Banana Gunz

LEGO celebrates Bionicle's anniversaries by canceling it.

Can't say I know too many reboots similar to Bionicle, but the one off the top of my head is the Ben 10 reboot they did recently. They tried to bank off of the original but didn't know how to handle it and changed things that actually did work and ended up with a beast that satisfied no one and accomplished nothing. The original wasn't even an untouchable masterpiece, it had problems, but for what it was trying to do it really worked and accomplished a lot whereas the reboot is just soul-less, or in the least no real identity.

G1 is pretty huge and I could come up with a million things that could've been done differently but there'd be no use, so I'll just name a thing or two off the top of my head. I'd probably put a bigger emphasis on the comic books, with them being a major form of telling the story, being of higher quality, more consistent, and a bit longer. They were how I got into Bionicle and it would just be cool to have a higher-caliber Bionicle comic series. I'd also probably change 2009-2010 since they felt so... out of place. It should've gone on for longer too I feel, though I know that's unrealistic. G2 was just all around a mistake and I don't think there's any one thing or even set of things that could be changed to make it go from bad to good in my eyes. There was no point to the story and I gained nothing from it, and to change it would require either starting from the very bottom or taking the very (already) basic foundation of the story and doing anything interesting with it. I can't give any sort of honest thematic criticism to a theme that doesn't deserve it. Marketing-wise, I'd just make the theme have more brand awareness and have more of a push and remain consistent in that push. They blew the budget on things like golden masks which were incredibly expensive and affected only a small selection of people whereas actual marketing of the sets and what excuse they had for a story would have gotten people on board. Launching with a show first and not waiting til it was too late was also a mistake.

I don't think Bionicle ever fully went wrong; it made some very crazy artistic choices since LEGO treats stories as a way to sell toys. I think Bionicle got nuts the first time when it completely changed its aesthetic and feel with 2004 and the movement to Metru-Nui from Mata-Nui. Again, it wasn't particularly a bad thing- the variety and different places is part of what makes Bionicle awesome, but it also makes it a bit inconsistent. Since the story was basically improvised the only thing really seriously planned was their universe being the Mata-Nui robot (at least that I know of) and that left a lot of complications thematically. There isn't that one single story element that comes in at the end and showcases the true nature of the matoran, instead it takes clumsy leaps in different directions. It has strengths and weaknesses, but overall it complicates things and leaves a lot of problems with the story structure. It really does feel improvised. The second part was with 2008. That year ended perfectly in a way that served all of the years prior, not just our golden memories of 2001. It recognized what Bionicle was and chose to take the ballsiest and coolest move possible. After that though? The Bara-Magna saga didn't feel satisfying. It felt strange being taken out of the universe we know and love and taken someplace that felt completely different. Bara-Magna didn't feel like the Matoran universe. And that wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good. It wasn't a proper enough reboot but it also wasn't a good enough continuation; it was stuck in between like in limbo. I love Bionicle for all it was though. I don't think one can look at the original trilogy of years and say that's all Bionicle is. It's entirety has created a whole new spirit and identity for the line, and I think it's crazy to disregard all the awesomeness it brought. If we had to do it all over again, there would have to be changes, and a lot of them. The story would have to have a clear plan from the beginning. Perhaps I'm asking too much though. I've sort of accepted LEGO doesn't care about telling stories. I've moved onto other places to get good stories, and on making my own. So long as Bionicle is a toy line first and front-most it won't reach it's full potential story-wise, and I guess that's just the reality to live with.

I don't think TellTale games are really my thing, but I'd play anything Bionicle honestly. But releasing a Bionicle video game would be great either way. I'd love an open world game where the entire playable map is the island. I'd want it to have a great story of course but I'd want cool fighting mechanics as well. I guess I'm just asking for a crazy MNOG remake but I guess that's because I really couldn't tell you what I'd want from a Bionicle game since I'm not much of a gamer.

I wish they'd sold it, as like maybe a LEGO store exclusive so they wouldn't have to make too many. We totally got jipped with the end of G2 and they couldn't give us a proper Makuta set or anything, so a little art book would've been cool. The concept art was the best thing to come out of G2 honestly, if nothing else that was good. At least they'll be scanned online, still, it would've been a nice final tribute. I wonder if selling Bionicle art books while the line is running actually helps the line as a whole. I imagine it doesn't take anything away in the least, and could get some people interested in the theme if they notice the cool art.

I'm not sure where you heard this, but he was never planning to introduce Void. That was a fan-proposed element popular with some fans on BZP, but it never made it to Greg. Psionics was the first, last, and only element he canonized, and he's stated many times since then that he has no interest in introducing more elements. *leans into ear licking lips and whispering* kreeeeestal

Its eyes are saying, "Just end me now." Anyway, I may want to get my hands on a few of those. Key word may. It just read the Red Star serial

It'd probably be one of the Barakki or Makuta, which were quite terrifying. I'd like to nominate Zaktan as a possibility, since he rose from slavery, was painfully mutated, put together a team of highly dangerous hunters successfully and remained the unquestionable leader, broke off from the Dark Hunters and survived (the hunters always kill those who try to leave). That doesn't make him a , that makes him dark. Slavery changes a being and for all he went through I feel like he'd be really dang scary to be in a room with. A dark history with layers and layers of cunning and calculating intelligence on top makes him pretty scary to me.

Ah, so this isn't even from the designers or people who officially work at LEGO, just someone's speculation. Bummer, though it wouldn't have meant much either way. Let's just hope LEGO has the same optimism towards Bionicle that this writer has.

I've seen this, and well first we ought to know what this book is and if it was directly published by LEGO (I would suspect it is but I dunno what it is). If anyone has any idea please pitch in! And if it's totally legit and all, I don't think we should take this as any sort of confirmation that a G3 will happen or that LEGO is working on one. Now, I do think what this does mean is that LEGO (or at least certain people working for LEGO) want a G3 and would like to revisit Bionicle. Bionicle has been a huge part of the companies history so I feel like that was already a given, but if this book is a direct source from LEGO I have to wonder if this is the voice of the employees or corporate LEGO, my guess is the former. This does give me some hope, but I don't think we should take this as any sort of assurance or reason to get excited/prepared for G3. The voices and wants of the designers isn't everything, since if corporate LEGO thinks Bionicle is that bad of a failure that they never want to revisit that disaster, they won't green-light development on the theme.

Sure, but will the fan film actually be good? I personally don't think it does, though it has plenty of potential and the amount of work put into it is admirable and amazing. And also, a fan film is a fan film. As good and great as it could be, it doesn't change all the dumb stuff that's happened all year to Bionicle, and it's not quite the same as actual canon. Even if the fan film comes out and is amazing, fan works are usually never enough to fuel life back into the fandom. Only LEGO can really do that. Bionicle is dead only when the fandom is, and an unofficial, unpolished fan film isn't enough to get people talking again. And the release of a small fan film hardly feels like the cause for the literal BEST year in all of Bionicle. In 2003, '04, '05, and '10 we got full length OFFICIAL Bionicle films with higher-end animation (not really great, but for the time it was pretty cool), and many would argue those weren't even the best years despite that. Your post is optimistic, but also feels like click-bait and thinking through it I personally feel there is far more to go against 2016 being even close to Bionicle's best year, at least for me.

Actual Cannibal Zyglak LeBeouf. First off how dare you

Here's a new batch

It's clear this wasn't ever even a conversation in the first place, this was you trying to feel valid by throwing your thoughtless opinions out onto other people and refusing to see any other perspective other than your own. No matter how many time people will point out your fallacies, correct your assumptions, disprove your brash statements, and provide valid counterpoints to everything you say you will stick by your idea because this isn't about canisters, this isn't about LEGO at all. This is about you wanting to feel right, and I don't care if I get a scolding from staff for saying this but you are not valid for exactly that, and you don't belong in a place of discussion if all you do is try to push your political agenda and refuse any and all reason. You never even apologized for calling me a "smelly enviro", and I suppose it was too much to expect something as rational as that from someone like you. The reason people get hostile towards you is because you don't listen. You already decided exactly what you will believe before anyone came here to talk. You're not a community member, you're a preacher, and the only moment you become wrong is when you fully accept something you believe as an absolute and indisputable truth. You're controversial because you want attention, not because you're right. There's a reason why your proto is so low and it's because you don't know how to communicate with people and be respectful. You're so insecure and afraid of others peeling away your ignorant, thin layer of dillusion that you become aggressive, offensive, and irrational. The ambiguity that comes with the internet makes you feel safe, and yes, you're safe from others, you're not directly physically affect-able by others. You don't have to look stronger people in the eyes and act the same way you do on the internet. But that's what makes you weak, because you take that as an excuse to act irresponsibly. You don't want to change, you don't want to learn, and for people to sit around and deal with your baby-ishness is unfair to them. This topic is worthless, and I hope that you take what I say with consideration that all I want is for people to try to be better, to try and accept any other voice than their own. I don't want to offend you, I don't like hurting other people, but out of respect for you as a human being you deserve to understand the truth, even if you don't care to accept it. Good day.

Heyyo, so I haven't RP'd in like 85 thousand years but I remembered about my Skakdi RPG idea "Warlords of Zaktan" which I was pretty proud of. If anyone wants to take over or make it a real thing you can go ahead since I haven't the time or the effort to put something as complicated as that together. Y'all can assemble a pretty team to work on the stuff I had already written and I can sort of just be your pretty little George Lucas and stand by creepily smiling at what I've started.

1. Okay but again you've completely ignored the argument that the two themes could've succeeded or failed for any number of reasons. Packaging might have a slight influence, but not an enormous one. That statement makes it sound like the only think worthwhile about Bionicle was it's packaging. People buy sets for what's inside, not what it came in. G1 had plenty of sets that came in regular boxes rather than canisters, so if you could find some sort of factual statistic that shows a difference in sales between sets packaged in canisters versus boxes I'm more than open to listen. 2. I genuinely have to question what is wrong with you that you immediately reside to calling me a smelly elitist. Me having a different opinion from you doesn't mean I think I'm better than you, people can't be compared that way. I don't think you even completely understand what calling someone an elitist is. Me pointing out flaws in your argument means I'm trying to be genuinely intelligent about how I answer, because speaking to others intelligently means you respect and trust them enough to assume that they're also intelligent enough to understand you and converse with you on a meaningful level. The fact I have to explain the basic properties of a conversation to you is worrisome. And calling me smelly? That's just plain juvenile. You know literally nothing about me, how look, how I sound, what I think and do. Residing to calling me smelly against any possible merit is babyish and I do wish you would at least respect both me and yourself enough to speak with a little more thought. 3. Boxes and bags in my experience are quite effective, especially for the budget. I can understand the argument that people would want them to be more secure or thicker, as I have seen opened up packages on LEGO stores showing they are somewhat more flimsy than the bigger boxes. It's great that you study design as well but if you do then I think you can agree with the basic principle that it's not about the materials but what you do with it. An effective package design is not based solely on it being a canister or not. And I agree that a package should be functional as well, but adding studs or axles onto it doesn't make it better or more effective. You were just saying earlier how LEGO should focus more on making better sets, so which is it? Do you want better sets or more ornate packages? 4. You're speaking in generalizations about LEGO fans and what they believe. I don't believe saving the environment is even a political view, it's an unabashed fact and something even LEGO has directly acknowledged and put into their goals as a company. I don't think most LEGO fans or even people in general care to look "cool" in front of anyone. I don't believe in what I do because it makes me fit in, I believe what I do because it's true or relevant to me and the world. And as someone who's worked as an intern for Environment New York and has had to do canvassing and has seen the difficulty of just trying to get the attention of people about honey bees dying off I can say we're not trying to act or pretend like we're powerful at all. In fact fighting for the environment is incredibly difficult and isn't about control, but rather about being responsible for our actions. Responsibility isn't wrong because you don't like it, it's a fact of life. 5. I can agree that the Av-matoran canisters were somewhat strange and I'm not a huge fan of them but I think that's largely to them having two large clunky plastic pieces with awkward shapes mixed in. What I'm suggesting is a fully cardboard canister design that manages to both be inexpensive and stylish since you seem so fond of the canister shape.

G2 was cancelled for any number of reasons. There are so many factors that could've caused the theme to end like, I dunno, kids not liking it? It not being successful story-wise? It being marketed properly? A change in consumer interest? But to say something like packaging is the exclusive or even major reason for it being cancelled is just short-sighted. If the packaging for G2 sucked it could've still done amazingly, so that argument feels mute. And what do you mean you saw so many kids not notice Bionicle on the shelves? How can say that without jumping into their skin and knowing exactly what they were thinking? Maybe they weren't paying attention to Bionicle because they didn't want constraction or they already had the sets or they were specifically at the store looking for something else. You're comparing the experiences of others which you yourself can't measure to your own personal experience which is entirely subjective. What people notice changes based on who you are, ex. I'm extremely attracted to sci-fi/space aesthetics but maybe someone else like castles and more old timey things. And I agree, LEGO should focus on making better products and sets instead of focusing on overproducing a pricey and expensive to manufacture style of packaging like canisters. And no one is going to buy a product just because of the package. You don't walk into an Apple store and blow several hundred dollars on an i phone just because you like how pretty the packaging is. Yes, packaging is important to how you market a product and how consumers see it but that has more to do with the design of it and what they see, not the physical form of the box. LEGO switched to cardboard instead of canisters because it was cheaper. Canisters are far more elaborate and pricey, so you ought to check your facts. Cardboard is cheap and recyclable. And it's clear you already have an agenda against "elitist enviros" which makes no sense in itself. If keeping the planet and humanity alive meant me having to give up canisters and even LEGO I'm sure I'd be able to get by for the sake of a larger cause. As someone who's taken several design classes and has practiced designing packages and logos I can say that it doesn't matter what the package is made of as long as the design is strong and grabs the consumers attention. They should be designed for practicality, efficiency, and to be attractive to consumers, the first two something canisters are imperatively lacking in and the third something that depends on the skill of the designer and their understanding of consumer psychology and how to make a product seem attractive. I'd love to see LEGO make cardboard canisters like that one packaging design that someone made of G2 Tahu for a G3 to evoke and call back to the mata landing on the beach, but there's no reason for them to be bulky, more expensive or more harmful to the environment than need be.

Been making some memes of my own. I created a new tumblr for Bionicle content @farshteyfunnies.tumblr.com. Not much there yet but I've already made these two originals.

Memes I guess, wait until the theme reboots or surfaces in the creative mess that is hollywood/tv. Not really sure anymore. There are of course those 85 Bionicle revival projects still trying to happen like it did last time. You know, that's kinda a question I wish LEGO would try to answer, because as it is all we have are our lives and doing Bionicle fan projects/art. I'm way out of LEGO by this point. The direction of the company overall has left me behind and I've become more interested in story-telling. High school took up nearly all of my time so what little I had spare I devoted to Bionicle and Star Wars. Now that I'm in college and Bionicle's gone, I don't even have that. All I personally have are my studies in english as I try to realize my potential after a childhood of being inspired. I'm sort of in limbo, new school, no new friends, too much work, too little time, most of my interests on hold, and getting hit by a car didn't help emotionally. I'd like to try putting together media-related writings after I get a new laptop, maybe start a blog or youtube channel where I could make plenty of Bionicle related essays. I dunno, either LEGO seems to not know how to handle Bionicle or I was just looking for the wrong things, but I can't stop looking for it even when I haven't found it yet. I guess we should just turn to ourselves to make Bionicle better. As a fanbase we've been left here to do our own thing and I guess that's exactly what we should do.

I think the Bionicle community is kinda going through a cataclysm in general. Aw well, for now we can just enjoy the times on Mata-Nui and await the day the toa come back, washed ashore on a golden beach. All this meemage is excellent. I've had some ideas for memes myself but between school and being too lazy to put them together I'll be content just to watch the show. Feed me with the glorious dank.

But honestly this just feels like a list of characters/creatures you liked from all of Bionicle. For example, it makes no sense to have Skull Spiders alongside Bohrok and Visorak. This doesn't feel comprehensive. I mean sure, I'd love for a G3 with tons of classic Bionicle characters, species and tropes, but so many of these are unimportant and wouldn't benefit the story as they never benefited G1 or G2 either, and it would be far more effective to develop a new character than awkwardly have an old half-written one be appropriated for something else. It only makes sense to add characters to a story if it makes the story better or feels unintrusive. Believe me, I love most of these guys too, but there isn't even a hint here to a vision of what a G3 would be. This is all things from Bionicle, but Bionicle is about more than the sum of its parts. Taking a bunch of characters and things you liked and throwing them all together makes a mess that G1 already was struggling with. In addition to that, you're choosing characters from all over the board, from the early beginnings of Bionicle to the very end, which would imply the story itself would be remarkably similar if not exactly the same. The product of that is not a reboot or a continuation, but rather an exact remake where everything is done the same, and with that there is nothing to be gained. This feels more like a list of things that you liked from Bionicle with some stuff that you wish were a little bit different. I'd first get a clearer image of what you think a G3 should be, and then decide which characters you'd like to see for what that is. Because yes, if I were getting a G3 where we do see places like Bara-Magna I would love to see characters like Gresh and Gelu and things like the Skrall and Baterra come back, but in my personal taste for G3 I wouldn't want to back to Bara-Magna, and so I wouldn't want to see those characters back. That's just my personal advice for your list, because you have a lot of cool ideas but without any connective element or cement to keep it together it can just be confusing to others. For me personally I wouldn't care to see anything from G2 make it to G3. Most of the elements would borrow from the Matoran Universe eras with having basic cultures and species and many similarities but simpler and with plenty of room for new ideas and story telling. Old characters can be introduced occasionally, like it'd be cool to see Hydraxon and such since they served a purpose (he trained the Mata and was generally cool), but not things like random Makuta who were slightly interesting but never amounted to being important or memorable. The only things I'd be interested in seeing back is Umarak, Kulta (maybe), and Skull Slicer. The first two would get major personality adjustments to make them more unique characters. Skull Slicer on the other hand, would be combined with Nektann, because that'd just be awesome. I'd love to see plenty more things make it into a G3 if it ever happens but we'll have to see. I'd only really ask for the more relevant characters, but overdoing it and relying on the bank of G1 canon would be really unhealthy. Again, treating it like how Star Wars treats its characters, such as Saw Garrera being in Rogue One.

I may be half dead but this is the post for me. Bring on the hot dank meems bois