What if LEGO changed the name of the Castle theme?

[-The Hyphen-]

Edit Bonaparte:

A kind lady asked us to remove some info which was not intended to go public.

Still, we can continue this good discussion!

It's about:

1. How would you feel if TLG replaces the name "Castle" by another name?

2. Which alternative names do you prefer?

[Athos]

Very interesting. But I wonder why they need a name change. How about "Knights Kingdon 3: the return of stupidity"?

Steve

[Deinonychus]

I wouldn't be too worried. There's a poll on the page and here's where it stands so far

*snip*

[The Green Brick Giant]

There are times where LEGO is just so god damn stupid.

Why waste their time on this? LEGO Castle has been a great seller the last few years and to change the name is just stupid.

[blueandwhite]

I wouldn't be too worried. There's a poll on the page and here's where it stands so far

*snip*

Sheesh.

LEGO Kingdoms?!! Are you serious? These choices (other than LEGO Castle) are terrible. Castle is a nice encompassing word that pretty much covers the theme. Even if other non-European cultures had their own castles and feudal systems, castles are pretty much synoynmous with the middle ages. Kingdoms is just beyond generic. It could be used to describe practically anything. I am in utter disbelief that this is actually leading this poll. (I guess this is what happens when you hand off your marketing to children)

Still, it sounds like LEGO is moving away from the current fantasy theme to something a bit different. I can only imagine a name change would be necessary if LEGO is re-imaging the Castle line. Having said that, I still find the idea of renaming the theme to be utterly ridiculous (particularly when Castle fans don't even know what future products look like). It's not like they rename City every 2-3 years.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Bonaparte

[Siegfried]

As Deinonychus says, I wouldn't worry too much. They're probably just curious, and looking at the results they are barking up the wrong tree!

(I edited your title.)

[General Magma]

A name change may mean the end of LEGO Castle, not the entire line, just under that name, and they will replace everything and such...

To be honest, all of those names just really suck..

"LEGO Kingdoms", can't they think of something better? "Swords and Shields" is the worst...

IMO they should stay on the current Castle theme.

~General Magma

[Skipper 24]

I saw the poll on the KIC blog too. I still think Castle is a good name. I mean Swords and Shields .

[The Cobra]

Somebody fired from WWE (whose latest trend seems to be changing Pay-per-view names regardless of product quality) must have been hired by TLC.

I wonder how can TLC think that "Lego knights" would sell better than "Lego Castle".

So, what about "Lego Kings of metal" or "Lego Triumph of steel"?

[Paradosis]

So, what about "Lego Kings of metal" or "Lego Triumph of steel"?

Manowar FTW? "If you do not like Lego, you are not my friend!"

[JeffD984]

"Other blocks play, LEGO kill"

I can just picture the ultra buff guy from the ManOwaR covers with a Lego head

[Lt. Col. Thok]

I'm actually a little happy to see this news; it means my (second) favorite theme will be returning.

But Lego Kingdoms? That's a little, well, ridiculous! To be honest, though, it does make sense; we do see a lot of rival kingdoms!!

As has been previously stated, no biggy.

[metalandi]

At one side it shows they plan to continue this theme and are interested in investing in it, but on the other hand it's just plain ridiculous to rename it. The only other name i could think of would be "lego medieval", but i really see no point in re-naming it, at all.

[Emperor Claudius Rome]

Lego kingdoms actually sounds better than castle. Maybe something that involves the different kingdoms in Britain (Romano-Brits, Saxons, Normans, celts )

Edited September 27, 2009 by Emperor Claudius Rome

[Cardinal Brick]

Well if Castle is having a wave this year it'll be under the 'Castle' name and not whatever is chosen in this poll as the lead time is to short to sort out the marketing etc.

Personally I quite like the name Kingdoms has a rather grand feeling to it.

[ziljin]

Here are my 2 cents on the names that they listed on the poll

Lego Knights - doesn't really fit, knights sounds like it just describes the minifigs

Lego Kingdoms - I like it, it has a nice general but specific enough feel to it. Which means they could release viking sets and ninja sets (and any other civilization) under the name and it would still fit. And if they delve into more fantasy, kingdoms would still work fine.

Lego Kings Realm - Sort of like Kingdoms, but with the emphasis on the king instead of the kingdom.

Lego Swords and Shields - Sounds like something out of an rpg, I imagine with more emphasis on fantasy than reality

Lego Castle is fine, but not all civilizations had castles, but most if not all civilizations had kingdoms.

[Capt. Redblade]

I hope to God that we get a shift in focus to something more realistic. As for names, I cast my vote for Lego Kingdoms, because we could get so many different factions out of such an ambiguous name. *cough* Forestmen *cough*

[BlueBard]

Weird news, indeed I can't understand what's wrong with the name "Castle" too but I remember that when I was a kid the theme was called "Medieval" in Spain so well, is not so terrible...

[Dark Wanderer]

"LEGO Kingdoms"??

Ergh. Why must they rename something that already has a perfectly good name? No matter how they mutilate its nomenclature, however, it will always be 'Castle' to me.

[Batbrick]

Very interesting. But I wonder why they need a name change. How about "Knights Kingdon 3: the return of stupidity"?

I vote for this one

There are times where LEGO is just so god damn stupid.

Why waste their time on this? LEGO Castle has been a great seller the last few years and to change the name is just stupid.

Or perhaps it's not even a big deal. At all. In any way possible. Not one iota. Name change. No big deal.

I'm like Kingdoms, as lego40k said it has a very vague feel about it meaning it could be anything.

Batbrick Away!

[Deinonychus]

I think they're just "focus grouping" the thing. LEGO CASTLE seems a little dry in amongst all the snappily named toys and properties on the toy shelves these days, so they may just be throwing ideas against the wall to see what might stick.

CASTLE does seem to imply that there has to be an actual castle set available on the shelves while the theme is active. And from a price-point, shelf-space, and design standpoint, that might not be 100% practical.

[UsernameMDM]

I wouldn't mind if the Lego Castle was the 'theme' name and each different line was a 'sub theme.'

[Lord Admiral]

the theme was called "Medieval" in Spain so well, is not so terrible...

I know it's probably heresey around these parts, but I was never terribly fond of the "castle" name for the theme, though I've never had any better ideas. I'd definitely think medieval would be more descriptive, but that's only because I know what it means. I'm not sure that word is in every kid's vocabulary, while "castle" or "fortress" certainly is.

But the name Castle doesn't quite embody the theme anymore. In the past, it was based around the medieval feudal system, with different factions in each castle fighting each other. Now, it's more of a fantasy theme. The "castle" portion is really just a subtheme. I'm not surprised TLG wants to rename the theme.

My pick for the name of today's theme would be Lego Fantasy or something along those lines, which is much more representative of the theme as it exists now (wizards, skeletons, dwarves, trolls, elves hopefully, etc.). It surprises me though, that this option isn't in the poll. Both "knights" and "kingdoms" are not representative of the entire theme, though "knights" rolls off the tongue a little better. To be honest, the whole thing reeks of some low-level marketing guy trying to justify his/her existence in the company.

[Siegfried]

CASTLE does seem to imply that there has to be an actual castle set available on the shelves while the theme is active.

There's no "Stars" in any "Star Wars" sets either.

(All jokes aside you're probably right.)

[The Green Brick Giant]

It's not like they rename City every 2-3 years.

Actually in 15 years Town has been called, Town, City Center, World City, City, and I think one other name in the late 90s.