Subject:
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Re: End of Year Thoughts
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Mon, 3 Dec 2001 20:03:01 GMT
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Viewed:
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899 times
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In lugnet.general, Allan Bedford writes:
> > In lugnet.general, William R. Ward writes:
> > > "Allan Bedford" <apotomeREMOVE-THIS@altavista.net> writes:
> > > So what you're saying (if I may paraphrase) is that if the sets were less
> > > trashy and were better designed, you might buy more of them and at regular
> > > price, rather than waiting for blowout sales?
> >
> > No, but they would sell more generally.
>
> Yes, my point exactly. Sorry, I meant to make the paraphrase more generic,
> and not speak for you directly.
>
> > > I think the moral here is that the company needs to start designing sets
> > > again that are as good or better than anything folks can do at home.
> >
> > I don't think they ever did that.
>
> Bill, of course they did. Look back. Look way back. During the 70's and
> early 80's the best sets were what was coming out of the company itself. I
> think they had some phenominal designs. My complaints are with the
> company's history, but rather with it's present state of affairs.
Are you sure that's not just nostalgia? I can remember even when I was a kid,
back in that time frame, thinking "Man, what an ugly set - but at least it's
got some good pieces"... For example, Starfleet Voyager or <set:6882
Walking Astro Grappler> or Mobile Lab are all designs that are,
IMNSHO, ugly and completely unrealistic for a variety of reasons.
I think there's a tendency to think back in a nostalgic way towards a lot of
the sets of our youth as the "good old days" but I maintain that even then,
with a few notable exceptions, they weren't that great.
> > There are too many economic and
> > marketing restrictions hampering the Lego designers' talents.
>
> O.K. you've got me stumped. What sort of 'economic and
> marketing restrictions' are you referring to? At the moment it can't be a
> limitation of how many themes they can work within, since the company is
> currently offering more than 20 distince themes.
OK, some examples: They have to keep the costs of sets down, which means that
they can't spend too much R&D time on a particular set, and the cost and number
of the elements in the set needs to be in line with their desired retail price
points. Also, they are apparently under a contract with Lucasfilm that
prevents them from releasing any space sets outside the Star Wars line. In
addition there are some themes that don't seem to be popular with kids these
days, like Castle or Pirates, so they are not being produced, even though
AFOL's would want them.
> It can't be # of pieces... just look at the new sculptures or the Blockade
> Runner.
That's Lego Direct, a different thing altogether. I agree that they've come up
with some great new models. (I believe Blockade Runner is considered a
sculpture, BTW)
> It can't be colors... look at the Harry Potter stuff.
It doesn't really cost any more to mold a piece in a new color, no.
> It can't be subject matter... they've got everything from Darth Maul, to a
> bi-plane, to the Statue of Liberty, to the Bionicles... whatever they are.
But no classic space, for example.
> The only thing that seems to be restricted, in my mind, is the ability of
> the folks running the show to look at their own history... and learn from it.
The designers at Lego are at least as creative as the average AFOL. It's the
business of selling toys for children that is limiting their product line, and
the decisions being made by the management based on their perception of what
will sell and for what price.
--Bill.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: End of Year Thoughts
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| (...) Definitely not nostalgia. I still have all my original LEGO sets (including boxes and all instructions) going back to the mid-1970's. I'm not looking at pics on the web, or just running old memories over and again in my head. I can sit and (...) (23 years ago, 4-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: End of Year Thoughts
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| (...) Yes, my point exactly. Sorry, I meant to make the paraphrase more generic, and not speak for you directly. (...) Bill, of course they did. Look back. Look way back. During the 70's and early 80's the best sets were what was coming out of the (...) (23 years ago, 1-Dec-01, to lugnet.general)
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