LEGO Ideas Discussion

[Brickthus]

3 hours ago, jonwil said:

I have an ideas idea in my head and I want to get feedback from here as to whether its worth actually pursuing.

The idea is a set that's a bit like a Creator 3-in-1 where it comes with a set of parts and from those parts you can build one of x different styles of 6-wide cars that would fit in a City layout (like the Creator 3-in-1 you would only be able to build one design at once). I have designs for (among others) a Ute (otherwise known as a pickup truck for those living in most places that aren't named Australia), large sedan, smaller sedan, hatchback, wagon, SUV, smaller SUV, convertible and maybe others.

Does this sound like something that would even be worth doing up and submitting to Ideas? I personally like it because it would give people an easy way to get a lot of nice-looking civilian cars for their cities plus it would be a smaller more affordable set (compared to sets costing $100+) and with the x-in-one nature it would encourage people to buy multiples. But before I put the effort into building and photographing and submitting my idea, I want some advice from others who know more about LEGO Ideas than me about if its even worth bothering to submit it.

Also some suggestions on what color I should pick for the cars if I did submit it would be nice :)

 

It's a good idea, but if the vehicles belonged to a popular film or TV franchise then it would probably do better in the LEGO Ideas business model.  Max Max would be a suitable theme for vehicles of various shapes with bones and spikes as decorations, but obviously those films were age-rated above the age of children who might buy the set.  That makes it tricky.  This is one reason why the LEGO movies redrew some themes from more adult films in a child-friendly way, to make the ideas available without the excessive violence.  So Mad Max would be an input to the Apocalypseburg scenes to LM2, westerns including Westworld for the western scenes in LM1 (with robot gunslinger).

TLG wants to attract new sponsors and new purchasers through LEGO Ideas, those who are not yet AFOLs, so popular themes are a way to get those.

My model of Nemo might suffer the opposite age issue compared to what I say above, since the Finding Nemo theme appeals to younger children, where older children and adults would have just a memory of him.  The model has Technic functions and build complexity for the 11+ age group, which is a mismatch, maybe even 16+!  It was just so nice to motorise the realistic movement functions of a fish because it could be done, and the model was popular at the exhibition we went to before the Covid-19 lockdown.

My own CityAirbus aircraft model could get a new sponsor whilst the theme might attract a few people in the aviation and aerospace industries.  I hoped there would be additional appeal to anyone (usually AFOLs) who was disappointed at the cancellation of the Osprey set 42113.  But then the model aims to be a Technic set, which is not as simple as some themed sets that have succeeded.  At least it fits the same price point and age category as the Osprey, as a deliberate replacement.

So, in summary, consider the potential for new sponsors, new not-yet-AFOL customers and the age-fit of your idea compared to the complexity of the model you make.

Mark

[JintaiZ]

On 10/9/2020 at 1:56 PM, Lucarex said:

Didn't stop them making that comically awful Gru in the Minions set.

I think the gru minifig is alright... minifigs has their limitations.

Edited October 14, 2020 by JintaiZ

[Lucarex]

1 hour ago, JintaiZ said:

I don't think the Minions sets are awful... there are some inaccuracies but overall they did a great job on it.

Errr think you misread. I didn’t say the sets were awful, just the Gru minifig. Should have budgeted for a moulded head no question about it. 

[MAB]

20 hours ago, jonwil said:

I have an ideas idea in my head and I want to get feedback from here as to whether its worth actually pursuing.

The idea is a set that's a bit like a Creator 3-in-1 where it comes with a set of parts and from those parts you can build one of x different styles of 6-wide cars that would fit in a City layout (like the Creator 3-in-1 you would only be able to build one design at once). I have designs for (among others) a Ute (otherwise known as a pickup truck for those living in most places that aren't named Australia), large sedan, smaller sedan, hatchback, wagon, SUV, smaller SUV, convertible and maybe others.

Does this sound like something that would even be worth doing up and submitting to Ideas? I personally like it because it would give people an easy way to get a lot of nice-looking civilian cars for their cities plus it would be a smaller more affordable set (compared to sets costing $100+) and with the x-in-one nature it would encourage people to buy multiples. But before I put the effort into building and photographing and submitting my idea, I want some advice from others who know more about LEGO Ideas than me about if its even worth bothering to submit it.

Also some suggestions on what color I should pick for the cars if I did submit it would be nice :)

 

My view would be don't bother. There are many minifigure scaled vehicle sets every year already. Having a set that delivers one more vehicle (even if it can be one of many) doesn't really add anything.

[Blondie-Wan]

On 10/14/2020 at 8:45 AM, jonwil said:

I have an ideas idea in my head and I want to get feedback from here as to whether its worth actually pursuing.

The idea is a set that's a bit like a Creator 3-in-1 where it comes with a set of parts and from those parts you can build one of x different styles of 6-wide cars that would fit in a City layout (like the Creator 3-in-1 you would only be able to build one design at once). I have designs for (among others) a Ute (otherwise known as a pickup truck for those living in most places that aren't named Australia), large sedan, smaller sedan, hatchback, wagon, SUV, smaller SUV, convertible and maybe others.

Does this sound like something that would even be worth doing up and submitting to Ideas? I personally like it because it would give people an easy way to get a lot of nice-looking civilian cars for their cities plus it would be a smaller more affordable set (compared to sets costing $100+) and with the x-in-one nature it would encourage people to buy multiples. But before I put the effort into building and photographing and submitting my idea, I want some advice from others who know more about LEGO Ideas than me about if its even worth bothering to submit it.

I certainly would like to think so, since I’ve long been planning something conceptually similar (but different enough from your idea that we wouldn’t be competing - mine wouldn’t be road vehicles, and it’d also be from a license). I say go for it!

[jonwil]

I strongly suspect that my project would be seen as being too similar to existing City and Creator products to be greenlit given that what LEGO seems to want from Ideas are things that are different to what they would normally make.

 

[JintaiZ]

On 10/15/2020 at 6:02 PM, jonwil said:

I strongly suspect that my project would be seen as being too similar to existing City and Creator products to be greenlit given that what LEGO seems to want from Ideas are things that are different to what they would normally make.

 

Actually... if your project reaches 10000 supports but gets rejected, you get some money to spend on LEGO 

So it's worth a shot

[Roebuck]

16 hours ago, JintaiZ said:

Actually... if your project reaches 10000 supports but gets rejected, you get some money to spend on LEGO 

Is that the reason a lot of talented builders keep wasting time making modulars and other stuff that has no chance of getting approved

[Robert8]

What?

This is the first time I'm hearing about this 

[Another Brick In The Wall]

18 hours ago, JintaiZ said:

Actually... if your project reaches 10000 supports but gets rejected, you get some money to spend on LEGO 

So it's worth a shot

They actually get a couple of sets of TLG's choice.....unless policy has changed recently. 

[MAB]

https://ideas.lego.com/guidelines

It changed a few years ago. Up to 3 LEGO products / $500 total value subject to availability.

[JintaiZ]

7 hours ago, Roebuck said:

Is that the reason a lot of talented builders keep wasting time making modulars and other stuff that has no chance of getting approved

I'm assuming they're planning to add it to their own city, but $500 worth of sets is a nice bonus 

[EndlessAges]

9 hours ago, Roebuck said:

Is that the reason a lot of talented builders keep wasting time making modulars and other stuff that has no chance of getting approved

I think there's a bit of a misconception about what motivates a person to post on LEGO Ideas.

As of today, a total of 33,343 projects have been submitted to LEGO Ideas over time.  Only 259 have reached the 10k marker and only 37 of them have been approved as LEGO Ideas sets so far.  It'd be rather arrogant to create and submit a project assuming you were going to beat out the thousands of other competitors to become one of the very few who have succeeded.  Less than 1% of submissions even make it to 10k and only 14% of those have been chosen.

 

As for me, I enjoy playing with LEGOs.  However, being an adult I have few ways to express that in a meaningful way that others will appreciate.  Whether or not my idea will pass the approval process, I had fun designing it, I had fun rendering it, I had fun figuring out interesting mechanisms, and I was gratified by the many people who chose to show their appreciation by supporting it.  It is a hobby I've managed to share with the world and the creators of a toy I've been enamored with since childhood.  The financial incentive certainly helped motivate me in the creation process, but I never really believed it would reach 10k.  I just wanted to make the best design I could and watch how far it could go.

LEGO is a toy.  It's meant to be played with and LEGO Ideas is a way to give back to the fans who most enjoy their product by giving them a chance to be a part of its creation in designing and choosing what they think is best.

As for what an artist chooses to build, yes many things don't stand a chance a getting approved.  However, for me, over analyzing my hobby in terms of market value kills the fun of it.  Not to mention that I wouldn't be capable of creating certain types of projects.  I've never made a 3rd party IP submission because it's counter to my creative process.  I'm not skilled enough to make something exactly like a source image.  I need to be have the freedom to alter the project at any time to suit my capabilities and style or else it starts being work rather than play.  Because of this, I create only original content, despite knowing that tying into a 3rd party IP may give me a better chance at reaching my goal.  Good art isn't something most people can produce on command.

Perhaps what those modular designers truly enjoy is designing complex and amazing modular buildings.  If doing something like that feels worth their time, the financial side is merely an added bonus.

[JintaiZ]

21 minutes ago, EndlessAges said:

I think there's a bit of a misconception about what motivates a person to post on LEGO Ideas.

As of today, a total of 33,343 projects have been submitted to LEGO Ideas over time.  Only 259 have reached the 10k marker and only 37 of them have been approved as LEGO Ideas sets so far.  It'd be rather arrogant to create and submit a project assuming you were going to beat out the thousands of other competitors to become one of the very few who have succeeded.  Less than 1% of submissions even make it to 10k and only 14% of those have been chosen.

 

As for me, I enjoy playing with LEGOs.  However, being an adult I have few ways to express that in a meaningful way that others will appreciate.  Whether or not my idea will pass the approval process, I had fun designing it, I had fun rendering it, I had fun figuring out interesting mechanisms, and I was gratified by the many people who chose to show their appreciation by supporting it.  It is a hobby I've managed to share with the world and the creators of a toy I've been enamored with since childhood.  The financial incentive certainly helped motivate me in the creation process, but I never really believed it would reach 10k.  I just wanted to make the best design I could and watch how far it could go.

LEGO is a toy.  It's meant to be played with and LEGO Ideas is a way to give back to the fans who most enjoy their product by giving them a chance to be a part of its creation in designing and choosing what they think is best.

As for what an artist chooses to build, yes many things don't stand a chance a getting approved.  However, for me, over analyzing my hobby in terms of market value kills the fun of it.  Not to mention that I wouldn't be capable of creating certain types of projects.  I've never made a 3rd party IP submission because it's counter to my creative process.  I'm not skilled enough to make something exactly like a source image.  I need to be have the freedom to alter the project at any time to suit my capabilities and style or else it starts being work rather than play.  Because of this, I create only original content, despite knowing that tying into a 3rd party IP may give me a better chance at reaching my goal.  Good art isn't something most people can produce on command.

Perhaps what those modular designers truly enjoy is designing complex and amazing modular buildings.  If doing something like that feels worth their time, the financial side is merely an added bonus.

Very well said.

But I feel like people usually put in a lot of time doing their projects, and therefore it is extremely disappointing when their project fails to reach 10k.

[Modal]

The only reason I get frustrated when awesome modulars are posted on LEGO Ideas is because they can’t share instructions/stud.io files until after it’s over (which is a long time).

Aka Brickybrick please share your Chess Academy idea! 

[Lego David]

12 hours ago, EndlessAges said:

As of today, a total of 33,343 projects have been submitted to LEGO Ideas over time.  Only 259 have reached the 10k marker and only 37 of them have been approved as LEGO Ideas sets so far.  It'd be rather arrogant to create and submit a project assuming you were going to beat out the thousands of other competitors to become one of the very few who have succeeded.  Less than 1% of submissions even make it to 10k and only 14% of those have been chosen

Well, that may soon change. Given the insane amount of projects that reached 10k supporters recently (and also how fast they did it), it's getting more and more obvious that getting to 10k supporters isn't that big of a deal anymore. Just submit a project based on a popular IP and you're pretty much guarnateed to get the support you need. There have been numerous times when pretty poorly designed projects have reached 10k only becuase of the popular IP they had. And if you have both a well designed project and a popular IP, then you have an even greater chance. 

So, honestly, taking that into account, submiting projects to LEGO Ideas with the motivation of getting rewards when reaching 10k supporters doesn't seem so far fetched anymore. 

[JintaiZ]

Motorized Lighthouse reaches 10k supporters!

[Lego David]

The Sesame Street set just got revelaed, @just2good already did a review of it on YouTube.

[JintaiZ]

Looks like a Bonsai might be coming in 2021...

[Lucarex]

38 minutes ago, JintaiZ said:

Looks like a Bonsai might be coming in 2021...

Where did you read that? I seem to remember it’s in the next review round that is not even due for a decision until Jan 2021.

[JintaiZ]

24 minutes ago, Lucarex said:

Where did you read that? I seem to remember it’s in the next review round that is not even due for a decision until Jan 2021.

stonewars.de

[Lucarex]

36 minutes ago, JintaiZ said:

stonewars.de

Not seeing it anywhere in their homepage news.

[teljesnegyzet]

On 10/21/2020 at 5:44 PM, EndlessAges said:

 It'd be rather arrogant to create and submit a project assuming you were going to beat out the thousands of other competitors to become one of the very few who have succeeded.

Interesting. I thought everybody's goal was reaching 10k and eventually see their project becoming an official set. It's my goal as well. I have never thought of it as some kind of arrogance.
In fact, the guidelines of CUUSOO used to say: "Your project should be positioned as a new product concept. LEGO CUUSOO is not a gallery to display your creations (try the LEGO.com Create & Share Galleries and ReBrick instead)."
The current guidelines also contains this sentence, albeit pretty hard to find: "If you’re looking for a gallery to show off your creations, please post to LEGO Life."

[JintaiZ]

28 minutes ago, Lucarex said:

Not seeing it anywhere in their homepage news.

I don't know if we are allowed to post links to it, but check out the 2021 rumors list.

[EndlessAges]

28 minutes ago, teljesnegyzet said:

Interesting. I thought everybody's goal was reaching 10k and eventually see their project becoming an official set. It's my goal as well. I have never thought of it as some kind of arrogance.
In fact, the guidelines of CUUSOO used to say: "Your project should be positioned as a new product concept. LEGO CUUSOO is not a gallery to display your creations (try the LEGO.com Create & Share Galleries and ReBrick instead)."
The current guidelines also contains this sentence, albeit pretty hard to find: "If you’re looking for a gallery to show off your creations, please post to LEGO Life."

I'm sorry if my word choice was poor.  I was attempting to underline the difference between presumption and hope.  Only 1 out of 1,000 will earn the prize, wanting it, hoping for it, and trying to obtain it are different than assuming it ought to be yours or that you are owed some form of remuneration for your efforts.  Just like if you went on Jeopardy, it'd be a bit presumptuous to assume you were going to win.  Having fun being on the show should be worth the trouble of flying out there and participating or else you probably shouldn't go.