Why Lego should reboot Bionicle

[Dr. Lakata]

By this point I think everyone had heard the awesome news: Bionicle is coming back!!! I like everyone else was super psyched, and I can’t wait to see what Lego has in store for us. Obviously one of the big questions out there right now is exactly what this return if going to look like. Will it continue the story where it left off, or will we take off in some new direction? I’m of the opinion that the smartest move for Lego is a reboot of the story, and here are my reasons why.

 

It will make Bionicle accessible to newbies.

Let’s face it, Bionicle and Lego are kids toys that happen to be also appealing to older folks.  Those of us that remember the old Bionicle fall into the latter category. It honestly isn’t fair to ask these younger, new fans to go back and review a multi-year story arc that spans several comics and books and movies if they want to get into Bionicle. If nothing else it’s just a bad bisnuess move. A reboot gives these new fans a chance to visit the world from its beginning, just like we did.

 

We get the see the world with fresh eyes

My favorite years of Bionicle were the first few, when everything was new and exciting. I remember the excitement when the Borahk were first teased, and then awesome rush when the Toa Nuva arrived. There is a certain magic that’s present at the beginning of a story that gets lost over time. A reboot gives us old fans a chance to rekindle those emotions without having to scrap the characters and settings we love so much. I think a great example of this is the Marvel Ultimate universe. By hitting the reset button on all their characters and storylines, Marvel was able to breathe new life into old tropes, and play with fans expectations while staying true to the core of the source material. Lego can do just this with the right reboot. Imagine getting to see the original six Toa back in action again, meeting each other for the first time. I personally get goosebumps just thinking about it!

 

Set design has evolved

Throughout the course of Bionicle, the design of the sets ebbed and flowed. Some of the changes were good, others not so much. A reboot could give us the best of both worlds. By revisiting the old set and revamping them, we could get sets that combine the solid, functional design of the early years with the more possible and flexible ones of the later years. Win win!

 

Reboots can work, and work well

I know the term “reboot” has become a dirty word these days, what with Hollywood retreading anything it can find to prey off of fan loyalty and make a quick buck. But let’s not forget that reboots don’t always fail. I already mentioned Marvel Ultimate, and there’s also Nolan’s Batman Trilogy. The new Battlestar Galactica was superior to its parent franchise, and Doctor Who was able to revive itself and keep delivering great stories. So reboots can work. The key to a good one is for those involved to truly love the original, while not being afraid to branch off in new directions. I think Lego is the perfect company to do a reboot proper. Pretty much everything Lego does is characterized by its attention to detail. Nothing is rushed or half-done. They would do it really well, and give us a Bionicle we could be proud of.

 

It doesn’t eliminate the old Bionicle

Restarting the franchise doesn’t mean we have to forget all the good memories. It just means we are heading off to a new direction, and embracing a new adventure. Like I said at the start, Bionicle is not for us, it’s for the kids who are where we were all those years ago, ready to be blown away by an amazing world, ripe for exploration and discovery. I think a reboot gives them the best chance to latch on to it like we did.

 

Hopefully I am right, and hopefully a reboot is in store. But either way, we’ll have a lot of new fans coming to our beloved Bionicle, and we’ll need to welcome them in and welcome any changes that come with an open mind.

 

What do you guys think of my reasoning, and what would you like to see in a potential reboot?

[Lyichir]

I agree with every single one of your points. In fact, I'd add one more!
 

A reboot allows the theme to correct its past flaws

Bionicle was an amazing story, but it was far from perfect. Notably, the story became bloated as character after character was introduced (and this was not helped by the fanservice-y serials putting the spotlight back on old characters while creating all sorts of loose ends). And there are other issues as well–for instance, making Ga-Matoran all female and the other five original tribes all male may have been originally intended to make sure that there would always be at least one female character on a team, but it also limited creativity by tying gender intrinsically to certain powers, and set in stone a 1-to-5 gender ratio that seems appallingly outdated these days. A new Bionicle could take a good look on what worked and what didn't, and could start on the right foot without having to apply sweeping retcons to the existing story.

[Comment Expired]

 

A reboot allows the theme to correct its past flaws

 

Yeah. They can throw out all that stupid Matoran Universe trash and go back to spooky island adventures.

[Lyichir]

 

A reboot allows the theme to correct its past flaws

 

Yeah. They can throw out all that stupid Matoran Universe trash and go back to spooky island adventures.

 

I firmly disagree that the Matoran Universe was a "flaw"—in fact, the idea that the Matoran originated inside a giant robot which was far more advanced than their island home was one of the core concepts of the theme, developed before the theme even started. In fact, that's the reason for the theme's name—it was a Biological Chronicle not because the characters were biomechanical, but because they played the role of cells in a larger organism (The Great Spirit). The theme would only have stuck to the island setting if it had not been successful enough to last as long as it did—and if it had ended before the Matoran returned to the inside of the robot, then their return and the robot's reawakening would have been the inevitable epilogue.

 

But yes, spooky island adventures are always a good thing and I would not mind it a bit.

[Aanchir]

I definitely can respect people's reasons for not finding the later locations as memorable as Mata Nui. At the same time, I think that after three years, Mata Nui was starting to get old — the Toa were revisiting the same kind of island scenery over and over again, and the only times they ever saw anything new was when they went underground at the end of each and every story arc. This was visible whether you were talking about the comics, the Templar animations, or even the TV commercials. So if the storyline was to continue past 2003, it very much needed a change in scenery.

 

Now, there are other ways to freshen up a theme's scenery. The 2005 storyline demonstrated one of those ways: revisit the same setting after a huge and conspicuous change. Even though both 2004 and 2005 took place in Metru Nui, the scenery underwent an enormous transformation: 2004 took place in a bustling industrialized city, while 2005 took place in the abandoned ruins of that same city.

 

I don't know that this would have worked as well for Mata Nui, though. It would have been awful to see the island's pristine beauty reduced to utter ruin with the Matoran still living there. And doing the opposite — transforming the island by way of creation rather than destruction — would be difficult to achieve without a time skip, unless the Toa were to activate some magical, elaborate mechanism that erected new scenery and landmarks for the characters to explore.

 

It's definitely a puzzle, and one that I'm sure will present itself for the new BIONICLE in due time. Remaining in the same pristine setting indefinitely is not an option that's really feasible in the long term. But perhaps there is some way to introduce new settings without quite the same level of "culture shock" as there was between the tribal, pre-industrial society on Mata Nui and the urban, industrial society on Metru Nui.

[Turaga Majice]

As much as I love the story of BIONICLE and where it went, I'd be game for a reboot. That story happened, and I'll always remember it.

 

The way I see it, though, it wouldn't be hard to say "this is a different universe" or "this happens in a different star system in the same galaxy." They could feasibly incorporate elements of the old story in small dashes when they see fit, that way, but keep the new sandbox far enough away from the old one that they don't have to worry about continuity issues.

[Lyichir]

As much as I love the story of BIONICLE and where it went, I'd be game for a reboot. That story happened, and I'll always remember it.

 

The way I see it, though, it wouldn't be hard to say "this is a different universe" or "this happens in a different star system in the same galaxy." They could feasibly incorporate elements of the old story in small dashes when they see fit, that way, but keep the new sandbox far enough away from the old one that they don't have to worry about continuity issues.

The problem with that is that interstellar travel and even travel to other universes are far from impossible in Bionicle. To have it far enough away to not have to worry about interlopers from the old story traveling to the new one (with all the literary baggage that entails) would be difficult... and if you did that anyway and just decided not to connect it with the setting from the original story, then it's effectively no different from a complete reboot, save for NOT being able to reintroduce classic characters without connecting it.

[LordofBionicles]

I'm sorry, I don't gree with having a reboot mainly because of the news I've heard so far in which the Toa Mata are the sets again and they will have to learn how to use their powers. I like what you said about going on a new direction but if that's the case then let's introduce new characters, not re-write the fundamentals which are already established.

You also said that the line will now be just for kids but I think it's for us as well becuse LEGO decided to bring it back, and who is the potential consumer in this ind of situations? The old fans. 

As I said on my video  (which you can watch by clicking my sign) I think we should have gotten a non-direct sequel just like The Legend of Korra, so that new comers can join in without having to learn everything from the past.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

I've already posted my thoughts, but glad to see this subject got a topic so soon.

 

I think a reboot is a great idea, but a continuation is still possible and can still work without alienating newcomers. Part of that is mentioned in LordofBionicles post right here >

 

As I said on my video  (which you can watch by clicking my sign) I think we should have gotten a non-direct sequel just like The Legend of Korra, so that new comers can join in without having to learn everything from the past.

That's how I feel. The unnecessary details don't have to surface, but they'll still be there if someone wants to find out more about them. But since the concepts and characters will be the same, rebooting and continuing it can have the same effect. One limits the creativity a little bit more, but that shouldn't be a problem if LEGO is willing to throw existing characters into new situations without rewriting everything.

 

But I agree that ridding Bionicle of some of it's narrative flaws would be a definite plus.

 

One think I do disagree with, LordofBionicles, is this:

 

I'm sorry, I don't gree with having a reboot mainly because of the news I've heard so far in which the Toa Mata are the sets again and they will have to learn how to use their powers. I like what you said about going on a new direction but if that's the case then let's introduce new characters, not re-write the fundamentals which are already established.

You also said that the line will now be just for kids but I think it's for us as well becuse LEGO decided to bring it back, and who is the potential consumer in this ind of situations? The old fans. 

 

 

Using fan-favourite characters is a great way to get older fans interested again. Imagine a fan from 2001 who fell off of Bionicle but heard about 2015 and realized that it was retelling the story with the characters and setting they grew up with and loved? That use of nostalgia is common in pretty much every reboot. The characters in the Star Trek reboot films are just reimagined. Dante in DmC is still Dante and carries some of his notable traits. Superhero movies cleanse the previous iterations story but keeps the same characters, do they not? And so on and so forth.

 

Plus, it would be even more fun to see Tahu and memorable characters thrown into completely different situations and given a different treatment than just have a new character team altogether. Part of the fun in reboots is seeing the new character or reimagining of the event and comparing it to the older one. New characters would be better off in a continuation. 

 

-NotS

Edited September 9, 2014 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[Korero]

I'm pretty excited about Lego doing a reboot. Even though I obviously will miss the old Bionicle universe and story, I'm sure Lego will do a great job introducing this great theme to a whole new group of kids. And hopefully Lego brings back some older characters other than the Toa Mata, like Turaga, Matoran, etc. I sure hope they add in collectibles like Kanohi masks or Kanoka discs.

[LordofBionicles]

Using fan-favourite characters is a great way to get older fans interested again. Imagine a fan from 2001 who fell off of Bionicle but heard about 2015 and realized that it was retelling the story with the characters and setting they grew up with and loved? That use of nostalgia is common in pretty much every reboot. The characters in the Star Trek reboot films are just reimagined. Dante in DmC is still Dante and carries some of his notable traits. Superhero movies cleanse the previous iterations story but keeps the same characters, do they not? And so on and so forth.

 

Plus, it would be even more fun to see Tahu and memorable characters thrown into completely different situations and given a different treatment than just have a new character team altogether. Part of the fun in reboots is seeing the new character or reimagining of the event and comparing it to the older one. New characters would be better off in a continuation. 

 

-NotS

 

Well you're right about people wanting to see memorable characters in new situations, it's just that I consider Bionicle's story to be strictly straight, unlike comic books which create alternate timelines and reboots constantly, guess I'm not used to that.

I love the Toa Nuva as much as anyone else, but I'd like to see more characters get the spotlight every now and then, like the Toa Hagah for example.

[Zidonaro]

While I now hate the word "reboot" (because of the new ""TOMB RAIDER"" game which I hate with all fibers of my being), I think the thing BIONICLE needs the most new is a reboot. Although there are chances that will be bad, there's also chances that it will be a good one.

[Shadow Destroyer]

I'm sorry, I don't gree with having a reboot mainly because of the news I've heard so far in which the Toa Mata are the sets again and they will have to learn how to use their powers. I like what you said about going on a new direction but if that's the case then let's introduce new characters, not re-write the fundamentals which are already established.

You also said that the line will now be just for kids but I think it's for us as well becuse LEGO decided to bring it back, and who is the potential consumer in this ind of situations? The old fans. 

As I said on my video  (which you can watch by clicking my sign) I think we should have gotten a non-direct sequel just like The Legend of Korra, so that new comers can join in without having to learn everything from the past.

 

I would like a continuation set far in the future. That way the events in the first ten years still had impact, but they aren't at all crucial to understanding the new story. That way, newer fans wouldn't be intimidated.

[bonesiii]

It all depends on what you mean by "reboot." If you simply mean "any type of story where new fans don't need to review old story", then just about everybody agrees, from past topics, and polls, on the subject.

 

But if you mean "retell 2001+ all over again, giant robot etc." then no. That's been done... I've said much more on this before.

 

So if you just mean "no need to review," it almost doesn't need saying. Greg has mentioned LEGO's awareness of this. But it can be done with new story, not rehash of old story. (And then, that can be set in the future... or even the possibility of a reimagining, although there's major problems with that since the big secret is out already... or brand new direction we can't even guess with a totally new unrelated location.)

 

So to me the real question isn't "reboot" by that definition but whether it will be future story, or a "reboot" by the definition of "re-cover old ground" (or something totally new). Some of your comments seem to be along the lines of the latter, but honestly, I think that probably comes more out of old-fan nostalgia than anything, and I'm not sure that really aligns with LEGO's goals for brand new fans, yanno? Still, could happen. Whatever direction they go, us older fans just need to remember we're just along for the ride; it isn't really for us, it's for kids.

[Kopekemaster]

Technically speaking, I agree with all of your points - I guess my main beef with it is that, if they reboot it, although some things, no doubt, will change, we will still know the main points of the story.

For example, you mentioned the teasing of the Bohrok - with a reboot, there wouldn't be much "tease" in it, since we would already know what they are.

The Turaga being cryptic about things wouldn't intrigue us, since we'd already know what they were hiding.

We'd know that Matoro would die (well, actually, that's something they could pretty easily change, as I see it).

We'd know that everything is in the MU.

 

Sure, there would be some changes, plus new sets, and possibly some fixed flaws. But we'd still already have the big picture in mind, and the same mystery probably wouldn't be there.

 

Also, I [mostly] agree with Bonesiii's post above me.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Kopekemaster

[Banana Gunz]

Retell the old Bionicle story, but change things up and switch story elements around. Excessive story is excessive and the only way I see a continuation viable is if they skip ahead in time and as the story progresses retell some old story. But reboot is just better because you can tell another story with old characters and fix problems made in the past. If a continuation can be done well, I'm all for it, but as I see it a retelling with changes and new twists just feels a lot more logical.

[Lyichir]

 

I'm sorry, I don't gree with having a reboot mainly because of the news I've heard so far in which the Toa Mata are the sets again and they will have to learn how to use their powers. I like what you said about going on a new direction but if that's the case then let's introduce new characters, not re-write the fundamentals which are already established.

You also said that the line will now be just for kids but I think it's for us as well becuse LEGO decided to bring it back, and who is the potential consumer in this ind of situations? The old fans. 

As I said on my video  (which you can watch by clicking my sign) I think we should have gotten a non-direct sequel just like The Legend of Korra, so that new comers can join in without having to learn everything from the past.

 

I would like a continuation set far in the future. That way the events in the first ten years still had impact, but they aren't at all crucial to understanding the new story. That way, newer fans wouldn't be intimidated.

 

I doubt that'd work. You'd have to set it exceptionally far in the future (tens of thousands of years, if not more) for any significant number of the old characters to disappear from the story, thanks to the ludicrous lifespans of most Bionicle species. And doing that would be more than a little intimidating or offputting for new fans who aren't used to Bionicle's insane timeline.

 

Or you could reboot the story, which would be much, much more successful at drawing in new fans, with no considerable drawbacks. The majority of older fans have already moved on from the theme and even those who haven't might not bother buying new sets (or would do so even in the event of a reboot). Lego has nothing to gain from pandering to them if it has even a chance of scaring off new fans.

[boston100]

I think they will do a reboot. with  spiders it makes me think that the visorak will come to mata nui.

(not sure if im aloud to talk about them now. if im not, im sorry)

Edited September 13, 2014 by -Windrider-

[Adventurer]

Before I respond in full - when people are saying "reboot" do they mean remake? To me a reboot is more or less leaving the past history of the franchise behind and starting from somewhere and somewhen else with an entirely new set of characters. Whereas a remake starts at the same origin point and goes from there. Personally I feel a reboot as I've defined it with some continutity from the past franchise is the best option (enough continuity to not make it pointless bringing back the line but not enough to confuse new comers). A remake would feel a bit odd (I'll explain in more depth later if that is what we're talking about), especially given the 10 year line ended only a couple of years ago.

 

EDIT: That all being said I think I'd still enjoy a remake or a re-imagining if it were done well or differently enough from the original run. If it was too similar it'd feel too familiar.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Adventurer

[Lielac]

I think they will do a reboot. with spiders it makes me think that the visorak will come to mata nui.

(not sure if im aloud to talk about them now. if im not, im sorry)

Haven't seen anything about any spider guy on anything Lego's released to the public, soooooo let's not.

 

But, as a hypothetical wild guess, a visorak'd Mata Nui could be interesting. Mutated, cranky Rahi everywhere! Spiders... wait, what do Visorak do when they're not being directed by an outside force? Snack on people?

Edited September 13, 2014 by -Windrider-

[dviddy]

Before I respond in full - when people are saying "reboot" do they mean remake? To me a reboot is more or less leaving the past history of the franchise behind and starting from somewhere and somewhen else with an entirely new set of characters. Whereas a remake starts at the same origin point and goes from there. Personally I feel a reboot as I've defined it with some continutity from the past franchise is the best option (enough continuity to not make it pointless bringing back the line but not enough to confuse new comers). A remake would feel a bit odd (I'll explain in more depth later if that is what we're talking about), especially given the 10 year line ended only a couple of years ago.

 

EDIT: That all being said I think I'd still enjoy a remake or a re-imagining if it were done well or differently enough from the original run. If it was too similar it'd feel too familiar.

That's not what reboot means, especially in the context of a media franchise. A reboot specifically refers to a brand new, re-imagining with familiar characters and locations (at least initially) in a new story completely untethered from the original, a la Trek 09, each new Transformers cartoon, etc. think of it as a completely new timeline or an alternate universe.

 

It will be disconnected from the original story in a way that implies the original never happened, because for this story, the original -didn't-. I am certain this is what we'll be getting. The same characters in name, in a similar starting point as the original run. But they won't be the same versions of those characters. A continuation, no matter how far in the future, would be shooting the line in the foot and handicapping it from the get-go.

 

All the "we'd know everything already" comments don't seem to understand the significance if a reboot- it isn't simply a re-telling, it can be a brand new story with its own mysteries, villains, worlds, locations, characters. Who says there would even -be- a Matoro to die in a reboot? Maybe the story engine won't revolve around a giant robot? A reboot with familiar starting characters allows for a faint feeling of familiarity, and then allows for brand new stories unencumbered by past stories.

[Lielac]

 

Before I respond in full - when people are saying "reboot" do they mean remake? To me a reboot is more or less leaving the past history of the franchise behind and starting from somewhere and somewhen else with an entirely new set of characters. Whereas a remake starts at the same origin point and goes from there. Personally I feel a reboot as I've defined it with some continutity from the past franchise is the best option (enough continuity to not make it pointless bringing back the line but not enough to confuse new comers). A remake would feel a bit odd (I'll explain in more depth later if that is what we're talking about), especially given the 10 year line ended only a couple of years ago.

 

EDIT: That all being said I think I'd still enjoy a remake or a re-imagining if it were done well or differently enough from the original run. If it was too similar it'd feel too familiar.

That's not what reboot means, especially in the context of a media franchise. A reboot specifically refers to a brand new, re-imagining with familiar characters and locations (at least initially) in a new story completely untethered from the original, a la Trek 09, each new Transformers cartoon, etc. think of it as a completely new timeline or an alternate universe.

 

It will be disconnected from the original story in a way that implies the original never happened, because for this story, the original -didn't-. I am certain this is what we'll be getting. The same characters in name, in a similar starting point as the original run. But they won't be the same versions of those characters. A continuation, no matter how far in the future, would be shooting the line in the foot and handicapping it from the get-go.

 

All the "we'd know everything already" comments don't seem to understand the significance if a reboot- it isn't simply a re-telling, it can be a brand new story with its own mysteries, villains, worlds, locations, characters. Who says there would even -be- a Matoro to die in a reboot? Maybe the story engine won't revolve around a giant robot? A reboot with familiar starting characters allows for a faint feeling of familiarity, and then allows for brand new stories unencumbered by past stories.

 

This, this, this, this, this. Same starting location, familiar characters, and then everything goes off in a completely different direction. Maybe the Endless Ocean isn't and they're still part of Spherus Magna! Maybe Mata Nui is an island out in the middle of the ocean that the Great Beings played around with and then populated with their biomechanical experiments, and some intrepid adventurer (cough Takua cough) ventures underground and finds the research base where the GBs monitor their experiment! So many possibilities!

 

There are so many different directions you can take the universe if all you know is, say, what we knew at the beginning of 2001. Or a bit less than that; take the Makuta out of the picture, for instance, and then you don't have infected Rahi. Then you'd need a different conflict, and that could be any number of things. Spiders, for instance. Oops, a golden crystal the size of somebody's head just landed in the middle of Po-Wahi, and now you have a bajillion spiders swarming you, have fun with that!

[Adventurer]

 

Before I respond in full - when people are saying "reboot" do they mean remake? To me a reboot is more or less leaving the past history of the franchise behind and starting from somewhere and somewhen else with an entirely new set of characters. Whereas a remake starts at the same origin point and goes from there. Personally I feel a reboot as I've defined it with some continutity from the past franchise is the best option (enough continuity to not make it pointless bringing back the line but not enough to confuse new comers). A remake would feel a bit odd (I'll explain in more depth later if that is what we're talking about), especially given the 10 year line ended only a couple of years ago.

 

EDIT: That all being said I think I'd still enjoy a remake or a re-imagining if it were done well or differently enough from the original run. If it was too similar it'd feel too familiar.

That's not what reboot means, especially in the context of a media franchise. A reboot specifically refers to a brand new, re-imagining with familiar characters and locations (at least initially) in a new story completely untethered from the original, a la Trek 09, each new Transformers cartoon, etc. think of it as a completely new timeline or an alternate universe.

 

It will be disconnected from the original story in a way that implies the original never happened, because for this story, the original -didn't-. I am certain this is what we'll be getting. The same characters in name, in a similar starting point as the original run. But they won't be the same versions of those characters. A continuation, no matter how far in the future, would be shooting the line in the foot and handicapping it from the get-go.

 

All the "we'd know everything already" comments don't seem to understand the significance if a reboot- it isn't simply a re-telling, it can be a brand new story with its own mysteries, villains, worlds, locations, characters. Who says there would even -be- a Matoro to die in a reboot? Maybe the story engine won't revolve around a giant robot? A reboot with familiar starting characters allows for a faint feeling of familiarity, and then allows for brand new stories unencumbered by past stories.

 

 

That's almost precisely what I said? A restart at some new point in space and time with a new set of characters? I'm viewing it as a spectrum from one end having no link at all to the original franchise to the complete continuation end. I was saying I think it'd be best that it occurs pretty close to the complete cutoff but reusing some old ideas (eg calling masks Kanohi or concepts like that which could be carried over (not necessarily saying Kanohi just using that as an example)). I can think of many franchises that have been rebooted and take this approach, rather than starting at the beginning and redoing the story (as a remake would imply). Even the 09 Star Trek reboot was a reboot in that it still connected to the original timeline, it just then took place in another dimension - I can see something like that happening. Or with the other reboots the series had before that with each iteration of the show. I feel a -remake- wouldn't be a good idea, whilst a reboot would.

 

EDIT: Going by examples in the OP, I'd say a reboot of the style of Doctor Who makes more sense in this context than what I'd call more a remake/re-imagining (ie Nolan's Batman trilogy).

Edited September 13, 2014 by Adventurer

[Archon~]

Reboot or not, I'll just be happy to see Greg given the license to end old serials.

[Lyichir]

 

 

Before I respond in full - when people are saying "reboot" do they mean remake? To me a reboot is more or less leaving the past history of the franchise behind and starting from somewhere and somewhen else with an entirely new set of characters. Whereas a remake starts at the same origin point and goes from there. Personally I feel a reboot as I've defined it with some continutity from the past franchise is the best option (enough continuity to not make it pointless bringing back the line but not enough to confuse new comers). A remake would feel a bit odd (I'll explain in more depth later if that is what we're talking about), especially given the 10 year line ended only a couple of years ago.

 

EDIT: That all being said I think I'd still enjoy a remake or a re-imagining if it were done well or differently enough from the original run. If it was too similar it'd feel too familiar.

That's not what reboot means, especially in the context of a media franchise. A reboot specifically refers to a brand new, re-imagining with familiar characters and locations (at least initially) in a new story completely untethered from the original, a la Trek 09, each new Transformers cartoon, etc. think of it as a completely new timeline or an alternate universe.

 

It will be disconnected from the original story in a way that implies the original never happened, because for this story, the original -didn't-. I am certain this is what we'll be getting. The same characters in name, in a similar starting point as the original run. But they won't be the same versions of those characters. A continuation, no matter how far in the future, would be shooting the line in the foot and handicapping it from the get-go.

 

All the "we'd know everything already" comments don't seem to understand the significance if a reboot- it isn't simply a re-telling, it can be a brand new story with its own mysteries, villains, worlds, locations, characters. Who says there would even -be- a Matoro to die in a reboot? Maybe the story engine won't revolve around a giant robot? A reboot with familiar starting characters allows for a faint feeling of familiarity, and then allows for brand new stories unencumbered by past stories.

 

 

That's almost precisely what I said? A restart at some new point in space and time with a new set of characters? I'm viewing it as a spectrum from one end having no link at all to the original franchise to the complete continuation end. I was saying I think it'd be best that it occurs pretty close to the complete cutoff but reusing some old ideas (eg calling masks Kanohi or concepts like that which could be carried over (not necessarily saying Kanohi just using that as an example)). I can think of many franchises that have been rebooted and take this approach, rather than starting at the beginning and redoing the story (as a remake would imply). Even the 09 Star Trek reboot was a reboot in that it still connected to the original timeline, it just then took place in another dimension - I can see something like that happening. Or with the other reboots the series had before that with each iteration of the show. I feel a -remake- wouldn't be a good idea, whilst a reboot would.

 

EDIT: Going by examples in the OP, I'd say a reboot of the style of Doctor Who makes more sense in this context than what I'd call more a remake/re-imagining (ie Nolan's Batman trilogy).

 

The point is that they aren't a totally new set of characters—a reboot will typically feature different versions of familiar characters. Your example of Nolan's Batman trilogy IS a reboot because while many of the characters are ostensibly the same (Joker, Bruce Wayne, Alfred, etc.), they aren't exactly the same characters. Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne is a different character than Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne, not just because they look different but because they have different backstories, motivations, and personalities. It's not a remake because the events unfold quite differently—Jack Nicholson's Joker dies at the end of the movie but Heath Ledger's Joker is left for the police to apprehend, for example.

 

Doctor Who is in fact, NOT a reboot, but a continuation. While the new series started with only a scant few ties to the old one, it gradually reintroduced elements of the old, and the events of the original series are still canon to the new series for the most part. This is actually a good example of why I doubt a Bionicle continuation is all that desirable—tying it to the old series directly is just an avenue for the complexity of the original to creep back into the new Bionicle and have the same detrimental effect it originally had. A continuation might start simple, with the Toa Mata as Turaga and a fresh set of Toa to focus on—but it's only a matter of time before Vezon pops in through a dimensional portal, and new fans who seek to learn where he got that power will be greeted with four years' worth of insanity, shifting alliances, and confusing dimension hopping.

 

It's possible to make a continuation without that happening, of course. But for the most part, that's not the sentiment I've seen from fans in favor of a continuation. They want closure to the pointless loose ends from the serials. And they should—there's no positive benefits to a continuation otherwise, since the daunting canon of the original series would almost certainly scare off at least a few new fans, whether or not it's important to the new story. I can't see Lego pandering to the fraction of older fans who still care about those plot holes at the expense of new fans who deserve a fresh start.

[The Skakdi Chronicler]

Yes, you do a very good explanation of why a Reboot could work, I just hope hey do a slight continuation reboot (They introduce it as something new, but keep all the old characters and say very little about the past) 

[bonesiii]

Doctor Who is in fact, NOT a reboot, but a continuation.

The thing is, that is not really a "fact" -- it's just one way of defining "reboot". But not the universal way -- people use the term in different ways, and LEGO used the term for 2009. That was very much set in the future (not distant, but still), just like Who's newer series. It was "rebooted" in other ways besides going back to the start.

 

And Greg defined the main possibility for a Bionicle return -- that of a time-jump to the distant future -- as a reboot.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

And Greg defined the main possibility for a Bionicle return -- that of a time-jump to the distant future -- as a reboot.

 

When did he say this?

[dviddy]

 

Doctor Who is in fact, NOT a reboot, but a continuation.

The thing is, that is not really a "fact" -- it's just one way of defining "reboot". But not the universal way -- people use the term in different ways, and LEGO used the term for 2009. That was very much set in the future (not distant, but still), just like Who's newer series. It was "rebooted" in other ways besides going back to the start.

 

And Greg defined the main possibility for a Bionicle return -- that of a time-jump to the distant future -- as a reboot.

You're talking about a soft reboot, which, while capable of using the term (as TLG did in 09), while the rest of us are using it according to the current usage popularized by media franchises.

 

Let us remember that TLG attempted to do a soft reboot to reinvigorate the fan base and bring sales back up, as you pointed out. But it isn't fair to entirely use the term, as that role was abandoned when the attempt didn't do as desired.

 

Which, if anything, is a mark against that sort of continuation. It was tried once and was ineffective.

 

The quotes I've seen from Greg thrown about definitely don't seem to point towards any sort of future continuation. He has said it wouldn't make sense to tie a return to the old story, and no matter how hard one were to try, a future set continuation would be beholden to the first run.

[bonesiii]

And Greg defined the main possibility for a Bionicle return -- that of a time-jump to the distant future -- as a reboot.

When did he say this?

Here:

 

Well, I would certainly love to be involved in a return of BIONICLE, but I think if I were to do it, it would need to be a reboot in some respect. You can't pick up where you left off, because there is too much backstory for new fans to learn.So I think you would need to at the least do a time jump into the future.

 

And this option has won by a wide margin in my poll on type of return, so far. =) Who knows if LEGO's research into current target-age wants fits this, though -- we do have to keep in mind BZP is not (or not exactly, anyways) representative of the average (esp. having a lot of older fans, obviously, and the bulk of new fans haven't even entered a restarted Bionicle following since it hasn't started yet). Still, this is looking so far like the most likely option. But there are other possibilities. And of course, Greg was just talking about if he was involved. It could be they'd still pick up where they left off but he wouldn't want to be a part of it. Doubt it though.

[Tremah]

Hey, guys, I've got a theory about the new Bionicle storyline.

I was listening to TTV episode 112 recently and they quoted from Reign of Shadows:

"His mask was the most ornate anyone had ever seen – more than just a Kanohi, it was a true work of art. The metallic protodermis from which it was forged was arranged in intricate patterns and designs, each reflecting one of the many cultures that flourished in the universe. The eye slits were angular and pointed, giving him an air of both wisdom and a vague sense of menace."

So, let's suppose the recently leaked picture shows the mask of creation. If all the storyline turns around this mask, then it seems so similar to the battle between Artakha and Karzahni for this mask.

And we know that Toa Mata were created by Artakha (or at least on his island). So, what if the skullspiders are Karzahni's minions/allies?

And now I think that the 2015 story is the prequel to 2001-2010.

[Boidoh]

 

 

I'm sorry, I don't gree with having a reboot mainly because of the news I've heard so far in which the Toa Mata are the sets again and they will have to learn how to use their powers. I like what you said about going on a new direction but if that's the case then let's introduce new characters, not re-write the fundamentals which are already established.

You also said that the line will now be just for kids but I think it's for us as well becuse LEGO decided to bring it back, and who is the potential consumer in this ind of situations? The old fans. 

As I said on my video  (which you can watch by clicking my sign) I think we should have gotten a non-direct sequel just like The Legend of Korra, so that new comers can join in without having to learn everything from the past.

 

I would like a continuation set far in the future. That way the events in the first ten years still had impact, but they aren't at all crucial to understanding the new story. That way, newer fans wouldn't be intimidated.

 

I doubt that'd work. You'd have to set it exceptionally far in the future (tens of thousands of years, if not more) for any significant number of the old characters to disappear from the story, thanks to the ludicrous lifespans of most Bionicle species. And doing that would be more than a little intimidating or offputting for new fans who aren't used to Bionicle's insane timeline.

 

Or you could reboot the story, which would be much, much more successful at drawing in new fans, with no considerable drawbacks. The majority of older fans have already moved on from the theme and even those who haven't might not bother buying new sets (or would do so even in the event of a reboot). Lego has nothing to gain from pandering to them if it has even a chance of scaring off new fans.

 

 

Marendar...

[Aanchir]

 

 

 

I'm sorry, I don't gree with having a reboot mainly because of the news I've heard so far in which the Toa Mata are the sets again and they will have to learn how to use their powers. I like what you said about going on a new direction but if that's the case then let's introduce new characters, not re-write the fundamentals which are already established.

You also said that the line will now be just for kids but I think it's for us as well becuse LEGO decided to bring it back, and who is the potential consumer in this ind of situations? The old fans. 

As I said on my video  (which you can watch by clicking my sign) I think we should have gotten a non-direct sequel just like The Legend of Korra, so that new comers can join in without having to learn everything from the past.

 

I would like a continuation set far in the future. That way the events in the first ten years still had impact, but they aren't at all crucial to understanding the new story. That way, newer fans wouldn't be intimidated.

 

I doubt that'd work. You'd have to set it exceptionally far in the future (tens of thousands of years, if not more) for any significant number of the old characters to disappear from the story, thanks to the ludicrous lifespans of most Bionicle species. And doing that would be more than a little intimidating or offputting for new fans who aren't used to Bionicle's insane timeline.

 

Or you could reboot the story, which would be much, much more successful at drawing in new fans, with no considerable drawbacks. The majority of older fans have already moved on from the theme and even those who haven't might not bother buying new sets (or would do so even in the event of a reboot). Lego has nothing to gain from pandering to them if it has even a chance of scaring off new fans.

 

 

Marendar...

 

Are you suggesting the theme should have Marendar kill off the existing characters? That would be utterly pointless. The only reason to do a continuation would be to appeal to fans who enjoyed the original story, and having all of their favorite characters suffer untimely deaths would not strike me as particularly "appealing".

[Boidoh]

Well, the person said that we would have to wait a very long time for a significant number of characters to disappear from the story. So naturally, I suggested Marendar to kill them off.

[Aanchir]

Well, the person said that we would have to wait a very long time for a significant number of characters to disappear from the story. So naturally, I suggested Marendar to kill them off.

Yeah, but my point is that doing so would completely defeat the purpose of doing a continuation in the first place. If you don't care about older fans actually liking the new story, then why not just do a reboot, which is simpler and will probably be enjoyed by far more older fans than an implied bloodbath in which all the characters they know and love are thoughtlessly massacred.

 

Killing off a bunch of beloved characters just to make room for new toys is something Transformers: The Movie tried nearly three decades ago. It has always been incredibly controversial and I think most fans rightly regard it as an idiotic storytelling decision. There's a reason neither Transformers nor any Hasbro property has ever resorted to such a stupid and contrived scenario since then.

 

And if there are any older fans who would actually PREFER to see a mindless genocide of every character they ever loved to a reboot... well, I have a feeling their tastes are more sadistic and murderous than any tastes a well-respected kids' toy line should be trying to appeal to.

Edited September 13, 2014 by Aanchir

[Ragnar Lothbrok]

Quite frankly I have to agree with Dr Lakata in that a reboot would make much more sense. Not only will the older fans keep the memories of their favourite characters from 01-11, but also the serials started getting silly (I was very disappointed in the fact that the Red Star could revive dead characters). With a reboot, LEGO can address problems to the story (such as gender-specific tribes) and appeal to the people that will buy the most sets - the younger, newer fanbase.

[Pohatu: Uniter of Stone]

If Lego is going to do a reboot, which I hope they do, they could easily keep releasing the Toa Nuva and Tahu with new designs because of their adaptive armor. There's a ton of possibilities!