That's a great and very interesting topic, Tom Bricks!

Toy Story only has one character with a cowboy, it's not like it's a separate Western theme in itself, so I doubt that it would have any effect on the chances of that getting a theme.

I totally agree with you, svelte_corps!

I, too, don't think that the Toy Story theme will have no effect on a possible new WW theme: Toy Story includes mximum three WW related minifigs and the story doesn't play in the WW - so there is no reason why it should be a barrier for a new WW theme since it is something totally different.

I think the biggest barriers are:

1) I doubt Lego would go for three 'historical' themes in one year - Castle, Pirates, Western

2) There are political problems with a Western theme - you couldn't possibly get away with having a 'Cowboys vs Indians' theme, with the latter as villains, and the vast majority of themes produced these days are faction-based.

In this point I disagree with you, svelte_corps"

To 1):

I doubted that before legomilk posted that there'll be two new themes next year, too.

But since we know now that there'll be two new themes there has to be one "historical" or historical theme under them since there aren't much other possibilities for new themes left. And since TLG releases that Minotaurus board game this year and included some for a new WW theme very useful pieces this and last year it's very supposably that we'll see a new WW theme or a Greek (fantasy) theme next year.

And I even don't think that the Pirates and Castle line will reduce the sells of sets of a new "historial" or historical theme since there surely won't be more than three Pirates sets next year (a new fraction (like e. g. islanders or blue imperial guards) is very unsupposably - so there surely will only be a ship for the imperials, perhaps an add-on to the fort and a bigger treasure island) and whether there'll be a new "Caslte" line is not yet confirmed (I don't think that TLG will not release any new "Castle" sets next year but it may nevertheless be).

To 2):

1.

It's right that it's not unproblematic with political reasons.

But who says that Indians always have to be the bad fraction?! They could even be the good fraction!

Besides a child plays in this way with contents of a set it likes to. So it might even play "Indians vs. soldiers" if they were released in seperate sets.

Apart from that I anyway doubt that TLG will release some Indians already in the first wave of a possible new WW theme.

2.

Who says that a new WW theme will be cowboys/soldiers vs. Indians?!

Perhaps there won't be any soldiers in a first new wave but only cowboys and bandits to create some Western street scenes. Besides they could release Indian sets seperately - perhaps two Indian fractions which could fight against.

But if TLG releases a new WW theme I bet that firstly they will release a wave with cowboys vs. bandits. If these sell well - which I bet - then they possibly release a second wave with soldiers and a third wave with Indians.

Klaus-Dieter

I really hope that Lego doesn't go with Duplo for Cars and Toy Story, but I am afraid they will. I won't be buying them either way, but I don't want to see great movies ruined by lame toys.

I really hope that Lego doesn't go with Duplo for Cars and Toy Story, but I am afraid they will. I won't be buying them either way, but I don't want to see great movies ruined by lame toys.

???

Sorry, SWMAN, but what has that to do with this topic?!

Btw: It's already confirmed that TLG will produce Toy Story, Cars and Prince of Persia licensed products.

Klaus-Dieter