Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[Aanchir]

From a design standpoint, constraction sets have always remained in the Technic "family", but they brand them separately to prevent confusion. It's the same thing with LEGO Mindstorms — even though those never drifted away from relying on Technic building styles, they aren't branded as LEGO Technic.

Calling it LEGO BIONICLE is already a change-up, since they originally avoided calling it that so people wouldn't become confused about what it was. "LEGO Technic BIONICLE" would just be throwing a spanner in the works.

[Dorek]

Oooh, concept work of the MoCr. Neat!

(and a HQ version without the electricity effects! Praise LEGO!)

[Nekchir]

I guess no updated website. :P

[Kalhiki]

I guess no updated website. :P

I feel the website launch will be saved for Comic Con.

In the meantime, I'd like to see one more reveal. More concept art would be cool, especially if it was concept art for environments and/or characters.

[Timeline15]

Hmm, seeing that the new head seems to have a protrusion sticking out of the back makes me optimistic for a new eye piece. Also, some of the concepts for the MoCr are really cool. One looks a bit like a pope hat though XD.

Interesting that they bothered to draw someone wearing the mask. Some sort of robed figure (referred to as the mask maker?). Could it be that the golden masks the toa are chasing are made by this guy, as the MoCr isn't infact what's being fought over, just what made the things that are?

[Lyichir]

the little mask nubs look like they rest too high up on this head to properly align with the axle holes on previous heads; they look like they're half a studs width higher, roundabout. if this head is the same height as BA/Glatorian heads, it would be impossible to attach it at all. it might be completely backwards incompatible altogether.

I still wouldn't be so sure. Notice that the distance from the nubs to the ball cup seems to be greater than the distance from the nubs to the top of the head. In other words, there could still be a one-module distance from the side holes to the top (like the Brain Attack heads), and the ball cup has simply been lowered by half a module (which would probably make the new masks work even better with the Brain Attack heads, since the chin wouldn't poke down below that of the masks). I do expect that it probably won't fit the Glatorian heads—it seems to fit quite snugly to the new head, and the Glatorian head poked half a module farther forward than the Brain Attack heads, so unless the proportions of the new head are more like the former than the latter, then there's no way both would work.

As always, I could be completely off-base, but from this peek at the new heads I like what I see. I see a lot of neat molded detail, but a much more human-shaped head than the trapezoidal Mata head or nearly-rectangular Metru head. And this picture at least seems to confirm that the diameter of the side-nubs is about one module, strengthening the case for the masks attaching to regular Technic cross-axle holes.

[dviddy]

I don't see why it wouldn't fit a brain attack head. The head might be too short and cause some sliding with the mask, but I bet it would still attach. The glatorian heads might be different, since they have that round protrusion on the sides by the axle holes, which might inconvenience the clips? I didn't even realize they were there until I dug them out to look at them. Very curious to see this new head piece.

[Grima]

Actually, my worry was that the head would be too tall, since I thought the clips might fit higher on the head than the axle holes of the BA head while still otherwise being the same size. That's a terrible explanation of what I thought but hopefully you can get what I mean?

If it doesn't fit snugly on the head, though, and if they really don't bother with friction, wobbling around is a risk with using it with any piece that doesn't snugly press against the mask.

[Sir Kohran]

I feel the website launch will be saved for Comic Con.

In the meantime, I'd like to see one more reveal. More concept art would be cool, especially if it was concept art for environments and/or characters.

Well, we've had set images, line confirmation, mask information and now concept art all inside three months. I don't think a bit of patience from us now is too much for Lego to expect.

[Aethersprite]

I feel the website launch will be saved for Comic Con.

In the meantime, I'd like to see one more reveal. More concept art would be cool, especially if it was concept art for environments and/or characters.

Do keep in mind that we haven't officially seen any environment or characters. Concept art for those are usually released after we've seen them!

[Kalhiki]

Do keep in mind that we haven't officially seen any environment or characters. Concept art for those are usually released after we've seen them!

True, but it would a nice bit of "this is the direction we're going" kind of deal. Almost like following the actual production of the sets.

Regardless, the MoCr art has made me hungry for more concept art. Seriously. We need an artbook.

[Dorek]

A BIONICLE artbook would be absolutely tops. The series is just rich in varied types of artistic expression, but LEGO is always a bit hesitant about releasing it (in high quality and unwatermarked forms, anyway).

[Mandate]

From a design standpoint, constraction sets have always remained in the Technic "family", but they brand them separately to prevent confusion. It's the same thing with LEGO Mindstorms — even though those never drifted away from relying on Technic building styles, they aren't branded as LEGO Technic.

Calling it LEGO BIONICLE is already a change-up, since they originally avoided calling it that so people wouldn't become confused about what it was. "LEGO Technic BIONICLE" would just be throwing a spanner in the works.

No one here is claiming it's going to be caled "LEGO Technic BIONICLE", we're not talking about, well, anything you've just said... we're talking about the internal usage of "technic" assigned to BIONICLE. Even with the sudden surge of more Technic-based builds as of late, constraction mostly shifted away from Technic builds since CCBS was first introduced in 2011. Yes, the newer sets have come back to usage of Technic, but why not brand the theme internally with something else? CCBS? etc?

We're all probably looking too far into it, (even though no one has suggested anything radical yet) and personally I'm not worried about whatever they do with Technic and CCBS as long as it doesn't turn the sets into atrocities like Stars (which they won't be)

[Toa of Gallifrey]

The Stars weren't too bad, they made the best of the terrible Av-Matoran build. I'd say the real offenders are the Av-Matoran. But back on topic, it's most likely not gonna be marketed as LEGO TECHNIC BIONICLE, probably just an internal thing since it seems like they're mixing CCBS with Technic a lot in these sets.

[Lyichir]

No one here is claiming it's going to be caled "LEGO Technic BIONICLE", we're not talking about, well, anything you've just said... we're talking about the internal usage of "technic" assigned to BIONICLE. Even with the sudden surge of more Technic-based builds as of late, constraction mostly shifted away from Technic builds since CCBS was first introduced in 2011. Yes, the newer sets have come back to usage of Technic, but why not brand the theme internally with something else? CCBS? etc?

We're all probably looking too far into it, (even though no one has suggested anything radical yet) and personally I'm not worried about whatever they do with Technic and CCBS as long as it doesn't turn the sets into atrocities like Stars (which they won't be)

Well, in terms of part design, the CCBS still has more in common with Technic than with anything else. The connections are the same, the parts are molded out of polycarbonate rather than ABS, and the parts have to be designed for rough action play rather than just being built and taken apart or bearing vertical weight.

So since the design principles and testing have to be more similar to Technic than standard Lego. And if that's the same they probably get Technic designers to design those parts. And if the designers are the same, is it any surprise that their documentation shares the Technic branding?

[Aanchir]

The Stars weren't too bad, they made the best of the terrible Av-Matoran build. I'd say the real offenders are the Av-Matoran. But back on topic, it's most likely not gonna be marketed as LEGO TECHNIC BIONICLE, probably just an internal thing since it seems like they're mixing CCBS with Technic a lot in these sets.

I mean, all things considered, the ball joint and ball cup have always been Technic connections, so it makes sense that the CCBS would still be considered Technic-based at its heart even in sets that don't use a lot of pins and axles.

[DuckBricks]

Anyone thinking of something new revealed every Friday?

[Toa of Gallifrey]

I think we'll get something next Friday, then that'll be it after NYCC.

[Mandate]

The Stars weren't too bad, they made the best of the terrible Av-Matoran build. I'd say the real offenders are the Av-Matoran. But back on topic, it's most likely not gonna be marketed as LEGO TECHNIC BIONICLE, probably just an internal thing since it seems like they're mixing CCBS with Technic a lot in these sets.

Good point about Stars, but that's the problem many had with them. They were just small versions of the (presumably) best selling sets and most popular characters, but shrunk down into the Av-Matoran build.

Anyway, as I said before, I don't think anyone is claiming it's going to be "LEGO Technic BIONICLE", it'd be too long and too off-putting to new buyers.

Edited September 27, 2014 by JayWalker

[Nekchir]

I totally forgot to ask this before, but a few pages back on this topic, someone said sites like BZpower usually get sets a fair bit earlier to review?

[Grima]

I totally forgot to ask this before, but a few pages back on this topic, someone said sites like BZpower usually get sets a fair bit earlier to review?

Not this much earlier, i don't think, if that's where this is going. i'm pretty sure they get them, like, a month ahead of time at most. The only exception that comes to mind is the HF sets for this year, because of the delayed street dates.

[dviddy]

Not this much earlier, i don't think, if that's where this is going. i'm pretty sure they get them, like, a month ahead of time at most. The only exception that comes to mind is the HF sets for this year, because of the delayed street dates.

Not entirely true. I had several of the Savage Planet sets back in the first week of May, 2011, when they weren't released until August that year. When we get them fluctuates- are they pre-release hype sets? Are they part of our website support CEE budget? Some sets we ask for and it comes out of our budget, and those are generally sets either already out or a month or so away. Other times TLG contacts us with pre-release sets with review and photo embargoes for things they want to promote (which happened with HF 2.0 [i had Furno, Nex, and Firelord for [i]months[/i] before I could share photos], and the Savage Planet wave). I'm going to guess the BIONICLE launch will be the latter, and I'm kicking myself for letting my official reviewer position at BZP expire. I wish I cared more for system set reviews, but I just have a hard time getting motivated for them. I love building them, but the photography aspect of them is just entirely lacking in the dynamic experience I have with BIONICLE and HERO FACTORY sets.

I'd expect pre-release reviewers to have sets in probably November with an embargo on reviews until either late November or early December.

[Gatanui]

Not entirely true. I had several of the Savage Planet sets back in the first week of May, 2011, when they weren't released until August that year. When we get them fluctuates- are they pre-release hype sets? Are they part of our website support CEE budget? Some sets we ask for and it comes out of our budget, and those are generally sets either already out or a month or so away. Other times TLG contacts us with pre-release sets with review and photo embargoes for things they want to promote (which happened with HF 2.0 [i had Furno, Nex, and Firelord for [i]months[/i] before I could share photos], and the Savage Planet wave). I'm going to guess the BIONICLE launch will be the latter, and I'm kicking myself for letting my official reviewer position at BZP expire. I wish I cared more for system set reviews, but I just have a hard time getting motivated for them. I love building them, but the photography aspect of them is just entirely lacking in the dynamic experience I have with BIONICLE and HERO FACTORY sets.

I'd expect pre-release reviewers to have sets in probably November with an embargo on reviews until either late November or early December.

Well, the Savage Planet sets did come out in June in some places. Anyway, the hype built around HF 2.0 led me to believe LEGO could do the same here. I do have a reason to believe BZPower is going to show something at/after NYCC.

-Gata

[Mandate]

Well, the Savage Planet sets did come out in June in some places. Anyway, the hype built around HF 2.0 led me to believe LEGO could do the same here. I do have a reason to believe BZPower is going to show something at/after NYCC.

-Gata

Ooh, so a BZP reporter just hinted that BZP has the Bonkles?

[Grima]

Not necessarily; the wording could mean anything from special set reviews to just finally unveiling a new front page that didn't cough and hack its way from the early 2000s.