Ninjago 2014

[DraikNova]

I'm kinda worried that another wave will really ruin Ninjago. It had a perfect ending, and if LEGO ruins that, it would be a shame.

[The_Creator]

Here is some more taken from the same topic posted by a Moderator:

"Is Ninjago really ending?

Actually, we have more Ninjago sets planned for next year and 2014! Stay tuned to our website, catalog, and club magazine for more information in the future!

I heard that the Ninjago cartoon is ending and there won’t be any more episodes. Is that true?

We have plans for Ninjago in 2013. We can’t tell you about them just yet.

Is Chima replacing Ninjago?

Even though we have new Chima sets coming next year, we also have new Ninjago sets too! Chima is a brand new theme, not a replacement for Ninjago. You’ll be able to get more information about Chima and Ninjago after the New Year!

https://community.lego.com/lego/attachments/lego/1544/146461/1/Always%20be%20a%20need%20for%20Ninjas.jpg "

[DraikNova]

Wait, didn't LEGO state explicitly that Chima WAS the replacement for Ninjago?

[Aanchir]

Wait, didn't LEGO state explicitly that Chima WAS the replacement for Ninjago?

Kevin Hinkle said (or at least implied) that at Brickfair. Mark Stafford has since clarified that he was mistaken-- Chima was intended to be the "big bang" theme for 2013 whether Ninjago got continued or not. The two lines were developed independently, and the only way Chima is replacing Ninjago is in terms of it getting the lion's share of TLG's marketing budget, which would be true of any "big bang" theme.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Aanchir

[Sir Walter Maugham]

Ah, interesting. I had a feeling Lego wouldn't let such a successful line die this soon.

I'm mostly ambivalent towards this line, but maybe we will get more eastern weapons/bodywear. The Kendo helmet was something I though we would never see.

Does anyone know if there is a plan to extend the TV show?

Edited December 19, 2012 by Sir Walter Maugham

[Prominence]

I'm still wondering why Lego wanted a break. The fans were happy which meant big sales which should make Lego happy. I guess they are following some kind of marketing strategy that says that most themes get boring after three years or they just failed to see how popular Ninjago really was. Maybe they just wanted to give LoC the possibility to set up a fan base while at the same time not losing the Ninjago fans by telling them Ninjago will be back in 2014 so they won't not buy LoC sets out of spite.

[Faefrost]

I'm still wondering why Lego wanted a break. The fans were happy which meant big sales which should make Lego happy. I guess they are following some kind of marketing strategy that says that most themes get boring after three years or they just failed to see how popular Ninjago really was. Maybe they just wanted to give LoC the possibility to set up a fan base while at the same time not losing the Ninjago fans by telling them Ninjago will be back in 2014 so they won't not buy LoC sets out of spite.

I think part of it is paranoia from how upside down they ended up with Bionicle. The new approach seems to revolve around the presumed age of the target audience. Figure a 6 to 9 year old jumping on a theme when it releases will have about three years before they start to age out of it. And at that point they offer a new product as an entry point for the next batch of fans, rather than trying to grow more into an expanding story with a higher burden of entry.

What they didn't expect in their plans was for Ninjago to jump the rails and become a pop culture hit with an older target group. Ones who don't age out of things quite so well. ( ie 45 year old TMNT fans). That's caused them to rethink their plans a bit.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Faefrost

[Crownie]

...the only way Chima is replacing Ninjago is in terms of it getting the lion's share of TLG's marketing budget, which would be true of any "big bang" theme.

I saw what you did there.

(Even if it wasn't intentional, it still made me chuckle.)

Edited December 20, 2012 by Crownie

[horizon]

Ninjago back =

The network wanted more episodes of a succesfull show

Ninjago sales are sky rocketing

Legends of Chima is getting less favourable feedback then Lego wished for? I mean for a big bang theme it is lacklustre in execution imo,

[DraikNova]

The Chima sets aren't even out yet, and I'm still doubtful about this.

[Lordofdragonss]

Ahh, that's great they managed to continue this series.

I would miss it a lot!

[Ceroknight]

Interesting picture, Zane's origins?

[Kai NRG]

The Chima sets aren't even out yet, and I'm still doubtful about this.

I think it's because Chima is not as much a hit (so far at least; we haven't seen the show yet and I guess that could change stuff) with the 12-25 age range where Ninjago was very successful. Faefrost made some good points; LEGO figures any 6-12 will be tired of it in three years. But what they weren't figureing on was Ninjago being so popular with older "kids" (and even someone who started to like it at 11/12 probably wouldn't grow out of it entirely). I can see Chima being just as popular if not more so with LEGO's target age group as Ninjago was, but older fans will probably find it a bit "cartoonish", silly (Animals fighting animals with "magical" ores of Chi on huge vehicles? really?), and in general geared even more towards kids than Ninjago was. It won't prevent them from buying one or two they're interested in, but if LEGO were to give Ninjago another chance (like it seems they're going to do) in most cases people would just spend more (because now you're talking the age group that has more money in general). As long as LEGO does a good job with the story line and doesn't ignore things like changing the characters in the introductions like they did last season (which really annoyed me), then they should be fine. I'm almost thinking that they're going to turn Ninjago into a theme that, at least partially, will be aimed at a higher age range than almost any action theme before.

[PenPlays]

To make a point, Ninjago didn't really skyrocket until the show was out. Sure the spinners were selling like bread when they first come out, but that was because it was a game. Once the show aired... "We have liftoff!"

Kids and adults alike were buying, and buying.

We can't really determine if LoC will be more "little kid" interesting, until the show airs.

On the fact that Ninjago is continuing: Where, oh where has my money gone!!!

[Faefrost]

Is this official enough yet to consider sticky'ing?

[PenPlays]

Lego's official Ninjago page on Facebook has the same close up of Zane up on their wall.

Also the original source is from a mod on the official Lego Message Board. If it were a hacker, it would have already been taken down, so...

[Tobias_Jay]

Yes and according to the Facebook page Ninjago will be continuing throughout 2013, not being paused like the Brickshow said it might. Maybe we have a chance for a Drago-lord and Dareth figure!

[PenPlays]

Yes on the Facebook page they said more of the Stone Army stuff, not a brand new storyline.

[Kai NRG]

Yes on the Facebook page they said more of the Stone Army stuff, not a brand new storyline.

Yeah, they could just be talking about a few more episodes to promote the sets we already knew were coming out. As far as the "into 2014" stuff that could just mean that the sets won't be discontinued for quite a while (both the upcoming 6 and this year's Summer release).

[DraikNova]

So what they meant was either just a summer release or the sets staying available? Sounds good. Let´s hope we get some spinners (Evil Nya and Gold Lloyd?) and the Dragolord.

[Kai NRG]

So what they meant was either just a summer release or the sets staying available? Sounds good. Let´s hope we get some spinners (Evil Nya and Gold Lloyd?) and the Dragolord.

That's what it sound like to me. They're probably trying to make sure they can revive it next year should Chima not go as well as the hoped. Either that or LEGO has realized that Ninjago still has a large fan base out there that wants it to continue!

[Aanchir]

That's what it sound like to me. They're probably trying to make sure they can revive it next year should Chima not go as well as the hoped. Either that or LEGO has realized that Ninjago still has a large fan base out there that wants it to continue!

I'm fairly certain it's the latter. TLG has no reason not to have high hopes for Chima, since they've put a lot of work into it and I can't imagine them giving it such a huge initial release if they expected it to perform poorly.

With that said, the decision to continue Ninjago was almost certainly made before there was a chance for backlash against the series ending to emerge. It may have even been planned to continue even before Kevin Hinkle revealed that it was ending, and he simply wasn't "in the loop" at the time. So I feel that if a decision to continue Ninjago was made on account of the fans, it would have been based on sales and viewership numbers, not based on outspoken fan demand.

Now, the decision to reveal future plans for Ninjago this far in advance is a different story. That just screams "damage control", given TLG's normally secretive nature. And I certainly appreciate the break from tradition.

Edited December 23, 2012 by Aanchir

[TheRedGuy]

o

Now, the decision to reveal future plans for Ninjago this far in advance is a different story. That just screams "damage control", given TLG's normally secretive nature. And I certainly appreciate the break from tradition.

Something tells me that they announced that Ninjago is coming back so angry kids would buy Chima.

[horizon]

Having high hopes and a big release for Legends of Chima doesn't make it a succes. LoC misses what Ninjago had: ninja's. I mean, c'mon. ;)

[Aanchir]

Something tells me that they announced that Ninjago is coming back so angry kids would buy Chima.

That, and so that kids will maintain an interest in Ninjago rather than thinking they no longer have to keep up with Ninjago discussion and product releases. I'm sure that's a big part of why it was revealed on the LEGO message boards-- it gives users there something to speculate about, and that keeps them engaged with both the site and the brand.

Also, how do we know there are no ninjas in Chima? Maybe they're just so good we can't see them. .