Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[Lord-Vorahk]

BIONICLE's ultimate failure didn't affect Power Miner's success,

Pretty sure Power Miners died faster than Bionicle.

But there's a reason why Transformers G1 doesn't exist anymore

The IDW continuity began as a continuation of the Marvel Comics, not as its own thing.

[Lind Whisperer]

Pretty sure Power Miners died faster than Bionicle.

And yet, Power Miners costs way more on the after market than Bionicle does.

Of course, that's more due to resellers seeing Power Miners as more of a niche item, and not worth stocking up on, so that skews the numbers, but still...

Edited September 9, 2014 by Lind Whisperer

[Chimaninja454]

When 2014 ends. I will get all the Toa, six of the Protectors and the Lord of the Skull Spiders. Has anyone thoughts of getting the first wave,

Thank you! :D

EDIT 2: 50 posts! Yayyyy!!

Edited September 9, 2014 by Chimaninja454

[Jakura Nuva]

Wait, looking at the new mask, I have no clue what type of head will be used. It seems to narrow, especially around the mouth/cheeks, to be an existing mold. Here's to hoping that they are like Metru heads.

Wait, point of interest - are the translucent heads, e.g. Glatorian, Av-Matoran, HF: BA head, cheaper to produce than Metru heads?

Edited September 9, 2014 by Jakura Nuva

[Aanchir]

Wait, point of interest - are the translucent heads, e.g. Glatorian, Av-Matoran, HF: BA head, cheaper to produce than Metru heads?

Only in the sense that producing one piece (a transparent head) is cheaper than producing two pieces (an opaque head and a separate transparent eyestalk). I don't think there's any meaningful difference in the material costs of the individual pieces.

[Chimaninja454]

I have noticed that BIONICLE has a similar fate as NinjaGo when it was brought back.. :)

[Quisoves Pugnat]

<p>

Transformers lore is drastically more complicated, convoluted, and detailed than BIONICLE could have been at its very worst. There is a reason each new franchise, until recently, has been a new iteration, tied together via "alternate universes and also Unicron and the Thirteen sometimes". Check out the TFwiki sometime. To be fair, Transformers has had an extra fifteen to twenty years on BIONICLE, but the comparison is far more apt than you want it to be.

You misunderstand my point. I wasn't comparing the lore, I was comparing the basic premises. My point is that Transformers can be rebooted with more ease than can Bionicle. A new Transformers continuity, theoretically, need only hinge on the premise of alien battle-robots who transform into vehicles. A Bionicle reboot has to hinge on the premise of sapient, biomechanical, nanotechnology designed by organic beings for some purpose or other. As I said before, it's hardly a labyrinthine premise, but it does require a bit more thought than that of Transformers.

On the latter, there were plenty of instances where the promotional/marketing talk did not match up with the story product (and Hero Factory was a major offender of that), so that's more just to do with poor communication between certain description authors.

As for the books, the fact that they kept putting them out is evidence enough that they expected people to read them and that they had a decent enough following. Toward the end of the series, they started putting out less books (a canceled one in 2007, only two in 2009, etc) presumably due to declining sales, another sign that the series was losing steam. With the Hero Factory books, they managed a year and a half of the novels before the book series was unceremoniously cancelled due to poor sales.

Of course they expected the books to be bought and read, in the same way they would have expected consumers to buy and drink from a line of Bionicle ceramic mugs, and to continue to do so if the line was popular. That doesn't mean that they intended a majority of those who bought the sets to buy the books. In fact, if I recall correctly, certain countries didn't even have the books.

As for the promotional materials not matching up, that was rather to my point. If LEGO though that minutiae of the story were so vital, then why did it allow a commercial from the theme's final year to completely misstate the story scenario? Why did it allow Air elementals to be marketed in Russia as Jungle characters?

Also with BIONICLE, they had copious amounts of spare names (which cost a pretty penny to run through legal checks), many of which only appeared in the books; at some point that was worth the money spent, but I imagine as the series went on it became less so.

Just because they only appeared in books does not mean that they were intended to only do so. Nor does it mean that LEGO intended most consumers to know of the characters to which they were attached. And it is perfectly possible that they thought the money spent on them would be recouped by the money gained from book sales. Not knowing the figures, I can't say. When you have a media juggernaut like Bionicle, such extravagances can seem feasible.

I mean, anything can be reduced to a nice soundbite, really; the complexity is in its totality. Boneheads of voodoo island was element robots fighting evil animals; sounds pretty simple like that.

But Boneheads of Voodoo island wasn't Bionicle. It was intended to be a flash-in-the-pan item that sold well for a single summer. It was only when Christian Faber was contemplating the integration of the toy canisters into the story that Dooheads became Bionicle. Prior to that, there was no Great Spirit Mata Nui. Indeed, the idea of the characters biomechanical certainly isn't suggested by the name "Boneheads of Voodoo Island." That name suggests to me magically animated skeletons. Which was, for all I know, what they were intended to be, prior to Faber's flash of inspiration.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Quisoves Pugnat

[Meiko]

I have noticed that BIONICLE has a similar fate as NinjaGo when it was brought back.. :)

Technically Ninjago was never cancelled. It was going to be cancelled, but wasn't. It was just said it was being cancelled due to a communication mix-up with LEGO's departments, but has continued each year since.

[Illarion]

Stay tuned to the BZPower front page today for an announcement guys. BIONICLE 2015 is confirmed without a doubt.

I'm totally serious about this.

-Gata

I suppose, that kanohi is Artakha's.

if you remember the web-story "Reign of shadows" you must remember the Artakha's and his mask description.

He stood at least 10 feet tall. His armor was gray-green and covered in runes carved at the beginning of time. His mask was the most ornate anyone had ever seen – more than just a Kanohi, it was a true work of art. The metallic protodermis from which it was forged was arranged in intricate patterns and designs, each reflecting one of the many cultures that flourished in the universe. The eye slits were angular and pointed, giving him an air of both wisdom and a vague sense of menace.

Artakha stood in the shattered doorway, facing some of the most powerful beings in existence. His stance made it clear he was their equal, if not their superior.

Well, Artakha is gray-green, but he won the Mask of Creation. So, it is gold, not gray-green.

The Mask of Time, Mask of light, Mask of life are gold.

Why Kanohi of Creation can't be gold too?

If it true, BIONICLE will return! With amazing storyline.

I would be very sad, if the Lego Group will reiterate the storyline and make it simple just as HeroFactory's. i should say, this way - is the worst.

Lets compare Bionicle and HeroFactory.

Bionicle.

We have a really amazing huge storyline that continued for 10 (!) years.

Herofactory.

Only simple missions with no general storyline.

Maybe Artakha will appear after "The yesterday Quest".

Artakha's kanohi has the same decorative style as Ignika.

It's look really fantastic!

Allons-Y!

Edited September 9, 2014 by Illarion

[Anexcuse]

I would be very sad, if the Lego Group will reiterate the storyline and make it simple just as HeroFactory's. i should say, this way - is the worst.

Lets compare Bionicle and HeroFactory.

Bionicle.

We have a really amazing huge storyline that continued for 10 (!) years.

Herofactory.

Only simple missions with no general storyline.

Artakha's kanohi has the same decorative style as Ignika.

It's look really fantastic!

Allons-Y!

If LEGO wanted to have a simple storyline, they would of stuck with Hero Factory and would not bother with Bionicle. (I'm not saying that Hero Factory is over next year, but since there's no leaks for it, I'll just assume it's gone)

I hope LEGO at least has Ninjago-par storytelling. So I do agree with your point. :)

[GK733]

While making a reboot would be much easier, a properly made continuation is as easy to screw up as reboot. As selfish as it can be I see a change of them making a continuation, depending on their situation. Greg has said it probably wouldn't be continuation nor said it's reboot. My bet is on a reboot-esque continuation. Having similiar elements and characters on the start and developing it quickly or not towards the characters we "saw" later on, GB etc. and leaving the old story as a weak background.

This is what I want from "new" Bionicle, but I can totally see why Lego would want it to be a reboot.

I think I should settle in with the idea of a reboot, and others too. As then it can't be a much of a dissapointment from that and if it is continuation I probably go totally crazy over it.

[Chimaninja454]

I have a feeling that Pohatu's new boomerangs could be used to break/grind stones...

[Jakura Nuva]

I have a feeling that Pohatu's new boomerangs could be used to break/grind stones...

At first I was really negative about the idea, but then just as I was going to sleep that following night, the thought popped into my head - Pohatu, Po-Wahi, desert, sand, boomerangs.

Pohatu is Australian!

#AustralianPohatu2015

[Lord-Vorahk]

Australian Pohatu sounds awesome.

[Jakura Nuva]

Australian Pohatu sounds awesome.

Exactly! Especially if he had an Australian accent...

[Dorek]

Of course they expected the books to be bought and read, in the same way they would have expected consumers to buy and drink from a line Bionicle ceramic mugs. That doesn't mean that they intended a majority of those who bought the sets to buy the books. In fact, if I recall correctly, certain countries didn't even have the books.

But there wasn't this huge divide between "people who like the story" and "people who bought the sets", at least, there wasn't supposed to be and there wasn't initially. BIONICLE was a story-driven line, like Ninjago or Chima; if Ninjago didn't have the massive TV viewership that it has, it wouldn't keep getting more episodes, but by the same token, would not have as much exposure. It's not a binary relationship, the transmedia is synergistic in nature. It needs to work together to contribute to the success of the line as a whole. Unfortunately, certain aspects of BIONICLE became less popular or accessible as the line went on; part of that is obviously just age, franchise fatigue, etc. But these are all reasons why the line very likely will (and in my personal opinion, should) reboot; the entirety of the property needs to reach a new audience, they can't split their focus between appeasing the non-set buying portion of the audience and the target consumer demographic.

As for the promotional materials not matching up, that was rather to my point. If LEGO though that minutiae of the story were so vital, then why did allow a commercial from the theme's final year to completely misstate the story scenario? Why did it allow Air elementals to be marketed in Russia as Jungle characters?

Well, in terms of the final year, there wasn't much to lose; it was gone, we were lucky to get these sets, etc. I'm not saying any of it is right (especially in terms of Hero Factory, which seems to go out of its way to disregard the canon =P), but comparatively, the story was pretty on-the-ball with keeping things consistent.

Just because they only appeared in books does not mean that they were intended to only do so. Nor does it mean that LEGO intended most consumers to know of the characters to which they were attached. And it is perfectly possible that they thought the money spent on them would be recouped by the money gained from book sales. Not knowing the figures, I can't say. When you have a media juggernaut like Bionicle, such extravagances can seem feasible.

Most of the names wouldn't have appeared if not for the books, so generally they were limited to the universe. And again, not everything about BIONICLE was meant to be so disconnected; the story supported the sets and expanded upon the universe, just as many franchises have.

But Boneheads of Voodoo island wasn't Bionicle. It was intended to be a flash-in-the-pan item that sold well for a single summer. It was only when Christian Faber was contemplating the integration of the toy canisters into the story that Dooheads became Bionicle. Prior to that, there was no Great Spirit Mata Nui. Indeed, the idea of the characters biomechanical certainly isn't suggested by the name "Boneheads of Voodoo Island." That name suggests to me magically animated skeletons. Which was, for all I know, what they were intended to be, prior to Faber's flash of inspiration.

I'm just saying, everything can be simplistic when you reduce it to base elements, and to do so isn't a holistic look at the property, which does it a disservice when trying to compare things.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Dorek

[Chimaninja454]

It seems like there would be other cultures beyond Polynesia, for example: the Māori in New Zealand, the Hawaiiansk in Hawaii?

[Kalhiki]

Australian Pohatu sounds awesome.

I'll never be able to think of Pohatu the same way again. Australian Pohatu would kick megablocks.

Which makes me think of voices, which makes me think of voice actors, which makes me think of TV shows. As much as I would like Bionicle to have a full-fledged series (not HF's once-a-year episodes), I just don't see it happening for some reason. But what about an online series? Like the Bohrok and Bohrok-Kal animations? That would be fun to see.

[Pulp Detective]

By rebooting the series I hope we get some redesigned versions of some of the old nemesis like the Piraka or the Bohrok(I mean next year we'll get the spiders or however they are called and as long I can remember some time in the past the spiders were the main villans)

Edited September 9, 2014 by LOTR343

[Still Raindrop]

I think an Australian Pohatu would work if he were inspired by one of the many aboriginal cultures, much as the Matoran were originally inspired by Maori and other Polynesian cultures. It's not that far-fetched, actually--many lived in the desert. Plus, the Po-Koro music in the MNOLG featured didgeridoos.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Mariko

[Mutant Orc]

By rebooting the series I hope we get some redesigned versions of some of the old nemesis like the Piraka or the Bohrok(I mean next year we'll get the spiders or however they are called and as long I can remember some time in the past the spiders were the main villans)

If that were to be the case, I would love to see some Barraki.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Mutant Orc

[Jakura Nuva]

I think an Australian Pohatu would work if he were inspired by one of the many aboriginal cultures, much as the Matoran were originally inspired by Maori and other Polynesian cultures. It's not that far-fetched, actually--many lived in the desert. Plus, the Po-Koro music in the MNOLG featured didgeridoos.

Agreed.

I think it'd be interesting if all the Toa each featured unique characteristics of different ancient tribes/cultures. Pohatu definitely fits as Australian/aboriginal in my book - not sure about the others, though.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Jakura Nuva

[Chimaninja454]

Woah, is Pohatu definitely inspired by Australia? I think so... :)

[Kamen Rider Kiva]

If there were a TV show, who do y'all think could be the voice actors if it were to happen? I would probably say Scott McNeil for some of the Toa (Tahu, Onua, & Pohatu).

Edited September 9, 2014 by Kamen Rider Kiva

[Sir Kohran]

Australian Pohatu would kick megablocks.

Would he not want to kick stones anymore?

I think it'd be interesting if all the Toa each featured unique characteristics of different ancient tribes/cultures.

This was already done in the early years, MNOLG most clearly. The military culture of Ta-Koro, for instance, echoes that of ancient Sparta. I think Po-Koro is meant to evoke the rural life in either the American Old West or the Australian Outback.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Sir Kohran