Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[AFOLguy1970]

Very interesting.  Went to a movie with the kids and came home to this!  Very tough to tell if it is real or fake

Why it could be real:

A nice design, something new, Lego knows many people would like a diner and/or an Art Deco structure, and some type of storyline is possible with the boxer and the Diner

Why it might be fake:

The nonstandard faces, a questionable source, no apparent new molds or parts in what I am seeing.  Every modular introduces something new in terms of color and/or parts

I actually kind of like it.  It does not look like a corner building.  Of course, if this IS it, you know that some people are going to cry foul at yet another coincidence between the similarities of a newly released set and an Ideas set that was not approved.  Also, I can hear the groans about how the parts from the car take away from the building itself in the same sense of Palace Cinema.  I find it amusing that there might be a gym right above a diner.  Imagine eating your dinner and hearing all of the activity just above you!  If it is a gym, then you would not really need a lot of parts for that part of the interior since they are mostly empty space anyway.  That would allow for more part distribution for the vehicle and interior details of the diner itself.  Maybe the third level is Jim's apartment?  

You know it is going to be funny if everyone likes this, gets excited about it, and then we find out that this is not the modular.  It would be even more amusing in a sense if people preferred this one over what actually ends up being released.  Real or not, at least we have something to talk about.  

[ddavid]

Just now, AFOLguy1970 said:

You know it is going to be funny if everyone likes this, gets excited about it, and then we find out that this is not the modular.  It would be even more amusing in a sense if people preferred this one over what actually ends up being released.

I know, right. So let's hope it's real!

This diner you can either love or hate. Bright colors, more open and not so flat facade, non-European style buildings are something different.

[antp]

23 minutes ago, AFOLguy1970 said:

 Every modular introduces something new in terms of color and/or parts

The return of Dark Turquoise ( ) counts as a new color

And there may be new parts not directly visible there

[EddieZ]

To me the entire Dark Turquoise facade reminds me of a jukebox.

[jdubbs]

Regarding the pixelization around the set number, I would be more suspicious of it if it didn't have distortion or artifacts around it. Having done a lot of photo retouching myself, changing product names/numbers on photos, etc., I can tell you that adding pristine text is easy; distorting it to match an underlying image is what's hard. This is why so many computer-generated special effects look fake: they're so perfect that they don't blend in with the grit and grime of real photography. And artifacts around text are a tell-tale sign of jpg compression, and to be expected unless you're looking at the original source file.

If this is a fake, then the faker went to a lot more trouble than he/she needed to. This is clearly a photo of a printed page that has been folded and wrinkled and worn. If it were a fake, then someone had to photograph their (expertly created) MOC in a carefully-composed, professionally lit (inside and out) scene with a previous modular and sky backdrop, combine that photo with shots of the full modular lineup it into a layout, print it using a high-end printer (on what appears to be semi-gloss magazine-grade paper, which isn't readily available), then distress the printout, and finally photograph the printout. 

I've actually been wondering when LEGO would switch to modern faces on the modulars. So many of the CMF minifigs seem tailor-made for use in the modulars that it makes sense to include modern faces in the sets too. Making the switch at the start of the second decade seems as good a time to start as any. 

Not sure if this has been pointed out, but it appears that the gap between bricks/tiles is slightly larger just above the bottom row of yellow windows... which lines up with the joint in the teal green window trim. My guess is that this is where the floors separate.

Edited November 18, 2017 by jdubbs

[SFmuscle73]

Usually there are Easter Eggs & they use the designer's names.  Anyone know of a Jim?

[Digger of Bricks]

Just now, SFmuscle73 said:

Usually there are Easter Eggs & they use the designer's names.  Anyone know of a Jim?

Can Jim be a shortened form of Jamie?

[x105Black]

Just now, Digger of Bricks said:

Can Jim be a shortened form of Jamie?

It could absolutely, as both are short forms of James.

[jdubbs]

Just now, Digger of Bricks said:

Can Jim be a shortened form of Jamie?

Both are nicknames/derivations of James. My name is actually Jamie and I wouldn't ever go by Jim... but that's largely a personal thing. Jamie (the designer) could have easily included that as an Easter egg.

[Hippocampe]

49 minutes ago, CedBricks said:

If that turns out to be true, I'm very happy !

Though I think there would have been more important buildings before a third or fourth restaurants (if we count the cafe corner, the cafe in the last modular...), like a police HQ, a train station, a museum, for instance. But anyway, I'm happy with the diner :-)

I totally agree with you on this: nice and original concept, very bright new colors, but still another restaurant as the main theme...

I guess I expected something like a post office, a pharmacy, a hospital / medical clinic or a school: a classroom with chalkboards, a chemistry lab, a gymnasium, the principal office, a small cafeteria...

but, like the FB a few years ago, I’ll wait and wait thinking I’m not really into it... and finally buy it not no miss in my collection (and ending appreciate it ...)

 

[ColletArrow]

51 minutes ago, AFOLguy1970 said:

You know it is going to be funny if everyone likes this, gets excited about it, and then we find out that this is not the modular.  It would be even more amusing in a sense if people preferred this one over what actually ends up being released.  Real or not, at least we have something to talk about. 

I think the opposite is true as well; if it turns out it is real, and everyone has been pointing out how fake it obviously is, we'll look a bit silly. 

Also, I think it's growing on me. It looks to be a good set with a potential storyline and a fair amount of playability.

[Yorel]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, as they were released before I got into the Modulars, but didn't the first couple of Modulars have "detailed faces" (ie: not just basic smiles)?

Also, isn't there the possibility that these faces are just place-holders? I mean the preliminary images of the Creator Daredevil set had Captain America's torso on the minifig. And the wheelchair guy in the Fun in the Park set had fleshie hands in the first pictures. Just saying

4 hours ago, Bricked1980 said:

The guy driving the car and girl in the green top don't even look like official lego faces.

I disagree. When I first looked at her head I thought it was a head from one the CMFs. But I couldn't find it amongst them. So I went looking and while I haven't been able to find it, I still can't shake the feeling that I've seen it in another Lego set at some point.

2 hours ago, Mark Kay said:

It's a fake, just blown the picture up in photoshop, look at the last zero in the number, its not straight and all that pixelation!

Close but no cigar!

So what are you suggesting? That they made the picture with '1026' and then realized they forgot a '0' so they added it in there, instead of just redoing the whole number sequence? I seriously doubt that. If someone when to all the trouble that jdubbs noted, then I doubt they'd be so careless in that one little thing.

More likely, as other have said it's caused by crinkling/folds/arching of the paper

Just now, Digger of Bricks said:

Can Jim be a shortened form of Jamie?

Yes. Also, when you search for 'Jim's Diner' you get a number of results for different, real, diners named "Jim's". But if you search for 'Jamie's Diner', you get results for one place/chain. Jaime Oliver's Diner.

So even if Jamie doesn't normally go by Jim, he might have chosen too for this set to avoid the possibilities of copyright issues. Just like how someone with the last name McDonald could open a burger joint and call it "Mc's Burgers and Fast Food" but wouldn't call it "McDonald's Burgers and Fast Food" due to the very real possibility of being overrun with Lawyers from some other place with a similar name.

[Willworkfortoys]

While agree it could very well be fake for all the folks saying it is fake because new faces and departure from other building styles this seems like the perfect time in the line to switch things up. They may be taking a long view where ten future buildings, this one included, look great together. And, when interspersed with the existing will all balance out. Some of the figs could also have an alternate old school smiley face on the backside.

[Sammael]

Just now, Yorel said:

Forgive me if I'm wrong, as they were released before I got into the Modulars, but didn't the first couple of Modulars have "detailed faces" (ie: not just basic smiles)?

The only modular to ever feature non-basic faces was Market Street, and that was technically not a regular modular building but a Factory set (similar to Ideas sets we get now). Of course, TLG itself considers it a part of the modular street.

[Nexo Bricks]

As It is right off the heels of the tenth anniversary of the buildings, I feel now is as good a time as ever to shake things up. While I love the classic faces, the detailed faces help with blending in the figures with almost every other lego figure currently in the market and in various lego cities people have made.

Based on quite a lot of factors, this is VERY likely to be the official modular, and if that's the case: I really, really like it.

Edited November 19, 2017 by Nexo Bricks

[Robert8]

If this is a fake, whoever made it would have used the basic faces, so it wouldn't be suspicious. 

[Nexo Bricks]

Just now, Robert8 said:

If this is a fake, whoever made it would have used the basic faces, so it wouldn't be suspicious. 

There are just WAYYYYYYY too many things the person would've had to do to make it look this real. Plus, there's quite a few recolors, and the new flower mold for 2018 only furthers the fact that this is probably real.

Edited November 19, 2017 by Nexo Bricks

[Terrasher]

Woaw, I really thought the whole discussion revolving around the number 10260 was just a joke.

I'd be very, very, very surprised if it were a fake. Sure, it's from a chinese website. As far as I recall, the first MF leak was from a chinese source as well.

The picture is of very high quality, aside from being on a ripped catalogue page. The faces may just be the evolution of modulars. The lack of tiles and plates between floors is a pretty bad argument regarding whether it is fake or not. Maybe TLG found a way to up their game and use a technique, like SNOT, to hide the tiles and keep the facade tidy?

[Hemlock Falls]

Brickset is calling 10260 a "{Diner}"

not sure if they know any more than anyone else about the legitimacy of the photo.

Everyone seems to be loving it.  I think I'll need some time to absorb what's good about it.

Dig the diner, but the colors? I'm not sure.  Like trying to force a Friends set into a regular city.  I kind of hope this is fake.

I don't know, maybe it'll grow on me.  Still way better than Ninjago City.

 

[NewTown]

I love it! If it is a fake I would like to buy the plans. I have not bought AS yet but this will be a day one purchase for me for sure!

[AFOLguy1970]

One curious thing I noted about the photo is that the design of the Diner creates an interesting dilemma.  The gap on the left that leads to the stairs leaves one of the unattractive sides of AS exposed.  Obviously, the sides of AS are designed to have modulars placed on either side of it in order to cover up the unsightly sides.  If you end up buying the diner, then you might want to consider placing a modular that does not have a "bad" side to the left (looking at you, PR).  

[Yorel]

Just now, AFOLguy1970 said:

One curious thing I noted about the photo is that the design of the Diner creates an interesting dilemma.  The gap on the left that leads to the stairs leaves one of the unattractive sides of AS exposed.  Obviously, the sides of AS are designed to have modulars placed on either side of it in order to cover up the unsightly sides.  If you end up buying the diner, then you might want to consider placing a modular that does not have a "bad" side to the left (looking at you, PR).  

Question; Do people actually set their Modulars up in order of release?

[BrickFit26]

WOW  WOW. Looks good. Of it is real, then LEGO has been paying attention to some of our requests. More color, architecture, and minifigure faces with expression. We've been discussing these for a while now.

[Haier1989]

This is probably how it looks like inside the resterurant.

[Hemlock Falls]

Just now, Yorel said:

Question; Do people actually set their Modulars up in order of release?

Most of them have sides with very little to offer visually.  I'm often finding it a challenge to figure out which one to put PR next to, maybe this'll be it.

I picture a 50's diner with red white and chrome or something, these are Miami Vice colors for certain.

More colors is great, but I feel like this will stick out like a purple dinosaur.