What Will Be Hf's Replacement?

[bonesiii]

Re: "Can HF get old?" -- the main way it can get old is the same as the main reason Bionicle was seen as getting old -- in marketing, even the youngest, newest kids could still recognize its title appearing year after year, so it is still seen as a continuation, rather than as something with a brand-new name and foundational concept. Also there is still some basics to the story that in order to be continued have to rely on transformations and the like, versus a new line introducing a whole new system of basics. Mainly the factory and the robotic nature of the heroes themselves.Anyways, I do think there's a strong chance Bionicle's return will replace HF. Probably the best time to bring back Bionicle is either to do it very soon while enough of the old fans are still in the typical toy-buying age range, or then to wait several years so that many of them have kids of their own. Something too much in between this would seem to not have enough of either to carry that move.So it comes down to the timing of when (or if) they end HF. If it goes on for maybe three more years, I'd say Bionicle can't replace it right away. The next thing would probably have to be something new. ("Can't" is the wrong word, but more like, "probably wouldn't".)As for what a hypothetical new line would be like, it's almost pointless to speculate. None of us predicted the armor-snap-on move of the new HF (which I'd say has largely come to be seen as HF's style, although it didn't start that way). When it came it was revolutionary and fresh and exciting precisely because none of us thought of it. So they might come up with something just as unexpected.Another possibility is they'll do something similar to the new superheroes thing; take it into a more human, organic direction simply represented by balljoint pieces, unlike Bionicle and HF which basically saw that design as canon. Then add in a LEGO-original storyline, which could go anywhere.

[Aanchir]

Re: "Can HF get old?" -- the main way it can get old is the same as the main reason Bionicle was seen as getting old -- in marketing, even the youngest, newest kids could still recognize its title appearing year after year, so it is still seen as a continuation, rather than as something with a brand-new name and foundational concept.Also there is still some basics to the story that in order to be continued have to rely on transformations and the like, versus a new line introducing a whole new system of basics. Mainly the factory and the robotic nature of the heroes themselves.Anyways, I do think there's a strong chance Bionicle's return will replace HF. Probably the best time to bring back Bionicle is either to do it very soon while enough of the old fans are still in the typical toy-buying age range, or then to wait several years so that many of them have kids of their own. Something too much in between this would seem to not have enough of either to carry that move.So it comes down to the timing of when (or if) they end HF. If it goes on for maybe three more years, I'd say Bionicle can't replace it right away. The next thing would probably have to be something new. ("Can't" is the wrong word, but more like, "probably wouldn't".)As for what a hypothetical new line would be like, it's almost pointless to speculate. None of us predicted the armor-snap-on move of the new HF (which I'd say has largely come to be seen as HF's style, although it didn't start that way). When it came it was revolutionary and fresh and exciting precisely because none of us thought of it. So they might come up with something just as unexpected.Another possibility is they'll do something similar to the new superheroes thing; take it into a more human, organic direction simply represented by balljoint pieces, unlike Bionicle and HF which basically saw that design as canon. Then add in a LEGO-original storyline, which could go anywhere.

I don't think BIONICLE's problem was it being a continuation in and of itself. I think it was the fact that it was a continuation of something too deep and complex for kids to understand at-a-glance, or to appreciate without heavy research into the backstory. This is why HF was designed with its rather straightforward and episodic story, rather than as a brand-new initiative with BIONICLE's level of initial complexity. Of course, this difference is both an asset and a liability for both themes, but in HF's case there seemed to be a conscious effort to avoid some of the story decisions BIONICLE had made.I feel that BIONICLE coming back could be a possibility whether or not there is an action figure theme on store shelves at the time. The question really is how could it come back and still sell as well as a brand-new theme. Being just a continuation of the past story wouldn't make it fresh and new at all. The details new fans would have to learn jumping into the franchise would be similar whether or not they knew that the theme was the legacy of nine previous years of story. I think a completely new beginning (either re-imagining the original story or coming up with a completely unrelated story in the same universe) would be the only way BIONICLE could truly have the appeal of a brand-new theme, but either could be just as controversial as ending the theme was in the first place. And there are other topics for that discussion.

[Waffles]

In 2001, did any of us know about HF?No, so there´s little chance we´ll know about its replacement.

[~garnira returns~]

hopefully, but unlikely; bionicle.

[GSR]

Frankly, I only see Bionicle as a viable HF replacement if HF lasts another several years. If Lego were to bring back Bionicle in one form or another, they'd want a significant gap between the end of the older line and the creation of the new one to minimize problems.

[Tiakor]

Interesting...I would probably say to just wait it all out and let time tell.

[Gatanui]

I sincerely hope HF is not going to be replaced very soon. If it is to end soon, though, I can figure LEGO going into a completely new direction of buildable action figures. I would not surprised if TLC took HF's building and applied it either to a Fantasy or a Sci-Fi theme. Maybe LEGO would try something similar as Galidor, only with less specialised pieces.~Gata.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Gatanui

[Biohistorian]

it will hopefully be a new storyline for bionicle! Like, 100 years after a Great Being Civil War for Spherus Magna. That would be a pretty cool continuation!

[Sybre]

IF Hero Factory actually gets old, I'm sure BIONICLE or some other line will come. If Hero Factory is great now, imagine what new BIONICLEs would look like.

[Eragon3443]

I have been thinking of this myself. I have no answers.

[Iku]

We all want BIONICLE to return, me included. I think if it were to return, it would not likely be HF's replacement, as LEGO has to make sure most people don't remember it (they need it to be fresh, new). If it comes back, it would likely be a few series after HF.They would have to start with a storyline much farther into the future, so they may begin a new story, in an unfamiliar world (future Bara Magna - may be still tribal and not technologically advanced - I really like the idea of technological beings residing in a very gritty, yet beautiful, natural environment - which is what I believe helped BIONICLE gain so much success).Sorry, went slightly off-topic for a moment. HF's replacement could be something a little less technologically advanced, for a change, similar to how BIONICLE went from rural (Island of Mata Nui) to Hi-tech (Metru Nui) to rural (the rest of the story). They need a change. I do not think they will be going more organic. It just fits better with sleek, mechanical beings, as all the designs look very armoured and metallic.

[Mef Man]

I'd say a licensed theme would come out next, then (if that fails: Ben 10 similarity) maybe Bionicle! I guess Bionicle is more of me being hopeful instead of really being a possibility...-Mef

[Aanchir]

We all want BIONICLE to return, me included. I think if it were to return, it would not likely be HF's replacement, as LEGO has to make sure most people don't remember it (they need it to be fresh, new). If it comes back, it would likely be a few series after HF.They would have to start with a storyline much farther into the future, so they may begin a new story, in an unfamiliar world (future Bara Magna - may be still tribal and not technologically advanced - I really like the idea of technological beings residing in a very gritty, yet beautiful, natural environment - which is what I believe helped BIONICLE gain so much success).Sorry, went slightly off-topic for a moment. HF's replacement could be something a little less technologically advanced, for a change, similar to how BIONICLE went from rural (Island of Mata Nui) to Hi-tech (Metru Nui) to rural (the rest of the story). They need a change. I do not think they will be going more organic. It just fits better with sleek, mechanical beings, as all the designs look very armoured and metallic.

I don't at all understand this expectation that BIONICLE would have to be fresh and new to be successful. Granted, it would have to disconnect itself from the previous story to a great extent and tell a new story that is entirely self-inclusive so new fans aren't forced to learn all the old story details. This is why I think a lot of people's idea of a theme that picks up after the original story left off, with the Agori and Matoran living together, would be a recipe for disaster-- just learning what the many differences between those near-identical species are would be a heavy burden to place upon new fans, much more than fans in 2001 had to deal with.But acting as though BIONICLE would have to be near-forgotten to be successful in a revival implies that the only reason it stopped selling well in the first place is that people were overexposed to it, which is a fallacy. The real reason BIONICLE stopped being successful, as TLG themselves have stated, is that the complexity of the story, not the age of the theme, was driving off potential new fans.I agree with you about the way mechanical characters work better for LEGO constraction sets than organic/biomechanical characters. The biomechanical nature of BIONICLE characters made it extremely difficult to explain to kids and adults alike, whereas Hero Factory's story is quite easy to explain: robot crime-fighters battle robot villains.