Blastcage

And here's something interesting...

Interesting indeed. Surely you don't intend to keep them all for yourself?

Has anyone noticed that the three Toa on the top row at Bionicle.com are Lewa, Kopaka and Gali... and the bottom three are Onua, Pohatu and Tahu... Do these groupings sound familiar? I think we might be getting Toa Kaita again.

I did notice. Sure hope we are getting Toa Kaita again! 

We better get some posters for Bionicle G2...I've got the 2002 "Find the Power" poster on my closet door, and a new poster would be nice. My room is still covered in Bionicle G1 stuff. Guess it's time to put all that away and focus on the new stuff.

Yeah, I'd heard 1 PM EST as well. We've got 2 hours.

 

 

 

 

The action gimmicks come more from changing toy standards than from constraction. These days, very few toys can go without some sort of playability aspect to them. Do you think Transformers would be anywhere near as popular if they only sold non-transforming toys? And even transforming toys can have an additional playability feature. Kids like having exciting features built into their toys these days.

 

I also wouldn't call modern designs simple by any means. I'd say we've been getting some of the smoothest, most polished, most interesting LEGO sets ever lately, and it's not from overspecialized pieces, but from actually using useful pieces in new ways.

Being an active user on TFW2005, I can tell you the majority of users hate the "features" other than the transformation itself. Plus all the kiddie TF's stacking up on the shelves, it looks like kid's aren't interested anymore either.

 

 

Okay but do the users of TFW2005 represent the majority of buyers of Transformers? I'd be willing to bet that, like LEGO, Hasbro is more concerned with the kids who make up a larger portion of their market than the adults who whine if a Transformer is a monkey instead of a truck.

 

Point is, kids like play features. They love little firing missiles and light-up lights and sound effects. It's the market that pushed those features, not constraction.

 

Hasbro is catering to the kids and it's failing big time because shelf-warmers (also, some Hasbro report from this summer). Their decision to market towards children and making a bunch of gimmick figures with no resell value killed the entire Age of Extinction toyline, with it ending in half a year, compared to the other movies' that lasted over a year. Most brick Lego sets don't have gimmicks either (besides those that are actually built by the buyer).

 

 

...are you sure it's not failing because the movie was garbage? OR because the movies are being marketed (poorly) towards adults, unlike the toys, which have ALWAYS been marketed towards children, because, you know, they're TOYS?

 

Brick LEGO sets have plenty of gimmicks, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just look at the Fairground Mixer, which spins when you turn a gear, has functioning Test Your Strength and Dunk Tank games, and is designed to pack up like a real carnival. the Prisoner Transporter and Police Station have walls that are designed to come loose when you yank on them. Chima sets are chock full of play features, from walking legs to launchers to special CHI Power modes. Yes, all of those are "built buy the buyer" because that's kind of the POINT of LEGO (though some like the new missile launchers aren't; they only have two pieces that function independently) but nonetheless System sets have play features because that's what kids like. Not all sets have them, mostly lacking in things like City sets where something like a missile launcher would be out of place, but there are definitely enough to show that there's some appeal for all of them, even the hopefully obsolescent flickfire missiles.

 

If you stopped judging children's toys from the perspective of someone outside of the target audience, maybe you could see that what you define as a good toy and what children define as a good toy don't always line up, and toy companies are definitely more worried about the latter than the former.

Well I know they're not gonna switch to China anytime soon, also I'm pretty sure that new factory is gonna benefit bootlegers(as now they will be able to obtain lego pieces easier).

 

 

I always assumed bootleggers did something really stupid like cast their own molds around parts they bought from a store because it seems ludicrous to me that they would be able to obtain a mold of just about every piece in production.

 

unless you mean actually obtaining LEGO bricks to put in sets, which is also ludicrous. For starters, if bootlegs actually used pieces stolen directly from LEGO, not only would they be much easier to shut down, nobody would complain about plastic quality in bootleg sets.

 

Except Age of Extinction is by no means garbage. You may not like it, and that's your opinion. Critics may have bombed it, bu they're paid to...plus critics narrow-mindedly think that these movies are about Shia and think AoE isn't good due to him not being involved. These same critics hate Michael Bay and are bashing his films just for the sake of bashing them. Most people I've talked to thought AoE was either the best or second best. Its toyline failed because the toyline did not live up to the standards that the Revenge of the Fallen and even Dark of the Moon toylines had set. RotF's toyline set the bar high, and Hasbro didn't care to repeat that sort of engineering, causing DotM's to be less successful, and AoE's to fail. The AoE toys are out of scale, inaccurate, poorly painted, and have amounts of kibble similar to the figures from the first movie's toyline. If AoE leader Optimus Prime was the same engineering marvel that RotF leader Prime was, it would've sold better than it did. The reason the AoE toys weren't engineered as well was the gimmicks Hasbro forced on us. It wasn't the gimmicks themselves, but the way they were integrated.

 

 

True, but what prevents us from getting voice actors such as Peter Cullen and Frank Welker? Or Mark Ryan and Leonard Nimoy? 

Nimoy is too expensive? (Why would Spock work on Bionicle?)

 

Although, there is some precedent (I'm looking at you, Worf) for Star Trek actors coming to work Bionicle, and given the Lego Movie's all-star cast, it's not completely out of the question that we could see more famous people working on this stuff. 

 

But I would think that such voice talents would be more interested in voicing a Bionicle theatrical film, as opposed to a TV show, given that the former have bigger budgets to pay the bigger actors' bigger commissions. 

 

Maybe Nimoy is, which is probably why back in Transformers G1 he didn't voice Galvatron in season 3...but Peter Cullen and Frank Welker still do smaller, TV roles as far as I know. Nolan North and Steve Blum would be good ones...and Fred Tatasciore needs to come back. He voiced Tuma and also voiced Nikolai and Dr. Maxis in CoD Zombies.

 

The reason why these voice actors see so much use, I'm pretty sure, is that they're some of the least expensive. That's why their voice acting resume is so wide and varied; if you want to save some cash on voice acting, they're who you go to if you don't want talentless college kids looking for a quick buck.

Well, also that most of them are good at it. In many cases, they have to audition for a role, same as anyone else. And some of those voice actors are veterans of the industry, who have been doing voices for cartoons for decades. Assuming they just get voice acting gigs because they're cheap is extremely unfair to them. Obviously, they're not A-list stars from live action movies, but that's just as well, because live-action acting and voice acting are two very different things, and somebody who is skilled at one might not be skilled at the other.

 

Voice acting isn't just about having a cool-sounding or memorable voice. It's about being able to act, which means that people with a lot of diverse voiceover experience under their belt are often in high demand. Scott McNeil, who voiced Tahu Nuva, has a great deal of star power in his own right. He's an incredibly popular guest at anime conventions because of how long he's been in the business of anime voiceovers and how many major characters he has voiced over the years. Kathleen Barr, who voiced Gali Nuva and Roodaka, has been involved in voice acting for about as long. If you just want somebody who's affordable, you could do a lot worse.

 

True, but what prevents us from getting voice actors such as Peter Cullen and Frank Welker? Or Mark Ryan and Leonard Nimoy? 

If I had umph dollars I would buy a Pagani Huayra.

Nobody is suggesting we're going to see Bionicle: The Manga (which is good because I have yet to see a fan attempt at this that isn't terrible) but rather that Bionicle could take some influences from anime, just like it's taken influences from other things (punk culture, old horror films, communism).

 

MNOG wasn't purely anime-inspired, which seems to be the crux of your argument that it wasn't at all, but it clearly did take some influences. It utilized things like sweat drops, blushed cheeks, and even the snot nose bubble to denote sleeping, something which we do not have in the west. It clearly was influenced by anime, even if it wasn't purely ripped whole-cloth from it.

Which old horror films are you referring to? Can't think of any off the top of my head? Either way, I want new Bionicle to do the same thing. 

Who would be interested in a Netflix series? That might be a interesting way to go, especially if it was aimed at older fans and a cartoon for younger fans aired on Cartoon Network or something.

So I can't display my old and new sets together?

You can, but if you do, I'll electrocute you while "Thunderstruck" plays in the background.

If they bring back comics, how are we gonna be able to get 'em?

It might be highly unlikely, but it is a thought. I'd like to hope it's not the only way to obtain said mask.

 

This might be in the same light as how the "golden mask of life" was gold..

Hmm, now there's an idea. BTW, LOVE your avatar! I'm also a Masterpiece Transformers collector, and have Hasbro MP10 myself.

That sounds interesting, but as has been said it seems more like a description than anything. But a solid gold mask competition would be interesting. Sadly though exclusives like gold masks and such are sad because not everyone can get it... 

 

If they decide to make a gold mask of any kind I can see them making it chrome gold rather than solid gold.

On TFW2005, I asked if people would like to see a chrome Hau again, and the idea of a gold chrome Mask of Creation came up on there. Hopefully one or both of those happen!

They also did the platinum Krana-Kal that was in some packages as well. Oh, and the platinum Avohkii.

 

-NotS

If we get the Avohkii again, would be nice to see them do the platinum thing again...or better yet, make it silver to differentiate it.

 

I don't remember the name of the member who used to remold masks in metal back in the day... wonder what they're up to now.

 

Are you talking about Flintsmith? He's still casting masks in metal afaik.

 

What? I NEED.

Since I was the first to mention the small upcoming Friday reveal, do I get like a news credit or something? 

Anywho, I'm all for a reboot, much prefer it. Original story got too messy at times. Reboot gives them the opportunity to keep it from getting too convoluted. 

According to the LEGO Bionicle facebook page, we're getting another small reveal on Friday.

 

Yes, but for all we know, they're the same species at the genetic level and just have different armor to suit their different environments. No way to say one way or the other unless we get an official answer.

 

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. You could say that about literally every single non-Matoran species.

 

There is absolutely no reason to think that Axonn and Hydraxon are related in any capacity, and I stand by my original statement that if Hydraxon was named something else, then no one would have ever had this thought.

 

Just because no one ever said that it isn't, doesn't mean that it is. No one ever said it isn't because there is literally no reason why this should ever come up.

 

It's a good point and you know it. But perhaps they're genetically similar, that would make more sense than being genetically the same. Then there's the name similarity that's responsible for this...

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Hydraxon was named something else would you've ever had this thought? Probably not, because aside from them both being humanoid and partially silver, they don't really look anything alike. At all. Axonn's short and bulky, Hydraxon's taller, thinner and covered in spikes. Hydraxon's face also looks more like a Kiril than anything else, least of all the Rode.

 

Honestly, Hydraxon resembles Brutaka more than Axonn.

 

I'm short and fairly lean, I have friends who are tall and bulky...going by your logic, I'm not the same species as them.

 

I like how you ignored the part about being covered in spikes...

 

Because neither me nor my friends are covered in spikes, last I checked. So it wasn't needed to make my point. I didn't ignore it, I omitted it.

 

You do realize the spikes thing was part of how different they looked, right? If any of you were covered in spikes, then yes, I would say that you weren't the same species.

 

 

Can't the differences just be an armor thing though?

 

Can't the similarities?

 

Yes, but for all we know, they're the same species at the genetic level and just have different armor to suit their different environments. No way to say one way or the other unless we get an official answer.

Since 2015's logo seems to have electricity, we better see a Toa of electricity in a later wave!

The mask is made from "raw magic"? K.

 

Anyway, I AM PUMPED! (Yes, I just used caps.) Does the fact that this is the Mask of Creation suggest a continuation? I really hope not, because I like the old story the way it is.

 

Now we all have to jump in a hype spaceship, piloted by a constraction figure of Benny, and move at hyperspace towards 2015!

Not necessarily. This could still be a reboot. I'm not sure a continuation would introduce the Mask of Creation first thing, TBH. I feel that a continuation would somehow involve the Ignika the first year or 2.

 

 

I say all of us oldfarts add Turaga infront of our names.

It'll defintetly be something to welcome the new members to!

 

TAK

 

Haha, maybe I should change my name to Turaga of Virtues. I will if this becomes a thing...

 

Alright, I'm gonna get the ball rolling on this. As of now...it's a thing.

RahkshiTuraga88 doesn't sound as good as RahkshiToa88. Maybe I'll reveal the actual name of my self-moc...

Yes, please do.

A lot of people seem to think this will be dumbed down and that there's no hope for it...I hate to see negativity. But people will be people, I guess.

Although I'm a new member, I was with Bionicle from the beginning...adding "Turaga" to my name is tempting.

That's okay, that makes us wiser now... right?

 

Does anyone else think that Bionicle might be exploring space in the new story? After 2010 onwards it's been touched upon via the giant robot bodies being able to soar through it. It may provide an avenue for... aliens of all things? Or whatever constitutes as such in the Bionicle world.

 

TAK

Aliens? Hmm...

"Are you Toa Tahu, bearer of the Golden Armor?" 

"..Yeah." 

"My name is Optimus Prime."

 

 

 

 

If Hydraxon was named something else would you've ever had this thought? Probably not, because aside from them both being humanoid and partially silver, they don't really look anything alike. At all. Axonn's short and bulky, Hydraxon's taller, thinner and covered in spikes. Hydraxon's face also looks more like a Kiril than anything else, least of all the Rode.

 

Honestly, Hydraxon resembles Brutaka more than Axonn.

 

I'm short and fairly lean, I have friends who are tall and bulky...going by your logic, I'm not the same species as them.

 

I like how you ignored the part about being covered in spikes...

 

Because neither me nor my friends are covered in spikes, last I checked. So it wasn't needed to make my point. I didn't ignore it, I omitted it.

 

You do realize the spikes thing was part of how different they looked, right? If any of you were covered in spikes, then yes, I would say that you weren't the same species.

 

Can't the differences just be an armor thing though?

Guys, the :"writings" on the mask are the Nuva symbols. Just thought I should point that out.

 

 

If Hydraxon was named something else would you've ever had this thought? Probably not, because aside from them both being humanoid and partially silver, they don't really look anything alike. At all. Axonn's short and bulky, Hydraxon's taller, thinner and covered in spikes. Hydraxon's face also looks more like a Kiril than anything else, least of all the Rode.

 

Honestly, Hydraxon resembles Brutaka more than Axonn.

 

I'm short and fairly lean, I have friends who are tall and bulky...going by your logic, I'm not the same species as them.

 

 

I like how you ignored the part about being covered in spikes...

 

Because neither me nor my friends are covered in spikes, last I checked. So it wasn't needed to make my point. I didn't ignore it, I omitted it.

If Hydraxon was named something else would you've ever had this thought? Probably not, because aside from them both being humanoid and partially silver, they don't really look anything alike. At all. Axonn's short and bulky, Hydraxon's taller, thinner and covered in spikes. Hydraxon's face also looks more like a Kiril than anything else, least of all the Rode.

 

Honestly, Hydraxon resembles Brutaka more than Axonn.

I'm short and fairly lean, I have friends who are tall and bulky...going by your logic, I'm not the same species as them.

Plot twist: The Friday reveal is an Exo-Force return.