Jump to content

BIONICLE 2019


ToaSerwain

Recommended Posts

So you're telling me that there can't be a movie but it should be an anime instead? Pretty lame.

If LEGO did decide to create something like a movie or anime (I love both ideas) it would probably choose a movie just because it be a broader audience.

 

Also those live action CGI movies do stink but if Bionicle had one we all would waste money to go see it.

Edited by Rassilon (TTL)

Hey I got a Flickr because I like making LEGO stuff.

https://www.flickr.com/people/toatimelord/
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So you're telling me that there can't be a movie but it should be an anime instead? Pretty lame.

For what it's worth, anime can refer to either a TV show or a movie. "Princess Mononoke" and "Ghost in the Shell" are some examples of anime movies, while "Little Witch Academia" and "Dragon Ball Z" are some examples of anime TV shows. Strictly speaking, anime is not a style but just a catchall term for Japanese-made animated movies and series, which can have extremely varied styles. However, some people use it loosely to refer to other series that share common anime design cues such as the American-produced, Korean-animated "Avatar: The Last Airbender", "The Legend of Korra", and "Voltron: Legendary Defender".

 

A lot of the backlash against the Transformers movies is borne out of their militaristic themes (including grants from the US Armed Forces to portray the military in a favorable light), raunchy humor and innuendo, baffling and incongruous storylines, superficial edginess, and emphasis on poorly developed human characters over the actual stars of the franchise. Saying that a Transformers-style gritty live-action movie series would not suit Bionicle is not the same as saying movies in general would be a poor fit.

Edited by Aanchir
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

So you're telling me that there can't be a movie but it should be an anime instead? Pretty lame.

For what it's worth, anime can refer to either a TV show or a movie. "Princess Mononoke" and "Ghost in the Shell" are some examples of anime movies, while "Little Witch Academia" and "Dragon Ball Z" are some examples of anime TV shows. Strictly speaking, anime is not a style but just a catchall term for Japanese-made animated movies and series, which can have extremely varied styles. However, some people use it loosely to refer to other series that share common anime design cues such as the American-produced, Korean-animated "Avatar: The Last Airbender", "The Legend of Korra", and "Voltron: Legendary Defender".

 

A lot of the backlash against the Transformers movies is borne out of their militaristic themes (including grants from the US Armed Forces to portray the military in a favorable light), raunchy humor and innuendo, baffling and incongruous storylines, superficial edginess, and emphasis on poorly developed human characters over the actual stars of the franchise. Saying that a Transformers-style gritty live-action movie series would not suit Bionicle is not the same as saying movies in general would be a poor fit.

 

I see plenty of flak tossed at the aesthetic design of the Transformers themselves in the Bay films, and I really get where that's coming from. I too dislike 90% of the movie designs, because it goes so thoroughly against the design direction of everything that came before. Across the vast Transformers franchise, there were some distinct visual themes in the various toylines separating them from the rest, but there is a reason why visually and aesthetically there is a <i>huge</i> devide between the movie designs and.... well, everything else.

 

Say, if Bionicle would get a live-action adaptation - I do not see the point, as there are no humans involved and even the real landscapes and backdrops would get healthy doses of CGI, so you might as well go 100% animation instead of 75% animation and 25% live-action - then changing the aesthetics from what they were like in the existing movies would be a colossal misstep. I personally don't mind the design alterations in the first three movies, and then TLR, for all its flaws, translated sets almost 1:1 and looked pretty neat. 

 

If things were to go into a 2D/cartoon/anime direction instead of a 3D cgi direction, I think going for a stylised aesthetic would be the way to go. I'd watch the absolute expletive out of a Bionicle movie or TV series done entirely in the MNOG/Bohrok Animations/MNOG2 (so, Templar studios) art style.

 

:kakama:

:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

Model Designer at The LEGO Group. Former contributor at New Elementary. My MOCs can be found on Flickr and Instagram

:smilepohatunu: :smilehuki:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Prefacing that this is my own opinion since I don't want to have to repeat it every sentence. Every post I wrote is my own opinion, but on other forums it's forgotten often enough that I have to keep restating it.

 

I would definitely hate a live-action Bionicle movie, since there's no point in making it live-action anyway. There are no human characters, there's no reason to have flesh-and-blood actors. My criticisms with live-action reboots of animated properties usually stem primarily from aesthetic sensibilities rather than the myriad other reasons why they wouldn't work. Even decent or good movies I have trouble swallowing because of this. Just recently I watched Guardians of the Galaxy in preparation for Infinity War (and I also watched Infinity War itself), and it's painfully noticeable how fake the movie's environments are less than half a decade later. On the characters front; Star Lord and Nebula look great, Gamora and Drax look fine, Rocket Raccoon and Groot look rather dated. They're well designed and generally they move fine, but it's noticeable that they're not there with the rest of the cast. They'd be perfectly serviceable in a full 3DCG animated movie, but then they can just go for an entirely different aesthetic and not worry about trying to blend these two fully CG characters with more realistic characters. Infinity War itself has a few characters and locations that don't mesh well with the rest of the non-CG characters.

 

Full 3DCG western animation is fine, but I think that it lends itself to less creative and more generic directing, as has been shown 4 times now. Plus, 2D animation with 3DCG components would look nicer. Think The Journey to One if instead of cel-shaded CG models it was 2D animation overlayed on 2.5D backgrounds (2D backgrounds with 3DCG assistance, being able to transition to 3D action when necessary) as opposed to 2D flash background, as well as 3DCG effects with post processing to fit the 2D animation better. This is the kind of production design I'd like for a Bionicle movie: 

ufotable is the only studio I'm aware of that approaches their projects like this with such high quality results. David Production's adaptation of Stardust Crusaders had dynamic scenes with 2D characters in good looking 3D backdrops, but only for a few non-combat scenes at the start of the show. The rest of JoJo skews more towards traditional anime shot comp. I wouldn't be a huge fan of The Lego Movie-style CG that looks like stop motion since the biggest part of its appeal is the ability to have everything in the scene be Lego. Bionicle, being Technic and CCBS, would mesh badly with fully System backgrounds. Volta's Bionicle animation showcase demonstrated that they had the right technology for a 30 second still clip with only the camera moving, but that's not enough to produce a good-looking 22-minute episode, let alone a feature length film. I don't think flash animation is suitable for a feature length film, though it is fine for 5-20 minute dialogue-free episodes.

 

The example above is a commercial, but even then I'd argue that their work in 2007 and 2008's Kara no Kyoukai films looks better.

^This demo reel shows off some of the rigging for their various productions, such as Kara no Kyoukai. The most dated pieces are from Fate/Zero (2011-2012, TV) in scenes that were too complex to realistically polish enough on such a tight deadline. Unlimited Blade Works' 2014-2015 TV adaptation featured some fantastic set pieces as well. I'd say their best work comes from the aforementioned Kara no Kyoukai films and the 2012 Fate/stay night openings, such as 

(I can't find a video with the original that isn't blocked, but the only changes are additional cuts from the other openings and a slightly extended song, none of the actual animation or directing (up to the final shot of the clear sky) is altered.) Edited by Toa of Gallifrey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

So you're telling me that there can't be a movie but it should be an anime instead? Pretty lame.

For what it's worth, anime can refer to either a TV show or a movie. "Princess Mononoke" and "Ghost in the Shell" are some examples of anime movies, while "Little Witch Academia" and "Dragon Ball Z" are some examples of anime TV shows. Strictly speaking, anime is not a style but just a catchall term for Japanese-made animated movies and series, which can have extremely varied styles. However, some people use it loosely to refer to other series that share common anime design cues such as the American-produced, Korean-animated "Avatar: The Last Airbender", "The Legend of Korra", and "Voltron: Legendary Defender".

 

Also note that the word "anime" has been abused by non-Japanese people, since in Japan it simply means "animation." The Simpsons, Toy Story and classic Looney Tunes shorts are all called "anime" in Japan.

My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock.

logowithbackgrounnd100.png

Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its unlikely bionicle is even remotely revivable. It would have to wait until at least 2024-2030 before it is a viable option.
But i'd suggest letting the story start fresh with all focus team first and where the series left of after Bota Magna is fixed (not the Nuva/Mata names right away).
Heroes will officially be referred to as Toa and Matoran etc (not Master or Uniter.)

Perhaps focus on the Mahri for the first year spotlight and bringing Matoro (soft reboot) for his heroic sacrifice in G1 and Mata Nui no longer dead before the ignika becomes permanently dormant and recharges. Later on the following year they release that they are overwhelmed and the Toa Nuva are needed for assisting with confronting a new uprising like Elemental Lords or Great Being Velika who might have transferred his mind into a bigger and more powerful body but his schemes are still evil and must not succeed.

Edited by Toa of Ice - 1987

 

qs3135.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What if, instead of reviving the entire series at first, LEGO just reissues some G1 sets here and there (say, 2-4 per year) as part of some larger "throwback" line alongside other old LEGO sets (kind of like Stars Tahu, but 100% identical to the original sets), and then see how sales are.

Edited by Cheesy Mac n Cheese
  • Upvote 1

My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock.

logowithbackgrounnd100.png

Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1st of all can we stop making these topics? There are too many of them.

2nd of all, 'though Bionicle wouldn't be bad as an anime, I think a movie would suit it well. Also, it wouldn't make if it were an anime it wouldn't make sense. Lego is a European company and anime is Japanese. It would still be nice to see 'though

and lastly, I believe generation 1 was perfect in a balance of elements of storytelling. If there were a G3 I would want it exactly like it.

Hey! I'm Ivan and I love Bionicle, but I am sure yall do too. :P

 

http://www.moc-pages.com/home.php/128635

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What if, instead of reviving the entire series at first, LEGO just reissues some G1 sets here and there (say, 2-4 per year) as part of some larger "throwback" line alongside other old LEGO sets (kind of like Stars Tahu, but 100% identical to the original sets), and then see how sales are.

Not even close to worth the cost of remaking all those worn out molds. Even if they did make the investment, it's hard to imagine sales being able to recoup those costs with remakes when most Bionicle sets and parts (barring a couple of rarities) are cheap and plentiful on the secondary market.

Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence

Aanchir's and Meiko's brother

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

What if, instead of reviving the entire series at first, LEGO just reissues some G1 sets here and there (say, 2-4 per year) as part of some larger "throwback" line alongside other old LEGO sets (kind of like Stars Tahu, but 100% identical to the original sets), and then see how sales are.

Not even close to worth the cost of remaking all those worn out molds. Even if they did make the investment, it's hard to imagine sales being able to recoup those costs with remakes when most Bionicle sets and parts (barring a couple of rarities) are cheap and plentiful on the secondary market.

 

 

True. I'll shut up now.

My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock.

logowithbackgrounnd100.png

Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1st of all can we stop making these topics? There are too many of them.

2nd of all, 'though Bionicle wouldn't be bad as an anime, I think a movie would suit it well. Also, it wouldn't make if it were an anime it wouldn't make sense. Lego is a European company and anime is Japanese. It would still be nice to see 'though

and lastly, I believe generation 1 was perfect in a balance of elements of storytelling. If there were a G3 I would want it exactly like it.

Western anime exists. Avatar is American. Regardless, the way anime looks lends itself well to action scenes, and if the aforementioned Avatar is any indication, elemental powers can look really cool. I'm open to a Bionicle anime, even though I'm still partial to whatever it gets being animated like TLM.

Rule #1: Always listen to Kek.

Rule #2: If you break rule #1, kindly don't.

Rule #3: EVERYBODY TYPE IN THE CHAT "AVAK IS A STUPID TRIGGER"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Everyone talks about rebooting Bionicle as a TV show, an anime series, an animated or even live-action movie series...am I the only one thinking about a game series here? With the proper team, it could theoretically work out fairly well, and could provide some interesting opportunities. Just some food for thought. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone talks about rebooting Bionicle as a TV show, an anime series, an animated or even live-action movie series...am I the only one thinking about a game series here? With the proper team, it could theoretically work out fairly well, and could provide some interesting opportunities. Just some food for thought.

Your not wrong.

Today's kids entertainment format is action based games and comedy based TV shows.

A game would keep the action that Bionicle is know for and not tern it into a silly comedy that would most certainty upset most of the community.

A game would be a nice way to reboot.

  • Upvote 1

Hey I got a Flickr because I like making LEGO stuff.

https://www.flickr.com/people/toatimelord/
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Everyone talks about rebooting Bionicle as a TV show, an anime series, an animated or even live-action movie series...am I the only one thinking about a game series here? With the proper team, it could theoretically work out fairly well, and could provide some interesting opportunities. Just some food for thought.

Your not wrong.

Today's kids entertainment format is action based games and comedy based TV shows.

A game would keep the action that Bionicle is know for and not tern it into a silly comedy that would most certainty upset most of the community.

A game would be a nice way to reboot.

That’s exactly how it was rebooted the first time. The Mask of Creation game.

My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock.

logowithbackgrounnd100.png

Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A game would be ideal, but it can't be some crummy mobile game without story. They had the right idea for 2001. For the current day, it'd be a story-driven point and click mobile and web game with periodic content updates (aka MNOG but with a mobile port) accompanied by a console/PC game near the story year's end that tells the entire story told so far through comics and sets up or teases the story for the next year. Licensed console games are notoriously terrible due to the short development time and lack of creative freedom. It'd be for the best if the accompanying game was a Telltale Games-style experience with a more open hack and slash combat style as opposed to quick time events, or a Bioware-style Mass Effect or Knights of the Old Republic-like RPG with more emphasis on Bionicle's unique powers and a more robust combat system that blends turn-based strategy with real time combat. Both these games should afford the player the ability to adhere to the canon story portrayed in the comics or to carve their own path. These are highly unrealistic and would most likely be a simple experience ala Bionicle The Game. Another cool and more realistic accompanying title would be a Lego Bionicle game where you play as full sized CCBS sets on a large scale brick-built environment full of the trademark Lego Games slapstick humor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone talks about rebooting Bionicle as a TV show, an anime series, an animated or even live-action movie series...am I the only one thinking about a game series here? With the proper team, it could theoretically work out fairly well, and could provide some interesting opportunities. Just some food for thought.

I worry that most gamers are a little too old to become interested in a toyline, and with children, who would be, there's a chicken and egg problem with them not buying it unless they're already Bionicle fans, and (if there's no other major media) not becoming Bionicle fans until they've bought it.

 

So - whilst I'd personally like a really good Bionicle game - I'm not sure if it would be enough to carry a theme.

Edited by Sir Kohran
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone talks about rebooting Bionicle as a TV show, an anime series, an animated or even live-action movie series...am I the only one thinking about a game series here? With the proper team, it could theoretically work out fairly well, and could provide some interesting opportunities. Just some food for thought. 

 

I'd love to see a really great Bionicle game but I think it may be too big of an investment for a relaunch/reboot of Bionicle in the current state it's in. Video games are really expensive to make (probably more expensive than most other forms of media? Don't quote me on that) and it would take a lot of confidence in the property and end product to make that feasible.

 

I still think the optimal way for Bionicle to make a comeback would be as a comic series. The comics audience isn't large, but it is dedicated. It would be a great way to get both Bionicle art and story without breaking the bank. If it's successful, it can be expanded to a tv series or game or whatever with a solid foundation and sets can be made from it, but if it flops again (don't break my soul) then it can simply be written off as a failure to get LEGO tax breaks or something (LOL).

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem is that mobile games are rarely really good (in the opinions of serious gamers), and kids today just don’t have the same relationship with consoles (or even PCs) as they did ten or even five years ago.

My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock.

logowithbackgrounnd100.png

Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, games are expensive, especially the kind I'm wanting...think BioShock or Fallout. Open-world RPG. Leave the complicated story bits to side quests or as intel to find in order to make it less complicated for younger audiences. Expensive and improbable, but not impossible, and wonderful if done right. Don't like the idea of games? Go the comic route, and give it a more of a manga art style, except in color. Of course, there's also the animated films route...look at what DC is doing with their animated universe. Think films like Batman and Harley Quinn, Gotham by Gaslight, and Batman Ninja. All straight-to-Blu-Ray, and very successful. Let the great minds behind DC's animated universe make some Bionicle films, and you might have something magical in your hands. Just some ideas I've come up with...hope they're at least interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, games are expensive, especially the kind I'm wanting...think BioShock or Fallout. Open-world RPG. Leave the complicated story bits to side quests or as intel to find in order to make it less complicated for younger audiences. Expensive and improbable, but not impossible, and wonderful if done right. Don't like the idea of games? Go the comic route, and give it a more of a manga art style, except in color. Of course, there's also the animated films route...look at what DC is doing with their animated universe. Think films like Batman and Harley Quinn, Gotham by Gaslight, and Batman Ninja. All straight-to-Blu-Ray, and very successful. Let the great minds behind DC's animated universe make some Bionicle films, and you might have something magical in your hands. Just some ideas I've come up with...hope they're at least interesting.

 

I think the fact that all three of the films you mention are Batman films demonstrates why that wouldn't work as well for getting kids into Bionicle… a lot of those films' popularity stems from the fact that they start with a lead character who's already familiar to basically every generation alive today, and generally quite popular among kids of all ages. You'd be hard pressed to find a 7 to 16 year old who doesn't have any idea who Batman is. But you'd probably find plenty who have never heard of Tahu or Vakama or Ekimu.

 

As far as games go, I think the idea of a high-quality, story-driven game probably would present some issues for the core LEGO audience. Mata Nui Online Game was pretty phenomenal, aside from occasional bugs. But it could also be confusing enough that LEGO had to give it its own FAQ and walkthrough on their website, something they rarely have to do with their modern, pick-up-and-play mobile apps or even the fairly intuitive PC and console video games from Tt Games.

 

And we saw even more so with Mata Nui Online Game II some of the issues with delivering a free game like that on a strict deadline… rather than an immersive work of art, you can just as easily wind up with something tedious, buggy, unfinished, and borderline unplayable. I wouldn't be surprised if games like this wound up being a major drain on LEGO's customer service department, which already costs them a pretty penny to maintain and has a hard time even keeping up with all the product-related complaints they are called on to resolve during certain times of the year.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aside from all ideas and even if the sets had pages advertising the new content with phrases like "Build the sets and follow the story with *" the main problem is that it's easy to over-complicate or simplify to satisfy both older fans and reach out to kids who are either not easily interested or very young 5 year kids who only got a 1-2 sets as gifts and too young to read content.

These kind of media factors are the reason G2 failed. G1 got lucky with heavy advertising and good story early on  A third reboot is unlikey until 2030 minimum if ever.

A better option is to create a similar franchise but not the same formula. Maybe focus on names from the other teams like toa inika/metru names first and then new ones. Even smaller impulse versions of the main heroes (either along side or no matoran/protector sets) can ease kids to be interested.

Edited by Toa of Ice - 1987

 

qs3135.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It went wrong when the rest of Lego got gud again and started outpacing it. I don't think Bionicle would've done as well had Lego not put so much stock in its success for their very future. When they got their footing back and their focus wasn't near exclusive to Star Wars (which would sell anyway) and Bionicle, less risks were taken and the only really novel part of the franchise became the Jorge Joestar-tier writing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

As far as games go, I think the idea of a high-quality, story-driven game probably would present some issues for the core LEGO audience. Mata Nui Online Game was pretty phenomenal, aside from occasional bugs. But it could also be confusing enough that LEGO had to give it its own FAQ and walkthrough on their website, something they rarely have to do with their modern, pick-up-and-play mobile apps or even the fairly intuitive PC and console video games from Tt Games.

 

Your post reminds me of how LEGO used to sometimes make one-off games that weren't really part of any particular theme. I'm thinking of stuff like Trashbot. I kind of get why LEGO doesn't make stuff like that anymore (presumably, I haven't been on the LEGO website in a really long time) but those fun and creative side projects were really neat.

 

To tie this in to the main conversation, it'd be interesting to see if LEGO made a Bionicle game as a sort of anomaly, like Trashbot. There wouldn't really be a Bionicle theme but kids would find it online and the name would still be put to some sort of use. It probably wouldn't be profitable (which on its own is a reason why this would never happen) but it's a curious thought.

 

If LEGO were to try to get some interest back in Bionicle through a game I think the MNOG approach would make the most sense. MNOG isn't a super intensive or involved game as far as big name and even most indie titles go. It'd be more story/lore focused and would highlight characters and atmosphere. Honestly I wish MNOG II had been more like MNOG I, and that we could've gotten more of that type of game (first person point and click is I guess what I mean). Making players play as a matoran is a really nice contrast to the other toa-centric stories and really fleshed out the world. Even as a kid I played MNOG and didn't really understand what was going on or why the world was the way it was, but I found it super compelling.

 

 

If Bionicle comes back I think it would really need to double down on the elements that make it unique and enticing. We've seen parts of Bionicle in other LEGO themes and works in media like Ninjago, and for Bionicle to be really worth something to a new audience it would have to deliver a mood and atmosphere that only Bionicle can give in the way it gives.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I want a new Bionicle online game if Bionicle comes back, it would be something similar to the MNOGs, but without those annoying bugs.

 

I would love to have a console TV games video game for Bionicle that tells you the history of Bionicle, Sonic Generations style by having the main character time travel to their storylines to stop Velika and G2 Makuta from ruining their dimensions and their time events. I said this because if we look back from past to recent, this would make us see how good and memorable is Bionicle throughout its history and how Bionicle is successful. It would be a great deal of nostalgia if Bionicle were to come back like that. It’s best to tell the old stories in that new way rather than telling a new story. Let that cool down for a little while. Ask Sonic the Hedgehog about it.

 

To be honest about G1, it was going slowly and made remarkable sets here and there, but Lego pushed things too much, like giant expensive vehicle sets and lots of characters that aren’t too relevant to the story. I mean, why have Lesovikk and Mazeka have their own adventures rather than helping the Toa Mahri and Toa Nuva, respectively, for example? That would seem excessive.

I like Lego, Bionicle, and Hero Factory!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest about G1, it was going slowly and made remarkable sets here and there, but Lego pushed things too much, like giant expensive vehicle sets and lots of characters that aren’t too relevant to the story. I mean, why have Lesovikk and Mazeka have their own adventures rather than helping the Toa Mahri and Toa Nuva, respectively, for example? That would seem excessive.

 

Considering Lesovikk and Mazeka were store exclusive sets, they may not have been developed as early as the Toa Mahri, so it was more difficult to find a place in the core story to fit them in. Alternatively, at that point LEGO had committed to the idea of Bioniclestory.com serials, so perhaps they thought it made the most sense to have at least have a few characters whose stories you could only follow by going there

 

I suspect the decision to splinter off more of the story onto Bioniclestory.com in the later years had to do with the fact that the chapter books were not selling well enough in 2007 or 2008 to justify as many new releases per year as in, say, 2004.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yes, games are expensive, especially the kind I'm wanting...think BioShock or Fallout. Open-world RPG. Leave the complicated story bits to side quests or as intel to find in order to make it less complicated for younger audiences. Expensive and improbable, but not impossible, and wonderful if done right. Don't like the idea of games? Go the comic route, and give it a more of a manga art style, except in color. Of course, there's also the animated films route...look at what DC is doing with their animated universe. Think films like Batman and Harley Quinn, Gotham by Gaslight, and Batman Ninja. All straight-to-Blu-Ray, and very successful. Let the great minds behind DC's animated universe make some Bionicle films, and you might have something magical in your hands. Just some ideas I've come up with...hope they're at least interesting.

 

I think the fact that all three of the films you mention are Batman films demonstrates why that wouldn't work as well for getting kids into Bionicle… a lot of those films' popularity stems from the fact that they start with a lead character who's already familiar to basically every generation alive today, and generally quite popular among kids of all ages. You'd be hard pressed to find a 7 to 16 year old who doesn't have any idea who Batman is. But you'd probably find plenty who have never heard of Tahu or Vakama or Ekimu.

 

As far as games go, I think the idea of a high-quality, story-driven game probably would present some issues for the core LEGO audience. Mata Nui Online Game was pretty phenomenal, aside from occasional bugs. But it could also be confusing enough that LEGO had to give it its own FAQ and walkthrough on their website, something they rarely have to do with their modern, pick-up-and-play mobile apps or even the fairly intuitive PC and console video games from Tt Games.

 

And we saw even more so with Mata Nui Online Game II some of the issues with delivering a free game like that on a strict deadline… rather than an immersive work of art, you can just as easily wind up with something tedious, buggy, unfinished, and borderline unplayable. I wouldn't be surprised if games like this wound up being a major drain on LEGO's customer service department, which already costs them a pretty penny to maintain and has a hard time even keeping up with all the product-related complaints they are called on to resolve during certain times of the year.

 

 

In all honesty, I brought those 3 films up purely because I can't say I've paid much attention to the rest of their animated universe, but your point it still valid. As for the games...the issues you cite with MNOG are why I think all the complex, deep story bits could be left to side-quests, that don't have to be completed. If only the most basic and essential story elements were part of the main story, hopefully that would keep it from being too complicated. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to point out that, with an Overwatch line having been confirmed, Lego has a chance to test the waters to see if a successful game can have what it takes to make a successful theme. Granted, OW is radically different than whatever a Bionicle game would be like, but a successful, sorta-kid-friendly title that does considerably well could be the only necessary criterion. I'd even wager a single-player RPG would be better for a Lego theme than a multiplayer shooter with a toxic community that freely throws around slurs and death threats, as such communities are wont to do--though I'm amazed Lego even OK'd that to begin with, so who knows, maybe Lego For Honor has a chance. Maybe. Plz. Plz based Lego.

  • Upvote 1

Rule #1: Always listen to Kek.

Rule #2: If you break rule #1, kindly don't.

Rule #3: EVERYBODY TYPE IN THE CHAT "AVAK IS A STUPID TRIGGER"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shame we can't get TF2 sets because it has cartoon blood instead of the ability to turn mild-manered people into raging saltlords. (Seriously, being on Discord voice chat when my friends are playing Overwatch should count as an official method of torture.)

 

Since Portal and Overwatch demonstrate T-rated games are fine, Fate/Extra sets when?

Edited by Toa of Gallifrey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

 

G1 got lucky with heavy advertising and a lot of luck

No, it earned its success by having a simple and enjoyable story and decent to brilliant canon media to tell that with. It went wrong when it began to abandon this approach.
So, like, am I the only one on Earth who actually liked the fact that BIONICLE had an immersive, complex storyline and universe despite its humble toy line origins?

 

And it’s not like it didn’t start out that way. According to Bob Thompson (I think), the originally planned “seven books” were drawn out even before the line was first released, and they had know idea if it would even last into 2002.

 

We're all too old for it now anyway.

You take that back!

 

Seriously, though, if you enjoy something that’s marketed to an age group younger than yourself, I typically don’t see a problem with it. It’s the opposite that’s the problem: it’s my understanding that some M-rated games only have that rating because there are kids on the voice chat that are too young for the rating anyway swearing, insulting and trolling excessively because they think it’s funny.

 

Bionicle gacha game when?

THE tOAM@STER: Cinderella Heroes?

Edited by Cheesy Mac n Cheese

My friend went to Po-Wahi and all I got was this lousy rock.

logowithbackgrounnd100.png

Blue sea...a Ruki leaps...the sound of water

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

https://brickset.com/sets/theme-Bionicle-Reboot?query=2019

 

real ######, but tbh if this even happens, don't blame me for making this place active again lmao

 

but honestly, BIONICLE coming back is less likely than me getting a gf so what gives...

I will work for Lego one day, and if it isn't back by then, I will bring it back myself.

 

I am writing a story that has enough connection to g1 to definitely be in the same universe, but little enough connection that it won't need to retcon anything. it is far from complete, but it will likely be finished by the time I get hired by lego. I am also designing parts and systems that will help narrow the gap between constraction, system, and technic.(mixel joints are the future.) 

 

At age 5 when I had the MRI that diagnosed me with epilepsy I was given the toa mata pohatu set, and because the toa came in a canister I had a frame of reference for the MRI machine and I wasn't afraid. I learned to read with the books, and the last christmas present I got from my grandpa was a rahkshi. 

 

tldr, I owe a lot to the series, and I will pay my debts.

 

Bionicle will be back.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

G1 got lucky with heavy advertising and a lot of luck

No, it earned its success by having a simple and enjoyable story and decent to brilliant canon media to tell that with. It went wrong when it began to abandon this approach.

 

So, like, am I the only one on Earth who actually liked the fact that BIONICLE had an immersive, complex storyline and universe despite its humble toy line origins?

 

And it’s not like it didn’t start out that way. According to Bob Thompson (I think), the originally planned “seven books” were drawn out even before the line was first released, and they had know idea if it would even last into 2002.

 

It's not wrong to have a complex story at all, and (though I said above it was simple) even the 2001 story was certainly complex compared to pretty much any story Lego had made before then. It's just wrong to have a story without the right media there to help people understand it. The books weren't terrible by themselves, but they clearly didn't get the job done in terms of keeping Bionicle a big success.

 

I guess there's quite a narrow line between a story that's complex enough to be interesting and a story that's complex and just confusing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

G1 got lucky with heavy advertising and a lot of luck

No, it earned its success by having a simple and enjoyable story and decent to brilliant canon media to tell that with. It went wrong when it began to abandon this approach.
So, like, am I the only one on Earth who actually liked the fact that BIONICLE had an immersive, complex storyline and universe despite its humble toy line origins?

 

And it’s not like it didn’t start out that way. According to Bob Thompson (I think), the originally planned “seven books” were drawn out even before the line was first released, and they had know idea if it would even last into 2002.

It's not wrong to have a complex story at all, and (though I said above it was simple) even the 2001 story was certainly complex compared to pretty much any story Lego had made before then. It's just wrong to have a story without the right media there to help people understand it. The books weren't terrible by themselves, but they clearly didn't get the job done in terms of keeping Bionicle a big success.

 

I guess there's quite a narrow line between a story that's complex enough to be interesting and a story that's complex and just confusing.

I don’t think there is something wrong with the story, but I could say that it went a little too weird and a little complicated because of so many significant characters who never had their sets (ex: Helryx and Tuyet) and there are many sub-plots about inter-dimensional travelling and messing things up with that, making the characters go all over the place.

I like Lego, Bionicle, and Hero Factory!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...