BIONICLE Confirmed for 2015

[alabob]

Breeze+Vultraz=Bultraz

[Meiko]

IMO it would be best if there were a larger group of people working to develop the canon, and I wouldn't mind GregF being involved because he was pretty good at what he did.

This would be a good way to go about storywriting for Bionicle (or any story-driven theme really). Maybe LEGO will see this and actually do it haha

 

Also I am hoping against hope that collectibles (mask packs!) will make a return

This would also be good

[Lemony Lepid]

 Also I am hoping against hope that collectibles (mask packs!) will make a return, even though it's unlikely.

 

 

I second this, never had the chance to collect stuff.

[Aanchir]

Implying he doesn't learn from mistakes... :/

I don't know that I've ever agreed with any of your posts as much as I agree with this one. In all seriousness, a lot of people seem to think of Greg as a one-note author whose only writing mode was aimless, grimdark, and convoluted. Having read many of his LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Legends of Chima stories, I know for fact that this is not the case. He is fully capable of writing episodic stories that don't leave a lot of loose ends or plot holes but still fit into the context of a larger narrative. And he's able to create suspense without constantly making his stories "darker and edgier".

 

Granted, he isn't on the story team for LEGO Ninjago or LEGO Legends of Chima, and we don't know yet if he's on the story team for the new BIONICLE. But either way, there's no reason to assume that having him heavily involved in the new BIONICLE would automatically result in a tangled mess of a storyline.

 

 

IMO it would be best if there were a larger group of people working to develop the canon, and I wouldn't mind GregF being involved because he was pretty good at what he did.

This would be a good way to go about storywriting for Bionicle (or any story-driven theme really). Maybe LEGO will see this and actually do it haha

 

That is actually exactly how the BIONICLE storyline was mostly developed in the first place. Greg Farshtey was just one member of a larger story team which also included Lena Dixen, the franchise manager, Christoffer Raundahl, the lead set designer, and others. He happened to be the most visible member of the story team both because he was the writer of the comics and books and because he had the most direct interaction with fans, but he was generally not responsible for the major story decisions like new settings or major events like how Mata Nui was awakened.

[Lyichir]

 

IMO it would be best if there were a larger group of people working to develop the canon, and I wouldn't mind GregF being involved because he was pretty good at what he did.

This would be a good way to go about storywriting for Bionicle (or any story-driven theme really). Maybe LEGO will see this and actually do it haha

 

It would be a good way to go about storywriting. In fact, it's so good, it's what Lego ALWAYS did for Bionicle from the very beginning to the bitter end. Greg was only one member of a story team that worked to decide the overall story arcs, characters, and settings. Greg was simply the most visible member of that team as the one responsible for the nitty-gritty of writing the actual books and comics as well as interacting directly with fans.

 

Honestly, I think Greg gets a raw deal as the one who is blamed for every story development in the series. Did he make some boneheaded moves? Of course he did—it'd be hard NOT to, when he allowed fans to get used to him having an answer for every insignificant thing in the Bionicle universe. It was an unparalleled level of fan engagement that I appreciated at the time, but the overexplanation that resulted took a lot of the mystery out of the series, and when that desire to explain or justify everything in the story bled into the story serials (which were almost always pure fanservice for the kinds of fans who needed to know what every character was up to at every point in time) it resulted in some of Bionicle's worst mistakes, like the Toa Orde fiasco. And it also led to Greg's "Sure, throw it in" attitude to suggestions about how to explain plot holes or inconsistencies, especially after the theme ended and he had other, more important things to attend to than minor loose ends in a finished story.

 

If Greg is writing for the new series, I actually hope that the Ask Greg topic on the Lego Message Boards ends soon. I disagree with the notion that it'd help fans to understand the past story in a continuation (that would only work assuming Greg has time to both write a new story AND educate every single person who asks about a ten-year story with hundreds of characters). On the contrary, I think that it would be better to get fans accustomed to less information, and less interaction, from the get-go, so that the overexplanation of the original theme doesn't set in again. We don't need that, and we've never needed that.

 

A much better alternative would be a moderated discussion that could happen periodically. Get somebody (staff on BZPower, staff on the Lego Message Boards, or a fellow Story Team member) to accept submissions for questions, and then periodically ask Greg or whoever writes the story ONLY those which are the cream of the crop or the best of the best—not insignificant things about "Whatever happened to this character from years ago?" or "why isn't this-or-that included as a power of this-or-that element?" Those things did not make the story better and I'm sure whoever writes the story would be much better off without them.

[Space: Ocean of Awe]

Funny thing, last night I had a dream in which Lego was making a big announcement about a new constraction line; though in the dream it was a Ben 10 reboot with a rather interesting design, and the sets were very satisfying and unique. This morning I checked BZP and was given some of the best news I've heard in ages! Does that mean my dreams kinda sorta have predictive powers? (Or maybe I was just thinking about my latest MOC).

 

Anyhow. That mask looks pretty epic. Doesn't look too evil to me, but pretty powerful. I like the thought that it's the MoC, but I'll wait and see what they've got in store for us. Oh, and I know without any doubt where all that money I found is going (I hope they put a lot of effort into making the sets good, and stay clear of anything HF-ish). Never too old for Bionicle (or Lego)!

 

I wonder how they're going to go about the story. Frankly, I'd be pretty happy with a reboot, though I think I'd prefer a time skip. Really, the main thing is that it has to be GOOD. An interesting story (but somewhat simpler, much tidier, than it became), with the same feel (though that changed over the years, I liked the whole thing). And Unity, Duty, Destiny, or something similar; nothing better than a toyline with virtues!

 

=)

[Cyrix]

That is actually exactly how the BIONICLE storyline was mostly developed in the first place. Greg Farshtey was just one member of a larger story team which also included Lena Dixen, the franchise manager, Christoffer Raundahl, the lead set designer, and others. He happened to be the most visible member of the story team both because he was the writer of the comics and books and because he had the most direct interaction with fans, but he was generally not responsible for the major story decisions like new settings or major events like how Mata Nui was awakened.

It would be a good way to go about storywriting. In fact, it's so good, it's what Lego ALWAYS did for Bionicle from the very beginning to the bitter end. Greg was only one member of a story team that worked to decide the overall story arcs, characters, and settings. Greg was simply the most visible member of that team as the one responsible for the nitty-gritty of writing the actual books and comics as well as interacting directly with fans.

 

Ah, I didn't realize that GregF wasn't the main man even later on in the story, my bad. In that case, the entire story team just has to be a lot more careful in not adding too many layers to the story and not explain too much. I got caught up in the "blame Greg for stuff" mentality probably because, as you said, he was basically the public face of the story team. If that's not the case, then the whole team will hopefully improve where they stumbled last time.

 

Once again, that's not to say they didn't do an excellent job. I just hope that there will be more of that sense of mystery that was present early on as opposed to the rigid technicality and over-explanation of later years

[Mr. Cup of Fail]

Breeze+Vultraz=Bultraz

Alright, it's now all hail king queen Bultraz

[Pranciblad]

That is actually exactly how the BIONICLE storyline was mostly developed in the first place. Greg Farshtey was just one member of a larger story team which also included Lena Dixen, the franchise manager, Christoffer Raundahl, the lead set designer, and others. He happened to be the most visible member of the story team both because he was the writer of the comics and books and because he had the most direct interaction with fans, but he was generally not responsible for the major story decisions like new settings or major events like how Mata Nui was awakened.

 

Look, Greg may not have been behind every bit of Bionicle story, but considering he wrote the comics, books, serials, and was the one who talked to the fans, it meant that whoever was calling the shots didn't matter, it all came in through a filter of Greg. And not everybody liked that.

 

 

A lot of people seem to think of Greg as a one-note author whose only writing mode was aimless, grimdark, and convoluted. Having read many of his LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Legends of Chima stories, I know for fact that this is not the case. He is fully capable of writing episodic stories that don't leave a lot of loose ends or plot holes but still fit into the context of a larger narrative. And he's able to create suspense without constantly making his stories "darker and edgier".

Granted, he isn't on the story team for LEGO Ninjago or LEGO Legends of Chima, and we don't know yet if he's on the story team for the new BIONICLE. But either way, there's no reason to assume that having him heavily involved in the new BIONICLE would automatically result in a tangled mess of a storyline.

 

Yes, you could argue that Greg's non-Bionicle writing is better, but who's to say going back to Bionicle won't mean he falls back on bad habits? I'd much rather have him on a shorter leash this time.

[dviddy]

Isn't this technically a leak? Un-officially obtained content, so we can't discuss it?

No. This is an image taken straight from LEGO.com. It may not have been made public yet, but it is fair game as it isn't breaking any NDAs like retailer catalog images or that packaging leak did. Those images were obtained illegally- this one was available to anyone who wanted to search for it. We have posted images from LEGO's cache before.

 

Interesting to see other sites getting so adamant about BZP's leaked content policy when BZP suddenly scoops them. As if so many other sites define themselves in relation to BZP's policies.

[Sumiki]

YES.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

I'm sorry, but wasn't the ending of Bionicle in 2010 pretty abrupt? In fact, once our emotions over the ending cleared, we realized that the ending was so rushed and flawed, that it definatley deserved better than what we got (Bionicle Stars?? What the flying Karzahni?). So in a way, I am hoping the the series continues right where it left off. That would be great. 

probably a Great Being.

 

It was indeed abrupt. But at the same time, I went into it with the mentality that LEGO forced that rushed ending and we should have been thankful for them at least continuing for half a year to resolve the conflict. It wasn't particularly anything we wanted, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ending they cooked up with. It was faithful to the Bionicle story and it well... resolved everything. It wasn't perfect but for what they had? Not bad.

 

And Bionicle Stars may have been disappointing sets but from a business standpoint, it was definitely a smart move. Bionicle, a franchise that wasn't doing the best at that point, was about to be discontinued. If you are going to end the franchise, you don't end it off with a bang and continue to get your lacklustre sales. No, you make six sets at a budget price-point that resemble older, popular characters in Bionicle history. Seriously, that was an affordable line. And despite size and awful piece-to-price ratio, it was pretty successful in capturing the look of the different Bionicle years.

 

Bionicle was ultimately a victim of it's own popularity. It kept going on and on past it's original end point, and by that time it was already too late for LEGO to salvage the sales. So unfortunately, pulling the plug meant going out with a whimper. 2009 was the real, unexpected end of Bionicle, sets-wise. 

Edited September 9, 2014 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[Vorred]

Yes, you could argue that Greg's non-Bionicle writing is better, but who's to say going back to Bionicle won't mean he falls back on bad habits? I'd much rather have him on a shorter leash this time.

I don't think that's fair. A writer and basically everybody who creates anything imrpoves over time. His books became better, and I don't see how he can "fall back on bad habits" just because there's a different (old) name. It's not like he purposely decided to make Bionicle more complicated.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Vorred

[believe victims]

It's not like he purposely decided to make Bionicle more complicated.

 

I could be wrong, but last I checked, hamfisting Vezon everywhere was 100% Greg.

 

On a different note, I'm unsure on this mask's design. On the one hand, it's pretty complicated. On the other hand, it's closer to a 2001-esque mask design than anything from 2006-2008.

[Cyrix]

YES.

 

thank you based sumiki

[Protodite Karzahni]

Good grief, Bionicle returning? I'd never heard of such a thing!

 

Whatever. It's not like I wanted to pay rent or anything.

[Mr. House]

It was bound to happen. I just didn't think this soon...

[Liopleurodon]

Hooray! That mask looks like Vultraz with antlers.

[Nittany Nuva]

EDIT: Also I am hoping against hope that collectibles (mask packs!) will make a return, even though it's unlikely.

 

I don't know, are kids into collecting nowadays? When I was a youngster it was, with Pokemon etc. Bionicle moved from collectibles to launchers in 2004 and never turned back. Lego likes to use focus groups, so if collecting isn't a fad now I don't see the mask packs returning.

 

I'd be interested to see how well the Collectible Minifigures are doing with the younger demographic though. If blind packs are selling well to them, it's a possibility I guess.

[Hitoshura]

What is this

 

Like really a reboot thats new(not really)

[son of the shadows]

Hype train time!

[Ziontyro Metalhead]

Finally, some sure proof. I can't wait to see the actual sets. It would be nice if they did have collectibles. All the blind packs at the stores around me get sold out quick.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Ziontyro Metalhead

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

My question is... will we get comic books again?! 

 

They'll probably relegate to TV episodes... Don't get me wrong! I'd watch the out of those but comics were awesome too.

 

Hopefully we get a good game to go along with the return as well. Itching to play a good Bionicle game!

 

-NotS

[believe victims]

My question is... will we get comic books again?! 

 

They'll probably relegate to TV episodes... Don't get me wrong! I'd watch the ###### out of those but comics were awesome too.

 

Hopefully we get a good game to go along with the return as well. Itching to play a good Bionicle game!

 

-NotS

 

As much as I enjoy being a bearer of bad news, it slightly pains me to say that, if comic books were still profitable to LEGO, chances are HF comics wouldn't have petered out the way they did.

 

From what I've heard, the comics industry in general has been struggling in the digital age (well, besides webcomics, which thrive in it) so I'd say it's much more likely a more successful medium would be employed, like a television show.

 

I'm not saying comics are completely out of the question, just that, if they were a good marketing strategy, I would think LEGO would still be using them (outside of Lego Magazine one-offs, I mean).

[Skrade]

All this money, it's just pouring out of my wallet already. I just can't control it. I'm almost home, Onua and Kopaka.

 

I am incredibly excited for this I'll be moving out soon so I'll have a new, bigger room to actually be able to display these again. Personally, though, I just can't help but hope they don't look very much at all like the latest Hero Factory sets. It's not the whole connection system, it's just the complexity of the skeletons and the armor. I'd really like for these sets to have some of the old piston/mechanical aesthetic to them. Flat, smooth, streamlined Toa just wouldn't do it for me. I'm not hating on the HF sets, of course. It's just personal preference.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

 

My question is... will we get comic books again?! 

 

They'll probably relegate to TV episodes... Don't get me wrong! I'd watch the ###### out of those but comics were awesome too.

 

Hopefully we get a good game to go along with the return as well. Itching to play a good Bionicle game!

 

-NotS

 

As much as I enjoy being a bearer of bad news, it slightly pains me to say that, if comic books were still profitable to LEGO, chances are HF comics wouldn't have petered out the way they did.

 

From what I've heard, the comics industry in general has been struggling in the digital age (well, besides webcomics, which thrive in it) so I'd say it's much more likely a more successful medium would be employed, like a television show.

 

I'm not saying comics are completely out of the question, just that, if they were a good marketing strategy, I would think LEGO would still be using them (outside of Lego Magazine one-offs, I mean).

 

Eh, digital comics even wouldn't be bad. I just loved seeing the art styles throughout the years. Was very unique and it was cool to see how a different artist interpreted the events in the story.

 

Television episodes sound legit though. Also, hopefully they can release novels (either paperback or digitally, doesn't matter to me. Maybe even serialize it like Journey's End).

 

-NotS

[Makuta_of_Oz]

tbh I was expecting Bionicle to more likely return in 2016 than 2015. Thrilled to see it's coming back earlier.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

tbh I was expecting Bionicle to more likely return in 2016 than 2015. Thrilled to see it's coming back earlier.

I was expecting longer xD

 

-NotS

[Lielac]

My throat's sore from all the high-pitched shrieking I've been doing lately. I appear to turn into a boiling tea kettle when overflowing with excitement.

 

So! Bionicle! It's a thing! I AM SLIGHTLY INCOHERENT WITH EXCITEMENT OH MATA NUI YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

I hope it's a reboot. Hard, soft, whatever; the story became a tangled mess of literary kudzu in its later years, and I want a return to simpler times. That'll be easier to rope friends into, too, hehehe. And mystery! I like a few minor mysteries, usually. And I will sacrifice a Mukau for a better gender ratio in named and plot-relevant characters.

 

Also, I'd greatly appreciate a storyline that's not scattered across half a dozen different forms of media. Or however many it was. Books, movies, comics, online serials, online comics, online games, Flash animations... as a fanfic writer and general lore fiend, I want to be able to collate story information without having to scramble all over the place to find what I'm looking for.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Lielac

[Disciple]

WOOHOO!

 

Kiina moment aside, I love the crown-like appearance of the mask. If it ain't brand-new, I could see it as the Mask of Creation.

 

Great news!

[Lielac]

WOOHOO!

 

Kiina moment aside, I love the crown-like appearance of the mask. If it ain't brand-new, I could see it as the Mask of Creation.

 

Great news!

 

Naw, man, indulge in your Kiina moments! The Kiina moments are distilled excitement! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

As for the mask being "brand-new" and therefore not the Mask of Creation, we've never actually seen what the MoC looks like. I think this could well be that Mask.

 

I definitely don't think it's the Ignika (for anyone who does, not directed at Disciple), because while the Ignika has changed shapes, it's never... not had... the... Vitruvian... figure...

 

Okay, it's not had the Vitruvian figure twice. But the first was in the questionably canonical VNOG and BIONICLE Heroes, and the second was fused to Vezon's head, and the Mask of Hype is significantly different from any canonical appearance of the Ignika on its own, so I strongly suspect they're not the same thing.

 

While it's possible that a decision might be made to change the Ignika's appearance, I don't think it would be worth the trouble, and I think it would annoy a lot of old fans and be received ambivalently by new ones. I think, if the Ignika does return in Bionicle 2015, it'll be as a brief cameo: maybe hanging on a wall in New Atero if this is a far-flung continuation, or in legends if it's a reboot... or heck, in legends if it's a far-flung continuation, because ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN IN A COUPLE THOUSAND YEARS, EH? EHHHH?

 

Also, for anyone who thinks it's the Ignika, we just got done chasing that around, it hasn't been long enough for people to forget, and Mata Nui is napping. That'd be a boring, overused plot. Now, chasing the Mask of Creation around... ehehehe. Okay, maybe not chasing it around. Maybe Epic Scavenger Hunts could use a bit of a rest. But the Mask of Hype is pretty clearly a central focus for Bionicle 2015, so it's got to be something Important and Special.

 

... oh Mata Nui help me I'm writing five paragraph essays about this, it's official, I'm hyped

[Toa Lahka]

Yay! Oh how I missed everything about Bionicle.

[Jam Pot Studios]

To be honest, I'd rather see someone other than Greg write the new Bionicle. While he was okay for the first few years, he had a bunch of stock phrases he repeated, as well as making some strands of the story, like Tuyet's and Lewa/Tren Krom's, needlessly convoluted.

 

By 2008, there was very little genuine humour or levity in the main storyline and the serials alike, to the point where I started to wonder why anyone would bother saving that world. The Dark Hunters were justifiably dark, and I can understand the antiheroism of the Order of Mata Nui (to a point), but even his approach to the supposedly good characters, like Matoran and Toa changed.

 

He got too severe, in my opinion, which is a mistake seeing as no matter how big and diverse the fandom became, it's primary target was still children. Everything was grim with no or little light relief, which (mostly) made Bara Magna a welcome breath of fresh air, which I guess is what TLC intended it to be.

[CHTrilogy]

YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSS!!!!!!!

 

I knew Bionicle wouldn't be lost to time after all!!! Thanks guys! Made my day!

[PDPsi HAN]

I am very excited about this, but I do hope they are still called Toa and not Masters.

[skratchR]

When I saw this, the little respect I have from my sister has vanished. I started dancing gangnam style on my bed. But it was worth it. It was that or brain explode.

 

But, I have to say, I am very scared of what can come out of this. If they manage to capture the feeling of 2001 and 2002, I will probably mail my credcard and my wallet to wherever the owner of lego lives. If they manage to capture the feeling of 2003-2007, I will spend most of my days roaming around the closest store hunting for anything with BIONICLE written on it. If they capture the feeling of the last years (and the building techniques), i'll just go to a corner and cry... So many years of waiting... It is similar to what I feel about star wars 7-9.

 

And the mask is very clearly a legendary kanohi. Probably the mask of creation, but it looks like a mask of scavenging with a crown on it...

[Techn0geist]

This.

This is what it takes to get me posting again.

And I'm so happy this is the thing that does it.

The hype is building, ladies and gentlemen. The hype is building.

[rednas3636]

I'm about to (finally) read Time trap, ironically. Ah well, let's hope they stay.. faithful ^^

[skratchR]

This is marvellous. I am browsing through this topic and it is full of people saying 'at last i'm back', or 'i finally returned to BZPower'. The fanbase is reviving, and getting on the hype train, which is now a hype super star destroyer, executor-class.

 

This is what will happen in 2015:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/skratchR/BIONICLE-artwork/bionicle_2015.png

 

BEWARE.

Edited September 9, 2014 by skratchR

[Manterax Prime]

I pointe it out elsewhere, but if this is the Mask of Creation, it's been drastically redesigned and somewhat simplified. The MoC was forged in many diverse and intricate ways to represent every single culture in the MU. That includes the likes of the Vortixx, the Skakdi, Steltians, etc. It also has "angular and pointed"/evil eyes. NONE of those are present in this mask/helmet.