Disney buys Marvel

[Siegfried]

This topic also happens to be discussed in this and this thread.

...and so it is merged. This is at least the third topic I've merged on this issue!

[Omicron]

Now that Disney is buying Marvel comics I'm wondering if lego might make some new sets with Marvel heroes? Lego and Disney just started to work together, so I hope we will see lego Iron Man or Avengers soon!

Lego would have to make a contract with Marvel, not Disney.

-Omi

Edited September 1, 2009 by Omicron

[Oky]

I too think that this will be more bad than good in the end, but it's too early to really tell. I just hope this merge doesn't affect the upcoming Avengers movie. I also think it's unlikely that we'll see sets from any Marvel movie due to this, but who knows.

[Joey Lock]

...and so it is merged. This is at least the third topic I've merged on this issue!

We should have some sort of Alert that warns you when you type a word that has already been posted in a topic within 2 days. That would help.

[The Penguin]

Well, I must confess, i'm a bit bothered. I never liked Marvel or their heroes or their comic stories at all (I'm a DC fan, obviously), but that aquisition may really mean new Marvel sets in lego in future. And that in turn ruins my hopes for a DC line reborn.....

Though, on the other hand I don't think that Disney is going to throw everything in LEGO. I mean the'll be pretty occupied bu current POP and TS. And I hope they'll last.

Good day, ladies and gentlemen! )

[Omicron]

but that aquisition may really mean new Marvel sets in lego in future.

The chances of Marvel Lego sets hasn't even increased. Besides Mega Blocks still holds the Marvel License.

-Omi

Edited September 1, 2009 by Omicron

[The Penguin]

The chances of Marvel Lego sets hasn't even increased. Besides Mega Blocks still holds the Marvel License.

-Omi

Perhaps. We can't tell, untill we see, can we? )

In any case it works perfectly fine for me. )

[Omicron]

We can't tell, untill we see, can we? )

Exactly.

-Omi

[Dadster]

I can't wait for the Spidey/ Mickey crossover comic they're going to put out...

I hope that as long as Joey Q and Tom B are still around, they'll be able to hold some sway as to what direction Disney might want to take Marvel and its pantheon. Folks may disagree with Joey Q over some things that he has done, but overall, I feel he's brought more "good" than "bad" decisions to the company since he took over the reigns as EIC.

And hey - if it eventually gets me more Marvel Heroes in minifig form, then so be it.

[Big Cam]

The chances of Marvel Lego sets hasn't even increased. Besides Mega Blocks still holds the Marvel License.

-Omi

But for how long? I can see Disney deciding to go with only one brick maker. Since they are on for Toy Story and in reality LEGO is more popular, I could see this changing.

[Omicron]

But for how long? I can see Disney deciding to go with only one brick maker. Since they are on for Toy Story and in reality LEGO is more popular, I could see this changing.

That is a biased opinion.

And if Lego was that "popular", they would have the Halo license, and not MB. (and yes I know about Lego's violence policy and "no video game themes").

-Omi

[blueandwhite]

But for how long? I can see Disney deciding to go with only one brick maker. Since they are on for Toy Story and in reality LEGO is more popular, I could see this changing.

Licencing is incredibly complex. First; LEGO must want to persue a licence. Second; Disney must be willing to licence a given theme. This of course also depends on there being no competing licencing agreements in place. Many of the existing Marvel properties are already licenced out for various terms to other companies (Sony for example has the Spider-Man licence). Depending on the terms of these licences, LEGO might have to pursue licencing agreements from a 3rd party as well. As I understand things, the Spider-Man licence was originally through Sony and dealt with the motion-picture. Just because Disney has secured the Marvel brand doesn't mean that we're going to have a better chance of seeing Marvel LEGO products. Let's not forget that Disney themselves had a licenced agreement with Mega Bloks to produce the Pirates of the Caribbean theme a few years back.

LEGO's licencing agreement with Disney doesn't preclude the possibility of Marvel figures, but it doesn't really make it a lot more plausible either.

[TeddiGramz]

When I was younger, I would get big classic collections of Marvel comics from the library. And once I read all of those, I tryed reading newer comics. They were horrible! Pointless violence, riduculous plot twists, Character who died ten years before came back, and a lot of other BS. That's when I stopped reading comics. I hope that Disney owning Marvel will help tone the material down, but not to High School Musical level.

As for Marvel Lego, I don't see the chances increasing much.

[Big Cam]

Did Stan Lee hold the rights previously? Or did he sell off his ownership earlier?

[HumanPackMule]

When I was younger, I would get big classic collections of Marvel comics from the library. And once I read all of those, I tryed reading newer comics. They were horrible! Pointless violence, riduculous plot twists, Character who died ten years before came back, and a lot of other BS. That's when I stopped reading comics.

That's why I read manga. None of those problems of modern comics

[Zarkan]

That is a biased opinion.

And if Lego was that "popular", they would have the Halo license, and not MB. (and yes I know about Lego's violence policy and "no video game themes").

-Omi

Wha? First of all, that is not a biased opinion - it is fact that lego is more popular than Megabloks (and this is coming from someone that has defended MB many times in the past). Secondly, you just invalidated your remark about lego "having the Halo license if they were that popular" as you stated the exact reason that they don't. It's not a matter of popularity - it's that they don't do licenses of video games or mature products like Halo.

That is, if you're not being sarcastic, because I know you have been before when discussing this issue.

[Omicron]

it is fact that lego is more popular than Megabloks (and this is coming from someone that has defended MB many times in the past).

If you are going to state something is fact, I'd like to see the evidence.

if you're not being sarcastic, because I know you have been before when discussing this issue.

I take this sort of discussion to full seriousness.

-Omi

Edited September 6, 2009 by Omicron

[ziljin]

When I was younger, I would get big classic collections of Marvel comics from the library. And once I read all of those, I tryed reading newer comics. They were horrible! Pointless violence, riduculous plot twists, Character who died ten years before came back, and a lot of other BS. That's when I stopped reading comics. I hope that Disney owning Marvel will help tone the material down, but not to High School Musical level.

As for Marvel Lego, I don't see the chances increasing much.

Well that's inevitable. Assuming Marvel Comics goes on forever (a big if), they have to retcon a bunch of stuff, after hundreds of issues, maintaining continuity is quite difficult. They have to bring back most(not all) dead characters at some point. It's easier for them to bring back a popular dead character than creating a brand new one. And most of their comics aren't even that violent. Except the Marvel Max line.

[Omicron]

Well that's inevitable. Assuming Marvel Comics goes on forever (a big if), they have to retcon a bunch of stuff, after hundreds of issues, maintaining continuity is quite difficult. They have to bring back most(not all) dead characters at some point. It's easier for them to bring back a popular dead character than creating a brand new one. And most of their comics aren't even that violent. Except the Marvel Max line.

Retconning is sometimes neccessary. Would you prefer Wolverine's current origin or his actual original supposed origin (the fact that he was a real wolverine)?

-Omi

[simonjedi]

If you are going to state something is fact, I'd like to see the evidence.

Really?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/au...les-up-by-third

Total sales at the group, which is based in Billund, Denmark, were up 23% at 4,374m kroner (£507m), while pre-tax profits rose 65% to DKK 927m. Lego said it achieved double-digit sales growth in nearly all its regions set against a global toy market that had "declined somewhat". Last month the toy multinational Mattel, which has brands such as Barbie, reported a 19% fall in second-quarter sales.

VS

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/681086

Losses continued to mount as sales plunged in the latest quarter at Mega Brands Inc., the beleaguered Montreal-based toy company whose Magnetix construction product was the subject of a massive recall in 2006.

The makers of the well-known construction toy, Mega Bloks, said its loss swelled to $13.3 million, or 36 cents a share, from $3.6 million, or 10 cents, a year earlier. All figures are in U.S. dollars.

Sales plummeted 34 per cent to $70.1 million in the quarter ended June 30, the company said, adding that was in line with expectations.

[Omicron]

Really?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/au...les-up-by-third

VS

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/681086

That just proves that sales are better than the companies. Does not prove popularity. Perhaps you show me a worldwide statistic of what people think is popular, than I will take it.

-Omi

[simonjedi]

That just proves that sales are better than the companies. Does not prove popularity.

And why would sales be better? in a recession as well. It's Because its more popular than megabloks. It's a brand name you can trust.

how about this:

Google search mega bloks

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,130,000 for mega bloks. (0.19 seconds)

Google search Lego

Results 1 - 10 of about 40,000,000 for lego. (0.15 seconds)

Lego has about 35 times more hits on google than Mega bloks have. Satisified that it proves it's more popular?

[Omicron]

And why would sales be better? in a recession as well. It's Because its more popular than megabloks. It's a brand name you can trust.

how about this:

Lego has about 35 times more hits on google than Mega bloks have. Satisified that it proves it's more popular?

Still doesn't prove popularity dude. ;)

This is like asking whether Brickforge and Brickarms are popular than the other. Or Pepsi and Coca Cola. Or Batman and Superman.

-Omi

Edited September 6, 2009 by Omicron

[Zarkan]

That just proves that sales are better than the companies. Does not prove popularity. Perhaps you show me a worldwide statistic of what people think is popular, than I will take it.

-Omi

Don't be silly, of course it does - or at least, it sure gives a reasonable amount of evidence. Sales statistics are the number one indicator of whether something is popular or not. If a brand makes a lot of profit, then it is popular - and if it loses money, it is not nearly as popular. Lego's sales are so much higher than Megabloks that it's very hard to make a case that the latter toy brand is somehow more popular than the former, despite the fact that it is not doing nearly as well.

IMO, the battle between Star Wars and Star Trek is a far better example of this kind of popularity conflict than the examples you gave. Throughout all the years the two have been in existance, it would be hard to find very many people who would say that Star Trek is more popular than Star Wars. Oh sure, you'd find plenty of fans who would say that the former is superior to the latter. But superiority is different than popularity, and higher quality does not necessarily mean that it has wider appeal. Classic Star Trek is infinitely more philisophical and complex than it's main competitior - and yet its fanbase mostly consists of a small but devoted cult following. Star Wars is an action heavy fantastical romp that focuses less on complex moral issues and more on eye candy, and it also has a huge fanbase that covers many demographics and people of all ages.

Look Omi, I know that you like Megabloks, and contrary to what many people here say, that is perfectly fine. But arguing that it might possibly be more popular than Lego is like arguing that WWII had a greater impact on the world than the life of Marylin Monroe. Oh sure, there are plenty of people who would say that the latter event is important - but no reasonable person would argue that it contributed more to the evolution of the world than the defeat of an oppressive, power-hungry alliance that threatened to take over the entire planet. There's just not any evidence that supports that belief - just as there is little to no evidence that Megabloks is more popular than Lego.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Grevious

[Omicron]

Don't be silly, of course it does - or at least, it sure gives a reasonable amount of evidence. Sales statistics are the number one indicator of whether something is popular or not. If a brand makes a lot of profit, then it is popular - and if it loses money, it is not nearly as popular. Lego's sales are so much higher than Megabloks that it's very hard to make a case that the latter toy brand is somehow more popular than the former, despite the fact that it is not doing nearly as well.

Walk into Wal-mart. Walk into a Grocery store. Look at what people buy. Just watch. How often do you see them pick up what is the supposed popular main brand? You don't. You see them pick up the shitty store brand. Because they have no choice but to get it. They would love to get Fruity Pebbles, but they have to get the cheap Frooty Rocks instead. And Frooty Rocks will sell more because it is cheap, but deep down it isn't popular among the crowd. This is exactly why sales cannot prove popularity.

Look Omi, I know that you like Megabloks, and contrary to what many people here say, that is perfectly fine.

I like nothing and everything. I defend everything and I offend everything. I am in the middle. I am openminded and I don't take sides.

But arguing that it might possibly be more popular than Lego is like arguing that WWII had a greater impact on the world than the life of Marylin Monroe.

This statement is biased and opinionated, so I am gonna take it like a grain of salt. And also I never once stated nor implied that MB is more popular. I just said you can't prove that lego is more popular.

just as there is little to no evidence that Megabloks is more popular than Lego.

Just like you guys managed to not prove Lego is more popular than MB? I'm still waiting on the official poll statistics here. You only say Lego is popular cuz yeah, duh, you like Lego and this is a Lego forum. If I went to a Marvel forum, I'm gonna hear that Marvel is better than DC. However if I went to the latter's forum, they will say that Marvel sucks. And they will have these same discussions and "prove me this" crap.

Edited September 7, 2009 by Omicron