Nexo Knights 2016

[Alcarin]

If we were designing for adults- then this is totally the way to go. I loved the more civilian Kingdoms sets for sure. I am sure where the rubber meets the road is how much kids love dragons. Always a dagger for the AFOLs!

I am okay with fantasy as well. I would rather have interesting parts than interesting sets- but perhaps collectors and MOCers have very different outlooks on that.

I was a total Castle fan for all my childhood and am also now..... i absolutely adored the early 90s Black Knights, Outlaws and Forestment era, and then also the Dragon Knights......... I still consider those sets as a perfect combination of sets we have ever received.... But even I as a kid loved making Castle and hideouts ''alive'' and by alive i mean people, regulars, farmers, women, kids, trading, building, selling, buying, not 100% soldiers and wizards and dragons........

[ZCerberus]

I was a total Castle fan for all my childhood and am also now..... i absolutely adored the early 90s Black Knights, Outlaws and Forestment era, and then also the Dragon Knights......... I still consider those sets as a perfect combination of sets we have ever received.... But even I as a kid loved making Castle and hideouts ''alive'' and by alive i mean people, regulars, farmers, women, kids, trading, building, selling, buying, not 100% soldiers and wizards and dragons........

But you were the "smart" kid, right? What about the idiot kids? Didn't they just want wizards and dragons and such? Unfortunately, the idiot kids are 90% of the kids. I am sure LEGO looks at sales trends and other information to help them craft a line- my hope is that the Kingdoms type sets were only derailed by LotR and that we return to something like that, though as a MOCer, sets don't survive past an initial build and a few days until I decide I need to cannibalize the parts- because of that fantasy is fine with me too.

[tafkatb]

Unfortunately, the idiot kids are 90% of the kids.

I am curious about your statistical methodology.

[Artanis I]

But you were the "smart" kid, right? What about the idiot kids? Didn't they just want wizards and dragons and such? Unfortunately, the idiot kids are 90% of the kids.

Great choice of words. :dangry:

[BrickJagger]

I am curious about your statistical methodology.

*Delete*

(Post made while half asleep)

Edited May 29, 2015 by BrickJagger

[Itaria No Shintaku]

Math......... who needs it?

Getting out of topic a bit... but... isn't it that kids are just kids?

[ZCerberus]

My point to Alcarin being his opinion not necessarily the only opinion and LEGO probably has focus groups and market research to help them out. Doesn't mean they always get it right.

Plus, statistical methodology is observation with a side of common sense.

[tafkatb]

Huh. Maybe it's just me, but the vast majority of children being of below-average intelligence doesn't seem like a very common-sense conclusion. Unless - and I think this is the more likely situation - one simply defines "idiot" as "someone who likes a thing I don't like." At least be honest about it.

[KristofBD]

Well, in any case I hope there will be something. This year I only bought two LEGO sets: the Detective office and a smaller Pirates set. So far 2015 has been a miserable year LEGO-wise. Don't get me wrong there are some nice sets, but for Castle/medieval fans it has been a quiet year. Good for my wallet though.

[ZCerberus]

Huh. Maybe it's just me, but the vast majority of children being of below-average intelligence doesn't seem like a very common-sense conclusion. Unless - and I think this is the more likely situation - one simply defines "idiot" as "someone who likes a thing I don't like." At least be honest about it.

Yes, let's take what I said as literally as possible and not as hyperbole aimed to say LEGO may not be catering to the AFOL and or the kind of kid Alcarin remembers himself being.

[Blakstone]

We know that LEGO has used focused groups with kids that have panned civilian sets. In case you haven't read it, here is an interview on the 2007 Castle sets.

Civilian / Medieval Sets

Throughout all the testing we have done for Castle we have included several Civilian style sets for the kids to review with the rest of our proposals. Unfortunately when it comes to the ranking of products they always come at the bottom of the pile, even when we have tried to spice them up by including some sort of battle or attack scenario to the products, they just never rank very highly. Kids really prefer just to have a big Castle to protect and a load of Battle machines and vehicles.

Also if we did a Civilian set at retail, it is more than likely that it would be the last one kids would pick on their collection list and they may never actually get that far. We can’t afford to have products sat on shelves that are very slow to perform as we have limited shelf space in the different stores. A box like that could take the place of a Star Wars or Exo Force item etc which could sell five times the volume very quickly. Generally if products aren’t seen to perform in the first month or two they can be very easily dropped from the assortment.

This doesn’t mean that we will never do things like this again, we have done some fabulous stuff internally that I know you guys would love, we just need to figure out the best way of getting it out to you, that makes good business sense. I’m discussing things with shop@home / direct to see if we can find a solution there…. I can’t promise anything but I’m seeing what I can do, we just have to be so careful we don’t flood the market with too many Castle products.

So most of the core audience isn't interested in civilian sets, but LEGO is aware of the appeal to us.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Blakstone

[SirBlake]

That is even more interesting since the best civilian sets we've gotten (MMV/MVR) have come since that interview.

[Blakstone]

Yes, I believe the interview hints at the MMV though. Matthew Ashton said that they would try to get the sets out by a Direct 2 Consumer approach might work best to not clog limited shelf space with the sets. Both sets also included soliders.

[Wodanis]

It would be grand if TLG decided to produce in limited quantities an AFOL designed castle series. Say a brick built castle or village building as a pilot project to start. I suspect they would sell well. Kids would still have their castle sets geared for them and AFOLs could have the benefit of a 'UCS styled' set. Perhaps doing a modular style series in castle? Could even design it so that as you collect them they could be part of a larger construct or individually. Modular buildings are hugely popular. TLG must realize now that Lego products are mainstream and adults do buy many of their products as much as the children who want them.

[gedren_y]

I'm sorry Blakstone, but that statement is quite out of date. In the eight years since, the Lego target audience has broadened. Lego niches have become more prevalent, since the licensed sets have drawn in non-FOL collectors.

Since the end of LOTR/Hobbit, outside of the Dimensions video game, (IMHO) Lego is obviously hoping to hold on to a good portion of the buying public that were LOTR/Hobbit fans first as FOLs.

I was a FOL first, and don't really get the display collector mentality. Also, for me as a kid, action play appealed less than creation play when it came to Lego.

All that being said, I eagerly await the next Castle line. It is reported to be fantasy. I would actually like fantasy buildings in non-standard castle colors. If we finally get some non-fleshie/minidoll elves, the builds should be more outlandish.

[MiloNelsiano]

Yes, let's take what I said as literally as possible and not as hyperbole aimed to say LEGO may not be catering to the AFOL and or the kind of kid Alcarin remembers himself being.

Z, I understood what you were saying, and I'm sure most people did as well. However, TragicBanjo could have gotten offended because he was one of the kids who wanted wizards and dragons. I'm not saying you meant for it to come accross this way, but the way you worded it, one could easily infer that you're calling said people who enjoy wizards and dragons, idiots.

I also don't care all that much about the actual sets. If Lego "Chimafies" castle with absurd vehicles, I COULD be just fine with it, as I would turn them all into MOC fodder anyway. So long as the figures aren't <insert that tiresome argument>--Along the lines of LOTR figs in terms of detail and color schemes--I would be happy. I want the sets to appeal to kids. Chima sure didn't appeal to me, but if it was such a success with kids that Lego was able to get as many waves and factions from it as they did, then by all means, design castle sets the same way. I would love to get so many castle factions as there were chima factions--as long as they're not <insert that tiresome argument>.

Edited May 29, 2015 by MiloNelsiano

[Robert8]

Well, in any case I hope there will be something.

There will be something for sure.

Even without the rumors, it's time a for new Castle theme anyway.

Castle 2016 is a safe bet.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I also don't care all that much about the actual sets. If Lego "Chimafies" castle with absurd vehicles, I COULD be just fine with it, as I would turn them all into MOC fodder anyway. So long as the figures aren't <insert that tiresome argument>--Along the lines of LOTR figs in terms of detail and color schemes--I would be happy.

Agreed. And you better get prepared, because I always foresee right, and I have a bad feeling about this Castle 2016 stuff...

Castle to be a "Big Wave"? Nope.

[BrickJagger]

Agreed. And you better get prepared, because I always foresee right, and I have a bad feeling about this Castle 2016 stuff...

Castle to be a "Big Wave"? Nope.

^ You see this, Lego? We're so information starved here that we've got people attempting to use their psychic powers to tell us about the future!

Throw us a bone, guys!

[Itaria No Shintaku]

^ You see this, Lego? We're so information starved here that we've got people attempting to use their psychic powers to tell us about the future!

Throw us a bone, guys!

I am quite sure.

More than foreseeing by using my undeniable psychic powers, it's just 30 years of experience in LEGO waves...

[Shib]

I just saw the Pegasus wings in a picture for the new Elves castle set. Maybe they will use those again in this theme?

I believe that the wings are the same as the Eagles from LOTR/Hobbit but in gold and silver. I don't think they'd work on the standard mini figure horses, but there are other ways it could be done fairly easily.

[Sammael]

The wings are the same. There is also a bald eagle model in the new LEGO Worlds game, with the same wings in black with white outline, hopefully it's a sign of things to come :)

[Shib]

I saw that Bald Eagle in the trailer and instantly I thought, great, now I want LEGO to make that in real life!

I'm a sucker for the moulded animal parts, whenever someone complains about an animal being moulded instead of brick built all I can think of are some of the terrible brick build animals in the past - don't get me wrong I know there are some increadibly good ones as well, but it's the bad ones that stick in my mind.

[BrickJagger]

Over in this thread a user brought up the new "column" piece. There are several other ornate parts being released this year, and since Lego always limits a new part to a few sets in it's first year before heavily using it for a new theme, I think that it's quite possible that these new parts are intended for a new Castle Elf faction.

If this is confirmed to be for a new Elf faction then I think we can safely say that there will be at least three new factions in the January wave next year. Humans, Elves, and whatever baddies Lego thinks of (probably Goblins).

Thoughts?

[Robert8]

Ok LEGO. We need info..... desperately