars game - or like Christo did it. That would be much more Lego-like.

€dit: lol, haven't seen Brickdoctor's post - well it seems like we have the same opinion, talking about Ki-Adi.

Edited May 17, 2011 by Bane

[Aeroeza]

I can sympathize with your pain but at the same time Lego is not forcing anyone to buy its sets.

Agreed.

Personally I buy a commodity because it makes me happy and gives me pleasure.

Also agreed!

If it doesn't I don't buy it.

Super-duper agreed! (What an agreeable day we're having).

TLG can choose to do as they please. It doesn't have an obligation to ask anyone about what to make or how to make it....

Agre.. Whoa! Wait there! Back up and smell the market-driven economics my friend!

The 'invisible hand' doesn't work that way (when it 'works' at all- thanks GFC) and Adam Smith would turn over in his dank Scottish grave (asking for more than just a wee nip of whiskey in compensation) if he thought a shoe factory would manufacture only left boots because of a non-market driven whim! (Think of all those cold, exposed muddy right feet for pete's sake)!

So although a 'seller' has no 'obligation' as such to listen to its 'buyers' any business which chooses to ignore them will fast-track its way into oblivion. It's 'rational' for the seller to listen which is why TLC conducts its own market research and 'tweaks' its products accordingly.

Forums such as these provide customers an opportunity to express desires, complaints etc. and StoutFiles clearly expressed his concerns and a compromise solution which Lego could reasonably incorporate as a 'tweak' in future UCS releases- one that preserves the integrity of the brand and broadens its appeal. Whether this solution is in line with TLC market research is yet to be revealed. I for one thought it was a good one.

Remember, StoutFiles' last post was prompted by a somewhat off-hand remark from Strand...

Bitching and an all-round sense of entitlement are a big part of the Star Wars AFOL fanbase apparently.

...and I think he brought up an interesting point (not the 'bitching' bit of course but he's a fellow Aussie and as a mob we can be a bit blunt ). Which leaves us with the idea of 'entitlement'.

Lego has done a good job building up brand loyalty with the UCS range and so it seems only reasonable that a sense of entitlement is created from the consumers point of view. That's what brand loyalty is all about. It establishes a relationship between buyers and sellers which manipulates consumers into continuing to desire a manufacturers products. This is especially necessary when the product is a non-essential one aimed at the high end of the market. Afterall why pay for another BMW when public transport could suffice?

The UCS range is another example of such marketing logic and Lego celebrated this 'relationship' only recently with its May 4th poster- 10 years and counting! If Lego is 'tweaking' the UCS brand by essentially making them system sets (which is a huge tweak) then the AFOL who appreciated the range to date will have to reassess their loyalty to it. Now if that AFOL enjoys being part of this community then why be quiet about their concerns? Considering there's 10 years of history behind it all then a bit of a well considered and expressed grumble seems fair enough.

I say we need more right boots!

Edited May 18, 2011 by Aeroeza

[helicaon]

Bitching and an all-round sense of entitlement are a big part of the Star Wars AFOL fanbase apparently. Half the fallenangel posts I've seen are nitpicking with some hyperlinked JPG.

the pics are generally relevant to the point he makes, and as the saying goes "A picture's worth a thousand words" .....

[Fallenangel]

the pics are generally relevant to the point he makes, and as the saying goes "A picture's worth a thousand words" .....

Thank you. But I think KielDaMan would prefer this thread be less about me and more about the fall 2011 lineup.

[XimenaPaulina]

the pics are generally relevant to the point he makes, and as the saying goes "A picture's worth a thousand words" .....

Thank you. But I think KielDaMan would prefer this thread be less about me and more about the fall 2011 lineup.

Yep, and just a friendly reminder to everybody: Before posting, pls. actually double-think if your post will really contribute something significant to the topic and not just a simple reply to an off-topic comment. Are we clear about this? Good. Let's move on my friends.

[Fallenangel]

Before posting, pls. actually double-think if your post will really contribute something significant to the topic and not just a simple reply to an off-topic comment. Are we clear about this? Good. Let's move on my friends.

Be sure to double-think instead of doublethink, because the latter will get you in trouble with the moderators.

[Bane]

First Review of the 7959 Geonosian Starfighter by our forums moderator tomo is online!

http://www.imperiumdersteine.de/showthread.php?p=520172#post520172

[Mr Man]

First Review of the 7959 Geonosian Starfighter by our forums moderator tomo is online!

http://www.imperiumdersteine.de/showthread.php?p=520172#post520172

Great review but boy is that Geonosian ugly (so is Ki-Adi), but the ship is so much better than the first one, it's a shame the Geonosian apparently cant sit up properly and has no controls.

[omot]

Great review but boy is that Geonosian ugly (so is Ki-Adi), but the ship is so much better than the first one, it's a shame the Geonosian apparently cant sit up properly and has no controls.

I'm "tomo" from IdS ("Imperium of the bricks" as a translation ):

the only thing in this set, that might be worth as "controls" is this 1x2 tile with sw-computer-pattern:

http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?colorID=86&itemID=477

Edited May 18, 2011 by omot

[Brickdoctor]

Minifigs still look . Especially Ki-adi, who is nothing compared to Christo's custom. The bags also don't seem very full.

[Churchill]

Minifigs still look . Especially Ki-adi, who is nothing compared to Christo's custom. The bags also don't seem very full.

I agree. Even though the shape isn't right, and there is less detail, when I look at the custom, I see Ki-adi. When I look at the new figure/mold, I see....

[Mr Man]

Ki-adi , really? Apart from the stupid head bit it looks quite good, the face bares a good resemblance, as does the body. But after all this time we could do with a better head mold, it would have been better as a rubber head IMO.

[Ki-Adi-Mundi]

Sry, wrong thread. Please delete post.

Edited May 18, 2011 by Ki-Adi-Mundi

[Brickdoctor]

Ki-adi , really? Apart from the stupid head bit it looks quite good, the face bares a good resemblance, as does the body. But after all this time we could do with a better head mold, it would have been better as a rubber head IMO.

Yes, I think it is definitely . His eyes are huge, with those wierd-looking creases coming off the sides, (however accurate, they just look like fake eyelashes applied to the wrong side of the eye) there's the ugly gap between the head and the headpiece, and the eyebrows look much too bushy.

Here's an embedded pic from the review, for reference:

[nex]

Not sure if someone said this already, but I believe that the new Darth Maul minifig would look much better if you replaced the new face with the old Maul face. (and keep those horns on top).

Btw, I agree that Ki-Adi-Mundi is definitely ugly.

[Fives]

Even though Ki is rather ugly, he still looks rather good. The face is pretty well done. The head bit is a bit too tall, I think. It would have been better if TLG had put printing on a flesh version of the fez hat piece, and then done the ponytail in a similar way as Aurra's.

[vagrant]

Here's an embedded pic from the review, for reference: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5188/5733076185_a3b6c15795_z.jpg

Is it review of set 7959?

Later: Yes, I see the link above. :)

Edited May 18, 2011 by vagrant

[Mr Man]

Yes, I think it is definitely . His eyes are huge, with those weird-looking creases coming off the sides, (however accurate, they just look like fake eyelashes applied to the wrong side of the eye) there's the ugly gap between the head and the headpiece, and the eyebrows look much too bushy.

Yes but its a lot better looking than some other CW figs, but I agree the 'Fez' could be a lot better.

[Poza]

Am I the only one who likes new Ki-Adi minifigure ? :)

[Stegoceras]

Thank you Tomo for the review and Bane for linking it.

I just got to say I'm a bit disappointed with the model, it's just a slightly more beefy version of the old one but now with the gap in the middle. The cockpit still looks dreadful and shallow, I mean the Geonosian has to sit all the way back just to fit inside? The connection gap in Ki-adi's head seems to be as bad as I feared (also why the crancky mad-man's face? He must have been using some serious drugs), the only things i really like is the ability to get a Cody (since I missed the RGS one) and the Geonosian which could have been better in a different color but looks excellent and detailed as it should.

That and the slight disappointment with the Ewok Attack which only plus is the awesome Ewoks and the(to me) lackluster Sith Nightspeeder don't really turn this into a good wave thus far, hope the more expensive sets can pick up the slack.

[Clone OPatra]

Am I the only one who likes new Ki-Adi minifigure ? :)

I like the face well enough, and the head-piece well enough, but I'll admit that together they don't work so well. Also, just like Tiin they've made him look much angrier than he ever got in the show, which is somewhat of a problem because it doesn't portray the character all that well. In overall style and appearance, LEGO so far is doing much better with the female Jedi, which is somewhat ironic because female characters in the past have not been LEGO's strong point.

[legolandia]

Agreed.

Also agreed!

Super-duper agreed! (What an agreeable day we're having).

Agre.. Whoa! Wait there! Back up and smell the market-driven economics my friend!

The 'invisible hand' doesn't work that way (when it 'works' at all- thanks GFC) and Adam Smith would turn over in his dank Scottish grave (asking for more than just a wee nip of whiskey in compensation) if he thought a shoe factory would manufacture only left boots because of a non-market driven whim! (Think of all those cold, exposed muddy right feet for pete's sake)!

So although a 'seller' has no 'obligation' as such to listen to its 'buyers' any business which chooses to ignore them will fast-track its way into oblivion. It's 'rational' for the seller to listen which is why TLC conducts its own market research and 'tweaks' its products accordingly.

Forums such as these provide customers an opportunity to express desires, complaints etc. and StoutFiles clearly expressed his concerns and a compromise solution which Lego could reasonably incorporate as a 'tweak' in future UCS releases- one that preserves the integrity of the brand and broadens its appeal. Whether this solution is in line with TLC market research is yet to be revealed. I for one thought it was a good one.

Remember, StoutFiles' last post was prompted by a somewhat off-hand remark from Strand...

I say we need more right boots!

You were doing so well with the first 3 agreements. Why did you go and ruin it with the last disagreement?

Don't get me wrong, I would love Lego to listen to its customers by all means. How much they do is an unknown for any of us non Lego employees I suppose.

My point is that for as long as I have been a member in this forum I remember that one person or another has always had something to complain about a particular set. As a matter of fact i can't remember a particular set that has been unanimously welcomed. Everytime we have had the prelim pictures for the upcoming sets people have always pointed out the good and the bad things about it. In the majority of times Lego has not made any modifications/improvements based on complaints/suggestions made here. As a matter of fact I remember one recent set where people were excited that we would get Quinlan Voss and when the set was released Lego had actually taken that minifig out. That tells me that opinions given in this forum do not have much weight on Lego's decision or are not taken much into account in their research. And although people have always moaned about the sets the majority of them have sold pretty well. Therefore not listening to people in here has not really driven Lego into the oblivion.

I don't mean this to sound disrespectful but the 20-30 people that complain here are the most hardcore fans and even if those people decided not to buy a particular set it wouldn't make a dent in Lego's profits. The term "compromise solution" that you have used above is totally out of place because there is no large scale open conflict between Lego and buyers over the SSD set. This is just a picture found somewhere. Lego didn't come out with the picture and asked for buyers opinions about what they think. Sorry to be pedantic but I think that using that term makes this small monologue appear more important than it is (I say monologue because it is held by some lego fans as opposed to a dialogue between Lego and Fans).

Everyone has a right to express their opinion about sets and that's what the forum is for. But no Lego star wars set is going to be 100% perfect. But when we get a picture of an upcoming set why can't people just admire the nice things about it instead of jumping straight for the negative points?

The moaning has increased quite fast recently (I am talking generally about the Lego Star wars sets) and is becoming fastidious. Yet, at the same time Lego's success, sales and profits have noticeably increased. That shows me exactly all the market driven economics that matter.

Edited May 18, 2011 by legolandia

[lightningtiger]

Excellent review on the Geonosian Fighter, I don't mind Ki-Adi head except he and the other CW Jedi's need to see an eye specialist !

And when I look at the Geonosian pilot, I think of this guy.........

The fighters design I do like and takes a pilot which the AOTC couldn't (correctly me if I'm wrong on that - that set came out in my dark ages ).

May the brick be with us all !

[Fallenangel]

My point is that for as long as I have been a member in this forum I remember that one person or another has always had something to complain about a particular set. As a matter of fact i can't remember a particular set that has been unanimously welcomed. Everytime we have had the prelim pictures for the upcoming sets people have always pointed out the good and the bad things about it. In the majority of times Lego has not made any modifications/improvements based on complaints/suggestions made here. As a matter of fact I remember one recent set where people were excited that we would get Quinlan Voss and when the set was released Lego had actually taken that minifig out. That tells me that opinions given in this forum do not have much weight on Lego's decision or are not taken much into account in their research. And although people have always moaned about the sets the majority of them have sold pretty well. Therefore not listening to people in here has not really driven Lego into the oblivion.

I don't mean this to sound disrespectful but the 20-30 people that complain here are the most hardcore fans and even if those people decided not to buy a particular set it wouldn't make a dent in Lego's profits. The term "compromise solution" that you have used above is totally out of place because there is no large scale open conflict between Lego and buyers over the SSD set. This is just a picture found somewhere. Lego didn't come out with the picture and asked for buyers opinions about what they think. Sorry to be pedantic but I think that using that term makes this small monologue appear more important than it is (I say monologue because it is held by some lego fans as opposed to a dialogue between Lego and Fans).

I would have to agree on this point, as I too felt that Aeroeza’s statement was not entirely agreeable as the primary market of The LEGO Group is not AFOLs, but kids (somebody once said that we only make up about 5% of their audience). Obviously what a kid would want in a set would differ from what an AFOL would want, so of course our opinions on these sets may not be valid. Take flick-fire missiles, for example – I know there are quite a few members here that dislike them (myself included), but some kid out there may have fun flicking them at his cat or something.

However, I feel there is a need in your argument to differentiate between “mainstream” sets, which are kid-oriented, and other sets (such as the UCS or Architecture lines) which are more AFOL-oriented. Granted, it does seem like there isn’t as much communication between LEGO and AFOLs, but it’s there...

10221, as far as I can tell, is part of a line traditionally aimed at AFOLs. And a UCS Executor is something I've seen on AFOL wishlists for years - who's to say LEGO didn't take a hint?

Everyone has a right to express their opinion about sets and that's what the forum is for. But no Lego star wars set is going to be 100% perfect. But when we get a picture of an upcoming set why can't people just admire the nice things about it instead of jumping straight for the negative points?

Now I don’t understand why you had to stick this paragraph in. If all we did was rave about the good points there would hardly be any discussion. Our standards would drop miserably. Besides, I think you’re overgeneralizing. We do not “[jump]” straight for the negative points” (at least, most of us don’t); we weigh the merits and demerits of any particular set. For example, in spite of the fact that I am not a big fan of 6212 I can say that the set itself has several good points such as the assortment of minifigures and the inclusion of a mix of both basic and Technic elements that allow more versatility in building. And personally I don’t feel there’s anything wrong with complaining – it’s part of any fanbase (the Prequels being only one obvious example).

The moaning has increased quite fast recently (I am talking generally about the Lego Star wars sets) and is becoming fastidious. Yet, at the same time Lego's success, sales and profits have noticeably increased. That shows me exactly all the market driven economics that matter.

I think you may be contradicting yourself here. As I stated above, AFOL-oriented sets are only a small part of The LEGO Group (mostly they sell kids’ toys) so it’s obvious that AFOL satisfaction wouldn’t necessarily correlate with their success. One could almost say that the AFOL market is such a minority that The LEGO Group could afford to cut the entire UCS line if AFOLs aren’t interested in them and instead focus even more on their primary market (as LEGO Otaku suggested). There is certainly some market-driven economics taking place, but as is evident from what you had pointed out about The LEGO Group listening to AFOLs we don’t seem to be the market in question at all.

[TeufelHund]

Am I the only one who likes new Ki-Adi minifigure ? :)

Probably - it looks like he is wearing a giant novelty condom on his head to me...