Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[exxtrooper]

Maybe we should all just join up in a live chatroom or something to talk about this. Sounds much more convenient rather than plaguing the forums about our rants and speculation

Let's not get too off-topic for Eurobrick standard here, but that is a very good idea indeed. It's isn't much harder than someones setting up an IRC.

On-topic, either way putting everything into account, time will tell soon enough.

[Zenerius]

If these are fake, then wow, whoever put this much effort into a little hoax to make it this elaborate has alot of time on their hands. And about what Dorek said, its possible to flag pictures on Flickr, so it could have very well been a troll who flagged the image.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Zenerius

[coolcab1]

Yes yes yes YES!!! I hoped this day would come.

[Aanchir]

Oh yeah, that's what started it. Couldn't remember.

Anyhow, that's basically my point; in this case, it wasn't directly LEGO. Misinformation is easy to spread amid confusion. I don't really see much in the way of anything happening, just a bunch of people who have no idea what's going on. I'd love to be proven wrong, but all of this points to an easy-to-pull-off prank.

This is a more elaborate prank than I've ever seen in this fandom. It would require creating (or at least, finding and digitally altering beyond recognition) multiple very convincing MOCs, along with other promotional graphics. It would require the covert participation of not just one but several members of the BIONICLE community, including one who has correctly predicted previous waves of Hero Factory and thus evidently has access to genuine inside knowledge. It would require writing an incredibly detailed explanation of how these pics were discovered, as well as a lot more setup before they were eventually revealed (I am a member on the Facebook group where these pics were originally hinted at and disclosed so I know exactly how the initial reveal went down, though I won't go into detail about that). It would require people posing as the LEGO Group making copyright claims on Flickr and other sites.

And beyond that, it requires careful timing. Note that we're getting very close to the time that leaks generally start showing up. This makes people more likely to believe the news, but it also runs the risk of a legitimate leak for next year's new constraction theme interfering. The ruse also would not have worked so well if there weren't legitimate evidence of a new constraction theme next year, including not only Asger Johansen's earlier statement on LinkedIn but also the LEGO Group's solicitation of aid from BIONICLE builders on sites like doublebrick.ru. Which means that planning most likely would not have begun before those discoveries were made.

I'm not saying there's no chance of a hoax. But considering we haven't seen a stunt this well-orchestrated in all of BIONICLE's existence, let alone since it ended, then this starts to get to the point where the ruse itself would deserve some degree of admiration. At this point it's not like we have anything to lose by going along for the ride, even if we don't know what to expect at the other end. If it is a hoax, we are entertained for a few days or weeks as we prepare for real 2015 info to start emerging. If it isn't, we get extra time to speculate on what it might mean for the future.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Aanchir

[DraikNova]

Wow. Could someone please PM me the picture(s)?

I've got to say, while I'm less excited by this than most, this seems like it could be pretty good. The story would obviously be a major concern (although the past one seems more and more like a pastiche of various cliches, made awesome simply by the amount of detail), although from the looks of it, I'm guessing either full reboot or Bota Magna. I'm hoping for Bota Magna; any chance for cyborg dinosaurs is too good to pass up. I'm still on the edge regarding the nature of this: on one hand, as Aanchir just mentioned, it would require an insane amount of planning. On the other, the sheer amount of ridiculously dedicated fans would make something like this quite possible. And, while it'd be a good choice for the announced new theme, I'd rather see what new things LEGO can come up with.

Edited July 3, 2014 by DraikNova

[dviddy]

And alright, Exxtrooper, thanks for the clarification. I guess if Flickr doesn't require any proof of identity from people making copyright claims then it could be an anonymous troll. Still, I'm inclined to believe the legitimacy of the post. It looks plenty believable to me, and I'm not afraid of being proven wrong.

I have made copyrigth claims against other flickr users before, as I've had several MOC images stolen by users who re-upload and claim it as their own. Flickr/Yahoo's IP department is incredibly frustrating to deal with, and it took me days after the initial report and dozens of back-and-forth emails with flickr/yahoo support to get the images removed. If you do not have valid proof of ownership, flickr will refuse to remove them.

[Aanchir]

I have made copyrigth claims against other flickr users before, as I've had several MOC images stolen by users who re-upload and claim it as their own. Flickr/Yahoo's IP department is incredibly frustrating to deal with, and it took me days after the initial report and dozens of back-and-forth emails with flickr/yahoo support to get the images removed. If you do not have valid proof of ownership, flickr will refuse to remove them.

Thanks for that insight. Unless somebody went to great lengths to game the system (or our friend Exxtrooper is part of the hoax and very, very good at fooling us all), that makes these images sound pretty legitimate.

[Zenerius]

Never in Eurobricks have I ever seen such an intense speculation fest. And that's saying something. Even when I was a guest lurker around here I would always hover around speculation topics.

So, we've proven that these images come from multiple sources. However, most of these sources have taken down the images due to "problems". As Dorek mentioned, these sites could have removed the images to "intensify the hype" or to participate in the hoax (if it is a hoax.) The only source we can truly trust is Exxtrooper at the moment, since he had his post directly removed by TLG (TLG was also attempting to eradicate the leaked images on Tumblr, according to Exx). If the post was taken down by a troll, then, (as Darth Vader said) they would have to go through a painstaking process only to have the image not removed because they do not own it. Therefore, that means the image was officially removed by LEGO, which in turn provides enough evidence to prove the image was, in fact, real.

Half Life 3 confir- oh screw it.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Zenerius

[Mesonak]

Pretty much my only contribution to this discussion is that, while TTV has not, contrary to what some say, received 100% confirmation that this is legitimate, we have had an extensive conversation with the leaker and, based on the results of our conversation...

...we believe that this is 100% legit. Take that however you will, obviously we're not an official source. :P

[Timeline15]

I really hope that turns out to be the case, Meso. I would be really intrigued to see where they go with it. Continuation or Reboot? (the character on the display was wearing a Hau, so is it Tahu?)

What Building system? (I'm starting to get a little sick of HF's one, so I hope they make another, that returns to focus on axels rather than balls). Not to mention, I always preferred the biomechanical, spiky feel of Bionicle to the sleek, manufactured feel of Hero factory.

At this stage, it could be fake, but I don't have any connections in the community by which to judge it's legitimacy.

Nonetheless, I would relish any return to the story of Bionicle, if only so Greg can actually get paid for his work on the story again, instead of having to do it in his free time.

[Dorek]

This is a more elaborate prank than I've ever seen in this fandom. It would require creating (or at least, finding and digitally altering beyond recognition) multiple very convincing MOCs, along with other promotional graphics. It would require the covert participation of not just one but several members of the BIONICLE community, including one who has correctly predicted previous waves of Hero Factory and thus evidently has access to genuine inside knowledge. It would require writing an incredibly detailed explanation of how these pics were discovered, as well as a lot more setup before they were eventually revealed (I am a member on the Facebook group where these pics were originally hinted at and disclosed so I know exactly how the initial reveal went down, though I won't go into detail about that). It would require people posing as the LEGO Group making copyright claims on Flickr and other sites.

And beyond that, it requires careful timing. Note that we're getting very close to the time that leaks generally start showing up. This makes people more likely to believe the news, but it also runs the risk of a legitimate leak for next year's new constraction theme interfering. The ruse also would not have worked so well if there weren't legitimate evidence of a new constraction theme next year, including not only Asger Johansen's earlier statement on LinkedIn but also the LEGO Group's solicitation of aid from BIONICLE builders on sites like doublebrick.ru. Which means that planning most likely would not have begun before those discoveries were made.

I'm not saying there's no chance of a hoax. But considering we haven't seen a stunt this well-orchestrated in all of BIONICLE's existence, let alone since it ended, then this starts to get to the point where the ruse itself would deserve some degree of admiration. At this point it's not like we have anything to lose by going along for the ride, even if we don't know what to expect at the other end. If it is a hoax, we are entertained for a few days or weeks as we prepare for real 2015 info to start emerging. If it isn't, we get extra time to speculate on what it might mean for the future.

My biggest peeve is that I wouldn't consider the images "well made"; they look incredibly shopped from very easy images. Anything can be convincing considering how blurry it is. The more circumstantial stuff is believable; I'm none too familiar with Flickr image policy etc, so I defer to DV's explanation on that. But knowledge of leak releases etc. isn't that hard for anybody who has followed the fandom, and considering some of the things we have seen actually happen before, a prank of this scale is equally if not more believable than BIONICLE actually returning.

I mean, it'll come out (or not) regardless of how hard we believe in these images. But I'm not convinced.

[Shakar]

Well, this ISN'T what I expected.

As long as the CCBS is still being used (which looks to be the case) I'm all for it. I love HF but after a 5 year break I'm ready for BIONICLE round 2- especially if I can merge the two things together. : P

[the last chronicler]

The fact that the style is reminiscent of HF makes me believe this is an official Bionicle series. I think a fan fake would have a more familiar mechanical look, or it would seem more obvious.

As well, the changes to the logo suggest the work of someone with a professional background in graphic design. The text seems to get thicker towards the bottom.

[Bfahome]

Everyone keeps saying "it looks like Tahu" and all I can think is how Stringer was Fire Lord, Splitface was Thunder, and Toxic Reapa was the secret love child of Meltdown and Corroder.

Yeah skepticism is no fun, but on something as big as this I'd really rather wait on word from LEGO, like we got when BIONICLE ended.

[Zenerius]

Maybe when we get clearer images of the sets some people can start assembling their own versions if JANG doesn't get there first. Then again, he probably will.

Hopefully the masks will be compatible with most heads, especially Metru heads. More compatibility means more versatility.

[Aanchir]

I really hope that turns out to be the case, Meso. I would be really intrigued to see where they go with it. Continuation or Reboot? (the character on the display was wearing a Hau, so is it Tahu?)

What Building system? (I'm starting to get a little sick of HF's one, so I hope they make another, that returns to focus on axels rather than balls). Not to mention, I always preferred the biomechanical, spiky feel of Bionicle to the sleek, manufactured feel of Hero factory.

At this stage, it could be fake, but I don't have any connections in the community by which to judge it's legitimacy.

Nonetheless, I would relish any return to the story of Bionicle, if only so Greg can actually get paid for his work on the story again, instead of having to do it in his free time.

We already know that this series is going to use the same building system as Hero Factory. Front confirmed months ago that the CCBS is going to be sticking around. At the same time, even Hero Factory sets have used plenty of Technic in the past few years, so there should still be plenty of that in the new theme as long as the LEGO Group doesn't change their course.

And yeah, Bfa, I don't want to assume it's Tahu either, though the package with that character lava surfing is pretty clearly meant to resemble him. After all, if we hadn't already known Toa Lhikan's name and first saw him through unlabeled pictures, people would probably assume he was a new Tahu as well.

[Zenerius]

Front confirmed months ago that the CCBS is going to be sticking around

Look at my signature. 'Nuff said.

I'm pretty glad that Lego decided to stick with CCBS. It's a very useful building system with lots of possibilities, and with the new theme then we could get many more unique parts.

[Jetrax99]

What I love about all this is how Dorek keeps saying it looks photoshpped, and shopping of this magnitude is "easy" when it really isnt, and he hasn't even pointed out why he thinks it looks photoshpped even though Gatanui asked him to.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Jetrax99

[Timeline15]

We already know that this series is going to use the same building system as Hero Factory. Front confirmed months ago that the CCBS is going to be sticking around. At the same time, even Hero Factory sets have used plenty of Technic in the past few years, so there should still be plenty of that in the new theme as long as the LEGO Group doesn't change their course.

I'm fine with that, I just hope we get a couple of new over-armour pieces (the ones with lightsaber-sized connectors, that clip on over the ball shells), to make the bionicle feel work a little better. Heck, maybe even ones that resemble bionicle limbs, e.g., a HF limb, with armour that looks like an Inika lower leg piece. Might be cool.

One wonders what they might do with the masks as well... Brain attack heads underneath? They do allow for both front and top attatchment...

[Bfahome]

What I love about all this is how Dorek keeps saying it looks photoshpped

It does look photoshopped, regardless of how real or not it is. The perspective looks weird and it overall just seems flat.

and shopping of this magnitude is "easy" when it really isnt

"of this magnitude"? It's nothing you can't do with a few shears and rotations, as has been demonstrated.

[Zenerius]

One wonders what they might do with the masks as well... Brain attack heads underneath? They do allow for both front and top attatchment...

Yeah. Brain attack heads would probably be the best choice. Out of all the heads, these ones have the most connection points: Top, front, sides, and back if you count the pin connector point. I kind of wish that those heads weren't all one color, because it would make the faces seem much more realistic.

[Shakar]

What we're really missing is a head suited for the old masks to attach. Though yeah, they might reuse the 2013 redesigned head.

And not sure how likely that could be, but- what if HF continues to exist as a minifig scale/constraction hybrid a la IfB, while BIONICLE serves as the pure Constraction theme ?

Edited July 3, 2014 by Shakar

[Dorek]

Everyone keeps saying "it looks like Tahu" and all I can think is how Stringer was Fire Lord, Splitface was Thunder, and Toxic Reapa was the secret love child of Meltdown and Corroder.

Hey now... I liked that theory =P.

[Bfahome]

Hey now... I liked that theory =P.

Skrall is a she.

(#tbt?)

[Jetrax99]

It does look photoshopped, regardless of how real or not it is. The perspective looks weird and it overall just seems flat.

"of this magnitude"? It's nothing you can't do with a few shears and rotations, as has been demonstrated.

Dorek's little example is easy.

Anyone could put a blacked out Sonic and Samus on a box.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Jetrax99