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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."
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.
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!