LEGO Ideas Discussion

[Lego David]

 

41 minutes ago, Alegrispa said:

Honestly guys? If Community doesn't get approved and the Avatar one does (because the ATLA project in the third 2020 review is far superior) I'm frickin' done with Ideas. So much disappointment lately. I try to be positive when it comes to all things LEGO, after all it's a toy, but Ideas was supposed to be us telling them what we want! So why won't they listen to us?

I mean, Home Alone? A Globe?! The way the Blacksmith set turned out? The second Discworld project not being approved? And I'm not a big The Office US fan, but geez, the fourth version of it just got approved, people obviously want it and it's not one of the IPs LEGO deems too adult (The Big Bang Theory is both inappropriate and incredibly offensive, so they've got no excuse), so why won't they just make it?!

I just wish they were more transparent in their process. Like, do they not choose projects simply because no one on the team is a fan of the IP? Or is there a person who can veto sets they don't like? Who thought it would be a good Idea to try something more niche and then go with Flintstones of all things? What was with that weird Brickheadz contest (and who thought the Frigate and the Bomber stood a chance against the Gunship)?

Maybe Ideas just needs a big overhaul. A team change. Swap some people around over there.

Technically speaking, any of the sets that reached 10k supporters are something the community more or less wants, otherwise it wouldn't have gotten to 10k supporters in the first place. Maybe the projects that get approved are not what you personally want, but I'm sure they would still make the people who voted for that project happy. I know how frustrating that can be for a lot of people (believe me, I've been through that situation myself), but at the end of the day, LEGO will choose whatever projects they want. They can't please everyone out there, regardless how much they try to "listen to us".

That goes to show the broken current state of LEGO Ideas, which right now is basically just all about fanbases desperately trying to get their favorite IP made into LEGO. In my opinion, LEGO Ideas should be less about that, and more about... you know... actual new Ideas. 

Edited January 6, 2021 by Lego David

[adwind]

Quote

That goes to show the broken current state of LEGO Ideas, which right now is basically just all about fanbases desperately trying to get their favorite IP made into LEGO. In my opinion, LEGO Ideas should be less about that, and more about... you know... actual new Ideas. 

Well it's what about folks are up to + what sells well. Pop culture... I think that a nice balance of IP and original ideas is what we really need in Ideas.

Edited January 6, 2021 by adwind
misread

[CopperTablet]

2 hours ago, Alegrispa said:

Honestly guys? If Community doesn't get approved and the Avatar one does (because the ATLA project in the third 2020 review is far superior) I'm frickin' done with Ideas. So much disappointment lately. I try to be positive when it comes to all things LEGO, after all it's a toy, but Ideas was supposed to be us telling them what we want! So why won't they listen to us?

Maybe Ideas just needs a big overhaul. A team change. Swap some people around over there.

ATLA is a good choice of IP, but I actually think the submitted set is pretty subpar.   It doesn't have enough visual interest, the play value is low, it's hard to incorporate into a broader display, and the base inflates the piece count.    Novel, licensed minifigures are a critical draw to Ideas.   But, the set should be neat and aesthetically appealing on its own without the minifigures.

[emkra]

I'd love to see GMC Truck approved.

[UberCorp]

On 1/5/2021 at 1:55 PM, JintaiZ said:

since Among Us is a popular game

I feel like Among Us is unlikely. The game’s popularity is already dwindling (everyone I know who played it religiously a few months back have almost all stopped) and there’s still a long time before it could even start hitting shelves

[koalayummies]

48 minutes ago, UberCorp said:

I feel like Among Us is unlikely. The game’s popularity is already dwindling (everyone I know who played it religiously a few months back have almost all stopped) and there’s still a long time before it could even start hitting shelves

It was the most downloaded app for iOS in October 2020, there were more than 500 million players worldwide as of November 2020, was released on Nintendo Switch on Dec 15 2020 and has a planned Xbox release in 2021.

[Vilhelm22]

10 hours ago, Alegrispa said:

Honestly guys? If Community doesn't get approved and the Avatar one does (because the ATLA project in the third 2020 review is far superior) I'm frickin' done with Ideas. So much disappointment lately. I try to be positive when it comes to all things LEGO, after all it's a toy, but Ideas was supposed to be us telling them what we want! So why won't they listen to us?

I mean, Home Alone? A Globe?! The way the Blacksmith set turned out? The second Discworld project not being approved? And I'm not a big The Office US fan, but geez, the fourth version of it just got approved, people obviously want it and it's not one of the IPs LEGO deems too adult (The Big Bang Theory is both inappropriate and incredibly offensive, so they've got no excuse), so why won't they just make it?!

I just wish they were more transparent in their process. Like, do they not choose projects simply because no one on the team is a fan of the IP? Or is there a person who can veto sets they don't like? Who thought it would be a good Idea to try something more niche and then go with Flintstones of all things? What was with that weird Brickheadz contest (and who thought the Frigate and the Bomber stood a chance against the Gunship)?

Maybe Ideas just needs a big overhaul. A team change. Swap some people around over there.

I get where you’re coming from but I think that’s a bit extreme.  The contests I’m pretty sure aren’t just used for their cover purpose - they show, in the event of choosing, which one is more popular, so what will sell better.  Home Alone is one of the most popular and iconic Christmas films.  The globe is an excellent example of something unique and unexpected - what you can do with Lego that’s unexpected, similar to the grand piano.  I’ll be picking it up.  That was IDEAS’ original purpose.  I will however agree with you on the blacksmith.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is one I don’t understand.  I also find the chances of approval minimal because it had a very short run as one of the shortest lived themes ever produced by LEGO.  I doubt they’d allow its return.  Despite the amount of discussion and obvious demand for more LotR sets, they’ve not made any more.

10 hours ago, Alegrispa said:

LEGO, after all it's a toy

It’s not a toy.  Actually, it’s a highly sophisticated interlocking brick system!

[tomorrowboy]

Is the Lego Ideas Vintage Car (40448) free gift sold out? I don't see it on the website any more and the Ice Skating Rink is back.

[Lego David]

9 hours ago, UberCorp said:

I feel like Among Us is unlikely. The game’s popularity is already dwindling (everyone I know who played it religiously a few months back have almost all stopped) and there’s still a long time before it could even start hitting shelves

Among Us is just another one of those games that became trendy for a limited time only (mostly just because some well-known Youtubers played it). We've seen this happen with so many other games, such as Clash Royale and Fortnite. While sure, you can look at the number of downloads and think that they are still popular, their cultural impact just didn't last. 

In my opinion, LEGO shouldn't approve LEGO Ideas projects that are based off temporary current trends and focus on more timeless IPs instead. 

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

I think Avatar has a decent chance. The show has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity, and the live show adaptation is coming relatively soon. For reference, Avatar merchandise seems to have sold well in recent years, with Funko releasing several figures and more coming this year.

[koalayummies]

10 hours ago, tomorrowboy said:

Is the Lego Ideas Vintage Car (40448) free gift sold out? I don't see it on the website any more and the Ice Skating Rink is back.

Apparently some consumers have already gotten several for themselves by making numerous same-day in-store purchases while many others are worried they won't even get one due to back ordered items even though their order qualifies.

Contact Lego and ask why they don't actually enforce their one per customer policy stated as is in the fine print.

[icm]

Instagram says the Amelia Earhart set that reached 10K is going to be an Ideas GWP.  Is there any truth to that rumor?

Edit, I see the Amelia Earhart set in the 4xxxx series is listed on Brickset, so it's most likely real whether or not it's a GWP based on the Ideas project.

Edited January 7, 2021 by icm

[RichardGoring]

Leak of the Medieval Blacksmith box with the full set and figs. Should be released soon then, hopefully. I know it's different from the original submission, but I personally like it.

[MatthewRC]

On 1/6/2021 at 9:58 AM, Alegrispa said:

Honestly guys? If Community doesn't get approved and the Avatar one does (because the ATLA project in the third 2020 review is far superior) I'm frickin' done with Ideas. So much disappointment lately. I try to be positive when it comes to all things LEGO, after all it's a toy, but Ideas was supposed to be us telling them what we want! So why won't they listen to us?

I mean, Home Alone? A Globe?! The way the Blacksmith set turned out? The second Discworld project not being approved? And I'm not a big The Office US fan, but geez, the fourth version of it just got approved, people obviously want it and it's not one of the IPs LEGO deems too adult (The Big Bang Theory is both inappropriate and incredibly offensive, so they've got no excuse), so why won't they just make it?!

I just wish they were more transparent in their process. Like, do they not choose projects simply because no one on the team is a fan of the IP? Or is there a person who can veto sets they don't like? Who thought it would be a good Idea to try something more niche and then go with Flintstones of all things? What was with that weird Brickheadz contest (and who thought the Frigate and the Bomber stood a chance against the Gunship)?

Maybe Ideas just needs a big overhaul. A team change. Swap some people around over there.

Indeed! And worst of all, LEGO Ideas has also wrongfully banned certain kid-friendly IPs such as Courage the Cowardly Dog and the Total Drama franchise. I really disagree with this decision!

Edited January 7, 2021 by MatthewRC

[Just_a_brick]

On 1/6/2021 at 8:58 AM, Alegrispa said:

Honestly guys? If Community doesn't get approved and the Avatar one does (because the ATLA project in the third 2020 review is far superior) I'm frickin' done with Ideas. So much disappointment lately. I try to be positive when it comes to all things LEGO, after all it's a toy, but Ideas was supposed to be us telling them what we want! So why won't they listen to us?

I mean, Home Alone? A Globe?! The way the Blacksmith set turned out? The second Discworld project not being approved? And I'm not a big The Office US fan, but geez, the fourth version of it just got approved, people obviously want it and it's not one of the IPs LEGO deems too adult (The Big Bang Theory is both inappropriate and incredibly offensive, so they've got no excuse), so why won't they just make it?!

I just wish they were more transparent in their process. Like, do they not choose projects simply because no one on the team is a fan of the IP? Or is there a person who can veto sets they don't like? Who thought it would be a good Idea to try something more niche and then go with Flintstones of all things? What was with that weird Brickheadz contest (and who thought the Frigate and the Bomber stood a chance against the Gunship)?

Maybe Ideas just needs a big overhaul. A team change. Swap some people around over there.

You do realize that another company has the license to produce brick based products from The Office. No amount of entries will ever change that and you have to accept it. Every member of lego Ideas wants a specific project/s to be chosen but ultimately not all will be. The sooner you can accept them the better you will be off. 

[smazmats]

15 hours ago, Lego David said:

Among Us is just another one of those games that became trendy for a limited time only (mostly just because some well-known Youtubers played it). We've seen this happen with so many other games, such as Clash Royale and Fortnite. While sure, you can look at the number of downloads and think that they are still popular, their cultural impact just didn't last. 

In my opinion, LEGO shouldn't approve LEGO Ideas projects that are based off temporary current trends and focus on more timeless IPs instead. 

Agreed, though that might be hard to police because what classifies as "Timeless"?  I think they should implement some type of throttling for new project submissions so if something new suddenly becomes popular there wont be a flood of a bunch of the same thing. Looking at "Among us" there are whooping 35 different project submissions that are pretty much the same three things: the full game map, a section of the map/lobby, or the characters. After a point it just becomes redundant. Another example is Jaws, where there is 10 versions of the same boat + shark. It pretty much becomes a race to see who is better at marketing their project

[Kaanere]

4 hours ago, Black-Brick said:

I think they should implement some type of throttling for new project submissions so if something new suddenly becomes popular there wont be a flood of a bunch of the same thing. Looking at "Among us" there are whooping 35 different project submissions that are pretty much the same three things: the full game map, a section of the map/lobby, or the characters. After a point it just becomes redundant. Another example is Jaws, where there is 10 versions of the same boat + shark. It pretty much becomes a race to see who is better at marketing their project

I don't think so. From TLG's perspective, having multiple projects with the same concept doesn't hurt; if anything, it gives them extra information on how the concept performs with slightly different builds, marketing strategies, etc, which can only be good for them. Also, they're not going to close the door to any possibly good project just because there's a number of mediocre submissions with the same concept.

[MatthewRC]

On 1/6/2021 at 8:42 PM, Vilhelm22 said:

It’s not a toy.  Actually, it’s a highly sophisticated interlocking brick system!

I get that reference!

[tomorrowboy]

On 1/7/2021 at 12:06 PM, koalayummies said:

Apparently some consumers have already gotten several for themselves by making numerous same-day in-store purchases while many others are worried they won't even get one due to back ordered items even though their order qualifies.

 Contact Lego and ask why they don't actually enforce their one per customer policy stated as is in the fine print.

Just looked the set up on ebay, someone has a listing for the car saying "More than 10 available / 80 sold" which just pisses me off.

Oh, and someone on Bricklink has 186 for sale. What a joke.

Edited January 10, 2021 by tomorrowboy

[koalayummies]

8 hours ago, tomorrowboy said:

Just looked the set up on ebay, someone has a listing for the car saying "More than 10 available / 80 sold" which just pisses me off.

Oh, and someone on Bricklink has 186 for sale. What a joke.

Excellent snooping, that's unbelievable. Yeah I'm seeing more than 25 sellers with 4 or more for sale, average price $37. That's pretty infuriating when there's a lot of members right here on EB who qualified and are worried they'll miss out and already sold out in some areas.

[MAB]

14 hours ago, tomorrowboy said:

Just looked the set up on ebay, someone has a listing for the car saying "More than 10 available / 80 sold" which just pisses me off.

Oh, and someone on Bricklink has 186 for sale. What a joke.

That 186 seller is in Hong Kong, where there is no official LEGO store. They have probably come through the HK certified store that has different rules about promotions. They may have even sold them direct to the customer without being part of a promotion.

[tomorrowboy]

4 hours ago, MAB said:

That 186 seller is in Hong Kong, where there is no official LEGO store. They have probably come through the HK certified store that has different rules about promotions. They may have even sold them direct to the customer without being part of a promotion.

Yeah, looks like you can just buy it in Hong Kong.

Did Lego just grossly underestimate the popularity of this set or what?

[Alegrispa]

On 1/7/2021 at 11:49 PM, Just_a_brick said:

You do realize that another company has the license to produce brick based products from The Office. No amount of entries will ever change that and you have to accept it. Every member of lego Ideas wants a specific project/s to be chosen but ultimately not all will be. The sooner you can accept them the better you will be off. 

Like I said, not a big Office US fan, so to me it's not something soul-crushing I have to "accept". And I thought Ideas doesn't allow submissions of IPs owned by other brick-makers? Also, first time I've heard of another company having the Office license, weird. Altough not that that was an issue with Doctor Who.

My issue is that they keep allow these submissions and giving people false hope. Wasn't there a Gravity Falls project a few years ago they removed before the review-stage? Why not do that with the Office if it's not something they're able to release? Again, this is not about the Office, if this was about any other IP I'd be irritated the exact same way.

[Alegrispa]

1 hour ago, tomorrowboy said:

Did Lego just grossly underestimate the popularity of this set or what?

Tends to happen with GWPs.

Damn I'm pissed about that car.

Altough according to Promobricks that ugly monster-book set is available again. So that gives me a little hope the car might return as well.

[JintaiZ]

I'm pretty glad the Office reached 10k supporters again, but I'm not sure about its chance of becoming an official set. I think scaling it down may give it a better chance...