astral brick

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Posts posted by astral brick

  1. Posted · Edited by astral brick

    21 hours ago, pombe said:

    I submitted my classic space related project at about the same time that Peter Reid's Galaxy Explorer redux ran out of time.  That should have been my first clue.  This is a MOC that LEGO had displayed for a year in their masterpiece gallery in the LEGO House.  It failed to reach even 3,000 supporters out of the 10,000 required to reach the review stage.

    Unfortunately I remember it very well. In my opinion with Space we reached a point of no return, the generational turnover is gone, the old customers don't care anymore, the younger ones aren't enough to support the projects. The result is that, due to the lack of products, the theme remains mostly unknown to new generations, a dog chasing its tail that only a decision from above can stop.

     

  2. Posted

    2 minutes ago, danth said:

    You realize you're in the Sci-Fi forum right? :grin:

    Judging by some replies I begin to have doubts about it :-)

    2 minutes ago, danth said:

    Most of those are literally in the City theme. They're clearly not Sci-Fi, but NASA-inspired.

    So true!

    2 minutes ago, danth said:

    Heck, the rover set is even set on Earth. It should have been named Rover Test Drive.

    Lol!

    Just now, danth said:

    No, no, if something comes up all the time, and everyone is complaining about it, it proves that everything is actually perfect!

    Jokes aside, some replies of this thread are incomprehensible.

  4. Posted

    2 minutes ago, icm said:

    Nope, totally serious.  @MAB knows exactly what the meaning of this thread is, and so do I.

    Do you realise that there is a serious issues of disparity that, aside of being disrespectful towards their own history, is not very smart from a business point of view?

    2 minutes ago, icm said:

      When you follow these forums for long enough, you'll see this exact same thread crop up time and time again with a different title and a different OP, but it's the same thread every time.

    If it is periodical, then there is an issue, don't you think?

    2 minutes ago, icm said:

      If you look at my Flickr page, you'll see that practically the only thing I ever (digitally) build is Classic Space, so I really do sympathize with you and other people who just want a traditional Space set one of these days, dangit.  And I do concur that there hasn't been a traditional Space line since 2013.  That doesn't mean I don't get tired of people saying it's "outrageous" that there isn't a D2C Classic Space set out right now, or a traditional Space line, and then dishing on the many great options there are right now.

    Really? Anyway I am not going to try to convince you if you don't even see the problem.

    2 minutes ago, icm said:

      Have you gone through the old thread I linked and read it?

    Actually I posted on it.

  5. Posted

    4 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

    Basicly most my Space sets have been from recent years only , 2016-now, and I agree the situation hasn't been all that terrible,

    Ok, I guess there is no problem then

    4 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

    it just hasn't been under a Space theme.

    And lacking known colour schemes, ie not Space.

     

  6. Posted

    8 hours ago, MAB said:

    Of course, none of this is really Space

    Exactly (kind of). Moreover I think you are missing the meaning of this thread

    8 hours ago, MAB said:

    and it is Star Wars that is to blame for keeping proper LEGO Space of the shelves

    Your sarcasm confirms the aforementioned suspicion.

    8 hours ago, icm said:

    Hear, hear! I was going to make virtually that identical post myself.  Last year was an absolute bonanza for space sets....

    Rotfl!

    8 hours ago, icm said:

    As long as you don't hold yourself to an antiquated rigid standard that only "traditional" Space counts.

    Ah ok, I believe you were joking.

  7. Posted

    5 hours ago, Lord Insanity said:

    ... I mean we got some seriously cool space sets from both main Lego movies.

    ... Lets hope the rumored 2021 Creator mech is a real set and has a much more useful color scheme.

    Do we even realise how bad the situation is for Space? We are craving a 49 usd/eur creator set, hoping that it will have some known colour scheme (very unlikely considering what happened with the Rover).

    We should be happy about a spaceship released in 2014, not even a Ucs, a 100 usd model, hoping for another Benny's cameo in some new Lego movie in order to be entitled to another Space set (because, apparently, without a movie or a tv series customers aren't able to understand how to buy a polybag). I am forgetting the minifigures set and the Idea that miraculously passed the review in 2014. 

    The situation for Space is surreal. 

  8. Posted

    On 9/19/2020 at 3:33 AM, danth said:

    In this very thread, the first two mentions of "nostalgia" are used to argue against bringing back a space theme. And in every discussion I've ever seen on the topic, it's been that way. Wanting unlicensed space themes = nostalgia, wanting more sets from a 40-year old movie = the bleeding edge of unbiased modernity.

    Not only I am in agreement with you but I am amazed by some replies in this thread, going from totally ot to wrong interpretations, lack of abstract thinking if not patronizing attitudes. No worries Sw fans, Lego will produce sets related to it forevever (or until the costs of the license will be repaid, generating a profit). I don't expect a Space comeback anytime soon because they wont overlap scifi themes and Sw is probably their golden goose.

    No, I am not expecting that they will begin to produce at a loss, but exactly because they are a business they are, in my opinion, losing potential incomes. In fact I dont think they are risking to go bankrupt by producing one - not a theme, just one - Ucs version of some representative spaceship or, at least, as Danth said, a creator set.

    Sw line-up will be kept untouched and maybe they will realize to have discovered a new (?) goldmine. A win-win situation.   

  9. Posted

    6 hours ago, Merlo said:

    Star Wars looks great, but doesn't have most of that. The characters and the story are well known and unless you've never seen a movie in your life mashing up one famous ship with another or changing character roles will always feel wrong.

    Yes, apparently people need a "story", thought by others obviously, or a cartoon or a movie, they are too lazy to use their own imagination. 

    6 hours ago, Merlo said:

    Lego sets use to come with alternate ideas right there on the box.

    All gone unfortunately.

     

  10. Posted

    13 hours ago, Lyichir said:

    Now, you might argue that Classic Space deserves special treatment because it's a key part of Lego's own history. But at this point, Star Wars is an even bigger part.

    With a relevant difference, original design vs copy.

    13 hours ago, Lyichir said:

    Lego Star Wars has been around for twenty years at this point, through bad times and good alike. Classic Space is practically a blip in Lego's history compared to that. So while it'll always occupy a special role as Lego's FIRST space theme,

    Until when? There is no more generational turnover for Space.

  11. Posted

    11 hours ago, Retro said:

    I understand your sadness, as it's not easy I'm sure to see your corner of Lego history being ignored, even as Lego prospers.

    Exactly, they prosper, so why dont give it a chance to 1 model?

    11 hours ago, Retro said:

    But I think the Cantina may not be the best target for criticism here. Yes, it's outrageously expensive for what it is,

    Stop here please. Anyway the set is not really the point of this thread, their aforementioned politics is.

     

     

    10 hours ago, danth said:

    Instead, let's just keep buying the same sets from a 40-year old movie, over and over again, forever...

    Well said!

  13. Posted

    1 hour ago, NathanR said:

     And if one of the vintage space themes was rebooted with all modern techniques, it would be criticised for not staying true to the spirit of the original.

    I disagree and what annoys me most is to see that they dont even want to give it a serious chance. They release expensive sets over and over, about every miniscule aspect of SW, but they dont want (to overlap scifi themes)/cannot (due to some license agreement) make a modern version of at least one of their classic spaceship. Let's imagine a Ucs version of a Galaxy Explorer, built with modern techniques. I think it would sell very well, but we will never know until they try it.

    Instead we have a 349 usd/eur space pub.  

     

    50 minutes ago, makoy said:

    Hi there. I understand where you are coming from. Times changed. Even if we bring back classic space, the people who will appreciate them more are those people who loved them first -- the adults reliving those nostalgic memories.

    Id est enough people to justify at least one Ucs reboot of some classic spaceship. Moreover, who said that nowadays children or teens wont appreciate some modern version of a Space set? Aren't they tired of having the same SW models repeated every year with small variations?

    50 minutes ago, makoy said:

    That time had passed, and I moved on. I wasn't happy with so many licensed sets taking over as well.  I also wanted classic space to come back.... but I had come to terms with it.

    I didnt give up hope, yet.

    50 minutes ago, makoy said:

    As already mentioned, TLG still continue making space sets, just not under 1 theme. From time to time, we'll get references to classic space, and even new minifigures that calls back the classic space era.

    Not nearly enough in my opinion. The fact they didnt even celebrate Space 40th anniversary with a proper set was a scandal.

    50 minutes ago, makoy said:

    As some people might say, it is what it is.

    It is what it is until people try to change it.

    50 minutes ago, makoy said:

    Did we lose space because of Star Wars? Probably not. Maybe it contributed in some way but I believe It is a mix of a lot of different factors.

    What relevant factors do you consider aside Sw?

  14. Posted

    I read this amazingly detailed review

    https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/180256-review-75290-mos-eisley-cantina/

    I respect the passion that shines through the thread, but I can't help thinking about the first lines

    "...Pieces: 3187
    Minifigures: 21
    Price: USD 349.99 / EUR 349.99 / GBP 319.99..."

    Now, seriously, did we lose Space theme for this?

    A tan shack with low roofs, a four-legged toy, a small flying car, an unbelievable price in relation to the number of pieces. But I forgot, there are the minifigures. People in denial who justify everything, while they should be the first ones to be outraged to have their money taken out of their pockets, forgetting that if you really love something you should be the fiercest critic of it, rather than turning a blind eye.

    There are adults (set labelled 18+) happy to pay a good amount of money in order to play with tiny sci-fi figurines that maybe shot first or perhaps not, but apparently there isn't a market willing to buy new editions of the original design Space models that contributed to make the history of the company.

    A glorious past purposely allowed to be forgotten instead of being celebrated.    

  18. Posted

    6 hours ago, jxu said:

    Something feels so un-Lego-like about buying a box, pouring out 3000 1x1 round pieces, and arranging them on a flat baseplate.

    Perhaps the easiest way to make the act of building digestible by this new market segment, ie Lego parts used in the guise of jigsaws' pieces.

    6 hours ago, jxu said:

    Being proud of loving pop culture is plain intellectual laziness.

    Not to mention that the pop culture symbols are represented through a popular toy, the final result is pop culture squared.

    6 hours ago, jxu said:

    I don'But seeing your love of pop culture and consumerism as some kind of achievement is silly.

    I agree, but we have to admit that this distorted perception is the base of our current consumer society.

    6 hours ago, jxu said:

    Ironic that Warhol's subversive depiction of blatant repetitive commercialism itself becomes blatant repetitive commercialism without a hint of self-awareness.

    Well said, and so true.

  21. Posted

    18 minutes ago, Mylenium said:

    You keep reading about "focus group testing" and such nonsense, which is purely a marketing level thing, but I doubt there is any actual technical testing happening on a broader basis.

    Customers are the cheapest testers, and they are so competent, fast and resourceful, judging by the amount of suggestions for fixing flawed models.

    18 minutes ago, Mylenium said:

    Too many things went wrong in the last two years to let me believe any such thing even exists.

    Mylenium

    I can understand - to a certain extent - issues with technic sets, but I can't accept problems with colour shades or printed parts' alignments.

  22. Posted

    As it happens with software and hardware, nowadays even Lego seems to have forgotten the importance of a proper beta-testing phase, and the recent, tragicomic, developments related to the set 42113 are another demonstration of it. The bigger the company, the less the chances of taking a step backwards, in spite of self-inflicted reputational damages.

    Saving time and costs in order to increase the release of new products, a frenzied race in search of profits.  

  23. Posted

    8 hours ago, Mylenium said:

    You have to "design" a ton of drafts before one makes it and I can't see LEGO being able to do that on a level that I would find competitive. LEGO just doesn't have 20 people that just scribble spaceship designs all day while the other designers take care to convert them into models...

    Certainly it is much more easy to copy than to create, and this basic reasoning can be applied to every licensed theme. But I am confident that the same builders forced to reproduce other designers' works 9 to 5, have so many ideas in their drawers which are waiting to get an opportunity.  

  24. Posted

    13 hours ago, hagridshut said:

    I believe that in general, outside of licensed themes, LEGO should stay away from themes with very pre-defined stories.  Much of LEGO's appeal is being able to build one's own creations and create one's own stories.  That's what I did with my friends when I was a child.  We had our own space, and castle, and pirate domains.  The adventures that unfolded were largely our own. 

    So true. Apparently people even need to be told what to imagine nowadays.