The Future of Hero Factory

[Matoro Lives]

So, in light of the news of a new constraction theme in 2015, and with the recent evidence pointing to a possible Bionicle reboot, we must now ask ourselves: What does all this mean for Hero Factory? Hero Factory sales have always been fairly average (sometimes even below average), and it has not been able to gain the huge fanbase that bionicle possessed. However, this years HF sales have done fairly well and proven that HF still has the potential to succeed. Personally, I think lego should keep HF, but also fully shift it over to a system theme (with the occasional constraction mech). This years HF minifigs were incredibly well designed, and were a major factor in this years sales boost for the theme. Lego ought to build on that success with HF system line-up. What do you guys think lego should do with Hero Factory?

[Reznas]

I find it really hard to believe that Bionicle and HF could work side by side. I honestly think it would have to be one or the other. But maybe I'm over thinking things?

 

-Rez

[Shadow Destroyer]

Having them both at the same time could cause them to hurt each other's profits. Perhaps keeping only one is the best option?

[fishers64]

I'm kind of mixed feelings on this. Part of me wants HF to stay around for a little longer so I can get a Stringer mech, and part of me just doesn't care much. It's not like they're going to do the Villain factory or tie up the loose plot threads. I actually wish they would take the first part of 2015 and do that - clear up the mysterious villain thread/Villain factory thing and give Stringer a mech - and then die. 

 

But if they aren't going to do that, I'm not going to complain too bad if they replace it with Bionicle or something else. I just think IFB is a poor end to the HF story, and they can do better than that.  

[Rooster Nui]

I don't think Hero Factory is here to stay much longer. The fact that Lego has tried the mech idea and gone in a new and much different direction with the current sets tells me that Hero Factory's profits may have gone down in the recent years. But it also doesn't have to mean that, I'm just saying that Lego either has done this to try and get profits up or they're just trying something new.

 

I'm not too worried if Hero Factory goes, as long as it doesn't suffer like the later years of Bionicle did, and Lego doesn't completely abandon the idea of Technic or Constraction sets, then I'm all good.

 

Having them both at the same time could cause them to hurt each other's profits. Perhaps keeping only one is the best option?

I agree with you, yes it would defintiely make each theme hurt each others profits. I can't imagine Lego ever having them both active at the same time though.

[Tahu3.0]

 i see the future of hero factory a bit bad because of what is gonna happen in 2015 but think in about the bright side hero factory has gave us a new system and that system could progress in 2015.   

[Lyichir]

If Bionicle comes back I can't picture Hero Factory staying around for too much longer, since the themes are very similar except for their general tone and mood. I don't think that Bionicle's return would necessarily mean that Hero Factory would have to end right away, though—the two could potentially coexist for a year or so, especially if Hero Factory sticks to the mini-Hero scale while Bionicle returns with full-sized action figure sets. Honestly, this is what I'm hoping for, since Hero Factory has a nasty habit of not following up on cliffhangers, and I'd prefer it to spend a year or even just half a year (like the Bionicle Stars) to bring closure to the hanging plot threads than to simply end on that note.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Lyichir

[Aanchir]

I have a feeling that if Hero Factory continues at the same scale it had this year, with mini-heroes in battle machines instead of full 7" hero figures, it could coexist with BIONICLE fairly well. That doesn't mean they would coexist in the long term, but it's a possibility, because the subject matter is sufficiently different.

 

If it returned to 7" or larger figures, I doubt the two themes could coexist because the subject matter would be too similar. Both themes would consist of robot heroes and villains with detailed masks and elemental weapons. Even if there were some stylistic differences I don't think there would be enough difference to keep the two themes from cannibalizing each other's sales.

 

I would really love it if the two themes did coexist, though, because it would represent growth for the constraction category in general. The last time there were two in-house constraction themes that didn't exist to supplement larger System themes was in 2002, with BIONICLE and Galidor, and we all know how that went. But in terms of subject matter, this could be more like in 2006–2008, when BIONICLE and Exo-Force were running concurrently.