The Middleman Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 First Recording Second Recording KEY POINTS: General - They're returning to a basic system - Cutting down from 15,000 pieces a few years back to a goal of 7,000 (at 8,000 now) Vikings - Vikings sales have been OVERWHELMING and I QUOTE 'I think it's going to be a great line, and we hope to continue that based on just the early reads. [With retailers] there was again an overwhelming reception and we immediately began making plans to extend it next year." - Viking in October at TRU in US, Vikings at Woolworth's in the UK already, and on S@H towards the end of the year. Star Wars - They will 'find ways to continue' the Star Wars line LEGO Factory - On August 25th, you can use LEGO Digital Designer to design your own set based on a limited palette of parts and buy as many copies as you want of your own and other peoples' design. You can design your own box. It will arrive in the same time it takes for a normal set to arrive. - If you upload a model, it will show the price. You cannot view the price in LDD. - Popular models that get bought frequently and viewed frequently might be supported by LEGO. Royalties will be provided. - Technic parts pack will be provided for LEGO Digital Designer, may include pneumatic at some point. - Minifigs are 'on the drawing board' and 'coming soon...' - It will tell you all the models you can build with the pieces in your model, and allow you to view the instructions for them. - Virtual building instructions. - Price points will be $15-$60 in the first stage and up to $400 or so in the second stage. There will be a minimum price for the cost of the process itself. Price-per-piece will get cheaper as the model gets larger. - Parts will be separated into many categories that you can download for LDD (Airplane, Train, etc.). More will be added as time goes by. Trains - they will release an Ultimate Train Kit, a train bulk box. - there will be a Train Contest, towards end of the year. Locomotive and car contests. The winners will have a set with their name on it. - Remote control train, uses COMPATIBLE PLASTIC TRACK. Due to lower cost of track, trains will be 'packed full of stuff.' Called 'Play Train'. Uses infrared for control. Less complex than trains such as the BNSF, but still not extremely <insert that tiresome argument>. This will retail in stores. - LEGO Train Factory will allow you to design your own train, using a train-specific palette. You can, again, buy others' trains as well as your own. Quote
Cyclonis Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 This is so awesome. More Vikings = Happy me! :D Quote
sam89 Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't show any new sets at Brickfest this year. I was hoping they'd show the new Star Wars sets. But that's good news about the Vikings :D Quote
The Middleman Posted August 14, 2005 Author Posted August 14, 2005 I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't show any new sets at Brickfest this year. I was hoping they'd show the new Star Wars sets.But that's good news about the Vikings :D Oh, I see, Factory and RC Trains aren't enough for you? :-D Quote
Jipay Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 damn, train tracks are changed again *wacko* I wish they do new train tracks compatibles with the old system. That would be great for many trains builders Quote
The Middleman Posted August 14, 2005 Author Posted August 14, 2005 damn, train tracks are changed again *wacko* I wish they do new train tracks compatibles with the old system. That would be great for many trains builders They are compatible. They connect, at least. The old motor can't run on them, but that's the price you pay for a much larger piece count in the sets. Besides, the 9V system will be continued as well - the two versions will coexist. The advantage of this one is that it can be marketed in stores and has a higher piece count. Quote
Jipay Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 the, I am definitly happy ! I think they finally understood people wanted more pieces in the sets. I also do hope they will re create the old light system for tracks. Nice to see we will have more vikings also. I hope they will still explore other themes though... Quote
Mr. Lego-builder Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 Great news! I can't wait for the new Factory and Trains line. It looks like 2006 is going to be a fantastic year also! *satis* Quote
languages Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 Told you that there would be a RC train and a Minifig callendar....now wheres the Jedi Starfighter UCS.... Quote
Mr. Lego-builder Posted August 14, 2005 Posted August 14, 2005 Since I didn't go to Brickfest, I'd like to know if there were any pictures of the upcoming sets. In the second audio recording, Jake mentioned showing a slideshow picture to the audience but he also added that it is the prototype and is in no way finalized. Or was I just randomly hearing things? *wacko* Either way, I'd like to see these pictures... Quote
medib Posted August 16, 2005 Posted August 16, 2005 There was a prototype of: the play train base plate with the proposed RC infrared connector. one of the cars was shown, a bit simpler than the stuff we're used to seeing in the 9V line, but still MUCH better looking than the 4+ system. The attitude at Brickfest was that the 4+ line was on its way out. However, none of the execs officially said that. Quote
SuvieD Posted August 16, 2005 Posted August 16, 2005 Brickfest speeches = positive efforts, excellent progression and unparralled customer relations I for one am excited about a play train to setup around my christmas tree. I am interested in the design and buy your own set system. I am excited about LEGO wanting to delve deeper into the LEGO system instead of branching out into everything else. I really enjoyed how they realized how important we are and they now want to work with us on so many levels it is amazing. Bottom line this is the best LEGO news any site has ever carried. No, one set can be compared to a push toward excellence from a company who will then make sets that are great all the time. And to think all this is just the icing on the cake. 2006 is still going to be a great year for SW sets and everything else we have heard about in leaks and even things we haven't heard about yet. All this stuff they brought up is the extras. :oD |-D :') Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted August 25, 2005 Governor Posted August 25, 2005 - Cutting down from 15,000 pieces a few years back to a goal of 7,000 (at 8,000 now) I haven't listened to the audio yet so I'm not exactly sure what this means. Does this mean LEGO wants to produce 7,000 different pieces to build sets out of? Quote
SuvieD Posted August 25, 2005 Posted August 25, 2005 That is the goal. 7000 pieces based on color and shape if I remember correctly. Which is fine by me. It is a royal pain to sort pieces that exist in pathetic quantity or colors. Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted August 25, 2005 Governor Posted August 25, 2005 Does this mean less <insert that tiresome argument> pieces and more generic pieces? Surely it would be cheaper for LEGO to produce because they wouldn't have to spend money on making more molds and hiring designers to design more pieces. Quote
Mr. Lego-builder Posted August 25, 2005 Posted August 25, 2005 Isn't it August 25th today? I wonder where LEGO Factory is... Quote
SuvieD Posted August 25, 2005 Posted August 25, 2005 Maybe, I think it means that half of the new colors from the last five years are not going to be produced in as many different elements. That and some of the older parts will not be used anymore. For instance, the 2x2 wedge plate and the 2x2 wedge plate with stud spaces. The newer one can be used in more places and has less limitations. The older one is much more limited and so i think in cases like this the older parts will get discontinued. Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted August 25, 2005 Governor Posted August 25, 2005 The more uses a piece has the more generic it is. Is this statement true? If the newer pieces can be used in more ways than their predecessors then that's a good thing. I just against <insert that tiresome argument> pieces and pieces that can only be used in one or two sets. Quote
SuvieD Posted August 25, 2005 Posted August 25, 2005 The more uses a piece has the more generic it is. Is this statement true? If the newer pieces can be used in more ways than their predecessors then that's a good thing. I just against <insert that tiresome argument> pieces and pieces that can only be used in one or two sets. Sure, that's true! Maybe I should say basic. Well, that works about as well. The LEGO parts that have 1000's of uses should be considered the core elements (bricks, plates, slopes), those with only 100's should be additional elements (jumpers, tiles, wegdes), those with 10's should required pieces for a theme (wheels, engines, hinges), and those with less than ten should be specialty pieces (swords, metal detectors, exhast pipes, helmets). Specialty pieces should be somewhat theme specific. Castle needs certain pieces to make it castle. Pirates needs there parts too. What no theme needs are one use parts that only work in one set and have no real use in other themes, in other sets, or in LEGO period. Do we really need a new "other piece with technic pins" or some new mold for a jumbo one piece curved brick that could be made out of 4 existing parts? The answer is NO! I myself wouldn't mind new accessories for sets. New animal molds, an new concave 33 slope or a new greek/roman helmet would all be nice to have. But a new 10x10x10 hollow brick, why bother? Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted August 25, 2005 Governor Posted August 25, 2005 Bearing in mind with Classic Castle and Classic Pirates that a lot of their specialised pieces could be used in other themes. I think the flags were the only pieces from pirates that weren't used in another theme. That's not including the mini-figures and their accessories mind you. Quote
SuvieD Posted August 25, 2005 Posted August 25, 2005 That's exactly what I am talking about. The only piece that can't be used for other themes was pirate specific. Older themes had very few parts that couldn't be used with another theme. Space always had a few printed parts, pirates had flags, castle had horse bardings, but basketball hoop nets, were can you use that outside of basketball. At least with the others you could have a parade in you town setup and have themed floats. Where can you possible use a basketball net? I have tried to put the togehter to make somesort of latticed pillar but they don't conform to any other shape. You have to completely cheat the LEGO system to get them to stay in place. These are utterly worthless. And I can say without remorse, I wish the LEGO sports never happened! We have so many almost worthless parts from the LEGO sports lines, I would rather of had a new pirate line or even a double sized bionicle line. Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted August 26, 2005 Governor Posted August 26, 2005 themed floats. Where can you possible use a basketball net? Well if the town theme ever gets a gymnasium... And I can say without remorse, I wish the LEGO sports never happened! We have so many almost worthless parts from the LEGO sports lines, I would rather of had a new pirate line or even a double sized bionicle line. Yes Mr D. I agree whole heartedly. LEGO Sport was horrible! Not only the were the sets very un-LEGO like, the actual theme had no interest or relevance to me whatsoever. I know or care very little about the sports teams they were depicting because I'm on the other side of the world! Quote
snefroe Posted August 26, 2005 Posted August 26, 2005 another question on the 7000 piece subject. are we talking about the minifig world, or the entire catalogue, including bionicle, duplo, ...? 7000 is not very much, tho, i mean, if you have 10 colours (including transparent colours) then you're basically looking at 700 different parts per colour for the entire catalogue... don't forget, minifig components are also parts... i think it also means goodbye to the printed parts. in future we'll have a red tile or so, with a sticker Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.