[SURVEY] TLG Technic Team needs your input

[Lira_Bricks]

I expected a summary of what I submitted that I could paste here, but alas...

Anyway:

IP/Brands: Bionicle, Battlebots, Boston Dynamics

Vehicles: busses

Dream set: articulated bus with a way for wheelchairs to get in for around 250 euro

Non-vehicle sets: GBC and robotics

 

I do not remember the other questions, but: I want flex cable back and would like electronics to be sold separately as I am not interested in them.

[Maaboo the Witch]

Oh man, why did I not put Case down in my "new brand" list?

[Erik Leppen]

4 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

Oh man, why did I not put Case down in my "new brand" list?

Maybe it's an idea (for others as well) to just copy-paste the questions onto a text file, add your answers there, and let it sit there for a while, and submit a few days later. Then when you think of new things, you an still add it. March 7 is more than a week away, so there's plenty of time to think of thorough answers. After all, given the amount of feedback we all have, I think it's important we give well-thought-out answers.

I never understand why surveys like these are marketed as "it takes 5 minutes". This is like saying "it's not important". But, what if we would make it important, and take more time for this? Wouldn't that be a good thing? This is our chance to formulate our feedback and have it actually land where it matters.

 

And why not use this topic for sharing ideas so others can use those when they fill the thing in? :)

• For brands, lots of great suggestions have already been made; I'm adding Spierings cranes and Foremost, but I'll also add that I rather see non-licenced sets.
• For types of vehicles (or non-vehicles), we could think of the sets of yore we all love, such as the space shuttle 8480, code pilot 8479, air tech claw rig 8868, or all the control center sets (dinosaur, helicopter simulator).
• For buying decisions/triggers, what about B-models? Or missing recolors of common parts in common colors?
• For technology, hidden functionality and thus lack of educational value. Or the lack of controllers for control+. Or old battery technology.

[Glaysche]

My dream set on the survey is the Perseverance Mars rover as a flagship.  There is so much you could do with that.

[Lipko]

Did anyone list clocks for point 4? It's hard to imagine a GBC as a standalone project. Clocks have some different types, so that would mean more sets, yet all of them could be standalone too.

[Lira_Bricks]

46 minutes ago, Maaboo35 said:

Oh man, why did I not put Case down in my "new brand" list?

 

19 minutes ago, Erik Leppen said:

Maybe it's an idea (for others as well) to just copy-paste the questions onto a text file, add your answers there, and let it sit there for a while, and submit a few days later. Then when you think of new things, you an still add it. March 7 is more than a week away, so there's plenty of time to think of thorough answers. After all, given the amount of feedback we all have, I think it's important we give well-thought-out answers.

There was no way to identify ourselves, so you could submit another one if you want...

[Maaboo the Witch]

2 minutes ago, Lipko said:

Did anyone list clocks for point 4? It's hard to imagine a GBC as a standalone project. Clocks have some different types, so that would mean more sets, yet all of them could be standalone too.

Of course, if you already have a clock, I think a Technic version would have limited appeal.

15 minutes ago, Glaysche said:

My dream set on the survey is the Perseverance Mars rover as a flagship.  There is so much you could do with that.

Like actually send it to Mars?

[R0Sch]

Doesn't look like a serious and well thought out survey judging by the questions asked and the possibility to submit multiple times. And because everyone can participate the results will be unrepresentative for Technic fans.
Did anyone from LEGO give a feedback regarding the Facebook poll from last year? Or was this also a waste of time? 
https://www.facebook.com/LEGOTechnic/photos/a.147546508964773/1043098446076237/?type=3&amp%3Bcomment_id=1043119549407460&amp%3Bnotif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&amp%3Bnotif_id=1585149920676615&amp%3Bref=m_notif

[schraubedrin]

1 hour ago, Lipko said:

Did anyone list clocks for point 4?

Of corse, i wish for an official LEGO clock since i saw the pneumatic one from nico71.
I think clocks are at least as good as GBCs to get more mechanics back in LEGO Technic while still being attractive to a wide audience.

[agrof]

Would be nice collectible series, even under IP, did put on the wishlist. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by agrof
grammar

[allanp]

Thanks @Jim and the Technic team for this . I have submitted my answers. I wonder if the timing of this poll has anything to do with another poll that might have happened here recently?! 

These were some good questions from TLG. For the technology question, I wasn't sure if they meant electronic only or mechanical technology also, so I put both. 

For non vehicles I also suggested a clock, like a Swiss cuckoo clock. But I wonder if such a thing would be better suited to creator. You could have all the same Technic mechanisms but with a more ornate outer case. Or maybe such ornateness could be done in Technic also?

And the last question, about the build for real slogan and if I felt the current products reflect this, I had to put no. They might look authentic on the outside, and that's great, but that's only skin deep. As the builder I know how it is on the inside and it just doesn't feel "for real" most of the time.

Edited February 24, 2021 by allanp

[vascolp]

6 hours ago, Lipko said:

Did anyone list clocks for point 4? It's hard to imagine a GBC as a standalone project. Clocks have some different types, so that would mean more sets, yet all of them could be standalone too.

Well, there are some nice closed loop small GBCs out there (miniloops,) . You could imagine a line of miniloop GBCs sets, that could connect to each other, forming a bigger one. Maybe some of them manual and one or two with a motor, that could be used to power the union of several.

Wow, this would be nice!

[Lira_Bricks]

I just feel that if Lego ever makes GBC, they will make a lot of new pieces so it looks more like an extreme marble run...

[TeamThrifty]

7 hours ago, Lipko said:

Did anyone list clocks for point 4?

Brilliant idea.. i wish i had. I put GBC but never thought about clocks....

[astyanax]

Regarding IP/brands, my first thought was Festo, to co-develop some robotic animals in technic!

[msk6003]

IP : battlebots, nasa, CAT

Vehicle : Heavy equipments

Price set : firefighting tank, flagship of year

None-vehicle : GBC, robot arm, mechnical clock

[JintaiZ]

12 hours ago, Lira_Bricks said:

IP/Brands: Bionicle

I feel like technic Bionicle didn't sell well and that is the reason they stopped production. But if Bionicle wins the fan vote, I'm sure there will be something technic related in the set.

[Lipko]

I only have one question that really bugs me.

Have they ever considered outsourcing some design works or at least open designer offices outside Denmark? Or collaborations apart from the strange Ideas concept? Like copycats other construction toys companies do?
If not, what's the reason? What risks do they see?

[syclone]

50 minutes ago, JintaiZ said:

I feel like technic Bionicle didn't sell well and that is the reason they stopped production. But if Bionicle wins the fan vote, I'm sure there will be something technic related in the set.

Welp, actually Bionicle basically pulled Lego out of bankrupcy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bionicle#Launch_and_success

Problem is, they had been "milking" it for a decade without much innovation, so eventually the new feel of it dried out. And the re-release was pathetic, much simplified and didn't get close to how extensive the franchise was in 00's.

Edited February 24, 2021 by syclone

[Bublehead]

Pokemon+Technic = Bionicle

Bionicle + $5.00 - Starbucks = $0.00

 

[Gumalca]

9 hours ago, R0Sch said:

Doesn't look like a serious and well thought out survey judging by the questions asked and the possibility to submit multiple times. And because everyone can participate the results will be unrepresentative for Technic fans.

My thought too. They should have at least asked how many Technic sets have you bought last year and at which price points.

Now somebodies opinion who has never bought a Technic set (but believes he will buy one if they ever release his absolute unrealistic dream set) will weight as much as those who bought all sets.

16 minutes ago, syclone said:

Welp, actually Bionicle basically pulled Lego out of bankrupcy...

That doesn't mean Bionicle was anything good. The same people might have bought Technic would there have been anything else than 3 rereleases on the shelves that year.

[howitzer]

1.If you could choose, what 3 IPs/Brands would you like to have in the LEGO Technic portfolio?

- LEGO, LEGO and LEGO
I don't like third party licenses.

2.What types of vehicles should we do more of in LEGO Technic (ex: boats, super cars, helicopters, excavators etc.)?

- Road graders, backhoes, firetrucks

3.Which LEGO Technic vehicle and which price point you would like to see (please state only one top choice)

- Space shuttle, 250€

4.If not vehicles what would you like to see from the LEGO Technic platform?

- Animals, kinetic sculptures

9.What are some improvement areas you see for your experience with the LEGO Technic Control+ platform?

- B-models and their respective C+ profiles, low-threshold customizability, physical controller or plug and play-type interface for using a third-party game controller to drive C+ sets.

10.What kind of technologies would you like to see in LEGO Technic?

- Micromotor, lighting kits, rechargeable battery kit for C+ hubs, cable splitter for simple motor and lighting control (if more complex control isn't feasible), extension cables, better integration of pneumatics and electronics together, reintroducing discontinued pneumatic parts like air tank, valves with more positions than current ones.

[JintaiZ]

1 hour ago, syclone said:

Welp, actually Bionicle basically pulled Lego out of bankrupcy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bionicle#Launch_and_success

Problem is, they had been "milking" it for a decade without much innovation, so eventually the new feel of it dried out. And the re-release was pathetic, much simplified and didn't get close to how extensive the franchise was in 00's.

True. It was popular at that time but it doesn't seem as popular as it was...

[DrJB]

Youtube is full of fantastic machinery for agriculture, construction, production plants ...  Granted, most kids (and any adults) would not relate.

How about some machine-tools ... lathe or milling machine?

TLG is likely after machinery that most people can relate to, that is why cars are very popular. There are others though that are plain fascinating: Loom, Spirograph, and the like.

Also, when it comes to off-road vehicles, it is often a delicate balance between functions and looks, and TLG has been leaning more towards looks.

Another example: typical components/machinery inside a combine harvester: Header, feeder, rotor, sieve, auger. All of these are truly genius-grade mechanisms.

Last one: there were books that show collections of mechanisms: non-circular gears, Geneva mechanisms, and the like. Again, not sure how much appeal those offer to the non mechanical engineer.

[syclone]

8 hours ago, JintaiZ said:

True. It was popular at that time but it doesn't seem as popular as it was...

On the surface. It has recently surpassed Classic Space, Castle and Pirates in the Ideas 90th anniversary fan vote, passing into the final round. It's just many who are interested in Bionicle have their own forums, websites... I see a lot of Bionicle builds on Twitter for instance, even dedicated expos if I recall correctly. 

https://jaysbrickblog.com/news/how-did-bionicle-win-the-lego-ideas-fan-vote-an-interview-with-bzpower-admin-tufi-piyufi/

Quoted from the article - "To a lot of modern LEGO fans, this was a massive shock to the system, and if the conversations and comments on social media have revealed, there’s a massive disconnect between the mainstream LEGO fanbase, and the Bionicle faithful."