Ben 10 discussion thread

[Omicron]

In that context I don't find it strange that people whish Lego to do bad in 2010.

I wouldn't want that, but nice to know people think "highly" of their fave company when they wish it would do poorly next year. And in these times, if that happens, next year could be their last year, and you would be out of the job. :P

-Omi

[Svelte]

Let's all keep focussed on the discussion, thanks. Speculation about the larger aesthetic obsessions of AFOLs and the potential bankruptcy of Lego over a six-set kids show license are not warranted in this thread

Personally, I don't think they're so bad. With only 6 sets, this is clearly a test line. If it does badly, they will lose a little but not so much comparatively. If they do well, then we'll see a lot more of these. But again, fashions in kid's TV change fairly quickly, so I'm not assuming this is planned as the next evergreen theme

[Front]

Sorry for straying a bit off topic there.

I'm not sure how succesfull Ben10 will be, but there surely is some potential for Lego to reach kids that is not their usual consumer.

I like to moc with Bionicle parts, and although there is some very cool parts in the 6 Ben10 figures, they sets are not my cup of tea. Most of the parts don't have that many technic or cross axle holes. Bionicle parts usually has a lot of functions (holes etc.) that are never used in any actual set. And the age group dropped a notch, and any Bionicle fan will surely notice some differences when they get their hands on the Ben10 sets.

Personally I think the tv series is too violent for Lego. But then again I watched the newest Batman movie, and kind of felt that violence was everywhere in its meanest form.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Front

[ProducePrincess]

I gotta say these sets have alot of promise and i'm gonna buy all six of them.maybe i'll also buy a few doubles too just incase the rest of the world doesn't apreciate these as much as i do.

Seriously I think these are way better than bionicles or galidor.

[Tereglith]

I gotta say these sets have alot of promise and i'm gonna buy all six of them.maybe i'll also buy a few doubles too just incase the rest of the world doesn't apreciate these as much as i do.

Seriously I think these are way better than bionicles or galidor.

Please, tell me that was sarcasm! Better than Galidor, yes, but better than Bionicle? *gasp*

The way I see it, these sets are what you would get if DUPLO and Bionicle had a freak-of-nature licensed child. The only way that these will sell is if, by Brownian motion, some eight year olds bounce the aisles of Wal-mart and end up in the LEGO aisle, where the neon boxes catch their eyes and they cling onto their mothers legs until all of them are bought. And if you weren't actually being sarcastic, Black Rabbit.

[ProducePrincess]

Please, tell me that was sarcasm! Better than Galidor, yes, but better than Bionicle? *gasp*

The way I see it, these sets are what you would get if DUPLO and Bionicle had a freak-of-nature licensed child. The only way that these will sell is if, by Brownian motion, some eight year olds bounce the aisles of Wal-mart and end up in the LEGO aisle, where the neon boxes catch their eyes and they cling onto their mothers legs until all of them are bought. And if you weren't actually being sarcastic, Black Rabbit.

Of course it was sarcasm

These sets are simply terrible , still they are a little better than galidork because of there comaptibilty with bionicles.

[Mortymore]

I have worked out the principal images for BEN10, from Amazon, and here are the deep links to download from my BS folder:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...WS/lego8409.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...ego8409_box.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...WS/lego8410.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor.../lego8410_b.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...ego8410_box.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...WS/lego8411.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...ego8411_box.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...WS/lego8517.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...ego8517_box.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...WS/lego8518.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor.../lego8518_b.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...ego8518_box.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...WS/lego8519.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor.../lego8519_b.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Mortymor...ego8519_box.jpg

Some "B images" are not correct at Amazon so I couldn't present them.

Best regards

Edited October 12, 2009 by Mortymore

[Thee Pirate]

These sets really aren't as bad as you guys make them sound, take a step back and consider the target audience.. I could even have a child in that age group if I had started young and can bet your megablocks I'd buy my son a set or from this line just so he doesn't play with my lego.. At least not til he's a little older anyway :-p.

I'm tempted to get at least one of these anyway, just to prove it can be integrated into a normal looking moc.

[Eilif]

I'm going to make it simple for everyone.

Ben 10 line can be explained by the following equasion

Bionicle + Galidor + CrashTestDummies = LEGO + BEN 10

Fans of Ben 10, Galidor, Bionicle or Crash Test Dummies (possibly also the KK2 large figs) will be thrilled. I think they are relatively useless to a system MOC'er like myslef and won't be getting any of these. However I'm not a fan of any of the mentioned lines, so my opinion is pretty irrelavent, and rightfully so.

[Tereglith]

Fans of Ben 10, Galidor, Bionicle or Crash Test Dummies (possibly also the KK2 large figs) will be thrilled.

Hrrm. Better make that "Fans of Ben 10, Galidor, or Crash Test Dummies..."

Saying that fans of Bionicle will like this is a bit like saying that Fans of CITY will like Cars DUPLO - A licensed, <insert that tiresome argument>, ugly version does not equate to an original, complex, for lack of a better word, pretty (Bionicle is pretty. If you squint.) theme.

[Wout]

I find it a bit annoying that many people are attacking Bionicle in this thread. That is so 2001-2005!

Although I don't like Bionicle, it has it's creative potential and it helped TLC to get some money in not so good years.

[Eilif]

Hrrm. Better make that "Fans of Ben 10, Galidor, or Crash Test Dummies..."

Saying that fans of Bionicle will like this is a bit like saying that Fans of CITY will like Cars DUPLO - A licensed, <insert that tiresome argument>, ugly version does not equate to an original, complex, for lack of a better word, pretty (Bionicle is pretty. If you squint.) theme.

Wait, there's a difference between Bionicle and Galidor?

I kid, I kid. Good point though,, Ben10 is different enough that alot of Bionicle fans will probably not like it.

Despite my fairly negative reaction, and the failure of Galidior, it's not hard to see why LEGO is trying this line. Bionicle has been so successfull, that it makes sense that LEGO would try and create a simillar line of buildable action figures based around the technic pin and socket joints, albeit with different "body" parts. Eventually Bionicle may die off, and it is in LEGO's best interest to see if there is room in customer's hearts for other variants on the buildable action figure concept.

[Oky]

I have worked out the principal images for BEN10, from Amazon, and here are the deep links to download from my BS folder:

Thanks for those pics, Mortymore! Looking at those, I can see that Humongosaur's shoulders and Jetray's & Big Chill's wings are made out of some kind of rubbery material. Interesting.

I think I'm sure now that I will get Big Chill if I can get him around $10 and maybe Cromastone or Humongosaur if they are on sale under $10.

[Tereglith]

Eventually Bionicle may die off, and it is in LEGO's best interest to see if there is room in customer's hearts for other variants on the buildable action figure concept.

Well, they're going to have to try harder than that to make room in my heart. I never like the Matoran anyway, and these sets are just Matoran with a pituitary gland malfunction. A good rule of thumb for LEGO as far as action figures goes would be to never make one that uses less than thirty pieces. I've built MOCs the size of these that use ninety parts, and I think thirty is the bare minimum if the pieces aren't going to become POOPs, which is about all I see when I look at these. (yes, I know Kanohi are POOP too. But they're awesome POOP)

But yeah, I understand what you're saying. And I think that they definitely should have gone about it better. These could take the place of Bionicle in an eight year old's heart, but the whole point of Bionicle is that it sucked you in with the storyline and made you stay, collecting sets, well past the time when most people would realize that Ben 10 is just a hokey, poorly animated show. How long do you think that eight year old would like the Ben 10 line? Whereas I've been buying a steady supply of Bionicle every year since that eight year old was about the size of a Shi-Tzu.

[Zip]

Well, just think of it this way:

It's a Bionicle version of Duplo.

[admiral marcel]

cool lol

[Brickthing]

Well, just think of it this way:

It's a Bionicle version of Duplo.

Right down to the always breaking joint pieces.

Speaking of which, I hope that problem will at least be slightly fixed next year, because the younger target audience will probably have less tolerance for that kind of stuff, and the simpler pieces means that way over half the pieces have the potential to break after 2-5 dis/re-connections.

[Front]

I have a very important anouncement:

No Ben10 ball cups will break.

Not even a single one out of thousands (not taking into account completely wrong moulding parameters, kids putting butter on them and then having their big brother jump on them for hours, etc.).

[Mortymore]

...

No Ben10 ball cups will break.

...

Please, where did you get this information (a link to it would be nice)?

Thanks

Regrads

[Front]

Please, where did you get this information (a link to it would be nice)?

I do engineering in the Bionicle core team.

Front / Erland

[Mortymore]

I do engineering in the Bionicle core team.

That really explains it all.

Thanks for the information, then.

Regards

[Eilif]

I have a very important anouncement:

No Ben10 ball cups will break.

Not even a single one out of thousands (not taking into account completely wrong moulding parameters, kids putting butter on them and then having their big brother jump on them for hours, etc.).

I do engineering in the Bionicle core team.

Front / Erland

It's great to have you here at EB! A few questions...

-I'm not sure how much crossover you have with concept and marketing, but being that you are working on both Ben 10 and Bionicle, is Ben 10 intended for the same demographic as Bionicle?

-Is Ben 10 intended to appeal to Bionicle users and/or is it intended to draw new buyers to LEGO?

-Why a Bionicle like product rather than a System based product for Ben 10?

[Castle fan]

This new Lego themes is very bad

[Front]

It's great to have you here at EB! A few questions...

-I'm not sure how much crossover you have with concept and marketing, but being that you are working on both Ben 10 and Bionicle, is Ben 10 intended for the same demographic as Bionicle?

-Is Ben 10 intended to appeal to Bionicle users and/or is it intended to draw new buyers to LEGO?

-Why a Bionicle like product rather than a System based product for Ben 10?

I jumped into the thread as the talking was on breaking ball cups. Even if I knew the answers to your questions, it would be highly non-appropiate to answer them.

But feel free to ask anytime.

Front

[Sajer]

I find that we shouldn't really start complaining about the new themes so early. I'm not really a Bionicle fan, but one has to admit that the theme has had much good designs (esp the first few gens) and are great for display. The Bionicle theme has also provided many parts for MOCs.

Looking at the Ben 10 line, the pricing is about the same as Bionicle, few technic parts for a lot of dough, but hasn't that been the usual technic pricing? The mini technics in Singapore already cost 20 dollars. Looking at all the kids around, I'm quite sure this theme will do well. After all, its rather common to see kids bugging their parents to buy Bionicle for them. Lego is going with the "Easy build, much playability" policy and if it works for Bionicle, there shouldn't be any reason to change it in Ben 10.

Another reason Ben 10 will appeal to kids will also be the combination models thingy, which has sold quite a number of wave 1 lego miners sets. I've often heard one of the many reasons kids give their parents to get them lego is combination models.

Besides, there are many new parts for us to experiment with next year if we consider getting them.