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Lego Master Building Academy (MBA)

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It looks like they just posted a ton of information on the Lego MBA:

http://www.legomba.com/

I saw info on pricing and part count at some point, but it's buried in there. (No time to dig for it right now.) It looks like preorders start in May. There's an initial kit with a big book, a bunch of bricks, a minifigure, and a brick separator. And then I guess if you subscribe, you get something like a polybag every 2 months. There's a second minifigure to be had after a few kits come.

Can somebody spot the prices for all this in there?

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I saw info on pricing and part count at some point, but it's buried in there. (No time to dig for it right now.)

For a full year, the total part count is 1125.

Edited by Arigomi

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I found the info on the prices. It was hidden away in an obscure Q&A section where it's hard to find.

http://mba.lego.com/en-us/Guide/What_is_LEGO_MBA.aspx

The MBA Space Designer Kit (Kit 1) is sold separately online and in LEGO Brand Retail Stores for $29.99.

Try the program before you subscribe!

The subscription, which includes kits 2-6, is $69.99 and available for purchase online or by phone.

That's a total of (a few cents under) $100 for a full year's subscription.

For a full year, the total part count is 1125.

If that part count is true, then the price per piece is under 9 cents (before tax of course). For your money, you also get a big book and brick separator. There are also 2 minifigures with unique torso printing.

It looks like mainly standard bricks (kind of like the Creator theme) in pretty garish colors. They probably use bright colors since that makes it easier to tell apart areas of the model. I see a lot of bright green and purple, and not a lot of earth tones. It's pretty much devoid of minifigure accessories, animals, etc.

Edited by Zeya

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It looks like mainly standard bricks (kind of like the Creator theme) in pretty garish colors. They probably use bright colors since that makes it easier to tell apart areas of the model. I see a lot of bright green and purple, and not a lot of earth tones. It's pretty much devoid of minifigure accessories, animals, etc.

That there is the reason I'll be passing on it. What good is 10+ pieces per dollar if they're pieces you'll likely never use? And I doubt I'd get that much out of the building program.

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I'm sorry to say I think I'll be passing on MBA too. I think this program is fantastic for kids. I was interested in learning building techniques. But without interesting pieces in other colors, I have to pass. I was hoping to maybe see some other themes like castle or some exclusive minifigs, or maybe some houses or other buildings. But it seems like spaceships, dragons, and other swooshable vehicles. I think this will be a big hit with the core Lego audience of 6-13 year olds. The subscription would make a great birthday gift that lasts all year.

Also, to be honest, I don't need to spend more money on Lego than I already do!

I do wonder about a couple things. They mention secrets and bonuses. I wonder how much of that is concrete rewards, and how much is silly web stuff like comics and funny pictures or whatever. I also wonder what happens if you miss the first year, if they let you jump in at kit 7. I guess time will tell.

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I'm not going for it. 100 bucks for the year is way to much. and I just checked out the images. most of the sets look like they're the ones that would make the total value about maybe 50 bucks(PUSHING IT!). Half the sets appear to be made out of mostly really small pieces(lots of pieces that = tiny model) and the others seem to be about the same size of the models that sell for about 7 or 8 dollars(about half of what the Price per set is)

And plus I'm not into ordering from lego.com. I'd have to either do a check via mail or get a greendot card. I can't believe lego has the price 2.5

higher then the old Brickmaster. Way to go lego, you've offical lost the remaining shred of respect that I had for you.

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I'm not going for it. 100 bucks for the year is way to much. and I just checked out the images. most of the sets look like they're the ones that would make the total value about maybe 50 bucks(PUSHING IT!). Half the sets appear to be made out of mostly really small pieces(lots of pieces that = tiny model) and the others seem to be about the same size of the models that sell for about 7 or 8 dollars(about half of what the Price per set is)

What are you using to base your pricing off of? When you compare it to the pricing for Creator sets, it isn't that different.

Complaints about small pieces only applies to kit 2 because it focuses on microscale building. I feel like the other 5 kits compensate for this. These wouldn't be 3-in-1 sets if they only contained a bunch of useless pieces.

A valid concern is the color selection. Not much can be done about that since everyone has the color preferences.

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What are you using to base your pricing off of? When you compare it to the pricing for Creator sets, it isn't that different.

Complaints about small pieces only applies to kit 2 because it focuses on microscale building. I feel like the other 5 kits compensate for this. These wouldn't be 3-in-1 sets if they only contained a bunch of useless pieces.

A valid concern is the color selection. Not much can be done about that since everyone has the color preferences.

With all due respect, I would just ignore MinifigFreak2010's comment. Basically every time she posts in this thread it's to complain about the price.

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As someone used to AFOL MOCs I find the idea of The LEGO Group setting up some sort of 'Master Building Academy' rather humorous. The various 'kits' don't really strike me as any more advanced than what you get in a typical Creator set and the conventions of most AFOL MOCs I've seen (fewer studs and gaps, cleaner surfaces, etc) just aren't there. Hey, kids, want to learn how to make better MOCs? Go to [recognized AFOL MOCer's name here]'s brickshelf/Flickr/MOCpages and study his/her designs. It's a lot cheaper than $100 and doesn't include 'Experience Points' or 'Skill Tests', just a lot of fun building.

Building onto the side of your model... allows for more shapes and details!
\\

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Of course, I could be wrong and kids would be able to make something that looks like Reto made it by the end of the program. But I don't see anyone else taking this seriously, so... eh.

Am I going to buy this? Well, I'm not too much for minifigures, so I'll pass...

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Personally, I think that the Master Builder Academy offer is looking very prominent. I think it's a terrible generalization to assume a talented design has to be on-par with an AFOL MOC. In fact, most of the MOCs I design are made to look as much like official sets as possible-- that means no covering up studs where there's no point in doing so. I think anything more than that can amount to overkill and can eliminate a good deal of the "LEGO-ness" of the model.

Furthermore, I personally like bright colors more than earth tones. This probably comes as a surprise to nobody since I was a fan of BIONICLE for a full nine years, a happy collector of Power Miners and Atlantis, and since this year a "born-again" Hero Factory fan. Furthermore, some of these colors are slightly obscure, and having multiple kits that provide you with a similar color palette is a grand opportunity to collect useful bright yellowish green or medium lilac parts.

I couldn't be more thrilled about this! Of course, I guess this means I have to start saving money if I want this to last!

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I have to start saving money if I want this to last!

This is another thing that puzzles me. Is this program going to change every year, or are those who complete the program simply going to stop?

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This is another thing that puzzles me. Is this program going to change every year, or are those who complete the program simply going to stop?

This confuses me slightly too. Firstly, if you go up a level every six months, that means next year will be levels 3 and 4, which means new sets. But for those who only start next year, the first sets will need to be available still. So a few years down the line, when you're level 10, Lego needs to have 30 sets (3 per level) still in production, which is quite a large commitment for them.

Lego never usually keeps a set around for more than 2 years (Although there are exceptions), so I'm wondering what they're going to do every couple of years.

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I'm a bit confused about it, too, but we know from earlier information that there will be levels 3 and 4, so at least we know that you have the option of continuing it through more than one year of sets. But no idea whether other people would start out at those levels or whatnot.

In any event I doubt it will end up going through to a level as high as 10. Chances are that after completing a certain number of levels, you "graduate" Master Builder Academy. After all, the program seems geared toward kids, and they probably don't expect the majority of kids to remain LEGO fans their whole lives. If they continued it to a high level like that, then the number of people who would reach that level would dwindle, and the profitability of producing sets for that level would go down with it.

In any event, though, I'm not interested in it for the whole "achievement" aspect of it. I'm drawn to the sets and the additional content (building tips, etc.) that comes with them. But who knows? Perhaps I might improve my creativity at the same time. I certainly wouldn't frown on such an opportunity!

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I think this is a great product for Lego to introduce, it's not something as an AFOL that is particularly relevant to me, but for kids aged 8 to 12 this MBA is perfect. I would have loved this as a child. How many times have we seen criticism that Lego do not advertise alternate models on this forum? This product is about encouraging CHILDREN to create. From what I have seen it guides them towards experimentation, gives them hints. The whole concept is patronising if you view it from the perspective of an adult.

Do any of us desire that Level Two Minifig? Do we need to be told that 'interlocking bricks' adds to stability? I hope not, because we should have worked that out by now. But this is a 'value added' product aimed at kids. It's not about the price per piece, its about the bigger concept. This gives CHILDREN an ultra moderated way to engage with other CHILDREN on the web. If I had a kid I would be concerned about what they could encounter on the web, and I would be happy for Lego to ultra moderate their experience of the internet.

I absolutely applaud Lego for bringing this out. For me this concept is saying to me that Lego are engaging with the 21st century children, they are using the internet, acknowledging the 'social networks' that potentially will characterise our age. But they are doing it properly, they are moderating it, but most importantly they are emphasising their core value: "we built it this way, now go off and build it better"

Edited by mikey

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Personally, I think that the Master Builder Academy offer is looking very prominent. I think it's a terrible generalization to assume a talented design has to be on-par with an AFOL MOC. In fact, most of the MOCs I design are made to look as much like official sets as possible-- that means no covering up studs where there's no point in doing so. I think anything more than that can amount to overkill and can eliminate a good deal of the "LEGO-ness" of the model.

I guess it depends, then, on how much "LEGO-ness" you want in an MOC. Personally I feel that straying from the restrictions The LEGO Group imposes on set design can make for a better MOC (e. g. LEGO would never market something like this), but on the other hand, I suppose it could pose more of a challenge to stay within LEGO regulations and still make a great model (this comes to mind). When I brought up AFOL MOCs I guess the point I was trying to make was that we all have different conventions for MOCs; e. g. in some AFOL circles things like tiling over your model and filling in large gaps are a given (when I made the statement I was unaware that a 'LEGO Master Builder' is actually used to describe a type of LEGO employee - my mistake).

That being said, I do agree with mikey on this:

most importantly they are emphasising their core value: "we built it this way, now go off and build it better"

This confuses me slightly too. Firstly, if you go up a level every six months, that means next year will be levels 3 and 4, which means new sets. But for those who only start next year, the first sets will need to be available still. So a few years down the line, when you're level 10, Lego needs to have 30 sets (3 per level) still in production, which is quite a large commitment for them.

Lego never usually keeps a set around for more than 2 years (Although there are exceptions), so I'm wondering what they're going to do every couple of years.

It does say it's a multi-year program, but it doesn't specify how many years it encompasses. Perhaps the program is intended to last within the normal time frame for set production? As Aanchir mentioned, it is aimed at kids, so I would expect some sort of 'graduation' within a few years, with far less levels than 10.

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Brand new website for MBA has launched too, featuring great info on all 6 kits as well as some overall info on the series. The price for the subscription seems fair enough - $69.99 for 5 kits. 1 kit a month, so there will be 5 kits for 10 month.

IMHO, the best one is kit #2.

Edited by Pro_Ice

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I'm not sure it's been mentioned, but found this on LEGO.com

http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=20200&cn=245

And following up on that:

http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=4659018&cn=245

4659018-0000-xx-12-1.jpg

Overall, I'm very impressed with this offer. The fact that it's structured like this (first kit is by itself, subscription comes later) also makes it easier to "test the waters" and see if it's really worth the full subscription.

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I agree, this is looking very nice. Is that a SNOT body on the space ship for the first kit?

I think in the end what it comes down to is that this is a great value, great idea, (so far) great execution, and ultimately the only thing stopping me from buying it is that I simply don't need pieces in those colors.

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20200-0000-xx-12-1.jpg

4659018-0000-xx-12-1.jpg

Begin your journey to better building!

The first LEGO® Master Builder Academy kit will boost your galactic building skills! Learn the secrets of sideways building and locking from the real LEGO Master Builders as you create 3 Space Designer models. Use your new skills to make all your models super stable and cool! Take the Space Design Challenge and create your own interstellar vehicles, then share them with other LEGO MBA members in the Space Designer gallery on LEGOmba.com!

Includes 84-page Designer Handbook that teaches 2 Master Builder techniques and instructions to create 3 models, one at time.

1 exclusive LEGO® MBA minifigure, a brick separator, and a brick storage box with sorting tray.

Minifigure accessories include a helmet with goggles, and a buildable jetpack.

Each book has a password to use on LEGOmba.com with access to the full Kit 1 experience including exclusive Master Builder videos, more building tips, the Space Designer gallery, and the first LEGO MBA skill test!

Join the LEGO® Master Builder Academy! Subscribe to get kits 2-6!

After trying out LEGO® Master Builder Academy with Kit 1 Space Designer, the journey to better building continues with the LEGO MBA Subscription. Learn new building skills with new themes and get a new kit delivered to your home every other month! The subscription includes:

Kit 2 Microbuild Designer: Learn about scaling the size of your models and building with the smallest LEGO® elements as you get a giant introduction to microscale building!

Kit 3 Robot Designer: Enter the action-packed world of robots and mecha while discovering the techniques of styling and balance!

Kit 4 Flight Designer: The advanced building techniques of shape and stability will help you navigate the world of flying vehicles!

Kit 5 Creature Designer: Let your inner LEGO designer loose as you practice the techniques of detailed styling and color with monster and alien models!

Kit 6 Auto Designer: Put all the skills and techniques you’ve learned to the test as you discover how to build, design and customize anything on wheels!

Includes 1 LEGO MBA kit delivered every two months, for 10 months: 5 kits in total.

Each kit includes one 84-page Designer Handbook teaching 2 LEGO MBA techniques, building instructions to build 3 models, one at a time, and exclusive minifigures and accessories.

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Begin your journey to better building!

The first LEGO® Master Builder Academy kit will boost your galactic building skills! Learn the secrets of sideways building and locking from the real LEGO Master Builders as you create 3 Space Designer models. Use your new skills to make all your models super...

Merged your topic into this existing discussion.

WhiteFang

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Well, I watched the intro video (after some area fiddling).

It saddens me that children must be taught in such a way... Although I can see my brother enjoying this for a while, the teaching will frustrate him as he has already come across many techniques on his own and is building well, without any sort "formal" instruction. The whole point of Lego is to explore the possibilities with creativity only limited by volume of bricks.

I have been asked before where I get such creative ideas (I also write, so I field more questions like that) and really, you teach technique, you feed creativity. So this is great for the more paper instruction bound children with those helicopter parents who blanche at the thought of deviance from the instructions, but it will just be a nice parts pack for the ones already on the road to imaginative building.

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I think the idea is brilliant. If I were a 8-12 yo I'd certainly love this.

As an AFOL, I would be interested only if there was a much better piece/colour selection, because what I see in the pictures is not good for me for 10c/piece.

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