History Of Technicism Vs. Bioniclism
Today the Bones Blog brings you the text of the most important history of changes in Bionicle, with small modifications since posted several months ago on the forums. This is intended to provide the context for a major change in Bionicle that is often cited, but rarely understood, by complainers/nostalgics. For the sake of clarity, the two major styles will be referred to as "Technicism" and "Bioniclism."
2001
LEGO assumes, incorrectly, that Bionicle will be popular with Technic fans, so markets towards them with Rahi and gimmicks like gears, but adds storyline aspect and a "coolified" element in the set design with the concept of canister sets.
Instead, Technic fans look down on Bionicle for the most part while the storyline aspect and coolified elements draws roleplayers in. Rahi sets sell poorly, gears are unpopular. Collectibles also sell poorly. Most fans are drawn to the unique aspects of Bionicle, like the canister sets, the more style-based designs of the Toa, and some aspects of Turaga and other sets, seeing this as "Bionicle."
(For sake of clarity, this will be called "Bioniclism".)
However, there are always exceptions, and a rare minority of Technic fans who love the Rahi and gears, etc. becomes very emotionally invested in Bionicle. They make up most online membership while the main fans mainly roleplay on their own. This minority often associates 2001 aspects with "Bionicle", often not realizing that most fans disagree.
Sales overall are strong thanks to Toa, but bogged down by "Technicism".
2002-2003
LEGO still tries some Technicism sets like the Bahrag, but they continue to sell poorly. LEGO strengthens the popular canister sets by extending it to villains. Also falls into a clonism trap.
Sales decline to the low point in 2003, bogged down both by Technicism and clonism despite initial success with the innovative canister villains (Bohrok). Bionicle's future is severely threatened and faces the choice to improve or die.
Majority fans are bored, displeased, but excited at the rare exception like the Rahkshi which used much "Bioniclism" over "Technicism", seen in elements such as increased balljoint articulation, stylistic spikes, etc.
2004-2005
Begins to listen to the majority fans, and remove Technicism. Technic titans are replaced with more "coolified"-style, smaller, less expensive titans, and phases out unpopular gears. Also intros popular projectiles in full force, not just features of promotional sets like McToran.
New fans begin to replace aging fans in greater numbers than ever before. Majority fans love the changes. The rare Technicism fans strongly dislike the changes and post litanies of illogicial complaints (which I promptly take apart, being our resident logician), though also some reasonable ones too asking for "treats" which LEGO still seeks to give these devoted fans.
Sales begin an upward climb and Bionicle's future begins to look more stable.
2006-2008
Technicism largely gone, and LEGO begins to remove clonism. Articulation reaches a near-ideal state that's hard to improve on.
New fans almost totally replaced older fans, and much 2004-05 fans getting older and moving on from toys too.
The rare Technicism fans grow rarer as many move on to other things, but those that are left are more displeased than ever. However, proportionality-wise, they are a tinier minority than ever before.
(Most of them make the typical mistake of assuming their tastes = quality, so they assume Bionicle has gone downhill. But in reality, they simply happen to be wired differently from most fans, which LEGO cannot control, and many come to see this fact as I keep on explaining it, and come to accept the reality for how it is and be at peace with it, even if they understandably wish reality had been different.)
Majority fans more pleased than ever with sets much more geared towards what they want -- roleplaying, Bioniclism, projectiles, variety, etc.
Also, during 2008, Toa apparently undergo a change from a more "Ruthless Elegance" style which most fans seem to prefer in villains, to "Noble Heroism." But that's a blog entry for another time.
[Edit: Also see this comment for the history related to the 2008 vehicles, which I forgot to mention here.]
Sales go through the roof, though admittedly facing some challenges in an increasingly tough toy market and with rising resource prices. Bionicle's health is strong.
Challenges I Foresee
With Bionicle moving even more in line with what most fans want, the biggest challenge to its future health is probably going to be nothing fancier than price of oil, steel, plastic, etc. With this and with the rest, Bionicle MUST remain willing to be flexible, and not fall into the rut of tradition, no matter how loud the nostalgic critics shout.
This is because, while the above history discusses what majority fans want as if it is stable, my opinion is that it isn't really stable. It's just that, major upheavals in that sort of thing seem to be caused by society going through a major change, such as a technological one. IMO, having lived through the nineties and since, 2008 really isn't all that different from 2001, societally.
So while today's kids still want roughly the same thing, with perhaps more strictness towards the "Bioniclism" side, that could all change in the future. I think we are beginning to enter a new technological revolution with HD everything, and the beginnings of the move to things like TiVo, much faster computers, much more advanced video games, etc.
I'm not going to predict what that will mean for what future kids' majority tastes will be. I can only throw out possibilities -- maybe actually abandoning plastic in favor of virtual toys, maybe putting computing technology in every LEGO brick, or maybe something as simple as red going out of style.
But the point is, the tastes might shift, and Bionicle needs to shift along with it if it happens -- there's a danger of getting too used to the winning formula for today and actually locking that in as The Formula. Good news for now -- I don't see the current leaders of Bionicle making that mistake.
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