Lego Minecraft could have been much better.

[gamejutzu]

Lego is known for making the brick look meld with another franchise perfectly. Minecraft seems to be an exception. All of this is in my opinion.

Let's start with the minifigs. The good is the head pieces. these are done perfectly and resemble the game's look. The bad is the rest of the minifigure. It's just a regular Lego torso and legs, with pixel printing on the torso. It sould have been much more. I was quite disappointed when they released. What I myself was expecting was what happened with Hero Factory: a scaled down minifigure version of whatever franchise it is. In other words, I wanted a Minecraft minifigure. The arms should have been straight like in the game, with them being able to hold Lego objects with a blocky minifig hand. The head would have a single stud on it, to either put a flat 2x2 piece (hair), or a helmet, etc. The torso is expanding at the bottom. It should have been completely straight like the game's. The hip would be the same, but smaller. The legs would be completely straight, with holes at the bottom. It will honestly work. A minifigure-scaled minecraft fig. These would also allow for more detail. Creepers, Endermen, and animal mobs are great. The ghast was good, but I was wondering why there are no tiles on the legs.

The most embarrassing ones are the zombie and the skeleton.

Now the accessories. These are pretty good. The weapons anyway. The swords, picks, and helmets are great. Everything else, no. It may be Lego, but it's still Minecraft. People bought them to get Minecraft accessories. A baguette for bread? A regular Lego bucket? It doesn't make sense. Lego should have made the items (food, ores) very small like in the game. It fits in your hand and it's as thin as a 1x2 tile. It would look much more authentic this way. They could even have a chunky pixilized texture.

Lastly, the sets themselves. They are indeed blocky, and even to the point of appearing lazy. Look at the snow hideout set. It's minecraft's update, an igloo. And from this angle, it looks like a bunch of bricks being stacked together in a dome shape. And look at the dungeon. the same thing. The worst thing though, is the base. It's just regular Lego bricks stuck to the bottom. There are 2x6 bricks, 2x4 bricks, etc. It's there to make it sturdy, but it still looks lazy, like Lego bricks randomly placed, it feels unorganized. It should have been more like Minecraft, where everything is blocks. or at least feels like it. That means it has the same height and width. It could have been more flat as well, and every big set includes a debrickifier/brick seperator.

I feel like I have more to say. All of this is in my own opinion, so please refrain from rude comments. Does anyone agree? Was I too harsh? Is any of this possible? Why or why not? Feel free to post your own opinion.

[rollermonkey]

Do you want LEGO, Minecraft or LEGO Minecraft?

If you want LEGO, why get the Minecraft sets? If you want Minecraft, why not just play the game?

But if you want LEGO Minecraft, why shouldn't it be a blending of the two?

Unless you want to pay for infinite bricks? To look like Minecraft, blockiness is essential. I say this because those amazing, massive constructions that people make in Minecraft would take hundreds of thousands, if not millions of bricks to make. There's got to be some compromise. Hence a blend of obvious LEGO elements and obvious Minecraft elements.

So, yeah. I think you're being a bit harsh. When I see LEGO Minecraft sets, I have no doubts what it is representing. LEGO isn't about creating 100% accurate / photorealistic models. It's about making items that represent subjects well, but typically are still clearly made from LEGO. I think the sets nail that concept. I don't think they could have done better at all.

Edited November 4, 2015 by rollermonkey

[Still Raindrop]

I have to agree with rollermonkey--although I haven't picked up any of the sets (they're very low on my priority list), they look like a nice blending. I suppose Lego could have made all the changes you suggest, but that would have meant significantly more new molds in a theme that was already receiving new molds. I don't think the theme has been successful enough to justify all those proposed new molds in addition to the ones we have.

[badbob001]

Other companies already make minecraft figures that are true to the original and LEGO may want their version to be different. Since LEGO minifigures are so appealing, it makes sense to not stray too far from that. And keeping the figures minifigure-compatible is something I expect kids to want since when I was a kid, I cared more about expanding my collection with new bricks than to treat each set as an isolated model.

[gamejutzu]

Unless you want to pay for infinite bricks? To look like Minecraft, blockiness is essential. I say this because those amazing, massive constructions that people make in Minecraft would take hundreds of thousands, if not millions of bricks to make. There's got to be some compromise. Hence a blend of obvious LEGO elements and obvious Minecraft elements.

You're right. Minecraft is supposed to look blocky. It isn't supposed to be bricky. Of course, it needs to be bricky to make the figs stay on, but it's overdone. To me it feels more like Lego than Minecraft.

And when did I say I wanted infinite bricks? It's just that certain structures could have been represented better without using so many bricks like actual Minecraft.

It's about making items that represent subjects well, but typically are still clearly made from LEGO. I think the sets nail that concept. I don't think they could have done better at all

To do that, they would have to try to make items look like minecraft in the first place. And i'd say this fluctuates. Weapons and helmets are really nice, but every other item is not. They could have tried to make an actual piece of minecraft bread. They just use a baguette. They could have tried to make an actual bucket. They just use their pail. The Minecraft's bucket doesn't even have a handle. They could have tried to make an actual game chest. It's just a square with another square on 2 tiny hinges. But they just use their own oversized chest, also used as a luggage bag. They could have at least tried not to make it so blatantly obvious that it's all the same (like how they could have used their pail piece, but with no handle and instead a hole on the bottom). How well is Minecraft even selling anyway? Like in rank?

Other companies already make minecraft figures that are true to the original and LEGO may want their version to be different. Since LEGO minifigures are so appealing, it makes sense to not stray too far from that.

Those versions are not scaled down to the exact size of a minifigure. And, Lego didn't even try, or so it appears. All they did was put a really nice Minecraft head on a minifig and printed the torso with stylized pixel designs. And if they are going to do that, they could at least try to make it look authentic. For instance, Steve in-game does not wear a sweater. And his minifigure is apparently having one, or Lego just didn't get around to making a t-shirt variant. Same for the Zombie. Alex in-game has boot designs on her legs, and the Lego figure did not even give her black boots, leave alone pixelated leg printing. No wonder they haven't made a Villager minifig yet.

And keeping the figures minifigure-compatible is something I expect kids to want since when I was a kid, I cared more about expanding my collection with new bricks than to treat each set as an isolated model.

Who said they couldn't? They are the exact size of a minifigure. The head, arms (if they are not ball-jointed), and legs can all interchange.

And, I am assuming you have heard of the minidolls? Those figures scream isolation, as they are almost literally dividing the target consumers. And apparently, only the hair and barely the heads can be interchanged.

By the way, I'm not going to be an eggshell about this, so feel free to bring up anything else.

Edited November 6, 2015 by gamejutzu

[rollermonkey]

As mentioned earlier, LEGO made quite a few new molds for this line. We know that they only make a finite number of new molds each year, because past experience of making too many new parts all the time was a big part of why the company nearly died.

So... Not everything got new molds that would be limited in use to exclusively Minecraft sets. Some things that already had similar items in LEGO form didn't. It wouldn't be fair for one line, not even an evergreen one, got most or all of the new molds for the year. In my opinion, if you like the theme, you should be ECSTATIC that you've gotten as much as you have, since no other Ideas set has grown into a line. Heck, none of the others have even gotten a second set! (Yes, I know Ghostbusters will be getting the Firehouse, but it hasn't actually been released yet.)

[gamejutzu]

I guess. I am very impressed with the helmets and weapons. I was just perplexed why they would even try to pull off some of the moves that they did.

There is zero excuse for using the regular huge chest. It isn't even going to be hard making it. Just a 2x2 hollow brick with 2 holes on the sides, and a 2x2 tile with two bumps on the sides. Throw in some printing, and there you have it. And it is very similar in operation to the chest that is regularly used.

And the flipping bread. Did they seriously think fans wouldn't notice? If they were not going to make a smaller pixelled bread, then they shouldn't have used it at all. It's a bit embarrassing.

Soo, then Lego did not have the resourses to make t-shirt sleeves in blue (Steve, Zombie) and green (Alex) ? They also couldn't print pixel designed boots? The torso is printed, so why not the legs? I am genuinely puzzled why they couldn't have applied these small but meaningful changes. Would make the figs look much better and would compel me to buy these sets more than I want to now anyway.

Edited November 7, 2015 by gamejutzu

[Fuppylodders]

I don't have the answers about the printing, as tlg seems to not go for 100% correct detail across all themes, not just minecraft, so its pretty much a given there would be discrepencies there.

As for the bread and chest...

Im pretty sure that one of the selling points of lego is that ones imagination is a big part playing with it. Ok, its not an exact copy, but for kids (who lego is majorly focused towards) do you really think they will care? Im pretty sure not. Im pretty sure theyll use their imagination and play with their Steve minifig who, to them, is perfectly good enough as he has a blocky Steve head-their imagination fills in the blanks, and then they'll get their Steve to plonk the bread in the chest and bury it or something, imagining they are playing minecraft because the fact they have a bread piece and chest enables them to physically do this, while their imagination again, fills in the blanks.

It would be financially expensive and probably not profitable enough for tlg to get absolutely every detail spot on to satisfy those people that want lego to supercede itself and become a highly detailed replica toy.

Dont forget, it probably cost them a fair bit for the licence, and it wouldnt surprise me if tlg have to give a % of each set that sells, to minecraft. I think, for what it is, theyve done good enough. It certainly comes across well enough as minecraft.

[Tariq j]

And the flipping bread. Did they seriously think fans wouldn't notice? If they were not going to make a smaller pixelled bread, then they shouldn't have used it at all. It's a bit embarrassing.

This is the problem with argument at hand here. Your use of the word "fans". Adult Fans are not TLG's target audience kids are. Kids aren't going to care that much if something is represented exactly like the source material. Kids aren't going to care if a tiny print is left off. The perspective of an AFOL can be very different from the perspective of a kid.

There is zero excuse for using the regular huge chest. It isn't even going to be hard making it. Just a 2x2 hollow brick with 2 holes on the sides, and a 2x2 tile with two bumps on the sides. Throw in some printing, and there you have it. And it is very similar in operation to the chest that is regularly used.

But there is more to it than that. Coming up with a new piece isn't just designing it over the weekend and throwing it in the set. They have to make sure it is strong enough so that it won't break after normal use. They have to make sure that leaving it in a very warm or very cold environment won't cause it to crack or split. Alot is required, not to mention the price needed to produce it. I have a passing interest for the game and the sets look fine to me. As said above, out of the five, or however many we got, licence Ideas set, this is the only one that appears to have expanded into a theme, so we're lucky at that.

[gamejutzu]

It would be financially expensive and probably not profitable enough for TLG to get absolutely every detail spot on to satisfy those people that want Lego to supercede itself and become a highly detailed replica toy.

I suppose, but making a hollow square and a tile with tiny hinges (like the regular chest) would probably not cost much, since it is not a completely new mold like the weapons and the helmets are. And Minecraft most likely has more TFOLs and AFOLs than, say Ninjago and Ultra Agents, but those figures nail the details, headshot. So you would expect a theme with the potential to grow even more popular than these to have printing on the figs that resemble the game's. Because 1. It is just printing. Lego does it all the time and 2. More people would notice than with other themes and brands, like the Cyclops minifig, which almost no one likes after Lego went lazy with it.

This is the problem with argument at hand here. Your use of the word "fans". Adult Fans are not TLG's target audience kids are. Kids aren't going to care that much if something is represented exactly like the source material. Kids aren't going to care if a tiny print is left off. The perspective of an AFOL can be very different from the perspective of a kid.

As said before, a theme like say Legends of Chima has a majority of children who get the sets. Yet there is still good details on them. As with Ninjago as well. Sure, more AFOLs and TFOLs buy Ninjago, but the details here are even better, completely superb. And Lego is making them off the top of their head, making it the way they want. And a theme where the designs are already made, and it is to be replicated? You would expect them to get the printing on a minifig correct, if they put over the top details on their own non-licensed figs.

What i'm trying to say is, if their own non-licensed themes have better designs than the licensed ones, representing a different thing, than isn't that a bit... Weird?

I don't have the answers about the printing, as TLG seems to not go for 100% correct detail across all themes, not just minecraft, so its pretty much a given there would be discrepancies there.

Yes, but the details they missed out on are what made them just regular torsos and legs. Like the Skeleton. Only thing valuable worth getting for it is it's head. Or how Alex's legs have zero attention put to them, not even regular boots, like DC and Marvel do.

I'm pretty sure they'll use their imagination and play with their Steve minifig who, to them, is perfectly good enough as he has a blocky Steve head-their imagination fills in the blanks, and then they'll get their Steve to plonk the bread in the chest and bury it or something

I believe that the baguette does not even fit in the chest.

[rollermonkey]

You apparently don't understand how plastic items are created. Making a new mold has almost nothing to do with if there is a similar one already. Every new mold has to be made completely new.

It's NOT weird that LMC sets aren't microscopically detailed. It's a fairly low-res game to begin with that primarily revolves around some pretty generic blocks. Additional printing adds time and steps to the process and COST. If it isn't economically viable to make a set that intended for kids up to AFOL / AFOMinecraft standards, then it will be made from more generic/universal components. Anything made to meet the exact appearance of in-game items most likely can't be used in anything but LMC sets due to copyrights etc.

This isn't an evergreen line like City or Creator, or even Star Wars. There is a very real risk that Minecraft won't be so popular even a year from now, as kids are always on to the next thing. LEGO dropping massive development costs into a young franchise / line is up to them. They've set a budget, if these things are such a big problem, don't buy the sets and/or provide feedback through the online surveys.

Edited November 8, 2015 by rollermonkey

[gamejutzu]

Making a new mold has almost nothing to do with if there is a similar one already. Every new mold has to be made completely new.

It's NOT weird that LMC sets aren't microscopically detailed.

Ok then, thanks, you did explain a lot and I can see why LEGO did not go that extra mile like they always do. Of course, we can't just expect LEGO to be like that all of the time.

Well, hopefully if Minecraft does better, they might make variants of figures with t-shirt, boot printing, etc. And i'm assuming that they will continue to make Minecraft items, but not at a very quick pace or a large amount of them. For example, I don't think we have a scythe yet but we have every other tool.