kbalage

The play feature will be a battery-powered unbalanced motor that will quickly shake things off the set :)

To be honest I don't expect Ornithopter-level complexity here, but yes, I will review the set.

Small correction: it cannot run code using the official LEGO firmware and software. The Control+ hubs are fully capable of doing that with Pybricks. The Powered Up hardware ecosystem shows great potential when you unlock its capabilities with Pybricks, everything works together, and this is truly the missed opportunity on TLG's part. We were promised an app that would control everything, but it never happened, after all these years the app can barely provide even minimal functions. I see TLG introducing great hardware from time to time, but failing to build a coherent system, which is kind of ironic considering the company's history with the original brick and its "universal compatibility". They divide effort between teams focused on their own themes, develop different software solutions that use the same hardware, and invest far less in software and documentation in general than they should. The mentioned Smart Brick would also have huge potential, but I am afraid we will never see it properly used.

In short: TLG is aiming for maximum profit and to attract as many new customers as possible, and based on their statistics for Technic that means licensed cars. Robots are a niche market, and considering that they just cancelled their entire robotics education line, it is unlikely to happen.

You really don't think designers are the ones deciding which Technic sets are released, do you? :)

We cannot deny that branded cars probably sell the best. However, TLG could afford to maintain a healthier balance and offer more Technic-like Technic sets, rather than just a flood of cars, a few smaller sets in the "other" category, and the yearly large, expensive construction set that they also market as a display piece. This is similar to the decline of Powered Up. Once they changed Power Functions and made it less intuitive to use, with a companion app that felt like a guessing game, fewer people bought standalone parts, and sales of motorized sets likely declined as well. This probably became proof for them that overall interest in motorization had dropped, so they scaled down the lineup. As you said, cause and effect...

Don't worry, I'm sure everyone is busy designing 50 cars for the 50th anniversary :)

The P1 was released in August, moved from the May schedule of the previous sets. Initial details did not appear until June back then, so there is still plenty of time.

It will make my job easier, I pre-record a segment with the internals, and only have to comment on the shell :)

Not today, sorry. January reviews will continue this weekend.

You had the first January Technic set review 2 days ago ;)

No, it is not just you.

The Powered Up "article" smells like AI-boosted speculation without any particular details.

I don't think Technic sells because of the Technic tag on the box, they sell because of the content, which is almost always a licensed vehicle :)The solution I proposed in the video was definitely ironic, I do not think LEGO would actually bring back Racers. However, splitting the "licensed display models made mostly out of Technic elements" into a separate theme would help keep the Technic spirit alive. We could get half or even fewer sets per year labeled as Technic, but these sets could really prioritize function over appearance.

Not all Technic sets have 3D instructions in the app, 42177 is one of them. I'm not sure why, but some larger builds only have PDF instructions, while others also get the 3D version. This is valid since 2023, before that only a few smaller sets got the 3D treatment.