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Discussion: The Future of Bionicle G2


GSR

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Locking two topics and making a third about the same general concept is a bit strange, but I've gotten a couple reports now and this seems like a good middle ground.

 

We've recently had two topics about what's going to happen to Bionicle G2 next year and beyond.  One started from the "everything is doomed" position, one started from the "everything is definitely fine" position.  And while those are both fine positions to argue from (assuming you're gonna back up your opinion), it turns out that as topic starters they can cause some issues with discussion, to say the least.  :P

 

Let's call this topic a psuedo-official topic for talking about the near-term future prospects of Bionicle as a line.  Please remember to be respectful of other members (though of course that doesn't mean you can't disagree with them), and to try and back up any claims you make (e.g. "Bionicle is selling less than line X") with sources whenever possible.

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


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I only created the other topic because there needed to be one to counter balance the negative.

 

So before this Topic becomes another war zone. (I hope it doesn't but we all know it will.) :[

I'm going to put Umm Durmán's comment that I think makes a strong case for the positive side of the argument.

 

 

Here it is.

I have changed no words in Umm Durmán's statement this is all his.

After a lot of lurking I think it is time I share my 2 cents about this issue. Now this will be a longer post so I would like to thank you for your attention if you're reading it in advance. My whole thoughts on this matter, on these possible doomsday scenarios, could more or less be expressed in one sentence:

 

It looks like Bionicle is currently in the same situation as oil.

 

Now I would like to elaborate on this opinion of mine and tell you the longer version of the story: There have been many mixed reports lately - some say Bionicle is doing well, some say it is disappearing from shelves. I made my opinion based on trusting both of these reports - the reports saying all is allright and the reports that are saying something is amiss. The disappearing of Bionicles from shelves points out that Bionicle isn't the hottest LEGO theme out there, however the reports (including reports of top officials posted by Aanchir) saying that Bionicle is “doing well”, clearly suggest that Bionicle isn't dying, so the fears of some people seem to be unfounded.

 

If it's not dying and also not growing, what is happening to it? It is shrinking, but it remains strong - just as oil. Now if it weren't for the oil war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, oil production would be drastically decreased by now in order to combat the dropping oil prices. But despite that, oil isn't dying, it is still a hot commodity and it ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. And the reports about Bionicle sales (both optimistic and pessimistic) seem to suggest that the same is happening to Bionicle. To me it looks like the market for Bionicle is currently smaller for the kind of production they were expecting, but still strong enough to make the line "sell well". Other themes, like Star Wars or Ninjago might be hotter than Bionicle and it makes sense to boost them if LEGO is convinced that the market might be able to handle an increase in their production.

 

Building new factories is a daunting issue and short term trends are not enough to warrant the profitability of building whole new production capacities so the safer way is to decrease the production of less hot lines so that the gained production capacity might be used to increase the production of the hotter line. But that doesn't mean that production of the less hot line should be abandoned. For example: Let us hypothetically assume that LEGO uses 30% of its production capacity to build Bionicles and 70% to build Star Wars sets. Let us assume that the market would be able to handle another 10% of total production capacity worth of Star wars sets, but Bionicles are in lesser demand compared to their production (let's say by 10% of total production capacity).

 

This means that 90% of LEGO products are being sold. In this case it makes sense to cut a third of Bionicle production to a level of 20% and increase the production of Star Wars sets to 80%. By doing this sales of the factory increase to 100%. But does this mean Bionicle is useless? Definitely not! If LEGO would cancel Bionicle and 100% of their production capacity would build Star Wars sets, their profits would actually decrease to 80%.

 

Now this was just a hypothetical example to better explain what I meant with "shrinking, but not dying". Small lines are just as important in maximizing profits as larger are. The sales representatives, who have voiced concerns about the future of Bionicle stocking of shops were low ranking and therefore aware of only the current trends of stocking shops in their area of jurisdiction. Beyond that, they are completely in the dark - only the top LEGO officials and owners know the global trends and business strategies. The owners of large businesses don't get successful by telling low ranking officials absolutely everything - these things work on a need to know basis.

 

So to put the long story short, there is nothing that would indicate that Bionicle is about to die – there is nothing that would indicate that reported decreases in stocking of Bionicles mean its death and not merely its decrease in production.

Edited by ToaTimeLord
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Hey I got a Flickr because I like making LEGO stuff.

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

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How many times do I have to explain that bionicle is not like oil, oil is a depleting natural resource which is rising in value, whilst bionicle sets are made from oil, not being so widely manufactured, and lowering in value. They practically try to give away bionicle sets now. Though, I do want bionicle to overcome it's flaws and rise back above as our beloved constraction theme. Honestly though, the story is just not that interesting. The story should be widely available for everyone to learn about, but I'm constantly told that because I don't read the books, I'm not getting the full story. This is wrong because I know the ending of the story years without even having to read a single page. It's the end result and the flow of the story which throws people off. Last year, the toa had just arrived on Okoto to search for their golden masks with the protectors, and then this year they for some reason have to collect MORE golden masks? That's where they lose me. There should have been mask packs, and actual mask powers to have been interesting. Sure they did it originally, but you know what? It was successful. I would have loved collectible masks in other colors, especially for MOCing. But instead they were not creative, and the first golden masks for the masters are pretty much useless now. The uniters lost me in the story also, because of the unity gimmick. While I think it is pretty cool in itself, ultimately, it fails though due to the characters dependence on the creature for their asthetic. The enemies for this year seem to be nothing to write home about, though I haven't even been able to buy a bionicle set, because they refuse to shelf them any longer. This is why I believe bionicle is dying, but maybe if they can overcome these flaws and enhance the story I believe bionicle may still have a *tiny* chance of survival. Though right now it looks like they will only try one last wave. Unfortunate.

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I'm gonna be honest if Bionicle ends again I don't want it to return why cause of all the backlash its been getting from G1 fans and let's admit even if they cater more to the G1 fans there will always be that guy that says G1 is better and it's ok cause of nostalgia that makes everything bad look good but it's gotten to the point that the Bionicle fandom splited to G2 hatters and G2 fans and it's personally sucks when a person goes out of his way to make you think that the thing you like will end ofcourse my opinion is G1 did have a good story but it did have simple sets and some complicated and cool but G2 had amazing sets but a simple story that's my opinion.

Edited by Tahu3.0

tZa6I5y.jpg?1


 

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How many times do I have to explain that bionicle is not like oil, oil is a depleting natural resource which is rising in value, whilst bionicle sets are made from oil, not being so widely manufactured, and lowering in value.

If you'd read the original "oil" post you'd know what the comparison was, but clearly you haven't.

 

They practically try to give away bionicle sets now.

No.

 

Though, I do want bionicle to overcome it's flaws and rise back above as our beloved constraction theme. Honestly though, the story is just not that interesting.

Quality is subjective. Basically everyone else in this community DOES love G2.

 

The story should be widely available for everyone to learn about,

It is.

 

but I'm constantly told that because I don't read the books, I'm not getting the full story.

You're not.

 

This is wrong because I know the ending of the story years without even having to read a single page.

You could say that about literally anything. "No need to watch Star Wars, they just blow up the Death Star at the end, amirite?"

 

It's the end result and the flow of the story which throws people off. Last year, the toa had just arrived on Okoto to search for their golden masks with the protectors, and then this year they for some reason have to collect MORE golden masks?

Maybe if you read the story you'd know the answer!

 

That's where they lose me. There should have been mask packs, and actual mask powers to have been interesting. Sure they did it originally, but you know what? It was successful.

Source? And once again, if you read the story, you'd know that there are mask powers.

 

the first golden masks for the masters are pretty much useless now.

Again, you could say that about anything. "Inika are worthless because they're Mahri now, right? Throw 'em out, amirite?"

 

The uniters lost me in the story also, because of the unity gimmick.

Read the story, then.

 

While I think it is pretty cool in itself, ultimately, it fails though due to the characters dependence on the creature for their asthetic.

I'll take a page from your book and be subjective: The Uniters look fine without the creatures, that's why they were designed as separate sets.

 

The enemies for this year seem to be nothing to write home about, though I haven't even been able to buy a bionicle set, because they refuse to shelf them any longer.

Then how can you criticize them? "I don't have Maxilos, but I can just tell he's awful, amirite?!"

 

I thought I was done, but I had to come back one more time now that it's official.

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BIONICLE has at least one more year.  No matter what local anecdotes you can bring up, there are places where BIONICLE is doing well, and despite all the doom-and-gloom I see nothing suggesting it'll end before the initial three-year run is up.  After that, we have no way of guessing.
 

Last year, the toa had just arrived on Okoto to search for their golden masks with the protectors, and then this year they for some reason have to collect MORE golden masks? That's where they lose me. There should have been mask packs, and actual mask powers to have been interesting. Sure they did it originally, but you know what? It was successful. I would have loved collectible masks in other colors, especially for MOCing. But instead they were not creative, and the first golden masks for the masters are pretty much useless now.

Mask packs aren't coming back until "collect them all" becomes a big trend in the market again.

 

And even if they did it would only magnify the problem of the previous year's masks becoming "useless".

 

You said it yourself, new masks every year is something they did originally.  So what makes it different and bad this time?  That it's not "successful"?  That it's not "creative"?  Or just the fact that you don't like it as much?

 

The story should be widely available for everyone to learn about, but I'm constantly told that because I don't read the books, I'm not getting the full story. This is wrong because I know the ending of the story years without even having to read a single page.

Which is it; are people unwilling and unable to follow the story due to it being restricted to "elusive" books, or are the books superfluous and anyone can get the full story without reading them?  I've seen you argue both.

 

(BTW, it's the same deal as G1.  You can follow the story arcs fine without getting any of the books or graphic novels, but they have additional details and plot threads you wouldn't get otherwise.  Knowing the start and end of a story isn't knowing the full story any more than putting two pieces of bread together is a sandwich.)

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maybe if they can overcome these flaws and enhance the story I believe bionicle may still have a *tiny* chance of survival.

 

Dude, if the story magically becomes cool to me that doesn't mean I'm going to buy the sets. The story and the sets are two completely different animals.

 

What do you mean the story and sets are completely different? Is that suppose to mean one is better than the other?

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The enemies for this year seem to be nothing to write home about, though I haven't even been able to buy a bionicle set, because they refuse to shelf them any longer.

Maybe because you can tell from a couple of pictures whether or not you will like a lot of sets. These aren't uber-complex sets which need to be played with hands on. So much of the "builds" for these sets are virtually identical. One does not need to purchase Umarak to consider it tacky/ugly/etc... 

 

As for the story, a huge part of the story for BIONICLE has always been in the books. That's nothing new. I haven't been following any of the online story, though, so if it is truly lacking then they are forgetting one of the key parts that made early BIONICLE so great - the accessibility of much of the story.

 

Again, you could say that about anything. "Inika are worthless because they're Mahri now, right? Throw 'em out, amirite?"

I believe you're confusing a statement about the story (the golden masks are not worthless to the in-universe Toa) with a statement about the sets (there is new stuff so now my masks are pointless).

 

 

I'm gonna be honest if Bionicle ends again I don't want it to return why cause of all the backlash its been getting from G1 fans and let's admit even if they cater more to the G1 fans there will always be that guy that says G1 is better and it's ok cause of nostalgia that makes everything bad look good but it's gotten to the point that the Bionicle fandom splited to G2 hatters and G2 fans and it's personally sucks when a person goes out of his way to make you think that the thing you like will end ofcourse my opinion is G1 did have a good story but it did have simple sets and some complicated and cool but G2 had amazing sets but a simple story that's my opinion. 

G1 had many simple sets, sure, but the complexity of Muaka and Kane-ra, Cahdok & Gahdok, the Exo-Toa, Krekka, and the Boxor are leagues above and beyond anything from the new themes. And if you ignore the mechanical functions, the Skopio, any of the vehicles, Tuma, Maxilos, Brutaka, and Von Nebula (Hero Factory, but may as well be BIONICLE) are above and beyond anything in the new BIONICLE in terms of build experience. There is simply no comparison.

 

 

 

Mask packs aren't coming back until "collect them all" becomes a big trend in the market again.

 

And even if they did it would only magnify the problem of the previous year's masks becoming "useless".

 

You said it yourself, new masks every year is something they did originally.  So what makes it different and bad this time?  That it's not "successful"?  That it's not "creative"?  Or just the fact that you don't like it as much?

You're not wrong. The masks did change every year. I believe what they're talking about is the first two/three years, where the masks were one of the central focuses of the story and remained static (note: the Nuva masks were merely improved versions of the old masks with the same properties so they can be included as well).

 

 

Note, the section below is opinion. It is not fact, nor is it an attack on people who like G2 BIONICLE. Everyone is entitled to their tastes.

 

My primary qualms with Bionicle G2 are the sets. Now, I'm not going to deny that I have a ###### of a lot of nostalgia for G1 (especially 2001-2002), but I also love sets from every year, excepting 2010 (which was just disappointing, not particularly interesting). BIONICLE had a lot of flaws and there were years were its sets just felt off but it rarely felt too tacky.

 

G2? My god, it makes rappers look like beacons of taste. Every villain is crystally and busy and weird and it just doesn't work well. The trans colors are too vivid against the silvery[?] armor. The G2 Toa have a lot more going for them, but they too can fall into that tacky trap. Tahu and Kopaka have way more gold than they need, for example.

 

I'm not saying that G2 is hopeless - far from it. Hero Factory was a mess when they introduced the CCBS and it didn't get much better (especially with the horrible villain construction evidenced by sets like Witch Doctor) and BIONICLE G2 is far, far better in many respects. However, it still suffers from the same issues with tackyness (too bright/shiny, too much shiny stuff, overuse/misuse of transparent parts just because they're cool by themselves). One thing I do like about G2 is the creatures - they're really neat and I definitely want a few. I can't give any good thoughts on whether or not BIONICLE G2 will continue because I haven't payed much attention to the theme's popularity or development, only the sets themselves. I can't say I care that much, either. I don't have all that much money and BIONICLE G2 is close to the bottom of my list of things I have any interest in buying. Until we get something as awesome as the Tarakava or the Manas I'm not going to pay too much attention to the theme beyond a slightly-more-than-cursory glance at the sets.

 

Again, this is an opinion post.

Edited by BobaFett2

The Legend Lives...

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(BTW, it's the same deal as G1.  You can follow the story arcs fine without getting any of the books or graphic novels, but they have additional details and plot threads you wouldn't get otherwise.  Knowing the start and end of a story isn't knowing the full story any more than putting two pieces of bread together is a sandwich.)

Honestly I'd say you're giving G1 too much credit there! After 2005 there was no way to get a sense of a cohesive whole of the story without reading the books. Island of Doom is the only piece of media that explains how the Inika get to Voya Nui and why. Same goes for the Nuva in Shadows in the Sky in 2008 - in the comic they just pop up in Karda Nui after what appears to be four years of absence and a reboot into a story arc that appears to be disconnected from the original continuity. There was way too much crucial information that was locked into those books that were only modestly distributed and scarcely advertised. Really, its no wonder people had so much trouble following the story.

 

They really zeroed in on that issue for G2 and addressed it. It's great that it's like 2003 again and you can access enough content to follow the full story on the BIONICLE site (well, accepting that The Legend and episode 18 have been missing for months and nobody has seemed to notice) - even with the main story engine this year being the Netflix series, they're still putting up abridged versions of the episodes for everyone that can't watch the full thing.

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believe victims. its actually not that hard, and youd look kind of bad if you were to, say, side with an abuser because theyre your friend

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The enemies for this year seem to be nothing to write home about, though I haven't even been able to buy a bionicle set, because they refuse to shelf them any longer.

Maybe because you can tell from a couple of pictures whether or not you will like a lot of sets. These aren't uber-complex sets which need to be played with hands on. So much of the "builds" for these sets are virtually identical. One does not need to purchase Umarak to consider it tacky/ugly/etc... 

 

As for the story, a huge part of the story for BIONICLE has always been in the books. That's nothing new. I haven't been following any of the online story, though, so if it is truly lacking then they are forgetting one of the key parts that made early BIONICLE so great - the accessibility of much of the story.

 

Again, you could say that about anything. "Inika are worthless because they're Mahri now, right? Throw 'em out, amirite?"

I believe you're confusing a statement about the story (the golden masks are not worthless to the in-universe Toa) with a statement about the sets (there is new stuff so now my masks are pointless).

 

 

I'm gonna be honest if Bionicle ends again I don't want it to return why cause of all the backlash its been getting from G1 fans and let's admit even if they cater more to the G1 fans there will always be that guy that says G1 is better and it's ok cause of nostalgia that makes everything bad look good but it's gotten to the point that the Bionicle fandom splited to G2 hatters and G2 fans and it's personally sucks when a person goes out of his way to make you think that the thing you like will end ofcourse my opinion is G1 did have a good story but it did have simple sets and some complicated and cool but G2 had amazing sets but a simple story that's my opinion. 

G1 had many simple sets, sure, but the complexity of Muaka and Kane-ra, Cahdok & Gahdok, the Exo-Toa, Krekka, and the Boxor are leagues above and beyond anything from the new themes. And if you ignore the mechanical functions, the Skopio, any of the vehicles, Tuma, Maxilos, Brutaka, and Von Nebula (Hero Factory, but may as well be BIONICLE) are above and beyond anything in the new BIONICLE in terms of build experience. There is simply no comparison.

 

 

 

Mask packs aren't coming back until "collect them all" becomes a big trend in the market again.

 

And even if they did it would only magnify the problem of the previous year's masks becoming "useless".

 

You said it yourself, new masks every year is something they did originally.  So what makes it different and bad this time?  That it's not "successful"?  That it's not "creative"?  Or just the fact that you don't like it as much?

You're not wrong. The masks did change every year. I believe what they're talking about is the first two/three years, where the masks were one of the central focuses of the story and remained static (note: the Nuva masks were merely improved versions of the old masks with the same properties so they can be included as well).

 

 

Note, the section below is opinion. It is not fact, nor is it an attack on people who like G2 BIONICLE. Everyone is entitled to their tastes.

 

My primary qualms with Bionicle G2 are the sets. Now, I'm not going to deny that I have a ###### of a lot of nostalgia for G1 (especially 2001-2002), but I also love sets from every year, excepting 2010 (which was just disappointing, not particularly interesting). BIONICLE had a lot of flaws and there were years were its sets just felt off but it rarely felt too tacky.

 

G2? My god, it makes rappers look like beacons of taste. Every villain is crystally and busy and weird and it just doesn't work well. The trans colors are too vivid against the silvery[?] armor. The G2 Toa have a lot more going for them, but they too can fall into that tacky trap. Tahu and Kopaka have way more gold than they need, for example.

 

I'm not saying that G2 is hopeless - far from it. Hero Factory was a mess when they introduced the CCBS and it didn't get much better (especially with the horrible villain construction evidenced by sets like Witch Doctor) and BIONICLE G2 is far, far better in many respects. However, it still suffers from the same issues with tackyness (too bright/shiny, too much shiny stuff, overuse/misuse of transparent parts just because they're cool by themselves). One thing I do like about G2 is the creatures - they're really neat and I definitely want a few. I can't give any good thoughts on whether or not BIONICLE G2 will continue because I haven't payed much attention to the theme's popularity or development, only the sets themselves. I can't say I care that much, either. I don't have all that much money and BIONICLE G2 is close to the bottom of my list of things I have any interest in buying. Until we get something as awesome as the Tarakava or the Manas I'm not going to pay too much attention to the theme beyond a slightly-more-than-cursory glance at the sets.

 

Again, this is an opinion post.

 

The bright vibrant colours aren't hurting bionicle, they're giving people who make mocs more options...but they do need more recolours than they've done. The creatures are the best small sets bionicle and constraction have probably ever had.

 

maybe they should axalara/thornatus sized sets because g2 and hf in general have suffered from having great/high piece count small sets and very low piece count big sets. Umarak the destroyer is a step in the right direction, but I think we need either more technic or a lot of ccbs in the future.

 

General grievous has a great build and shows what ccbs can do, but lego only uses it for small sets and it's great to have small sets and mocs with knees and elbows, it can also be used to make giant structure and figures just like how you can stack bricks on top of each other, you can also attach one bone to another and perhaps make some cool stuff like custom torsos that only use bone pieces...

 

What I'm saying is that bionicle needs to not be afraid to exceed their piece count limit of 200...they need to show what constarction can do with massive sized sets and builds.

 

Also I hope they use the axle gear piece the creatures have in future sets for some other types of functions and builds.

 

Maybe they can make 2001 rahi styled sets with high piece counts and awesome functions...but lego has to be able to escape their restrictions and fears of being too complex with their constraction sets

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The bright vibrant colours aren't hurting bionicle, they're giving people who make mocs more options...but they do need more recolours than they've done. The creatures are the best small sets bionicle and constraction have probably ever had.

 

maybe they should axalara/thornatus sized sets because g2 and hf in general have suffered from having great/high piece count small sets and very low piece count big sets. Umarak the destroyer is a step in the right direction, but I think we need either more technic or a lot of ccbs in the future.

 

General grievous has a great build and shows what ccbs can do, but lego only uses it for small sets and it's great to have small sets and mocs with knees and elbows, it can also be used to make giant structure and figures just like how you can stack bricks on top of each other, you can also attach one bone to another and perhaps make some cool stuff like custom torsos that only use bone pieces...

 

What I'm saying is that bionicle needs to not be afraid to exceed their piece count limit of 200...they need to show what constarction can do with massive sized sets and builds.

 

Also I hope they use the axle gear piece the creatures have in future sets for some other types of functions and builds.

 

Maybe they can make 2001 rahi styled sets with high piece counts and awesome functions...but lego has to be able to escape their restrictions and fears of being too complex with their constraction sets

 

While I certainly understand your point, the problem is that as a whole the sets are too vibrant. They contribute to a collection but you need softer colours like tan and non-shiny greys to balance things out or else it's all going to be a mess.

One or two brightly coloured, ultra-vivid sets is good. Ten? Maybe a bit much. The problem is that pretty much all of them are that way.

The Legend Lives...

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They really zeroed in on that issue for G2 and addressed it. It's great that it's like 2003 again and you can access enough content to follow the full story on the BIONICLE site (well, accepting that The Legend and episode 18 have been missing for months and nobody has seemed to notice) - even with the main story engine this year being the Netflix series, they're still putting up abridged versions of the episodes for everyone that can't watch the full thing.

...and this is yet another thing I love about G2. It's short and to the point, and therefore easy to follow. It's great for someone like me, who has to deal with a near-non-stop college schedule, as I can easily get the information I need to understand what is going on.

 

While not exactly on the topic of the line's future, I do want to address something...

 

With all of this talk about everything we know and love ending and burning in hellfire because of mere content droughts, I, and many others, have lost the ability to do one very crucial thing on not just this site, but on other sites as well. This very crucial need is, put simply, the ability to discuss what I like. I haven't been able to discuss G2 all that much here in the way of further developing the story simply because no one else cares to do so, and this upsets me to no end, as there are many aspects that I think we, as a community, could build up and come to an understanding on.

Instead, we bicker and complain, biting the hands that feed us. This is why I rarely post here anymore, because I just can't get into any worthwhile, constructive conversations with anyone regarding G2 on BZP.

So, I guess I'll just get back to lurking on this site, seeing as there will probably be no way for me to discuss what I like about the story now.  -_-

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The bright vibrant colours aren't hurting bionicle, they're giving people who make mocs more options...but they do need more recolours than they've done. The creatures are the best small sets bionicle and constraction have probably ever had.

 

maybe they should axalara/thornatus sized sets because g2 and hf in general have suffered from having great/high piece count small sets and very low piece count big sets. Umarak the destroyer is a step in the right direction, but I think we need either more technic or a lot of ccbs in the future.

 

General grievous has a great build and shows what ccbs can do, but lego only uses it for small sets and it's great to have small sets and mocs with knees and elbows, it can also be used to make giant structure and figures just like how you can stack bricks on top of each other, you can also attach one bone to another and perhaps make some cool stuff like custom torsos that only use bone pieces...

 

What I'm saying is that bionicle needs to not be afraid to exceed their piece count limit of 200...they need to show what constarction can do with massive sized sets and builds.

 

Also I hope they use the axle gear piece the creatures have in future sets for some other types of functions and builds.

 

Maybe they can make 2001 rahi styled sets with high piece counts and awesome functions...but lego has to be able to escape their restrictions and fears of being too complex with their constraction sets

 

While I certainly understand your point, the problem is that as a whole the sets are too vibrant. They contribute to a collection but you need softer colours like tan and non-shiny greys to balance things out or else it's all going to be a mess.

One or two brightly coloured, ultra-vivid sets is good. Ten? Maybe a bit much. The problem is that pretty much all of them are that way.

 

I remember back when the transparent you could ever get were eye pieces. Now they've finally become mainstream(well for constraction it has).

 

What if they had more pieces blended into different colours like they did with the barraki(transparent black and keetongu yellow look so great when they're blended together)

 

When you compare the toa metru, most of the toa mahri, the toa phantoka and the bohrok kal to most ccbs sets; you'll find that g1 later on had more consistent colour schemes that didn't have random limb pieces being gray or black

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This community is starting to really get on my nerves. Why even bother having an opinion?

"amirite?" Smh.

 

The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

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The bright vibrant colours aren't hurting bionicle, they're giving people who make mocs more options...but they do need more recolours than they've done. The creatures are the best small sets bionicle and constraction have probably ever had.

 

maybe they should axalara/thornatus sized sets because g2 and hf in general have suffered from having great/high piece count small sets and very low piece count big sets. Umarak the destroyer is a step in the right direction, but I think we need either more technic or a lot of ccbs in the future.

 

General grievous has a great build and shows what ccbs can do, but lego only uses it for small sets and it's great to have small sets and mocs with knees and elbows, it can also be used to make giant structure and figures just like how you can stack bricks on top of each other, you can also attach one bone to another and perhaps make some cool stuff like custom torsos that only use bone pieces...

 

What I'm saying is that bionicle needs to not be afraid to exceed their piece count limit of 200...they need to show what constarction can do with massive sized sets and builds.

 

Also I hope they use the axle gear piece the creatures have in future sets for some other types of functions and builds.

 

Maybe they can make 2001 rahi styled sets with high piece counts and awesome functions...but lego has to be able to escape their restrictions and fears of being too complex with their constraction sets

 

While I certainly understand your point, the problem is that as a whole the sets are too vibrant. They contribute to a collection but you need softer colours like tan and non-shiny greys to balance things out or else it's all going to be a mess.

One or two brightly coloured, ultra-vivid sets is good. Ten? Maybe a bit much. The problem is that pretty much all of them are that way.

 

I remember back when the transparent you could ever get were eye pieces. Now they've finally become mainstream(well for constraction it has).

 

What if they had more pieces blended into different colours like they did with the barraki(transparent black and keetongu yellow look so great when they're blended together)

 

When you compare the toa metru, most of the toa mahri, the toa phantoka and the bohrok kal to most ccbs sets; you'll find that g1 later on had more consistent colour schemes that didn't have random limb pieces being gray or black

 

Again, I see your point. The problem is that they don't have these things. I loved how they started introducing more transparent pieces around 2007, but nowadays the way they're used in sets is tacky/gimmicky.

 

The first three years of G1 sets didn't have colours all over the place -they were very organized. They'd use a slightly lighter colour for limbs to break up it and prevent it from being monotonous. It wasn't random. It's like adding stripes on a spaceship to give it more flavor.

 

I wouldn't say that current sets have "random" colours, merely ones that are too bright and too overdone.

 

 

This community is starting to really get on my nerves. Why even bother having an opinion?

"amirite?" Smh.

 

The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

I'm a bit confused. What is pissing you off? I have yet to see any actual fighting in this topic, merely open sharing of opinions (some of which vary greatly).
Edited by BobaFett2

The Legend Lives...

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The bright vibrant colours aren't hurting bionicle, they're giving people who make mocs more options...but they do need more recolours than they've done. The creatures are the best small sets bionicle and constraction have probably ever had.

 

maybe they should axalara/thornatus sized sets because g2 and hf in general have suffered from having great/high piece count small sets and very low piece count big sets. Umarak the destroyer is a step in the right direction, but I think we need either more technic or a lot of ccbs in the future.

 

General grievous has a great build and shows what ccbs can do, but lego only uses it for small sets and it's great to have small sets and mocs with knees and elbows, it can also be used to make giant structure and figures just like how you can stack bricks on top of each other, you can also attach one bone to another and perhaps make some cool stuff like custom torsos that only use bone pieces...

 

What I'm saying is that bionicle needs to not be afraid to exceed their piece count limit of 200...they need to show what constarction can do with massive sized sets and builds.

 

Also I hope they use the axle gear piece the creatures have in future sets for some other types of functions and builds.

 

Maybe they can make 2001 rahi styled sets with high piece counts and awesome functions...but lego has to be able to escape their restrictions and fears of being too complex with their constraction sets

 

While I certainly understand your point, the problem is that as a whole the sets are too vibrant. They contribute to a collection but you need softer colours like tan and non-shiny greys to balance things out or else it's all going to be a mess.

One or two brightly coloured, ultra-vivid sets is good. Ten? Maybe a bit much. The problem is that pretty much all of them are that way.

 

I remember back when the transparent you could ever get were eye pieces. Now they've finally become mainstream(well for constraction it has).

 

What if they had more pieces blended into different colours like they did with the barraki(transparent black and keetongu yellow look so great when they're blended together)

 

When you compare the toa metru, most of the toa mahri, the toa phantoka and the bohrok kal to most ccbs sets; you'll find that g1 later on had more consistent colour schemes that didn't have random limb pieces being gray or black

 

Again, I see your point. The problem is that they don't have these things. I loved how they started introducing more transparent pieces around 2007, but nowadays the way they're used in sets is tacky/gimmicky.

 

The first three years of G1 sets didn't have colours all over the place -they were very organized. They'd use a slightly lighter colour for limbs to break up it and prevent it from being monotonous. It wasn't random. It's like adding stripes on a spaceship to give it more flavor.

 

I wouldn't say that current sets have "random" colours, merely ones that are too bright and too overdone.

 

 

This community is starting to really get on my nerves. Why even bother having an opinion?

"amirite?" Smh.

 

The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

I'm a bit confused. What is pissing you off? I have yet to see any actual fighting in this topic, merely open sharing of opinions (some of which vary greatly).

 

I think maybe all the separate topics are too similar to each other...do you think maybe we should combine some of them into one topic?

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The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

I swore I'd stay out of this, but what.

 

What.

 

"You disagree with me and bring up valid points that disavow my (baseless) argument? Oh, yeah, you secretly agree with me, but don't want to admit it."

 

I and countless others who have refuted your baseless claims that you never back up with any evidence have said that Bionicle is doing pretty well here in Europe, and there are some people in the US who also say Bionicle is doing well where they are. Instead of refuting this with some kind of cultured argument, you just say we lie? Congrats, mate, grade A debating skills you have there.

 

I risk repeating myself, but where in any of your openly hostile posts have you ever brought up anything resembling evidence backing up your claims? When have you ever issued a reply to someone disagreeing with you in a civil manner wherein you bring up logical counterpoints?

 

So far all you have been doing across half a dozen threads is repeat that Bionicle is doing poorly, with zero evidence, and whenever several people come up with counterarguments with evidence and sources, the only response you give is "yeah, well, I don't care, I dislike G2 and therefore it is doing poorly.".

 

All the passive-aggressive statements about how "we're all fooling ourselves" and we all "know it is doing poorly" just further embarrass you.

 

Honestly, GSR, locking those two topics was a great idea, they were getting out of hand - but was making this one necessary? I mean, now we have all of the filth in one place, sure, but why do we want to keep said filth at all?

 

This is pointless. One side is bringing up genuine points with sources, evidence and arguments, and the other side is just repeating "no, I don't like it therefore you are wrong". Of course, there are the few people trying to skirt both sides in an attempt to keep the discussion going in a civil direction, but honestly? I don't see the point.

 

This thing ought to be locked, buried and forgotten before it gets even more out of hand. I really should just not look at it at all, lest I be once again drawn back into it...

 

:kakama:

  • Upvote 4

:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

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

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The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

I swore I'd stay out of this, but what.

 

What.

 

"You disagree with me and bring up valid points that disavow my (baseless) argument? Oh, yeah, you secretly agree with me, but don't want to admit it."

 

I and countless others who have refuted your baseless claims that you never back up with any evidence have said that Bionicle is doing pretty ###### well here in Europe, and there are some people in the US who also say Bionicle is doing well where they are. Instead of refuting this with some kind of cultured argument, you just say we lie? Congrats, mate, grade A debating skills you have there.

 

I risk repeating myself, but where in any of your openly hostile posts have you ever brought up anything resembling evidence backing up your claims? When have you ever issued a reply to someone disagreeing with you in a civil manner wherein you bring up logical counterpoints?

 

So far all you have been doing across half a dozen threads is repeat that Bionicle is doing poorly, with zero evidence, and whenever several people come up with counterarguments with evidence and sources, the only response you give is "yeah, well, I don't care, I dislike G2 and therefore it is doing poorly.".

 

All the passive-aggressive statements about how "we're all fooling ourselves" and we all "know it is doing poorly" just further embarrass you.

 

Honestly, GSR, locking those two topics was a great idea, they were getting out of hand - but was making this one necessary? I mean, now we have all of the filth in one place, sure, but why do we want to keep said filth at all?

 

This is pointless. One side is bringing up genuine points with sources, evidence and arguments, and the other side is just repeating "no, I don't like it therefore you are wrong". Of course, there are the few people trying to skirt both sides in an attempt to keep the discussion going in a civil direction, but honestly? I don't see the point.

 

This thing ought to be locked, buried and forgotten before it gets even more out of hand. I really should just not look at it at all, lest I be once again drawn back into it...

 

:kakama:

 

Wait! What are we talkin' about again? Isn't this suppose to be about g2's future and 2017 sets and what not?

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The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

I swore I'd stay out of this, but what.

 

What.

 

"You disagree with me and bring up valid points that disavow my (baseless) argument? Oh, yeah, you secretly agree with me, but don't want to admit it."

 

I and countless others who have refuted your baseless claims that you never back up with any evidence have said that Bionicle is doing pretty ###### well here in Europe, and there are some people in the US who also say Bionicle is doing well where they are. Instead of refuting this with some kind of cultured argument, you just say we lie? Congrats, mate, grade A debating skills you have there.

 

I risk repeating myself, but where in any of your openly hostile posts have you ever brought up anything resembling evidence backing up your claims? When have you ever issued a reply to someone disagreeing with you in a civil manner wherein you bring up logical counterpoints?

 

So far all you have been doing across half a dozen threads is repeat that Bionicle is doing poorly, with zero evidence, and whenever several people come up with counterarguments with evidence and sources, the only response you give is "yeah, well, I don't care, I dislike G2 and therefore it is doing poorly.".

 

All the passive-aggressive statements about how "we're all fooling ourselves" and we all "know it is doing poorly" just further embarrass you.

 

Honestly, GSR, locking those two topics was a great idea, they were getting out of hand - but was making this one necessary? I mean, now we have all of the filth in one place, sure, but why do we want to keep said filth at all?

 

This is pointless. One side is bringing up genuine points with sources, evidence and arguments, and the other side is just repeating "no, I don't like it therefore you are wrong". Of course, there are the few people trying to skirt both sides in an attempt to keep the discussion going in a civil direction, but honestly? I don't see the point.

 

This thing ought to be locked, buried and forgotten before it gets even more out of hand. I really should just not look at it at all, lest I be once again drawn back into it...

 

:kakama:

 

Wait! What are we talkin' about again? Isn't this suppose to be about g2's future and 2017 sets and what not?

 

This thread, and the two that spawned it, dealt with the (grossly exaggerated) rumor about Bionicle's premature cancellation after 2016. After a handful of fans from the US reported sporadic stocks and some Lego Store employees saying they won't carry some of the sets, a bunch of G2 haters latched onto said rumors as "proof" that Bionicle is bad and will be cancelled.

 

In reality, however, that weird thing the USA has called "retailer exclusivity" (I swear, we don't have that in Europe for any product) means that some Lego sets won't be making it to Lego Stores, while others won't be making it to Target, while others won't be making it to x,y and z. 

Constraction also has had a hard history in the USA, hence the Chima CCBS products were not distributed there.

 

Meaning that even if the doom-and-gloom "reports" coming from the US are true, at worst Bionicle will be pulled from NA.

 

However, in spite of the above explanation about retailers having been supplied by Aanchir, several reports of stellar sales in Europe by several users and some other points I've stated many times across many threads, the haters and doomsayers are adamant about already digging Bionicle's grave in spite of 2017 being guaranteed and at least two years after that being very likely. 

 

So, you know, it's just the internet acting up. Give it some time and it will die down. I used to be pretty vocal in this debate about Bionicle being cancelled, but frankly I no longer see the point.

 

I believe there is another thread discussing what the sets might be like in 2017 and beyond (can't find it right now), however this one is talking about the continued existence of the line, rather than its nature.

 

:kakama:

  • Upvote 2

: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:

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I've been reading through many "BIONICLE is ending" threads on both this site and TTV, partly out of genuine curiosity and a want for new info, and partly because it's kind of fun to read Internet arguments.

That being said, I'd like to make my thoughts on this subject known.

First, I'm 100% sure BIONICLE will have 2017 waves. No matter what many say, it would just be idiotic on their part to just completely scrap 2017. They planned out three years, and they will have three years. However, I'm not too sure about 2018 and onward. It might end at 2017, it might not. I don't know.

But if it does end, I won't be too sad. Not because I hate the reboot or anything, far from it. I'm glad BIONICLE got a second chance, and I'm glad it was able to have such good sets released (Yes, I know, some of you don't like the sets, but this is my opinion. Feel free to disagree). I will admit that personally, I'm not the biggest fan of the story. From what I've seen (basically, the animations for 2015, some episodes of JtO, and the first book), the story is meh. But I've been hearing good things from those completely caught up, and I do plan to catch up. I won't pretend the reboot is flawless, because it's not. But it was a valiant effort, and I respect that.

I'd also like to mention an epiphany I've had. I've noticed that many people who dislike G2 are the same ones saying it will end. I'm also pretty sure that these same people campaigned the loudest and hardest for more BIONICLE in the first place. And I'm willing to bet that when and/or if G2 ends, these same people will go back to screaming to Lego, "BRING BACK BIONICLE!" And, assuming Lego does, they'll probably hate G3 too.

My point is that these people, the people who tried so hard to bring back BIONICLE, don't want BIONICLE back. They want BIONICLE G1 back. They don't want a new generation or new ideas; they want what they had before, because that to them is BIONICLE.

That's what I think, at least. I could be wrong. But whatever. If BIONICLE G2 ends, I'll still be happy that we had it for as long as we did, and will eagerly look forward to whatever Lego has next.

  • Upvote 4

The Nerd With a Mouth. The Klingon-Speaking Comedian. The Guy Hoping Not To Get Sued By Marvel. The Guy Who Makes Jokes About Bad Creepypasta Stories. The Guy Who Also Writes About The Truth of BIONICLE...sort of.
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The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

I swore I'd stay out of this, but what.

 

What.

 

"You disagree with me and bring up valid points that disavow my (baseless) argument? Oh, yeah, you secretly agree with me, but don't want to admit it."

 

I and countless others who have refuted your baseless claims that you never back up with any evidence have said that Bionicle is doing pretty ###### well here in Europe, and there are some people in the US who also say Bionicle is doing well where they are. Instead of refuting this with some kind of cultured argument, you just say we lie? Congrats, mate, grade A debating skills you have there.

 

I risk repeating myself, but where in any of your openly hostile posts have you ever brought up anything resembling evidence backing up your claims? When have you ever issued a reply to someone disagreeing with you in a civil manner wherein you bring up logical counterpoints?

 

So far all you have been doing across half a dozen threads is repeat that Bionicle is doing poorly, with zero evidence, and whenever several people come up with counterarguments with evidence and sources, the only response you give is "yeah, well, I don't care, I dislike G2 and therefore it is doing poorly.".

 

All the passive-aggressive statements about how "we're all fooling ourselves" and we all "know it is doing poorly" just further embarrass you.

 

Honestly, GSR, locking those two topics was a great idea, they were getting out of hand - but was making this one necessary? I mean, now we have all of the filth in one place, sure, but why do we want to keep said filth at all?

 

This is pointless. One side is bringing up genuine points with sources, evidence and arguments, and the other side is just repeating "no, I don't like it therefore you are wrong". Of course, there are the few people trying to skirt both sides in an attempt to keep the discussion going in a civil direction, but honestly? I don't see the point.

 

This thing ought to be locked, buried and forgotten before it gets even more out of hand. I really should just not look at it at all, lest I be once again drawn back into it...

 

:kakama:

 

Wait! What are we talkin' about again? Isn't this suppose to be about g2's future and 2017 sets and what not?

 

This thread, and the two that spawned it, dealt with the (grossly exaggerated) rumor about Bionicle's premature cancellation after 2016. After a handful of fans from the US reported sporadic stocks and some Lego Store employees saying they won't carry some of the sets, a bunch of G2 haters latched onto said rumors as "proof" that Bionicle is bad and will be cancelled.

 

In reality, however, that weird thing the USA has called "retailer exclusivity" (I swear, we don't have that in Europe for any product) means that some Lego sets won't be making it to Lego Stores, while others won't be making it to Target, while others won't be making it to x,y and z. 

Constraction also has had a hard history in the USA, hence the Chima CCBS products were not distributed there.

 

Meaning that even if the doom-and-gloom "reports" coming from the US are true, at worst Bionicle will be pulled from NA.

 

However, in spite of the above explanation about retailers having been supplied by Aanchir, several reports of stellar sales in Europe by several users and some other points I've stated many times across many threads, the haters and doomsayers are adamant about already digging Bionicle's grave in spite of 2017 being guaranteed and at least two years after that being very likely. 

 

So, you know, it's just the internet acting up. Give it some time and it will die down. I used to be pretty vocal in this debate about Bionicle being cancelled, but frankly I no longer see the point.

 

I believe there is another thread discussing what the sets might be like in 2017 and beyond (can't find it right now), however this one is talking about the continued existence of the line, rather than its nature.

 

:kakama:

 

WOW! So bionicle is having a negative impact with the stock market?

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I've been reading through many "BIONICLE is ending" threads on both this site and TTV, partly out of genuine curiosity and a want for new info, and partly because it's kind of fun to read Internet arguments.

That being said, I'd like to make my thoughts on this subject known.

First, I'm 100% sure BIONICLE will have 2017 waves. No matter what many say, it would just be idiotic on their part to just completely scrap 2017. They planned out three years, and they will have three years. However, I'm not too sure about 2018 and onward. It might end at 2017, it might not. I don't know.

But if it does end, I won't be too sad. Not because I hate the reboot or anything, far from it. I'm glad BIONICLE got a second chance, and I'm glad it was able to have such good sets released (Yes, I know, some of you don't like the sets, but this is my opinion. Feel free to disagree). I will admit that personally, I'm not the biggest fan of the story. From what I've seen (basically, the animations for 2015, some episodes of JtO, and the first book), the story is meh. But I've been hearing good things from those completely caught up, and I do plan to catch up. I won't pretend the reboot is flawless, because it's not. But it was a valiant effort, and I respect that.

I'd also like to mention an epiphany I've had. I've noticed that many people who dislike G2 are the same ones saying it will end. I'm also pretty sure that these same people campaigned the loudest and hardest for more BIONICLE in the first place. And I'm willing to bet that when and/or if G2 ends, these same people will go back to screaming to Lego, "BRING BACK BIONICLE!" And, assuming Lego does, they'll probably hate G3 too.

My point is that these people, the people who tried so hard to bring back BIONICLE, don't want BIONICLE back. They want BIONICLE G1 back. They don't want a new generation or new ideas; they want what they had before, because that to them is BIONICLE.

That's what I think, at least. I could be wrong. But whatever. If BIONICLE G2 ends, I'll still be happy that we had it for as long as we did, and will eagerly look forward to whatever Lego has next.

Well, yes.

 

I'm not one of the people who wants G2 to be cancelled (I don't really care either way), but I very much wanted BIONICLE back - a BIONICLE that felt like it did 2001-2009 (yes, there was a large variety over the years, but it had a degree of continuity that makes it reasonable to describe as one thing). I still want that BIONICLE and there's doubtless thousands of fans who also want that as well. I have three CCBS sets and I've never gotten any real joy from assembling them because it never felt like I was building so much as snapping armor onto a skeleton. The newest BIONICLE sets are an improvement but they still don't feel or look remotely like the old sets outside of a few colour cues and the masks. Hence why a lot of the folks who wanted BIONICLE to come back so badly were so bothered by the new BIONICLE, because it feels [and is] totally different.

 

Making baseless claims about BIONICLE G2's imminent demise and wanting it to be ended, though, is stupid and pointless.

 

This thread, and the two that spawned it, dealt with the (grossly exaggerated) rumor about Bionicle's premature cancellation after 2016. After a handful of fans from the US reported sporadic stocks and some Lego Store employees saying they won't carry some of the sets, a bunch of G2 haters latched onto said rumors as "proof" that Bionicle is bad and will be cancelled.

 

In reality, however, that weird thing the USA has called "retailer exclusivity" (I swear, we don't have that in Europe for any product) means that some Lego sets won't be making it to Lego Stores, while others won't be making it to Target, while others won't be making it to x,y and z. 

Constraction also has had a hard history in the USA, hence the Chima CCBS products were not distributed there.

 

Meaning that even if the doom-and-gloom "reports" coming from the US are true, at worst Bionicle will be pulled from NA.

 

However, in spite of the above explanation about retailers having been supplied by Aanchir, several reports of stellar sales in Europe by several users and some other points I've stated many times across many threads, the haters and doomsayers are adamant about already digging Bionicle's grave in spite of 2017 being guaranteed and at least two years after that being very likely. 

 

So, you know, it's just the internet acting up. Give it some time and it will die down. I used to be pretty vocal in this debate about Bionicle being cancelled, but frankly I no longer see the point.

 

I believe there is another thread discussing what the sets might be like in 2017 and beyond (can't find it right now), however this one is talking about the continued existence of the line, rather than its nature.

 

:kakama:

 

WOW! So bionicle is having a negative impact with the stock market?

 

No, a lot of stores (at least in the US) aren't fully stocking the theme.

 

TLG isn't publicly traded so its success/failures won't really affect that much. I have heard one person say that they got some LEGO stock when they were younger (in the 70's or early 80's, I believe) and that you could buy it back then from the company but that is the only person I've heard say so and I can't put much faith in the statement.

 

 

Addendum: I am really starting to hate the quoting system here.

Edited by BobaFett2

The Legend Lives...

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WOW! So bionicle is having a negative impact with the stock market?

 

What...? Where did you get that from?

 

Read through this post and you'll see why I mention the stock market http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/22844-discussion-the-future-of-bionicle-g2/?p=1081137

 

 

None of this has nothing to do with the stock market...

 

It says quote "This thread, and the two that spawned it, dealt with the (grossly exaggerated) rumor about Bionicle's premature cancellation after 2016. After a handful of fans from the US reported sporadic stocks and some Lego Store employees saying they won't carry some of the sets, a bunch of G2 haters latched onto said rumors as "proof" that Bionicle is bad and will be cancelled."

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Maybe because you can tell from a couple of pictures whether or not you will like a lot of sets. These aren't uber-complex sets which need to be played with hands on. So much of the "builds" for these sets are virtually identical. One does not need to purchase Umarak to consider it tacky/ugly/etc...

I don't see how you think the current sets are virtually identical, or how you think that makes a huge difference. Don't forget, the Bionicle theme's sales peaked in 2002, the year of the Bohrok-Va, Bohrok-Kal, and Toa Nuva. All three of those series were MUCH more repetitive than any series of sets we've seen since Bionicle was rebooted. Presently, all three of the beasts have entirely different functions, including some we've never seen in sets before. This year's Toa have the same chest plate, but otherwise their constructions are very different, including wholly custom lower leg and upper arm constructions for the first time on any Toa set (besides, of course, the 2008 version of Takanuva). And the Creatures have considerably different builds and functions than each other or previous sets.

 

G1 had many simple sets, sure, but the complexity of Muaka and Kane-ra, Cahdok & Gahdok, the Exo-Toa, Krekka, and the Boxor are leagues above and beyond anything from the new themes. And if you ignore the mechanical functions, the Skopio, any of the vehicles, Tuma, Maxilos, Brutaka, and Von Nebula (Hero Factory, but may as well be BIONICLE) are above and beyond anything in the new BIONICLE in terms of build experience. There is simply no comparison.

The issue with this is that $30+ sets like many of the sets you named tended to sell a lot less than Toa-sized sets or smaller titan sets. That's part of why there were always so few of them compared to other LEGO themes which routinely carry higher prices. I miss having a wider range of bigger sets too (what I wouldn't give to have a $50 CCBS titan set!), so don't think I'm saying that they weren't good or that you shouldn't miss them. But they weren't the core of what kept Bionicle successful.

 

What's more, a lot of sets have gotten a lot more complex and varied than similar types of sets used to be, even though that's come with increases in price. This year's small $10 creature sets, have 74 to 120 pieces — for comparison's sake, 74 is the maximum piece count that was ever reached by a G1 canister set (Toa Kongu). This year's $15 and $20 Toa sets have 79 to 143 pieces, or 106 pieces average. The $15 elemental beasts have 102 to 114 pieces. The $20 Umarak the Hunter set has 172 pieces. The largest single-figure set, Umarak the Destroyer is 191 pieces, 14 more pieces than the average $20 or $25 set from G1 (I know of course that Umarak the Destroyer is $25; I include $20 sets in this comparison because the price of a $20 set from 2003 to 2009 is closer in today's money to $25). And most of these sets also have one or more action features, so it's not as though piece count is being inflated at the expense of functionality.

 

So yeah, I'd love more sets on the bigger side of things, but I don't really feel like complexity is an area where G2 is tremendously lacking, and I don't think a lack of complexity will be the deciding factor in G2's staying power. If the $10–25 sets aren't selling well, then I don't know how additional $30+ sets could be expected to either sell better themselves or make the smaller sets sell better.

 

I think the current use of transparent and metallic colors is really exciting, and for the most part I don't find it tacky, but you're right that in the end that aspect is pretty much just a matter of opinion.

 

This community is starting to really get on my nerves. Why even bother having an opinion?

"amirite?" Smh.

 

The whole reason there has to be these threads anyway is because you all know deep down bionicle is not doing too great.

"Deep down"? I've openly acknowledged several times that Bionicle is nowhere near as successful as it was in 2002, that the Bionicle reboot has not been enough to reverse the steady decline in constraction's popularity that has been going on since its peak, and that its future is murky. That said, you and some others who dislike Bionicle G2 continue to insist that "not doing too great" is tantamount to imminent doom, which I do not necessarily agree on. You also continue to insist that the reason it's not doing too great is because LEGO doesn't care or isn't trying or that the people making it are just not good designers or storytellers, all of which I know to be untrue. Perhaps most annoyingly, you continue to disparage people who like the current state of the Bionicle sets or story, acting as if we're sheep who will worship anything that has the Bionicle brand name on it and only act as if Bionicle G2 is good because we're deluding ourselves, rather than because some of us genuinely see more to like than to dislike about it.

 

For the record, there were threads like this as long ago as 2003, when Bionicle was still one of the LEGO Group's strongest themes. The entire reason Greg Farshtey joined BZPower forums in the first place was to reassure people that despite LEGO being in dire financial straits, Bionicle was not in fact on the brink of cancellation. Since then, just about every year there has been at least one person, generally a person who is not happy with the current state of things, who insists that Bionicle or Hero Factory is ending soon. And it's not just constraction themes either. I can't tell you how many times this year I've encountered Ninjago fans who think the theme is on the brink of ending, even after it was declared evergreen last year!

 

Nobody is stopping you from having an opinion. That said, by choosing to voice your opinion, you invite other people to respond to it — either with their own opinions, or things that seem confusing or contradictory about yours, or facts that have influenced their opinions and might also influence yours. You are under no obligation to change your own opinion because others disagree with you, but don't make the mistake of thinking that people not agreeing with you and not changing their own opinions to be more like yours is some sort of suppression.

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WOW! So bionicle is having a negative impact with the stock market?

 

What...? Where did you get that from?

 

Read through this post and you'll see why I mention the stock market http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/22844-discussion-the-future-of-bionicle-g2/?p=1081137

 

 

None of this has nothing to do with the stock market...

 

It says quote "This thread, and the two that spawned it, dealt with the (grossly exaggerated) rumor about Bionicle's premature cancellation after 2016. After a handful of fans from the US reported sporadic stocks and some Lego Store employees saying they won't carry some of the sets, a bunch of G2 haters latched onto said rumors as "proof" that Bionicle is bad and will be cancelled."

 

 

Uh, I may not have been clear, but by sporadic stocks I meant that stores were stocking Bionicle sets sporadically. Meaning not every store had each set, and not in equal quantities. I did not mean "stocks" as in commercialized percentages of corporate ownership traded on stock markets.

 

Sorry if I was unclear.

 

:kakama:

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:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

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

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Ninjago ain't ending anytime soon because they're getting a theatrical movie next year. That's the type of thing that makes a theme do even better. So ninjago isn't on the brink of cancellation at all!

How is that related to anything and who is saying Ninjago is ending?

 

I mean, Bionicle is literally the only Lego thing I care about and follow, but even I know (based on other comment on this site) that the line is doing well.

It was slated for cancellation after its second year, but no-one is saying it is getting canned anytime soon since the semi-pseudo-reboot-thing.

 

:kakama:

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: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:

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@Aanchir

 

I'm not sure where the "completely custom arms and legs" thing is coming from. What I'm talking about is how virtually every Toa-sized figure from Hero Factory season 2 through BIONICLE 2016 has had pretty much the same build - stack CCBS skeleton parts together, buckle armor on, then maybe buckle armor on that armor. I've seen one or two exceptions but the arms and legs look the same from all the angles I've seen.

 

You're completely right in that the Toa-sized sets were very similar in terms of construction. That's always been the case and it's not a bad thing. The problem is when there's no exceptions to that - for example, the Rahi, the Boxor, and the Titans. Sure, I understand that Titans may not sell as much - this is probably because they are marketed most to younger folks and younger folks usually have less money. But they are the spice of any BIONICLE year. Even the least interesting Titans, Sidorak and Nocturn (cool parts but rather dull build) were fun. Without those, a theme is much more homogenous.

 

Raw part counts DO matter, make no mistake, but so does overall look. 

 

I think I mentioned this above but I actually really like the little creatures. They're adorable and fun. I'd have loved if BIONICLE had had more sets like that, just not to the exclusion of the big ones.

The Legend Lives...

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@Aanchir

 

I'm not sure where the "completely custom arms and legs" thing is coming from. What I'm talking about is how virtually every Toa-sized figure from Hero Factory season 2 through BIONICLE 2016 has had pretty much the same build - stack CCBS skeleton parts together, buckle armor on, then maybe buckle armor on that armor. I've seen one or two exceptions but the arms and legs look the same from all the angles I've seen.

 

You're completely right in that the Toa-sized sets were very similar in terms of construction. That's always been the case and it's not a bad thing. The problem is when there's no exceptions to that - for example, the Rahi, the Boxor, and the Titans. Sure, I understand that Titans may not sell as much - this is probably because they are marketed most to younger folks and younger folks usually have less money. But they are the spice of any BIONICLE year. Even the least interesting Titans, Sidorak and Nocturn (cool parts but rather dull build) were fun. Without those, a theme is much more homogenous.

 

Raw part counts DO matter, make no mistake, but so does overall look. 

 

I think I mentioned this above but I actually really like the little creatures. They're adorable and fun. I'd have loved if BIONICLE had had more sets like that, just not to the exclusion of the big ones.

Have you built any of the Uniters though? Or 2015 Onua? Some of the Uniters (mind, not all) *do* have custom limbs (I think Lewa is the least CCBS-based, though Kopaka and Pohatu have some custom builds too) and 2015 Onua has a pretty complex and Technic heavy torso. 

 

Umarak the Destroyer also seems like a decent cross between CCBS and the Titans of yore.

 

I do agree though, the Creatures are tiny bundles of awesome.

 

:kakama:

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:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

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

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What do you mean the story and sets are completely different? Is that suppose to mean one is better than the other?

 

After 2006 I paid more attention to the Bionicle story than I ever did the sets.

On the other hand someone might really enjoy the sets and not care for the story. You don't have to like one to like the other. They don't go hand in hand in that sense.

 

This community is starting to really get on my nerves. Why even bother having an opinion?

"amirite?" Smh.

 

Completely agree. I'm glad your voicing your opinion (even though I think you're wrong ;) ) because it at least gives people on the opposite side a reason to be introspective about why they feel the way they do.

BZPower is usually a polite shouting match.

 

 

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I don't think there is any doubt to Bionicle going on for one more year. A lot of people in the community are worried that Bionicle is ending this year, but LEGO said they had three years planned and LEGO is not some small time toy company that's going to dramatically break off plans because the theme isn't doing as well as expected. They planned three years, and three years is what we're going to get regardless. It's possible they could cut back in some shape or form, but Bionicle cannot be so bad enough that they would completely turn on their plans. G2 isn't a Galidor (then again, I don't think anything could be a Galidor), and regardless of what we think of G2, it's still a LEGO product. I couldn't imagine them not turning out a product without a profit unless they seriously made an error in estimation in the weight and popularity of the theme, which is possible but something I would imagine they'd be putting in close attention.

 

Although I think the oil simile isn't a very good one or even valid, it does bring up the point that downsizing the theme doesn't mean it's dying.

 

With that said, anyone that doesn't think Bionicle is going through something and failing to meet some sort of expectations I have to say I think are by some caliber wrong.

 

If they are somehow pulling back on Bionicle even a little bit that shows they didn't just mismanage their expectations for the line, but that they did something wrong for those expectations not to met. There are a lot of factors to take in in consumer culture and it can be extremely difficult if not impossible to perfectly predict a theme's success, but Bionicle seems to have not stuck at all for most and in terms of trends isn't even as popular as Hero Factory was at some point. It's important not to blow it out of proportion, Bionicle still has a TV show but we can all agree that G2 has undergone a very strange transformation since it came out. LEGO is a large company with a lot of resources and they have shown they can make any line successful. Whether it becomes the next Ninjago or a Chima is impossible to know, but regardless they make it work.

 

G2 came in with a bang and blew everyone away. LEGO was actively doing contests and giving away things like golden masks and they had a comic con panel and were plainly very active, especially in social media to drive the theme. But now? Bionicle in social media feels almost dead. It's like LEGO gave up on it, and for whatever reason it was it was because something wasn't working. Maybe as a form of promotion in general LEGO found it problematic or ineffective, but LEGO still has a pretty strong social media presence, and Bionicle losing what first felt like would be a large part of it shows that what they though G2 would be has changed, and thus they have to direct change accordingly.

 

In a business (not that I'm any expert, to put that on the record) not meeting your expectations isn't necessarily horrible, since unexpected things can happen for the better that would satisfy a different set of expectations. But what it does show is lack of foresight and control. Things can accidentally go right but logically when running a business you want to plan for everything except sometimes having a larger boom. Knowing what will happen in the type of unfortunate economic system so many nations choose is a blessing when having a competition. It's like that box when playing tetris that shows what pieces are coming next.

 

LEGO changing the way they're doing media is extremely important of a change, and doing less of it is something I would imagine to be negative. There are a ton of reasons for why they would do things, but more coverage or advertising is never a bad thing unless you're not proud of what you made or how your product was anticipated was different than you wanted it to be. If it were better after the fact, then it shows your social media presence likely is working, or in the least not hurting.

 

Again, I'm probably totally wrong on this but this is what I feel and if you think otherwise or have more knowledge of things feel totally free to (kindly! respectfully!) correct me.

 

I'm gonna miss G2 if it goes. It feels like an awful waste of opportunity. Maybe not entirely on LEGO's part. But regardless, I had always hoped Bionicle could be something really big. I just get the feeling LEGO had an idea as to how they wanted Bionicle to be, but things happen and they they had to reflect those happenings. I guess I expected G2 to feel like a tight, awesome product as a whole of excellent quality all around where LEGO learned from their previous mistakes and tries with constraction/story themes, and maybe that's what they wanted but now it all just feels like another test run with a lot of mistakes.

Edited by Banana Gunz
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@Aanchir

 

I'm not sure where the "completely custom arms and legs" thing is coming from. What I'm talking about is how virtually every Toa-sized figure from Hero Factory season 2 through BIONICLE 2016 has had pretty much the same build - stack CCBS skeleton parts together, buckle armor on, then maybe buckle armor on that armor. I've seen one or two exceptions but the arms and legs look the same from all the angles I've seen.

 

You're completely right in that the Toa-sized sets were very similar in terms of construction. That's always been the case and it's not a bad thing. The problem is when there's no exceptions to that - for example, the Rahi, the Boxor, and the Titans. Sure, I understand that Titans may not sell as much - this is probably because they are marketed most to younger folks and younger folks usually have less money. But they are the spice of any BIONICLE year. Even the least interesting Titans, Sidorak and Nocturn (cool parts but rather dull build) were fun. Without those, a theme is much more homogenous.

 

Raw part counts DO matter, make no mistake, but so does overall look. 

 

I think I mentioned this above but I actually really like the little creatures. They're adorable and fun. I'd have loved if BIONICLE had had more sets like that, just not to the exclusion of the big ones.

Have you built any of the Uniters though? Or 2015 Onua? Some of the Uniters (mind, not all) *do* have custom limbs (I think Lewa is the least CCBS-based, though Kopaka and Pohatu have some custom builds too) and 2015 Onua has a pretty complex and Technic heavy torso. 

 

Umarak the Destroyer also seems like a decent cross between CCBS and the Titans of yore.

 

I do agree though, the Creatures are tiny bundles of awesome.

 

:kakama:

 

I looked again and I am seeing that now. I only have Kopaka (2015, I believe) because of lack of money to explore newer stuff. Definitely better than before.

 

Umarak the Destroyer vaguely feels that way but his legs look far too thin and the rest of him isn't much better either.

Umarak the Hunter is better but it still lacks the bulk and presence that the older Titans had (and there's still the color stuff which kind of hurts my eyes).

 

They've tried for Titans before (Witch Doctor) and it just doesn't work as well when you ignore a lot of the building techniques that made them as good as they were. They're getting better but are not there yet.

The Legend Lives...

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maybe if they can overcome these flaws and enhance the story I believe bionicle may still have a *tiny* chance of survival.

 

Dude, if the story magically becomes cool to me that doesn't mean I'm going to buy the sets. The story and the sets are two completely different animals.

 

What do you mean the story and sets are completely different? Is that suppose to mean one is better than the other?

 

yes

 

also, after 15 years, can this site finally learn that there are some people who have different opinions, and that is no reason to begin slamming keys on tumblr?

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also, after 15 years, can this site finally learn that there are some people who have different opinions, and that is no reason to begin slamming keys on tumblr?

 

You might as well ask the wind to stop blowing!

 

You all were a lot more fun to talk with when you were 12 instead of 18.

Edited by TheSkeletonMan939
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