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In lugnet.general, Mark de Kock writes:
> In lugnet.general, Lawrence Wilkes writes:
> > 2002 catalogue. Oh dear, dear, dear. Where did it all go so wrong?
> >
> > Sorry, I am disappointed so much I cant even be bothered to tell you why.
> >
> > lawrence
>
> Why?
Not answering for Lawrence; these are my opinions.
After I read the catalog, I was struck (and dismayed) by one thing above
all: No new major System theme entries for 2002, except Harry Potter (which
debuted early for film schedule reasons). NONE!
Racers is a minor variation on last year, and just a bunch of cars anyway
(no buildings, no race tracks, no trucks, no pit stops... none of the good
stuff this line would had 5 years ago). Many of them don't even have full
mini-figures. Soccer gets a few tweaks. Why not some other sports? (Like
the multiple sports that MegaBloks has tackled.) (BTW did anyone notice the
new license?: Adidas.)
The aqua-Alpha-Team sets are interesting, and show some creative spark, but
they are just a variation on last year's AT theme. (Which is fine in and of
itself.)
And that's it. No new theme-- nothing to replace Adventurers (maybe Galidor
gets that mindshare-slot-- and it's not System), no new sub-theme to follow
on Space Port or Life on Mars or Studios (not that I was expecting any),
nothing except more licenses (Galidor, which is not mini-figure based, and
Harry Potter, which I think is very well done, but it's not the same as
getting a new System theme or sub-theme).
Obviously new Star Wars sets are coming. Galidor presumably launches in
spring or summer as well. That means two big releases in the middle of the
year-- what are the chances that some new System theme is waiting and will
ALSO debut in the summer? Seems mighty unlikely, though I will hold out
some hope.
So what I'm seeing is fewer and fewer original Lego theme concepts with each
passing year, bordering on almost none for 2002-- and that bums me out.
In 1998 -- just four years ago -- Adventurers, Insectoids, Ninjas, and
Extreme Team were all new. UFO, Roboforce, Stingrays, Indians, ResQ.
Divers, and some others will still widely available. Anyone remember how
much excited discussion a new catalog would get every October? This year,
it was hardly a blip-- as noted, this is partly because of the offset
release of Potter sets, but that hardly makes up for the kind of heated,
excited discussion that used to take place this time of year among AFOLs.
Today Alpha Team fills in for Extreme Tea/ResQ, but Star Wars displaces
Space (though Lego got some good licks in with Life on Mars), Potter
displaces Castle, Creator displaces Town altogether (and has no new
announcements for the first part of 2002), and Adventurers have just gone
away. Everything else is a 2001 holdover. Most of the 2001 sets will be
done this year-- what happens next year, with the mini-figure?
What happened to System? It's gone. And I don't mean the logo, which has
been gone for years-- I mean the *IDEA* of System. It hardly exists
anymore. That sucks.
Last year there was all this talk about Lego "getting back to its roots."
Is the 2002 catalog a result of that? Not that I see-- in fact there's MORE
dependence on risky fads, whether they are licenses or in-house. Is this
change still coming? Could be, changes like that take a long time. But
2002 is not it, that I can see.
I'm not trying to start another "mini-figures forever" flame. Maybe the
mini-figure's era has passed. But the 2002 line-up is seriously lacking in
overall cohesion, and creative flair-- regardless of what the form of the
play figures is.
Kevin
P.S. Lego, I LOVE many of your recent products, like the Sopwith Camel,
sculptures, and I hope you pursuer more higher-end licensed items like the
Blockade Runner.
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