Space Police 2009!

[Eigrim]

Could the reason simply be that somebody already owns the "Space Police" name for use in the UK toy market...?

[Bricks]

Could the reason simply be that somebody already owns the "Space Police" name for use in the UK toy market...?

Well, could be possible. But I think LEGO couldn't make a series, which is already known in the hands from another toy company...

So I think here are other reasons, but who knows?

'Bricks'

[Markypops]

You might be right with the old Woolworths angle! However, correct me if I am wrong! But don't all the shop@home orders, ship from main land Europe anyway. Now this being the case, what is the difference between shipping to say France and the UK/Ireland. I would urge LEGO to consider selling the sets via shop@home, if even for only a limited period. I know this only sorts out the problem for the UK and Ireland.

Would one of the LEGO Ambassodors, see if the could get some feedback on this , while at the same time relaying back the anguish that they are causing to the collecting community.

[Mirandir]

Could the reason simply be that somebody already owns the "Space Police" name for use in the UK toy market...?

Could just as well be that LEGO UK decided to ge onboard with that board games experiment and decided to let it take SP III's place. Wouldn't suprise me if it was so...

[CopMike]

Would one of the LEGO Ambassodors, see if the could get some feedback on this , while at the same time relaying back the anguish that they are causing to the collecting community.

Well, I guess that´s what I´m doing already and why I posted the news !

CopMike

[Algernon]

I don't know how well Mars Mission did, but the presence of a second wave makes me think it sold fairly enough. I think Space Police III is very much an experiment, which is probably why LEGO doesn't want to spend much money on it, and why some toy stores aren't picking it up. I wish LEGO would give us an official reason WHY they're not distributing it worldwide.

[CopMike]

I think Space Police III is very much an experiment, which is probably why LEGO doesn't want to spend much money on it, and why some toy stores aren't picking it up. I wish LEGO would give us an official reason WHY they're not distributing it worldwide.

What do you know about how much TLG is spending on SPIII, that the rest of us don´t?

CopMike

[Algernon]

What do you know about how much TLG is spending on SPIII, that the rest of us don´t?

CopMike

Nothing, beyond assumption. But I know that LEGO put a pretty big investment into Power Miners- meaning worldwide distribution, advertisements, etc. I have a feeling that LEGO won't put as much into Space Police III, because if they were, you'd think they'd push to make it available everywhere. Distribution does cost money, but then, it still doesn't make much sense that they would only distribute to SOME parts of Europe. Quite silly.

[CopMike]

I have a feeling that LEGO won't put as much into Space Police III, because if they were, you'd think they'd push to make it available everywhere. Distribution does cost money, but then, it still doesn't make much sense that they would only distribute to SOME parts of Europe. Quite silly.

Well, if you:

a/ read my post above about resellers/the chains&stores willing/not willing to "buy" a certain theme AND

b/ that theory of mine indeed can be applied to this - I then yet again doesn´t see why TLG should distribute a lot of sets to a certain country which TLG can´t force thru the stores/chains doors to get them up onto the shelves.

Or in short - No interested sellers=No sellers ordering.

CopMike

[Asuka]

Well, if you:

a/ read my post above about resellers/the chains&stores willing/not willing to "buy" a certain theme AND

b/ that theory of mine indeed can be applied to this - I then yet again doesn´t see why TLG should distribute a lot of sets to a certain country which TLG can´t force thru the stores/chains doors to get them up onto the shelves.

Or in short - No interested sellers=No sellers ordering.

CopMike

That´s for sure true... here in Austria, even in the big LEGO aisle at TRU, some sets like the 8118 Hybrid Rescue Tank or the latest wave of Batman sets didn´t appear

(yet) at all. However... since SP III wasn´t even in the UK´s (and other countries´) retailer catalogue, from what we know, it seems that the stores in some countries

simply didn´t get the chance to order them right from the start, which could make your theory probably a little obsolete in this particular case.

If I´m allowed to speculate on this... I would say that, perhaps, we now´re seeing the backside of TLC´s fantastic line up over the last two years in connection with

the actual economical situation. Honestly, by looking at the great range of exquisite LEGO sets available in the stores, and considering the most impressive output

of new sets within existing lines and the rather quick introduction of new lines and subthemes (Indy, CoastGuard, Agents, Farm, Pirates, PowerMiners...) I often

thought that, to me, it looks like TLC´s its own biggest competitor. Not that I wouldn´t love all these fine sets, but I really think that TLC´s production cycle

is much too fast nowadays to give all these sets a proper chance for a solid turnover.

Sometimes, unfortunately, too many cooks sets spoil the broth I guess, and maybe this is the reason behind TLC´s pretty weird current marketing decisions...

[ZeeK]

So the <...> Russia <..> will not get SPIII in 2009

Checked the info with our local retailer (yeah - we don't S@H in Russia :(). According to the retailer there will be two "impulse" sets from SPIII in Russia - the K-9 bot and the small space bandit "scooter". No sets have been announced. 

Anyway, the 3rd edition is not the reincarnation of the "space theme" at all, IMHO.

Edited February 5, 2009 by kobe

[Algernon]

From the new LEGO DS game.

[CP5670]

The model looks more like Mars Mission than SP3.

[Sir Dano]

The model looks more like Mars Mission than SP3.

Looks to me like the alien is hot-wiring a Mars Mission vehicle.

[Algernon]

Yes, it's just a better look at Squidman.

[Trexxen]

Uh...I'm pretty sure that's not Squidman. Look at the pictures again; the cyclops-looking one clearly says "Squidman" under it.

~Trexxen

[Algernon]

Uh...I'm pretty sure that's not Squidman. Look at the pictures again; the cyclops-looking one clearly says "Squidman" under it.

~Trexxen

?

I can't see "squidman" there, but I sure hope that cyclops isn't the squidman. :/

[Dannylonglegs]

well if he's desperate enough to hot-wire a mars mission set umm.... yeah he's probably stranded.

[Dannylonglegs]

ok srry 4 double posting but I wish to share some of my sherlock holmes like skills. First for Four-Arms (pretty sure that that is his real name). I have deduced that he is either in max security transport, gold heist, or freeze ray frenzy, my reasoning, well... you can see that he is lonly on his box, no other villlians, which means he is not in any of the squidman series of sets, and we have already seen the others, he is not in, so he must be in one of the remaining three. Personaly(not fact, just guess) I doubt he is in the freeze ray frenzy set. now I can confirm ( I THINK) that the orange vest wearing hot wirer ( ) is NOT squid man just by looking at his mug shot name... I'll show a picture.

edit srry I thought u were calling the orange guy, who until further notice I will call Fusion (kind of looks like his name) squid man, I'll look at the cyclops too

Edited February 6, 2009 by dannylonglegs

[Algernon]

Nice work there. I guess this may mean we haven't seen the Squidman yet, which is exciting. This theme will have a lot of aliens.

[Dannylonglegs]

Oh and where DID you get that ausome pic of Fusion

[Algernon]

Oh and where DID you get that ausome pic of Fusion

IGN.com. It's a screenshot from an upcoming LEGO game.

[Mirandir]

ok srry 4 double posting but I wish to share some of my sherlock holmes like skills. First for Four-Arms (pretty sure that that is his real name). I have deduced that he is either in max security transport, gold heist, or freeze ray frenzy, my reasoning, well... you can see that he is lonly on his box, no other villlians, which means he is not in any of the squidman series of sets, and we have already seen the others, he is not in, so he must be in one of the remaining three. Personaly(not fact, just guess) I doubt he is in the freeze ray frenzy set. now I can confirm ( I THINK) that the orange vest wearing hot wirer ( ) is NOT squid man just by looking at his mug shot name... I'll show a picture.

edit srry I thought u were calling the orange guy, who until further notice I will call Fusion (kind of looks like his name) squid man, I'll look at the cyclops too

Well, actually you're wrong there. The green, four armed, fig is squidman. Since the name is "squidman" it's a safe bet that the fig has more arms and/or legs than a normal fig. I know that kids would expect this. And from what I've seen it's only the green fig that has this with his four arms. Besides, just because he's in the gold heist set doesn't mean he's not in the squidman set. Both the cyclops guy and the guy with pointy things on top of his head are featured in more than one set. And I've also *cough*had-a-peek-in-the-retailers-catalogue*cough*. :)

So it would make me extremely suprised if any other of the alien figs we've seen so far would be squidman.

[AwesomeStar]

They aren't coming to the UK?! Ah, well, never really liked the look of the pictures anyway....

[M'Kyuun]

Well, from reading through the posts, opinions vary on SP3. Personally, it's different than I thought it would be (I was thinking a modern update to the old blue/gray), but I like what they've done. There's definitely some creativity involved..love the K9 unit. I get a little bit of a 5th Element vibe, but without being obviously derivitive. I'm glad the aliens are alien, and not just minifigs painted to look alien, although the UFO figs are some of my all time favorites. The reason I say this is that the same energy and creativity we've seen put into Star Wars over the years should be evident, if not greater, in TLG's original themes. Since these are the first true Space sets in years, I'm glad they're coming out with something different and off-the wall, rather than just rehashing for the sake of nostalgia. I think these sets will be like Agents; gimmicky with a tongue-in-cheek style.

I predict SP3 is this year's Agents; lots of discontentment at the start, and then, slowly, folks will turn a 180. Thanks TLG for another cool theme, for keeping my interest for 30+ years, and for keeping me young at heart.