BrickBob Studpants

What explanation? GWP sets don't influence my decision to order D2C sets on s@h. I do it because I'm an impatient manchil... Ok, you may have a point there

The theme is called "Ideas" for a reason, all they have to do is to adapt the general idea of the fan project, not any of the specifics unless they're absolutely necessary for the set to work. The general idea of the winner is a buildable Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey with multiple vignettes surrounding him, so them changing the vignettes to accommodate minifigs that are still in production as you suggest here is not outside the realm of possibility. Then again, the Ideas team usually stays pretty close to the fan designs and cheapening out by replacing so many of the vignettes just so they can recycle currently available minifigs seems not like something they would do Ideas has a sizable budget now and they went all-out with the 100th anniversary sets last year, so it would be a weird development.

Same thing though. The loss caused by giving away the 11th bread is covered by preventing customers from going to a different bakery, not by price-hiking. So for me as a regular customer who wouldn't go to the competition, it's still for free

GWP sets technically aren't gifts since they're conditional, but they're still for free in a sense. If GWP sets didn't exist, I'd just receive The Burrow and the TNBC set with the order I'll make in two hours. Since they do exist, I'll get the B&B promo set plus the Weasley Clock (and maybe a 5th flowerpot), without additional charge. In that particular scenario, the promos are for free since I would've ordered the two sets on s@h in either case, with or without the promos. The argument that everybody pays for these sets by generally increased prices for all other products doesn't make much sense to me. That implies that sets would be cheaper now if they never started to do GWP sets, and that sounds pretty silly. Of course GWP sets weren't born from the goodness of their hearts, but the way they make up for the cost of producing GWP sets is not through price hiking, but through something way sneakier, namely customer retention. Ethically sound? Likely not, but personally I don't mind GWP sets since I easily pass the thresholds for the ones I want. I can't speak for others though

We did, last year’s Hulkbuster was based on the Battle of Wakanda! Other than that though, you’re right. IW has been neglected in the Infinity Saga subtheme, especially compared to Endgame A set based on the skirmish in Edinburgh would be cool, or one based on the opening scene! …okay, that would be too grim, I just want a Heimdall minifig, dangit

I know it’s tempting to think that the 18+ sets take the spots of desirable playsets, but the truth is we won’t ever know what they’re “replacing” Some of the helmets, figures, and dioramas might just as well have taken the spots of remakes that a lot of people would be annoyed with (ever notice it’s been a while since the last Landspeeder or Snowspeeders came out?), or a gimmick line geared towards kids. And I doubt we’d lose good set ideas because of it. It’s not like one designer is suggesting a Jedi temple and another goes “nah, drop that idea forever, we’re making a Boss Nass statue with laughing function instead!” If they thought it’s a good set idea but outside their budget for that year, they’d surely consider simply releasing it another year

One can only hope. The set would definitely be very popular if they did that! Given it’s getting released in a month and some change, I assume leaks are imminent

Isn‘t that to be expected though? I can’t imagine too many kids being interested in standing in line for GWP sets and promos with rather high thresholds Of course that sort of thing attracts collectors more than kids. Also, I’d wager most kids don’t buy sets on day one, instead waiting for birthdays or Xmas, or saving up their allowance first.

Why not both? It‘s not like one rules out the other.

I didn‘t say people have to like this development. I was just pointing out that it‘s silly to see this as a sign that the sky is falling I know. I only said people are acting as if it were the case, with all the „TLG is gonna drop the license“ nonsense Yeah, they‘re gonna slaughter their 25 year golden goose, sure.

They just released a wave of 7 playsets this month and y'all are acting as if TLG stopped making them altogether Yes, the ratio between playsets and 18+ sets is getting close to 50:50, but so what? Like or not, but that obviously means there's a huge market for 18+ sets. And no, playsets aren't going anywhere. And like clockwork, fans prophesy the death of (LEGO) Star Wars. Must be a hobby in its own right

Or, get this, he‘s an important character in the movie and people will know who he is after having seen it? Familiar characters showing up in new shows and movies wasn‘t invented by Marvel, you know. If the audience connects with a character, it doesn‘t matter if it‘s a new or established one.

No, he means the robe piece that replaced the sloped brick they had used for decades before It was introduced that year, but first appeared in the Jedi & Clone Trooper battlepack and two of the Solo sets.

Or an even better example, the mid-legs introduced in that series!

About flipping time, if you ask me. It's been ten years and we still have no mosa!

The new film is officially called Jurassic World Rebirth They also unveiled two pictures, no dinos though

I’m firmly in Team Bigfig. He might not be Hulk-sized in the movie, but a minifig would look too puny. It‘s not like TLG is overly accurate when it comes to scaling anyway Plus a bigfig would make for a better toy.

True, in terms of screentime and presence the older design is a lot more prominent. My point was a different one though, namely the films and shows being way more likely to be covered by TLG than the games, books, or comics Ignoring that we already got two versions of Shadow Troopers, it kinda is We know how much they love the OT and Spacetroopers are the only Stormie type from the OT we didn’t get minifigs of yet, even though it’s just a regular Stormie with a rebreather pack.

Counterpoint: The recent C-3PO came with quite a few new prints and two new moulded pieces that were specifically created for this set. Also, all the plaques are printed now The buildable figures are not necessarily that much cheaper to produce than playsets. Certainly less cheap than a playset with reused minifigs

Unsurprisingly, HP is once again named in the „popular themes“ segment in the 1HY financial report Had you told me in 2011 that the theme would ever return, let alone with this success and longevity, I would have declared you nuttier than squirrel poo.

Most likely, neither will get the minifig treatment, but if it‘s just one, I‘d say the one showing up in a live-action show has mucher better chances than the one making appearances in a videogame and some comics (Also, I personally prefer the Kenobi design. Your torches and pitchforks don‘t intimidate me )

40 times. That‘s as many as four tens. And that‘s terrible.

The obvious takeaway lesson from the Echo minifig is not that they can break their own rules with impunity now, but rather that they‘ll be more careful in the future It‘s their own rules. Following them is in their best interest (which is upholding their family-friendly reputation). They‘re not doing it to appease law enforcement, a different company, or some other institution.

They only reason they got away with that is because the show's rating was announced so late. I'm 99% sure the figure wouldn't have been made had the MA-rating already be known at that point

What people discuss online and what people do in the real world aren‘t the same. Heck, these two things are probably barely correlated They must be. If these sets weren‘t successful, TLG would’ve stopped churning them out a long time ago. They have 7 years* worth of data now! (* technically more if you count the 2008 Grievous and 2012 R2, but the BB-8 figure in 2017 started the current trend)