In Episode #80 it is a return to the slandered news you’ve grown love, or hate. James and Aaron run down the huge list of news topics, bringing you up to date with the latest in the LEGO world.
-Neo Classic Space.com
-LEGO Profits Up 32%
-Lego to increase spend after record profits
-Rising prices of oil, rising prices of sets, record profits? Does this make any sense?
-10194 Emerald Night Train
-LEGO and “Disney” team up
-Geekdad Top 10 Disney LEGO Sets We’d Like to See
-Megabloks Picks up Halo
-General Mills LEGO Racers
-Bad… Maybe not Mc Donald LEGO bad, but still bad.
LEGO Merchandise
-Camcorder
-Alcatel LEGO Cell Phone
-LEGO Digital Camera
-Boardgames
-Lego Universe Gets Pushed Back to 2010
-They don’t want to take away from the success of the LEGO line. Seriously?
-LEGO® Battles
MOCs of the Week
Feedback? Email podcast@laml.org or comment in the blog
Great podcast!
Anyways, I wanted to say a little bit about the diluting of the lego brand. I really don’t think it’s a good idea for them to be selling off the name since all it’s doing is diluting the lego name. When one says lego, you know exactly what they’re talking about. Sure, there are the video games, but they still have the basics of lego. Lego Camera though, sounds like a build set, not an actual camera. I don’t know what to expect, since they’re selling the name, if they’re going to have a quality control for the objects or what, but it doesn’t sound like a good idea.
I would really like to learn more about lego board games, since it sounds really awesome. I hope it’s actual lego that you can par down and play with when you’re done playing because that would be sweet and I would totally buy it if you could. (I hope it’s like warhammer 40K. It’s expensive enough!)
The disney sets don’t really sound that good, but I’m not their target market so maybe they’ll do well enough. I would like the older disney sets, but that could wait while they test out each other’s creative teams and see if the profits are there for that kind of risk. (I would kill for a Kim Possible set with evil villain lairs!)
Honestly though, I’d be happy enough if they released more houses in the style of doll houses. Open back with lots of inside detail would be really neat. And more women mini-figs, but now I’m asking for the impossible.
Thanks for the podcasts!
Nice long podcast – great way to make my train journey fly.
Regarding Lego’s profit increase – there was a psychologist that commented in bad times we go back to things that make us feel safe. ie Typically things we have a positive memory of from our childhood. As a result, maybe there were a log more AFOLs created in 2008 (I certainly was one of those – coming back after a 20 year darkage).
Hmm, seems that the file cannot be found. James, could you check if the URL is correct?
Hi James I get the same file not found.
I think LAMLradio is the best thing since sliced bread.
Sorry about that guys. The plugin I had for the player was out of date. Should be fixed and playing now.
Prism, for more on the board games:
http://modelbuildingsecrets.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/lego-board-games/
http://modelbuildingsecrets.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/ramses-pyramid/
Hello and good morning! A great podcast, well done as usual. First let me say its sword down, and move on. I agree with you completely that the Disney license is a stupid idea, I simply can not see this going anywhere constructive, Toy Story as system simply does not work, what do you get with a set, three mini figs and a huge human foot? As far as the record profits from oil I can only ask “Are you really suprised?” with the crazy amount of money that Lego is charging for those sets from “a certain TV show” Im not suprised at all that the prices are staying up, when you realize you can charge stupid amounts of money for stuff why stop? On that though we have had a few sets recently that have been really great values, I’m thinking of the Village square. I wish that Lego would back off from the licensing a little and focus more on internal branding. what do you guys prefer internal brands or license? As far as not getting Halo I understand but also regret Lego not getting it, even for just a little while, Master Chief minis, (sigh) It seems sort of like you were saying about Lego playing both sides of the street with this issue of violence, Lego is a kids toy, yes but kids play video games, seems like Halo is directly in the Lego demographic to me. Lastly Lego universe being delayed is NOT a good sign, and that has to be the stupidest excuse ever.
Thanks for a great show!
Jason
It’s a great time to be a LEGO fan. I wish I was five years younger or five years older, because I’m right at an age (23) where my attention should be on other things.
I say that because I believe the LEGO company deserves every bit of its increased profits. I’m a Star Wars fan, and as far as I’m concerned the recent sets are nothing short of achievements. The X-wing, RGS, MTT, Y-wing, A-wing, ILC, and battle packs have really driven quality up and answered the desires of many AFOLs. I’m only concerned that so many good sets like the MTT are being discontinued now.
The price increase is the flip side of course, and while it’s a bummer, it’s a bit inevitable. The LEGO company has no duty to “give back to the customers,” even though it might be nice. They have a duty to capitalize on good results.
And finally, thank you, James, for being LAMLRadio. The podcasts are consistently balanced and well-prepared, and I hope you can keep it up for the foreseeable future.
So let me start a firestorm here real quick, (or maybe not you may agree with me) I actually seem to be having a problem with the Star Wars Lego product line in particular and its fans in general. Now let me start here by saying that the Castle and Pirate line have always been my favorites, and also that I came out of my dark ages like many of you did, when the new Star Wars Legos began coming out. But(and here it comes) it is starting to seem to me that the Star Wars Lego fans are basically just collecting action figures. If you peruse the dreaded Ebay or the wonderful Bricklink the cost of certain minis from some of the these Star Wars sets is stupid bordering on maniacal. I frequent a local independent toy store in my town, and the focus is on Star Wars minis, not the bricks, now this was great in the begining because I could get bricks by the ton while trading in my useless Star Wars extras but here is my dilema, are the Star Wars guys just getting “small” action figures? If this is so then what happens when all of these “fans” leave the Lego hobby? Which they will, look at Hasbro, are there any really rare star wars figures anymore? Clone Wars (bad show that it is) has spawned about as many Lego sets as its going to, these last releases were sub par at best and silly at worst. With the release of the clone packs that’s about it for Cone Wars now. Now MOCers can create vast pointless clone armies and take many many pictures of how many clones they have lined up in parade formation around another BIG star ship. I think it should be about the bricks not the figs, minis are fun and great but the focus should not be solely on the figs (or clones) it should be on the models. Now the Indy line has had I think a great balance with this, great sets and great minis, so it can be done with licensed stuff, I just worry that Lego is selling its soul for another fad, and yes I realize that the Star Wars line has been cruising on for a decade now, but it had the stupid prequels to fan interest, Clone Wars isnt fanning much of anything right now, its been lackluster at best and laughably poorly written at worst. Doesn’t sticking a chrome black figure into random sets seem a little like putting a Chromium Foil Wildcats trading card into a Polybagged issue of Spawn number 1? There is a bottom, and when there are no more Star Wars Lego (please stop) will these “fans” continue with the brand or will this be remebered as the pinnacle of Lego hobbying?
I really wonder what you guys think? Is this hobby about the minis or is it about the bricks? Is it a combo, if so what is the spilt? Would you buy great sets with no minis or would you buy horrid sets with great minis?
Thanks!
Jason
Jason, I think your crazy!
I’ll let you know why in the next podcast.
Jason, I appreciate your post since I AM one of those minifig-crazy laserbrains. You’ve stated the crux of the issue I think: “Will these ‘fans’ continue with [LEGO] when there are no more Star Wars LEGO?” For myself, I’d like to say yes, but I honestly don’t know.
I will argue the other side of this point. The Star Wars battle packs have been tremendously successful sellers, so even if minifig collectors are debasing the hobby, LEGO cannot lose.
However, the question of “is the hobby about minis or bricks” is moot, because LEGO has answered the call for both by reinstating the minifig magnets and selling battle packs. For that matter, they always sold the , and that was one of the first sets I bought myself.
Sweet thanks for the replies! I have a real love for the battle packs as well, in fact I may have went a little overboard with the Stormtrooper packs, I’ve been giving them away to some friends ever since. The castle battle packs were one of my favorite things when I was younger, I think that I was talking about people who collect the minis only, (should have clarified that) I would like to say that I don’t really think that the mini collectors are debasing the hobby (ok maybe I think that a little, but that’s just my ingrained snobbery) but I wonder if the focus on minis exclusively could be seen as a debasement. What do you guys think? Thanks for the response James, my wife is going to use that post against me I think, (might be proof of my crazies). I want to say thanks for taking my arguments seriously and posting back on it. It is great to be in this community, you guys rock!
Jason
It’s been two weeks! When’s my next fix of the (Apparently dreaded) LEGO news?
LEGO news can never be dreaded.
LAML is my source to the news. When it falls behind I fall behind.
Hmmmm… yes, LAML is my source for news as well. I signed on on august 1st, and it has just blown me away. I usually go everywhere with my iPod set to my LAML playlist, but, it has been 2 weeks since the last one! So, I will stay faithful(And patient) that he’s working his best!
Thanks James for doing what you do! LAML was my inspiration to start my own podcast(No, not a Lego one), and I just love what you do! The bottom line to this is that I WANT MY FIX, as will said.