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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Sat, 11 Aug 2001 13:51:42 GMT
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Viewed:
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1972 times
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In lugnet.lego.direct, John Neal writes:
>
>
> Allan Bedford wrote:
> > I can't speak for Joe, or Dan, or John, or the LEGO company... I can only
> > speak for me. So here goes:
> >
> > > 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.
> >
> > I've said it before and I'll say it again. If there isn't the quality of
> > product being presented to these young kids that they deserve... they will
> > go elsewhere for their entertainment.
>
> And they have-- in droves. Themes like Bionicle are attempts to win
> them back.
> Guess what? I have not the *slightest* interest in Bionicle, but I'm
> not going to
> rail on it. And why should I? It's not intended for me.
O.K. I think we agree here. You're saying the kids are going elsewhere in
droves. You're saying Bionicle doesn't interest you. Is there a chance
then that it doesn't interest the kids as well? This is what I'm saying...
that LEGO's product lines are so fractured and unfocused that it's a wonder
any body's buying anything. I think this begs for better product themes and
design.
> > > 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!
> >
> > What about LEGO selling some really really cool sets? Isn't that a good
> > resource?
>
> Are you going to sit there and tell me that the Sopwith Camel, the
> Statue of
> Liberty, Mindstorms, Star Wars, etc, etc aren't cool??!!!
They are cool. You are absolutely right. But they are also expensive.
Does this mean that only the expensive sets can be well-designed? I have a
full-time job and I can't afford a copy of the Statue of Liberty. Converted
to Canadian dollars it rings in at well over $300.
> Every set
> can't be a
> classic; every hit can't be a homer. You are so lathered up about the
> little kid's
> themes that you can't see the good stuff that is available right in
> front of you.
I'm not talking about the little kids' themes. I think the Duplo stuff is
fabulous. I'm talking about honest-to-goodness core sets that appeal to a
wide range of young people and people like me who are young at heart. Put
out a really well-designed fire station set.... in the genre of 'LEGOland'
or 'Town' and I'll bet you could sell it to a wide cross-section of ages.
Maybe LEGO believes that every 10 year-old thinks like every other 10
year-old. You and I know that's not the case.
> > Isn't buying poorly designed sets, purely for the sake of turning them into
> > something else, a sad comment on the quality of the sets?
>
> Not at all. It's a commentary on the creativity and determination of
> the builder.
> Some of my MOCs were *years* in the making, due to the time/effort in
> collecting the
> particular elements. The quality of sets in fine, and, actually, irrelevant.
Two things here:
1) Why bother with sets at all then? According to your comments LEGO might
just as well release only Bulk packs. The quality of sets is critical to
showing younger builders what *can* be done when you get to making some of
your own original creations. Do we really want kids trying to make better
versions of CyberSlams?
2) I truly believe that LEGO's strength is found in what you can do with it
*after* you've built the primary model. I used to run a website called
"Expert Builder" that focused exactly on that... amazing creations that
people made with tons of misc bricks. You and I don't disagree that
original models are important. But how do you make the company survive so
that it can continue to provide you with bricks. My argument here is that
they need to realize what made them great in the first place.
> > But what if these aren't the sets I *want* to buy? Shouldn't I raise my
> > voice... as I'm trying to do now... and tell the company what it is that
> > will get me to open my pocketbook and hand them my money? If Guarded Inns
> > were a penny each and LEGO paid the delivery on them.....I still wouldn't
> > waste the toll-free call to order one.
>
> Okay, now you're getting melodramatic here. If Guarded Inns were a
> penny and you
> wouldn't buy them, then you simply don't get it.
No, I was serious actually.... I think it's a weak set.
> You want TLC to do *everything*
> for you-- you just want to follow the instructions and viola, you have
> your nice
> set, and you're happy. I am here to tell you that LEGO is *way* more
> than that.
> Sets are just fancy parts tubs.
I hope they don't do *everything* for me. That would be worse than things
are now. But they need to hear voices like mine, and not just "Ra Ra LEGO"
voices. They need to have someone through open the blinds now and then and
let in some sunshine. :)
> Sure, you build them and learn building techniques
> from them, but ultimately you need to progress beyond that. Build your
> own stuff!
> Therein lies the creativity. It really doesn't take much creativity to
> build a set
> from instructions. That's not what LEGO is about.
Again.... we agree, but we don't. Any kid with any hint of an interest in
LEGO will always want to make their own models. But... you have to inspire
them with *something*. You have to have something on store shelves that
just makes them drool. For some kids a big tub of bricks is daunting; they
don't know where to begin. All I'm saying is give them a foundation upon
which to build their skills.
> fire station that is ten thousand times better than that! You know what you
> are--you are a collector! And a nostalgic one at that. Bricks are
> bricks!
No, I'm not a collector. I'm a builder. But I do enjoy building other
well-designed models along with my own creations. I don't want to buy these
sets to collect them.... I want to *build* them. I want to build some of
the great sets I didn't happen to be able to get when I was a kid.
But am I nostaligic? Yes, guilty as charged.
So turn nostaliga on it's head and you get something called retro.
Take retro and add some current trends and design principles to it and you
get the new bug from Volkswagon.
LEGO is throwing darts at a board right now trying to figure out what kids
want to buy. All I am saying to them.... out of honest desire to see them
succeed..... is take a look at where things are at and see if they couldn't
be better. And if the answer is 'yes' then why aren't these changes being
implemented?
> It's not really my intention to get into some sort of debate here. All
> I wanted to
> do was to point out that things are not as bad as they might seem.
You're absolutely right. They are trying. They have reached out to a
limited community on the web.... though ironically not through their own
website. We should be having this debate in a discusson forum on LEGO.com.
> will see that things are getting better...much better. Remember, Jack
> Stone et al.
> were developed years ago in Billund and are just now hitting the market.
> It
> reflects decisions made long ago. LD, on the other hand, is able to
> deliver at
> light speed by comparison. This is not an insignificant point. The
> future of TLC
> is LD IMO (sorry, acro fever:) and the best is yet to come, if you are
> willing to
> see it.
I *want* to see it..... but I have the patience of a 10 year-old. :)
But you're right. Things are changing. However... I still feel the need to
stand up now and then and remind them that it's never as easy as assuming
things are o.k. just because some things are selling. There is always room
for improvement in business and I am just the kind of person who enjoys
pointing out where some of the rust spots are. I do this because I'm
extremely fond of LEGO. If I didn't care, I wouldn't waste my time posting
messages like this. Actually, I did stop for a long time.... but the this
latest catalog sparked me to comment again. I've made these points before.
Not sure if anyone ever listened. :)
But I will continue to point out the rust spots, in the hope that the
company doesn't go bankrupt before I have some kids that are old enough to
appreciate the joy of bricks.
Remember:
LEGO = bricks
Regards,
Allan B.
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