Intro

So this week's update should be on time, but whether or not it's as informative as last week's is another matter.

Updates

Three big stories this week, I suppose:

First, Pekel returns and weighs in on Metus. Be sure to read it if you like reviews that make you laugh while telling you everything you need to know about the set. He's one funny guy that Pekel...

Next up, an announcement was made about entertainment company Digital Blue partnering with Lego to create Lego and Bionicle-themed MP3 players, digital cameras, and more. As I suggested in the news story I'm not a big fan of such marketing. Products like these are generally lower quality than similarly priced non-branded goods, so you're paying a premium for the name. Now if you want to immerse yourself in a Bionicle lifestyle and snatch these up, go right ahead. It's just not for me (and by the looks of the Talkback, many other members).

As Greg Farshtey pointed out, we're not exactly the target group for merchandise such as this, which is very true. And I understand that Lego wants to get their name and the Bionicle name out there so it gets more recognition and increases sales, and the merchandising is one of the ways to do that. It's not something I think is good for Lego in the long run though, and I'd rather see them focus their time and resources on making a high-quality toy that's loved by children of all ages. I'm sure there was much discussion and debate within Lego before this decision was made, and at this point we'll have to wait and see how it pans out. Based on past experiences with Bionicle merchandise though, make sure you keep your eyes on the discount aisles.

Finally, the new Bionicle.com website went live earlier this week. Congrats to Binkmeister and the rest of the team for their hard work! I'm liking what I'm seeing so far, and the game promises to be amazing, possibly rivaling the Mata Nui and Voya Nui Online Games. The MLN integration is quite nice and thanks to InnerRayg has sucked me in. (I'm Black6 in case you're curious.) But anyway, the layout and graphics are quite nice and I look forward to how the year will unfold.

In other news, the staff have been working on a small project that may see the light of day if we ever manage to all agree on how to do it.

Mailbag

What are your feelings on April 1st (in terms of BZPower)? Anticipate it, dread it?

Back when I wasn't planning things it was great. For the past few years though, it seems like we either go too far or not far enough. I guess there's no pleasing some people, although we'll see how this year goes.

Want to see your questions answered? PM them to me and put 'Mailbag' in the subject line. I'll pick the few I like the best and answer them in the next update.

Conclusion

And that's all we have for this week. Hope you enjoyed it. Also, if you live in the parts of the country that are getting a lot of snow or will be getting it this weekend, enjoy!