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Back From Billund

GregF

Entry posted by GregF

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I'm home again, finally, after two weeks spent largely on the road!

 

It started with a few days in Saratoga Springs, NY, for LEGO Club meetings. Then after being home a couple days, it was off to Billund for BIONICLE story meetings. A few notes from the trip --

 

-- Billund is becoming the Orlando of Denmark. The hotels were packed, the airport was packed, and I had to stay with BIONICLE web producer Leah Weston Kaae and her family because there were no hotel rooms (and thanks to her for the hospitality). There are evidently plans to build a water park there now to go along with LEGOLAND.

 

-- The meetings went great. We totally mapped out 2009-2011 and everyone from the franchise manager on down was very happy with what we came up with. Enormous thanks to Christian from Advance, our creative agency, and Christoffer, our lead set designer, who contributed a lot of terrific ideas to the storyline. This past year has seen the story team working AS a team more than I think any other time in the history of BIONICLE. Lena and Jesper did their usual great job of keeping us on task, and Camilla let us know when we were going down paths that were too confusing or required too much knowledge of back story.

 

I won't say this was the most intense meeting we have ever had -- there wasn't any fighting, for one thing :) -- but it may have been the most productive. Over two days, we nailed three full years of story, including set ideas, settings, subtext, everything. I was fried by the end of it. The trip there and back was exhausting, but I have to say, it is really a great experience to be in a room with such creative people and just come up with ideas. When it's working, things flow; and when things stop flowing (as they did during one of our 2010 discussions), then you know you are on the wrong road and it's time to turn around and go back to the start.

 

-- Next step is I have to write up a summary of what we came up with for our next series of meetings in August, which are scheduled for four days mid-month.

 

-- Got to see the (almost) final 2008 summer sets. One thing to note is 2008 will see the return of some more advanced and complex builds, something BZPers have been asking for. I can't say anything beyond that, other than the sets are very impressive and definitely on my shopping list for next year.

 

-- There was a lot of other big news from the meeting, some you will hear about soon and some that has to wait a while. But all of it was good.

 

-- Greg

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GregF

Neither combiner nor exclusive. The only reason these sets might not be available in a store is if, for some reason, the store chooses not to carry them because they are more expensive than the average BIONICLE set (some stores do not want anything higher than a certain price point). Otherwise, they should be available worldwide like any other set.

 

Greg

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Gravitan
Neither combiner nor exclusive. The only reason these sets might not be available in a store is if, for some reason, the store chooses not to carry them because they are more expensive than the average BIONICLE set (some stores do not want anything higher than a certain price point). Otherwise, they should be available worldwide like any other set.

 

Greg

Great, the sets sound most satisfying indeed. Lol, I know what you mean about being tired after that trip. I've had many similar experiences. :P

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GregF

There will certainly be things in the 2009-2011 story, if it stays as is, that should appeal to people who have been following the story all along -- that is part of my plan for it, dealing with some larger issues than we have been and ones that have been in the background a lot. But the intent is also to create a jumping-on point for new fans, so it is not going to be "overt, pound you over the head, you have to have followed the story for seven years to enjoy this one," kind of stuff. It is going to be more subtle.

 

Greg

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The Big Chinchilla
Not referring to the titans -- bigger than that.

 

Greg

 

Bigger!? :o OK, now I'm really exited, especially because we might get the size of the sets mixed up next year. Boy, I thought the Mahri were good? I'm getting visions of the new sets... AAAIIEE! I want them!

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Doctor Norik

I really hope you're right about the more complex sets thing. I've been longing to see some cool parts that aren't three inches wide.

 

 

Wait- are these Playsets, Combiners, Exclusives, Canisters, Titans, or Small Boxes? Or... is there a new kind of categorie?

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Agwa

Probablyt a new kind of catagorey.

So Gregf, did they say anything abut a video game?

~Secert tip 157-J: Never use :P around a Moderator~

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that guy
:happydance: I can't wait for this...bigger/more complex sets :drooling: I hope I'll have enough money for them after buying all of this years titans...
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Gyiyg

I think I know where Greg is getting at with this new "UCS" (possible) category of sets. SOmething tells me there will probably be, as in bigger than titans but not playsets, either an Exo-Toa scale or a Cahdok & Gahdok scale. (Perhaps a remake? Considering the Nuva must release them...) Anyways, I hope for one of those two. I unfortunately came into Bionicle in late 2002, when I was eleven years old. Never got to enjoy those big sets, partly because my parents didn't enjoy the idea of me holding a big hulking LEGO set at the time (now they'd rush to the store to get it if they had the money to do so :P), but mainly because I wasn't interested enough at the time.

 

Anyways, I am glad Bionicle is returning to the magic of 2001 with bigger sets. Rahi bigger, &G bigger, E-T bigger... a MoCer's dream with all of the pieces...

 

Also, Greg, curious, will we have more interesting combiners next year? This year seems to be missing them (except for the PWT and Zyglak)

 

~GF

 

I just realized my screename (not real name ;)) has the same initials as Greg's! :o

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Agwa

Sounds like you had a great trip.

Bigger sets? Oolala. I might buy them if I get the money.

So did they say something about a Video game?

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