New Ideas Set Is... Labyrinth Marble Maze

kooz

I am just so... underwhelmed. I'm sure it's a good model and a fun build. And yeah, points for being functional I guess, but blah. For me, this was the least exciting pick they could make.

Pitfall69

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

matticus_bricks

That seems to be rule with Ideas sets, unfortunately. The least iets always get picked. This one will probably be cool it's in own way, but there were other good choices too. Next review, they will probably pick Science Adventures. 

burnsider

Which would you have picked? I think some builders are getting overly ambitious with their builds.  Helicarrier, Flying Dutchman, and the Museum have almost no chance due to their size.  Jurrasic Park is already being done and the Goonies ship I don't think would sell well in stores.  I get BTTF and Ghostbusters because those were very popular in their time, but Goonies was more of kids cult film.

I thought the F7A Hornet would have a chance and it looks like it still does.  Lord of the Rings is so done, so it was not going to get picked.  The Piano could have been chosen, I bet it was third in the running.

Even though I don't care for the maze either, I get why they chose it over the rest.  Playability, easy build, no license needed, works with all ages.  I think that's a good winning formula for future projects.

Shib

To me it was the most original and interesting of the ideas. I liked the project showing the easy to change mazes and think its a pretty good brand fit. Whether or not i buy it will be down to price more than anything else.

leetshoe

I like the set but I am really disappointed that Jurassic Park lost. I really really hope Discworld gets selected for the next round.

Shib

1 afterthought on this review, I was actually expecting none of them to pass, especially with the queue of IDEAs sets that are now forming.

madforLEGO

Ideas is really going to keep a set between 19.99-49.99 USD (likely will go up to 19.99-59.99 USD for 'inflation' eventually). It will be something that all ages can enjoy, and is something relatively simple, and apparently more of a display case type set than an real interactive set. The maze is interesting, but considering its competition LEGO likely also choose it due to it being the most likely to be released between the price point above.
So Goonies can be as popular as as an iPod, but seeing how big that set was it was unlikely to fit their price range. Same with the others up for review.
It is the same reason why Ecto-1 was made and not Ecto-1 with the HQ building that someone did an excellent job on (not sure if it was the same guy or not that designed both)
I know people keep droning on about 'that is not how they choose'... yeah yeah, I think we see enough past ideas sets approved and declined to see some of their real parameters for how they decide. LEGO just will not do it becasue it may stop people from trying to show truly epic builds on Ideas.
What is interesting is that this is a non-minifig set that is meant to be truly interactive and not just a display piece.

BrickDancer

Worst Cuusoo/Ideas set to be chosen so far. But sorta symbolic considering it's #13 in the line-up. I'll treat it like hotels treat the 13th floor, as if it never existed. The only positive thing about it is that it's different and 'interactive'. Otherwise, i predict it will go down in flames or a giant belly flop.

But I blame it on the very poor selection of choices in this round. As others mentioned, the alternatives were way too large to ever be in realistic contention. Leaving only the Maze, Piano and Hornet as possible choices. Then the Piano guy so smartly disqualified his piece from eligibility for an immediate cash grab through the BL custom sets initiative. The greedy short sightedness costed him dearly this time and eliminated his chances to be immortalized in the Lego hall of fame. But looks like the Hornet still has a chance on the rebound.

However, the next round does have some great candidates that conform to parameters. The Douglas DC-3, Stingray, T-Rex, ISS, Zelda, Golden Girls, and Small Yellow as an underdog.

BACbrix

No Flying Dutchman? Awwww mannnn they could have done so much.

madforLEGO

BrickDancer said:

Worst Cuusoo/Ideas set to be chosen so far. But sorta symbolic considering it's #13 in the line-up. I'll treat it like hotels treat the 13th floor, as if it never existed. The only positive thing about it is that it's different and 'interactive'. Otherwise, i predict it will go down in flames or a giant belly flop.

But I blame it on the very poor selection of choices in this round. As others mentioned, the alternatives were way too large to ever be in realistic contention. Leaving only the Maze, Piano and Hornet as possible choices. Then the Piano guy so smartly disqualified his piece from eligibility for an immediate cash grab through the BL custom sets initiative. The greedy short sightedness costed him dearly this time and eliminated his chances to be immortalized in the Lego hall of fame. But looks like the Hornet still has a chance on the rebound.

However, the next round does have some great candidates that conform to parameters. The Douglas DC-3, Stingray, T-Rex, ISS, Zelda, Golden Girls, and Small Yellow as an underdog.

But here is the problem with the piano.. it is tiny. LEGO would likely not release such a tiny ideas set (cannot really charge at least 19.99USD for it). Even the Reasearch Institute had three vinettes. Now, if it were a three piece instrumental group then maybe, but I think it was too small. Leaving only the Hornet (which apparently is still in the running to be a set).

BrickDancer

^Agree with you, the piano was nice but to small as an independent set by itself. A harp, drum set, or other large instruments would have been nice to get it like the RI vignettes.

Ah well, the piano is easily Bricklinkable so it's definitely still within reach for most of us should we desire it enough to go through parts inventory and piece it together.

CCC

It certainly is different, it's interactive, it's customisable, it's an expensive version of that sort of toy the kids have in the wardrobe and never play.

TheLoneTensor

Look at it this way, Lego is doing a great job at preventing yet another $100+ set from enticing us.

madforLEGO

TheLoneTensor said:

Look at it this way, Lego is doing a great job at preventing yet another $100+ set from enticing us.

Yeah, unfortunately they are making too many 199.99 USD, or over, sets to entice us.

andhe

The big sets are just too much of a gamble and not what Ideas seems to be going for. I always thought these were meant to be 'gateway' sets, in that they tap into a market that perhaps hasn't bought lego before, and entices them in. Hence they need to be in a reasonable price range, not $100 sets. I can see maybe the plane or car passing next time.

Chubbles

I want that Goonies set so bad

fenderbender336

This one was a huge letdown  :/

legomatt

What, no Jareth minifigure!? Outrageous! ;)

vitreolum

This is definitely an interesting moc but as a set, I don't see much success here. First of all there's no display value here, so most collectors that buy sets for display will pass it up. As for playability, I really don't see many children/adults playing it more than a couple of times So paying probably EUR 50-60 for a game like this only to turn it into a parts pack a week later.... I think not.

i can't figure out which type of Lego consumers this set is aimed at.

Solarious

Ideas completionists?
if there is such a thing

SumoLego

There is such a thing.  (Although I'm still looking for a Shinkai.)

Aanchir

vitreolum said:

This is definitely an interesting moc but as a set, I don't see much success here. First of all there's no display value here, so most collectors that buy sets for display will pass it up. As for playability, I really don't see many children/adults playing it more than a couple of times So paying probably EUR 50-60 for a game like this only to turn it into a parts pack a week later.... I think not.

i can't figure out which type of Lego consumers this set is aimed at.

Mechanically-oriented kids and puzzle fanatics, naturally. And that's not even getting into the fact that one of the important functions of LEGO Ideas is breaking new ground and creating unprecedented products that draw new fans into the LEGO hobby. If all LEGO Ideas was about was creating products that fit into existing LEGO product ranges then it would be pretty pointless, because LEGO already releases as many sets in their existing product lines as they expect the market to bear, and investigates into lots of different ways to expand those product lines.

As for its display value, it may not look great on a shelf, but leave it on a coffee table and I guarantee that new visitors to the house will be intrigued and want to try it out for themselves. Some of my relatives have had "challenge" toys like this at their houses and I enjoyed playing with them every time I'd visit. The novelty of such a toy being made not from wood but from LEGO is a selling point in and of itself.

This project got 10,000 supporters, so obviously a lot of people liked the concept. I wish we'd stop treating every new Ideas project with so much skepticism. I remember people scoffing at the LEGO Minecraft project and how it'd never find an audience, how Minecraft fans wouldn't be interested in physical play, how Minecraft was just a fad that people would no longer be interested in by the time the set came out, how most people who supported the project would never put their money where their mouth is, etcetera. Needless to say, Minecraft's been one of the greatest LEGO Ideas success stories, flying off shelves and not only spinning off into a full series of "Micro-Worlds" but also an entire minifigure-scale play theme. After that, it's very difficult for me to take all the LEGO Ideas skepticism seriously.

I'm not saying this is ever going to be a craze on the level of Minecraft, of course, nor does it have to be. If becoming a craze on that level were a LEGO set's benchmark for success, I'm sure a lot of LEGO sets popular with AFOLs like Creator Expert trains or the LEGO Ideas Exo-Suit would never have seen the light of day.

SithLord196

I really don't understand all the hatred for the winner.

I actually can't wait to pick this set up. It looks like it would be fun to build, and as has been discussed, allows creativity to flow by being able to custom build your own mazes. Wasn't creativity the original purpose of Lego to begin with?

Plus, it's nice seeing something non-licensed make it. 

CCC

I'm not so sure this is unlicensed as such. The Swedish company BRIO first made it and introduced it to the US, where other manufacturers ripped off the design or BRIO didn't copyright it correctly, depending on who you believe.

So this is to BRIO what megabloks is to Lego.

SumoLego

^ I feel like this is a logic problem.

So what is megabloks to BRIO?

I think the solution is Lego is to Lego.

Bobflip

This is to BRIO what LEGO is to Kiddic... ah, dammit, I'm not doing that joke so soon after the last time.

MrShinyAndNew

CCC said:

I'm not so sure this is unlicensed as such. The Swedish company BRIO first made it and introduced it to the US, where other manufacturers ripped off the design or BRIO didn't copyright it correctly, depending on who you believe.

So this is to BRIO what megabloks is to Lego.

Copyright applies to artistic works such as novels, songs, movies, etc. Typically inventions like a marble maze can only be patented, not copyrighted. Lego can copyright the appearance of the minifig, and trademark it, but they can't copyright or trademark the appearance of the brick to prevent clones. There was a patent, but patents don't last very long. 

Maybe BRIO didn't patent the invention, and others copied it, but by now any patent they would have had would surely have expired. 

CCC

Yes, you're right, patent not copyright.

kooz

I suppose the marbles could be really cool.  I wouldn't mind having a LEGO branded marble.  Of course, we may just get the usual ball pieces (orange one used as a basketball in the Friends pool house and a purple one used as shooter thing from one of the aliens in Galaxy Squad).

CCC

I wonder if they will be sports balls or the very slightly larger zamor spheres.

Great ball contraption fans will love the former.

SumoLego

Smaller than a LotR palantir, but larger than the a soccer or basketball...

Aanchir

I love how the last three comments all identify the same piece (Ø16.5 ball, originally a Zamor Sphere from LEGO Bionicle) in completely different terms. Goes to show that how people think of a piece really does depend on where and when it really catches their attention.

Another option I contemplated today was the steel ball from Mindstorms EV3, but that's probably too big.

SumoLego

The Orb from Guardians of the Galaxy?

CCC

Aanchir said:

I love how the last three comments all identify the same piece (Ø16.5 ball, originally a Zamor Sphere from LEGO Bionicle) in completely different terms. Goes to show that how people think of a piece really does depend on where and when it really catches their attention.

I've never seen it in a Bionicle figure, but use that as it's the term used on BL. Even for the Palantir. "Bionicle Zamor Sphere with Marbled Medium Lime Pattern (Palantír)"

Shib

I figured the marble would just be the Zamor Sphere seeing as its still used ( http://brickset.com/parts/design-54821 ) There was a red one in the Darkseid Invasion set from the beginning of the year. I assume that these are the same size as the marbled ones used for some of the last Chima Speedors too, but as they are multicoloured they are listed as a different part.

I believe that the orb from GotG wasn't a perfect sphere so wouldn't be of any use (http://brickset.com/sets/containing-part-6082975)

Any of the sport balls are possible too. I wouldn't have thought that a steel ball would be appropriate for risk of damaging the plastic elements, although I've never handled one of those from the Mindstorms set so couldn't say for sure.

I'm curious to see how the instructions deal with own maze design, I'm hoping that they show a couple of easy changes to push people towards making their own.

legomatt

Shib said:

I'm curious to see how the instructions deal with own maze design, I'm hoping that they show a couple of easy changes to push people towards making their own.

This for me too. If it's just a single 'wysiwyg' build, i'm likely to just appreciate the designer's ingenuity from afar. 
Whereas if the instruction booklet (or a second booklet) contained a separate, inspirational, 'how to' guide, detailing examples of various additional techniques with which to vary and expand on the basic design to make more complex mazes of varying size/design, then it might actually sneak onto my radar.

Shib

^I hope they at the very least have the easy to change function that was in the original and demonstrate that as a way of having different designs