Actually the 2014 set with the loader,digger and track is a kind of universal set.If lego make good sales of it then I am sure they might make another set of similar nature.

Actually the 2014 set with the loader,digger and track is a kind of universal set.If lego make good sales of it then I am sure they might make another set of similar nature.

yep - and this i good - but it is one for very young kids, maybe ranged from 6 to 8 - boring for kids about 9 and above... what i had in mind are sets like the epic 8094, 8485, 8479 ...

Then you have to hope that sales of the small set are good,If not lego will not do a larger set.

Another issue, it seems that Technic is mostly oriented towards boys. TLG is now actively engaging in developing themes for both boys and girls (witness the new Disney Princess line and of course, Friends). Additional Technic models that may have broader appeal would be welcome - I know my daughter, for one, while not particularly attracted to construction vehicles, would love some other type of highly mechanical and poly-functional Technic design - GBC comes to mind, any kind of Rube-Goldberg device, non-construction/racing vehicles such as truck with boat. These types of sets would have near universal appeal and broaden both the market for Technic and also increase the range of types of sets being produced.

Does seem like TLG is missing out by not getting into GBC. Several reasons for this that I can see:

- They'd make money selling the balls individually.

- GBC is not gender specific.

- It appeals to AFOLs as well as kids.

- Can be as simple or complex (mechanically) as required (for different age groups).

- Could be as large a set or small a set as required (different price brackets).

- Incentive to put sets together to make bigger sets (a la System City or Trains).

- A group of friends could buy different GBCs and link them together to play with each other.

Why wouldn't they produce GBC sets?

[Edited for spelling]

Edited January 14, 201411 yr by Gee

If you look at an event were there are gbc displayed, there is almost always White dust at the rotating parts.

Tis comes from wear and tear. Lego will not put something on the market that will destroy itself.

thats my guess

Grtz

Johnny

If you look at an event were there are gbc displayed, there is almost always White dust at the rotating parts.

Tis comes from wear and tear. Lego will not put something on the market that will destroy itself.

thats my guess

Grtz

Johnny

If you run 9398 all day lon like a GBC can do, you will get the same results. Is not the appliance per se but the amount of time running.

I was thinking the same thing. Any set that I've had with a motor in has produced some powder and if you are going to play with a motorised set all day long (like at a convention) then this will exacerbate the problem.

Yeah, a GBC series, with a new model featuring new mechanisms released each year (in the fashion of the modular building series) would be great. They wouldn't even have to be that large, and the "B" models that folks would come up with for each set would be wild.

I also think there's a great opportunity to introduce certain Technic parts and techniques in certain more advanced system models, to attract older kids to the potential of the Technic world. I posted a couple simple models using mini linear actuators over in the Town forum as an example of this.

Technic design ins't in limbo.. There is only a very very minute group of people on this planet that could design models as practically and precisely as the ones that we have seen over the past few years from Lego...

The Technic design team has the resources and skill to blow away just about any average and skilled fan out there.. You don't think they would like to(and can) do everything that you want to..?

I would love to see the prototype designs that the Technic team has done over the years that never get to see the public's eye..

I am more amazed by the simplistic use and practical way of using parts than by the sheer amount of parts used in typical AFOL Lego Moc's... I wish that I could build like the Technic designers do..

People always seem to take the models that the Technic team does for granted without looking into how they are actually designed...

I agree with this. Only a very few MOC-ers can produce models in the quality you are talking about. Actually I do think that you are able to make models that are up to that quality, but you do build slowly...

But maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm not good enough to even judge the quality of Lego models.

Edited January 14, 201411 yr by Lipko

I have no doubt that the designers are awesome builders. Not only that, they have massive resources at their disposal, such as the ability to create new pieces and release existing pieces in new colours. They are not limited to the current set of parts like we are. They also do it as their day job giving them much more time to build than we have. I realise that against them they have to consider things that we don't, like can it be built by a child (with one part per step I should hope so!), out of the box reliability (42009 outriggers?) and even a test in an oven I think. But still I expect a much higher level of awesomeness from them that what's possible from us MOCers. Like when 8880 was released there was no way MOcers at that time could have come close to building a supercar that good due to it's many new awesome parts. Imagine it's new years day 1994 and you were told that TLG are releasing a new car. Remember it was the test car that came just 6 years before it. But this new car will have 4 wheel drive, steering and suspension. It will have a 4 speed gearbox which uses much more life like clutch gears and a H pattern shifter as well as sleek lines and for the first time a v8. If all you had before that was the test car (which it was) then you'de be thinking wow, what a huge leap forward. There's no way I could build a supercar that good no matter how good I am, I can't wait till I get something that awesome! Then you see a picture and you are even more excited. Fast forward to now and we have "clues" that we will be getting an RC front end loader with LAs and 4 motors. Even with it's new bucket I'm just left thinking pfft, I could build a front end loader that good right now. Where's the leap forward? Like I said, I have no doubt that the designers are insanely good at what they do, and with the resources available to them it just seems that they are either held back by the higher ups or that their creativity and imaginations are indeed in limbo.

Edited January 14, 201411 yr by allanp

I couldn't agree more... And i couldn't express my feelings about the current direction of TLG and their release strategy in better words... Chapeau!

Like when 8880 was released there was no way MOcers at that time could have come close to building a supercar that good due to it's many new awesome parts. Imagine it's new years day 1994 and you were told that TLG are releasing a new car. Remember it was the test car that came just 6 years before it. But this new car will have 4 wheel drive, steering and suspension. It will have a 4 speed gearbox which uses much more life like clutch gears and a H pattern shifter as well as sleek lines and for the first time a v8. If all you had before that was the test car (which it was) then you'de be thinking wow, what a huge leap forward. There's no way I could build a supercar that good no matter how good I am, I can't wait till I get something that awesome!

Fast forward to now and we have "clues" that we will be getting an RC front end loader with LAs and 4 motors. Even with it's new bucket I'm just left thinking pfft, I could build a front end loader that good right now. Where's the leap forward?

"Where's the leap forward"?!

I'd say that the fact that what was special back then is ordinary today, is proof of a giant leap forward!

Why wouldn't they produce GBC sets?

Because it isn't cool (to 95% of Lego customers). Kids don't see a GBC in the streets working on making their hometowns more modern, and recognize their shape from the Lego model.

Also, because you need many for it to become interesting.

Also, because you can't really play with it. You can put it on and look at it, yes, but if that's play then watching TV is play too.

GBC is a funny and very interesting AFOL invention. But it isn't a suitable subject for Lego to sell to children.

I am more amazed by the simplistic use and practical way of using parts than by the sheer amount of parts used in typical AFOL Lego Moc's...

This, so much :)

I always silently laugh when I see the next 2500-part supercar, thinking, Lego can do it with 1300. No wonder the AFOL model is more authentic, more realistic, more fully featured, whatever.

It aims for different goals, so naturally it produces a different result.

(I once created a supercar with only 850 parts. It had only front steer from stering wheel (no HOG), rear drive, 4-speed gearbox and no doors, but it classifies as a supercar. Although I used a trick (a construction considered illegal by TLG), and actually aimed for 800 or less, but I wanted to find out how hard it was and what the result would be.)

Although I used a trick (a construction considered illegal by TLG)

May I ask how this trick worked, and why TLG consider it illegal? I can't imagine why it would be illegal.

Kids don't see teddy bears or talking animals in the street, but they're still fascinated with them!

My 4 year old is super fascinated by GBC and would happily build one and put it on and watch it. He sits and watches them on YouTube for long periods of time. How different is that from a train set? You build that, turn it on and the train goes round and round. Boring! But they still sell in big numbers. At least GBC has more functionality. Also, think of a marble run which is marketed to children and lots of small children enjoy.

GBC would be cool to more than 5% of customers. Just check out how many hits it gets on the YouTube for a start off. There's no basis for saying that 95% of people wouldn't be interested.

You could build GBC modules with a small amount of parts and therefore it'd be relatively cheap meaning that people would be able to afford more than one set. Not only that, but once you get one set then you will have the motivation to build more from your parts bin, the same way that people who get town sets add to them by making their own things. There's a lot of LEGO sets that, in isolation, have the potential to be pretty boring.

There's a lot more playability in them than a lot of the other System sets, for example the buildings that they brought out.

Just because it's not an off-roader with big tyres and remote control, doesn't mean that people will think that it's un-cool. LEGO is a construction toy and a lot of the joy and fun is in the construction and re-construction of the sets.

I think it is pointless to argue over what is interesing for the kids. I bet lego made a lot of tests, and they know it much better than us.

Hey man, no arguments from me. This is a contentious topic and it's bound to promote some good discussion!

I guess if you don't like what TLG produce as sets then you are free to design and build your own. This is what I did with my rubbish trucks :)

Absolutely and that's the beauty of LEGO, you can build anything. The only limit is your imagination.

This is a discussion about what some feel is lacking in Technic at the moment and what might be considered in the future.

"Where's the leap forward"?!

I'd say that the fact that what was special back then is ordinary today, is proof of a giant leap forward!

Erik, i appreciate your opinion here in this forum - but now i can not follow you - or with other words: it's all double dutch to me ;-)

What is the fact? where do you see no leap forward? seems that i completely not-understand what yu want to express, sorry.

maybe you could try to explain with other words...

Edited January 15, 201411 yr by Kumbbl

Erik Leppen: I'd like to know what that illegal technique was aswell.

As long as I see new original models using new building techniques, I can't complain. Of course more new parts would be nice too. Kind of odd that we got new hubs last year in the 42000 and new steering arms in the 42021 snowmobile, but no other new model this year using them together.

At risk of enraging many, I don't see plenty of need for new parts (apart from occasional PF additions, wheels, or variations of LA's, pneumatics, telescopic joints, etc.). Basic structural Technic parts are currently sufficient for almost anything, as evident from official sets and many insanely great MOC's (and new coming up all the time ).

Whereas, expanding the palette into other, over-specialized parts somehow defeats the idea of Technic ― at least for me. If a mechanism can't possibly be built on a reasonable scale with existing parts, the be it, rather than introducing new dedicated parts that are difficult to use beyond their one main purpose. E.g. portal hubs were a slight disappointment for me in that respect.

Whereas, expanding the palette into other, over-specialized parts somehow defeats the idea of Technic ― at least for me.

Yep, me too. Just look at what was achieved back in the hey day of Technic with limited specialised parts. These days it sometimes seems that if a hurdle can't be overcome easily they will just invent new parts to make it work.

Not got any experience of portals but they can, and are frequently, made using standard parts. The example I thought of was CV joints...

I'd like to add that I feel we are lacking in certain colours (i.e.: white and blue). I have in my mind models I would like to see and build but could not get the parts in the colours. I do think lego technic has moved on but at the same time I get what this topic is about.

H