The Ghostbusters set passed the Cuusoo Review

CCC

I think the model is nice, and will probably buy it. It will probably sell well too. But it is a bit sad that it is yet another 80s film made into a set via cuusoo. I hope the trend doesn't continue. It's nice to get some truly new ideas via cuusoo.

Aleydita

I wasn't really that tempted by the BTTF one but I'm looking forward to this. Reminding me it's 30 years since Ghostbusters was a bit below the belt though. Next you'll be telling me it's 30 years since the original Terminator.

JP3804

^ Give it a few years and they will have to remind you what you had for breakfast in the morning! You will remember everything you did 40 years ago. ;-)

jediami65

Nice set: yes the HQ would have been a nice addition but it looks like a simple enough MOC or as has been said in previous post the FB can fill in though I think it may need modification since the Ecto-1 maybe wider than the firetruck.

LostInTranslation

We need to ask @DrDaveWatford for his LDD file :-)
http://gimmelego.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/spook-central.html?m=1

TheLoneTensor

CCC said:

I think the model is nice, and will probably buy it. It will probably sell well too. But it is a bit sad that it is yet another 80s film made into a set via cuusoo. I hope the trend doesn't continue. It's nice to get some truly new ideas via cuusoo.

This may be true, but when you have an established fan base like BTTF and GB has, and the theme is relatively family friendly and enduring for decades, it's a good target. Oz is another property that sits perfectly along these lines (I think it was a casualty of either licensing or the fact that Cuusoo will not release more than one set per session). Star Wars is the ultimate expression of this, because here we are with our kids, still getting excitement from it when new OT sets are released, even though it's a ~35 year old reference point. Things released in the 00's, or even 90's don't necessarily have that multi-generational appeal going for them.

richo

CCC said:

I think the model is nice, and will probably buy it. It will probably sell well too. But it is a bit sad that it is yet another 80s film made into a set via cuusoo. I hope the trend doesn't continue. It's nice to get some truly new ideas via cuusoo.

what's wrong with the 80s? For me, modern films are showing an increasing slavishness to 3D over embellishment at the expense of good story telling. Most of my favourite films are a good few decades old...

CCC

Yes, I agree. I just don't think that is what cuusoo is for. Lego now know there is a fan base for 80s films. I wonder if they will bring any more one off sets out without needing to be prompted by cuusoo.

cody6268

Let's just hope that they don't ruin the Ecto-1 like they did the Time Machine.

luckie_reubs

margot said:

So awesome!!! And I'm really glad they might still make the female mini fig sets.

Agreed; it would be cool to have those for our kiddos.

legomatt

CCC said:

I just don't think that is what cuusoo is for. Lego now know there is a fan base for 80s films. I wonder if they will bring any more one off sets out without needing to be prompted by cuusoo.

I agree. If lego want to pursue one-off licensed sets (that they're able to obtain), then just do them if the license isn't a problem. They certainly don't require 10,000 votes to tell us they're popular.

Those wider pre-existing fanbases are largely guaranteed, and are probably what TLG is appealing to anyway in order to attract new custom and publicity. Decision to green light these sets is probably more to do with being risk-averse (an easy sell to existing fans), and in some ways is a kop out for the cuusoo program.

Now i love my licenses as much as anyone, and if GBers was doable, they could've just done it without 'using up' that precious public voting slot. I'd like to see Cuusoo used to gauge interest in original sets that TLG would never make because of the risk. In my mind, if cuusoo isn't used to produce something new and original with each release, they've bottled it (choked), and will never learn just how popular something that appeared risky might actually be.

CapnRex101

I think the UCS Sandcrawler is a perfect example of what is wrong with Cuusoo. LEGO spot that the Sandcrawler is clearly a popular idea, and naturally reject it before coming out with their own version a year or so later. A bit too much of a coincidence I think...

It is far from difficult for LEGO to simply spot a popular idea and then proceed to design it themselves, thereby negating any production issues or having to pay a cut to the initial submitter of the project.

klatu003

Ecto-1 plus Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston. Hope it will fit in the #10197. Also, I will apply the stickers!

While the guys are looking at the girl - I'm always enraptured by these storage cabinets.

LegoFanTexas

legomatt said:

Now i love my licenses as much as anyone, and if GBers was doable, they could've just done it without 'using up' that precious public voting slot. I'd like to see Cuusoo used to gauge interest in original sets that TLG would never make because of the risk. In my mind, if cuusoo isn't used to produce something new and original with each release, they've bottled it (choked), and will never learn just how popular something that appeared risky might actually be.

Modular Western Town is a perfect example of this... That should have been made, it was a beautiful example of a Western Town, and frankly, the average age of fans of old Westerns is now, well, AFOL age.

This group has money, they can afford a $200 Western Town modular set. Young kids today don't play cowboys and Indians anymore, that is one reason TLR flopped.

cheshirecat

I disagree, if not for cuusso we wouldn't have had BTTF or GB. A single set will sell but isn't worth the time / risk on an old license, for either Lego or the IP holder. Could they do a whole series for either? Questionable imo.

Western modular would be great but with the TLR license they couldn't. They seem to be really pumping out the big sets now and pushing them beyond the creator range, that's great but I can understand why they do so tentatively. I suspect the western modular was perhaps a year or two too early. Out of interest what else was in the western modular review?

Legoboy

CapnRex101 said:

I think the UCS Sandcrawler is a perfect example oCuusoo. LEGO spot that the Sandcrawler is clearly a popular idea, and naturally reject it before coming out with their own version a year or so later. A bit too much of a coincidence I think...

Cuusoo probably rejected it in their mind the second it was submitted but felt compelled to let it go through the motions. It wouldn't surprise me if the official UCS Sandcrawler was at conceptual design stage months before (perhaps even longer) the MOC was published in Cuusoo. Perhaps TLG already have their list of 'must have' UCS models already lined up for years.

richo

Legoboy said:

CapnRex101 said:

I think the UCS Sandcrawler is a perfect example oCuusoo. LEGO spot that the Sandcrawler is clearly a popular idea, and naturally reject it before coming out with their own version a year or so later. A bit too much of a coincidence I think...

It wouldn't surprise me if the official UCS Sandcrawler was at conceptual design stage months before (perhaps even longer) the MOC was published in Cuusoo. TLG perhaps already have their list of 'must have' UCS models already lined up for years.

Agreed, I would be very surprised if Lego didn't have at least a three year plan on product stream, with some manoeuvrability for licences/films.

legomatt

cheshirecat said:

if not for cuusso we wouldn't have had BTTF or GB. A single set will sell but isn't worth the time / risk on an old license, for either Lego or the IP holder.

That's true (the first bit), and I'm glad TLG have opened their eyes to these popular IP's. But not having them would just have been the fault of TLG for being on another planet these past 40 years if they didn't already know these were popular IPs.

The point i wanted to make is simply that popular IP's don't need cuusoo to inform TLG what a popular IP is. But we do need cuusoo to gauge the demand for/popularity of original ideas. Existing fanbases will guarantee sales for these occasional IP one-offs.

When I said they can 'just do them' I simply meant produce these one-off single sets, they don't need 10000 votes to tell them what's popular (but it steals the slot from genuine original builds). (Though i believe you do still need a license agreement to produce even one set).

Example: I don't need 10,000 cuusoo votes to tell me a Star Trek USS Enterprise would do well. I do need cuusoo to showcase Tommy Atkins' Nebulova-9 Star Base build.

cheshirecat

But I'm not sure they would want to do these one off sets if they weren't part of cuusso. We don't know how many BTTF sets have sold after all, but they have been available reduced. Is it worth the effort of arranging a license for a one off set that's taking up a production slot and shelf space? (I'm assuming the license % will be higher for a one off than a whole theme too.) If it became part of a theme 'classic movies' or something similar to architecture then perhaps but otherwise I doubt it.

But irrespective, the fans asked and the fans got - and it was even fairly novel. Sure if every other cuusso set is a 30 year old film ip (or video game up) then it will get boring , but still might be successful. For my money the GB set was the pick of the bunch, has wide appeal and met a price point. As they showed with curiosity they're more than happy to go with what might be more pure cuusso but they just need to be the best of the bunch.

legomatt

^ Oh, I agree. It's very likely that cuusoo prompted TLG to have a bash at these one-off licensed sets. (Whether its worth their time and effort to chase IP's for one-offs or not, I have no idea. TLG seem happy to do it).

But as said, I just think it's the risk-averse option due to the existing fanbase and instantly recognisable IPs.

Presented with a bunch of fan-voted originals (and no clue how to market them or why they even popular) alongside something based on an IP (and their hordes of fans driving the votes up), the IP (if attainable) becomes the easy option.

I'm not against IP's (I love them), but I'd much prefer to see votes for IP's considered separately from original designs, so that originals aren't pushed aside to 'play safe'.

scottwb2010

Nice to see that this was the winner. It is a shame there won't be the GBHQ to go with it, as I would have liked that to use it is original function of a Fire Station, but fortunatley Ive been in the process of building my own one for the last while. Due to the width of the vehicle, I don't think it would fit through the bay door of the modular Fire Brigade 10197. Length may also be a problem so a bit of moding would be required by those wanting to use that for a temporary GBHQ.
Hopefully the female minifigs will get develped too.