LEGO Ideas Discussion

[Kaanere]

Looks like the Saturn V will be the biggest Ideas set ever, even if they scale it down.

Also, glad they aproved the Beatles set!

[MAB]

I'm a bit disappointed at the Beatles one. They seem to be picking up licenses already done by other "clone" brands.

Lego is starting to look like a clone of other brands. No innovation, just stuff others have done before.

Edited June 9, 2016 by MAB

[Ondra]

Im amazed by Appolo 11, this will be probably selling like cupcakes .I will buy one for sure :-)

[Lyichir]

I'm a bit disappointed at the Beatles one. They seem to be picking up licenses already done by other "clone" brands.

Lego is starting to look like a clone of other brands. No innovation, just stuff others have done before.

That's hardly fair. Lego has done and continues to do plenty of original themes and subjects, but just because a franchise has been covered by another clone brand (incredibly poorly, in the above three cases) doesn't mean those same franchises should be off-limits to Lego. Heck, the Saturn V rocket itself has been the subject of a ridiculous number of toys, including building toys, since it was in use—does that mean that Lego is being unoriginal by producing a set of that?

[LEGODalekbuster523]

They're not doing the Jurassic Park Explorer?

That has to be the stupidest decision ever made via Ideas.

[MAB]

That's hardly fair. Lego has done and continues to do plenty of original themes and subjects, but just because a franchise has been covered by another clone brand (incredibly poorly, in the above three cases) doesn't mean those same franchises should be off-limits to Lego. Heck, the Saturn V rocket itself has been the subject of a ridiculous number of toys, including building toys, since it was in use—does that mean that Lego is being unoriginal by producing a set of that?

Why is it not fair? Another building block company have done exactly the same set - a Beatles Yellow Submarine build from plastic blocks - in the near past. Lego are now copying that. Another company have done a buildable Tardis and console, Lego have copied that. The same company did Scooby Doo sets including the Mystery Machine. Lego have copied that. The fact that two of these have come from "ideas" shows how few new ideas there really are.

[LegoFjotten]

Lego is starting to look like a clone of other brands. No innovation, just stuff others have done before.

I find it very strange to blame LEGO for lack of innovation in Ideas sets...

[RetroInferno]

They're not doing the Jurassic Park Explorer?

That has to be the stupidest decision ever made via Ideas.

Yep, was pretty surprised and pissed about it. It's not like iconic vehicles based on cult movies were never a succes ( The Ecto 1 being one of the most succesfull sets sold ). Yellow submarine will reach most of the babyboomers ( If they would ever be aware of this set )... Pretty happy about the Apollo 11 being chosen even if I have no interest in it...

Jesus that was dumb...

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

Pity about the Concorde. I would have bought that.

Hope Johnny-Five makes it.

[Khscarymovie4]

I'm definitely going to be buying The Beatles set as there are one of my favorite musicians. I would love either the Jedi Counsel or Visitor Center to make it. That probably won't happen, my guess is Ginger Bread House will pass.

[Captain Nemo]

Why is it not fair? Another building block company have done exactly the same set - a Beatles Yellow Submarine build from plastic blocks - in the near past. Lego are now copying that. Another company have done a buildable Tardis and console, Lego have copied that. The same company did Scooby Doo sets including the Mystery Machine. Lego have copied that. The fact that two of these have come from "ideas" shows how few new ideas there really are.

Isn't that the point of Lego Ideas? People don't want new ideas, they want old ideas in the form of "new" Lego bricks.

The fact that Lego's Ideas sets are based on the same source material as those examples means they will be similar (although Lego clearly wears it better!); that doesn't mean Lego should not make sets based on them. So you would rather Lego not make Scooby-Doo, or Dr. Who, or Beatles because some other toy company already (failed) at making them first? I don't care if some company made toys first, as long as we get's Lego's good version eventually!

On the Jurassic Park vehicle, it's unfortunate that it was not chosen. Although I think we should consider that perhaps it conflicted with licensing agreements of the Jurassic World sets (which we may or may not be getting more of for the sequels). It could easily the be true reason for the rejection.

[legoman19892]

On the Jurassic Park vehicle, it's unfortunate that it was not chosen. Although I think we should consider that perhaps it conflicted with licensing agreements of the Jurassic World sets (which we may or may not be getting more of for the sequels). It could easily the be true reason for the rejection.

This is the most likely reason. The IP owners want to focus on new and not old.

[Blondie-Wan]

Why is it not fair? Another building block company have done exactly the same set - a Beatles Yellow Submarine build from plastic blocks - in the near past. Lego are now copying that. Another company have done a buildable Tardis and console, Lego have copied that. The same company did Scooby Doo sets including the Mystery Machine. Lego have copied that. The fact that two of these have come from "ideas" shows how few new ideas there really are.

LEGO isn't copying those sets, though; they're making their own sets based on the same source material. There's a difference. And if TLG were to swear off every license just because some other construction toy company did it before, they'd have far fewer licenses they could do - and worse, those of us who are fans of those franchises and also of LEGO would be forever stuck without having nice, official LEGO portrayals of the characters and narratives we love. Is everyone who's a fan of both LEGO and, say, Pirates of the Caribbean supposed to content themselves with those lesser sets that Mega Bloks released before LEGO did theirs? For that matter, if we move beyond LEGO-style plastic brick-based systems and into construction toys in general, Star Wars has had construction toys before LEGO got them. How important is Star Wars to LEGO these days?

Moreover, they already do plenty of stuff on their own; these licensed franchises that merely happen to have been previously licensed to other companies don't change that. Look at Ninjago. And Legends of Chima. And Elves. And Friends. And Nexo Knights. And Space Police. And Exo-Force. And Paradisa. And Monster Fighters. And Bionicle. And Hero Factory. And any other out of goodness-knows-how-many original IPs and themes LEGO has had over the years.

Ideas sets, both licensed and not, aren't even things LEGO initiates, anyway; they're inherently fan requests - things that we fans want so badly for LEGO to do that we campaign hard for them. Is LEGO supposed to not only ignore certain properties forever if some other company briefly dealt with them first, but do so even when literally thousands of fans specifically request otherwise?

[RMBP]

For me, it's a shame Nautilus did not pass.

I would buy it in a heart beat and would love to see a Verne inspired collection...

[Robert8]

The Apollo was kind of expectable, since this is the kind of stuff LEGO likes to do

But the Beatles..... I didn't see that coming

[LEGODalekbuster523]

Isn't that the point of Lego Ideas? People don't want new ideas, they want old ideas in the form of "new" Lego bricks.

The fact that Lego's Ideas sets are based on the same source material as those examples means they will be similar (although Lego clearly wears it better!); that doesn't mean Lego should not make sets based on them. So you would rather Lego not make Scooby-Doo, or Dr. Who, or Beatles because some other toy company already (failed) at making them first? I don't care if some company made toys first, as long as we get's Lego's good version eventually!

On the Jurassic Park vehicle, it's unfortunate that it was not chosen. Although I think we should consider that perhaps it conflicted with licensing agreements of the Jurassic World sets (which we may or may not be getting more of for the sequels). It could easily the be true reason for the rejection.

This is the most likely reason. The IP owners want to focus on new and not old.

If so, I hope Universal realise how many people they're disappointing by not allowing sets based on the original Jurassic Park films.

[Blondie-Wan]

The Apollo was kind of expectable, since this is the kind of stuff LEGO likes to do

But the Beatles..... I didn't see that coming

I did! Those are two of the three projects I considered most likely (the other being the Concorde).

Granted, I've also been very wrong before; I never would've thought they'd do sets based on The Simpsons or The Big Bang Theory, for example...

[Littleworlds]

I really did expect the yellow submarine to be chosen. Legorizing the probably most famous band in history (and in a very good looking variant too) is just a winner.

I am however surprised by the apollo 11, especially since they explicitly asked for smaller sets in the recent past. Maybe it was saved by being upright? Smaller footprint and all that.

A shame that neither the nautilus nor the victorian christmas market made it. The nautilus is just irresistible really. And the market is such an awesome looking set. I would have been fine with a smaller version of it too.

Anyway, for the next round i cross my fingers for the fossil museum and the fishing store!

[Blondie-Wan]

The Apollo 11 Saturn V is an iconic vehicle, it has no licensing fees associated, and it ties into the general passion for scientific exploration, discovery and research that we've seen associated with CUUSOO / Ideas projects and sets so many times before.

[jonwil]

Surprising they picked the Beetles set. Saturn 5 is awesome and as a space buff from way back, I want one.

As for Concorde, the rejection is likely due to it being a little on the large side plus the need to license the Concorde name from Airbus or whoever owns it these days (and also the names of any airlines they use on it).

Whereas the Saturn 5 can be turned into a viable set at a price point that makes sense for TLG and they dont need a lot of licensing (they have actually had dealings with NASA before for both the Mars Rover ideas set and before that, the NASA Discovery line of sets).

[Sven F]

Cool, plastic John Lennon. Who wouldn't want that? Hopefully the upcominig acoustic guitar mold makes it into the set.

[Lyichir]

Why is it not fair? Another building block company have done exactly the same set - a Beatles Yellow Submarine build from plastic blocks - in the near past. Lego are now copying that. Another company have done a buildable Tardis and console, Lego have copied that. The same company did Scooby Doo sets including the Mystery Machine. Lego have copied that. The fact that two of these have come from "ideas" shows how few new ideas there really are.

Lego didn't copy any of those, though—they (in tandem the people who proposed them to Ideas) came up with their own, vastly superior designs. I mean, that Yellow Submarine in particular is atrocious, and that TARDIS is hard to even consider a building toy with all the prefab parts it uses—is it any wonder that people who are fans of those properties would not be satisfied with that garbage and would want Lego to attempt to do better? In the end, the only difference between a licensed proposal and a model like the Saturn V, or Big Ben, or any number of City, Creator, and Technic sets is that instead of being based on real life subjects, licensed proposals are based on subjects from specific media. There's still any number of ways to actually design and build those subjects, and that's where the actual creativity and skill is involved—anyone can point a finger at a real-life or media icon and say "I want Lego to make that", but what makes an Ideas proposal successful is that the builder actually puts thought and effort into HOW it can be done.

EDIT: Somehow missed the last page with other people's thorough refutations, so I guess this is a bit like beating a dead horse. Ah well.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Lyichir

[Umbra-Manis]

I'm kind of meh on the beetles, but I am so hyped for the SATURN V!

[jonwil]

I hope the Saturn V comes with some minifigs of the astronauts, that would be amazing (and the original creator did propose such a thing at one point I believe)

[Artanis I]

I actually tried watching Yellow Submarine again recently, it was incredibly painful. If not for the fact that I enjoy the songs I would be viciously annoyed at the 90 minutes robbed from my life.

Other than Magical Mystery Tour, this would have to be the worst possible Beatles set to exist.