LEGO® CUUSOO 空想 - Turn your model wishes into reality

[Faefrost]

Part of me thinks they might bend the "one-per-quarter" rule if there were models approved that used only basic elements they already regularly produce / stock anyway, and no unique prints or funky colors. But maybe not...

I don't think the issue is so much the funky prints or part colors. I think they have a limited CuuSoo team and 1 per Q is about the best they can do for core production needs such as packaging, instructions, artwork etc. As long as they are not printing on curved or unusual surfaces, the part printing setup is probably not that bad anymore.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

I don't think the issue is so much the funky prints or part colors. I think they have a limited CuuSoo team and 1 per Q is about the best they can do for core production needs such as packaging, instructions, artwork etc. As long as they are not printing on curved or unusual surfaces, the part printing setup is probably not that bad anymore.

Also distribution is a big part of it.

Fwiw, there's a CuuSoo employee who posts on another forum. It seems like they are expanding their team (he/she was actually trying to recruit a member from that forum).

On an unrelated issue: can somebody tell me whether the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz project uses an illegal headpiece?

Edited August 17, 2013 by Another Brick In The Wall

[Faefrost]

Also distribution is a big part of it.

Fwiw, there's a CuuSoo employee who posts on another forum. It seems like they are expanding their team (he/she was actually trying to recruit a member from that forum).

On an unrelated issue: can somebody tell me whether the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz project uses an illegal headpiece?

The headpiece is some sort of custom. It's not "illegal". You can submit projects with new or custom pieces. It just increases the chances that it will be turned down if the piece is necessary for the project and they can't find a replacement.

[just2good]

For the Tin Man, I'd use a recolor of the Series 10 "Clown" hat.

[LiamM32]

The headpiece is some sort of custom. It's not "illegal". You can submit projects with new or custom pieces. It just increases the chances that it will be turned down if the piece is necessary for the project and they can't find a replacement.

Replacement? They denied the Legend of Zelda project because of new molds. They could have made the Link minifigure with the old bandana 2543 (which even Santa Clause used to have) in green and have printed hair. The hand utensils could have also been replaced with the existing molds with special paterns on them. But the Lego Group just decided to turn-down the project entirely instead.

[Faefrost]

Replacement? They denied the Legend of Zelda project because of new molds. They could have made the Link minifigure with the old bandana 2543 (which even Santa Clause used to have) in green and have printed hair. The hand utensils could have also been replaced with the existing molds with special paterns on them. But the Lego Group just decided to turn-down the project entirely instead.

Sigh! Ok let's go through it one more time.

1. They will NEVER make a new mold for something that will be uniquely used for a CuuSoo set. If it cannot be used in regular retail sets they will not even consider it.

2. If the new part or mold is something that is a core or critical element of the set, such as the distinct appearance of a licensed character, they will first see if the needed look can be achieved with the available pool of parts. If not is the element critical for the set. If yes than the set will not be made.

In the case of Zelda the problem is Link's hair piece with green hat. You can't make a Zelda set without Link, and as even the creator of the current Zelda project under review, you really can't make an acceptable Link with current molds. Links look has to match Nintendo's design guidelines as part of any licensing deal. And therein lies the problem

Contrast that with the BttF train project. Yes the project shows some new custom hair pieces. But they are at best a luxury item. The set can easily be acceptably made using pieces found in the Lone Ranger theme. They won't look quite as good, but they will do the job and all characters will still have their needed look.

The Tin Man in the Oz set falls between these two. Yes the movie version has a fairly well known look that they want to come close to. But the actual characters and such are open source now, so they don't have to hit any specific design guides or standards. That gives them a bit more latitude in achieving the character look. They can get the general look and feel from something such as the Sad Clown at or some micro build with a 1x1 cone or something mixed with some clever printing.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Since Zelda projects have garnered over 26,000 votes to date (28,000 if you included the windwaker project) i think there's a pretty strong case for a theme. Nintendo already has a deal with K'Nex for Mario, not sure if it includes other Nintendo IPs. (Does Link appear in the K'Nex Mario Kart sets?)

[TheWarden]

Looked around and no body has mentioned it? The "women minifig series" hit 10K. If no one has made a thread, maybe someone could make a proper one for discussion.

Or if it's not exciting enough, discuss here.

[Faefrost]

Looked around and no body has mentioned it? The "women minifig series" hit 10K. If no one has made a thread, maybe someone could make a proper one for discussion.

Or if it's not exciting enough, discuss here.

There was some discussion about it in one of these threads. That one sits in some very very strange places. It is a good project, and the idea of Lego pushing more female roles in regular system type sets is desperately needed. (I have a young friend, a 6 yo black girl who adores Lego, but cannot abide by Friends sets because they aren't "real" Lego. She favors Castle and Lone Ranger). But with that said, (and I know GlenBricker probably disagrees with me on this one.) I see a slight potential problem with this projects core support base when it hits review. This one surged up virtually overnight because it became a sort of protest project amongst a large number of feminist sites and groups. It was pushed to 10k not so much because the voters wanted to purchase this set, or really even cared about the bricks. It was carried upwards in order to at least in large part, send a message to TLG about their toys and gender roles.

Honestly best possible outcome from this one? It fails review (thereby having TLG not directly succumbing to mob influence on their policies) but it does prompt them to re evaluate some if their set design goals going forward to be more inclusive of female roles.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Looked around and no body has mentioned it? The "women minifig series" hit 10K. If no one has made a thread, maybe someone could make a proper one for discussion.

Which review batch does it fall under? Can't seem to find it on CuuSoo. Is it the one with the dinosaur skeleton?

Edited August 19, 2013 by Another Brick In The Wall

[Canticleer blues]

AFAIK the Female Minifigure Set will qualify for the Fall 2013 review (which hits its deadline on September 1st). That project is currently slated to share its review with the ATLAS mini model, FTL: Faster Than Light, Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary, and Poptropica: Dr. Hare's Lair.

[Faefrost]

Which review batch does it fall under? Can't seem to find it on CuuSoo. Is it the one with the dinosaur skeleton?

Yes. It looks to be a very crowded review. We'll probably hear the results sometime after the next US Presidential election.

PS, someone please explain the Atlas project getting 10k in 2 weeks to me? I mean I know what it is, and yeah, woohoo! Science! But still... It Looks Like A Beer Can???

Edited August 20, 2013 by Faefrost

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Female minifig set is a great project. Love it and would buy it. Each set would cost something like 12 bucks, if that. Is the "one-set" rule official or just a casual protocol? (Obviously the new Minecraft sets aren't considered CuuSoo projects).

The Atlas model is hideous and wouldn't build it if was given to me for free. A big clue as why it reached 10K so quickly is found in the description -- over 3,000 people worked on it. It also probably got spammed on some scientific community message board. Didn't Purdue Pete reach 10K votes in a short space of time?

Edited August 20, 2013 by Another Brick In The Wall

[Faefrost]

Female minifig set is a great project. Love it and would buy it. Each set would cost something like 12 bucks, if that. Is the "one-set" rule official or just a casual protocol? (Obviously the new Minecraft sets aren't considered CuuSoo projects).

The Atlas model is hideous and wouldn't build it if was given to me for free. A big clue as why it reached 10K so quickly is found in the description -- over 3,000 people worked on it. It also probably got spammed on some scientific community message board. Didn't Purdue Pete reach 10K votes in a short space of time?

Yeah but Purdue Pete is easy to explain given the close nature and tight interest of a University. I'm actually surprised that we have not seen a rush of similar projects.

[Blondie-Wan]

There was some discussion about it in one of these threads. That one sits in some very very strange places. It is a good project, and the idea of Lego pushing more female roles in regular system type sets is desperately needed. (I have a young friend, a 6 yo black girl who adores Lego, but cannot abide by Friends sets because they aren't "real" Lego. She favors Castle and Lone Ranger). But with that said, (and I know GlenBricker probably disagrees with me on this one.) I see a slight potential problem with this projects core support base when it hits review. This one surged up virtually overnight because it became a sort of protest project amongst a large number of feminist sites and groups. It was pushed to 10k not so much because the voters wanted to purchase this set, or really even cared about the bricks. It was carried upwards in order to at least in large part, send a message to TLG about their toys and gender roles.

Honestly best possible outcome from this one? It fails review (thereby having TLG not directly succumbing to mob influence on their policies) but it does prompt them to re evaluate some if their set design goals going forward to be more inclusive of female roles.

Why would this proposal failing review be the best possible outcome? Do you mean that you think it flat-out has no chance (and therefore getting made a set isn't a possible outcome), or that this set getting rejected is better than it being approved?

[LiamM32]

It is hard to say how the female minifig set will do in the review. To me the most important thing is the suggestion to include more women in other sets. For the sets themselves though, it is hard to say what the main appeal about them is. Is it about a Science lab, or about the characers gender?

One thing that I am happy about that project is it's proposal for something other than a new model set to be released. Normally if you're proposing to fix some flaw seen in Lego products, than your project would fail to get enough supporters. I was happy to see that there was one issue tht was noticable to a wide enough range of fans.

[Aanchir]

Something I'm somewhat wondering is if the new joints from the LEGO Mixels sets might lead to a wider range of non-minifigure-driven LEGO Cuusoo proposals. They will be remarkably useful for mecha and action figure type builds, including articulated sculptures of characters who would be harder to create as minifigures without specialized molds. At the same time, as System models they don't have anywhere near the same stigma against them as "constraction" sets do.

It is true that the world has a sort of collective infatuation with the minifigure that a lot of people have a hard time seeing past (I've even heard some people state that any Cuusoo project without minifigures is hopeless, which is kind of ridiculous). But the world also loves the LEGO brick. And in fact, some more character-driven franchises, which lack locations and vehicles with an iconic "look", could stand a much better chance as LEGO sets if they were buildable character sculptures than if they were minifigure-based playsets.

There are already a lot of builders who have dedicated a lot of time and effort to making LEGO character sculptures. Check out one builder's set of Zelda characters on Brickshelf. The greater articulation of the Mixels joints could make these kinds of things even more appealing as building sets. Overall, it's just one more reason to be excited about the new building potential the Mixels sets are bringing.

[Faefrost]

Why would this proposal failing review be the best possible outcome? Do you mean that you think it flat-out has no chance (and therefore getting made a set isn't a possible outcome), or that this set getting rejected is better than it being approved?

I am sure that I will never be able to give a good or clear written explanation for my concerns on this one. It comes down to this. Pretty much every other CuuSoo project is really focused on simply producing a product or subject that the various specialized fan bases want. Yeah, some of them have some subtle underlying messaging (ie Science! Good!). Whereas this one, while extremely positive has an undertone of non product purpose. Of sending a message to the manufacturer. It's dancing on the line between "fan base" and "political or social special interest". Even in an extremely positive light, is it in TLG's interests to see CuuSoo used as an instrument of social protest or to allow the door to grievance politics to even slightly open on the platform?

I don't want the project to fail. By best possible outcome I refer more to looking at it from TLG's point of view as an international business. Because of the underlying social nature of the project (not to mention the fact that, yes, it really is aimed directly at the company themselves, even if it was not intended. Google, Anita Sarkeesian, Lego, to see an example of why this is a conversation they would probably prefer not to have pounding on their doors.) it would probably be in their best interests to simply let the project itself get buried in the review process. (Competing Lego product, Friends Polybags and CMF, and oh look, Ghostbusters!) while taking away the core lesson of the project and starting to include more female roles themes and role models in regular system sets. This way thy don't start getting inundated with cause based projects.

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Not sure why people keep voting for the second Ghostbusters project? (this is a rhetorical question btw)

Anyway, i have a feeling two projects will produced from this review period. If Wizard of Oz (now 7500+ votes) had an extra week, it probably would have made this period more congested than it is.

[Blondie-Wan]

I am sure that I will never be able to give a good or clear written explanation for my concerns on this one. It comes down to this. Pretty much every other CuuSoo project is really focused on simply producing a product or subject that the various specialized fan bases want. Yeah, some of them have some subtle underlying messaging (ie Science! Good!). Whereas this one, while extremely positive has an undertone of non product purpose. Of sending a message to the manufacturer. It's dancing on the line between "fan base" and "political or social special interest". Even in an extremely positive light, is it in TLG's interests to see CuuSoo used as an instrument of social protest or to allow the door to grievance politics to even slightly open on the platform?

I don't want the project to fail. By best possible outcome I refer more to looking at it from TLG's point of view as an international business. Because of the underlying social nature of the project (not to mention the fact that, yes, it really is aimed directly at the company themselves, even if it was not intended. Google, Anita Sarkeesian, Lego, to see an example of why this is a conversation they would probably prefer not to have pounding on their doors.) it would probably be in their best interests to simply let the project itself get buried in the review process. (Competing Lego product, Friends Polybags and CMF, and oh look, Ghostbusters!) while taking away the core lesson of the project and starting to include more female roles themes and role models in regular system sets. This way thy don't start getting inundated with cause based projects.

Ok, I get what you're saying, but I still don't see a compelling reason for them to decline it now that it's garnered the 10000 votes. The "political / social interest" aspect represents a view that virtually all relevant parties including LEGO itself agree is a good and desirable one (i.e., strong representation of women & girls in sets, and in roles that don't reflect stereotypes); it's a very different thing from a model that represents, say, one side of a polarizing debate (an abortion clinic, say, or a medical marijuana dispensary). Moreover, what sort of message do you think people would take from it if it were declined? I think that would be a much more problematic situation for TLG to place itself in than anything arising from approving this project.

Beyond that, the set is appealing in and of itself, and I think it has genuine potential as a LEGO product - I know I'd buy it, anyway. I don't see that a case can really be made against it using the traditional CUUSOO criteria - brand fit, legal viability, business case and so on.

[Faefrost]

Ok, I get what you're saying, but I still don't see a compelling reason for them to decline it now that it's garnered the 10000 votes. The "political / social interest" aspect represents a view that virtually all relevant parties including LEGO itself agree is a good and desirable one (i.e., strong representation of women & girls in sets, and in roles that don't reflect stereotypes); it's a very different thing from a model that represents, say, one side of a polarizing debate (an abortion clinic, say, or a medical marijuana dispensary). Moreover, what sort of message do you think people would take from it if it were declined? I think that would be a much more problematic situation for TLG to place itself in than anything arising from approving this project.

Beyond that, the set is appealing in and of itself, and I think it has genuine potential as a LEGO product - I know I'd buy it, anyway. I don't see that a case can really be made against it using the traditional CUUSOO criteria - brand fit, legal viability, business case and so on.

If it's declined it won't be directly because of messaging. It would rather be because it is viewed as conflicting with current product lines such as the CMF's or Friends sets. And more likely it will simply get steamrolled by the pop culture projects that it will be reviewed alongside.

I know I am not saying this well. And this is just my gut feeling on this. But when it hits review one of the key things that happens to any project is that the Lego designers look at it and distill it down to "what is the product"? In this case the product dances around being the message, more than it does being the project. I'm just not sure that TLG will see it as the best way to go to box up a message like that? Even a good message.

[Blondie-Wan]

If it's declined it won't be directly because of messaging. It would rather be because it is viewed as conflicting with current product lines such as the CMF's or Friends sets. And more likely it will simply get steamrolled by the pop culture projects that it will be reviewed alongside.

I know I am not saying this well. And this is just my gut feeling on this. But when it hits review one of the key things that happens to any project is that the Lego designers look at it and distill it down to "what is the product"? In this case the product dances around being the message, more than it does being the project. I'm just not sure that TLG will see it as the best way to go to box up a message like that? Even a good message.

Oh, I think you're saying it pretty well, and I believe I understand where you're coming from. I just do think I see the product "working" as a product even setting aside the impetus driving it. Certainly I see it selling enough copies to justify it from the business case perspective, anyway (with the caveat that of course it would depend upon how much / which part(s) of the proposal TLG elected to include in the finished product, of course).

[Another Brick In The Wall]

Second Ghostbuster's project is 120 votes short of 10K.

Hopefully, Macross project doesn't make the review period (currently 9,225) because it has no hope in this bunch (It's probably DOA anyway, but at least i can dream about it for another 6 months).

Wizard of Oz (almost 8,000) is the early favorite to win the December 2013 Review period.

Edited August 26, 2013 by Another Brick In The Wall

[Faefrost]

Yeah, I'm actually hoping the Oz set holds back until the next review period. This one is too crowded. I don't think it will matter with the Macross set sadly. As soon as the licensing dept realizes the licensing complexity involved they will most likely opt against it.

[Blondie-Wan]

Second Ghostbuster's project is 120 votes short of 10K.

And now, at just 48 votes short as of this posting (it garnered three more votes just while I was writing this!), it appears very likely two Ghostbusters proposals will be up against one another in the same review period. I'm keen to see how it gets resolved (assuming TLG decides to approve a Ghostbusters set at all, of course - still no guarantee it'll happen, of course, but I do think the odds are good).