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Kingdoms Theme Disappeared

zenparticlezenparticle Member Posts: 38
edited December 2011 in Collecting
Just surfed over to the Lego shop and noticed that under 'Themes', Kingdoms is no longer present. Am I missing something? I know that there was speculation that the theme would end. Could it be?
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Comments

  • jadeirenejadeirene Member Posts: 474
    It's still showing up for me. I'm on the US site.
  • dimefielddimefield Member Posts: 314
    Ive certainly noticed that the Kingdoms line had been disappearing from shelves. Just a few random sets left at TRU and Zellers. Glad i got em all already (and a few bonus towers)
  • zenparticlezenparticle Member Posts: 38
    It's still showing up for me. I'm on the US site.
    Interesting. I am also on the US site. That's really odd. Did a refresh on the page and it's still not there. I did a search for Kingdoms, and it came up with the sets, but they all show 'sold out'. Maybe it just doesn't like me. Good thing I have them all already...minus the joust that is. That will be purchased very soon.
  • jadeirenejadeirene Member Posts: 474
    Oh, it's all showing up as sold out for me as well. I thought you meant that the entire Kingdoms theme was not showing up at all. I'm pretty sure that all the sets except for the Joust will be gone for good.
  • dimefielddimefield Member Posts: 314
    Still on the Canadian site but all sets show as sold out.
  • zenparticlezenparticle Member Posts: 38
    I guess it is time to start watching the brick and mortar stores (no pun intended) for Kingdoms sets that might still be on shelves. Time to start looking for another theme to collect since the castle theme seems to be out of favor with a lot of people.
  • dimefielddimefield Member Posts: 314
    I bought it because i always wanted one as a kid but would be less likely to buy another complete line of castle. But Lego has a way of always sucking you in.
  • krklintkrklint Member Posts: 502
    still don't know why this theme seems to have failed. I quite enjoyed it too! guess my tastes don't match up... wouldn't be the first time :/
  • OdinduskOdindusk Member Posts: 763
    About half of the sets in the theme felt terribly bland and uninspired to me. But I loved a couple of them (Mill Village Raid, etc). Obviously this is always a subjective case, and previous castle themes have just been better to me.

    Perhaps going from fantasy era back to plain 'ol good soldiers vs bad soldiers just wasn't interesting enough for the populace?
  • coolpixcoolpix Member Posts: 357
    I liked not having any fantasy elements to it, and that it was good guys x bad guys. I did not liked Castle much. I came out of the dark ages and Castle was on the shelves, but nothing inspired me. When Kingdoms came out I got really excited, and start collecting. For the smaller packs, like the Carriage rescue and the 2 knights pack, I have like 6 or seven of each, plus 12 polybags not to mention the bigger sets from the first year, and everything together in a battle looks really cool. I am missing the King's castle and all 2011 sets though... better start buying them now!
  • andheandhe Member Posts: 3,943
    Nothing has been announced other than the 'Joust Exclusive' which at the time did feel like a final goodbye, a big set to appease the fans.

    I got into Castle with the previous fantasy sets (Dwarves, trolls etc) and did find the new Kingdoms stuff a bit bland (or just rehashes of previous sets, but without the excitement of dwarves or trolls!). The Village raid was a step in the right direction, but probably would have been such a draw without new figs/animals.

    (The following I mentioned in another thread) I wouldn't take it as a confirmation of Kingdoms continuing, but according to this Twitter chat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebrick ... ng-in-2012
    the castle line will continue at least, alongside LOTR (I know, its desperate times when one relies on Twitter for information).

    I may be reading too much into it, but the reply about Lego Kingdoms said CASTLE would continue (this could mean the conflict based Kingdoms them is dumped, but a different Castle them takes its place). LEGO have always said Castle (along with Space and City) were their core themes.

    I could see a world where LOTR and castle sets are both being sold, similar to the Star Wars and Space Police situation. With the LOTR theme for fans and older builders, and the lego line for younger consumers, perhaps with a lighter, less conflict based feel.
  • luckyrussluckyruss Member Posts: 872
    I see a lot of similarities to pirates - they brought back one series for a year, finished with the IF, and then retired it to make way for PotC.

    Kingdoms is likewise for LOTR, again with a set like the Joust being a final hurrah. If you look at how a set like Helm's Deep may be put together, it looks just like a castle / fantasy theme.

    That's not to say they won't bring the themes back later, but I can see Kingdoms/Castle etc suspended for the next year or two whilst LOTR is launched.

    However, I hadn't spotted they'd removed the theme from the website.
  • CoolsplashCoolsplash Member Posts: 935
    For me, the Fantasy Era was the Best in recent themes. Kingdoms kinda disappointed me so that's why I did not go for the last wave of the sets. I hope LEGO LOTR would be much much better.
  • fyrmedhattfyrmedhatt Member Posts: 128
    This line has been a great success for Lego, just notice how all the sets have been sold out from Lego without them going on sale, usually there's some holdouts, or "stinkers" that go 50% off or more.

    Personally I've bought all the sets and I love most of them, they are very reminiscent of the great castle themes of the 80's and early 90's, with a mixture of civilian and warrior sets and it has great minifigures.

    It makes perfect sense that lego retires the line now that LoTR is coming, they don't want unnecessary competition for the sets, but I'm pretty sure if loTR is to flop (not very likely as long as the sets are interesting enough) Lego will create a new and cool castle line that will be equally successful to the Kingdoms and Castle lines.
  • lady_brickerlady_bricker Member Posts: 16
    LEGO group tweeted this morning that LOTR did not mean the end of the kingdoms line and "castle will continue in 2012"
  • andheandhe Member Posts: 3,943
    I hadn't realised my link was cut off.
    http://www.brickshow.com/more-lego-kingdoms-sets-coming-in-2012?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+thebrickshow+(The+Brick+Show)
  • MCNwakeboardMCNwakeboard Member Posts: 320
    I could take "castle will continue in 2012" a couple different ways- "sets will continue to sell" (Kingdom's Joust) or "castle theme will continue with new sets to be released"
  • sonsofscevasonsofsceva Member Posts: 542
    IMHO, the Kingdoms sets were stand-in for LOTR. If you follow movie stuff, there was an unexpected tussle for a couple of years in court, etc. over rights to make The Hobbit. I think LEGO was at the point of a deal with WB for this and pulled the Fantasy Era sets, but then were stuck when the lawsuits began. Therefore, they pushed up a filler schedule with Kingdoms, which turned out to be very interesting (even if certain carriages were grossly overpriced). As much as I look forward to LOTR, I will miss the Kingdoms line and hope they keep a thread of sets going, at least.
  • avoiceoreasonavoiceoreason Member Posts: 224
    ^^ Interesting take. Maybe some truth in that.

    FWIW, I was in Target today and they had the 7949 Prison Carriage Rescue on clearance for $5.48. They had five on the shelf, and I didn't buy any (maybe just to justify to myself that I don't actually have an addiction). All other Kingdoms sets seemed to still be MSRP.

    As far as the "castle will continue" tweet, they could simply be referring to the Joust set and all others will be gone.
  • DavidBrickleyDavidBrickley Member Posts: 369
    Well, addiction or not, it's a nice little set to have a few extras of, expecially at that price. This older set hasn't been on the shelves of any of my local targets since last summer when they did a mid-year clearance.
  • johnsbricksjohnsbricks Member Posts: 210
    Are the summer 2011 kingdoms sets discontinued or just sold out?....seems a very short shelf life if discontinued...
  • richoricho Member Posts: 3,830
    where has the Mill Village Raid gone?
  • Si_UKNZSi_UKNZ Member Posts: 4,179
    ^ oh yes, good spot! It's gone!
  • ErnstErnst Member Posts: 133
    edited January 2012
    If you check out Dutch region even the most recent sets are gone only the old Kingdom sets 7946 - 7950 show, even the expected Joust does not show ?? The latest sets from 2011 don't, although they are still available in all toyshops and the more popular online shops. A bit strange when LOTR sets are still not expected until june.
  • brickupdatebrickupdate Member Posts: 1,020
    My local TRU got a brand new batch of Mill Village Raids, and I remember someone else on this forum mentioned the same thing. My gut is that LEGO will just go through their remaining merchandise in the next few months, and let the theme quietly go on hiatus while Lord of the Rings takes over. Who knows, Kingdoms may be back once LotR goes away.
  • LegoboyLegoboy Member Posts: 8,827
    ^ Exactly what I was thinking. No doubt in my mind that Kingdoms has gone....for now anyway. The Hobbit is now due for release in December 2012. If the LotR theme starts in June 2012 and runs for its usual 18 months or so, that will give it a year or so after the release of movie in the theatre and subsequent dvd release to milk it.....after which the Kingdoms theme can then continue. We never know, it might be a term of the LotR license that Kingdoms don't run concurrently?
  • YellowcastleYellowcastle Administrator, Moderator Posts: 5,234
    @flump6523 - There are 2 Hobbit movies so the license will run for longer than 18 months. And I agree with @sonsofsceva in that the legal wranglings over the Hobbit probably forced TLG to do find a temporary, i.e. bland, fill-in until the dates could be sewn up.
  • LegoboyLegoboy Member Posts: 8,827
    Re two films. Forgot that - thanks.
  • Farmer_JohnFarmer_John Member Posts: 2,405
    I really liked Castle series with the trolls Et. Al. from a few years ago, and thought newer Kingdoms sets were kind of a repeat of those. However, the newer sets kind of grew on me so I grabbed a King's Castle before it sold out. I especially liked the MVR (which wasn't out nearly long enough) and picked up two on sale before they were gone. These sets do dovetail well into LOTRs, but I agree with others in that Kingdoms/Castle should stay around at some level of production.
  • StuBoyStuBoy Member Posts: 623
    Contrary to what most think about Kingdoms, I really like it, more then Fantasy Era. While I liked the trolls and orcs, the skeletons were a bit silly IMO. I liked where the Kingdoms theme was heading, with MVR and Joust, and also MMV, with more civilians. I was hanging out for a proper Dragon castle too.
  • IstokgIstokg Member Posts: 2,363
    The Castle line has been out in one flavor or another since 1978. I don't seen it going away... just morphing into different "subsystems"... several flavors of pirates, forestmen, regular castle, and fantasy castle, to name a few... TLG never seems to let a line of any system stay the same too long... there's always newer versions coming out... some licensed, others not.
  • StuBoyStuBoy Member Posts: 623
    ^Thats true, but the Kingdoms line in particular has been very short, similar to the pre-POTC Pirates line. Looking back on the sets available in my childhood (around 1990), they seemed to slowly morph into other themes, not completely change. I'm thinking Lion Knights, Black Knights, with the Black Falcons as the common enemy (or common good-guys, depending on your interpretation).
  • CoolsplashCoolsplash Member Posts: 935
    I think TLG will keep evolving the Castle theme, and when LOTR is released, the people who have collected all the Kingdoms set will be able to merge it all together. So much Kingdoms discussion is making me feel like starting to buy the sets missing in my collection :P
  • IstokgIstokg Member Posts: 2,363
    StuBoy.... true that it was very short lived... reminds me of the Forestmen's sets of 1988-90.
  • MatthewMatthew Administrator Posts: 3,714
    edited January 2012
    What about this then?
    image
  • bluemoosebluemoose Member Posts: 1,716
    ^ "Kingdoms Joust"?
    In my Brand Store, all the 2011 Kingdoms sets went in the sale on 26th Dec & sold out within a day or two (everything except the King's Carriage Ambush sold out within an hour or two). The shelf space they were occupying has been reallocated to other themes.
  • roxioroxio Member Posts: 1,384
    note how response says castle when the question was kingdoms ?
    Maybe Lego is classing LOTR as a castle subtheme......
  • ErnstErnst Member Posts: 133
    I read it too and agree with roxio, I think LEGO will classify LOTR as a Castle sub-theme. So hopefully Lego will restart Kingdoms in 2013 or when LOTR is finished.
  • richoricho Member Posts: 3,830
    Glad I got my online order of King's Carriage Ambush from the Entertainer today for £23.50. It seems to me that a lot of these sets will have very short shelf lives, as even when it comes back, surely it will be new sets.

  • MatthewMatthew Administrator Posts: 3,714
    edited January 2012
    The question is 'Does LoTR mean no 2012 Kingdoms' and the answer states 'No', leaving aside the fact that it says Castle. I think we are likely to get some more Kingdoms for summer release. Anyway, we'll see for definite within a couple of weeks, at the toy fairs. Are you going this year @Huw?
  • dougtsdougts Member Posts: 4,110
    considering we've seen online picture leaks of pretty much every theme BUT castle for the summer waves, I'm not optimistic
  • Rainstorm26Rainstorm26 Member Posts: 1,013
    ^Same goes for Alien Conquest.
  • yys4uyys4u Member Posts: 1,093
    So is there a general consensus about Kingdoms being gone for the time being? As in, you cant find the sets in stores? I was at target today and didn't see anything on the shelves, and I know [email protected] is sold out. Are these still on the shelves at LEGO stores and TRU?

    I missed out on the Bricktober sale for Kings Castle and After Christmas clearance on the Kings Carriage Ambush so I want to know if I should swoop these immediately if I find them for RRP at any such store or if the current sets will still be around but no new sets to follow?
  • YellowcastleYellowcastle Administrator, Moderator Posts: 5,234
    They're still readily available at TRU and B&N...
  • dimefielddimefield Member Posts: 314
    In Canada (Edmonton) they are gone completely, TRU, Walmart and Zellers.
  • Si_UKNZSi_UKNZ Member Posts: 4,179
    MVR is now gone from almost all UK retailers, just a few stragglers left. Looks like it might be leaving us for good now.
  • MinifigsMeMinifigsMe Member Posts: 2,844
    Still can't believe I don't have spares of these - sure fire winner for resale. I didn't even get the ones that were on sale on lego.com. Gonna regret it aren't I? At least I got the kings castle for myself :) (thanks pixmania and your weirdness)
  • StuBoyStuBoy Member Posts: 623
    I debated with myself for ages today but didn't end up getting another MVR for 30% off. (Still $105NZ after discount!) I'm starting to regret it, but am hoping there will be more sales, as there were quite a few still in stock.

    I'm gutted that this line is getting cut off so quick. I'm hoping there will be other releases other than Joust this year, but with LOTR looming up I'm not too hopeful.
  • MatthewMatthew Administrator Posts: 3,714
    I only have a couple, and I'd like them all + multiples! I'm trying to kid myself that they'll be around a little longer (this is the shortest shelf life I've ever seen for LEGO), but I doubt I'll manage to find them all at retail, never mind discount now :(
  • johnsbricksjohnsbricks Member Posts: 210
    i wrote to lego.com and they said Kings castle is definitely gone but when I asked about some of the others they gave a vague reply about being sold out doesnt necessarily mean discontinued and that it is possible to put on back order....I note that the castle has gone from [email protected] but some of the other kingdoms stuff is still there but sold out....
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