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How to Save Bionicle


Banana Gunz

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BIONICLE IS BACK! HOLY CRUD THIS IS AMAZING THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVAAAARRRR!!!!!11!!1!!!111!!!

 

But that's not the story. G2 is cool, but that's the problem. That's all G2 really IS. It's cool, and the sets for the most part are really good, and the story is simple and fine. But ask most people and I'm willing to bet that they love G1 for it's stories and characters. They love Bionicle for its deep and interesting ideas, even if execution at times was far from perfect.

 

As good as G2 is, its story and universe is simple, and in Bionicle's case that's become a problem to many, simply because having a large and expansive universe and many unique and memorable settings is important. In my opinion, it's WHY Bionicle is so beloved by many and has had such a strong fan base that has stuck through all these years.

 

Think about it: every very successful series or story has a rich and flavorful universe. The types of stories that garner fan bases are those that have room for more stories to be told, like fan fictions and fan created characters that allow fans to insert themselves into the factions of that universe. Look at Harry Potter with the four houses of Gryffindor, Percy Jackson with the different cabins to gods, Transformers with Autobots and Decepticons, Star Wars with the Jedi and Sith and many many other examples.

 

Now, the common belief is that Bionicle got cluttered and complicated and even inconsistent later in its original life span, and I feel that is completely correct and relevant. The story tellers were never prepared for the massive success of Bionicle, and so the theme was never particularly built to sustain a large universe and the story was for the most part improved with a large over-arching plot twist.

 

Why is this? Well that's simple. It's because it was made by LEGO. Yep, that's the honest and sad answer. Bionicle was made by a toy company where the profits of a theme come from the toys and the story is built to complement them and help explain what they see on the box to perhaps hook them and make them desire it more. A concept like Nexo Knights garners some explanation for some kids and adults. With G2, LEGO is still a toy company trying to sell toys. Though there is more focus in its story than in other themes, the bottom line is they're making the story around sets, and that's always going to hold the story back a little bit, even if it does allow for some creative filling in the gaps, but it would be lying to say that wasn't what killed G1.

 

So, what's the point of me writing this article? What is my vision for the future of Bionicle?

 

Well in my mind Bionicle was one of the most brilliant concepts ever. EVER. It was thoughtful, it was unique, it was interesting, and it deserves to be popular, like, really really popular. Like Transformers popular, and I don't think a tossed in Netflix show (though really awesome and I'm totally looking forward to) just doesn't do Bionicle enough justice. Bionicle and its story shouldn't be held down by its toys. If LEGO really wants to make Bionicle as popular and relevant as G1 and even more than that, it's gonna require doing something pretty unorthodox for them.

 

First, LEGO needs to wrap up G2. Sure, it's good, but listen the rumors are probably true. If Bionicle were really doing super well, we'd know about it. We'd be seeing this development clearly. Bionicle is less marketed than most other LEGO themes right now and the rumors are the sales figures are just good. But G2 isn't dragging people in. It's still living off of what worked years ago in the early 2000's but hasn't adapted to the future. To make way for the future of Bionicle, G2 needs to call it a day soon and exit with a noble and fair run.

 

So what next you crazy banana? You just got LEGO to cancel the very theme people have been hoping to come back for so many years. Am I insane? Probably, but here comes the bulk of this idea:

 

Restart and reboot Bionicle again, but this time as a comic book and novel line exclusively. No sets, no toys, no nothing. What LEGO is going to do is they're going to hire some top tier writers, like really well know writers and artists that fans follow and look for their next projects. These writers are gonna put together a new, ultimate Bionicle story and universe that is balanced in its content with mystery but an expansive universe and story that people can follow without getting confused.

 

Ah, now people are gonna get interested. LEGO is also gonna give out a few of the first few issues free with the LEGO Club Magazine. Kids are gonna see that, and they're gonna get interested. They're gonna see this amazing and cool story and wanna know what happens next. So what do they do when the final free issue comes? They're gonna go on LEGO.com and purchase a subscription to keep sending the Bionicle comics to their house. And now other adults and comic book fans are gonna walk into local comic shops or go online to Comixology or something, and they're gonna see this Bionicle thing. But oh wait, it's made by that artist? And what a cool concept, I might just check that out!

 

So suddenly LEGO has tapped into two very relevant markets and Bionicle is becoming a thing. With an amazing story written by well known and top tier writers with free reign over most of the story, and being published by one of the biggest toy companies in the world in collaboration either DC or Marvel, Bionicle is back, but REALLY back for real this time. People love this new story and are going out to buy the novels too. It's interesting, emotional and has many cool stories, settings and characters but follows a centralized story line.

 

LEGO uses viral marketing like perhaps Tumblr to get out the message and start spreading the movement and love for this cool new story. Many people who loved the original Bionicle will notice this and think, "Oh wow, Bionicle? They're still doing that? Let's see what they're doing now."

 

Believe me, I've met many people now that remember Bionicle as kids and loving it but are completely unaware of its existence today as a reboot.

 

Oh, and debut it at NY Comic Con again. NYCC is becoming more and more popular and relevant every year and it would be used by LEGO as a tool to make Bionicle popular again, but this time LEGO won't skip out on a year and Bionicle will have a consistent and yearly presence at the convention.  One of LEGO's biggest mistakes was to put out Nexo Knights this year. Sure, they may regard Nexo Knights as being more important but then set up another panel. People need to constantly SEE Bionicle. It can't be that one theme that was there that one time and then completely forgot about. The more often and consistently people see it, the more they're gonna get interested in it.

 

Oh, and THIS TIME they're gonna actually have a centralized place to get the story. Seriously, G2's BIGGEST short coming is that the story has no single home. For a time, it was the shorts, but those are done now, and in their place we have both comics, books, and a TV show coming soon, but that doesn't work well. Since the theme didn't start that way, people might feel lost as to where they should go to get the themes story. Right now, it looks like the TV show is gonna do that job for at least this year, but even so, if they decide to make it the central home of the story line for the rest of G2's run, they started in its second year. WHAT!?!?!? That's just a terrible idea. They should've started from the beginning as pure logic, no matter when the sets are coming out or where the story is in the other mediums. If you're ever gonna do a TV show, get it started from the beginning, and catch it up.

 

So, here's what's going on, Bionicle is cool and a huge hit with its first year. The story is super cool and people are hooked onto this stuff like it's Attack on Titan. Now what? Bionicle was never JUST about story. One of the coolest parts was the sets!

 

Ah, yes. But this new Bionicle is being marketed as simply Bionicle. The LEGO logo would still be bit of a turn off to many people looking for a serious story to follow and not something tacked onto some toys. And that's important. Bionicle needs to stand on its own. Admit it, if it weren't for the sets G2 would be even more underwhelming.

 

And now that people are hooked and fans of LEGO are reading and loving Bionicle, LEGO is gonna listen to them and their reactions to the story. What characters do they like? What do people want to see and get? NOW this is where LEGO starts producing sets based on the new Bionicle. People are gonna be buying the sets because of a story they're hooked on, rather than halfheartedly following a story they don't care about because of some toys they like.

 

The story will AFFECT and CHANGE people, it'll stick with them and no matter what you do but stories don't leave you like other things. LEGO is now gonna be making much more money from Bionicle, because they're gonna be the ones with the rights to make figures based on the theme, and multiple markets are gonna be wanting physical representations of their favorite characters now.

 

"Tell me, why did you buy that toa this year? They were a terrible set!" Well friend, you did that because you had to have gotten that character. It's what happened in G1 with the Toa Mata and I have no doubt that it's a common thing in the toy industry. Just look at Star Wars! Disney literally just surpassed LEGO in the toy market BECAUSE of Star Wars toys! People want 20 Finns and 800 Rey's and 1000 X-Wings, and because of that money was made.

 

And then, just keep going. Follow the popularity with a TV show (that you will start from the beginning and not a season in) and video games or something, keep the excitement going. Bionicle has reached its fullest potential now. It has reached relevance in pop culture, because that's what it deserves. Bionicle's rich possibility and love is why it came back, and why it deserves to get done right. Don't just copy the old story, but take chances and go all out. Be gutsy and make something that people will remember. G2 is fine, but it's just not that memorable. Maybe it'll get done more correctly later, but Bionicle deserves to start strong and fulfill its destiny.

 

I titled this story "How to Save Bionicle" because I'm afraid that Bionicle as it is might be in danger of becoming a nostalgia based relic that become irrelevant. We can all agree that G2 is awesome and a gift to at least some level, but the original was beloved, helped save LEGO, and built a loyal fan base, and that means something. That means that maybe the fact it lasted so long was that it wasn't just a brief treasure of its time, but maybe something that if realized to its full potential could go leaps and bounds beyond what it is now.

 

I read the Bionicle comics as a kid and played MNOG, and I was entranced by the story. I literally owned just a few Bionicle sets, but I watched moments like the death of Matoro and the awakening of Mata-Nui and I knew it was the story that was special but wasn't being given the ultimate treatment. It's what I feel needs to be marketed most and yes, sure this article might be a perfect fantasy, but I believe it could work and if played right could make Bionicle more important and more amazing than ever before.

 

Tell me what you think, tell me how crazy I am or how long my stupid posts are, but respond, tell me what you want the future of Bionicle to be, because as of now I don't see it going anywhere. Go big or go home I guess.

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Hmmm. The one issue with this idea is that Lego is primarily a toy company. That is their #1 income source is toys.

 

So if they wanted to develop a Bionicle franchise they couldn't just drop the toys, and they'd need a third party to help them. Look at what they did with The Lego Movie for example, WB developed a story that helped sell Lego's toys and gave them briefly more brand recognition than Disney (an amazing accomplishment considering Disney's huge empire).

 

So should Lego stop making toys just to sell a story? In my opinion, no. But can they sell a better story? Yes. Sign up someone who is talented and passionate to make a movie, sign up comic artists,sign up a triple A game studio; do all those things to push Bionicle. But beaware that every third party that is signed onto the franchise means profits have to be shared, and can't go direct to Lego. In comparison, a toy line's profits go straight to Lego.

52641688958_d61c0bc049_w(1).jpg.c0871df0de376218d7ca2bc4f409e17d.jpg

All aboard the hype train!

 

 

 

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Everything about this sounds like a bad idea to me.

 

Launching new story without new sets? Bad idea. Bionicle is, at its core, a toy line, and I guarantee you the storyline would not have resonated nearly as much with people on its own merits without colorful toy characters to tie in with it. The sets were always the core of its profits. Also, subscription-based comics for kids as an industry are not doing well. LEGO has made numerous attempts to create paid subscription-based services for kids (LEGO Brickmaster Magazine, LEGO Master Builder Academy, LEGO Universe) and none of them have had lasting success. I see no way a subscription-based comic without any merchandise-driven element to it would somehow be any more successful than any of these examples, even if you could guarantee top-of-the-line art and storytelling. And top-tier writers and artists don't come cheap. You're basically asking LEGO to invest heavily in a project, in an industry that's performing a lot more poorly than LEGO toys are, that wouldn't do anything to promote the products that actually make them money.

 

Of course, you're right, if it weren't for the sets G2 would be underwhelming. The same could be said for G1. This is because the sets are an essential, inextricable part of what makes Bionicle what it is. If there hadn't been sets to promote, none of the great things we remember about the G1 story would ever have even existed. Your strategy says next to nothing about the sets, just that if the story is strong enough the sets will sell themselves no matter what their quality. But LEGO didn't become the biggest and most profitable toy company in the world by treating set design as an afterthought and relying solely on name recognition to make their products desirable.

 

Marketing Bionicle simply as Bionicle? Again, bad idea. Because the LEGO brand is currently stronger with all ages than the Bionicle brand has EVER been. If someone is turned away by the LEGO brand at this point, then they're too obsessed with being "grown-up" for there to be any point whatsoever in trying to market a kid-focused brand like Bionicle towards them. And changing Bionicle's target audience so that it's not kids would be setting it up for failure. Bionicle was as successful as it was in part because it was a craze kids could call their own — not in spite of that.

 

Starting Bionicle off with a TV show is a great concept in theory! In practice, being able to pitch a TV show to producers and networks who can do it justice means you have to convince them you're offering them something valuable. Bionicle G2, a revival of a franchise over a decade past its prime and the successor to a franchise that saw its media presence declines sharply by the time it ended, couldn't necessarily do that. A Bionicle G3 isn't guaranteed to be able to do that either, even if G2 does end on a strong note. Among other things, you'd have to be able to keep the constraction category strong in the intervening time.

 

You're making all these claims about how the story, as you intend to run it, would generate this kind of widespread, viral interest, would become a huge hit before you even launch the first sets, and would affect and change people on a profound level. But I don't think your game plan would achieve anything of the sort. This kind of pie-in-the-sky thinking might be a fun diversion, but you've given no examples of similar franchises that have used a strategy like this successfully. You're inviting us to imagine that LEGO should sink huge amounts of money into a story, well before they have any actual products for it to promote, just because it might become a massive craze! That's not how any successful LEGO theme has ever come about.

 

The book Brick by Brick, which I recommend to pretty much any LEGO fan, especially Bionicle fans, is all about how LEGO turned a failing business characterized by reckless and wasteful risk-taking in the name of "innovation" into a business that had an actual strategic framework for innovating safely and reliably, and how they did that while staying true to their brand values. Bionicle played a big role in helping them develop these strategies — its development became a blueprint for future innovations like Ninjago or Nexo Knights, and helped turn them from one of the world's least profitable toy companies into the single most profitable toy company in the world.

 

Now, you're advocating discarding this blueprint entirely and trying to build Bionicle back up using a strategy that flies in the face of what made it successful in the first place. You call this "saving" Bionicle, but does Bionicle even need to be saved? More importantly, if it's become such a weak brand that the strategies that made it what it was aren't enough for it anymore, is it even worth saving? In my opinion, LEGO would be better off discontinuing Bionicle forever and focusing on newer and more reliable ventures than taking huge risks on a madcap venture like this that has no grounding in reality.

Sorry if this sounds harsh. But this strategy really doesn't make any sense to me.

Edited by Aanchir
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Hey, I've got a brilliant idea! Let's reboot Star Wars without movies! And then take Marvel and drop the comics, I mean comics are for kids anyway. Stop making Pokémon video games, cards for Magic the Gathering and tabletop roleplaying adventures for D&D! I see no way these franchises could be anything but improved by removing their core elements.

 

I'm sure your heart is in the right place, banana. It's your logic I'd question the quality of. Taking the toys out of bionicle, or any Lego theme, is like taking the wheels off a car to focus on the paint job.

Edited by Regitnui
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:r: :e: :g: :i: :t: :n: :u: :i:

Elemental Rahi in Gen2, anyone? A write-up for an initial video for a G2 plot

 

I really wish everyone would stop trying to play join the dots with Gen 1 and Gen 2 though,it seems there's a couple new threads everyday and often they're duplicates of already existing conversations! Or simply parallel them with a slightly new 'twist'! Gen 2 is NEW, it is NOT Gen 1 and it is NOT a continuation. Outside of the characters we already have I personally don't want to see ANY old characters return. I think it will cheapen the whole experience to those of us familiar with the original line...

 

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I get that you're saying a strong storyline would help it gain ground and a fan following, but moving forward from the present, I just don't think a third reboot is going to get people on board. G1 has run its wonderful course and cutting off G2 now would just make people scratch their heads about this top-tier writer ground-up plan. 

The sad reality is that Lego, this time around, isn't pushing Bionicle as its most powerful theme — they haven't prioritized it.  G1 has been laid to rest and I think its power lies in its nostalgia factor and quasi-obscurity. 

Generally speaking, what Lego has done with the Ninjago theme is very similar to G1 Bionicle: consistent characters, seemingly weirder and weirder villains, and a character-centered storyline. Kids will buy sets for cool factor as they always will, but they tend to have some knowledge of the characters, too. But Lego really can't bring back one of their old big bang themes with the intention of reproducing it on the same scale. 

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You call this "saving" Bionicle, but does Bionicle even need to be saved? More importantly, if it's become such a weak brand that the strategies that made it what it was aren't enough for it anymore, is it even worth saving? In my opinion, LEGO would be better off discontinuing Bionicle forever and focusing on newer and more reliable ventures than taking huge risks on a madcap venture like this that has no grounding in reality.

 

 

Harsh, but true. I'd rather see Bionicle die a second time than Lego sink its entire business in "saving Bionicle." ABS Plastic is pretty close to immortal so I am sure my old Bionicle figures will last a long time past the day Lego cancels Bionicle for good. 

 

However we have to look at Lego's audience as a whole: we have KFOL's; TFOL'S; AFOL'S; and of course the oft forgotten but %100 vital "Parents." Lego needs to produce lines that satisfy different parts of their market. For example you don't see me dancing in joy for the release of Ghostbusters sets because I am not an AFOL of the 80's. Yet Lego knows that Parents and their middle aged AFOL's are going to go bananas over a $350 firehouse set. You won't see me excited to much about Lego Friends sets; yet Lego fully understands the value of marketing to girls and offering sets that their parents will buy for them. While Bionicle appeals to a lot of AFOLs who are Millennials, and KFOLs and TFOLs; if we placed it on a pedestal above all else then we would alienate a large group of Lego fan's who are interested in very different themes. And in 2003 Bionicle was on a pedestal above all other themes but only by virtue of 1) It was a successful theme 2) It was the only successful theme that didn't pay licensing to George Lucas. The fact G2 is so far out of the spotlight compared to G1 is not surprising; considering that Lego is now making money hand over fist.

 

And I don't think G2 needs to be in the spotlight. It is healthy playing as a small but decent part of Lego's toy themes. Let things like the triple A themes like Nexo Knights and Ninjago; the licensed sets like Star Wars, and the Modular Buildings for AFOLs; play the spotlight role. In the current Lego world Bionicle is like that old stage actor who came back from retirement; that works reliably in the ensemble; but doesn't need to prove itself as #1 anymore. And as the concept art and designer videos have shown; Lego is putting a lot of love into G2; even if it is only playing second fiddle to the rest of their star themes. 

 

I still agree with the original post that somehow Bionicle needs a better story. But I also agree with Aanchir that if Bionicle comes to an early end; I will not fret at all. It had a great run in G1. G2 was the encore act we never expected. And eventually all stars must step away from the limelight lest they overstay their welcome. 

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All aboard the hype train!

 

 

 

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I agree with you in some ways, the story is too simple right now and that's not why I originally liked Bionicle. The G1 first three years were mystical and kept you wondering for a long time and the sets were amazing to have and play with it was one of the core memories of my childhood but now as a more grown up guy I just want to collect the sets and make up little stories but my problem was that the story has nothing to it and I feel like it's not a good thing. The sets are great, but they need a better story.

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I agree with most of the posts in this topic, particularly with what Aanchir and Xboxtravis said, but there's one thing I'd like to add to the discussion.

 

Although I also think that the Bionicle story is one of the most imaginative and creative stories I have ever experienced, it wasn't just the story that made it so enjoyable and memorabe - it was the toys, released year after year, that complemented the story material and allowed us to immerse ourselves in the Bionicle world. Think of all the promotional material, for example, that came with the sets. A big part of the appeal of Bionicle was the fact that we could feel so involved in its universe, and the sets were an important part of this. The story, while great, would not have felt so inspiring and immersive if we hadn't been able to play with the sets associated with it, and for such a long period of time. It helped us form a connection to the characters, and made the big twist at the end much more impactful.

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Bear with me for a moment:

 

You want a story based on a toyline without the toys? That makes no sense.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that if it weren't for the sets there wouldn't be that much of a story at all. I'd think that a lot of people got into the story of Bionicle after getting a set from the same line, so eliminating sets would only hurt the story. We also need to keep in mind how weird Bionicle as a concept actually is: robots who live on somewhat tropical islands that have elemental powers to help them fight evil. Only a toy company desperate to avoid bankruptcy would come up with a concept as strange as Bionicle sounds. I don't mean to sound cynical if I do, but that's the way I see it.

Don't get me wrong: I still like Bionicle for its sets and story, but the concept wouldn't survive as a series of novels without a toyline to help it.

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I am a little confused about some of the above posts: they make it sound crazy that LEGO would make a toyline based off of a well-known story not designed to sell toys, but it's called licensing, and LEGO does it all the time. Consider themes like Star Wars and Marvel that are based off of popular stories not intended to be made into toys, yet LEGO decided to license them anyway. The main difference here is that LEGO would be "licensing" its own story -- which is hardly heresy.

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I am a little confused about some of the above posts: they make it sound crazy that LEGO would make a toyline based off of a well-known story not designed to sell toys, but it's called licensing, and LEGO does it all the time. Consider themes like Star Wars and Marvel that are based off of popular stories not intended to be made into toys, yet LEGO decided to license them anyway. The main difference here is that LEGO would be "licensing" its own story -- which is hardly heresy.

No, but it would be a highly unprecedented, risky, and unnecessary extra step, that would basically require Lego to start out by making an expensive story that would not actually bring them meaningful profits until much later. All that based on the flawed assumption that this ridiculous scheme would result in a "better" or more successful Bionicle than we'd otherwise get, when in fact it flies in the face of both the theme's history and good business sense.

Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence

Aanchir's and Meiko's brother

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I am a little confused about some of the above posts: they make it sound crazy that LEGO would make a toyline based off of a well-known story not designed to sell toys, but it's called licensing, and LEGO does it all the time. Consider themes like Star Wars and Marvel that are based off of popular stories not intended to be made into toys, yet LEGO decided to license them anyway. The main difference here is that LEGO would be "licensing" its own story -- which is hardly heresy.

I'm not saying or implying that LEGO would never make toys based on a story not designed to sell toys. You're right, there's nothing heretical about that. What I'm saying is that they wouldn't make a story THEMSELVES unless it was designed to sell toys.

 

When LEGO makes licensed themes, they base those themes on stories OTHER people and companies have created. They don't have to fund and manage the production of the Lord of the Rings movies to make Lord of the Rings sets, or fund and manage the production of Batman movies to make Batman sets. But Bionicle belongs to LEGO and I don't see that changing. So for Bionicle stories without any sets attached to exist, LEGO would have to fund and manage those stories, without any kind of toy line to guarantee strong and immediate returns. That isn't going to happen. There's no reason it should happen.

 

Again, LEGO didn't get to where they are by treating their core business — toy design and sales — as an afterthought. Nor did Bionicle become as successful as it did by that approach. On the contrary, bad things have happened when they've tried to create types of experiences that don't directly promote their toys. LEGO Universe being just one recent example.

Edited by Aanchir
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Turning it on and off again won't necessarily fix the problem. All the elements from early G1 is there minus the technicals like mask names and variations. What G2 is lacking was the initial world building, but that is happening with the books and Netflix show.

 

What also made Bionicle very memorable was the Villains, and it is true we are lacking some true character depth on that part. But my hopes are up with the Netflix show and seeing how Umarak and Makuta are developed as characters. 

 

G2 took the safe route: being simple and cool. And it works. Kids I hear talk about it are fascinated and love it. Bionicle G1 ended up getting very in depth as the years went on, and G2 may very well do the same if the line gets an extension. 


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Bionicle: ANP aims to create narrated versions of all the Bionicle books, with voice actors for each character, and music taken from various media to enhance the story. Check here if you're interested in voicing a character, and here for the chapters that've already been released!

Formerly: Tahu Nuva 3.0

Looking for a Bionicle Beanie. Black one with the symbol on it. Contact me if you are willing to sell

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The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

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Marketing Bionicle simply as Bionicle? Again, bad idea. Because the LEGO brand is currently stronger with all ages than the Bionicle brand has EVER been. If someone is turned away by the LEGO brand at this point, then they're too obsessed with being "grown-up" for there to be any point whatsoever in trying to market a kid-focused brand like Bionicle towards them. And changing Bionicle's target audience so that it's not kids would be setting it up for failure. Bionicle was as successful as it was in part because it was a craze kids could call their own — not in spite of that.

 

[...]

 

The book Brick by Brick, which I recommend to pretty much any LEGO fan, especially Bionicle fans, is all about how LEGO turned a failing business characterized by reckless and wasteful risk-taking in the name of "innovation" into a business that had an actual strategic framework for innovating safely and reliably, and how they did that while staying true to their brand values. Bionicle played a big role in helping them develop these strategies — its development became a blueprint for future innovations like Ninjago or Nexo Knights, and helped turn them from one of the world's least profitable toy companies into the single most profitable toy company in the world. [...]

Going back to "Brick by Brick," it's been a while but I believe I remember reading that disconnecting the LEGO logo/brand from Galidor was also a partial factor in how Galidor did as consumers failed to associate Galidor with the company.

 

I'd argue that G2 needs to improve more on their marketing/advertisement strategy than the story.

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"I could have been a Protector but then I took a stud to the feet."

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I am a little confused about some of the above posts: they make it sound crazy that LEGO would make a toyline based off of a well-known story not designed to sell toys, but it's called licensing, and LEGO does it all the time. Consider themes like Star Wars and Marvel that are based off of popular stories not intended to be made into toys, yet LEGO decided to license them anyway. The main difference here is that LEGO would be "licensing" its own story -- which is hardly heresy.

No, but it would be a highly unprecedented, risky, and unnecessary extra step, that would basically require Lego to start out by making an expensive story that would not actually bring them meaningful profits until much later. All that based on the flawed assumption that this ridiculous scheme would result in a "better" or more successful Bionicle than we'd otherwise get, when in fact it flies in the face of both the theme's history and good business sense.

 

I am going to have to disagree with you on a few points:

 

-Expensive:

Top-paid comic book authors are paid $300-$400 per page. If a comic book has 20 pages and there are 12 issues, then the author is paid $96,000. That's a lot of money only until you consider that LEGO would normally pay either a whole story team or a licensing fee to launch a new theme.

 

-Risky:

Again, not that expensive, but that aside, I think there is good reason to believe that it is actually less risky than launching a full toyline. Clearly, hiring a couple people to write some comic books is significantly less expensive than hiring teams of people to write a story, design sets, etc. then manufacturing and distributing those sets on a massive scale, which lessens risk. Also, starting with just a few comic books in a few stores can give a pretty good idea of how popular an idea might be without investing gobs of money. If the comic books are selling, then LEGO can produce more comic books in more places and begin dabbling in other forms of media. If the comic books get very popular and become well known, then LEGO can then begin designing and producing sets that are likely to sell very well. Otherwise, LEGO can drop the project without nearly as much loss as a failed theme -- it wouldn't even be comparable.

 

-Extra step:

LEGO would develope a story anyways, so it is not an extra step; the sets would just be delayed indefinitely.

 

-Wouldn't be better:

Hiring a top-notch writer to write about a top-notch concept without feeling obligated to sell something is likely to result in a better story, which all else equal would result in a better BIONICLE.

 

-Wouldn't be more succesful:

The idea is to expand BIONICLE's audience, particularly to make it more appealing to adults who are willing and able to buy more. If BIONICLE's audience could be expanded in such a way without losing LEGO's target audience of children, then it would make the theme more succesful.

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I am a little confused about some of the above posts: they make it sound crazy that LEGO would make a toyline based off of a well-known story not designed to sell toys, but it's called licensing, and LEGO does it all the time. Consider themes like Star Wars and Marvel that are based off of popular stories not intended to be made into toys, yet LEGO decided to license them anyway. The main difference here is that LEGO would be "licensing" its own story -- which is hardly heresy.

No, but it would be a highly unprecedented, risky, and unnecessary extra step, that would basically require Lego to start out by making an expensive story that would not actually bring them meaningful profits until much later. All that based on the flawed assumption that this ridiculous scheme would result in a "better" or more successful Bionicle than we'd otherwise get, when in fact it flies in the face of both the theme's history and good business sense.

 

I am going to have to disagree with you on a few points:

 

-Expensive:

Top-paid comic book authors are paid $300-$400 per page. If a comic book has 20 pages and there are 12 issues, then the author is paid $96,000. That's a lot of money only until you consider that LEGO would normally pay either a whole story team or a licensing fee to launch a new theme.

 

-Risky:

Again, not that expensive, but that aside, I think there is good reason to believe that it is actually less risky than launching a full toyline. Clearly, hiring a couple people to write some comic books is significantly less expensive than hiring teams of people to write a story, design sets, etc. then manufacturing and distributing those sets on a massive scale, which lessens risk. Also, starting with just a few comic books in a few stores can give a pretty good idea of how popular an idea might be without investing gobs of money. If the comic books are selling, then LEGO can produce more comic books in more places and begin dabbling in other forms of media. If the comic books get very popular and become well known, then LEGO can then begin designing and producing sets that are likely to sell very well. Otherwise, LEGO can drop the project without nearly as much loss as a failed theme -- it wouldn't even be comparable.

 

-Extra step:

LEGO would develope a story anyways, so it is not an extra step; the sets would just be delayed indefinitely.

 

-Wouldn't be better:

Hiring a top-notch writer to write about a top-notch concept without feeling obligated to sell something is likely to result in a better story, which all else equal would result in a better BIONICLE.

 

-Wouldn't be more succesful:

The idea is to expand BIONICLE's audience, particularly to make it more appealing to adults who are willing and able to buy more. If BIONICLE's audience could be expanded in such a way without losing LEGO's target audience of children, then it would make the theme more succesful.

 

Gonna refute your points in order.

 

-Expensive: The cost for paying comic authors/artists is far from the only cost involved in comics publishing. There's also the cost of actually producing and distributing those comics. And unless you charge money for the comic (a move that would significantly limit its audience, especially with kids), there is zero profit being made on that cost.

 

-Risky: Considering how much the comics industry is struggling these days, this would be a very risky endeavor, particularly since every dollar spent on that is a dollar not being spent on Lego's actual core business. Lego's near-bankruptcy in 2003 was not helped at all by expensive side-projects like the Lego Media games that were far removed from their area of expertise. As for the cost of "hiring teams of people" to create a toyline, the thing about Lego is that they don't NEED to do that, because their existing employee base is focused almost solely on the business of making and selling toys. It's much easier (and much, much less risky) for them to assign their existing employees to work on a theme than to hire all sorts of outside help for a project that might never actually bear fruit.

 

-Extra step: The difference is that it is an extra step BETWEEN creating the story and actually making money off said story. If the story were a failure, delaying the sets would essentially make the whole endeavor into a major loss. And even if it were a success, every month of story without sets to capitalize on them is a waste of money that could have been made on it.

 

-Wouldn't be better: I'm not talking solely about the story. The combination of story and sets has always been a huge part of what has made Bionicle great. Having to base those sets on pre-established media rather than letting the sets and their designs drive the story would in all likelihood result in something totally unlike the Bionicle we knew and loved. Of course, Bionicle's ongoing lore would also not have been able to occur without the theme's success, and as has been explained repeatedly and at length, this absurd business strategy has very little chance of success at all.

 

-Wouldn't be successful: If the idea of marketing to adults is the core conceit of this plan, that alone is a mistake. Lego is at its core a children's toy, and Lego has learned over the years that the best way to appeal to adults is to appeal to their "inner kid". That doesn't mean taking their childhood franchises and making them more mature or serious—it means that if you make a Lego theme that is aimed specifically at kids, make it great, make toys they'll love to play with, well, then adults will probably love to play with them too. And if they don't, that's their problem, and trying to aim specifically at those picky, disillusioned adults will serve only to alienate the actual kids who make up a far larger portion of Lego's buying audience.

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Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence

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So, as everyone has been saying, bad bussiness strategy.

 

I can only hope the story of G2 gets better, considering that this years sets have failed to appeal to me.

 

A 13 episode, 22 minutes per episode Netflix series might do the trick. But I guess that only the success of this year's series will allow it.

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So, as everyone has been saying, bad bussiness strategy.

 

I can only hope the story of G2 gets better, considering that this years sets have failed to appeal to me.

 

A 13 episode, 22 minutes per episode Netflix series might do the trick. But I guess that only the success of this year's series will allow it.

A full 13 episode season would be nice! But keep in mind that even with just four 22-minute episodes this year, 88 minutes is still longer than the running time of each of the G1 Bionicle movies. That's not really something to be sneezed at!

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So, as everyone has been saying, bad bussiness strategy.

 

I can only hope the story of G2 gets better, considering that this years sets have failed to appeal to me.

 

A 13 episode, 22 minutes per episode Netflix series might do the trick. But I guess that only the success of this year's series will allow it.

A full 13 episode season would be nice! But keep in mind that even with just four 22-minute episodes this year, 88 minutes is still longer than the running time of each of the G1 Bionicle movies. That's not really something to be sneezed at!

 

 

Man I hope those are a good 88 minutes... I am nervous to see the first few episodes this weekend; I just don't want another film adventure with "Kohli Heads of "Fulfil your destiny" Island"...

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Man I hope those are a good 88 minutes... I am nervous to see the first few episodes this weekend; I just don't want another film adventure with "Kohli Heads of "Fulfil your destiny" Island"...

Frankly, I loved the tone and story of Bionicle: Mask of Light. It didn't try to apologize for being a kids' story, but at the same time, it had a good emotional range, with a balance of thrills, fear, sadness, and relief. It wasn't afraid to give its characters real insecurities. There are definitely some places where it failed to stay true to established characterization (particularly Onua, who had previously been characterized as quiet and wise, and was characterized in Mask of Light as loud and boisterous), but all things considered I felt like it was a very good movie, and that subsequent Bionicle movies had a hard time living up to it in some respects.

 

We already know that The Journey to One will be somewhat different than Mask of Light simply by virtue of focusing on the Toa and not on the cute and spirited islanders they protect. But I hope it doesn't take itself too seriously.

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WOT?! Canceling the sets???

 

NOOOOOO

 

Holding a mask or a Toa feels like magic, and the functions and stuff make Bionicle awesome. I think that if it wants to be popular it has to be holdable. And combining a story with toys works perfectly, just lik G1. You can do what you want!

 

The thing LEGO needs is good writers that can write a very complex and fascinating story, like some of us, so here's the thing WE have to do: send some mails to LEGO and ask for a more complex Bionicle storyline. Then BUY ALL YOU CAN to support Bionicle and show you appreciate the story and the sets, and TELL EVERYONE how awesome Bionicle is.

 

That's how you make it popular.

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my heart says yes but reason says no, while I would love for this to happen, at the heart of it LEGO is a toy company not a comic book company it's sole purpose is toys they would not venture out that much it is an interesting idea but LEGO started to lose money when they went away from what made them LEGO. Bionicle and its popularity are not LEGO's main concern I love Bionicle, but everyone keeps trying to repeat the fame and sucsess that it had in its prime but it won't happen we have to remember that this is a new generation and i am lucky enough to be born into both the age of old and the new generation. As much as i loved bionicle and am happy for its return we all need to remember LEGO's focus is not on us it is on their toys and their kids that is why this should not happen creating a solely story based thing would be taking away from their roots. 

I do wish that this could happen we could team up the artist and writers of bzp and possibly do a small comic series? that would be cool ya know create our own story for bionicle send it out to various comic websites and youtube channels see if the idea would succeed? though rights would be tricky

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I will preface what i'm about to say by adding that I did not read your entire article. Nothing against you particularly, but after the first several paragraphs I pretty much get the idea (I stopped reading where you mention rebooting it a second time as a comic exclusive).

 

To put it bluntly, I find a lot of nostalgia blinders with this opening idea, and I have them too! I just this week ordered replacement sets of the original Toa Mata to put on display after coming to the conclusion that my original childhood sets were far too damaged. But love for the old should not necessarily mean disdain for the new.

 

To put it simply... success comes with time. Developed story comes with time. The one thing that the reboot does not currently have is... time. The original story of Bionicle was just as, if not more simplistic than the new one. You had 6 heroes which represent the elements (protagonists: check), destined to save the inhabitants of Mata Nui (Innocent bystanders: check), from Makuta (antagonist: check), who is using his infected kanohi (gimmick: check) to control Rahi (lesser enemies: check). G2 has all of this... with some improvements. For example, the new Matoran analogue (whom idk the name of, as I have not partaken in G2 lore) seems to me, off of first impressions, to be far from the 'helpless' Matoran inhabitants of the originals, but even more primarily, we have actual identifiable bad guys, Skull slicer, Lord of skull spiders, Skull Basher, Skull Scorpio, etc. We have enemies with a face, rather than 'oh, we are fighting miscellaneous animals'. To put it simply... the expansion of the G1 Bionicle universe happened over a multitude of years, starting with the Turaga reveal in the end of 2003/beginning of 2004... THREE YEARS after their initial release, and here we are complaining that G2 isn't as developed only 1 year in? I think you are sadly mistaken.

 

I think the big problem with generation 2, and its success rate compared to the originals is... the original fanbase is, largely, no longer around. As I mentioned above, I haven't partaken in any of G2's lore at all yet... so my knowledge of it is limited, however this isn't because I dislike the figures, or the story concept, or even the execution... it's because I grew up. Bionicle will always have a place in my heart, and I do not believe 'oh you are too old for that', but the story was concluded... and with it an entire chapter of my life, I moved on. While I admittedly know little of the content, and cannot comment directly on its quality, I can say this for sure, it should not be dismissed because it has changed... especially when we have too.

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WOT?! Canceling the sets???

 

NOOOOOO

 

Holding a mask or a Toa feels like magic, and the functions and stuff make Bionicle awesome. I think that if it wants to be popular it has to be holdable. And combining a story with toys works perfectly, just lik G1. You can do what you want!

 

The thing LEGO needs is good writers that can write a very complex and fascinating story, like some of us, so here's the thing WE have to do: send some mails to LEGO and ask for a more complex Bionicle storyline. Then BUY ALL YOU CAN to support Bionicle and show you appreciate the story and the sets, and TELL EVERYONE how awesome Bionicle is.

 

That's how you make it popular.

 

Now THAT is a good idea. (Even though none of my friends who aren't already into it would understand; they'll have nothing to do with it. :/ )

 

We should definitely tell them (the folks in charge of Bonkle) that the sets are wonderful but... the story needs to be better, because kids these days actually enjoy mature and complex things. I've heard that Ninjago, which used to be very childish, now has a solid plot and (SPOILER ALERT)

even dares to kill off a character or two. Zane pulls a Matoro, Cole becomes a ghost, and Nya flat-out dies.

 

 

That being said, I want a dark and mature storyline for G2. Now, I'm not asking for blood, gore, or Toa who kill. That's just edginess. :P (Even though I would like to have a 2006-esque tone for the story...) All I want is a fully developed story with lots of world-building, as well as complex, fleshed-out, and consistent characters. :)

 

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But Matoro didn't come back from the dead like Zane did, so technically Zane didn't pull a Matoro.

 

Also characters dying is not a measure of whether a plot is legit. The School Story is fantastic - but nobody really died in it, unless you count the offscreen death of the main character's father before the story even started. Further, characters can die in a story and it can still be stupid - like Laval's "death" at the end of Season 1 of Chima, which nobody believed, including me.

 

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Rebooting Bionicle again would be the dumbest thing Lego could do at this point.

G2 has little to no story to go off of right now, so all Lego really needs to do is start filling in the blanks.

 

If Lego just starts rebooting a story-based toyline over and over, they risk ending up like DC Comics with their bazillion reboots.

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Rebooting Bionicle again would be the dumbest thing Lego could do at this point.

G2 has little to no story to go off of right now, so all Lego really needs to do is start filling in the blanks.

 

If Lego just starts rebooting a story-based toyline over and over, they risk ending up like DC Comics with their bazillion reboots.

Frankly, even DC Comics even tends to reboot its ongoing storylines more sparingly than that. Their two major comic reboots (Crisis on Infinite Earths and Flashpoint) happened when they were worried about the continuity becoming bloated or contradictory, not just when they thought things were getting boring. Generally their solution when a storyline seems boring has been to write newer and more interesting stories in the same universe, not to reboot the universe at the drop of a hat.

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The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

 

In spite of this Netflix series, it doesn't seem to be doing so well. :/ 

 

I have trouble finding the sets in stores. Seriously, they're very hard to find where I live. And I live in America. :(

 

 

But Matoro didn't come back from the dead like Zane did, so technically Zane didn't pull a Matoro.

 

Yeah, in that respect, it's probably fairer to say that

Zane pulled a Jaller.

 

 

@Aanchir You know, I never thought of it like that. :P

 

 

 @fishers64

 

I'm not saying that killing off characters is the key, I'm just saying that it could contribute to a more serious story. For example,

If Ekimu were to die, there could be some very interesting character development. The Toa would have to learn to fight without his guidance, and they would 'grow up' in a sense. Both the Toa's new, more mature attitude and Ekimu's death could also mark a tone shift.

 The other elements include world-building, character development (I'm aware that there was some in TJTO, and I'm happy for that.), and backstory, among other things. Perhaps the most important bit is keeping the cheesy one-liners to a minimum. 

 

However, the thing that I dislike the most about G2 plot-wise is that it doesn't respect the original Toa's roots personality-wise. The 'webimations' from last year actually did respect the roots. (Save for Pohatu... He's like Wolverine and Batman combined now. :P) However, TJTO kicked that relatively new continuity to the corner by making Kopaka... *headdesks* ...some exuberant, happy-go-lucky dude. Not a trace of the cold, cynical, and analytic Toa of Ice to be found. I've probably ranted about it before, but that's probably because Kopaka's a favorite of mine, and I hate to see his personality so drastically altered.

 

Now, I actually would warm up to these changes if not for the fact that

 

LEGO's been hinting at a link to G1. It would actually make sense if everyone acted more like their old selves, but because of how drastically Kopaka and Pohatu were altered (not to mention that Lewa is now officially a Toa of the Green), it would simply make no sense whatsoever. That is, unless they pull a Star Trek and there are actually two different timelines, connected by the halves of the Mask of TIme or something. :P

 

 

Just my thoughts. Thanks for the sharing yours, you made some great points. :)

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Bionicle needs more publicity before it can get more better. (eww bad grammar)

 

The thing is, if BIONICLE keeps going on on the down-low, a better story will be kind of lost. G1 started with a bang, with a lot of publicity, and it really paid. G2... well, many stores don't even sell the sets. We need LEGO to step up their publicity game before they can step up the content.

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The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

 

In spite of this Netflix series, it doesn't seem to be doing so well. :/ 

 

I have trouble finding the sets in stores. Seriously, they're very hard to find where I live. And I live in America. :(

 

I also live in America, WI to be exact.  The stores near me had all the sets but now there are just a few of each, if that.  However, this means they sold a lot of Bionicle sets, they just have not restocked them.  So Bionicle isn't doing great but I wouldn't say it isn't doing well either.

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The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

 

In spite of this Netflix series, it doesn't seem to be doing so well. :/ 

 

I have trouble finding the sets in stores. Seriously, they're very hard to find where I live. And I live in America. :(

 

I also live in America, WI to be exact.  The stores near me had all the sets but now there are just a few of each, if that.  However, this means they sold a lot of Bionicle sets, they just have not restocked them.  So Bionicle isn't doing great but I wouldn't say it isn't doing well either.

 

 

Eh, I guess our retailers are just unreliable. XD At least Barnes and Noble has 'em, or so I hear...

 

As for my Walmart, I saw a couple Tahus, three Umaraks, a Terak, and a guitar Ketar. :P

 

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The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

 

In spite of this Netflix series, it doesn't seem to be doing so well. :/ 

 

I have trouble finding the sets in stores. Seriously, they're very hard to find where I live. And I live in America. :(

 

I also live in America, WI to be exact.  The stores near me had all the sets but now there are just a few of each, if that.  However, this means they sold a lot of Bionicle sets, they just have not restocked them.  So Bionicle isn't doing great but I wouldn't say it isn't doing well either.

 

 

Eh, I guess our retailers are just unreliable. XD At least Barnes and Noble has 'em, or so I hear...

 

As for my Walmart, I saw a couple Tahus, three Umaraks, a Terak, and a guitar Ketar. :P

 

I just went to my ToysRUs yesterday and they have restocked all their Bionicle.  However last time I was at my Walmart they had 1 Tahu left, a few Umaraks, a couple Onuas, a few creatures, and like 10 Pohatus!  I guess they thought he would be a good seller but reality shows otherwise. :P  So I guess it is hard to gauge how well Bionicle is doing.  What if someone made a poll to see how well people think Bionicle selling?

 

 

I agree with Shadowed Dallior that LEGO needs to step up the publicity if Bionicle is ever going to really take off.  LEGO just isn't putting a lot of effort into commercializing it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

 

 

 

The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

 

In spite of this Netflix series, it doesn't seem to be doing so well. :/ 

 

I have trouble finding the sets in stores. Seriously, they're very hard to find where I live. And I live in America. :(

 

I also live in America, WI to be exact.  The stores near me had all the sets but now there are just a few of each, if that.  However, this means they sold a lot of Bionicle sets, they just have not restocked them.  So Bionicle isn't doing great but I wouldn't say it isn't doing well either.

 

 

Eh, I guess our retailers are just unreliable. XD At least Barnes and Noble has 'em, or so I hear...

 

As for my Walmart, I saw a couple Tahus, three Umaraks, a Terak, and a guitar Ketar. :P

 

I just went to my ToysRUs yesterday and they have restocked all their Bionicle.  However last time I was at my Walmart they had 1 Tahu left, a few Umaraks, a couple Onuas, a few creatures, and like 10 Pohatus!  I guess they thought he would be a good seller but reality shows otherwise. :P  So I guess it is hard to gauge how well Bionicle is doing.  What if someone made a poll to see how well people think Bionicle selling?

 

 

I agree with Shadowed Dallior that LEGO needs to step up the publicity if Bionicle is ever going to really take off.  LEGO just isn't putting a lot of effort into commercializing it.

 

 

It's doing terribly where I live. XD

 

And I second-- no, wait, I third-- that LEGO really needs to step up the marketing. I'm sure it'd do well if it were as well-marketed as Ninjago and Nexo Knights. 

 

First off, it needs to be on the front page of LEGO's site, as well as featured on their Facebook page. (The page should have a link to the Bionicle page too.) 

 

Secondly, make more commercials. 

 

Third, bring back Cryoshell. No, seriously. The ads would be so much more appealing with Cryoshell songs in the background. 

 

Fourth, get it on the front of LEGO Club for at least 3 issues throughout the year. Make lots of comics too. Maybe bring back the DC comics and include issues with the magazine?

 

Last but not least, more promotions! Make more (widely available) polybags, a bit of merch, and throw in a $10 Bionicle set for free with larger purchases on LEGO's Shop@Home service.

 

This would help get Bionicle in front of more kids and adults, and they'd realize how cool it is. Next thing you know, the fandom just got a little bigger. :P

Edited by FrozenPancake_
 

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A big thank you to Toucan Sam for the Okotian name.


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The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

 

In spite of this Netflix series, it doesn't seem to be doing so well. :/ 

 

I have trouble finding the sets in stores. Seriously, they're very hard to find where I live. And I live in America. :(

 

I also live in America, WI to be exact.  The stores near me had all the sets but now there are just a few of each, if that.  However, this means they sold a lot of Bionicle sets, they just have not restocked them.  So Bionicle isn't doing great but I wouldn't say it isn't doing well either.

 

 

Eh, I guess our retailers are just unreliable. XD At least Barnes and Noble has 'em, or so I hear...

 

As for my Walmart, I saw a couple Tahus, three Umaraks, a Terak, and a guitar Ketar. :P

 

I just went to my ToysRUs yesterday and they have restocked all their Bionicle.  However last time I was at my Walmart they had 1 Tahu left, a few Umaraks, a couple Onuas, a few creatures, and like 10 Pohatus!  I guess they thought he would be a good seller but reality shows otherwise. :P  So I guess it is hard to gauge how well Bionicle is doing.  What if someone made a poll to see how well people think Bionicle selling?

 

 

I agree with Shadowed Dallior that LEGO needs to step up the publicity if Bionicle is ever going to really take off.  LEGO just isn't putting a lot of effort into commercializing it.

 

 

It's doing terribly where I live. XD

 

And I second-- no, wait, I third-- that LEGO really needs to step up the marketing. I'm sure it'd do well if it were as well-marketed as Ninjago and Nexo Knights. 

 

First off, it needs to be on the front page of LEGO's site, as well as featured on their Facebook page. (The page should have a link to the Bionicle page too.) 

 

Secondly, make more commercials. 

 

Third, bring back Cryoshell. No, seriously. The ads would be so much more appealing with Cryoshell songs in the background. 

 

Fourth, get it on the front of LEGO Club for at least 3 issues throughout the year. Make lots of comics too. Maybe bring back the DC comics and include issues with the magazine?

 

Last but not least, more promotions! Make more (widely available) polybags, a bit of merch, and throw in a $10 Bionicle set for free with larger purchases on LEGO's Shop@Home service.

 

This would help get Bionicle in front of more kids and adults, and they'd realize how cool it is. Next thing you know, the fandom just got a little bigger. :P

 

Your first suggestion has been done. That's not to say that Bionicle will ALWAYS be featured on the Facebook page, or ALWAYS be on the Lego front page—Lego has a lot of themes and they can't afford to focus on one niche theme at the expense of others. But when there's genuine news, like an update of the Lego.com Bionicle page, the release of new sets, or the release of new promotional media like web animations or new episodes of Journey to One, you can pretty safely rely on that being shared in both of those places.

 

Your second suggestion honestly doesn't even seem that necessary, with the current number of sets not really requiring that many unique commercials per wave. Perhaps the commercials could afford to be aired more frequently, but then again I don't watch a huge number of kids' shows that regularly so I have no idea exactly how much airtime the commercials that have been released have received.

 

Your third suggestion could be awesome, but to be honest I don't know how effective Cryoshell's music was at appealing Bionicle's target audience of 8-year-olds, and I don't know how well it would suit the tone of the rebooted story.

 

Your fourth suggestion is preposterous. I don't know if you're aware, but the Lego Club magazine only gets six issues per year—you're essentially saying that Lego should make a full half of its magazine issues be headlined by one of their smaller themes. And as has been pointed out in this very topic, comics are not a strongly performing medium these days, compared to in Bionicle's heyday. Lego's recent tendency to favor graphic novels seems to have been more successful for them, with Ninjago's graphic novels frequently making the New York Times bestseller list upon release.

 

Your final suggestion, again, sounds like a cool thing for fans, but maybe not the best business decision. Lego has a lot of themes to promote, and can only give away so many freebies each year. Keep in mind that last year there was no shortage of promotions, with two convention-exclusive masks and another free with Lego.com purchase—and that's not including the Skull mask polybag (contrast much bigger and more successful themes like Ninjago, which have NEVER had a convention-exclusive figure and typically only include common figures and parts in polybags). Meanwhile, the idea of Lego giving away free $10 sets with large purchases sounds extremely desperate and probably wouldn't be done except as a last resort. Keep in mind that a big part of the reason for exclusive polybags being given away as gifts with purchase is that giving away actual retail sets for free is just going to tick off Lego's retail partners, who have to try and move that same set at full price.

Edited by Lyichir
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Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence

Aanchir's and Meiko's brother

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The story didn't play a big roll for getting me into Bionicle.  I was not aloud to read any of it, for religious reasons, as a young kid; however I could have the toys.  By the time I was aloud to read the stories, the Toa were fighting glowing toothed villains, with light flashing weapons (not that interesting other than the Toas' weapons).  So I really wasn't in it for the story, but the cool artwork and amazingly detailed toys.

 

The story alone would never stand that long, but a more in depth story would certainly make the current reboot way more successful.

 

I also believe this is how the original Bionicle started, wasn't it?  Starting the theme small and expanding it later is usually a safe approach to a theme your not sure is going to take off.  It has a netflix show coming out soon, so it can't be doing that bad.  Plus I bought all of the reboot's sets so far (my wallet hates me :P).

 

In spite of this Netflix series, it doesn't seem to be doing so well. :/ 

 

I have trouble finding the sets in stores. Seriously, they're very hard to find where I live. And I live in America. :(

 

I also live in America, WI to be exact.  The stores near me had all the sets but now there are just a few of each, if that.  However, this means they sold a lot of Bionicle sets, they just have not restocked them.  So Bionicle isn't doing great but I wouldn't say it isn't doing well either.

 

 

Eh, I guess our retailers are just unreliable. XD At least Barnes and Noble has 'em, or so I hear...

 

As for my Walmart, I saw a couple Tahus, three Umaraks, a Terak, and a guitar Ketar. :P

 

I just went to my ToysRUs yesterday and they have restocked all their Bionicle.  However last time I was at my Walmart they had 1 Tahu left, a few Umaraks, a couple Onuas, a few creatures, and like 10 Pohatus!  I guess they thought he would be a good seller but reality shows otherwise. :P  So I guess it is hard to gauge how well Bionicle is doing.  What if someone made a poll to see how well people think Bionicle selling?

 

 

I agree with Shadowed Dallior that LEGO needs to step up the publicity if Bionicle is ever going to really take off.  LEGO just isn't putting a lot of effort into commercializing it.

 

 

It's doing terribly where I live. XD

 

And I second-- no, wait, I third-- that LEGO really needs to step up the marketing. I'm sure it'd do well if it were as well-marketed as Ninjago and Nexo Knights. 

 

First off, it needs to be on the front page of LEGO's site, as well as featured on their Facebook page. (The page should have a link to the Bionicle page too.) 

 

Secondly, make more commercials. 

 

Third, bring back Cryoshell. No, seriously. The ads would be so much more appealing with Cryoshell songs in the background. 

 

Fourth, get it on the front of LEGO Club for at least 3 issues throughout the year. Make lots of comics too. Maybe bring back the DC comics and include issues with the magazine?

 

Last but not least, more promotions! Make more (widely available) polybags, a bit of merch, and throw in a $10 Bionicle set for free with larger purchases on LEGO's Shop@Home service.

 

This would help get Bionicle in front of more kids and adults, and they'd realize how cool it is. Next thing you know, the fandom just got a little bigger. :P

*snip*

 

Your fourth suggestion is preposterous. I don't know if you're aware, but the Lego Club magazine only gets six issues per year—you're essentially saying that Lego should make a full half of its magazine issues be headlined by one of their smaller themes. And as has been pointed out in this very topic, comics are not a strongly performing medium these days, compared to in Bionicle's heyday. Lego's recent tendency to favor graphic novels seems to have been more successful for them, with Ninjago's graphic novels frequently making the New York Times bestseller list upon release.

 

Your final suggestion, again, sounds like a cool thing for fans, but maybe not the best business decision. Lego has a lot of themes to promote, and can only give away so many freebies each year. Keep in mind that last year there was no shortage of promotions, with two convention-exclusive masks and another free with Lego.com purchase—and that's not including the Skull mask polybag (contrast much bigger and more successful themes like Ninjago, which have NEVER had a convention-exclusive figure and typically only include common figures and parts in polybags). Meanwhile, the idea of Lego giving away free $10 sets with large purchases sounds extremely desperate and probably wouldn't be done except as a last resort. Keep in mind that a big part of the reason for exclusive polybags being given away as gifts with purchase is that giving away actual retail sets for free is just going to tick off Lego's retail partners, who have to try and move that same set at full price.

 

 

Oh, I forgot that Club is a bimonthly magazine, I haven't been getting them since December. XD

 

Excellent point, but what I'm trying to say is that the big themes already have enough marketing and publicity, such as Ninjago and Nexo Knights. Like I said, I believe it has tons of potential to do well if it's spotlighted more frequently. That's a big part of why G1 was successful-- LEGO put a lot of effort into their marketing. Granted, LEGO was nearly bankrupt, so they were desperate. Nowadays, the company is a corporate giant. (And the world's biggest tire manufacturer. :P

 

As for graphic novels, that's the way to go, and it's actually happening. :D I guess it's just that part of me wishes that they had the same aesthetic as the DC comics for G1. 

 

In the promotions department: I see why $10 freebies aren't the best idea, but we should have promotions for the average bear. Most of last year's promotions were Comic-Con exclusive, and LEGO's primary target audience, kids, don't usually come to Comic-Con. Also, Comic-Con is rather expensive. I think that more attainable freebies would be more successful for marketing.

 

However, if it's true that G2 isn't doing so well, then maybe it's time for that last resort. 

 

96DIFYm.png


 


A big thank you to Toucan Sam for the Okotian name.


[topic=gallery_115994_378_11223.jpg][/topic]


 


:vahi: [ON HIATUS]  :vahi: 


 


 

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