What We Represent...

[Mehul]

I remember while bionicle was still going on Bzpower was said to represent only a fraction of the total fanbase.However now that bionicle is over do you think that this is still true, or do we now represent the majority of remaining fans?In fact in light of the "the future of Bzp" topic do you think that those member who are here for bionicle are outnumbered by those who have moved on and are here more for the community?

[Catra]

If BZPower was only a minority of the fanbase when it had a couple thousand active members, then it's certainly not a majority with only a couple hundred.I can't really answer the second one as I don't really know anyone else's motives for staying; I personally am here for both.

[Sumiki]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that we're now a majority, so I agree with Aho-Chan on that point. There are a lot of really rabid noobs out there - just look at some of the comments on the Bring Back BIONICLE Cuusoo project, and I don't think they're on BZP.From what I understand, there are only a few members on BZP who are on here for the sole reason of discussing BIONICLE. I think the majority have moved on, either away from the site or still being active for the community aspect. There are a growing minority of members that are here to discuss general constraction figures, and while I'm not really part of that group, I think it's the direction BZP should go.

[Taipu1]

I think that other BIONICLE fan sites may have got an edge over us after the 6 monthes of server downtime, so I doubt we're the majority.

[Klak]

We have a large Bionicle fan base here, most of which still discuss the line from time to time. Of course, unlike what others say, not many of them are noobs. Still, I'm not sure if we're a majority. I know of a few Bionicle fans who aren't on this site. That might be some kind of indicator. Plus, like Taipu said, there are plenty of other Bionicle sites out there with less negativity towards the line. The combined membership of all of those forums is probably a lot compared to ours. It's possible that many of the members of those sites aren't BZP members anymore.

[Chip Wiseman]

Well, I am still here for the BIONICLE. I have partially moved on, but if it wasn't for the reason BZP started, I wouldn't be here.

[-{Lion Heart}-]

I've been a member of the BZP community for over 7 years. I remain here mostly for the fact that I can't leave. No matter how hard I try, I find myself coming back to the site, be it even for just one glance at the home page every couple of weeks. BZP was such a big and important part of my childhood and I think that the day I truly move away from it, I will really have grown up. But it wouldn't be as important if it wasn't for the actual Bionicle aspect of the website. I think that it is the brand that I come here the most for. I am still, and will always be, an avid Bionicle fan.

[Mehul]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that we're now a majority, so I agree with Aho-Chan on that point. There are a lot of really rabid noobs out there - just look at some of the comments on the Bring Back BIONICLE Cuusoo project, and I don't think they're on BZP.

You bring up a good point here I hadn't really read the comments on that until just now. It makes me wonder really. As you say the majority are noobs. But this in itself seems like a paradox, I mean looking at their comments they cant have been old enough to have seen anything pre 2008, a point where in my eyes most new fans wouldn't have gotten to know the theme enough to want it back with such ... uh, vigor(?)But regardless the Cuusoo is doomed to fail, I just don't see lego reviving a theme so quick. So then what will happen to all those 'fans'? More than likely they'll just dissipate into obscurity, no longer having any reason to follow a dead theme.The question then becomes, will Bzp eventually come to represent the majority of fans?

[Toa Zaz]

The sad part is, despite the massive drop in active BZPower membership, the rest of the Bionicle fan community has likely been reduced so significantly that we actually represent a greater portion of the fanbase now than we did while Bionicle was alive.

[Klak]

Just because some Cuusoo members are noobs does not mean everyone who wants Bionicle back or is a Bionicle fan is a noob as well. Quit lumping them together.

I've been a member of the BZP community for over 7 years. I remain here mostly for the fact that I can't leave. No matter how hard I try, I find myself coming back to the site, be it even for just one glance at the home page every couple of weeks. BZP was such a big and important part of my childhood and I think that the day I truly move away from it, I will really have grown up. But it wouldn't be as important if it wasn't for the actual Bionicle aspect of the website. I think that it is the brand that I come here the most for. I am still, and will always be, an avid Bionicle fan.

I agree. I come back for the same reasons.

[fishers64]

It could considerably be argued that Bionicle's ending has concentrated more Bionicle fans into fansites in general. I became a member shortly after Bionicle ended while looking for an old game that I failed to complete, figuring somebody would have preserved it. I was right.

[BioGio]

As for the first question, I'd say that BZP clearly has a high concentration of fans, but it clearly does not represent the majority. Since there are so many passionate BIONICLE fans on LEGO CUUSOO, I'd find it difficult to believe that one unofficial website contains most remaining BIONICLE fans. Even when BZPower had a few thousand active members, the site only was a fraction of the fan base, and I don't think that overwhelming majority of fans dropped off the face of the Earth once LEGO canceled BIONICLE. Of course, it's possible that many, possibly often more casual, fans moved on to HF, explaining the lack of BIONICLE discussion elsewhere.To the other question, there is an interesting poll about precisely this that I would encourage people to vote in and investigate. Currently, 21 members have voted, so the poll isn't very scientific; already, though, just over 50% enjoy LEGO, and around 40% of the votes imply an interest in the community alone.~ BioGio

[25K Now!]

We probably don't represent the majority of BIONICLE fans. There are nearly 6.8 billion people in the world according to a 2009 estimate. Some of these 6,800,000,000 people are fans of BIONICLE. We are probably just a rather large minority of said fans. There are also those who are members of other fansites, and the fans who aren't even members of any site.And yeah, some people have probably moved on from BIONICLE. I have as well somewhat onto Hero Factory, but I still return here for the awesome community.

[Tenebrae Invictus]

I think that other BIONICLE fan sites may have got an edge over us after the 6 monthes of server downtime, so I doubt we're the majority.

I doubt it. I've been on other sites and watched them go dead after BZPower came back. Some just died or stayed dead regardless of BZP being down.But to answer the questions:1. No. We're still a tiny fraction of the fanbase.2. No, general LEGO fans don't outnumber Bionicle fans.

[You just lost the game]

We are a minority.If you wish to see the majority, visit the LEGO.come boards.

[Sir Kohran]

What exactly is a Bionicle fan?If fans are defined as simply anyone who knows of and likes Bionicle, to even the smallest degree, then I imagine BZPower's membership is indeed a minority of the overall Bionicle fanbase.If fans are defined as those who know the sets, storyline and history of Bionicle very thoroughly and write fanfiction and build MoCs, then BZPower's membership is probably the majority of fans, possibly even the entirety.

[Roki]

Still a minority. I severely doubt we'll ever be even close the majority. -Roki

[Sir Kohran]

Still a minority. I severely doubt we'll ever be even close the majority.-Roki

Out of interest, where do you think (or know) all these other Bionicle fans are?

[Sumiki]

Still a minority. I severely doubt we'll ever be even close the majority.

Out of interest, where do you think (or know) all these other Bionicle fans are?

Not on BZPower?I don't think they have to "be" anywhere, really.

[bonesiii]

Depends on how you define "fan base" because many other people out there may have totally moved on, yet still consider themselves fans of Bionicle, who would buy sets if they came back, etc.How do you count that amount? I don't think we can.

Edited January 13, 2012 by bonesiii

[Sir Kohran]

Still a minority. I severely doubt we'll ever be even close the majority.

Out of interest, where do you think (or know) all these other Bionicle fans are?

Not on BZPower?I don't think they have to "be" anywhere, really.

If they're not on BZPower or any other site, surely it's impossible to figure out how much of the fanbase BZPower represents.And I reckon that any serious fan of Bionicle will probably have looked for it on the internet at some point, and that'll lead them here. I'd be surprised if anyone had been interested in Bionicle for more than a year and not found BZPower. Admittedly, finding the place doesn't automatically mean they'll actually join it, but I still think BZPower represents a large portion of serious Bionicle fans, at the very least.I'm just curious as to why people are talking as though there's an established figure for how many Bionicle fans there are in the world.

[Toa of Nerds]

I BZPower makes up a good portion of the hardcore fanbase. Most people who were ever really into Bionicle have probably already found BZPower. Having said that, I still think that there are several people out there who loved Bionicle but never found BZP because they never really thought of googling "Bionicle". Heck, I was a hardcore fan for seven years before I found BZPower, and that was only after I decided to wikipedia "Bionicle".-don't touch my pocket protector

[Akuna Toa of Sonics]

In my opinion, I think BZPower represents much of the reamining Bionicle fanbase. Not quite the majority, though.

[Duarack5]

I don't think we represent the majority of fans everywhere. This site only has so many members active, certainly not every single Bionicle fan willing to discuss the franchise.I'd say that we represent some fraction of the "hardcore" Bionicle fans, those who have stuck around since 2001 and are still interested in the story.To quote another fan from years back, "we ARE the target audience!"

[fishers64]

And I reckon that any serious fan of Bionicle will probably have looked for it on the internet at some point, and that'll lead them here. I'd be surprised if anyone had been interested in Bionicle for more than a year and not found BZPower. Admittedly, finding the place doesn't automatically mean they'll actually join it, but I still think BZPower represents a large portion of serious Bionicle fans, at the very least.

I spent nearly six years as a "serious" Bionicle fan before I even knew that BZP existed. Some people just go striaght to www. Bionicle.com without hitting Google. Edited January 14, 2012 by fishers64

[Klak]

What exactly is a Bionicle fan?If fans are defined as simply anyone who knows of and likes Bionicle, to even the smallest degree, then I imagine BZPower's membership is indeed a minority of the overall Bionicle fanbase.If fans are defined as those who know the sets, storyline and history of Bionicle very thoroughly and write fanfiction and build MoCs, then BZPower's membership is probably the majority of fans, possibly even the entirety.

Yeah, I get your point. We have to define 'fan' first before we even try to define what we represent.

I BZPower makes up a good portion of the hardcore fanbase. Most people who were ever really into Bionicle have probably already found BZPower. Having said that, I still think that there are several people out there who loved Bionicle but never found BZP because they never really thought of googling "Bionicle". Heck, I was a hardcore fan for seven years before I found BZPower, and that was only after I decided to wikipedia "Bionicle".-don't touch my pocket protector

It's true. I was a Bionicle fan for years before I discovered BZPower, and LONG before I joined the site. I was, however, a Lego Message Board member for a while.

[Toa TAK]

If BZPower was only a minority of the fanbase when it had a couple thousand active members, then it's certainly not a majority with only a couple hundred.

My thoughts exactly. As for the second question, I'm here for both as well. This is an awesome community (just look at the news page) and this is a popular site if you ever need to scratch that Bionicle itch.TAK

[Eragon3443]

What exactly is a Bionicle fan?If fans are defined as simply anyone who knows of and likes Bionicle, to even the smallest degree, then I imagine BZPower's membership is indeed a minority of the overall Bionicle fanbase.If fans are defined as those who know the sets, storyline and history of Bionicle very thoroughly and write fanfiction and build MoCs, then BZPower's membership is probably the majority of fans, possibly even the entirety.

Yeah, I get your point. We have to define 'fan' first before we even try to define what we represent.

I BZPower makes up a good portion of the hardcore fanbase. Most people who were ever really into Bionicle have probably already found BZPower. Having said that, I still think that there are several people out there who loved Bionicle but never found BZP because they never really thought of googling "Bionicle". Heck, I was a hardcore fan for seven years before I found BZPower, and that was only after I decided to wikipedia "Bionicle".-don't touch my pocket protector

It's true. I was a Bionicle fan for years before I discovered BZPower, and LONG before I joined the site.I was, however, a Lego Message Board member for a while.

What do you know. That's the same as me. I have been a Bionicle fanatic since its birth, and have known about BZP for a while. I am also a LMB user. What are the odds? =P

[Aanchir]

It should also be noted that a lot of people can still consider themselves BIONICLE fans even after they leave BZPower for some reason or another. BZPower puts forth a strong effort to make itself a safe, healthy community for younger users, but at the same time the number of younger users (some of whom older users might consider noobish) and the strict regulations often in place to preserve that safe community make some older users lose patience with the site and leave.Some people might still consider themselves BIONICLE fans but leave the site just because they consider BIONICLE "over" and see nothing more to discuss here (remember that not all BIONICLE fans are fans of other LEGO themes, as there are in fact things that made BIONICLE unique among LEGO themes). Other people might have left because of the downtime and made friends in other communities, so they see no reason to come back to a BZPower that might not even remember them. And there are a lot of fans who got fed up with the frequent changes in BIONICLE at various points, and so don't want to be a part of a BIONICLE discussion board that's always reminding them of how their favorite parts of the story did not stay the same over time. They'd rather remember BIONICLE as it was when they most enjoyed it.Does this mean these people are no longer BIONICLE fans? Of course not. A person can hardly discuss BIONICLE in their day-to-day life and still count it among their favorite books, movies, comics, or toys. So for this reason I don't think it can be argued that BZPower is anywhere near the majority of BIONICLE fans, or that it ever was.With that said, being a BIONICLE fan also doesn't mean being 100% dedicated to the franchise, as in the case of the many fans who become disillusioned with changes in the story or sets. This is why I think it's foolish to think there's a "silent majority" that could keep BIONICLE alive if it were brought back today. Even some of the comments on the Bring Back BIONICLE project on Cuusoo ask whether this means bringing it back as it was in 2001, as they stopped enjoying the story and sets at some point between then and the theme's cancellation. A fandom isn't necessarily a captive audience, and so it's impossible to guarantee that bringing back BIONICLE, even as it was in 2001, would guarantee the full support of this diverse fandom.But one thing the fandom does help ensure, which will support the possibility of BIONICLE's return someday, is that BIONICLE will not be forgotten for many years to come. If TLG's current feature film project has any success, then that also boosts the possibility that ten or twenty years down the line a big-name movie or TV producer will look back at BIONICLE and see its potential, and will be able to help TLG find a way for the theme to be revived, even if not in the form many people expect.

[bonesiii]

With that said, being a BIONICLE fan also doesn't mean being 100% dedicated to the franchise, as in the case of the many fans who become disillusioned with changes in the story or sets. This is why I think it's foolish to think there's a "silent majority" that could keep BIONICLE alive if it were brought back today. Even some of the comments on the Bring Back BIONICLE project on Cuusoo ask whether this means bringing it back as it was in 2001, as they stopped enjoying the story and sets at some point between then and the theme's cancellation. A fandom isn't necessarily a captive audience, and so it's impossible to guarantee that bringing back BIONICLE, even as it was in 2001, would guarantee the full support of this diverse fandom.

For the record, it's well-known that "exactly as 2001" wouldn't work, as 2001 made a lot of proven mistakes that were later corrected, and today's audiences have moved even farther away from some of those things. At least this is true right now. Bionicle became more successful when it got rid of many of those things.I really think what I've said before about two ways Bionicle could return should be brought up here too -- if they wait for present-day fans to be parents (and buy it for their kids), then not only can't we count fans, the vast majority of the potential fanbase of that theoretical return aren't even born yet.

[Ballom Nom Nom]

If BZPower was only a minority of the fanbase when it had a couple thousand active members, then it's certainly not a majority with only a couple hundred.

My thoughts exactly. As for the second question, I'm here for both as well. This is an awesome community (just look at the news page) and this is a popular site if you ever need to scratch that Bionicle itch.TAK

Yep, I agree with you both. BZP has more of a small niche, rather than being a particular majority.~B~

[Eragon3443]

WHow many other Bionicle forums are htere/? To me, it seems BZP is the only major one.

[fishers64]

WHow many other Bionicle forums are htere/? To me, it seems BZP is the only major one.

Yes, but there are many Bionicle fans who have never joined a forum. Also, we cannot discuss this on here, due to BZP's rules about talking about other Bionicle forums.