Arigomi

It might help to clarify what they are. They are drive through ATM machines. Having Astrid present this model is a good reminder that the majority of sets are a team effort. While there is a lead designer, it takes several designers working together to make sure sets can pass the quality control and review process. I think the challenges associated with designing a government building were met. It can be tough creating a facade that doesn't repeat the same thing on every floor while still looking natural. The interiors do a good job of giving purpose each room on every floor.

Hasbro stole the concept for LEGO Games with their U-Build brand. Before the LEGO Games theme, Hasbro never had any serious competition in the board games aisle. It allowed them to leverage brands (like Monopoly) to get away with making games using extremely cheap and flimsy materials. Hasbro may have found some legal ground through its use of the Star Wars license to make the Monopoly Star Wars Clone Wars Edition and the R2D2 in Trouble Star Wars Game.

I keep seeing instruction manuals for sale on ebay. Does anyone actually buy them?

Your next MOC should be a UCS version of the flick fire snakes that were recently introduced to Ninjago.

Who do they think they are? The fashionista police?

It's not a problem because you have to hold down the button to keep the light brick on. If it was hurting your eyes, your natural reflex would be to let go of the button.

While the concept isn't new, the technique used to build it is unique. If you compare it to vehicles from previous years, you will notice a chunkier look overall. That's because there is more emphasis on the use of curved elements with a minimal use of plates and tiles. I'm surprised that this set includes two light bricks. Normally, sets only include one.

The water symbol on Ilrion's box must mean future Heroica sets will feature elemental themes. I like the use of green flower plates as lily pads for the frog. The handcuffs lead me to believe that this game is a "prison escape through sewers" adventure.

Upon closer inspection, you are right. It took me a while staring at the picture but you can see the white frame between the doors. It's disappointing since double doors aren't built that way.

Do the brick built figures from 4628 Fun with Bricks count? You can't really use the printed smiley faces on the 1x2 bricks for anything else. This picture reminds me of a police lineup. It is a little creepy how each and every one of them looks suspicious.

Looks scrumptious. Have you thought about adding a chocolate fountain? They seem to be popular.

I never grew up with Playmobil so I have no frame of reference. What draws people to the brand?

It looks like the red roof was a necessary concession for the budget. The fish, crab, flag, surfboard, bamboo leaves, transparent mug, and life preserver make this a very accessory heavy Creator set. The frame for the double doors on the balcony caught my interest. I haven't encountered something like that before. Is it rare?

TLG is the undisputed leader in the building toy market. Once you are the market leader, there is little room for growth. The best you can do make sure the competition doesn't overtake your position. TLG wanted the business to grow and the best way to do that is by expanding into new markets. Ninjago was a calculated effort to break into the market inhabited by the Beyblade franchise. If you can successfully gain a foothold in a different market, there is tons of room for growth. TLG poured a lot of resources into making Ninjago a success and was rewarded in spades. After the failure of LEGO Universe, Ninjago has become a vital IP for the LEGO brand. The one wave action themes are not surprising when you consider the priorities of TLG. Ignoring licensed themes, the success of Ninjago and Friends is very important to the company's future. The Dino and Monster Fighters themes help to keep the portfolio diversified. I'm sure TLG could expand upon them if they sold really well but unexpected results like that are very rare.

It's too bad that this garbage truck has a little too much "junk in the trunk" design wise. Despite this flaw, it does offer a nice array of features for a set of this size.

I would like to apply for the Eurobricks Reviewers Academy. I have three 2012 Creator sets that, at the date of this post, have yet to be reviewed. I never got around to actually opening them so this would be a good opportunity. I'm borrowing my brother's digital camera and plan on building a photo light tent. I have a lot of questions since I know very little about photo editing, image hosting, and formatting reviews.

The Bricks & More product line doesn't have an official story and encourages children to play any way they want. Despite this, sales numbers of Bricks & More sets are very low compared to themes with official stories. It is very hard to be creative without any source of inspiration. If you give an artist a blank piece of paper and tell that person to think outside of the box, the artist will draw a box. Children are no different. They create stories by borrowing ideas from their lives. TLG is only offering a framework for the Dino theme that kids can build upon or alter as they see fit. An official story also aids in creating an effective advertising campaign. The Dino commercials would be very plain without the dinosaur capturing concept.

This reminds me of the signal machine used in the Gummi Bears cartoon. The signal machine in the cartoon was made entirely of metal but a lot of the machines in the cartoon were made of wood.

I would personally call them prefab buildings (short for prefabricated). In the construction industry, the term refers to buildings where each room is constructed fully or partially in a factory. The rooms are then transported to the building site where they are attached to each other and to the foundation. The options for customizing the final building are limited but construction projects have the potential to be cheaper, faster, and more environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods. The most recent set to use this building style is 3315 Olivia's House. The alternate images show various different configurations you can get by rearranging the rooms. It was used here because it gave girls the option of taking a break during the building process to play with what they had built so far.

My favorite part is the tree. It gives the building enough character so that it doesn't fade into the background next to the other buildings.

Is it safe to take 1x2 hinge bricks apart? I remember getting 8 of them from 6953 Cosmic Laser Launcher when I was a kid. The clips on the base of hinges weakened and eventually broke from taking them apart and putting them back together. I'm happy to find them in sets these days but I'm worried I might break them. Has anything in the design changed since I was a kid to make them stronger?

How about a space cowboy theme?

The review was a bit harsh on the alternate builds. You have to adjust your expectations depending on the size of the set. For a set that is only $12.99 USD, I think it achieves what it sets out to do with the limited parts selection. This set doesn't have very many detailing elements such as tiles or slopes to further refine the look of the alternate models. The third build is for a vintage racing car and it does a fair job of capturing the feel of one. The design deserves some credit for breaking away from the predictable alternate builds. I would've been disappointed to see another Creator set use a formula one race car as an alternate build.

TLG is very careful about keeping a family friendly image. Easily obtained flesh colored bricks would only lead to countless sculptures of genitalia. Publishers of videogames that feature user generated content are always dealing with this problem.

The MMO market is the toughest sector of the videogame industry to break into. It takes a lot of foresight to stay competitive in this space. LEGO Universe's main problem came from mimicking World of Warcraft's business model (a game intended for teens and older). LEGO Universe was always intended to be for players 10 years or older. Young kids can't afford subscription fees. That demographic is best served by the free-to-play business model. Free-to-play games only work if they are designed that way from the ground up.