Future Castle Sets?

[Alexandrina]

26 minutes ago, GeoBrick said:

All that, and a Roman bath house. It was an intrinsic part of their culture.

I'd make that the second-year D2C. It would have to be a decently-sized set to get everything across, but there's no obvious action to make it appeal to kids, so throw in a couple of other civilian structures and a good selection of minifigures and it would be a good adult-oriented set to go with the main line

[Aanchir]

On 3/18/2021 at 5:32 PM, Alexandrina said:

One of the sets included in the summer leaks is supposedly a pink castle. I'm not 100% sure if it's even confirmed to be pink or if that's just an assumption from the name/theme (it's called something like Candy Castle). 

On top of that, they're no more guaranteed for the future than Castle/Pirate/Space were in their heyday. (Well, there'll always be a Town theme of some sort, but other than that...) 

It would be a brave soul who'd stake any money on Ninjago ending in 2021, while it's still an incredibly popular theme, but eventually it'll enter a decline - all themes do - and at that point it would make sense for Lego to retire it, make room for something new, and bring it back a few years down the line when it's fresh again (though Ninjago as a story-based theme is probably not going to return as is after a hypothetical multi-year hiatus). I'd be surprised if Ninjago continues its run through to 2030 without an interruption - simply because that's the lifespan of a Lego theme.

I hesitate to predict how much longer themes like Ninjago might last… after all, it's sort of surprising that it's going strong after this many years to begin with! But like you, I'd certainly expect it to end at some point in the future. Moreover, I suspect that by the time it ends, its significance will have already diminished quite a bit compared to today, displaced by other themes that have emerged in the intervening time.

On 3/18/2021 at 5:32 PM, Alexandrina said:

Friends is a different beast - I don't actually know much about it, but my impression is that it's sort of a modern-day Paradisa with minidolls rather than minifigures - but that's not immune either. Other than Town and Basic, I'm not sure any theme in Lego's repertoire is immune to being dropped.

Having enjoyed both Friends and Paradisa, I think one of the core differences between them (perhaps even more so than the style of figure they include) is that Paradisa was very specifically focused on vacation, leisure, and resort settings/scenarios. By contrast, Friends tends to have a broader focus which includes not only those sorts of settings/scenarios, but also "everyday" settings/scenarios (like family houses, schools, shopping malls, and parks) and "adventure" settings/scenarios (go-kart racing, jungle rescue, sea life rescue, adventure camp, etc). So while Paradisa was kind of like an offshoot or spin-off of Town with a narrower scope, Friends is designed to cover about as broad a scope as City does (albeit not exactly the same scope as the City theme covers).

Friends has definitely expanded the audience for LEGO in a lasting way, and even if it were to end at some point, I expect that we will continue to see themes tailored to buyers with similarly feminine tastes/interests. As much as some people would prefer if all themes were "gender-neutral", I think themes like Friends and Elves have a lot of unique strengths that would be lost in a theme that needed to appeal equally to boys and girls (just as there are unique strengths of themes like Ninjago that would be lost under those same circumstances).

The number of commenters in this thread and subforum who have expressed discomfort or disinterest in the sorts of castles that show up in themes like Disney or Elves (or other castles with pastel colors or a lack of conflict scenarios) is a testament to just how easily features that appeal to one subset of LEGO fans might alienate another. So I expect that LEGO will continue offering themes that skew more "girly" or "boyish", in addition to more "neutral" themes like Classic and Creator 3-in-1 that cater to fans whose interests include both those categories, or neither of them.

10 hours ago, Poco Lypso said:

TBT - the only reason for me to buy this set would be interesting minifigs and it seems there arent any figs at all.

I'm surprised! Even without knowing what sort of figs it might end up including, it strikes me as a really lovely castle with lots of great details inside and out. Not on par with the size of a "king's castle", maybe, but certainly comparable to the size of smaller tower and fortress sets like Wolfpack Tower or Forestmen's River Fortress (one of several Forestmen sets that it was evidently inspired by.

That said, please don't read my surprise as any sort of judgment! I totally understand if you either aren't interested in the build or feel like you already have all the parts you'd need to build something comparable on your own. But all in all, as MOCs go, this definitely seems like one good enough to be worth adding to a Castle collection, or even getting as a stand-alone display piece.

10 hours ago, valon said:

how much will it cost i do not want to spend 700 !!!!

I can't see any reason to think it'd cost that much! I mean, the Löwenstein Castle set that was released in the previous round of the BrickLink Designer Program only cost $200. Thee Castle in the Forest has a somewhat lower piece count than that set did even if you were to add a couple of minifigures, and doesn't seem to be any larger than Löwenstein Castle, either.

9 hours ago, MAB said:

I'm not going to buy it (unless as an investment) as it is not really a Castle set. You can get similar parts packs from Star Wars, sell off the minifigures and end up with much cheaper parts. Without anything historical in it, it is only really for people that cannot MOC or are willing to pay high prices for a MOC.

I mean, from what I'm seeing, this set has quite a few medieval accessories and useful medieval building elements that you'd rarely see in themes like Star Wars: flowers, leaves, branches, tree trunks, arched window panes/shutters, flags, treasure chests, candles, owls, horses etc). And if this set ends up costing around $200 like Löwenstein Castle did (which seems like a reasonably safe estimate, given its size and piece count), the value for money wouldn't even be that far off from official sets.

You're right that ideally, you could recoup part of the cost of buying official sets as parts packs by selling unneeded parts and minifigures (especially in themes where the figures are highly sought after). But that's quite a bit of extra effort for fans who rarely meet up in person with other LEGO fans and don't have a BrickLink store (or comparable way of selling stuff online).

I definitely understand why you might not think much of buying somebody else's MOC when you can make your own. I have never bought a MOC myself, though this one is certainly tempting. However, I don't think the potential audience for a model like this is as small you're making it out to be.

7 hours ago, GeoBrick said:

Arabian knights. Ali Baba and his 40 henchman.

Or Sinbad the Sailor, maybe. There's definitely a lot of folklore and literature from the Middle East that could serve as inspiration for future sets or themes, even if the Crusades are a pretty definite no-go.

6 hours ago, Lego David said:

There is no way LEGO is gonna do any of those as fully fledged themes. Because let's face it, kids are most likely not gonna be interested in those kinds of historical themes. You can get away with Castle, Pirates or Western because those are genres are more sterotypical rather than based on actual history, but Ancient Greek, Roman or Egyptian? The only way to get that sort of stuff in LEGO is only through the CMFs, sadly. 

I could easily picture LEGO making a theme inspired by Greek and Roman mythology, with corresponding architectural styles, since that tends to be a lot more well-known and popular with kids than actual Greek and Roman history. And characters and creatures inspired by Greek and Roman mythology show up pretty often in kids' media, like the Percy Jackson books, the Disney movie Hercules, etc.

Case in point, just yesterday I bought a couple more volumes of Lumberjanes (a graphic novel series that's been pretty popular among kids), and one of them included characters like Zeus, Artemis, and the Gorgons.

Granted, I don't know if now would be the right time for a theme like that, or if it'd be better to wait until some new kids' series really brings those sorts of myths into the forefront of kids' attention again. But all in all, I think these sorts of myths are at least as plausible a subject to base a new theme on as stuff like classic movie monsters, mummies, Vikings, or the legend of Atlantis.

Edited March 19, 2021 by Aanchir

[Alexandrina]

5 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

I could easily picture LEGO making a theme inspired by Greek and Roman mythology, with corresponding architectural styles, since that tends to be a lot more well-known and popular with kids than actual Greek and Roman history. And characters and creatures inspired by Greek and Roman mythology show up pretty often in kids' media, like the Percy Jackson books, the Disney movie Hercules, etc.

Maybe it's a geographical difference (the spread of the Roman Empire was such that most of Europe is near to Roman ruins/settlements) but I'd argue that Greece and Rome are inverses. Greek history is far less well-known than Greek mythology, but for Rome it's the opposite - or at least, the key tenets of Roman history are better known. I'm thinking of Shakespeare, and his Roman historical plays Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra (sidebar: Charlton Heston's "friends, Romans, countrymen" from 1970 is imo one of the best acting performances ever) compared to the more mythological Greek Troilus and Cressida. Or early Doctor Who, which had the historical serial The Romans (played for laughs, but based on genuine history) about twelve months before the serial The Myth Makers, very much based on Homerian mythology.

Not for Lego's target audience, but I think the cultural influence of things like The Life of Brian, I Claudius, Rome and Plebs (a broad cross-section) also makes Ancient Rome feel more recognisable than Ancient Greece - which, as you say, is well-known for its gods.

[gedren_y]

Quite some time ago I had suggested that Lego could do a Fables theme that could last for years by doing scenes from various world mythologies. The Labors of Herakles alone could be a whole wave. Apollo's Chariot, Hades and Persephone, the Forge of Hephaestus, Jason and the Argonauts  . . . and that's just a bit of Ancient Greece. There's a lot of overlap between the Ancient Grecian and Roman mythos, but there's a plethora of other mythologies that could be drawn from without touching on any modern religion. For those who want a Vikings aesthetic, The Epic of Beowulf has plenty of good stuff (and Lego avoids stepping on Marvel). There's a whole host of pre-Roman Celtic myths. Lego is already doing a take on Journey to the West with Monkie Kid, but there are some other east Asian fables that could be mined for scenes. I have an inch-and-a-half textbook of ancient mythologies on my kitchen table if you need more examples.

[SerenityInFire]

Not to mention the old Norse myths.

[Aanchir]

2 hours ago, Alexandrina said:

Maybe it's a geographical difference (the spread of the Roman Empire was such that most of Europe is near to Roman ruins/settlements) but I'd argue that Greece and Rome are inverses. Greek history is far less well-known than Greek mythology, but for Rome it's the opposite - or at least, the key tenets of Roman history are better known. I'm thinking of Shakespeare, and his Roman historical plays Julius Caesar and Antony & Cleopatra (sidebar: Charlton Heston's "friends, Romans, countrymen" from 1970 is imo one of the best acting performances ever) compared to the more mythological Greek Troilus and Cressida. Or early Doctor Who, which had the historical serial The Romans (played for laughs, but based on genuine history) about twelve months before the serial The Myth Makers, very much based on Homerian mythology.

Fair point! Certainly the most well-known Roman heroes, monsters, gods, and goddesses (for example, the ones we've named moons, stars, and planets for) tend to be the ones they borrowed from Greek mythology, usually with only enough changes to ensure they'd mesh neatly with the Romans' own founding myths, cultural values, and religious practices.

That said, I feel like in America, younger kids tend to be much more interested in both these societies' myths and legends than the other aspects of their history and culture, like their lifestyles, governments, technology, or military exploits. Even in elementary school, my twin brother and I had our own copy of D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths that we loved to read through again and again. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if that's different in Europe, where the reach of the Roman Empire left widespread evidence of their art, architecture, society, and culture!

I certainly learned a LOT about Roman history in my own teenage years, since I took five years of Latin classes in high school, and my grandmama took my twin brother and me on a trip to Rome for our 16th birthday. But since Latin class was only offered as an elective, many of my peers who chose to take different foreign language classes like French or Spanish never ended up learning as much about Roman society (nor developing as much of an interest in classical history in general). At most, those students might learn about Ancient Greek and Roman history for a week or two during our more general "World History" classes before moving on to other time periods and geographic areas.

Likewise, a lot of the popular culture portrayals of Rome that you mention (including the Shakespeare plays) are stuff I had little to no awareness of before I became a teenager —  although I definitely concur that I, Claudius and Life of Brian are both quite fantastic in their own right, and provide a remarkable glimpse into that time period!

Edited March 20, 2021 by Aanchir

[Lego David]

7 hours ago, gedren_y said:

Quite some time ago I had suggested that Lego could do a Fables theme that could last for years by doing scenes from various world mythologies. The Labors of Herakles alone could be a whole wave. Apollo's Chariot, Hades and Persephone, the Forge of Hephaestus, Jason and the Argonauts  . . . and that's just a bit of Ancient Greece. There's a lot of overlap between the Ancient Grecian and Roman mythos, but there's a plethora of other mythologies that could be drawn from without touching on any modern religion. For those who want a Vikings aesthetic, The Epic of Beowulf has plenty of good stuff (and Lego avoids stepping on Marvel). There's a whole host of pre-Roman Celtic myths. Lego is already doing a take on Journey to the West with Monkie Kid,

I would like to point out though, that even if LEGO did decide to make this sort of themes (unlikely IMO), they would be altered so much for kids' sake to the point where they barely resemble the source material. Case in point, Monkie Kid. The line is supposedly based off Jounrey to the West, a classic Buddist story dating back to the 16th century. Yet the line sees more focus on Ninjago-style vehicles rather than actual mythological aspects. I can bet if LEGO were to say, attampt a theme based off Greek Mythology, they will be tempted to do the same thing by making it seem more "modern" for the current generation. Then we'll get stuff like the Hercules Bike, Hades Mech, Zeus thunder Jet or other stupid vehicles like that. I know I may sound a bit pessimistic here, but this is the sad reality. I am not suggesting kids won't be interested at all in actual faithful mythological sets (but then again, I have no idea how much interest kids have in that in the first place), but I am afriad LEGO is gonna turn it into a vehicle based modern theme regardless, becuase from their perspective, "that's what sells to kids".

Edited March 20, 2021 by Lego David

[Poco Lypso]

9 hours ago, Aanchir said:

I'm surprised! Even without knowing what sort of figs it might end up including, it strikes me as a really lovely castle with lots of great details inside and out. Not on par with the size of a "king's castle", maybe, but certainly comparable to the size of smaller tower and fortress sets like Wolfpack Tower or Forestmen's River Fortress (one of several Forestmen sets that it was evidently inspired by.

Well, if I had very little lego and next to no minifigs I would certainly consider it. My lego attitude has changed over the years and so has my budget. This year is an exception though. I already bought the blacksmith shop and plan to amass my first big castle army, been thinking about 50-100 black falcon knights (I know "big" is relative). Depending on the usefulness of parts I might buy 1-2 of the creator castle sets. Overall I am not too interested in display pieces and as far as parts go this set doesnt seem to warrant the presumed asking price of $200. But thats just my opinion.

 

[GeoBrick]

17 hours ago, Alexandrina said:

I'd make that the second-year D2C. It would have to be a decently-sized set to get everything across, but there's no obvious action to make it appeal to kids, so throw in a couple of other civilian structures and a good selection of minifigures and it would be a good adult-oriented set to go with the main line

True that.
Something else I think wasn't mentioned yet was a Triump March from a victorious high-ranking combat commander. Could give a variety of items/minifigs in a set. Of course, there's the prisoner/slave aspect tied to it.
For other civilian structures, IIRC, Roman domii often had tabernae flanking the entrances. Could be an idea of a sort of 'tack-on' small set.

17 hours ago, Aanchir said:

Or Sinbad the Sailor, maybe. There's definitely a lot of folklore and literature from the Middle East that could serve as inspiration for future sets or themes, even if the Crusades are a pretty definite no-go.

And the good thing is those stories aren't IP-based at all. Should make for a lesser price footprint.

[Aanchir]

13 hours ago, Lego David said:

I would like to point out though, that even if LEGO did decide to make this sort of themes (unlikely IMO), they would be altered so much for kids' sake to the point where they barely resemble the source material. Case in point, Monkie Kid. The line is supposedly based off Jounrey to the West, a classic Buddist story dating back to the 16th century. Yet the line sees more focus on Ninjago-style vehicles rather than actual mythological aspects. I can bet if LEGO were to say, attampt a theme based off Greek Mythology, they will be tempted to do the same thing by making it seem more "modern" for the current generation. Then we'll get stuff like the Hercules Bike, Hades Mech, Zeus thunder Jet or other stupid vehicles like that.

I mean, not gonna lie, that sort of stuff sounds utterly brilliant to me, not "stupid" at all! Sort of gets me thinking about some of the "vehicles of the gods" from the game Kid Icarus: Uprising, which I was playing a lot of last month.

That said, I also don't see any reason to assume that LEGO would inevitably employ the same approach with a Greek mythology inspired theme as they do with Monkie Kid. Who's to say they wouldn't take an approach more like LEGO Elves, with set that overwhelmingly focus on traditional fantasy builds (possibly with a modern-day protagonist thrown in for flavor)? Or like LEGO Atlantis and Monster Fighters, in which where the fantasy/mythology-based elements and modern/futuristic elements are kept distinctly separate?

One way or another, a mythology-based theme would almost inevitably take considerable liberties from the real mythology it's based on, even if it were strictly based on a classical setting. For one thing, a lot of the original myths are not really "kid-appropriate". Zeus is one of the most iconic Greek gods among kids, but it's not as though LEGO would want to portray any of the many myths about him sleeping around with random mortal women (despite that being a key element of Heracles' "origin story", and the reason for the goddess Hera's disdain for him)!

Also, more likely than not, a mythology-based theme would be heavily simplified so that kids can at least have a vague grasp on who's on any given "side" in a particular conflict. That wouldn't be an easy feat if staying true to actual Greek myths, which are rife with grudges, backstabbing, murder, trickery, power struggles, and cannibalism on every side.

Regardless, I don't think deviations from the source material are necessarily a bad thing, and in fact, there are numerous ways to take inspiration from a particular subject without strictly retelling existing stories. It could easily be more like LEGO Vikings, portraying mythological monsters (or other mythological figures), but in the context of entirely new stories/scenarios, not the original myths and stories associated with them.

[Alexandrina]

4 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

I mean, not gonna lie, that sort of stuff sounds utterly brilliant to me, not "stupid" at all!

I don't even think it would necessarily be mutually exclusive. I don't like mechs in any context, so I'd not buy any such sets personally - but Marvel manages to have mech sets coexisting with more "traditional" playsets, so even if Lego did want mythological mechs, they could do conventional sets too.

I actually think a Trojan Horse set would be an ideal testing ground for mythology as the basis for a theme. Yes, it's based on Homeric writings - but it's also an iconic vehicle, a unique structure, and let's face it, it's a giant horse on wheels with soldiers hiding inside. What kid wouldn't love that?

[gedren_y]

The Trojan War, beyond the famous "horse", had Achilles as its epic hero. Jason and the Argonauts would give us a great Ancient Greek ship. Perseus vs. Medusa, the second half of which Lego has already created a version of. Herakles of course, using the Greek version of the name to avoid confusion with the existing Disney CMF fig.

Then there's ancient Mesopotamia. Marduk, whom was considered handsome, had four eyes, four ears, and could breathe fire. He fought the enraged sea goddess Tiamat, along with a host of dragons and other monsters. In the myth he founded Babylon. The Epic of Gilgamesh probably has the most name recognition, and is considered a work on par with the Iliad. This would give us all kinds of interesting beard and headgear molds.

Ancient Egypt's tales are so varied, with numerous gods and strange creatures. A wave of these could put Pharaoh's Quest to shame.

Yes, a bunch of the stories would have to be distilled to something easily understood by kids, and avoiding a lot of sex. Such a theme would be greatly helped by the inclusion of a bit of text on the box (and possibly in the instructions) telling a bit of the story depicted.

[zoth33]

Ancient Greece or Egypt would be epic with all the Mythological creatures.  I did like Pharaoh's Quest and have the pyramid it's a nice build but there are so many other structures they could build for both themes.  There are so many possibilities with sets, figs, vehicles(like carts, chariots, seige engines)they could easily make sets for years.  I think kids would love it too.  Definitely Afol's would love it.  I'm hoping for pics soon the the 3in1 castle set to see what the alternate builds are.  

[TeriXeri]

There was a greek mythology build featured on the Dutch LEGO masters season 2 tonight, quite interesting to see how well it was received.

Also Castles and Dragons seem fairly regularly chosen for builds as well.

No idea why the Medieval Blacksmith cost €169,99 in NL/BE when it's €10-€20 less in neighbouring countries.

Edited March 21, 2021 by TeriXeri

[Lego David]

10 hours ago, Aanchir said:

That said, I also don't see any reason to assume that LEGO would inevitably employ the same approach with a Greek mythology inspired theme as they do with Monkie Kid. Who's to say they wouldn't take an approach more like LEGO Elves, with set that overwhelmingly focus on traditional fantasy builds (possibly with a modern-day protagonist thrown in for flavor)? Or like LEGO Atlantis and Monster Fighters, in which where the fantasy/mythology-based elements and modern/futuristic elements are kept distinctly separate?

Elves was more of an exception, because it was an Action-Adventure theme aimed a girls. I assume vehicles don't appeal to girls as much as they do to boys, so I am guessing that was the reason why they made Elves be almost entirely location-based (there was only one set in that line that could be considered a vehicle). 

Atlantis and Monster Fighters were released before LEGO realized how profitable Ninjago-style vehicles can be, so I find it unlikely that they'll do it in the style of those themes either. I have no idea what LEGO's focus test groups have told them, but there seems to have been a great shift towards almost entirely vehicle-based themes ever since Ninjago came to the scene. And that doesn't just apply to LEGO's original themes, but also with many licensed themes, such as Marvel and DC Superheroes.

 

[Poco Lypso]

2 hours ago, Lego David said:

Elves was more of an exception, because it was an Action-Adventure theme aimed a girls. I assume vehicles don't appeal to girls as much as they do to boys, so I am guessing that was the reason why they made Elves be almost entirely location-based (there was only one set in that line that could be considered a vehicle). 

Atlantis and Monster Fighters were released before LEGO realized how profitable Ninjago-style vehicles can be, so I find it unlikely that they'll do it in the style of those themes either. I have no idea what LEGO's focus test groups have told them, but there seems to have been a great shift towards almost entirely vehicle-based themes ever since Ninjago came to the scene. And that doesn't just apply to LEGO's original themes, but also with many licensed themes, such as Marvel and DC Superheroes.

 

Imo its a matter of play vs. build. Kids tend to build lego and play with it whereas adults build and display it. Vehicles are prolly more play-oriented. 

[Lego David]

26 minutes ago, Poco Lypso said:

Imo its a matter of play vs. build. Kids tend to build lego and play with it whereas adults build and display it. Vehicles are prolly more play-oriented. 

A lot of location-based sets also tend to be very play-oriented though. With lots of play features and that kind of stuff. 

[Alexandrina]

14 hours ago, Lego David said:

And that doesn't just apply to LEGO's original themes, but also with many licensed themes, such as Marvel and DC Superheroes.

This isn't something that emerged after Ninjago though. How many location-based Star Wars sets have there been other than the very clearly adult-based UCS/D2C sets? Going back further, Alpha Team for instance was a fair few years before Ninjago and is pretty much entirely vehicle-based sets (plus one big base set where the vehicle is secondary). That seems to be a standard theme template Lego follow.

[Phyre]

22 hours ago, Poco Lypso said:

Imo its a matter of play vs. build. Kids tend to build lego and play with it whereas adults build and display it. Vehicles are prolly more play-oriented. 

Fantasy Era had quite a few vehicles, everything from carriages and chariots to siege engines, battle wagons, and my personal favorite, the Troll Battle Wheel.  Not to mention a couple ships.  Other Castle themes have had similar things.  There's definitely lots of potential for play in a historically accurate or fantasy oriented Castle theme.  Dragons are just as swooshable as Star Wars ships.  Plus you've got playable features like catapults, flick fire missiles, working drawbridges, etc.

It's been so long since we've had a proper Castle theme, LEGO should just take the risk and do one, and see how it sells.  Close to half their products seem more aimed at adults these days anyway (recent catalogs feature a huge amount of sets over $100, compared to when I was a kid and most sets were between 3 and 20 bucks, with only a few in the $100 range).  At the very least, adults will buy a new Castle theme like crazy.  And if kids like it too, it's a win-win for LEGO.  But I don't think kids necessarily have to like it for it to be successful.  Look at how fast the Blacksmith set sold out when it was released last month.

[Poco Lypso]

15 minutes ago, Phyre said:

Fantasy Era had quite a few vehicles, everything from carriages and chariots to siege engines, battle wagons, and my personal favorite, the Troll Battle Wheel.  Not to mention a couple ships.  Other Castle themes have had similar things.  There's definitely lots of potential for play in a historically accurate or fantasy oriented Castle theme.  Dragons are just as swooshable as Star Wars ships.  Plus you've got playable features like catapults, flick fire missiles, working drawbridges, etc.

It's been so long since we've had a proper Castle theme, LEGO should just take the risk and do one, and see how it sells.  Close to half their products seem more aimed at adults these days anyway (recent catalogs feature a huge amount of sets over $100, compared to when I was a kid and most sets were between 3 and 20 bucks, with only a few in the $100 range).  At the very least, adults will buy a new Castle theme like crazy.  And if kids like it too, it's a win-win for LEGO.  But I don't think kids necessarily have to like it for it to be successful.  Look at how fast the Blacksmith set sold out when it was released last month.

imo they should make an entire castle theme 100% with adults in mind and see if kids are into "adult" stuff. 

[MAB]

On 3/21/2021 at 7:38 AM, Lego David said:

Elves was more of an exception, because it was an Action-Adventure theme aimed a girls. I assume vehicles don't appeal to girls as much as they do to boys, so I am guessing that was the reason why they made Elves be almost entirely location-based (there was only one set in that line that could be considered a vehicle). 

 

Out of interest, which Elves set was the only one to contain a vehicle. I can understand missing out the dragons, even though they are the equivalent of the swooshable spaceships of Star Wars, but what about all the rest of the boats, sleighs, airships, carts, and so on.

[Lego David]

47 minutes ago, MAB said:

Out of interest, which Elves set was the only one to contain a vehicle.

This is the only Elves set I would personally classify as a vehicle. This Steampunk-style Airship. 

11 hours ago, Alexandrina said:

This isn't something that emerged after Ninjago though. How many location-based Star Wars sets have there been other than the very clearly adult-based UCS/D2C sets? Going back further, Alpha Team for instance was a fair few years before Ninjago and is pretty much entirely vehicle-based sets (plus one big base set where the vehicle is secondary). That seems to be a standard theme template Lego follow.

Yes, mostly vehicle-based playthemes have been a thing long before Ninjago came to the scene, but at that time, vehicles weren't the only focus, and the vehicles weren't exactly in the same style as what we get today. Ninjago introduced a trend of giving the good guys an entire arsenal of four specific types of vehicles: Bikes, Mechs, Jets, and Cars. Those vehicles mostly stay the same throughout the theme's run, with the only thing that changes usually being only the villains. That trend continued with Chima, Nexo Knights, Monkie Kid, and it has even made its way into licensed themes like DC and Marvel Superheroes (most of the time, those vehicles are entirely LEGO's fabrication and appear nowhere in the source matrial). I suspect this trend may have contributed more or less to the decline in more traditional non-vehicle based themes such as Castle. 

[Lego David]

1 hour ago, Poco Lypso said:

imo they should make an entire castle theme 100% with adults in mind and see if kids are into "adult" stuff. 

Adults alone can't carry a theme. Without a new generation of kids being introduced to it, the line isn't gonna last. They should design it for kids first, but also make it appealing for adults at the same time. Trying to make it 100% for adults and hoping that will attract kids too is a dumb strategy in my opinion. 

[Poco Lypso]

19 minutes ago, Lego David said:

Adults alone can't carry a theme. Without a new generation of kids being introduced to it, the line isn't gonna last. They should design it for kids first, but also make it appealing for adults at the same time. Trying to make it 100% for adults and hoping that will attract kids too is a dumb strategy in my opinion. 

the kids market is pretty crowded. you have ninjago and other kids themes. making another kiddie castle theme doesnt mean kids will abandon ninjago. but maybe you will attract those kids who arent into ninjago but wouldnt mind some cool looking knights and peasants.

[Lego David]

55 minutes ago, Poco Lypso said:

the kids market is pretty crowded. you have ninjago and other kids themes. making another kiddie castle theme doesnt mean kids will abandon ninjago. but maybe you will attract those kids who arent into ninjago but wouldnt mind some cool looking knights and peasants.

I wouldn't say the kids market is too crowded. The only original action-adventure theme we currently have is Ninjago (I am not counting Monkie Kid, because it was made exclusively for China). I think there is still room for at least one new original theme to run alongside Ninjago right now.