Hobbit 2014 [Spoilers]

plasmodium

Yeah. Basically what I'm saying is just cause it's on the front cover of the video game, doesn't mean you're going to get it in ABS. Whether you get it in a different form or not at all is another question.

Nelly

Not to say that Smaug will be any bigger than previous Harry Potter/Castle dragons. I am sure Lego will not go out of their way to create anything new and exciting in that respect. Of course I think and accept the scale will be off. My point was that I hope the fell beast is not the typical dragon size, such as Smaug will likely be. But that would require a new molding (or brick-built) fell beast, right?

Shib

I really want a smaug, even if it's just done reusing some of the castle dragon moulds with printing for the gold or whatever. I think they would be a bit short sighted not to do something with smaug, but I wouldn't expect it just because a Lego smaug appears on the box art of the game. Anyone expecting a smaug just because of that should play back through all the other games. Look at the masses of Big Fig characters in the marvel superheroes game that don't exist. I was very excited to see modock in a set, but if they haven't made a fig for the Thing then it shows they don't just make the popular characters into figs because the game developers have already worked out a design.

Xefan

Shib said:

I was very excited to see modock in a set, but if they haven't made a fig for the Thing then it shows they don't just make the popular characters into figs because the game developers have already worked out a design.

I wonder who actually does work out the designs? It's quite possible Lego staff create these designs for characters just in case they ever want to use them and pass them over to the game development team for use there. Lego may even well have plans for these characters that they've not yet created nor necessarily even have plan to create and just hand them over.

I imagine if this is not the case that someone from Lego must spend most their time working at TT to make sure their creations follow Lego's guidelines, styles, and principles or the TT developers must get some fairly hefty training and guidance from Lego one way or another if they do it themselves. I'd be amazed if Lego trusts even an experienced 3rd party like TT to have too much unilateral control over their visions for characters but then I guess they have been doing it many years now so maybe TT has earned the trust of Lego enough to be allowed to go ahead and make designs they haven't themselves made? I wonder if Lego then gets to use them? Must be some interesting back and forth meetings if that's the case :)

CupIsHalfEmpty

I think a may be in the minority here but I was hoping smaug would be brick built. Lego is a building toy and dragons can be built. If I wanted a plastic toy smaug then I'm sure there are other toy company's that sell them.

rancorbait

^ I always prefer molded animals to brick-built as they are usually more accurate and detailed, and then if you still want a brick-built one you can MOC it :o)

Steve_J_OM

Xefan said:

I imagine if this is not the case that someone from Lego must spend most their time working at TT to make sure their creations follow Lego's guidelines, styles, and principles or the TT developers must get some fairly hefty training and guidance from Lego one way or another if they do it themselves. I'd be amazed if Lego trusts even an experienced 3rd party like TT to have too much unilateral control over their visions for characters but then I guess they have been doing it many years now so maybe TT has earned the trust of Lego enough to be allowed to go ahead and make designs they haven't themselves made? I wonder if Lego then gets to use them? Must be some interesting back and forth meetings if that's the case :)

I only recently learned that TT was founded by former members of TLG that were laid off during the company's near-meltdown, though I'm not sure if that is significant in terms of how much autonomy they have in designing virtual LEGO elements themselves.

legomatt

There was some interesting video interview with one of the designers somewhere. (i forget where now), and one or two have flickr pages if i recall. The interview gave a glimpse into some of the model-design process. Actual lego models are used for comparison purposes, and actual elements. They're very serious about any in-game model being build-able outside of the game.

I've always found the little mocs dotted about the games to be particularly delightful. Plants, furniture, etc I actually wish there was a book with them all in. One of the things about the games I'd certainly like to see more of is behind the scenes making of videos showing the design process and concepts. Perhaps as an unlockable/reward for completing game areas.

As far as box art not translating to reality - that's just part of the reality of the games. There's never being any guarantee that what's in game will ever be made by TLG. By necessity a videogame needs a complete setting with a full cast of characters and locations in order to tell a story and play in. It's frustrating (extremely so) when you see just how great a fig could be. But I think Smaug is a much safer bet on this occasion... wasn't there a confirmation somewhere regarding the sets, that smaug would be in one, or did i invent that in my mind?

veign06

Shib said:

I really want a smaug, even if it's just done reusing some of the castle dragon moulds with printing for the gold or whatever. I think they would be a bit short sighted not to do something with smaug, but I wouldn't expect it just because a Lego smaug appears on the box art of the game. Anyone expecting a smaug just because of that should play back through all the other games. Look at the masses of Big Fig characters in the marvel superheroes game that don't exist. I was very excited to see modock in a set, but if they haven't made a fig for the Thing then it shows they don't just make the popular characters into figs because the game developers have already worked out a design.

I think as far as The Thing goes...we will probably see that when they do the new Fantastic 4 movie and then the Fantastic 4 + Avengers tie ins. On Smaug, it was already reported that they already said one of the 2014 sets will include Smaug but they did not show anything on it yet. I agree, anything is better than nothing but I hope the at least make it unique in some way or another.

Vortex

My backup Smaug ..... just in case we TLG leaves us high n dry like it seems they have with LOTR .
Just built this and is much better than the photo suggests.

legomatt

Carl Greatrix, TT games designer

(I don't know if this was the video I've seen, haven't watched it yet to check - but sounds interesting)...

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bricktrix/sets/

Shib

Watched a lot of behind the scenes videos from TT and the connection to TLG is unmistakable, is imagine that for Marvel superheroes they worked v closely together (based on the sets that came after the game) but if you compare that to the batman 2 game characters like flash who appeared in sets after the game the designs dont match very well.

rancorbait

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Wg1UyAZRkZ0

plasmodium

^Wait, so it's only the first two movies? That does seem a little odd (granted, I was wondering how they could release a video game containing spoilers before the actual third movie). All that means is we'll see a 'Complete Saga' type release later, I suppose. But please, don't let them do it like they did with Indiana Jones 2...

Shib

I was under the impression it was all three (particularly based on the release date being so close to the release of the third film) if they are doing a second game I'd prefer to see a complete hobbit/LOTR game

SapmiSatan

They're releasing "There and Back Again" as a DLC later.

Shib

Eurgh...that's what I hate about video games these days, they always just rush stuff out then charge you a premium to finish the game

plasmodium

@SapmiSatan‌ that's interesting. Is that going to work for PC? Because the DLC packs for LotR weren't available for PC.
And I have to wonder alongside @Shib‌ how much that is going to cost...

SapmiSatan

@plasmodium‌ I haven't the foggiest. Just telling you what I know.

Shib

I really dislike how much game makers now rely on DLC. It actually puts me off buying games at release because you know with a lot of them they'll get a 'definitive edition' release a year later with all the DLC and get a deal to get it cheaper than the original game

CCC

The price of the original game will also lower during the year too though. You pay a premium for playing it first. Same with any entertainment consumer items like CDs and DVDs.

legomatt

^ & ^^ Yep, and Yep.

Both reasons why I usually avoid initial releases of most entertainment products, there are almost always extended/deluxe/'complete' versions within 12 months, and/or the price will halve. Sadly, that's been given a sturdy kick in the teeth, with the damn exclusive minifigs tacked onto the lego videogames, making me pay top whack on day of release. Booooh! How dare they?! :oP

Fortunately TTgames lego games have (so far) been one of the few titles out there complete on release, so i've been less concerned (no extensive DLC to bother about).

BUT if they did go down the route of extended content 12-months later 'with extra levels' type stuff, that'll be a sting I won't fancy repeating, and i'll probably go back to waiting 12 months (just in case) and ignoring the day-of-release bonus figs (picking them up in the aftermarket if i really want it). After all, its the game i'm buying here, and I want the complete experience, not some rushed-out half-baked glitchy underproduced...

It will be interesting to see whether There and Back again is released as DLC to the hobbit game, or they opt to make a whole Hobbit 2 game and 'double-dip' on the tale.

legomatt

Anybody else seen the Bluray DesofSmaug boxset shown on hothbricks?

Just a word of warning before you go look; if you in any way have a Peter Jackson aversion, prepare yourself to vomit.

Bearing in mind, it's called The Hobbit, helping the exiled Dwarfs reclaim their ancestral home, stolen from them by the Dragon.

Yep, you guessed it...

Baaauueueuuelllaaaarggghhh

*wipes vomit from mouth*

legomatt

^ Linky: http://www.lordofthebrick.com/2014/02/le-polybag-30215-avec-le-blu-ray-de-desolation-smaug/

klatu003

It could have been this then a entire bile bucket would have been needed. I wonder why they held back?

legomatt

^ No.no.no.no.no.no.no...

BbBbaAAaAAaaaauuueeeeeellaaaeerghh


...Please, make it stop...

CCC

Ah, inclusion of a common elf minifig. At least that means I won't need to buy the BR/DVD pack.

klatu003

^ yes, a relief
^^This romantic portrayal still turns my stomach.

y2josh

legomatt said:

Anybody else seen the Bluray DesofSmaug boxset shown on hothbricks?

Just a word of warning before you go look; if you in any way have a Peter Jackson aversion, prepare yourself to vomit.

Bearing in mind, it's called The Hobbit, helping the exiled Dwarfs reclaim their ancestral home, stolen from them by the Dragon.

Yep, you guessed it...

Baaauueueuuelllaaaarggghhh

*wipes vomit from mouth*

This doesn't surprise me that much, given that the movie should have more accurately been called "Super Elves Save the Day... And Some Other Stuff, Too."

legomatt

I just watched the DVD (theatrical) release of Desolation of Smaug.

Can anyone confirm my suspicions that the film got 'tarted' up and changed a bit since being in the cinema.

*Beware SPOILERS all who pass beyond this point*

Now, i know this generally happens with films anyway (usually to smooth out technical wrinkles and remove occasional clangers), but I couldn't shake the feeling that what i'd felt after watching at the cinema didn't tally with what I now watched at home.

It might be that I was just 'ready' for all the super elves and the lethargy this time, but several sequences seemed 'different'. I'm flippin' certain the necromancer's appearance has been changed.

Instead of a subtle fire-eye-pupil-becomes-shadowy-walking-figure thing (which i liked), this seemed more a fully-armoured-battle-sauron-with-golden-accents. The phrase 'gilding the truffle' sprang to mind. I also thought the spiders had had more to say at the cinema, and that Legolas had taken more of a beating at laketown.

Anyone else seen both movie at the cinema and on blu/dvd care to share their experiences, feel any different second time round?

TheBigLegoski

^
Did your BluRay/DVD also come with a polybag? If so which one?

So it is out already on DVD/BluRay in the UK then?! I have not bought it yet, so I don't know.
ps.
Eager to get the 3D version.

legomatt

^ Oh, it was just a regular dvd bought at the supermarket by my dad (he wanted to watch the film). I just gave it a watch too.

I'm waiting for the special-edition-with-extra-dinosaurs version, but had i known he was looking, i would have suggested a lego poly edition... ;o).