Tohst

Oh C'mon. Did that statement really need a smiley for people to get that it wasn't serious? Did it need to be more over the top? Oh! snatched away in beauty's bloom, On thee shall press no ponderous tomb; But on thy -SETS- shall roses rear Their -PIECES-, the earliest of -THAT- year; And the wild cypress (LIKE IN MAIN STREET) wave in tender gloom: And oft by yon blue -EXPLORER GALACTIC- Shall -BILL AND MARY- lean -THEIR- drooping headS, And feed deep thought with many a dream, OF CASTLE AND SPACE AND EVEN TOWN; Fond wretch! as if THE SETS COULD NOW BE OWNED! Away! we know that tears are vain, That -LEGO- nor heeds nor hears distress: Will this unteach us to complain? Or make one mourner weep the less? And thou - who tell'st me to forget, Thy looks are wan, thine eyes are wet. -Tohst with many many many apologies to Lord Byron from whom most of this poem is taken

So, Lego has said that the long term fans of Bionicle are not the target market. Which is fine. 90-somewhat percent of the fanbase doesn't remember 2001 and its obvious us poor souls that do are divided as to the direction things have gone since then. I don't agree with everything said in this essay but I do agree with some. But again, we aren't the target market. But I think of some of what is addressed here does go to the target market. The kiddies, the youngsters, the folk that come in, buy a ton of Bionicle and thankfully make Lego fistfuls of cash, and then outgrow it. Couldn't some of the thoughts here be utilized as a way to keep more of the kiddies longer? I mean if you keep 10% more of the youngsters just 1 year longer isn't that worth it, even if you lose 5% elsewhere? I guess thats where I see the limitations of the mighty focus groups (and yes, how they are applied. Are you really telling me focus groups cared that much in Toa Kopaka's eyepiece was on the left or right side or if he had a sword (which on other Toa seemed to have focus tested well enough to include)). But I don't mean to digress that much. By planning a longer permutations you should be able to retain a larger group while not alienating the newcomers. And yes, these changes would help me as a long term fan enjoy Bionicle more so yes, I have an ulterior motive. So, the current permutation seems to be a two-year cycle but one without much diversity between the years. This I think leads to kids quickly being bored and Lego scrambling for the new kids. But what if you planned 3 years with more diversity. Keeping those kids you already had on board but knowing that individual years focus groups might not like certain aspects as well as others. For example: Dark colors vs. light colors. Focus groups seem to loooove the dark colors. Such that we get them year after year. But that probably also leads to kids being bored with the line quicker. By having a cycle of year 1 = dark colors, year 2 = standard colors, year 3 = alternate colors (Lime, translucent, whatever). And every Toa can be on a different part of the cycle. This adds diversity but you still get your dark colors. Heck, you could have kids looking forward to a year with their favorite Toa in dark colors. And us old foggies get more diversity. And that doesn't even get into story line which if I were a kid, when my favorite Toa got switched out, thats a good place to dump the line. (See Transformers the Movie in the 80s for a good example of this sort of thinking and what happened to sales when Optimus and crew got put to pasture). I dunno, maybe the big switch up in 2009 will incorporate this. But from the direction I've seen, probably not. Its all focus groups, short term goals, and accepting the loss of 99% of your market every couple of years. -Tohst

To answer 2 first. Plenty of people have done just that because we will never see the yellow castle again. The bricks are inexpensive. Heck you can even buy repro stickers fairly easily. The mini-figs. Those are expensive, especially the visors which were fragile and thus go for a premium. And they are also why we'll never see it as a Legend (if they were still doing them) without that piece being replaced with a more modern visor. Sorry. Hope that doesn't dash your hopes. As for 1, I think we had official word that legends was dead. Now, there are great new Factory sets coming out that help sooth that hurt but we'll never get those yellow castle, Blacktron, or Classic Space legends we all yearn for deep in our souls. Yes, even young kids yearn for them but they don't even realize it so they grow up with an unidentified longing. Thats why so many of them turn to drugs. Blame Lego. -Tohst

Darn that NDA! Thanks for more information about the achievement you two, umm, had? are having? will have in April? Darn those tenses! I'm very excited about the ground based vehicle Justice set now... *cough* was mine (and probably many others) first Space set I don't know if that needed coughing out but I'm being safe. Darn being safe. And what was said about the front of the little base builds the hype even more. Darn Hype! Plus, the skulls Darn Cleverness

Paul C's excellent interpretation brings up an interesting point. Airtanks....Does Lego hate them? I know the geometry of them is difficult to work around sometimes but they do give a real space vibe to mini-figs wearing them (well, except for the firemen) -Tohst Insectoids - Great Theme or GREATEST Theme? ;-)

Huzzah! I've said it before. I think space has been the most ignored of the big themes. Even Pirates got a legend set. And don't try to tell me Star Wars is Space :-) So, as long as there are more fan-made space sets in the future, I'll say Huzzah again. (Not that I'm trying to start a Space vs Pirates holy war, or MAC vs. PC, or Vi vs. emacs) Tohst - who today hit a new low by actually putting a sticker on straight only to find out it was on the wrong piece. C'mon!

While slightly disappointing to those of us who keep mini-figs for decades knowing stickers just won't hold up as well, it is understandable and one of the reasons I asked the question was I was so surprised to see custom torsos in something that wasn't mass market. I don't suppose you were able to include -extra- stickers on the sticker sheet since its so much less expensive? He asks expecting the answer to be no. But hoping its yes if only so when he puts the first ones on crooked he has spares to try to correct it. -Tohst - No really, even with tweezers everything ends up tilted

HA! Definately not. I like your Fabuland Housewifes setting. I imagined two factions for conflict as well as some sort of shooting mechinism with all the animals being like Poochie from the Simpsons. And yeah, back on Topic...I wonder if the torsos are stickers or printed. -Tohst

And this is how I know I'm old. Converting something to a black color scheme doesn't increase its awesomeness for me. Like that 'shadow AT-AT' or whatever it was for the Titanium series. No, black no longer equals win. Now black with yellow trim and a triangular insignia...but thats not really Star Wars. Tohst-

Sooo off topic but I've imagined what they would do to Fabuland if they were releasing it for today's markets. Fabuland with attitude! Yikes!. -Tohst....with subtext maybe not completely off topic

I'd be thrilled if this was the template of the new direction of Bionicle. I mean, large cast of characters so they can keep selling sets. The characters grow and gain new powers through training and hard work but are still recognizible as the same characters. Good and Evil strictly defined but with enough Gray (and side-switching) to make it accessible to younger and older kids. People trying to poke each other in the butt....okay, I'll be fine if this didn't transfer. And I want a Toa of Drunken Fighting that comes with pre-loosened ball joints! -Tohst

Oh, this one actually made sense to me. And hopefully its because I understood what was being said and not just making something up in my head (again). If we saw sets like this at Target or TRU instead of MM, we'd be doing backflips of joy. Its only because the Direct chain has given us more complicated sets recently that there is any grumbling. Which I can agree with. And I like aspects of MM. It just needs to be grey, blue, and trans-yellow. ;-) -Tohst - living in the past

I've gone up and down in moods over these sets. Let me start by saying I think Mr. Giddens and Mr. Sandlin have done a great job. And not just with these sets but with the communities they have helped build and their MOCs over the years. I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of these sets even under the realization that the Lego process may have squeezed some of the 'holy moley!' factor from the final designs. And I think some of the negativity here is simply because we've become used to that emotion when seeing the MOCs of these two gentlemen. And yes, even if the other parts of the sets are huge dissapointments even compared to what we've seen (Which I am not expecting) I'll buy the sets because I support this process moving forward. I mean, its really amazing. Lego identified some thought leaders, had them develop sets that Lego is now going to sell. Wow! That said, I can see where some of the dissapointment came from. It sounds like the cycle on this process is brutal. And during that cycle, we've seen some amazing things coming out of Lego. The new Castle chess set, Market Street (another Factory set no less) and Green Grocer. I can see where the perception that Lego has missed an opportunity here to give us 'adult' space sets as a companion to whats on the shelves at Target. Much like Market Street to the latest police station or the Chess set to the latest Troll Attack Tower. However, the fact that it is a long process does give me hope. I mean, given the constrictions, these sets (What we've seen of them so far) are great. And its harder to come up with something good given what sounds like fairly strict constraints. This procee began prior to the success of Cafe Corner and hopefully the continued success of Market Street, Green Grocer, and other high end sets. Hopefully, that will steer TLG down the path of letting these two creators have more design freedom next time. I view this as a great start and I thank Mr Sandlin and Mr Giddens for thier hard work. I'm no Lego apologist (See my Bionicle posts if you don't believe me) but as a first step, this is something I can get excited about. If it doesn't expand beyond this, then I'd chaulk it up as a huge missed opportunity. -Tohst who never got his Classic Space Legend set either

It was tough but I went with the new clone as it has the ability to use the visor. I'm all conflicted. As a base clone, the old one is better but as the enhanced clone, the new one is. Tohst- if this is the biggest issue I have all week, life is gooooood

Yeah, I think they did a better job with the ole' Jango Fett mini-figure. You can see the head at the bottom there but it looks like Jango is wearing a head covering so what shows through is black and not pink or yellow. Or maybe I'm just bitter because my old clones and my new clones won't match and it will be the apocolypse! -Tohst

We're looking for around $150 right? Easy. A vig with Darth Vader, Tarkin, and Leia looking out a window in the Death Star. And then $140 worth of random parts to represent Alderran just being blown up. -Tohst who just realized he hadn't read some of the pages in this topic and hopes nobody else said this.

That's a fair point. And I used his name as a moniker like that not because he does set design but because as the main representative between the fandom and the design team he is the mouthpiece to defend their decisions. I've said before I think he is in a tough position sometime because as the representative of the Lego company he has to stay positive and agree with every decision they make. Even if he vehemently disagrees behind closed doors he must toe the line, so to speak, in public. Having said that, my thoughts about his writing and some of his fan interactions aside, since he is the figurehead that must say Lego is always right, I think Farstiphle fits as description. Anything else is just too long. I mean, try it. Yes I'm a 'PostToaMetruNoGearEveryWeaponMustBeProtodermisLaunchersMakeMeHappyLoveTheNew MasksWhoCaresIfTheyDontLookLikeTheyDidIn2001WeShouldBeHappyJustUsingTheSameNames i Phile'. I'm sure there is lots of folk that would just jump to BionicleIsCrapiPhile. But I don't believe that. -Tohst

I think the term is Farshtiphile. :-) And can I say, if next year they market 'weirdass launchers' Bionicle will get no money from me. ;-) -Tohst

Thanks Sam89, But now I'm confused. Why does the new Obi-Won mini-fig look like a power puff girl. The designs in the animation aren't stylized like that at all in my opinion. And poor Miss Ventress. She went from one of the coolest things in the original Clone Wars Cartoon (Sith Wanna-be playah used as a pawn to draw out the dark side in Anakin) to looking like the Cat Lady on the Simpsons in mini-fig form. -Tohst

Yeah, and there wouldn't be an Exo-Force! What? Wait? That storyline based theme failed? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Lego and their focus-groups are not infallable. Some things work, some things don't. Some things don't work but due to the other things that work about the sets nobody knows they don't work. Some things do work but due to the other things that don't work about the sets, the sets fail. Transforming things is not a Lego core compentency. One look at previous transforming lines would tell you that. If they went at it in a big way would it work? Probably not the first year or two. Remember we lived through Robo-riders prior to Bionicle. Lego seems to be on solid enough ground to try the next leap forward. It could be another Galidor or it could be another Bionicle. Or it could be another Knights Kingdom and end up somewhere in between the two extremes. -Tohst

I wish it did. All I ever notice from Greg F. was that Rahi didn't sell well way back at the beginning so they don't do a lot of Rahi. Now, the idea that -those- sets didn't sell because they were pretty much just the same Technic competition sets that hadn't sold well before instead of concentrating on ball joint construction techniques like some of the later Rahi that came with Toa had never seems to be brought up. Of course, maybe they focus grouped it every year since then and it didn't turn out well. Design by committee is by necessity risk averse and thus in many cases boring. I don't know the process they go through but it really seems to miss opportunities. The good thing is you can buy 30-40 copies of $13 canister sets and build your own underwater or swamp rahi. -Tohst

You are correct. No minifig is visible. Tohst - who couldn't resist ETA: ooh, if you click on the big grey box you get the picture...not a bad looking set. Thanks and welcome to Eurobricks!

Finally a decent picture of the Alien Commander! Hold on, are its arms the same piece as its legs? -Tohst

Yeah, and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to turn that old trike piece into a decent speeder bike. Mine never turned out that well so I'm humbled and excited at the same time. -Tohst