Second 2018 LEGO Ideas review qualifiers

Astrobricks

I looked but didn’t see this posted anywhere yet. Many of you will have got the email announcement.
https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/5c052641-e6d8-40ee-8d06-0fcefb508963
I don’t feel like any of these have a strong chance. I’d love to see the Rolls Royce jet engine, but I imagine it’s too big. Given how recent the Saturn V is, I doubt the space ones would get made.

Fodder

I’d probably only seriously consider the ISS or Friends...

Bumblepants

It would be kinda weird having Friends when they already have a product line with the same name. I find the Space X projects too similar to the Saturn V and not as significant.

CCC

I feel similar:

3x space sets - we've had the Rover, Saturn V, NASA women, do we need another one? I guess they sell as they keep doing them, but if so, why not just turn "real" space into an in-house range?

Steamboat Willy - It is OK as a minifig but the boat isn't great. I don't think I'd buy it.

M+Ms - no chance, unless they start making the bricks out of food grade plastics. 

Rolls Royce - looks boring to make. And boring to display.

Speed Champions - well, it is Speed Champions, overlaps with LEGO's own range.

Fiat 500 - It is OK, but a bit blocky. Not really of interest to me.

Friends - It is similar to The Big Bang Theory set. But it is still popular especially with women so probably the most likely to be made, expands sales into non-LEGO fans. For fun, why not make it with minidolls! Friends Friends figures.

Mexico City - this is an architecture set, overlaps with LEGO's own range.

Aleydita

The ISS and Steamboat Willie stand a good chance imo, the former due to recent successes with space-themed sets, and the latter because the Disney license is already 'in-house' as it were. Disney might see value in having that sat on the Disney Store shelves.

Friends doesn't stand a chance because of recent high-profile criticism of the show regards homophobia, racism, sexism etc. A shame, because I could imagine a shelf full of nice TV show dioramas.

Addicted2Oxygen

ISS seems most likely. Already have license with NASA, sets are popular. But as other countries involved licensing may be complex. 

Friends is the next likely, will depend on licensing. Hits the adult nostalgia button. 

Steamboat I would be very surprised about. Is Disney really going to share profits with the designer on its most iconic figure. We may see a similar set, but it won’t be an ideas set. 

And the rest, too similar to existing themes and sets or just not interesting enough. 

CCC

Addicted2Oxygen said:

ISS seems most likely. Already have license with NASA, sets are popular.

I wonder what their licensing deal is there, as on IDEAS they do not restrict further submissions based on NASA type ideas but only the program/mission. I wonder if NASA licenses on a per mission basis.

'For ideas related to NASA, we consider the property to be the specific program or mission. For example, we will no longer consider product ideas related to the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover, or the Apollo program as potential LEGO Ideas sets.'

Switchfoot55

As a self-professed Disney nut, I'd love to see the Steamboat Willie made. However, for reasons stated above, I think it's unlikely to be selected. Other than that, I think most of the rest would be a pass for me. 

pharmjod

My prediction is none of these pass the review stage. Which would be fine with me. 

Fauch

so there was really nothing better worth 10000 votes?

Mr_Cross

Some things that get voted for aren't necessarily good things.

Shib

Aleydita said:

Friends doesn't stand a chance because of recent high-profile criticism of the show regards homophobia, racism, sexism etc. A shame, because I could imagine a shelf full of nice TV show dioramas.

I was watching Friends the other day on Netflix (read stuck it on for background noise while doing something else) and was actually quite shocked at how frequently there were comments along the lines of "how gay are you?" made in defamatory ways.

The Friends Ideas submission looks an absolute mess to me, I've seen much better models of the same thing, and it really bothers me that dispite being a digital render the creator has done all yellow faces and one fleshie.

I could imagine Steamboat Willie passing but I'd imagine the boat would need major redesign if it did. 

The space stuff is anyone's guess, although if space stuff keeps getting through review you have to ask what's the point of it being Ideas and not a full theme. 

The M&Ms dispenser I'd imagine would have had a better chance if it was just called Candy Dispenser - I can't imagine LEGO packaging the set with M&Ms included, and people will likely get annoyed if it doesn't come with any included. 

But all speculation at this point is a long way off the final decision anyway. 

CCC

Shib said:

The Friends Ideas submission looks an absolute mess to me, I've seen much better models of the same thing, and it really bothers me that dispite being a digital render the creator has done all yellow faces and one fleshie.

Similar with the care taken about the parts used. It looks like they just chose random plates for the "floor" and this extends outside the building for no other reason than the build doesn't fit on it and there is wasted space. A better model would have either (i) used more appropriate plates to fit the building exactly, (ii) enlarged the building to fit the floor footprint, or (iii) used this space creatively, for a side walk or better exterior for the building.

As a set, it looks too large anyway. It appears that the designer had lots of ideas and wanted to get everything in, rather than design a more feasible set (like BBT is).

MrJackson

I don't think any of these will get put into production.  The only ones I would think even have a chance are the ISS and Steamboat Willy, but I agree with the notion that if they were to do the ISS, why not just make Space a theme. I also don't think Steamboat Willy would necessarily sell well; despite the Mouse Army that blindly does any and all Disney, I don't think it has enough nostalgic pull or current relevance to sell well.

I think Ideas has to be more careful overall, as they've had pretty bipolar results: even though the Saturn V and Fishing Store flying off shelves, once the initial run on Women of Nasa subsided, there were plenty that just sat on the shelves for weeks upon weeks on end.  And don't get me started on Adventure Time or the Maze. 

I also think Friends is too similar to BBT, except its a 20+ year old tv show and not a current pop culture megalith. And it's an overrated one at that - I watch the occasional rerun and am not any more of a fan now than when the show was on in the 90s. I'll take Seinfeld any day over Friends. 

I just don't understand how these were the selections that made it to the 10k threshold. 

BrickByBrick

I'd like to see steamboat Willie made, but I'd imagine they'd have to redesign the boat a bit. As a cheap set I'd probably buy it for the figure.

stet

The only one that I would buy is the ISS but I just don't see them making it.

RogerKirk

Steamboat Willie and the ISS are surely the most likely. I would likely buy both of these, but likely to get any of the others if they are made.

I like the idea of a sweet dispenser. But given the sweets that would fit in it are roughly small Lego brick sized and equally brightly coloured, the choking hazard that creates will rule the idea out.

pharmjod

MrJackson said:

And don't get me started on Adventure Time or the Maze.  

The maze and sets like it are practically the reason LEGO ideas exists in the first place. There are very few sets in that theme that capture the versatility of the medium better than the maze. That's just my opinion of course, but I think JK Brickworks is producing some of the most creative designs out there right now. I agree about adventure Time though.

MrJackson

Don't get me wrong, the maze, and JK's stuff in general, is pretty cool.  However, the maze lost its appeal pretty quickly, and I fear it will be the same with the pop-up book. I'd much rather see one of their perpetual motion sets become available. I can't tell you how long the Maze and Adventure Time sat on the shelf in the back.  I still think the best Ideas set is Birds.  Helps that our employee gift that year for the holidays was a birds set so maybe I'm biased.

Bobflip

Not fussed by any of these but a mate of mine works in the bit of Rolls Royce that makes those engines, so I'm going to send him that pic!

Might be up for buying that Blackbird if that gets approved though!

The_Rancor

Not many people are talking about it because it's quite a decent, non-offensive and yes somewhat blocky design, but I would buy a slightly amended version of the Fiat 500 model. The Caterham went through quite a few iterations before the final retail one, so I wouldn't rule out the contours getting even better. It's a little larger than the Aston Martin so more flexibility in parts usage should mean not too square.

But let's put it this way - I would not miss any of these sets if they didn't pass.

I got really excited when I saw that LHC model a few reviews ago - hope they revive it but extremely unlikely at this point.

dannyrww

I don't think Friends will happen. The Gilmore Girls set was much nicer, even just as a nice scene diorama. It also got 10,000 votes much quicker than the Friends set. I really don't think it will pass, but if it does I hope we see a great design improvement on the finalized set.