Another 10 Years of Star Wars LEGO

atkinsar

In all the hubbub surrounding the New Tork Toy Fair, the announcement that LEGO and Lucasfilm have renewed the SW licence for a further 10 years seems to have slipped under the radar (link to FBTB here):

Personally, I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Legoboy

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

LostInTranslation

^^Depends on if you're still aiming for 100% Star Wars theme :)

LostInTranslation

I think it will mean more rehashes and obscure Clone Wars stuff.
If it meant, for example, massive Ewok village, new Cloud City, Theed palace, I'd be happy. But it won't. So mostly *sob, sob, sob*

Matthew

Well I'm going to cry - no more HP (even though Pottermore and 2 more Wizarding Worlds are still on their way), but SW remakes for me to 'spend' my (non existent) money on :-(

atkinsar

^^^ It's a kind of underlying goal, but I'm not making it my obsession. If it happens it happens, but I won't be shelling out stupid money to make it happen at this stage in my life (I like to call it 'the broke age').

^^ There's a lot scope in 10 years of SW licence, it will certainly mean more clone wars stuff, but I'm also certain it will mean more OT sets too. It *may* even take in some new SW films too, I know Lucas has said it won't happen, but money talks in Hollywood and if you've got a franchise that is a guaranteed draw, why wouldn't they make more.

richo

hmm, I love Star Wars, but something about a break from the licence did appeal to me. We already must have 8 or 9 Ties & X-Wings in various forms.

Still the new Jabba's Palace looks great, so let's see.

rasmustali

The EU of star wars is growing rapidly and there is a plan to make star wars live action series. If lego creators them selves do not get sick of star wars there should be no lack of awsomeness during the next 10 years as there is whole universe of sets and characters to be created.

Jabba_the_Taff

Plenty of OT still to make/remake. There's still the chance of the live-action TV series. And part of me thinks there may be a reboot once the 3Ds are completed.

AvengerDr

Well now there are no excuses not to release a UCS Mon Calamari Cruiser and a UCS Nebula Class Frigate :)

andhe

There was recent talk of a Bounty-hunter themed live-action TV show, whether it will see the light of day is another thing. Though who wouldn't want to see a Jango the Bounty Hunter fly-on-the-wall 'reality' series? :P

atkinsar

^ last I heard, scripts were written but they had no idea how they were going to be able to afford to produce it, so it's been shelved, for now at least.

Supersympa

that comfort me in my decision to let go all my Star Wars clone and episode 1, 2 and 3 and focus only on episode 4-6....

vwong19

Great! I will wait patiently for Jabba's Sail Barge and all those pre-06 sets redone.

prof1515

Now we'll all get that fifth snowspeeder, fifth X-wing, fourth A-wing, fourth Slave-1 and sixth (at least) speeder bike that we've always not wanted.

The EU of star wars is growing rapidly and there is a plan to make star wars live action series. If lego creators them selves do not get sick of star wars there should be no lack of awsomeness during the next 10 years as there is whole universe of sets and characters to be created.

Lucas recently said he was finished with Star Wars, citing the criticisms of the prequels. Red Tails is his last big feature and then he says he wants to turn his attention toward smaller art films. As for the live-action series...

^ last I heard, scripts were written but they had no idea how they were going to be able to afford to produce it, so it's been shelved, for now at least.

That's likely just an excuse for "we can't get anyone to bite on the idea of spending a lot of money on a shallow TV show that will be lucky to get 13 episodes before it's axed." Given the increasingly inexpensive nature of CGI and Lucas' extensive use of in the prequels, it's hard to believe that cost is the real factor. A show about cardboard (even by Stars Wars' low character standards) second-rate characters isn't likely to have any appeal to a general audience to whom Boba Fett is just "the guy with the jetpack". If shows with a lot more depth like Firefly can't get a full season, something with Star Wars bounty hunters would be lucky to even get a pilot.

y2josh

^To be fair, Firefly getting canned had just as much (if not more) to do with Fox's mismanagement of the series as it did with the show's own shortcomings.

And while I can sort of see where you're coming from insofar as Star Wars is concerned, your posts often come across as tinged with a bitterness over Star Wars' lasting appeal, which seems a little silly. While you seem to begrudge Star Wars for not being strictly 'science' science-fiction, this is exactly the reason it's endured. Star Wars has stayed relevant for three decades because it appeals to a wide range of audiences and, from a profitability standpoint, captures a wide range of markets.

Additionally, Star Wars is consistently drawing in new generations of fans. So, while YOU may not need that fifth X-Wing, fifth snowspeeder, etc., it'll be nice that they exist for new fans who weren't here from the getgo.

doriansdad

Sounds good to me. Isn't this line their main cash cow? If this allows them to remain profitable and keep producing other interesting lines then rehash away!

cheshirecat

Additionally, Star Wars is consistently drawing in new generations of fans. So, while YOU may not need that fifth X-Wing, fifth snowspeeder, etc., it'll be nice that they exist for new fans who weren't here from the getgo.

@y2josh. This is exactly it. Whilst it may be the fifth X-Wing for some, for lego's target audience (i.e. children, lets not forget that) it's their first.

rasmustali

Galidorneveragain

^
http://nooooooooooooooo.com/
This had to be called for...

Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK

Press release, 2020: The Lego group will be celebrating the forthcoming release of the Star Wars reality TV show with three new star wars sets,
- 200546 Luke Skywalkers left shoe, a 5000 piece UCS set
- 201456 Millenium Falcon ... adding a new improved antennae over the last version.
- 203742 Random droid in the background .. Never before rendered in Lego!

tamamahm

I think the viewpoint also depends on whether you are an AFOL or a kid.

While many sets may feel like rehashes, for a 7 year old, a rehash of a set from 5 years ago is going to feel new for many kids. I have seen a similar trend in other toy areas, such as American Girl dolls. Themes are rehashed, because they know they are popular. Something from 5 years ago, is still too new for a collector, but not new for many kids.

I think if Star Wars is still raking in the money for Lego, then it doesn't matter what we think. This is a good thing. If Lego is making money, then ideally they can spend money to come up with other interesting lines. Monster Fighters looks interesting, and both my girls are interested in the castle. My son was smitten with Alien Conquest.

The only issue I have is that because it takes up so much shelf space, that it prevents 'the next big thing' from taking over. On the flip, I haven't seen the next big thing really take over. Ten years from now, I think there may be enough power behind Harry Potter to take off as the next big thing.

Tammy

Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK

^ Which makes it all the more strange that potter is ending and star wars is continuing.

richo

UCS light sabre?

at the risk of straying off topic, I wonder if Potter will actually come back?

rich

drdavewatford

In all the hubbub surrounding the New Tork Toy Fair, the announcement that LEGO and Lucasfilm have renewed the SW licence for a further 10 years seems to have slipped under the radar (link to FBTB here):

Personally, I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

It was LEGO Star Wars that dragged me out of my Dark Ages kicking and screaming a few years back, specifically Set 10188 Death Star. Since then I've diligently sniffed out all those Star Wars sets I missed while keeping up to date with the newer stuff, and I've doubtless become an insufferable LEGO Star Wars bore in the process.

One might therefore have expected to find me dancing a jig of joy tonight celebrating another 10 years of LEGO Star Wars. Except I'm not. I'm not even sure I'm that fussed. I mean, am I really that enthused about 10 more years of remakes of the same sets over and over with minimal improvements ? Of obscure sets that I've never heard of and which never appeared in the movies ? Of paying through the nose because George needs his pound of flesh, and then paying through the nose again because the new generation of LEGO Star Wars fans care more about minifigs than LEGO bricks and so every set is stuffed full of them ? I don't think it's the license, however - I think it's me. Maybe it's time to pass the baton to a new generation.... More musings here :

http://gimmelego.blogspot.com/2011/10/blasphemy.html

That having been said, I've already bought 3 of the 2012 LEGO Star Wars sets and I'm pretty happy with them, so maybe I'll pass on that baton next year.....

:-))

Yellowcastle

I can't help but feel you naysayers are just bonkers.

Are there a lot of rehashes? Sure.
Would I like more variety? Sure.

That being said, nobody in their right mind would prefer the original Falcon, X-Wing, Tie, Republic Gunship, MTT, Turbo Tank, Jabba's Palace to the newer versions. I will always have a soft spot for the original versions as they brought me out of my Dark Ages. The newer models, however, just blow them out of the water with better designs, improved playability and significantly improved minifigures. I can't even look at my original Gamorrean Guard. He is dead to me.

Are they getting too expensive? Probably.

I believe that will either correct itself or the increases will simply level off once SW sales stop growing as they most suredly will at this rate. Either way, none of us is required to keep buying the rehashes if we feel they are not significantly improved. I had ZERO intention of getting the newest At-At or Slave-1 but ended up receiving them both as gifts. But I'm definitely getting the new and improved Tie Fighter and Droid Escape. I am glad, though, that new fans have legitimate shots at getting the iconic vehicles.

And I shudder at the thought of a competing brand getting one of "our" licenses. So now, I have one less thing to fret over. :o)

dougts

Ten years from now, I think there may be enough power behind Harry Potter to take off as the next big thing.

What do you base this on? Potter's popularity is on the decline, not the ascent. Without some new books and/or movies to bring it back to the forefront at that time, and draw in the millions of new kid fans necessary, LEGO won't even sniff at it.

dougts

UCS light sabre?

at the risk of straying off topic, I wonder if Potter will actually come back?

rich

likely only if there are new books or movies

vader34mt

well said @Yellowcastle...i agree 100%

i posted this on the front page but want to contribute to the conversation here as well

to those that complain about de-valuing of old sets with each new rendition, i say you're forgetting that LEGO is primarily a toy and not a collectible to be sold for profit

i bet there are tons of kids that are thrilled each time a remake comes out, so they can get the vehicles they like without their parents having to pay 4x original price on ebay or bricklink

i am not a child, but as an adult collector who came out of his dark ages just a couple of years ago, i am very pleased that i am able to acquire a wide variety of Star Wars sets without having to resort to paying ridiculous prices on older sets

i have been content to wait for new releases of most sets, and it has worked out very well so far

drdavewatford

^ I'm not sure anyone on here has used the 'devaluing old sets" argument, but I'm certainly with you on that one - I don't see LEGO having any sympathy for it, and why should they ?

I can't speak for others, but for me the remakes are just a waste of valuable product slots - we constantly hear that LEGO can't produce this or that (e.g. standalone rolling stock for LEGO trains) because there are only so many product slots available, and yet they're perfectly happy to waste slots on a virtually identical Slave 1, Naboo Starfighter, X-Wing or AT-AT remake hot on the heels of the previous version. So while I fully understand why you might be happy with the remakes, if you'd recently bought the previous version just before it was retired you might think differently...

vader34mt

^others had on the front page...i just copied and pasted...i think what i said just applies in general

LegoFanTexas

I must say, my son just built the newest TIE Fighter that was just released, it really looks good and was pretty easy for him to build, he really likes it because he can relate to it from the movies and from Lego Star Wars on the PS3.

Since the older TIE Fighter was before his time, he never got to build it. So I'm glad a new one is out, so we get to build it. Same with the Y-Wing, the only one we have is the terrible yellow one that he doesn't like at all, but he thinks the new one is super cool.

So count me in the group of 'Yea!' regarding 10 more years of Star Wars Lego!!!

Yellowcastle

If they didn't do rehashes, then I would have missed out on one off my favorite Star Wars ships ever, the redone Republic Gunship. :o) So I am in no position to complain, even after 17 Naboo fighters.

vader34mt

^republic gunship and jabba's sail barge are at the top of my list

i missed both gunships and the barge...so i will await any rehashes with great anticipation

vwong19

I used to debate on whether I should buy the '04 Millenium Falcon, '06 Slave, Jabba Palace on ebay or Bricklink having started collecting in 2007. Being cheap and patient has saved me some money. Based on these trends I will continue to wait patiently for Jabba's Sail Barge and the many sets that I missed.

The newer models, however, just blow them out of the water with better designs, improved playability and significantly improved minifigures. I can't even look at my original Gamorrean Guard. He is dead to me.

Hilarious! Those old SW minifigures are simply ugly compared to their newer renditions. Also any yellow heads could use an updating (i.e. Count Dooku non clone wars).

Oldfan

Good points above, maybe if TLG would wait at least 3-4 years between rehashes, then we might not feel so buried underneath multiple versions of the same ship...

tamamahm

Ten years from now, I think there may be enough power behind Harry Potter to take off as the next big thing.

What do you base this on? Potter's popularity is on the decline, not the ascent. Without some new books and/or movies to bring it back to the forefront at that time, and draw in the millions of new kid fans necessary, LEGO won't even sniff at it.

I was in grade school when the Star War movies came out. Everyone I worked with that had kids, including me, could not wait until they could share the Star War movies with their kids. Many prek kids that I know that are Star Wars fans, it is due to the original 6 movies, and not due at first by things like Clone Wars.

The same will be the case with many Potter fans when they have kids. In addition, Rowling is very business astute. She is not going to let the HP world to into hiding. Who knows what will happen in 10 years. Nobody after the first 3 episodes would have anticipated Clone wars how many years later? I see HP as something with huge staying power. In addition, the books are not disappearing. The movies are not disappearing. I have three kids that have been far more impacted by those books than anything Star Wars.

The world of HP simply needs what Star Wars has had, which is time.

ETA: Going back to my original point about the Star Wars License, kids grow up and so rehashes are good for the upcoming kids. I see the same with Harry Potter. 5 years from now, there will be a pn entire new set of Potterheads craving for HP Legos. They don't need a movie to be successful with a year run of the product.
Tammy

cheshirecat

surprised no one is considering that rehashes of the x-wing and tie fighter are what sells at a good price point. Forget collectors as that's a relatively insignificant part of the market, kids want x-wings at-ats and millennium falcons. Lego gives them what they want. As someone that just got the new x-wing from my wife for valentines day I've got to say its amazing.

dougts

The world of HP simply needs what Star Wars has had, which is time.

I guess this is the main disagreement we have about the subject. Time is not what made Star Wars the license that it is today - as discussed, SW as a license was basically dead by the early to mid 1990s. Kids growing up and showing those first 3 movies to their kids did not, and could not have, reinvigorate the franchise. Lucas putting out the prequel trilogy did. The same is true of Potter. Without new material 10 years down the road, there is no reason to think it will all of a sudden have some huge resurgence. There is no precedent anywhere for such a thing happening.

Does Potter have the potential as a franchise to be the next "Star Wars"? In many ways, yes. But Time is not the required element, new material is.

y2josh

^I somewhat disagree with this. I think Lucas allowing 'official' material to be created is what breathed new life into the franchise. The POTF2 series of action figures came out in 1995, well before the prequel trilogy had even been announced, and it performed phenomenally well. These figures were initially all based on the original trilogy, as well, so it's questionable how much of an influence the EU even had here.

Additionally, before the action figure line came out, the games on the NES and SNES sold extremely well (at least in terms of what video games were at the time).

So, to me, it seems less like lack of material is what had Star Wars 'dead in the water' from '85-'91... and more like the lack of merchandise made it seem that way. If LEGO completely believed you need a new movie, etc. to support a licensed line, they'd have phased the OT sets out long ago, and you wouldn't see any new ones until those films get re-released in 3D (*sigh*).

Amiko

Great! I will wait patiently for Jabba's Sail Barge and all those pre-06 sets redone.

Indeedy - I missed out on Jabba's sail barge and have been gutted ever since. I reckon we'll get a remake somewhere within a decade!

I'm not going to be a completist about SW - that's long gone... but there are a few classic characters and events that I'd like to cover on my shelves.

Happy days for me! (But not for the wallet)

cheshirecat

RE the HP v SW. There is one other undeniable truth.

At least half, probably far more than half, of HP fans are girls, especially the really crazy ones (fans i mean, not girls!).

By contrast its probably reasonable to think the vast majority of SW fans, especially the crazy ones, are male whether 40 or 4 years old.

Not only does that relate to the majority of lego fans also being male, but also the larger likelihood of boys being more likely to be geeky collectors and toy purchasers than girls - especially around the 10/11/12 and up age range. To be frank, all the girls i know of that age range spend all their money on clothes, books and mobile phone top ups where as the boys happily spend there money on toys, toys and more toys.

tamamahm

The world of HP simply needs what Star Wars has had, which is time.

I guess this is the main disagreement we have about the subject. Time is not what made Star Wars the license that it is today - as discussed, SW as a license was basically dead by the early to mid 1990s. Kids growing up and showing those first 3 movies to their kids did not, and could not have, reinvigorate the franchise. Lucas putting out the prequel trilogy did. The same is true of Potter. Without new material 10 years down the road, there is no reason to think it will all of a sudden have some huge resurgence. There is no precedent anywhere for such a thing happening.

Does Potter have the potential as a franchise to be the next "Star Wars"? In many ways, yes. But Time is not the required element, new material is.

Look at the entire post that I wrote.
Yes, HP needs time just as Star Wars did. HP is in the early phase of wheree Star Wars was.
My closing statement was not simply in reference to the single aspect about time for Potter fans to grow up and have kids. It needs overall time for everything else to gel and to happen, just as Star Wars did. (so yes, new material will be needed)
Lucas and Rowling are both astute.
Lucas did not let his vision simply die. His franchise wasn't built with the first three. After a huge block of time, yes, he released new material.
I do not believe for a second Rowling will let the HP universe die. Give it time. 10 years from now, or 15 years from now, I see her going back. The story of HP may be done, but like Lucas, she has a boatload of material from before HP, and I don't doubt she has material/ideas on the kids. I can't see anyone with her business sense, and love of the world she created being able to indefinitely stay away.

The mythos of HP will only continue to grow over time, as Rowling takes it in new directions. If she doesn't then She is not nearly as business savvy as I suspect.

New material is great, but this is more complex. I am not convinced Star Wars would have been as huge of a success today if material would have just been released back to back to back. A big part of this werethose Star Wars fans growing up and wanting their kids to see it, and then years later...it was the release of new material after such a long period of time being without anything. I am not sure that Lucas released what he was doing, but by releasing material after time, by allowing Star Wars fans to grow up, he really did something amazing to create such a huge following of Star Wars fans and a franchise. Basically Lucas used time to his advantage to create an amazing brand.

Rowling would be smart to follow a similar pattern.

Tammy

LegoFanTexas

^ You are of course assuming that Rowling cares...

She isn't George Lucas, she may not want or care about the ego trip that was Ep 1-3.

She doesn't need the money, so any reason for her to do it has to be love of the material and a desire to expand it, since it can't be about the money (she is one of the wealthiest people in England.

BrickDancer

You guys have some great points that cover the overarching differences/similarities between SW/HP franchises and their marketability.

But when it comes actual Lego sets, HP is at a very big disadvantage compared to SW. HP has castles and scene sets, but very little for vehicles compared to vehicles being a large driver for SW success in Legos. And number 1 problem is HP lacks minifigs variety, how many different Harry, Hagrid or Hermione outfits are there made or even possible? Compare that to how many variants there are for Vader, Luke, Han or Leia?

When it comes to Lego, HP is genetically handicapped versus SW.

rasmustali

To me Star Wars universe is much more attractive than the one Potter series created, I watched every movie this summer from HP series (except the last one) and it didnt suck me into its world like SW did and still does. I do not want to say HP is a crappy project, but I think it can not reach the same heights Star Wars has reached.

dougts

(so yes, new material will be needed)

ah, then we do essentially agree, and I misunderstood you.

The mythos of HP will only continue to grow over time, as Rowling takes it in new directions. If she doesn't then She is not nearly as business savvy as I suspect.

Or, unlike Lucas, she wants the world she created to remain as it is, and not be ever more plundered and disjointed in chasing dollars year after year.

I am not convinced Star Wars would have been as huge of a success today if material would have just been released back to back to back. A big part of this werethose Star Wars fans growing up and wanting their kids to see it, and then years later...it was the release of new material after such a long period of time being without anything. I am not sure that Lucas released what he was doing, but by releasing material after time, by allowing Star Wars fans to grow up, he really did something amazing to create such a huge following of Star Wars fans and a franchise. Basically Lucas used time to his advantage to create an amazing brand.

Star Wars was more of a cultural phenomenon than great moviemaking. It was the right thing at the right time in the right place. That movie alone invented product tie-ins and redefined movies as pop culture fixtures. If it comes along 10 years later, none of us are sitting here talking about it now.

She doesn't need the money, so any reason for her to do it has to be love of the material and a desire to expand it, since it can't be about the money (she is one of the wealthiest people in England.

And let's be honest - Lucas turned Star Wars into being ALL about the money - how to build a perpetual renewing brand year after year after year. Along the way, he has done not insignificant damage to the universe he created, while giving the middle finger to his most die hard fans (who kept SW alive during the 80's and 90's). If Rowling wants to follow Lucas' path and completely gut her beloved world in the chase of the almighty dollar, that's her right I suppose. I'd prefer it go more the way of LOTR myself.

monkey_roo

Although this is 10 more years of SW as a thread which i am happy about, a good chance to get missed sets from years gone by and maybe some more EU focused things but as a few people have mentioned the HP thing and longgevity of the brand it is worth noting that when we first meet Harry Potter there has been years of back story that haven't been covered in book or film and as others have said i doubt that WB or Rowling want the HP world to slip from peoples minds so there is scope for fresh stories/books and thus a return for HP Lego but as to whether it will ever rise to challange SW, well who knows. I'm just looking forward to seeing what SW stuff is heading our way for now.

BrickDancer

One question I have is about the clone trooper minifigs, I really like the helmet details from clones in 7655. But noticed all the newer clone troops have a simplified flat face helmet. Any chance the detailed helmet version will make a comeback in any of the new sets?

sonsofsceva

The problem with the comparison of HP to Star Wars is, frankly, the EU of Star Wars. The SW universe keeps expanding in various media which keeps its foot in the culture, including keeping the movies relevant for the next generation. Unless Rowling writes more books (or franchises the world out to other authors) or unless they come out with a tv show or redo the movies, I don't expect to see more on that line (which is a pity). I hope Ms. Rowling reconsiders and writes the life of Dumbledore, or of the next generation's adventures, or even of the original Hogwarts founders. Her fantasy world is very rich; it would be a shame if no more comes of it. LEGO was really just getting the hang of quality HP sets, too.
On topic: I and, more significantly, my young boys are also glad for some SW rehashes, as long as they are spaced out nicely.

dougts

It's hard to see much EU stuff coming down the pike - it's a huge risk to fill up product slots with items that only a small majority of the target market is familiar with. We are getting two items from the SWTOR MMO this summer, and we've had a few in the past. If they sell well, we could see more of course, but even those are likely to mostly be from Clone Wars, current video games, or other EU offerings that kids are familiar with. Hard to see LEGO taking much of a chance on models from 20 year old books unfortunately.

As for the remakes - they won't go away. As said, LEGO and Lucas probably both want to see the mainstays on the shelves as much as possible, so new fans coming in have a chance to get X-Wings and TIEs and Falcons