Space Police 2009!

[Batbrick]

All I know is that as a kid I NEVER listened to the story, I made one up. I think TLC does credit kids with intelligence, but also knows that some won't take to liking storylines. That's why we have imagination, because TLC knows that one kid can make up an awesome backstory for the conflict or heck, even ignore the conflict altogether, while another might just smash the two ships together.

Also, awesome to see you're liking the theme KDog, I was hoping you would. On further notice the "Squidman" (I'm joking, no need to drop a piano on me) is still awesome, I'm sure that piece will come in great use. The fact that we get a FREAKING RETRO SPACE CAR is also making me giddy as a schoolboy. I only just noticed the gold bars just a moment ago so now I'm really excited, because coupled with the bars from Agents Gold Hunt and I can make a Gotham Gold Reserve!

Unfortunately i just noticed the bug ugly shooter on the left side of the space car, so that and the technic "guns" on the front are gonna be removed pronto. Apart from that al the other technic looks to be incorporated very seamlessly. Also, I hope the orange head for "Squidman" (still joking) is printed in the final set.

Space on!

Batbrick Away!

[phoinix]

if children like violence and colflict in teir games so much then how do you explain the great succes with playmobil in europe?

playmobil came up with themes like the circus the zoo city life and even their castle and pirate sets arent so violent as lego is these days.

i think that the us market really calls the shots in this.

its the biggest market for lego right now and children over there want things differently than the european children

as Hinckley said lego had to modify the dino attack line for the us by making it more violent giving the humans guns that they didnt have in europe.

as the matter of fact the line was called dino 2010 in europe and the "attack" was left out!

the themes with good guys bad guys and a few guns are getting more and more in lego.

i remember the days that lego had a non-violence rule!

now that seems like such a joke!

so to get back on theme im kind of dissapointed to see the same story line but this time in space.

if you dont mind i will go and play with my creator sets in the corner!!

[mania3]

i think that the us market really calls the shots in this.

I totally agree, and as a U.S. citizen I think that sucks. I personally prefer the less violent themes.

[Corvus]

The benefits of these focus groups´re for sure limited, and sometimes even dangerous. I really hope that TLC´s able to

handle those things with care. Usually, if you would ask a bunch of kids (or adults) what they want... well, the outcome

could look pretty frightening at times I guess. And beside this, if you would give them exactly what they want... I´m sure

after fifteen minutes of play they wouldn´t be much interested in it anymore...

The challenge, especially for toy manufactures, is not to give the kids what they want, it is to give them something they

will learn to love although they never thought about it in the first place...

Well, at least it was always the joy of imagination that led to my personal devotion for LEGO, and I strongly doubt that

some machine gun wielding dino hunting super hero would´ve caused that much interest for me in long terms... so, yes,

I´m pretty glad that they decided to give me so much more than what I could´ve asked for in that age.

You make a really good point here, Asuka. How are kids going to like a theme if they never try it, and instead insist on something they're already tried?

The problem with trying a new idea is just that- you're trying something new, crossing your fingers, and hucking it out there in the hopes that it'll catch on. Some themes will of course fail miserably, while others will have a shocking success that you never quite expected.

Shooting mechanisms are fun for a little while, but they do get boring very fast. That's because every theme has a shooting mechanism or conflict. Eventually, you're doing the same thing, whether with lasers or with cutlasses. Some people are saying that kids won't like explorer themes- but how will we know? All right, sure, a 'Peace Brigade' set with space people going around and hugging the aliens won't sell so great, but to have a set or two in a theme that focuses on the charaters themselves- giving kids the opportunity to send the figs out to explore, do this, and do that, while still having some alien around to throw in a jail cell sounds like a good combination to me.

[Spacefan]

I totally agree, and as a U.S. citizen I think that sucks. I personally prefer the less violent themes.

Ditto. I think we need a LEGO time machine...

Though there are many neat elements about modern LEGO, I'll admit in large part to be one hopelessly stuck in the 80's. Perhaps its has something to do with my age, I'm 33.

However I will also admit most of my peers into LEGO back in the day have long since grown out of it, and that new kids with newer tastes have long since taken their place in the market. So I guess when TLC looked back on past themes, Space Police with some updates had the best chance of selling today. It seems they are trying to please many different crowds with this one, and I hope it hits the mark.

[maiq the liar]

y'know, all this griping is making me think the AFOLs are starting to turn into a Unpleasable fanbase (no offense)... After all, balancing between 2 wildly different demographics must be insanely difficult.

[CP5670]

if children like violence and colflict in teir games so much then how do you explain the great succes with playmobil in europe?

playmobil came up with themes like the circus the zoo city life and even their castle and pirate sets arent so violent as lego is these days.

i think that the us market really calls the shots in this.

its the biggest market for lego right now and children over there want things differently than the european children

Well, this is really based on what TLG thinks kids want. I don't think they actually have a good handle on this, as there have been a number of questionable company decisions in the past that have supposedly been the result of these focus groups.

At the same time, all this talk about "violent" themes is a little misplaced here, since Space has always been based around conflict since 1989, starting with Space Police 1 (just look at the old catalog dioramas if you think the minifigs were peaceful back then ). If it's supposed to be a continuation of Space Police, a battle of some sort fits in perfectly well.

[Spacefan]

y'know, all this griping is making me think the AFOLs are starting to turn into a Unpleasable fanbase (no offense)... After all, balancing between 2 wildly different demographics must be insanely difficult.

Not all AFOLs are unpleasable, I for one have bought many Mars Mission sets, with the MX-71 Recon Dropship probably being my favorite of the bunch.

But I'll say there are those who'll never be satisfied, unless TLC releases a part-for-part reproduction of the 497/928 Galaxy Explorer or some other years or decades old kit. I feel bad for them, but its simply never going to happen...

Edited January 13, 2009 by Spacefan

[Hinckley]

y'know, all this griping is making me think the AFOLs are starting to turn into a Unpleasable fanbase (no offense)... After all, balancing between 2 wildly different demographics must be insanely difficult.

Don't judge the whole AFOL fanbase on a few people's reaction. You haven't been around here for months and the first post you make is trying to cause trouble? Don't forget this is an AFOL site and you're supposed to be 18 to be here.

Stick to the topic please. Let's not get off track by talking about pleasing adults and kids and LEGO fans griping too much. If you want to have that conversation start a topic elsewhere please. People are checking this topic for Space news... Thank you.

[Nich Artri]

Ooo, fantastic! I'm catching a Fifth Element vibe from the vehicles. I'm looking forward to these sets even more so than before! :D

[Asuka]

I think that many people´re pretty satisfied with the design, construction wise, of TLC´s recent lines.

And the design of the new Space Police theme, from what we know right now, looks really gripping

and fresh like a daisy.

But the storyline´s also a valuable part of the package... at least, man does not live by bricks alone...

So to discuss the story features of that new line´s also an important and interesting matter for sure, with

many different and individual aspects...

TLC did some fine efforts with that thematic in the last years, and I even don´t mind the whole violence that much.

Still, there´s something I´m missing...

Back in the old days, when Captain Kirk faced the imponderabilities of space on the bridge of his trusted

USS Enterprise, my blue and grey spaceships had no enemy at all. Of course I imagined those antennas

as lasers, I made my own fancy weapons and simple aliens with brick built heads, and I had a lot

of fun by inventing my own design for their ships... and with all my little magnificent space battles as well.

But yeah, I do mind a little this darned annoying repetitiveness and the sheer lack of phantasy regarding story conception

in general. However, to TLC´s favor, Space Patrol looks at least a little more original and fresh than the average conflict in a box set...

Batbrick said (roughly) that kids´re well able to ignore the whole predetermined conflict mayhem, but for sure this would

work the other way ´round too... and I´m pretty sure that nothing would stop kids of today (or me) from turning

even the most hard boiled Space Smoochers into bloodthirsty zombie vampires from outer space.

So why not giving us all, soft Europeans and tough North Americans, something at least a little different, just from time to time?

At least this could stop my nightmares about some U.S. troops invading my front lawn because they found a wealthy

crystal spring right in the middle of it...

A good toy sometimes works like a flashlight in one of these survival horror games... that what makes us shivering waits

hidden in the shadows. A flamethrower on the other hand often becomes boring pretty quickly... beside some occasional

jelly barbecuing, perhaps.

[mania3]

y'know, all this griping is making me think the AFOLs are starting to turn into a Unpleasable fanbase (no offense)... After all, balancing between 2 wildly different demographics must be insanely difficult.

I wasn't complaining by saying that I dislike the US dictating the market. If anything, I'm probably a veritable LEGO AFOL Yes Man. Just about everything they put out I buy with a smile on my face.

[Joebot]

There you have it. The kids want action and conflict. They weren't asked if they desired such - they specifically requested kits that were focused on those ideas. This to me is definite proof that the market has changed, and is not like it was at all in the 70's and 80's.

That's interesting, I'd never seen that quote before regarding Dino Attack. Are those the same focus groups that prompted the change to the new grey and brown colors?

There's definitely a fine line for TLC to tread in regards to providing enough story and conflict to catch a kid's attention, and still creating a wide-open system of play for the child to take the story in their own direction if they want. I think TLC does a pretty good job of it in most regards. Some themes are really great at it (like Adventurers, I would say).

With only this one blurry picture of Space Police, it remains to be seen if this theme continues to walk that line. I do like what we've seen so far. Yeah, it's just good guys chasing bad guys for the umpteenth time, but c'mon ... space hot rods!!! That's pretty slick. The bad guy car/ship reminds me of the Superman villain Lobo. Maybe we'll get a neat space motorcycle like Lobo rides around on!

[mania3]

That's interesting, I'd never seen that quote before regarding Dino Attack. Are those the same focus groups that prompted the change to the new grey and brown colors?

Hah. I'm sure that was more for cost effectiveness. Though I do laugh at a room full of kids yelling out "Bley, bley, bley!" Maybe they hated purple, too?

[hollisbrick]

The so called squid doesnt look very squidy but he looks pretty darn cool! So which set is this called? And also I knew it!, the backround is purlple, for some reason I thought it would

I have to see more sets to make a full judgement but it's lookin sweet so far

The Brick is back

[Pencoin]

TLG is stupid when it comes to kids, it's true. Kids don't know what they want either. They would be happy to be force-fed shit.

When was a kid (please note I have never gotten smarter in my life, because I think the same things I did when I was a kid.) I never had a 'big' set. Insted I had small ones spread across many themes. Also because in the day, TLC didn't feel the need for war-in-a-box, I had pretty much only 'goodies'. As I remember, I had made up this storyline (I don't remember it, but my Mum and some hand make 'books' tell me) Where Aliens had crashed on earth and were trying to get home. I'll probily write the whole thing one they on here, but it had no Violence. At all. Ok maybe a lil bit. Also when I used to play Bionicles with my friends we didn't have conflict. We had races. megablocking races.

I actual hope that TLC starts doing changes from sets release in the US and World, that would be great.

And to finish I've made a funny quote "I find it digusting that 'Legos' have made terrosist sets... That legos of miners killing defenseless creatures who just want to eat, to save there world and with big violent machines looks good for my son.

[strider406]

I was looking at the pictures and the box that gold is coming out of seems to consist of two of these, two of these and four of these

Edited January 14, 2009 by strider406

[CP5670]

Speaking of the gold bricks, I wonder whether those bricks are chrome gold (the electroplated and shiny kind) or metallic gold (crappy kind that looks more like copper ). You can't really tell in the pictures.

[mania3]

The so called squid doesnt look very squidy but he looks pretty darn cool! So which set is this called? And also I knew it!, the backround is purlple, for some reason I thought it would

It's not Squidman, and it is set 5973 Hyperspeed Pursuit.

[danth]

y'know, all this griping is making me think the AFOLs are starting to turn into a Unpleasable fanbase (no offense)... After all, balancing between 2 wildly different demographics must be insanely difficult.

I take offense. You imply that if the fan base does not all agree that everything Lego does is perfect, there must be something wrong with us. I think the "Space cars? Yuck!" response that many fans are having is totally understandable.

[Algernon]

Every fanbase will have a variety of expectations for a company. Danth, as many people liked the Space Cars as disliked them.

[Brickthing]

It's not Squidman, and it is set 5973 Hyperspeed Pursuit.

No, it's 5971 Gold Heist, hence the container with the gold bars spilling out.

[Draykov]

It's not Squidman, and it is set 5973 Hyperspeed Pursuit.

Just to clarify though: how do we know? Where has this been confirmed from a reliable source? I'm not trying to be jerk, I just genuinely want to know because I haven't seen it stated unequivocally from a source I know to be reliable.

[hollisbrick]

It's not Squidman, and it is set 5973 Hyperspeed Pursuit.

Oh, my bad, thanks for the memo

No, it's 5971 Gold Heist, hence the container with the gold bars spilling out.

Thanks for the clear up

[Hinckley]

Just to clarify though: how do we know? Where has this been confirmed from a reliable source? I'm not trying to be jerk, I just genuinely want to know because I haven't seen it stated unequivocally from a source I know to be reliable.

It is 5973

More than one thief can steal gold...