Subject:
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Hi, and the meaning of life...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Fri, 15 Jan 1999 22:47:58 GMT
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Viewed:
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920 times
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Hello all!
I'm somewhat new to the group(s), and I must say, lugnet is most excellent! I
tried to follow RTL many years ago but just couldn't manage. I have to commend
all of you on the high level of both quality and tone in these groups!
Anyway, this may be a FAQ, but I have a question relating to the newer theme
sets. Can any of you comment as to their general level of playability? I was
browsing a catalog today over lunch, and looked through some of the theme sets
(I love the old town sets, but nowadays I normally just skip to the Technic
section).
I've seen many references to people's dislike of the trend towards sets with
fewer pieces in which there are many specialty pieces and large bricks that
should be many small bricks, which I strongly agree with. But aside from the
brick content and their seemingly limited utility and reuse, how do they
compare - in terms of being "fun to play with" - to, say, a 580 or 585?
I know this is not a new topic, and I apologize in advance for getting
philosophical. But I have to relate a small story. Recently, while visiting
the town I grew up in, I stopped by the old toy store where I used to regularly
go and gaze longingly at the seemingly endless shelf of those beautiful boxes
of bricks. I was struck with mix of panic and depression. Somehow, for all
the times that I have been to Toys "R" Us or Kmart or whatever here in New York
City, and been bummed out by the utter lack of excitement given to me by the
selection, the big picture apparently failed to register. The Lego I knew is
no more! But this time it did -- when in the context of a childhood
environment where the sight of those classic older sets, for which I could
decline groceries to secure procurement through ebay, is [hopefully
permanently] imprinted into my retinas.
Question is, could they have evolved any differently? I mean, to me it seems
exceedingly evident that, almost short of not changing at all, any way in which
Lego could have changed would not compare to our childhood memories. Sure, we
can all think of ways that they could have evolved better than the way they
have, and make no mistake, the number of newer sets that I really really like
is very small. Nonetheless, I wonder what little kids without any [sometimes
burdensome?] nostalgia think of Lego today? Those of you with children, care
to comment? And for that matter, with the world being such a different place
for kids to grow up in now, would it even be possible for a toy such as Lego,
change or no change, to carry the same meaning that it did 20 or so years ago?
Well, somehow I wound up playing devil's advocate against myself, which wasn't
what I had intended. I guess I just wonder, am I noticing a changing of Lego
for the worse, a changing of perception through age, a change in the qualities
in toys that kids find desirable, or some combination?
Viele Grüsse!
Jim
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Hi, and the meaning of life...
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| (...) which (...) Well said Jim. You make a strong point. If TLG did not continue to make new pieces and themes it would have lost sales a long time ago. The Lego we knew is just what you said... nostalgia. With the addition of new pieces we can (...) (26 years ago, 15-Jan-99, to lugnet.general)
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