LEGO Ideas Discussion

[x105Black]

10 minutes ago, Blondie-Wan said:

Hmmm... three planes in this batch.

There are lots of great projects here.

Yes.  The SR-71A is a great one, but I'm not sure it will pass review.  Maybe Amelia Earhart will succeed?

[Digger of Bricks]

I'm hoping for more than one approval from this review, particularly for both the Treehouse and Vintage BMW Motorcycle projects. But, knowing Lego, I'd guess they'd chose both an original project and a licensed project if they were to indeed approve of two.

[Blondie-Wan]

The success of the Female Minifigure Set / Research Institute and Women of NASA might bode well for Earhart, but I think the core of the actual build, a minifigure-scale biplane, might suffer from its similarity to the recently-released, current stunt biplane in the Creator line. But you never know.

The SR-71 has a strong military association, which hurts its chances with LEGO, but as this project’s creator takes care to note, it also has a research association with NASA duty, and that gives it a chance. LEGO Ideas has a strong record with sets involving scientific exploration and research, particularly aerospace stuff; it’s the second most common general subject matter for Ideas sets after pop-culture entertainment properties.

I think the other plane, while not a biplane, is probably too similar to the aforementioned Creator plane as well, but again, you never know. Certainly it’s an attractive, appealing build, with obvious play value.

And hey, look! Seven projects that aren’t planes! Why, they might even pick one of them! I’d be happy with any, honestly - only doing none of them would be a total disappointment - but I think my personal favorites are Stitch, the arcade, and the Mystery Science Theater 3000 project. The last one has probably the lowest chance of anything here - even the Acclamator-class Assault Ship is likelier - but I’d be so tickled.

[Robert8]

Is any of you @Blondie-Wan or @Digger of Bricks going to start the Guessing Game thread? 

[Digger of Bricks]

7 hours ago, Robert8 said:

Is any of you @Blondie-Wan or @Digger of Bricks going to start the Guessing Game thread? 

Personally, I think we should wait until we hear of the results for the Third 2017 Review, as there may a project(s) from that one that will carry over to the First 2018 Review for further consideration.

[jonwil]

Looking at whats up for review, the A-29 will probably be rejected as being too much like a military plane and because TLG already makes all sorts of airplanes through Creator and City and stuff.

The SR-71 has potential since its not military, it looks way cool and its not like anything TLG would make (unless the Disney-Fox deal means TLG gets to make more X-Men sets and makes a Blackbird that is :). But "CIA spy-plane" may well be too close to military for TLG.

The treehouse looks too big and complicated (even given the larger sets we have been getting as of late such as the Old Fishing Store). Plus they have released a Friends treehouse and will be releasing a Creator treehouse and they dont generally do things in Ideas that they are already doing elsewhere.

Stitch is likely ruled out because of the Disney license (IIRC the ideas rules exclude figures that came in the Disney CMF line)

The modular arcade may happen but its unlikely given that they already have plans into the future for the Modular line and releasing another one through Ideas alongside the ones already on shelves may not be attractive. The Old Fishing Store is not a modular and has a lower piece count and price point than modulars which is probably why that one was greenlit.

Amelia Earhart might work but again, TLG already does all sorts of airplanes. Do kids these days know who that actually is?

I cant see MST3K having the broad appeal needed for an Ideas set. Also, how kid/family friendly is the show? (I have never seen it so I dont know)

The big grey SW ship just wont happen due to the "no Star Wars" rule.

I could see The Flintstones happening, especially if they do what the original submitter said (and what they did with the Ecto-1) and delete the house and just have the car and figs and stuff. They put a Flintstones secret in Dimensions IIRC plus they have a REALLY good relationship with Warner Brothers. Only issue for this would be whether the show is as popular now as it used to be.

The motorbike would likely fall foul of the "no existing licenses" rule because BMW is listed on the list of active licenses.

 

Best chance if anything gets greenlit would be the Flintstones set IMO. I would certainly buy a Flintstones LEGO set.

 

[x105Black]

5 minutes ago, jonwil said:

Amelia Earhart might work but again, TLG already does all sorts of airplanes. Do kids these days know who that actually is?

...

I could see The Flintstones happening, especially if they do what the original submitter said (and what they did with the Ecto-1) and delete the house and just have the car and figs and stuff. They put a Flintstones secret in Dimensions IIRC plus they have a REALLY good relationship with Warner Brothers. Only issue for this would be whether the show is as popular now as it used to be.

...

Best chance if anything gets greenlit would be the Flintstones set IMO. I would certainly buy a Flintstones LEGO set.

 

The whole point of Amelia Earhart would be education.  How many kids knew thw Women of NASA?

As for the Flintstones, I agree.

[AFOLguy1970]

I would guess the Flintstones has a good chance.  The house actually appeared in Lego Dimensions in a secret zone, but minus the characters themselves.  

There seems to be a saturation of planes.  I like the SR-71, but have a been there, done that feeling with the NASA theme.  I like the Amelia Earhart design, but the Women of NASA and the women of science set they made earlier gives me the same been there, done that feeling.  The Embraer plane is good, but it looks similar to sets Lego has already made.  

The motorcycle might be at a slight disadvantage due to the Tron project.  I know they are not the same, but still.......

The others either look too big, or they are licensing issues.  

[Blondie-Wan]

1 hour ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Personally, I think we should wait until we hear of the results for the Third 2017 Review, as there may a project(s) from that one that will carry over to the First 2018 Review for further consideration.

I’m inclined to agree.

[danth]

The only one I'm interested in at all is the SR-71. It's the coolest airplane of all time, it's retro-futuristic, and it's black and mysterious. I hope it wins.

[Digger of Bricks]

3 hours ago, danth said:

The only one I'm interested in at all is the SR-71. It's the coolest airplane of all time, it's retro-futuristic, and it's black and mysterious. I hope it wins.

While I may not be counting on it, I too still think that it would make for an incredibly cool set! If TLG's stance on militaristic source material wasn't an issue, I guess I'd also love to see both the USAF Stealth Fighter and Stealth Bomber translated into set form. 

[icm]

Since the Red Arrows version of the BAE Hawk was not chosen for production, I doubt the Tucano and the SR-71 will make it.  TLG seems to be OK with making aircraft that resemble modern military aircraft as long as they are too generic to be definitively tied to a single real-life aircraft and they are in bright airshow colors.  The Red Arrows Hawk might have been interpreted as a corporate endorsement of British military engagements, and the Tucano might be interpreted as a corporate endorsement of Brazilian military engagements.  The SR-71, brilliant bird though it is and submitted in NASA colors, also has some real-life combat history in Vietnam and elsewhere, so I can see Ideas steering clear of it.  Personally, I expect the Amelia Earhart set and the Flintstones set to be produced.

[Faefrost]

On 4/27/2018 at 9:00 AM, LucyCol said:

I like this, but then I am of a certain age  although I feel it may fail due to licensing issues

Now 10 

Flintstones would probably be an easy license. It’s WB. They have great relations with Lego and tend to like this sort of thing. 

Sadly I think the only way we see a Lego Blackbird is if it comes with X-Men figures. 

[MAB]

I hope Amelia Earhart doesn't get made. There is already a current set that is essentially the same thing, a bi-plane and a pilot, just without a license attached.

[Exetrius]

1 hour ago, MAB said:

I hope Amelia Earhart doesn't get made. There is already a current set that is essentially the same thing, a bi-plane and a pilot, just without a license attached.

Agreed. Besides, without doing a Google search, who is she anyway? A solo pilot, presumably British or American who flew around the world and crashed in the Pacific, whose plane is still missing, right? That's what comes to my mind. She wasn't in the my history books, that's for sure. I don't see why I would need to have her as a minifig, instead of a well-designed non-licenced pilot.

 

I am strongly rooting for the Flintstones, although I only ever saw 2 episodes of that show, but it's very recognizable and we have had next to nothing from prehistoric humans in terms of sets.

And that BMW has so much class! Hope they give it a good thought. 

[x105Black]

8 hours ago, icm said:

TLG seems to be OK with making aircraft that resemble modern military aircraft as long as they are too generic to be definitively tied to a single real-life aircraft and they are in bright airshow colors.

I agree, and that's why I see the Amelia Earhart as the only airplane project likely to pass review.

2 hours ago, MAB said:

I hope Amelia Earhart doesn't get made. There is already a current set that is essentially the same thing, a bi-plane and a pilot, just without a license attached.

I think the Amelia Earhart project does more to support aviation, exploration, and positive female icons, so I think it actually holds a different value than what is held by that pictured set.

39 minutes ago, Exetrius said:

Agreed. Besides, without doing a Google search, who is she anyway? A solo pilot, presumably British or American who flew around the world and crashed in the Pacific, whose plane is still missing, right? That's what comes to my mind. She wasn't in the my history books, that's for sure. I don't see why I would need to have her as a minifig, instead of a well-designed non-licenced pilot.

She is a well known historic pilot, and has appeared in a lot of popular media over the years (Star Trek: Voyager, for example).  So she's far from a forgettable nobody.  And yes, part of the interest in her story concerns the mystery of her disappearance.  It's intriguing.  So she is a mysterious historic figure with pop culture appeal.  I'd say that's worth a minifigure.

Anyways, I really have no strong opinions on the Amelia Earhart project and its success or failure, I'm just pointing out that it does have merit.

Edited May 9, 2018 by x105Black
Stupid Autocorrect

[MAB]

3 minutes ago, x105Black said:

I think the Amelia Earhart project does more to support aviation, exploration, and positive female icons, so I think it actually holds a different value than what is held by that pictured set.

 

 

What I find interesting here though is that the set is not based on the historical Amelia Earhart but the caricature of her in a book for kids. I also think it would be a real shame to have a set like this to "support aviation" but then not to have something similar for the Wright Brothers, for example. But then, the same can be said for Women of NASA. 

[Digger of Bricks]

55 minutes ago, MAB said:

What I find interesting here though is that the set is not based on the historical Amelia Earhart but the caricature of her in a book for kids. I also think it would be a real shame to have a set like this to "support aviation" but then not to have something similar for the Wright Brothers, for example. But then, the same can be said for Women of NASA. 

Someone should do a true Amelia Earhart project, perhaps something like a "Pioneers of Aviation" set. Such a project could include both Wright brothers with their Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis, and Amelia Earhart with perhaps her Lockheed Vega 5b aircraft. 

[Bricked1980]

I would love to see the modular arcade get made. I honestly think the most likely one to succeed will be the flintstones though.

[xadrian]

6 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Someone should do a true Amelia Earhart project, perhaps something like a "Pioneers of Aviation" set. Such a project could include both Wright brothers with their Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis, and Amelia Earhart with perhaps her Lockheed Vega 5b aircraft. 

I'd buy the snot outta that.  I'm actually surprised, but then not, that we haven't had more aviation.  SR-71 (I get it, it's military), Bell X-1, Tin Goose, etc.  Maybe even da Vinci's flying machine.

[x105Black]

10 hours ago, MAB said:

What I find interesting here though is that the set is not based on the historical Amelia Earhart but the caricature of her in a book for kids. I also think it would be a real shame to have a set like this to "support aviation" but then not to have something similar for the Wright Brothers, for example. But then, the same can be said for Women of NASA. 

That's fair, and to be honest I didn't really look into it enough to make the distinction.  You're right about the Wright brothers, though.

9 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Someone should do a true Amelia Earhart project, perhaps something like a "Pioneers of Aviation" set. Such a project could include both Wright brothers with their Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis, and Amelia Earhart with perhaps her Lockheed Vega 5b aircraft. 

I think this could be a great project, though I imagine the planes would be smaller than System / minifigure scale if it was produced.

[LegoModularFan]

Again a bit late to the party... Anyway, I'd be really happy if the arcade, the treehouse or the Flintstones would be approved (doesn't matter which one). I like Stitch and the BMW motorcycle as well. I care less about the others. 

 

[Digger of Bricks]

5 hours ago, xadrian said:

Maybe even da Vinci's flying machine.

Say, that sounds kinda cool! Perhaps, taking it a step further, a "Works of DaVinci" type of project could be the ticket!

2 hours ago, x105Black said:

I think this could be a great project, though I imagine the planes would be smaller than System / minifigure scale if it was produced.

True, but I'd still wish for minifigure-scaled takes on their aircraft, particularly Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. Perhaps separate projects would be better? 

[x105Black]

2 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

True, but I'd still wish for minifigure-scaled takes on their aircraft, particularly Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. Perhaps separate projects would be better? 

Indeed, and Amelia Earhart is as good a place to start as any...

[jonwil]

I have zero interest in an Amelia Earhart set but I would buy a Bell Aerospace X1 with a Chuck Yeager minifig no question. Although given that the whole thing was (at the time Yeager broke the barrier) under the full control of the then-brand-new USAF (the thing had USAF roundels, was dropped from a USAF bomber plane and was flown out of what would later become Edwards Air Force Base) and given that Yeager was an active member of the USAF at the time, I can't see TLG doing an X1 as a set unfortunately.

Another famous aviator I would love to see as a set is Sir Charles Kingsford Smith who was (IIRC) the first person to fly across the pacific ocean in an airplane (certainly the first to fly from the US to Australia in an airplane). The Southern Cross would make a great set (and could be done at a low enough price point to actually be affordable). That said, how many people actually know about Sir Charles these days (even here in Australia). Its a pitty he isn't more famous for his achievements.