If I ran The Lego Group

[CrazyDalton777]

If I ran the LEGO group, I would revive the sports theme. Think of how much money LEGO would have made if the had a 2014 Brazil World Cup set and funtional like the sports sets were.

[tomdobs55]

If I ran the LEGO group, I would revive the sports theme. Think of how much money LEGO would have made if the had a 2014 Brazil World Cup set and funtional like the sports sets were.

I agree, now that we have the hockey, baseball, and football CMF, allow me to build a team. Sell a pack of 6 minifig hockey players with (I hate to say it) stickers so I can make the Bruins. Then have a modular ice rink like we had with the old soccer sets. Same for football and baseball. Granted it would probably only cater to Americans with those sports, but maybe have soccer, cricket, among other sports for everywhere else in the world. I'd be fine with not licensing players just the team logos. Could very easily be marketed to adults and kids.

[jonwil]

If I was in charge of The LEGO Group, I would:

1.Look at Bricklink, Eurobricks and elsewhere to identify part/color combos (where both the piece mold and pigment are still available) that are hotly desired by the community and very popular but are either non-existent (i.e. hasn't been made in a set before) or existed but are discontinued and are very hard to get/rare/expensive (i.e. used to be in a set but now commands a high price on eBay/Bricklink/etc) and encourage set designers to look at ways to put those part/color combos in sets (ala how they put the dark blue arch in the Winter Village Market partially because of its desirability among AFOLs for the early modulars). This would make really rare parts (e.g. some of those from the early modulars, UCS Falcon etc) available again and make unavailable-but-highly-desired parts available for the first time. Doing this would also encourage AFOLs and fans to buy specific new sets they wouldn't otherwise buy just to get the rare parts. (so instead of paying big $ on bricklink or eBay for a rare part, they would spend that same money buying the new set directly from LEGO instead, likely spending less and having money left over to buy even more sets)

2.Release a NEW Ultimate Collectors Series Millennium Falcon (not a re-release of the old one but a totally new set) and produce it in massive quantities (with no limits on how many sets can be made or which retailers can carry it, let any retailer carry it if they want to)

3.Produce a proper Space theme with human bad guys (ala Blacktron) and not aliens (like all recent space themes seem to have done), one that harks back to the golden age of LEGO Space. Look to the Spaceship Spaceship SPACESHIP! and all the great Classic Space, Futuron, Space Police, M:Tron, Blacktron and Ice Planet sets for inspiration and to the more recent space themes such as UFO, Insectoids, Mars Mission, Space Police III and Galaxy Squad for ideas about what NOT to do. The LEGO Movie Spaceship in particular shows just how it would be possible to build a theme that takes inspiration from all the great Space products of old but still uses modern building techniques, parts and play features that would make it attractive to the kids of today.

4.Reduce the spend on licensing of these various unknown-quantity films like Speed Racer, Prince of Persia and Lone Ranger (i.e. properties that, when the license was being considered, had not shown that they would be successful enough to make the LEGO products viable as compared to more popular things like Star Wars or Super Heroes that were already popular enough as both before LEGO got the license)

5.Include more "modern day occupations" in the Collectable Minifigures series along the lines of the Butcher, Mechanic, Pizza Guy, Decorator, Plumber, Computer Programmer, Judge, Librarian, Lumberjack, Nurse, Welder, Zookeeper etc. So many occupations that would make perfect CMFs (if only Cricket was popular enough outside of the Commonwealth to make a Cricket Player a viable choice for a CMF...)

6.Introduce a requirement that, unless its a special mold for a special purpose (e.g. for a specific Star Wars minifig or a one-off for a particular CMF or a specialty part like the Mindstorms stuff), all new molds must have buy-in for more than one set before they get green-lit for production. This gets more use out of the molds, ends the practice of molds that get made and used in one set only then never used again when they could be used more widely and makes the parts easier to get. (e.g. the goat has to date only appeared in a single set which isn't the best way to get a good return-on-investment for the mold costs)

7.Clean up LEGO Ideas a bit more and remove projects that are clearly not suitable for production (e.g. where its obvious just from looking at them that they are too big to be a viable Ideas set or where it would conflict with an existing announced LEGO project like the various Mini projects on the site that conflict with the new Mini Cooper set or where there are sets present that clearly aren't a good "brand fit" for LEGO like the James Cameron Avatar projects I can see on the site). Also change the way the time limit works so that sets have a certain amount of time to get to 1k then another bigger amount to get to 5k then even more time to get to 10k (that way projects that sit there and go nowhere for 3 months disappear but sets that get close to 10k within the current 12 month limit still have a chance if its clear they are actually moving forward). I would also restrict or ban ideas based on real world brands/businesses (e.g. the modular apple store) as those generally aren't the best fit for what LEGO does. And if its known that a particular license isn't fesable for Ideas (e.g. if Zelda is known not to be a viable license because of discussions with Nintendo or if Star Wars projects have issues because of the deal with Lucas rather than just because they conflict with existing products) I would call that out on the site and ban projects for that license completly. (wouldn't even need to specify why just that "it is not possible for us to produce LEGO Ideas sets based on xyz at this time and any submissions based on xyz will be rejected". Oh and I would encourage more

8.Introduce greater variety into the Technic line instead of the same thing again and again (front end loaders, backhoes, F1-style race cars, cranes, tow trucks). Stop whatever requirement insists that all higher-end technic sets must include power functions (most of the great higher-end technic sets of the past didn't have or need electric bits to make them great sets). Release a true successor to the legendary 8880 Supercar, one that is BIG and has a lot of highly detailed features and the look of a proper sports car. And NO power functions or electrics of any kind.

9.Introduce a greater variety of colors of hair pieces, specifically more hair pieces in "blond" colors and other lighter hair colors (tan and that light yellow color) and in greys and white (for old people)

and 10.Bring back true "Model Team" sets, starting with a highly detailed and cool looking model of what us Aussies call a UTE. (but what most of the rest of the world calls a Pickup Truck).

Edited August 28, 2014 by jonwil

[Tariq j]

If I ran the Lego Group I would certainly consider re-booting old themes, some of which include:

Western

Indiana Jones

Harry Potter

I would consider to a CMF series based on Celebreties, Lego could make a fair amount of money from that.

[smittyfan]

If I ran the LEGO group, I would revive the sports theme. Think of how much money LEGO would have made if the had a 2014 Brazil World Cup set and funtional like the sports sets were.

They actually had a pretty extensive Soccer theme years ago, which in fact helped to start the whole sports theme if i remember correctly. They were designed with stickers for the various different countries. Brazil, Greece, USA, Canada, Mexico, and maybe a few others. Can't remember exactly. Spent a good many hours playing LEGO Soccer with my siblings. Fond memories.

Given the choice, i'd totally bring Belville back, and find a way to resurrect and expand Paradisa. Granted, there's only so much you can do keeping restricted to a beach/vacation setting. Certainly tennis courts, beach volleyball, fishing, dolphin show, luxury cruise ships, etc. could be worked into it. Maybe at least do a LEGO Legends reissue of a couple of them.

[tedbeard]

^ I would have done a CMF series (or maybe two) for the World Cup. They could do a UEFA Champions League series and/or one for EURO 2016. Printed torsos of famous football clubs and national teams would sell like hotcakes.

[jonwil]

More CMF sportspeople would be great, so many things they could do. Golfer. Cricketer. Basketball player. Table tennis player. Pool/snooker player. Athlete (just a generic track/field athlete possibly with e.g. a javelin or shot put or discus or whatever)

And no the Team GB figs dont count, they were promotional items not available to most of the world.

[Gongoro73]

I would definitely arrange a deal with Apple Corps in order to make a Beatles series. Minifigures of all the different periods, vehicles (The Magical Mystery Tour bus, Lennon's hippie Rolls Royce, the Yellow Submarine...), sets of their most remembered gigs and tv appereances, buildings (Abbey Road, The Apple building with the large graffitti in the front facade, the EMI building with the fab four playing in the roof...), some record cover sets (Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery tour, Abbey Road...).

Also, a TIntin license would be great. Endless row of characters, buildings, vehicles and situations.

Finally, expand the modulars theme with some other parts of a city at the same level of detail (parks, bridges, fountains, smaller buildings, etc). Everything a city needs.

[Jared]

If I ran the LEGO group, I would keep all the LEGO for me and no-one else! Muwahahaha!

Jokes aside, not sure I'd change anything other than what was already said, the price range on the box. I cannot tell you how many times I've walked into a store and heard "No sweetie, you can't have that set, it says [insert irrelevant generic age recommendation here] and you're only [insert silly idea of person's intelligence is determined by their biological chronological existence]". I mean, seriously? My parents always let me get the complex sets. I probably wouldn't be able to build half the stuff I do without having learned patience and perseverance by completing intense sets like that. Well, parents will be parents... XD

[TheLegoDr]

^It's best to have everything get handed to you. So make it an easy <insert that tiresome argument> build. That will surely boost sales... wait, you mean, it won't? You mean, it might bankrupt us? Blasphemy...

I think the primary thing I would do is try to get more life out of certain molds and/or try to make new colors out of other molds to expand the palette. I don't know how many times I'd want to build something in a certain color, but that piece isn't available in that color. (I'm not saying create a new color, just expand an existing color.)

[Lind Whisperer]

I think the primary thing I would do is try to get more life out of certain molds and/or try to make new colors out of other molds to expand the palette. I don't know how many times I'd want to build something in a certain color, but that piece isn't available in that color. (I'm not saying create a new color, just expand an existing color.)

We should start an official thread about what parts we all want to see in new colors. Perhaps the Ambassadors could present it to LEGO, or something.

[jonwil]

Yes I think a thread specifically for people to nominate parts in new colors would be great.

Rules for the posts would need to be established, i.e.:

No licensed parts to be nominated (as LEGO can't just decide to make e.g. a Star Wars head piece in a new color just because they want to)

Only parts that are still active (so no nominating old discontinued parts)

and Only colors that are still active (so no old grey or old brown)

Both parts that previously existed in a color but are now not available and parts that have never existed in a color would be eligible (but not parts that are still being made in a given color in current sets)

I myself have a list of about 50 such part-color combos I would like to see :)

[Lordofdragonss]

Make a guide for Figures design.

because I'm quite mad many of the new figures just don't look like they belong to Lego or have not enough studs visible. Rancor, Smaug, AzogNec croc... They all look great but... They are just designed badly and they clash with lego style...

[1974]

If I ran TLG, I'd junk that crap diy-injection molding in a heartbeat, deeply apologize for that AND the grey madness, dig up those damn monorailmolds from the parking lot and then kick back and let jonwill run the show while I get loaded on beer and babes

I'm a simple man really

[The Executive]

If I ran TLG.

Lego City would no longer be a police state, and would be catered to both boys and girls.

I would end the piece count fiasco, and no longer say a 8x16 is equivalent to a 1x1.

I would bring back Johnny Thunder/Classic space.

I would try to gear Lego more towards the building aspect instead of playability.

I would force kids to use their imagination and not just make up a story for them

Newer better free style boxes (make use of all the pieces in circulation).

No more juniorization of system sets.

No more flick fire missiles/spring loaded shooters.

No more 4-8, 5-9 type age range. It should be: Duplo ages 1-3, Lego ages 4-and up

[SweetiePie88]

If I ran the group, I'd make sure when a theme or sub-theme starts of being released in countries at the same time, I'd make sure it'd stay that way!!!

Lego friends animals is a major victim of this! 2013 saw 3 waves that came out about the same time in the states and UK. 2014 comes along and I start wondering what the company was thing. UK saw wave 4 in January, wave 5 by the summer, and 6 by about September. The states saw wave 4 in late march, wave 5 in October, and who knows on wave 6! Tried emailing TLG and got no where and know one here knows anything. No animals listed for the summer wave and my hunt for a march list was a strike out.

Wave 5 has been sold out online yet no series 6 is showing up. Make up your mind Lego!

Oh, and defiantly agree on the no more ffm and spring loaded shooters! Am sick of those things popping up in sets and eating up part count space. Except for bennys SSS, I can't thing of any sets that I have that would be just fine w/o them.

[jonwil]

I would get rid of all the firing elements, the 1 x 4 spring shooter that fires the transparent arrows, the flick fire missiles, the technic shooters that fire the rubber-tipped technic arrows and also the minifig shooters that fire the 1 x 1 round plates.

I would also change Shop @ Home so that every single country that gets stock from their European warehouse gets exactly identical stock views and same with their USA warehouse (i.e. if its in the warehouse it will be shipped to any country that gets their stock from that warehouse. No more of the case where a product is in the warehouse and being shipped but not to a specific country for some reason.

Also, I would end the practice of creating "exclusive" sets for different retailers or otherwise having retailer exclusives. In Australia, 60048 Police Dog Unit, 60049 Helicopter Transporter, 60062 Arctic Ice Breaker, 60064 Arctic Ice Supply Plane, 10244 Fairground Mixer, 10243 Parisian Restaurant, 70813 Rescue Reinforcements and others that I forget were all exclusive to specific retailers. No more of this, I would make any set that is getting a release in a given country available to any retailer who chooses to stock it (whether that be a giant chain or a tiny little toy store)

[SweetiePie88]

I forgot about those 1 x 4 thing! The ffms are in place on my sss but the springers are not loaded since I heard leaving them armed can mess with the spring.

[LK901]

I forgot about those 1 x 4 thing! The ffms are in place on my sss but the springers are not loaded since I heard leaving them armed can mess with the spring.

Why get rid of all shooters?

Kids certainly enjoy having them, and while the flick fire missiles should DIE!! The new 1x4 shooters are great. Increase playability.

[SweetiePie88]

Those things are a pest if they go off accidently and I'd rather tlg focus on making something where its an "oh man! This is an awesome build! I wish I thought of doing that" and not "oh wow, another part that'll get stuffed in my missle box or ffm container and not get used if I take the model apart".

[Lyichir]

Why get rid of all shooters?

Kids certainly enjoy having them, and while the flick fire missiles should DIE!! The new 1x4 shooters are great. Increase playability.

I agree that Lego's been on a ROLL lately in terms of introducing compact, versatile, and effective shooters. The 1x4 "laser shooters" work PHENOMENALLY well— I too keep them unloaded when not playing with them so as not to lose the ammo, but I wouldn't want them to go away at all! Meanwhile, the stud shooters (of which there are now three varieties—handheld, "built in", and Technic "gatling") also work effectively while being about as compact as flick-fires and—importantly—use basic parts (1x1 round plates, of which most established builders have plenty) as ammunition, instead of a specialized part. The same applies to the new disc launchers from the Legends of Chima battle packs, which use standard 2x2 round tiles as ammo (I hope to use the new waffle tile from The Lego Movie with the launcher to create a waffle-firing toaster!).

A good launcher provides a great play feature for kids, that can be easily integrated into builds without having to compromise their look with a more complex function. The latest batch of launchers delivers wonderfully on that promise. Even the new Bionicle sets use the "gatling" stud shooter, and as a fan of that theme from the beginning I'm glad to be past the era of giant Bionicle launchers with specialized ammo! Frankly, given Lego's recent track record with launchers, I can't wait to see what they can come up with next!

Edited January 20, 2015 by Lyichir

[obsidianheart]

You mean you're not supposed to incorporate launchers and flick-fires into your MOCs?

Whoops.

[AFOLguy1970]

I would probably greatly expand Pick a Brick and include parts that are rare only because they were not produced much in that color. Yes, sand green, I am looking at you. Lego fosters creativity, and having the full palette of color available for those who wish to design their own sets would greatly benefit them. Bricklink sellers would hate me, but MOC artists would like it.

[fred67]

I would publicize on the web what the pick-a-brick selections were at any given location.

[TheLegoDr]

^^I agree. I said something similar last year. I'd love more existing parts in colors it wasn't previously available in. Just think of what some people could build with the right color/brick.

I think it would only work if LEGO went back to making bulk LEGO packs instead of actual sets. I don't think you could justify having this large variety of bricks in certain colors it if didn't work in a set. So I think for now, LEGO has been doing a decent job getting old pieces in new colors to us. It has just been slow going.

^And I know what you mean. I don't live near a LEGO store, but it would be nice if there was an official website regarding when the walls change and what is currently available. Brickbuildr is great, but not updated often enough it seems.