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How Hollywood Tie-Ins Saved Lego
MBCook writes "The New York Times published an article on Saturday profiling Lego, and how tie-ins with movies have helped save the company. 'Even as other toymakers struggle, this Danish maker of toy bricks is enjoying double-digit sales gains and swelling earnings. In recent years, Lego has increasingly focused on toys that many parents wouldn't recognize from their own childhood. Hollywood themes are commanding more shelf space, a far cry from the idealistic, purely imagination-oriented play that drove Lego for years and was as much a religion as a business strategy in Billund.' The article also mentions coming Lego Stores, a Lego board game, how Lego now allows sets with violence (like a gun for Indiana Jones), and how since 2004 Lego has cut part count nearly in half by encouraging re-use of parts and stopping one-off pieces."
Actually, no; a) they still make in Denmark with one of the highest safety standards in the business b) reduced "one off" special parts actually is a return to the spirit of building it yourself c) all the build it yourself stuff is still available d) you can still buy basic kits and they are as good as ever.
There is one thing; the violence and Star Wars shit but you don't have to buy that for your kids. I don't. This is a major change (the didn't make green bricks for a long time so that nobody could make tanks and so on) but it's not the main or nearly most crucial element of Lego.
=~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
LEGO's policy for a long time was to feature no "modern" weapons, which allowed things like swords, crossbows, blunderbusses, and laser bazookas. I believe the policy went out the door some time ago with the Wild West themed sets and their revolvers and rifles.
Some sets are that way - but most are still incredibly flexible. There are a lot of cool things that can be done with the new sets that couldn't be done with the old. There are a lot more mechanical parts in the basic sets now. My sons Imperial Shuttle kit had some very cool gears and other parts to allow the wings to move up and down. The hinged doors are pretty slick, etc. We've been able to incorporate that into a lot of fun designs of our own.
It really still is an open ended toy for exploration, especially once you have 4 or 5 kits worth of pieces on hand.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
How can they say that Lego sets have violence *now*, when I have a 1989 catalog with plenty of pirates models, with guns and canons?
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A screw, like the one in my circa 1982 LEGO motor battery block?
How hard that must have been for you. Do you need a hug?
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Now, LEGO needs to make the next step and allow people to build their own kits online. I think that would be even bigger than LEGO Star Wars.
Seriously Lego, where are you?
It's called Lego Degital Designer. If you've got a complaint, at least take a couple of minutes to figure out if it's valid.