Subject:
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Re: This is stupid... I can't tolerate this *juniorization*...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.lego.direct, lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Thu, 9 Aug 2001 22:27:48 GMT
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Reply-To:
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JOHNNEAL@USWEST.NETnospam
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Viewed:
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1956 times
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Okay, Joe (and Dan)-
Although I can't speak for TLC, I bet I have a good idea as to what they would
say to your collective concerns, and rather than let a brush fire blaze out of
control here, let me point out a few things which hopefully will help you to
understand TLC's POV.
First thing to keep in mind is that LEGO is a toy. It is intended for children,
and although we as adults (I have kids your age) can still play with LEGO
(attesting to its marvelous flexibility as toy and as a creative outlet), the
mass market for this product is young kids.
Times have changed. LEGO has competition from places we never dreamed about 20
years ago-- the internet, video games, cable television, etc. Now the
philosophy of TLC has been one of marketing at particular age groups
("System")-- so infants start off with Primo, then toddlers on to Duplo, and so
on. But they recognized that there was a gap between Duplo and town. Town was
a little complicated for 6 year olds, and so they decided to bridge that gap
with sets which could be more easily manipulated with smaller hands. Try not to
think of Jack Stone, etc, as LEGO "juniorized"[1], but rather as Duplo
"seniorized":-)
Now of course these sets seem childish to you-- they are not intended for you to
play with them. They are for younger kids. It's a bit like complaining that
Duplo is too simple-- that's the whole idea. TLC needs to "hook" kids on LEGO
*sooner*, because by the time they are 8, they are already watching cable,
playing video games incessantly, etc. That fact of life isn't TLC's fault. In
fact, one could argue that it is partially *your* generation's fault for this
juniorization mess, although there are plenty of other places to blame as well.
But here's my point. Don't get so worked up about "juniorization". The fact
is, there has never been a better time for LEGO builders old and young than
right now today, and it will keep getting better. Take a look out there--
LUGNET, LUGs, LTCs, Brickbay, Brickshelf, bulk services-- what fantastic
resources! You guys are getting older now; don't worry about building sets.
Sets are for kids. As Mike Timm so eloquently puts it in his sig: "All other
themes are just spare parts for Castle!" (or spare parts for *anything* you
want). Start building MOCs and let the *real* creativity begin!
So this is about where TLC is coming from. You may not agree with their
marketing strategies, and even I strongly disagree with some of their
strategies, but try to understand why they are doing what they are doing.
Rather than rail on in an NG, tell them with your pocketbook. Buy the Guarded
Inns and Sopwith Camels and Metroliners; if there is one thing TLC gets very
well, it's the bottom line. Let's *show* TLC that there is a market for
non-juniorized sets.
-John
[1] I would define "juniorization" as the combing of 2 or more elements to
create a new element *which can no longer be used for any other purpose other
than the specific one for which it was designed*.
JOE wrote:
> In lugnet.lego.direct, Dan Simonson writes:
> > Ok, this is going to be a long message.
> >
> > Just to get who I am straight, I'm Dan Simonson, I'm 13, I've played with
> > Legos since I was 3. I got a whole bunch of bricks from my sister, who once
> > got them from my brother, who's 30 now. This is where my passion with Lego
> > started. I got one of the old dump trucks when I was 3 also. I loved that
> > thing. Wish I still had it together. Any way, when I was 5 I got the old
> > Spyrius recon robot for my birthday from a friend. Since I was a Space fan
> > and later picked up on building a town when I was in 4th grade (about age 9
> > or 8). To make a long story short I've played with those theme's, Town and
> > Space, ever
> > since.
> >
> > I recently got the Lego summer catalog. I ordered some bulk packs (in my
> > opinion way over priced for *bulk*) and a pack of two T-Plates for my town's
> > new layout. When I first opened it though I saw this stupid looking thing
> > called Jack Stone. I immediately though it was for three year olds, that it
> > was a
> > duplo set, and was immediately angry. The buildings have nothing to them! It
> > reminds me of the old cheap show James Bond Junior from when I was 4. After
> > recieving a Mania Magazine about it I think I almost got a headache. There's
> > no
> > point to it!
> >
> > Another example of my dislike for juniorization is from when I turned 10, I
> > got a construction crew. I was glad I got the set because at the time I had
> > no construction crew for my little town. When I saw the directions I
> > immediately wanted to write Lego because they were so poor in quality. A two
> > year old could have done it with out his parents help. I never got the
> > chance to, wasn't that important. Now I have my chance.
> >
> > I'm now reading the catalog, I'm going to bash everthing juniorized as I go
> > along.
> >
> > Page 1, *Bionicle.* When I first saw Bionicle I thought it was aimed at the
> > Japanese market than anything else. It reminds me of the edited Dragon Ball
> > Z, a show so watered down and milked up that it's no wonder I don't like it
> > any more. One fight between two characters lasted 3-4 weeks.
> >
> > Page 5, DIONSAURS. The last time I had any interest in Dinosaurs was when I
> > was in Kindergarden. I see where it comes in with Jurasic Park III and the
> > Lego Studios but do you have to release and waste all that petrolium (yes,
> > it's a non-renewable resource) on a hole bunch of dinosaurs we really don't
> > even need. And at $10 a piece, what 5 year old can even afford to waste $40
> > on them.
> >
> > Pages 8-9, Great mechs, but the ship and the base make me laugh. What kind
> > of base is that! It looks like an Aquanaut base I made once that was made of
> > little gobs of bricks that are separated and serve no purpose but to to look
> > cool. $80 for that junk! I wouldn't pay $50.
> >
> > Page 13, Mega Blok, or Lego? When I saw this I was more sickened than when I
> > saw Jack Stone. 8 pieces per car!!!!! WHAT THE HELL, TECH DECK SKATEBOARDS
> > HAVE MORE LITTLE TINY SCREWS IN THEM THAN THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> >
> > Page 16-17, just one more adden to JACK STONE. How can he get away with
> > being a cop and fire fighter? To be on the optimistic side of this BS, there
> > a blue flame and a black raft. Those are pretty neat.
> >
> > Page 22-23, Duplo, where Juniorization should stay.
> >
> > Page 24-27, the best new thing Lego has made in a long time.
> >
> > Page 47, the leg henges are nice for Mechs.
> >
> > One additional comment before my extreme rage burns out...
> >
> > Ok, I remember not long ago Lego sent out this little yellow thing with
> > their s@h
> > orders about their mission statement or something like that. It said that
> > Lego is a creative toy, becuase one day, it can be a submarine, the next it
> > can be castle, and the next it can be a spaceship. Many of the things I have
> > seen in the last catalog have made that mission statement worthless and
> > obselete.
> >
> > This is Lego's true purpose...
> > http://www.nwlink.com/~sandlin/lego/mecha/colossus/colossus01.html
> >
> >
> > --
> > Chef/Dan/Bubba Bear
> > ICQ:84584424
> > AIM: DaGlassAWasta
> > http://lostislandofmonkeys.cjb.net
>
> Dan, Lego is really out of their minds for making "Jack Stone". FYI Lego, my
> name is Joe Franco, im 16, and I have been playing with Lego for 13 years. I
> used to like your sets, because of the challenge of building them. When I
> was smaller, I used to wait after school for the mail man to come deliever
> our mail in hopes that my Lego S@H or Mania CLub catalog would come. When it
> did, I would read and stair at it for a few hours, in awe, at all of the big
> sets and great themes that you had in it. Now, when i got my S@H catalog, I
> almost cried. Thanks for bringing ack the Guarded inn and making the MOT
> train line, but the rest of these sets are juniorized to the point that it
> could take only 5 minutes to build a building. Wheres the Challenge in that?
> When I got my Pier police set for Christmas, it took me a half hour just to
> build the building. I loved the challenge and time it took to watch the
> building take shape. That was then. Now, I turned to Page 17, where the new
> police station is, and it only has 137 pieces in it. THATS IT. Its heavily
> over priced at $70, and it just sucks. I could build it in 2 minutes, the
> WHOLE THING. The parts are more simple, and crappier, and there is no Police
> station that looks like that- at least not on this planet. The Res-Q theme
> looks like a construction theme, and the fire truck looks like its got a
> face on the front end. Why are these sets becoming more and more juniorized?
> Will we ever see new sets that would take time and EFFORT to build, or is
> this what our future generations looking foward too? I've just about had it
> with Lego, and I will only buy older sets from 1996-down. The only newer
> set(s) I will buy is 2 10001 Metroliners and a few 10002 Club Cars, and
> maybe some bulk and train parts. Thats it. Joe
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