Rumor: Bionicle's return in 2015

[Dingus_]

Every time any of you mention jakers I think it talking to me!!!

It's official: this is he most laid back forum ever. It's like a chat

 

Think wat talking to you

[Reznas]

It's official: this is he most laid back forum ever. It's like a chat

 

It's not really intended to be this way actually. It just occasionally happens. There's a lot of hype around Bionicle right now, and people are going crazy about it.

 

-Rez

Edited July 6, 2014 by Reznas

[-Windrider-]

Various staff warnings have been ignored, so topic closed until further notice.

 

 

 

EDIT: Thanks, Windrider.

 

I'm giving you all 24 hours to cool off and we'll try this again.

 

~Makaru

Edited July 5, 2014 by Makaru

[-Windrider-]

24 hours have passed, so on Makaru's order, this topic will be reopened. BUT -

 

You must respect BZPower's Leaked Content Policy. I have no idea if the images circulating are indeed leaks or not, but just in case, they are not to be discussed.

 

You must respect BZPower's Rules and Guidelines. This forbids spamming, flaming, trolling, and other behavior.

 

You must respect the staff. If I or Makaru or any other staff member (even non-forum staff!) intervenes, you must heed our warnings and directions. We will try to ensure our posts are visible, but it is up to you to keep on top of posts in this topic. Ignoring staff posts will result in Proto loss.

 

This topic will serve as a discussion thread for Bionicle's potential return without reference to any potentially leaked information.

 

Please PM me if you have any questions about any of the above.

Edited July 6, 2014 by -Windrider-

[Zidonaro]

Great this topic is back !

 

So, let's try things again... Would you like if 2015 Bionicle Return had a relaunch of old characters in new build styles ?

 

I, for example, woud totally want revamped Toa Mata sets.

[Reznas]

Phew, I can edit my previous post now. The font and color got all screwed up.

 

Jokes aside, I really do think that there's not enough evidence to support the return of Bionicle (fishers mentioned this earlier). Until we hear an official statement from LEGO, we really can't be certain. In order to really believe this, I'm going to need some hard evidence.

 

Also, I would find it incredibly odd if LEGO picked now, of all times, to bring back Bionicle. Four years really doesn't seem like a long enough hiatus to me. From a marketing perspective, they should bring Bionicle back once the initial fan base starts having kids. Not only will parents pass the hobby on, but, by that time, there will be a new generation to get involved. It doesn't seem realistic, from that same perspective, to market to the same generation again. Otherwise, why would they have ever ended the theme in the first place?

 

-Rez

 

EDIT: 

 

Great this topic is back !

 

So, let's try things again... Would you like if 2015 Bionicle Return had a relaunch of old characters in new build styles ?

 

I, for example, woud totally want revamped Toa Mata sets.

 

Not really. It would make it feel like a recycled theme. I already have my doubts about the quality of Bionicle if it returns.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Reznas

[Bionicleforever 12]

I'm I the only one thinking that if this is real it would be announced at san deigo comic con... I mean that would make alot of room for hype and for people to stop saying if its true or not so what do you think

[Taria Pakari]

I'm I the only one thinking that if this is real it would be announced at san deigo comic con... I mean that would make alot of room for hype and for people to stop saying if its true or not so what do you think

 

Either Comic Con or Toyfair. We'll just have to wait to see if Lego reveal anything.

 

Until then, I still have my doubts.

[Shadow Destroyer]

I'm I the only one thinking that if this is real it would be announced at san deigo comic con... I mean that would make alot of room for hype and for people to stop saying if its true or not so what do you think

 

I think comic con would be a great place to announce it. Hopefully it happens.

[Dingus_]

I'm I the only one thinking that if this is real it would be announced at san deigo comic con... I mean that would make alot of room for hype and for people to stop saying if its true or not so what do you think

 

Lego did announce that they would be reviving old themes.

 

 

-Jakers_

[Kopekemaster]

Glad to have this back.

Anyway, I'm curious about what TSM said. Do you know when that was last updated? If LEGO is in fact up to something, they may have just forgotten to take that down, or something.

OR it may completely refute this whole idea. We'll see.

[Reznas]

 

I'm I the only one thinking that if this is real it would be announced at san deigo comic con... I mean that would make alot of room for hype and for people to stop saying if its true or not so what do you think

 

Lego did announce that they would be reviving old themes.

 

 

-Jakers_

 

 

Link please? 

 

-Rez

[Dingus_]

http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/2015

http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/2015

 

well they said "may" but maybe is a baby trying to say yes.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Jakers_

[TheSkeletonMan939]

You guys are nuts. You're all getting needlessly excited over baseless scraps of info that have no kernel of truth behind them, and you're all veering towards a crushing disappointment if this rumor turns out to be totally false.

 

Yep, it finally feels like good ol' BZPower again. About time.

[Shadow Destroyer]

You guys are nuts. You're all getting needlessly excited over baseless scraps of info that have no kernel of truth behind them, and you're all veering towards a crushing disappointment if this rumor turns out to be totally false.

 

Yep, it finally feels like good ol' BZPower again. About time.

 

I'd say we've seen a little more than "baseless scraps" as you call it. The chances are about 50/50 in my opinion.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Shadow Destroyer

[boston100]

ted Jul 05 2014 - 06:16 PM

I was thinking about how bionicle would be brought back and i have come to the conclusion that it would be a retelling. my reasons for beliving this are the following

1 one reason bionicle was cancled was beacause it was to complicated and new buyers were intimidated. A prequell or a sequel would only make it MORE complicated.

[bloop]

3. A TTV member told me there was more then met the eye. This could explain what that meant.

 

Tell me what you think of this

Thanks

 

 

 

 

Windy edit: Careful with the second point you made - please don't refer to specifics about the images. Your theory, though, is fine.

-Wind-

Edited July 6, 2014 by -Windrider-

[JrMasterModelBuilder]

Was posting this just as the topic got locked.

 

Okay, so I look up the words 'Bionicle returns' on my computer and found a link to the customer services page of Lego.com. On there it has this question; 'Are there any plans for Lego Bionicle to come back?' The response and I quote is:

 

 

 

At this moment, we're not planning to bring back Lego Bionicle.

 

Here is the Link: http://service.lego.com/en-us/helptopics/products/themes/bionicle/will-bionicle-come-back

 

Now, I'm not trying to kill the hype here, but I think this may puts the rumors to rest. Unless Lego is bringing back Bionicle and simply keeping this up to throw people off the trail.

 

Edit: Meant to say I'm NOT trying to kill the hype, but forgot to put the word 'not' in the sentence. Makes me sound kind of bad, doesn't it?

 

 

This information is at least as old as October. It may no longer be relevant.

Edited July 6, 2014 by JrMasterModelBuilder

[Reznas]

http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/2015

 

That's not a lot to go off of. It could honestly be a number of constraction lines. I'm going to need a lot more evidence than this to truly believe that Bionicle's coming back. :\

 

-Rez

 

EDIT: Also, notice how it says "new constraction theme." It's not referring to the return of a theme, but rather a release of a new one.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Reznas

[Bionicleforever 12]

it seems that people are certain bionicles coming back or they think this is totally worthless can't we find a easy medium since you cant deny that theres alot of evidence saying it is coming back   and that it isn't coming back but im still personally want it bacck

[Reznas]

it seems that people are certain bionicles coming back or they think this is totally worthless can't we find a easy medium since you cant deny that theres alot of evidence saying it is coming back   and that it isn't coming back but im still personally want it bacck

 

It's kind of a tough thing. I can't disprove it, but so far the evidence hasn't been utterly compelling. Going off of what we have so far, I have my doubts.

 

-Rez

[Matoro Lives]

If lego is reading the signs correctly, they actually would have never cancelled bionicle in the first place. Hero factory is not doing anywhere near as well as bionicle did. HF's best year still sold worse than bionicle's worst year. Bionicle was also lego's most popular original theme, and their 2nd most popular theme overall. It was a bad idea to cancel Bionicle as soon as they did (even though the sales were slowly dropping). Bionicle still dominated a huge portion of Lego's annual profits. Hero factory is only drawing in a fraction of the profit that Bionicle did. I think the reason it took lego so long to realize how bad HF was doing was because they were too busy enjoying the runaway success with Ninjago and Chima. I think lego is finally taking a good look at Hero Factory and realizing they screwed up. Maybe a Bionicle reboot is Lego's way of trying to fix their mistake?

[Gatanui]

If lego is reading the signs correctly, they actually would have never cancelled bionicle in the first place. Hero factory is not doing anywhere near as well as bionicle did. HF's best year still sold worse than bionicle's worst year. Bionicle was also lego's most popular original theme, and their 2nd most popular theme overall. It was a bad idea to cancel Bionicle as soon as they did (even though the sales were slowly dropping). Bionicle still dominated a huge portion of Lego's annual profits. Hero factory is only drawing in a fraction of the profit that Bionicle did. I think the reason it took lego so long to realize how bad HF was doing was because they were too busy enjoying the runaway success with Ninjago and Chima. I think lego is finally taking a good look at Hero Factory and realizing they screwed up. Maybe a Bionicle reboot is Lego's way of trying to fix their mistake?

Do you actually have any sales figures to back this up? While it's true Hero Factory never stood out as far as sales were concerned, it's also true Hero Factory was introduced during LEGO's strong years and BIONICLE was introduced at a time where LEGO was performing very poorly.

 

By the way, your avatar is giving me a nostalgia rush.

 

-Gata

Edited July 6, 2014 by Gatanui

[Sir Kohran]

 

If lego is reading the signs correctly, they actually would have never cancelled bionicle in the first place. Hero factory is not doing anywhere near as well as bionicle did. HF's best year still sold worse than bionicle's worst year. Bionicle was also lego's most popular original theme, and their 2nd most popular theme overall. It was a bad idea to cancel Bionicle as soon as they did (even though the sales were slowly dropping). Bionicle still dominated a huge portion of Lego's annual profits. Hero factory is only drawing in a fraction of the profit that Bionicle did. I think the reason it took lego so long to realize how bad HF was doing was because they were too busy enjoying the runaway success with Ninjago and Chima. I think lego is finally taking a good look at Hero Factory and realizing they screwed up. Maybe a Bionicle reboot is Lego's way of trying to fix their mistake?

Do you actually have any sales figures to back this up? While it's true Hero Factory never stood out as far as sales were concerned, it's also true Hero Factory was introduced during LEGO's strong years and BIONICLE was introduced at a time where LEGO was performing very poorly.

 

By the way, your avatar is giving me a nostalgia rush.

 

-Gata

 

 

I'd also like to see evidence for this. The fact that Hero Factory has run steadily for nearly five years indicates its sales are at least decent.

 

And remember that Bionicle's sales weren't always amazing. The line was nearly cancelled in '03, and appears to have lost all growth from '06 onwards.

[Chro]

Wait, nobody here's saying Bionicle will be back for sure, 

I'm saying that.

[Kardanui2556]

If Bionicle does come back, which it could or could not, I think LEGO would be really scared to release it, because what if they do it wrong? Everyone in he Bionicle fan universe would hate them, and not buy the products! I have an idea that there could be two separate areas of Bionicle; Younger and older. That way, HF could be in younger, and Bionicle in older. The little kids get what they want, we get what we want.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Kardanui2556

[believe victims]

If Bionicle does come back, which it could or could not, I think LEGO would be really scared to release it, because what if they do it wrong? Everyone in he Bionicle fan universe would hate them, and not buy the products! I have an idea that there could be two separate areas of Bionicle; Younger and older. That way, HF could be in younger, and Bionicle in older. The little kids get what they want, we get what we want.

 

...or they could make a deep, meaningful story for people of all ages instead of pandering to a small percentage of their sales figures by making an entirely separate story for them that would more likely than not bomb harder than just using one line? Believe it or not, Bionicle was always made for little kids. In fact, if anything, what brought its downfall was the desire to make the line more "mature" as time went on, which is what led to the "grittiness" I mentioned.

 

Despite what 50% of children's shows may seem like, you can have a good storyline without pushing away a younger audience. Transformers Prime, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and even My Little Pony (to an extent) come to mind as shining examples. Conversely, something being "gritty" and "mature" doesn't necessarily mean its story is any good. Michael Bay's entire career in film-making is the best example of that there is ever likely to be.

 

At this point, I think Bionicle WOULD have to change to avoid what happened before, with the story becoming a tangled mess of garbage. The story can't just pick up where it left off, or any new fan will have to read nine years of convoluted story just to understand the very first year. If what you want is that, then I think you need different standards.

[Lyichir]

Glad to see things have calmed down a little since this topic got reopened. On the one hand, it's nice to see the level of activity surging closer to what it was like when Bionicle was still around. On the other hand, it almost feels like the collective maturity of BZP's membership has practically reverted to the level it was at when Bionicle was in its prime—that is to say, I've seen more spam, casual rule-breaking, and general newbishness than I've seen here in months or even years. I'd love to see people continuing to discuss what they hope for (and what is realistic to hope for) in a Bionicle return that is seeming more and more likely. But I want that discussion to take place in a mature manner in which users take heed of what others (especially staff) have to say.

[Toa Imrukii]

Personally [ ]  this relaunch to be centered around a "great mask hunt" so to speak. Perhaps lego could do something like. Oh there's a great mask for every element in the bionicle universe or something. Or maybe they discover that there's more than just 3 legendary masks. Because it looks like on each of the sets that there is one "collectible" mask to boot. And based on the info that we have. It seems there should be 12 of these masks. but who really knows I guess we're just gonna have to wait and see for ourselves.

 

 

 

 

Edit: The leaked content policy forbids references to the potential leaks, so I've edited those bits out.

-Wind-

Edited July 6, 2014 by -Windrider-

[Matoro Lives]

 

 

If lego is reading the signs correctly, they actually would have never cancelled bionicle in the first place. Hero factory is not doing anywhere near as well as bionicle did. HF's best year still sold worse than bionicle's worst year. Bionicle was also lego's most popular original theme, and their 2nd most popular theme overall. It was a bad idea to cancel Bionicle as soon as they did (even though the sales were slowly dropping). Bionicle still dominated a huge portion of Lego's annual profits. Hero factory is only drawing in a fraction of the profit that Bionicle did. I think the reason it took lego so long to realize how bad HF was doing was because they were too busy enjoying the runaway success with Ninjago and Chima. I think lego is finally taking a good look at Hero Factory and realizing they screwed up. Maybe a Bionicle reboot is Lego's way of trying to fix their mistake?

 

Do you actually have any sales figures to back this up? While it's true Hero Factory never stood out as far as sales were concerned, it's also true Hero Factory was introduced during LEGO's strong years and BIONICLE was introduced at a time where LEGO was performing very poorly.

By the way, your avatar is giving me a nostalgia rush. -Gata

I'd also like to see evidence for this. The fact that Hero Factory has run steadily for nearly five years indicates its sales are at least decent.

 

And remember that Bionicle's sales weren't always amazing. The line was nearly cancelled in '03, and appears to have lost all growth from '06 onwards.

I found my info on the 2 themes sales on a site that compares and analyzes lego themes. If I can find the page again I will link it to you, but there is no guarantee I will find it again. The site showed that HF has enjoyed average to sometimes slightly below average sales. Most themes that experience those kind of sales generally last 2-3 years. Why Lego decided to let HF enjoy a longer than average run is beyond me, but my best guess is they were expecting another runaway success like Bionicle.

 

Bionicle on the other hand was a smash hit with sales rising rapidly and peaking in 2003, the sales would then drop by about 5,000 to 10,000 sets each year. With the Bionicle fanbase being as huge as it was though, this was a small, slow decline. The problem was lego experienced a somewhat disturbingly large sales drop in 2009, and that combined with the increasing price of designing and manufacturing new constraction parts, led Lego to question the longevity of the theme and ultimately cancel Bionicle.

 

It is also interesting to note that bionicle sold the best in the 3 years that lego promoted it the most. HF never had the promotion bionicle had when they started, and this might also be a factor in it's lower sales.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Matoro_Lives

[Taria Pakari]

Really the only thing I will care about should Bionicle return is compatibility with old parts. Hero Factory parts were okay, but a lot of the new pieces had such limited compatibility with old Bionicle parts unless you could get super creative with them, and for a casual MOC builder like me they weren't very usefull. It would be nice to see a good range of new molds that have a much wider range of uses than what Hero Factory has given us these part few years.

[Mesonak]

You guys are nuts. You're all getting needlessly excited over baseless scraps of info that have no kernel of truth behind them, and you're all veering towards a crushing disappointment if this rumor turns out to be totally false.

 

Yep, it finally feels like good ol' BZPower again. About time.

Pretty much. I've missed the glory days of set speculations. I came in at the tail end of things, joining in 2008 and all, so I'm really glad I'm here for this one.

 

-Mesonak

[Gatanui]

 

You guys are nuts. You're all getting needlessly excited over baseless scraps of info that have no kernel of truth behind them, and you're all veering towards a crushing disappointment if this rumor turns out to be totally false.

 

Yep, it finally feels like good ol' BZPower again. About time.

Pretty much. I've missed the glory days of set speculations. I came in at the tail end of things, joining in 2008 and all, so I'm really glad I'm here for this one.

 

-Mesonak

 

Oh boy those were some fun indeed. It was always so awesome to get the first catalogue scans or photos of the upcoming sets. Too bad they have become a lot rarer in the past two years.

 

-Gata

Edited July 6, 2014 by Gatanui

[boston100]

what do you guys think of my theory?

 

ted Jul 05 2014 - 06:16 PM

I was thinking about how bionicle would be brought back and i have come to the conclusion that it would be a retelling. my reasons for beliving this are the following

1 one reason bionicle was cancled was beacause it was to complicated and new buyers were intimidated. A prequell or a sequel would only make it MORE complicated.

[bloop]

3. A TTV member told me there was more then met the eye. This could explain what that meant.

 

Tell me what you think of this

Thanks

 

 

 

 

Windy edit: Careful with the second point you made - please don't refer to specifics about the images. Your theory, though, is fine.

-Wind-

 

[Aanchir]

 

If Bionicle does come back, which it could or could not, I think LEGO would be really scared to release it, because what if they do it wrong? Everyone in he Bionicle fan universe would hate them, and not buy the products! I have an idea that there could be two separate areas of Bionicle; Younger and older. That way, HF could be in younger, and Bionicle in older. The little kids get what they want, we get what we want.

 

...or they could make a deep, meaningful story for people of all ages instead of pandering to a small percentage of their sales figures by making an entirely separate story for them that would more likely than not bomb harder than just using one line? Believe it or not, Bionicle was always made for little kids. In fact, if anything, what brought its downfall was the desire to make the line more "mature" as time went on, which is what led to the "grittiness" I mentioned.

 

Despite what 50% of children's shows may seem like, you can have a good storyline without pushing away a younger audience. Transformers Prime, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and even My Little Pony (to an extent) come to mind as shining examples. Conversely, something being "gritty" and "mature" doesn't necessarily mean its story is any good. Michael Bay's entire career in film-making is the best example of that there is ever likely to be.

 

At this point, I think Bionicle WOULD have to change to avoid what happened before, with the story becoming a tangled mess of garbage. The story can't just pick up where it left off, or any new fan will have to read nine years of convoluted story just to understand the very first year. If what you want is that, then I think you need different standards.

 

It is rare for me to agree so much with one of your posts as I do with this one. BIONICLE has always had pretensions of seriousness compared to other LEGO themes, which have taken an inherently more playful approach, engaging in frequent crossovers and not being afraid to make fun of themselves. Yet a lot of people forget that during its earliest years, there was still plenty of lighthearted humor. The Chronicler's Company was a hilarious band of misfits. Onua rescued the captured Lewa by throwing a bug at him. Pohatu was magnetized by Gahlok-Kal and ended up covered in goats. Even during the Metru Nui arc, Matau's desperate flirting was adorable (just as Nex's was in a background scene from his debut episode in Hero Factory). In its later years, BIONICLE seemed to try to grow up with its audience, and I am not convinced that was a good thing for the theme.

 

The scary thing is that some BIONICLE fans feel like the theme should have been more serious than it was: that the movies were too cheesy, the fights too tame, and the characters too childish. Some people even argue that Mask of Light should have ended in a violent robot smackdown like the schlock you see in the Transformers movies rather than a more poetic and understated Kolhii match. The only thing this convinces me of is that BIONICLE's pretensions of maturity helped it attract entirely the wrong kind of fans. Is it any surprise many BIONICLE fans hate Hero Factory and other LEGO themes for so many stupid reasons? They've already convinced themselves they're too grown-up for kids' toy franchises, even as they obliviously heap praise on a kids' toy franchise that most Adult Fans of LEGO actually avoid.

[SkullKid]

 

 

If Bionicle does come back, which it could or could not, I think LEGO would be really scared to release it, because what if they do it wrong? Everyone in he Bionicle fan universe would hate them, and not buy the products! I have an idea that there could be two separate areas of Bionicle; Younger and older. That way, HF could be in younger, and Bionicle in older. The little kids get what they want, we get what we want.

 

...or they could make a deep, meaningful story for people of all ages instead of pandering to a small percentage of their sales figures by making an entirely separate story for them that would more likely than not bomb harder than just using one line? Believe it or not, Bionicle was always made for little kids. In fact, if anything, what brought its downfall was the desire to make the line more "mature" as time went on, which is what led to the "grittiness" I mentioned.

 

Despite what 50% of children's shows may seem like, you can have a good storyline without pushing away a younger audience. Transformers Prime, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and even My Little Pony (to an extent) come to mind as shining examples. Conversely, something being "gritty" and "mature" doesn't necessarily mean its story is any good. Michael Bay's entire career in film-making is the best example of that there is ever likely to be.

 

At this point, I think Bionicle WOULD have to change to avoid what happened before, with the story becoming a tangled mess of garbage. The story can't just pick up where it left off, or any new fan will have to read nine years of convoluted story just to understand the very first year. If what you want is that, then I think you need different standards.

 

It is rare for me to agree so much with one of your posts as I do with this one. BIONICLE has always had pretensions of seriousness compared to other LEGO themes, which have taken an inherently more playful approach, engaging in frequent crossovers and not being afraid to make fun of themselves. Yet a lot of people forget that during its earliest years, there was still plenty of lighthearted humor. The Chronicler's Company was a hilarious band of misfits. Onua rescued the captured Lewa by throwing a bug at him. Pohatu was magnetized by Gahlok-Kal and ended up covered in goats. Even during the Metru Nui arc, Matau's desperate flirting was adorable (just as Nex's was in a background scene from his debut episode in Hero Factory). In its later years, BIONICLE seemed to try to grow up with its audience, and I am not convinced that was a good thing for the theme.

 

The scary thing is that some BIONICLE fans feel like the theme should have been more serious than it was: that the movies were too cheesy, the fights too tame, and the characters too childish. Some people even argue that Mask of Light should have ended in a violent robot smackdown like the schlock you see in the Transformers movies rather than a more poetic and understated Kolhii match. The only thing this convinces me of is that BIONICLE's pretensions of maturity helped it attract entirely the wrong kind of fans. Is it any surprise many BIONICLE fans hate Hero Factory and other LEGO themes for so many stupid reasons? They've already convinced themselves they're too grown-up for kids' toy franchises, even as they obliviously heap praise on a kids' toy franchise that most Adult Fans of LEGO actually avoid.

 

 

I do agree. As someone who actually enjoyed when it got darker as time went on, I do think that keeping it at that level would be foolhardy. If Lego resurrects Bionicle, from a business standpoint, they will want to bring in the largest audience they can, both old and new. I'm not saying they will dumb it down (that would be detrimental) but the stakes might not be as intense. Sure, I hope its not, say, a monster of the week a'la Hero Factory, but I don't think we'll be dealing with as much death and destruction as we did in the latter years.

-SK

Edited July 6, 2014 by SkullKid

[Toa Kayn]

A reboot with masks would be a godsend for anyone like me who wasn't able collect the originals from '01 - '03. I remember seeing them on shelves when I was little but I was too little to take interest, which I regret dearly. A reboot would give me a seconds chance since I'll conscious of Bionicle this time. (That's if there is a this time.)

[boston100]

If lego brings back bionicle i would want it to have a 2001-3 feel agian.  More seriose than a lot of lego lines but not so much that little kids couldnt get into it.

[Shadow Destroyer]

I agree Toa Kayn, mask packs would be great!

[boston100]

i am curiose to see what people think of my theory about how bionicle will be brought back. If anyone has anything to say about it please tell me.

thanks

(if you dont know what im talking about just scroll up a bit)

[Kopekemaster]

Ooh. Mask packs. I really want that; more opportunities for MOCing.