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Bionicle Concludes Again


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This really took me by surprise and I still don't really know how to feel about this, but here are a couple of my thoughts.

I don't think a lot of us expected the theme to go on after 2017 with all those rumors going around, but seeing it not even get its third year to wrap up the story as it was planned is just really sad. I really think the theme had a lot of potential that just wasn't done justice in its presentation. When I look at the concept art by Matt Betteker I see a rich, atmospheric world that has a sense of awe to it. I also think the plot brought some really interesting, new ideas to the table. But I feel like none of that really carried over to any of the media we got. It's like they built this expansive world and only showed us much as they needed, when there was so much more to it. I was hoping we would see a lot more in the coming year (or possibly years) because some of the plot points they hinted at seemed cool, with the mask of time playing a role and whatnot. 

The sets were some of the best constraction sets we've ever gotten in my opinion and I hope they continue to expand on the CCBS. It would be a shame if we didn't get a new CCBS IP, but I'll guess we'll have to wait and see about that. I doubt that they had enough time to develop a new IP to release this coming winter.

 

Although I can't say I'm really satisfied with how it ended, I think Bionicle had a decent second run, with a lot of unused potential. I'm sure the team behind the reboot did the best they could do with the resources they had available and I'm really grateful for their work. It's also nice to hear that we will still be getting updates from their social media and on the official website and I think the Makuta Moc contest is a nice way to wrap it all up. 

It's been a fun two years and I'm looking forward to what the future might bring.

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I found this whole announcement very unexpected. Even with all the doomsday rumors going around, I'd figured that G2 would at least end up going into 2017. :(

 

Looking back on the past two years, while I don't feel that I've been as engaged in G2's story as G1's, I did feel the new G2 sets had a lot of strong points - the 2015 winter sets seemed promising, especially since they 1) were able to reintegrate gear functions with poseability (a significant pro when compared to most of G1's later sets), 2) weren't clone sets, and 3) the Toa actually resembled their 2001 counterparts. I was actually looking forward to seeing the 2017 Bionicle sets, but I guess that's no longer going to be a reality...

 

Maybe Lego can release Slizers/Throwbots G2 next? :P

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This is quite a bummer. I wasn't nearly as invested in this line, but it's still sad. Can't say I didn't see it coming, though, and I think a few of the reasons have been touched on here.

 

VahiHolder02 and doodleloot make two excellent points, I think: the in-depth world wasn't really present in the media (despite being in the concept art), and the price of the Toa was more prohibitive. Something about the $10 barrier, for me, put the Toa out of the "inexpensive" range. I think that was incredibly important for the original theme's success, and I know I bought far fewer Toa this time around than I would have if they were, say, $8 and $12 or $10 and $15 instead of $15 and $20. Inflation hasn't gone up drastically enough to make $15 the new $7 for me (I know the 2015 Toa were bigger, but they also used fewer new molds, had cheaper packaging, and didn't include a mini-cd).

 

Speaking of the in-depth world that was created--it's a shame that something like the mini-CDs didn't come with the 2015/2016 sets. I know that the CDs themselves would no longer be practical, but perhaps a special website link or something. I dunno. In any case, the lore and the feel of what was on those CDs sure helped immerse 12-year-old me in the line.

 

These aren't signs that Lego didn't care, or anything like that. Simply that things are different than they were.

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Hmm. I knew G2 was going to end eventually, but that it suddenly does so now is certainly surprising. I can't say I'm not disappointed, but I find I'm not that disappointed. I was willing to give the story a chance, and 2015's was okay, but with Journey to One exclusive to Netflix I never watched it and lost interest. The sets were pretty good, but honestly I was only getting them for parts anyways, and I can do that with whatever succeeds Bionicle. Assuming, of course, something does - my one concern, I think, is that this might herald Lego giving up on constraction in general, or relegating it to subsets of other themes.

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Other lines have come and gone, and I don't see why Bionicle can't be amongst them going forward.
 
The world is different now that it was in 2002. We were all younger—heck, some of us weren't even yet born—and the world has changed in the fourteen intervening years.  Oil prices have gone up, technology has progressed faster than all but the most prescient of futurists had ever predicted, and we as a fandom can look back on G1, an epic ten-year run whose lore may not yet ever be surpassed by any other line LEGO might produce.  LEGO is different now than it was, from the brink of catastrophe to the world's largest toy manufacturer.  Media has grown and there are so many other outlets and so many other things vying for the attention of LEGO's primary target audience.  LEGO learned its lesson from the G1 launch: change or to bankrupt. They've kept up with the times quite well, all things considered.
 
Will Bionicle return? Most likely. Will it ever be able to recapture G1? I hope so, but the reality points to a dimmer picture.

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I really hoped we coluld get a third year or at least a Makuta and MoUP mask. Guess not.

 

Now, if like most people do, I have to find something to blame, I'd put my money on marketing. You can sell the dumbest most shallow thing with the right aproach, and with today's viral world novelty+controversy=big money. On hindsight, maybe Lego put, in comparasion with other themes, so little effort in promoting themselves the theme so we, the fans, gave it traction by inserting it in our nostalgia obsessed internet. We were supposed to flow the web with those websodes from 2015. We were expected to make our siblings or children watch the show and them take then to the iles to buy them. But we didn't: most of us kept arguing about its lackluster (better yet, untapped potentially interesting) story, comparing it to G1 and generally being sceptic. Which is not bad, we aren't mindless drones, but it certanly didn't help much.

 

On the economic side, yes it underperfomed, and despite it's historical significance, they simply didn't think it was worth it to drag it along for another year. Lego made Bionicle a chore to keep up to, to see if they could capitalize on nostalgia and and fandom. It didn't work because Bionicle was never a widesread cultural penomena, so they might as well cut their loses. In the end, as much effort and passion they put into the reboot, bussiness is bussiness.

Now, for my economic perspective, It was clear that it was up to North America and Europe to keep it alive. Those from the third world, like México, were given the first wave "to see if it performed good" and then were left on the dust. Not that I expected it to struggle, when you need a week of minimum wage to afford a medium sized set. Again, bussiness is bussiness, but in the end is kind of pointless to support them when they don't even give the means to do so. More money for the fronteer scalpers it is.

 

But not all is negative. Despite my economic struggles I will get all the G2 sets. And the story made me want to write fanfiction, something I never did with G1. I guess is the only thing I can do to keep it spirit alive, since I'm not much of a MOCer. But right now I only feel old and tired.

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I hate to see it go. But i do hope the next construction theme will be at least decent. (Please Lego! No next knights construction figures!)

Ey, at least you got a Solid Gold Mask out of it, the rest of us (excluding about like, 10) didn't get much else besides these (awesome) figures.

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I'm hesitant to post here, primarily because I'm someone who comes to this topic as a "G1" fan who never did get into this second generation.  That is due to me being quite a bit older now than I was when Bionicle began back in the day and I recognise that I'm at an age now where I naturally wouldn't be drawn quite as much to a toy line like Bionicle!  I also have been very infrequently active on BZPower these last ten or so years, so not sure if my voice deserves to be heard!

 

Nevertheless, just wanted to make one statement regarding the popularity of the original Bionicle line...I've seen a couple comments along the lines of G1 Bionicle being more popular because it had so many more years(10 I think?) to build up its lore and story, giving it a weight and gravitas and granting it a longer period of time to build a fan base.  That longer time period is granted, but please remember that Bionicle was much loved even from the very first days of its launch, even before the sets were released - those of us who were around back then remember the hardcore fascination and debate over all things Bionicle...from the very beginning.  The story behind Bionicle was beautifully spun, being masterfully presented in the MNOLG and the comics(I can still remember the chills running down my arms as I read the very first comic out of the Lego magazine!!)  Bionicle in its earliest incarnation had a weight and a wonderful epic quality about it that quickly conjured up a rather obsessed fan base!  So G1 Bionicle had a great beginning that drew in people who remain fans to this day.  Did G2 have this same quality to it?  I'm unsure, as I honestly haven't followed it closely.  But I just wanted to throw in my two cents here, to remind some of you exactly why G1 aficionados are as passionate as we are.  It's not just because it's a toy line that lasted for ten years.  It's because it was a story that was beautifully told.  (Well.  Most of the time. :))

 

Pardon this long post - I really do feel a bit of an intruder, having posted so little in these past years!!  Thanks for reading.   :)

 

:tohu:

-IT

 

I feel the same way as the venerable Israeli Toa. Nice to see a familiar name after so many years!

 

Basically, I was optimistic when news first broke in 2014 at BIONICLE's return. I posted as much my sentiments here, but I was privately reserved, for I sensed things were not going to be executed in the proper fashion. As IT mentioned, from before even the first BIONICLE sets were released, this captivating, mysterious world was created and foisted upon us by the Lego BIONICLE team. It began with the website, which included the legendary MNOG, but also a tie-in site with Universal Music Group. There was a whole website dedicated to crafting music for BIONICLE. Music! For a toyline! This was even before the PowerPack with Hafu and the Chrome Hau hit store shelves, too.

 

While Europe got the feel the power from the start of 2001, us North Americans had to wait until July. But man, did Lego keep us pumped. In March, Lego Club members could get there hands on Tahu and Vakama. The first comic came out in May, and Carlos D'Anda's art...whoa. What toyline gets that kind of artistic treatment? In a free comic book, no less?! Then, another Lego Club offer let us obtain the full set of Turaga, and then in late July, the sets finally arrived. Lego knew we were hyped. The summer S@H catalog proudly proclaimed "BIONICLE Has Arrived!" And how.

 

This new BIONICLE did none of that. Strange, befitting the huge legacy created by the first iteration. Oh sure, we got animations again (no game), and thanks to social media, nice art and promo updates. But, there were no comics. No music. No great lore to dive into. For old timers like myself, we already knew the names of the Toa and what they stood for. Okoto did not really get the detailed, cartographic treatment Mata Nui did (remember that map inside the liner notes from the BIONICLE Music CD-ROM?) and many characters did not even get names!

 

It's obvious from the set design and the behind-the-scenes reveals from Lego that hard work and enthusiasm went into the making of this new BIONICLE. But it is also obvious that in spite of that, it could have been more, but maybe the people working on it weren't really pushed into making it so. I've spoken to set designers, including one who worked on this new BIONICLE line. They are proud of their work, and it shows (I own the new version of Tahu). But I also noticed that the set designers don't run the big show, and in other themes, I learned they can (and have been) "throttled back", so to speak, in order to fulfill the plan or mandate for a given theme. That does not originate with them or their immediate supervisors. That comes from corporate and marketing. Maybe this new BIONICLE seems the lesser for it because it was always intended as such, but in keeping with Lego's rule of "only the best is good enough", they still made it best it could possibly be...within the limitations or "goals" already laid out for the team.

 

So, BIONICLE goes to sleep once more. I'll probably watch the rest of the Netflix series. It was...interesting (I still have a soft spot for the BIONICLE movies of 2003-2009), so now that I know it is over, I should check out the whole thing. But I was a child of the first BIONICLE generation, and this second one's quick death guarantees I shall forever remain so. Perhaps I am too old and too out of touch with the BZPower members today, so forgive me if I seem too lost in "nostalgia". But I stand by my memories of the actual things Lego BIONICLE gave us back in the heady days of 2001 and 2002.

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Well, I can't say I've been active for the last few years, but it's still kind of a bummer. The 2015 Toa were awesome, even convincing me to pick up a couple despite my current lack of MOCing time just because they were so well done. However, I've disliked pretty much every set not part of that first wave and I haven't kept up with the story, so it's not that disappointing to me. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the team behind it for all the effort they put into trying to bring back the magic of Bionicle. I mentioned the first wave was fantastic (probably one of the best Bionicle waves ever, nostalgia notwithstanding) and I quite liked the art direction of the animated story last year and the return to its simple "magic robots on a mysterious tropical island" roots (not that I hated the complexity of G1, it grew with me, but there was a lot of unnecessary and questionable stuff there and nostalgia is a heck of a drug).

They unfortunately never really recaptured the mystery and spiritual nature of it entirely and the sets plummeted in quality after the first wave, so I'm not too surprised it failed to recapture the sales figures of G1. It seemed like, at least at first, they fixed a lot of my gripes with where G1 ended up going, and that was great to see, but they weren't able to keep it up.

I guess I'm now old enough to have seen my favorite childhood toy line be born, grow up, die, get revived, and die again. Almost depressing to think of it that way.

I'll be retreating back to my dark age now.

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Wow, GG Lego.

 

That's a massively disappointing thing to read. I followed G1 from the start and loved it, to see G2 go like this just gives me a gross feeling inside. Seriously, only 2015-2016? That's it? 

 

Wow. I don't really know what to say. 

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huh, unexpected, dang 0:

 

 

but i do feel those who are quick to say "see, this is like i said, it is objective garbage" leave a much worse taste in my mouth than the cancellation as a whole. To me, these two years feel more competent and vibrant than the bulk of Gen1, which in hindsight i meet not with nostalgia, but with a sour face at the bloated mess of tangled plotlines, stretched thin to meet as long a timeline as they felt capable, it is no wonder Gen1 died, gen2 is the one that surprises me.

 

 

and finally i will address the ever present issue where someone mentions gen1 was the best because it introduced so many new molds (ew) and that doing anything less is lazy and rehashing: need I remind that most-if-not-all gen1 titans were made with no unique mold to their own, outside of maybe the weapon and/or mask? (2006 onward only)

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By Mata Nui did this thread get disgustingly toxic really quick...

 

I'm seeing the G2 hater crowd throw comments around like "good riddance" and "it's for the better". Some of you treat the end of G2 like it's a good thing. How jaded must you be, how horrible a life must you live to celebrate the cancellation of a toy line?

 

Here's a question for the haters: We get it, you don't like G2. Some of you have legitimate reasons you are capable of conveying with some measure of civility, some of you... don't and can't.

 

Either way, here we have a toy-line that no one is forcing you to buy, follow or invest any time or effort into. Other people do like said toy line. What do you get out of celebrating its cancellation? How is this good for you? What do you gain from this?

 

before you answer, I'll do it for you: nothing.

 

You're here, celebrating the death of Bionicle G2 just to seem edgy, justify your own insecurities, troll or whatever other juvenile reason.

 

Obviously, respect to the exception. I've never had a problem with people who disliked or even hated G2 as long as they were mature and civil about it. I'm cool with different opinions. On the same page, even if someone agrees with me, but does it without being civil, I'll be hostile to them. This isn't about the opinion, this is about the method of conveying said opinion.

 

However much of the ill-begotten "celebration" in this thread is nauseating. I swear, the whole news of the cancellation pales to the bile in this thread. The cancellation of G2, which I liked, is bad enough. No one needed this ritualistic desecration of its corpse...

 

:kakama:

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If they had just released mask packs...I would have been satisfied, set-wise. The story did not engage me enough though and I felt very disappointed, even before I knew it was ending. I remember in 2014 the hype train was finally getting rolling, and in 2015 we finally were reaching our destination, but the hype train started to roll on too long and it crashed along with all of us...

 

Though despite the mistakes of G2 I still feel like the fans did not deserve this kind of betrayal. But alas money is more important than our desire for bionicle. I think it could have lasted just one more wave. What does the future hold? I can see that bionicle could happen again someday, as the newsletter seems to imply. Keep your firestaffs lit in this time of dark.

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Honestly they wrapped it up fairly well? I mean yeah it sucks that it is discontinued again but I'd rather them do it when they chose rather than have 10 years worth of lore end abruptly

 

This was simply a mythological tale about 6 heroes fulfilling their destiny, and I'm okay with that

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I feel so shot in the foot, burned, or however you like to put it!  And to make it worse, this is the approximately the forth time...first time I was disappointed by TLG couldn't get the toy license for Spider-man 3, I never had money for a set from the first two films but I had save my money for this one, only to be disappointed.  Second time was with the POTC line, we never got my favorite ship the Flying Dutchman (LEGO has a chance to make up for this next year though default_blink.gif ).  Thirdly, the premature ending of the LOTR theme, leaving out many things from ROTK and the lord of the rings himself Sauron, the main antagonist (I could go on and on ranting about this but I will not).  And last but not least, the discontinuing of Bionicle g2 without getting Makuta and the MOUP!  
I have been a fan of LEGO since I was three and wouldn't give up on them, but it seems they are giving up on me.  I have sincerely considered dedicating my time and abilities to work at LEGO but am not sure I want to now.  LEGO has said they are committed to their fans but more and more it seems they are more committed to the dollar.  

Sorry for the rant guys.

If anyone at LEGO reads this please rethink your decision.  I know you have already done the marketing but is the money really more important to you or are your fans?  Please make just  one more set or at least just the MOUP for us to complete the theme, you say the physical toy is more important to you than your virtual content but your actions say different.  If it is to late for you to do anything like this, please realize that if you commit to something you need to see it through to the end.

-RAKRONDEWL (a concerned fan for LEGO's future)

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How much of the reboot and the desire to succeed was built on nostalgia more than anything else? Sure people wanted BIONICLE to be a huge success because it was something they enjoyed for years. But how many of its original fans now have families and/or other financial responsibilities or other interests that have come along before or since BIONICLE first ended? I can't say I vested much interest this go-round. I bought a few of the sets, but I didn't track of any of the story, so I have no idea what's going on with that. There are probably others in the same boat.

 

We live in an ever-changing world, and franchises come and go. How many franchises that end get a second chance? Regardless of success or failure, at least LEGO tried to bring back something for the fans.

 

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I think the whole argument in here about "effort" is missing the point. I'm sure the artists working on G2 (set designers, concept artists, marketers, etc) each approached their assignments with passion and effort. None of their work that went into G2 is bad, in and of itself. It's a professionally-run toyline. That said, the overall direction of G2 didn't make immersiveness much of a priority, whereas immersiveness was one of the biggest sells of the original line. 

 

G1 used worldbuilding to create hype around the toyline, even in the early years before things got convoluted. (People complain about the simple story of G2, but that's not really the problem with it—few things are simpler than the 2001 storyline, after all.) Even before G1 launched officially, Lego was promoting Bionicle-branded music, a language, games, in-depth maps, etc. The story also went pretty in-depth into the culture of its characters, including a pseudo-religious element that's pretty daring considering how much they were depending on the American market.

 

I've got nothing against G2, and I'm sad to see it go so early, but nothing about it indicates that it was being directed in the same immersive way that G1 was. The work that went into it was perfectly competent, but it was a conventional toyline, with a barebones story tacked on to stimulate kids' playing. 

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 but is the money really more important to you

 

This is a corporation we are talking about. Money is absolutely more important to them than fans are. Only the majority of fans are important (and only because of their money), and the majority are kids who are more excited about freaking Ninjago (eugh...) than Bionicle...

 

:kakama:

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 but is the money really more important to you

 

This is a corporation we are talking about. Money is absolutely more important to them than fans are. Only the majority of fans are important (and only because of their money), and the majority are kids who are more excited about freaking Ninjago (eugh...) than Bionicle...

 

:kakama:

 

Unfortunately you are right, I guess I had an unrealistic view of LEGO, thinking they were above that...

 

Then again, I am not LEGO's target audience and haven't been for a while, I guess this is life forcing me to move forward.

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Wow, this was unexpected. Disappointing that Bionicle wasn't pulling its weight enough to get that third year of sets. Ah well. Requiescat en pace and all that.

 

Welp, better start buying the rest of the Uniters before they're gone from stores!

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But G2 literally just started. I sitll haven't had the time to catch up with the new lore.
I mean, this is not a complete surprise, I expected the series to end sooner or later, but this was just so sudden and unexpected. They're still airing the TV series.

I believe the new sets were just too expensive, especially if aimed to children, and the best parts of the lore from G1 were cut out. Still, these news make me sad.

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IMO this would not have happened if it was a continuation/soft reboot and not a hard reboot. Farshtey, being the legend he is, set it up so that it could easily be soft-rebooted on Spherus Magna without needing to link to the 2001-2010 story.

 

Bionicle hard-rebooting caused me to lose interest very quickly, and I guess I wasn't the only genwunner to feel that way. That said, the Skrall-sized skeletons were awesome and I'm grateful for their existence. Same with the masks of Creation and Control. But frankly that was about it.

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So...how badly is Lego going to feel the backlash from this?

Probably not too much. If the G2 fanbase were big enough to generate a huge, monumental outcry, then it wouldn't be performing so badly that LEGO needs to discontinue it.

 

Ninjago's near-cancellation DID generate a massive outcry, but that was a very different case: a theme that was still in the peak of its popularity, and that rather than being cut short was just being held to the original two and a half year plan it had at the outset. The outcry came about because that initial plan was shortsighted, and nobody had accounted for what an extraordinarily large fanbase it would be able to generate in just two years.

 

It just sucks that they didn't even give the theme the benefit of the doubt that it would atleast last three years. I mean for the love of god, Chima lasted three years, and we know how nuch that was well liked. No one talked about it is what. At least not here that is.

As sad as I am to say it, nobody here on BZPower talks much at all about any theme that isn't constraction-based. Frankly, Chima discussion here on BZPower was stronger than Ninjago discussion by virtue of it having constraction sets. Ninjago is literally one of the most successful LEGO themes there's ever been, and yet the Ninjago Discussion subforum here can go weeks without a new post, and even some Ninjago news stories come and go without a single comment. As much as we at BZPower have tried to open ourselves up to other LEGO fans and the themes they cherish, the site's once-exclusive focus on Bionicle continues to shape what people come here to discuss.

 

If they love the line and didn't care about the money they'd keep making the sets for the fans because the love of the line was stronger than the income. But it clearly wasn't.

Though despite the mistakes of G2 I still feel like the fans did not deserve this kind of betrayal. But alas money is more important than our desire for bionicle.

LEGO has said they are committed to their fans but more and more it seems they are more committed to the dollar.

I've seen a lot of posts like this and I feel the need to point out that the distinction between fans and money as motivations for a company is unrealistic. That's not to say that companies just see fans as walking sacks of cash, but when we're talking about the difference between a successful theme and an unsuccessful theme, more fans equate to more money and fewer fans equate to less money. If Bionicle G2 had as many fans as LEGO City or LEGO Star Wars, then its sets would be selling as well as LEGO City or LEGO Star Wars, and it wouldn't be in this situation.

 

The LEGO Group may be a successful business, but their resources aren't unlimited. If they keep every single unsuccessful theme going as a concession to however few fans they still have, they won't have the resources to grow their more popular brands, or to create new brands that could potentially develop strong fanbases of their own. If Legends of Chima hadn't ended, there might never have been a Nexo Knights. If Hero Factory hadn't ended, there might never have been a Bionicle G2. People often talk disparagingly of themes like Chima or Hero Factory being discontinued because they assume nobody cared about them in the first place, and whoever did must not have mattered. The money LEGO could spend on those fans would be better spent on themes that have more fans. But then, when their own favorite theme's time is up, it's as if no expense is too great to please even the smallest fanbase.

 

I'm definitely sad that Bionicle G2 is ending. I don't, however, see it as any kind of betrayal. LEGO cares about their fans, but it goes without saying that the fewer fans there are, the less they can afford to prioritize those fans over the fans of their many other themes. It's just not reasonable to act as if the size and strength of the fanbase is no object.

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I think most of the discussion so far misunderstands what goes into putting a set on the shelves. LEGO plans these things years in advance, and they need months of lead time just to get parts manufactured. These decisions certainly weren't made lightly or even that recently.

 

I figure there are two likely reasons for this:

1. The first few months of sales (or other indicators used for tracking the line's popularity) of the first 2015 Bionicle wave lagged far enough below expectations to immediately put the future of the line in question. It's likely that everything released so far was already designed and in the manufacturing pipeline at that point - this was probably the earliest the line could have been ended.

2. Some other license or product line that they couldn't tell us about now even if they wanted to interferes with further production of Bionicle. Think about, for example, the sudden end of new Space sets when the first Star Wars line came out, or the lack of other Castle sets during the first Lord of the Rings run, or the Pirates wave that ended around when the Pirates of the Caribbean sets came out. LEGO frequently makes decisions based on competing against itself, and license agreements frequently dictate those sorts of things.

 

A combination of the two reasons is also entirely possible - and if 2 is even remotely a factor, we won't get a complete answer as to what happened until after some new line is on store shelves.

 

So chill, everybody. The quality (comparative or otherwise) of the G2 line likely wasn't a factor. The lengthy lead time isn't comparable to a TV or movie series where manufacturing is fast and distribution is nearly instantaneous.

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Wow. This was... unexpected. I kind of assumed BIONICLE would have at least three years. I guess it's time to give a funereal retrospective.

 

I have not been 100% optimistic about G2's prospects. I keep in mind that G1 started out about as basic as G2 has been, and that we got the sweet lore and universe only four years in. The first few years were a romp around on a tropical island, spliced with a weird burst of arguing for no reasons. So I've been happy to show my support with my wallet, enjoying the figures and the stories that Lego set down for them while also creating my own things with their pieces, and my own stories at my leisure. Still, where G1 was loose in terms of narrative and character writing, it was immensely powerful in atmosphere, almost entirely due to the Mata Nui Online Game. There was a vibe of stoic sincerity to the MNOG that reverberated through the rest of the years afterward, but G2 never had that. It felt more like the Saturday Morning Cartoon version of Bionicle. Still, I figured years would mature it.

 

We'll never know how good G2 could have been, given time, and for that I'm sad. There were little teases of greater narrative strings -- the Mask of Time, the Mask of Ultimate Power, the mystery of who the Skulls were, where the Skull Spiders come from.

 

I guess there's a bright side. G3 will happen at some point, and Lego may favor G3 more than G2. Perhaps G3 will even be a continuation of G1. While I wait, I'll do as I did before. I'll build, I'll play. I'll remember. I won't promise that I'll be on the forums much. For much of G2 I haven't been, really, but moreso than in the lull between generations. I'll try to keep an eye on what you all do, though, more than last time. Maybe even contribute. We'll see.

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The money LEGO could spend on those fans would be better spent on themes that have more fans. But then, when their own favorite theme's time is up, it's as if no expense is too great to please even the smallest fanbase.

You're absolutely right. I'm not too surprised, though, to see that Bionicle fans aren't familiar with how much LEGO has tried to do things for FOLs in the past. About 10 years back, LEGO agreed (as part of their research on train sets) to do an adult fan-oriented set designed by train builders in the AFOL community, and marketed to train fans. The kit flopped and confirmed everything LEGO already knew about the size of the fan community - it doesn't matter how large we think we are, we are absolutely dwarfed by the general market for LEGO sets.

 

Oh, and after it was shown that AFOLs' clout was trivial in getting sets to succeed, LEGO went forward with existing plans to end 9V trains. You might remember how that part ended.

 

LEGO has done a few things since to measure how far their fans can really impact sales. People here probably remember the Ideas Exo-Suit, which was marketed almost exclusively through AFOL channels. The bizarre marketing there was intentionally designed to measure how well a set can be promoted just by the fans.

 

...and while we don't have the results of LEGO's research into that, I think the heavy clearance-pricing we enjoyed near the end of that kit's run speaks for itself. Similarly, we sort of knew the conclusion of Bionicle was coming - last year's sets are still getting clearanced out, and LEGO store employees haven't kept it a secret that most LBR locations aren't going to carry any of the 2016H2 sets.

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I'm still working through my thoughts on G2 as a whole, and more importantly how it connected to BZP and my own creativity, but before that...

 

I want to reiterate a couple things already said upthread by others.  First (like anything!) it's totally a matter of opinion how you felt about G2.  So I'm not surprised there are folks out there who felt it didn't hold a candle to G1 or wasn't "Bionicle" to them, and you're totally free to express that.  That said, I do ask that folks don't rah-rah "the witch is dead" quite so much and/or dump on the teams that made G2 or people who enjoyed it.  It's disrespectful to the work that the teams put in, and it's disrespectful to other members who did enjoy the line and want to express their sadness that it's done with.

 

I also want to reiterate that quality or passion does not perfectly correlate with sales or marketability.  G2 had its flaws, but acting as though everyone involved in its creation was just lazy or unskilled and therefore of course it flopped is, again, pretty rude towards the teams at LEGO that put their heart and soul into this work as they were allowed to.  While we don't know - and probably won't at least for a while, if ever - how much creative control the teams had, or what direction the higher-ups at LEGO wanted to take things, that doesn't mean that LEGO never cared about the line at all.

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Hey: I'm not very active around BZP right now.  However, you can always contact me through PM (I have email notifications set up) and I will reply as soon as I can.


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Bad news to top off a bad day.

 

Still can't really take it in yet. I can't believe its over again. It was too short. But despite the terrible news, I'm glad it came back. We had two solid years and I am grateful for that. I just wish we could have had a proper year for set-up and a proper year for a conclusion. And a Makuta set. But you can't get everything, and I'm just happy that what we got was quality. Furthermore, the support from the Bionicle team has been astounding. They have been great to their fans and have really connected with us in a way that was not present in G1 through their Facebook pages, designer videos, and interviews. Their statement here comes off humble, as expected. I really wish the line could have continued to 2017 and beyond, but I understand why the plug had to be pulled. 

 

The art book seems like a great way to cap off the franchise a second time. I hope I can get a hard copy of it, but if not, I am at least glad it is releasing in a digital format to BS01. 

I'm glad to have taken a part in this reboot. I only have five more sets to get... Might as well complete my G2 collection. It's all worth it.

 

Hopefully G3 will happen in the future.

 

-NotS

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I'm still working through my thoughts on G2 as a whole, and more importantly how it connected to BZP and my own creativity, but before that...

 

I want to reiterate a couple things already said upthread by others.  First (like anything!) it's totally a matter of opinion how you felt about G2.  So I'm not surprised there are folks out there who felt it didn't hold a candle to G1 or wasn't "Bionicle" to them, and you're totally free to express that.  That said, I do ask that folks don't rah-rah "the witch is dead" quite so much and/or dump on the teams that made G2 or people who enjoyed it.  It's disrespectful to the work that the teams put in, and it's disrespectful to other members who did enjoy the line and want to express their sadness that it's done with.

 

I also want to reiterate that quality or passion does not perfectly correlate with sales or marketability.  G2 had its flaws, but acting as though everyone involved in its creation was just lazy or unskilled and therefore of course it flopped is, again, pretty rude towards the teams at LEGO that put their heart and soul into this work as they were allowed to.  While we don't know - and probably won't at least for a while, if ever - how much creative control the teams had, or what direction the higher-ups at LEGO wanted to take things, that doesn't mean that LEGO never cared about the line at all.

Didn't someone famous once say it was tradition for BZPower to criticise absolutely everything? :P

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Well, I have always loved Bionicle and this line was no exception. The lore wasn't as deep as the original, but could you expected that with only 3 years? Maybe, it could have written better, but if anyone is to fault is the marketing team. Without them I can firmly say that G2 had the best set I've ever seen in Bionicle. "They whereat as detailed" "they are only HF with Bionicle name on it". So what?  They feel complete, solid set that had personality (granted wasn't tarred really well in the story). But really, this line had potential, is a real shame that we might never see it. 

 

I never got why people complained about the sets. They had functions, they didn't look unfinished (except some skulls) and they where solid, while mmost of the later set of gen 1 brek when you played with them. Yeah, I was a kid when Bionicle started, I grew with the line and played with them. Most broke(even when trying to MOC with them), and their MOC potential was lost. G2, They can stand a child playing with them,  MOC with them, they had FUNCTIONS.

 

Sorry for the minor rant, but rally, too many people hating here about the G2. 

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When I heard the team is canceling our most beloved line for the second time, I screamed so loudly, the earth itself began to tremble with my agony (all in my imagination of course).

 

For what a guy who hasn't posted on this site in at least a year's opinion is worth, I agree with many of the statements made here: It was disappointing to hear about the cancelation, but Gen 2 had a decent run. I'd describe Gen 2's cancelation the same way I've heard some Ratchet & Clank fans critique the movie; it was disappointing to say the least, but we got a decent remake of the original game. So it is with Gen 2. Even if you didn't enjoy the story, you can't deny that seeing the Toa in new and improved forms made the whole thing worth it.

 

Stepping out of the Gen 2 era, I think Bionicle is much better off than it was. A big thanks to the design team. I hope everyone here gets things worked out, and all my best wishes go with you and the dedicated people who worked on Gen 2.

LONG LIVE BIONICLE!!

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MetaKnight.gif  Stay vigilant, my friends. MetaKnight.gif

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After some much needed reflection on my feelings of G2, I have figured out that I really didn't care about it. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. My romantic ideals for a Bionicle reboot were not met, and that was due to my radically different style that I didn't have back when G1 ended, and my undying love for the original line's feeling, story, and set design. I didn't give the reboot the time of day that I gave G1, and I accept that it was because I changed. I never truly payed attention to G2's story, I didn't have the decency to watch the Journey to One episodes, I didn't read the books, and I didn't even bother to pick up a box of any of this year's sets (if I even got the chance to. They were never stocked around here). I am that person who bought the new Toa in one go, but that was its extent. One thing that I have realized is that I hyped myself for what I would never get, and what I should not have even expected. My feelings for the old Bionicle  is what I wanted, but it was naive to assume that nostalgia would be a selling point to me. 

 

But that's not to say that I'm not disappointed. I'm not sad, but I do feel very disappointed that it ended somewhat prematurely.

 

I am not in the position to say that the creators didn't try, but I would like to add that effort is not directly correlated with success. Passion, spunk, and hard work does not guarantee that you will succeed. You can love your work, you can care for your work, you can believe in your work, but that doesn't mean it will turn out how you thought it would and people may dislike your work anyway. 

 

EDIT: Bad copy-pasting of my own work.

Edited by New Age Retro Gunhaver

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When Gen 2 was announced, I had been pleased to see people looking forward to it rather than behaving like genwunners. I'm disappointed to see that didn't persist. I haven't delved into Gen 2 like I did Gen 1, largely because I can't afford to anymore, but it appears to be exactly what I and many other Gen 1 vets expected. It wasn't Gen 1 because it wasn't supposed to be. They didn't do a deep story because they were "lazy." They kept it simple because the deep story eventually bogged down BIONICLE. It was an advertising campaign that outgrew its own product, which is bad business. If they were in the entertainment industry, that would be great. But they're not, and never have been.

 

But to take this company which did everything they could to provide fanservice and appeal to a nonessential audience just because we were faithful customers before and accuse that company of laziness is petty. Gen 2 is dying for the same reason Gen 1 did. You can't sell an unpopular toyline to a shrinking nostalgic market, and that's even more true if the nostalgic market is unwilling to accept changes made to acquire new audiences. And this attitude predates Gen 2 and Hero Factory. It's existed since at least 2004, and has only grown as nostalgists increase and new fans decrease. Gen 1 was a unique franchise that can never be repeated and will never be continued in a way that will appeal to everyone through their personally-adjusted nostalgia goggles.

 

If you want BIONICLE back in a way you like, you'll have to do it yourself. That's the way it's always been since Makuta got beaned in the head.

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How well will you die?

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