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LEGO and Pop Culture / Celebrities

13

Comments

  • AnseltheCatAnseltheCat
    Wow, it picked up 1400 votes while I was asleep. It is now on 9,700. ^ Incredibly exciting...
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  • AnseltheCatAnseltheCat
    Oops just too late for an edit to the above.

    On Simon Pegg's twitter feed, he mentions that Edgar and himself would gain nothing financially from this. "It ain't the Benjamins, it's the bricks."

    Anybody else going to watch the film again this afternoon/weekend?
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  • princedravenprincedraven
    Is he plugging it for extra money?
    From Simon's twitter "By the way, if by some miracle the Shaun Lego did go into production, me and Edgar do not stand to gain anything. We have no stake in merch (merchandise)."
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  • princedravenprincedraven
    And...
    "By that I mean, there is no ulterior motive other than the sheer coolness of it. It ain't the Benjamins, it's the bricks."
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  • richoricho
    this feels like a true cuusoo moment, and to be honest am not even a huge fan of the film. Just something cool about the celebrity endorsement and amazing free advertising for Lego. This could bring in quite a lot of new AFOLs.
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  • princedravenprincedraven
    10,000 votes in the bag!!!

    Now comes the interesting part. Honestly think a lot of voters are unlikely to be buyers, so could understand if they don't give it the go ahead, but fingers crossed. This will be my first Cuusoo
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  • andheandhe
    10,000 votes in the bag!!!

    Now comes the interesting part. Honestly think a lot of voters are unlikely to be buyers, so could understand if they don't give it the go ahead, but fingers crossed. This will be my first Cuusoo
    Wow, just woken up to this (in the actual sense). It's going to be interesting to see TLGs official response. They've done zombies before (and a monster fighters upcoming set) so we know that is do-able, its just whether they would make a licensed set based on a 15 rated movie... I can't see how they can back out of doing anything without making the cuusoo project into a farce. Consider me intrigued! FrontPage news @huw?

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  • BustinBustin
    I want to point out with a great happy feeling that Shaun of the Dead achieved more supporters than Minecraft.

    Shaun of the Dead 10,007

    Minecraft 10,005

    I hate Minecraft, so it felt good to see that even though it means little hah!
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  • DuchessaDuchessa
    I'm glad that the Shaun-thingy also seemed to boost the votes for the two other top projects: the BTTF-car and the modular western town. Those two are well designed sets that may sell really well in the Lego community if they were produced.
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  • BustinBustin
    Agreed. I don't know when Cuusoo made the change...but from the front page you can now view all of the projects in order from the most supported on down.

    There are a few in the 1000+ range I like. The Space Marines being one in particular, as well as the Lego Mountain Biking.
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  • MCNwakeboardMCNwakeboard
    I think TLG group is in a tough position with projects like this because they have certain standards on themes they produce but when you get that kind of publicity it is hard to say no. It might be a good idea for them to do a review when a project reaches 1000 votes and cutting it out of the running rather than waiting on it to reach 10,000. I understand they gave an initial green light at 500, but I think a more definitive decision needs to made at that point if the theme is Lego appropriate. (disclaimer: I support the project and would purchase if less than $200)

    A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous.
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  • richoricho
    ^ it's quite lucky that if they can sort the licence, they can drop this in as a 'special' to the Monster Fighters theme.
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  • andheandhe
    TLG have put up their comment on the cuusoo page. It's congratulatory, but obviously raises the issue of the thematic content... So remains to be seen whether they find a way around it without opening the floodgates to loads of criticism from either side.

    From a "I love lego" perspective, I would prefer it it didn't get the go ahead. I don't want lego (or cuusoo) to become another movie tie-in toy as I feel it cheapens the brand (I'm talking more Ben 10 and PoP than long term fan favourites like star wars). However I realise this hype AMD viral voting is really what cuusoo is all about, exposing fans of other things to the potential of lego (and becoming lego fans).
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  • HuwHuw
    I'm on a cruise ship at the moment and the UK news correspondents are all at the Brickish Association event this weekend so it might have to wait until tomorrow when I'm back home.

    It's great news though, for sure...
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  • Bosstone100Bosstone100
    I don't look at this as a movie tie-in per se. You have the creator of the move behind it and he said he'll wave the rights to the cash. Then it's licensed without the fees so we, the customers would not have pay said fees indirectly.
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  • CCCCCC
    It's also not a tie-in as such, since it is 10 years late. Aren't movie tie-ins usually out at the same time as the movie.
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  • andheandhe
    ^like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars do you mean? :p
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  • dougtsdougts
    ^ well, SW has current tie-ins with the ongoing Clone Wars cartoon for one, also SW its kind of a pretty big exception in terms of pop culture relevancy - it never really leaves, unlike pretty much every IP out there.

    As for LotR - there is an upcoming movie this winter. That is the only reason LEGO is doing sets right now, so it does indeed have a current tien-in.
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  • TyrellArcherTyrellArcher
    I'd be shocked if this gets made... not that I don't love me some zombieness and Shaun is one of the best zombie movies around, but the whole theme just doesn't fit in with Lego. The movie is rated R for violence - not cartoonish violence like in Star Wars, but actual violence as in people getting torn apart. Alcohol is a significant part of the film as well, which Lego does not want to get involved in. Lego needs to stick to their guns because this is what their name stands for. If they make exceptions, they will lose everything we love about the brand. I'd love to see this product but I don't think it's going to happen.

    Now, if they can produce a "mature collector's line", even without the Lego name on it, that's something else entirely. This could be a great opening set for an 18+ product line!
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  • monkey_roomonkey_roo
    This may not make it as a mainstream release, but what about a comic-con exclusive or some such event where the audience is almost exclusively 'adult' and very much the target for such a model?
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  • dougtsdougts
    ^ or just online only maybe?

    Personally, I'd like it if they changed the TOS for Cuusoo to eliminate all licensed and IP ideas. LEGO is already doing a ton of licenses of late, and they know who they want to partner with and what upcoming movies they want to have product tie-ins with. Let them do that, let Cuusoo be a vehicle for orginal content.
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  • Ma1234Ma1234
    It goes entirely against the values of LEGO. I will be sorely disappointed if they produce this set, but it certainly highlights a major flaw with Cuusoo.
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  • weinnerweinner
    Lets remeber this people, if the parents don't want their kids playing with this set, nobody will force them to buy it for their children. I don't get what all the fuss is about. No child has the 200+ dollars to buy it themselves and if they do, shame on the parents.
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  • Ma1234Ma1234
    Lets remeber this people, if the parents don't want their kids playing with this set, nobody will force them to buy it for their children. I don't get what all the fuss is about. No child has the 200+ dollars to buy it themselves and if they do, shame on the parents.
    That's not the point. I don't even see the issue with kids playing with fantasy violence toys or building a toy pub.

    A LEGO set based on an R rated horror film is absolutely blasphemous and an insult to the standard it's founder set for the company.
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  • weinnerweinner
    And that was how long ago? Times have changed and things are different. I'm sure the founder knew that adults would be buying toys for themselves, right?
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  • cheshirecatcheshirecat
    In the UK at least, Shaun of the Dead is a 15 (not an 18 which just highlights that its more comedy than horror). That's a massive 3 years difference from Revenge of the Sith (12), Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2 (both 12), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (12),
    Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince (12),
    Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (12), LoTR The Two Towers (12), LoTR The Return of the King (12), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (12), PotC The Curse of the Black Pearl (12), PotC Dead Man's Chest (12), PotC At Worlds End (12), PotC On Stranger Tides (12).

    Are we really suggesting that a classification difference of three years is that significant, when all the above have sets for sale in Toysrus etc, often at pocket money prices, and this will be a £100+ set probably available from Lego direct only?

    I know it may be different in the states but that's more a fault of their classification system. However if americans are a little more reserved about these things a simple fix would be to only have the set available in the EU etc.

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  • cheshirecatcheshirecat
    Also, Shaun of the Dead isn't an R rated horror film, its a film that happens to be R rated in the states. Outside of there R rated means either nothing, or something very different. R rated films in the UK for example are only for a very particular genre which would require some significant minifig modifications before Lego could recreate one of their scenes.
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  • andheandhe
    And that was how long ago? Times have changed and things are different. I'm sure the founder knew that adults would be buying toys for themselves, right?
    I doubt it, and though I'm sure it crosses the designers minds (being Lego fans themselves, and I'm thinking mainly about the modulars and UCS stuff) ultimately lego sets are designed primarily for kids (0-16).

    Look at the outcry over the friends sets... and that was fairly inoffensive. Imagine the backlash over a zombie themed pub set?

    The only way I can see TLG doing this is somehow licensing the lego format to another company to make. I can't see how they could put their name on the box without opening the floodgates to complaints and going against their brand ethos.

    I think we'll probably see some changes to cuusoo following this. But great publicity for the project! As someone said above, I think it would be better to just remove any ideas for licensed stuff from the start, and have more of a brand-appropriate control on the submissions.

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  • JasenJasen
    @AnseltheCat yeah I watched it again :)

    @Bustin I have zero interest in minecraft too and to be honest the set that's got the votes could be made with my spare bricks without being slugged a % for the word "minecraft" on the box....
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  • YatkuuYatkuu
    Hello! I'm the guy behind the Winchester project - I just registered here and explained my motives in the new members section.
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  • BustinBustin
    I think we have to remember why Lego created Cuusoo.

    They are looking to reach a new wider audience.

    We're not exactly sure what that audience is because Lego has not told us. That audience may be new licensed properties, perhaps because Lego is not seeing the growth they want to see with their current licensed properties. I mean Star Wars may be huge for the current Lego fanbase, but outside of Lego I do not see much for Star Wars anymore.

    I would bet that communities like BrickSet see a change in their members as well with the new waves of sets that are going to come from Cuusoo.
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  • weinnerweinner
    ^^^ I agree, you can only build so many space shuttles, police.stations, star wars stuff, and ect.... I think this will really open up a lot of possibilities for lego. I know, as a child, I quit playing with lago at a fairly young age because I just wasn't into the themes anymore. Nowadays, things are different and they have a couple different themes witch might keep, lets say, some teens interested a little longer. I also don't understand why lego wouldn't wouldn't make it because off the "R" rating. Their not making a movie here, just a toy. This logic is like saying that kids shouldn't dress up as Jason or Michael Myers for halloween. Both "R" by the way. Really the only thing lego has to worry about is a lot of emails/phone calls from crazy lady soccer moms with their panties in a bunch.
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  • andheandhe
    This logic is like saying that kids shouldn't dress up as Jason or Michael Myers for halloween.
    I think a lot of parents would argue that they shouldn't... :P

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  • weinnerweinner
    And those parents have the right to tell their child NO. doesn't mean they should stop production of those costumes just because some people want to shelter their childs precious little minds.
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  • SweetLoganSweetLogan
    I'm a fan of TLG sticking to their principles. Even if they don't clearly present alcohol and physical (non-cartoon) violence as an element of the set, they are, at best, slowly etching away at their principles. I think it would open a door that doesn't need to be opened. Though they've already started slowly introducing sets to the contrary.. Indi and Pirates did a good job of tossing the violence and alcohol issue to the side. (The movie rating isn't the issue, the themes within the set concept are)

    @Bosstone100 did Simon Pegg say he didn't have merch rights or that he'd wave the rights? Those two are significantly different statements that could impact the licensing issues and costs related to the set.

    As for Cuusoo in general, I don't see why licensed products should be banned or restricted. I think the ability (as someone noted here) to make as many accounts as you can and vote multiple times for a project is a far more significant issue to address. How can TLG reasonably judge interest if 10,000 votes doesn't mean 10,000 interested individuals. They may decide it is too easy to get to 10k and up it to 100k, if enough people are doing the multiple account votes for projects such as this one. That only hurts the non-licensed ideas, because they are less likely to already have a fan base willing to make multiple accounts.

    With this set they could always just skirt the issue and make the apartment building and minifigs and then offer free instructions for Lego VIP members to convert it into the pub. ;) They'd create the set, make fans and voters happy, and encourage people to become VIP members all at once.
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  • princedravenprincedraven
    ^ From Simon's twitter "By the way, if by some miracle the Shaun Lego did go into production, me and Edgar do not stand to gain anything. We have no stake in merch (merchandise)."
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  • SweetLoganSweetLogan
    ^ I did read that in your earlier post. I just didn't know if Bosstone100 had additional information. Also, since I didn't know if, "We have no stake in merch," means they are giving it up or do not own merchandise rights.
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  • VenunderVenunder
    I think it kind of suggests that Simon Pegg might be an AFOL.
    Or a potential AFOL. :)
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  • dougtsdougts
    ^^ sounds to me like they don't have a stake in it - but someone does, and they can become a sticking point in these types of things.
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  • BrickDancerBrickDancer
    If TLG comes up with a lame excuse for not putting the set into production, are you supporters ready for a Cuusoo rebellion? Occupy Legoland here we come...
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  • weinnerweinner
    ^^^lol
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  • dougtsdougts
    http://legocuusoo.posterous.com/approval-process-for-new-projects-on-lego-cuu

    interesting change to the approval process for Cuusoo - I approve! Hopefully it will help weed out a lot of the "junk"

    (I"m not referring to the Shaun of the Dead project here, but more the random low-grade stuff that litters Cuusoo.)

    That said, I'm sure this is at least partly in response to the SotD set...
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  • dougtsdougts
    One other thing to note - LEGO has from the start never guaranteed that every set making it to 10,000 would get produced. I took this from their official comments from when Minecraft hit 10k:
    What happens now?
    This project moves from the Idea stage to the Review stage. A “LEGO Jury” composed of designers, product managers, and other key team members will examine the idea. We'll build concept models and determine if the concept meets our high standards for what it takes to be a LEGO product, including playability, safety, and fit with the LEGO brand.

    This sounds obvious to you as a Minecraft fan (Minecraft blocks and LEGO bricks look similar, so of course it's a fit), but every LEGO product goes through a process like this and must meet the same standards.

    The review is a 1-2 week process. When finished, we make a "go/no go" decision to develop and sell Minecraft LEGO products. We will inform you of our decision, and if green-lighted, this project goes into the longest phase of the project; the Development phase. During this time, LEGO model designers refine the product and develop it for release, we create the product materials (box, instructions, marketing), and get everything ready for a production run. This takes several months.
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  • weinnerweinner
    I like the new approval process.
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  • YatkuuYatkuu
    Regarding the new CUUSOO approval process… I am not surprised by this, it makes perfect sense and I do not believe it automatically means the Winchester is a no go. The internal discussion still needs to happen (I was told it would only happen after Easter).
    LEGO made it clear in their initial feedback on the project:
    “Since Shaun of the Dead is a comedy, and you present your work in a humorous fashion, we believe this is within the realm of the LEGO company brand standards on violence. Note that the zombie theme does put this project at the edge of what we produce, however we recognize that the LEGO Group produces other products where themes of violence and death play a significant role.”
    Within the Realm, but on the edge – this is where the “Win” stands.

    With these new guidelines they just want to make sure someone does not start posting projects that are obviously beyond this “realm of company standards”. For instance projects based on movies like “Hostel” or “Saw”, “Modern warfare” or any other theme that would clearly be beyond the limits of what they do.
    If the Winchester was posted today, I still think it would pass this initial review.

    As mentioned by dougts this new process will also help improve the overall quality of the projects posted….
    So, good news IMO and do not forget that CUUSOO is still in Beta so changes are to be expected.
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  • CCCCCC
    The plagiarism bit ... haven't there been MOCs of Shaun of the Dead online on flickr and other sites like that for years? Brickarms already sell their Shaun figure (I don't know if that is related to this cuusoo model / designer or not). Would this model have passed the plagiarism test if someone else had already MOC'ed up a Shaun minifig and placed a photo online?
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  • caperberrycaperberry
    A good step, but more is needed. I agree with those suggesting the 5k LEGO review should be able to give projects an indication of whether they would actually be considered if they hit 10k.
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  • andheandhe
    The plagiarism bit ... haven't there been MOCs of Shaun of the Dead online on flickr and other sites like that for years? Brickarms already sell their Shaun figure (I don't know if that is related to this cuusoo model / designer or not). Would this model have passed the plagiarism test if someone else had already MOC'ed up a Shaun minifig and placed a photo online?
    I think the plagiarism refers to putting up a picture of someone elses MOC and claiming it as your own.

    The winchester model on the otherhand is an original MOC (in design if not in theme) by the creator.

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  • SweetLoganSweetLogan
    @CCC The author (Yatkuu) did note in the description on Cuusoo that the minifig, cricket bat, and Winchester gun were Brickarms creations. Also, I don't believe Brickarms can claim they have any rights, to the personal use minifigs they create, since someone has the license for Shaun of the Dead.

    And I agree with the assessment @andhe makes about the plagiarism issue (or lack there of) with the entire project.
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  • YatkuuYatkuu
    @SweetLogan - thanks for the input! I will only add that the project got the support from Will Chapman very early in the process. He encouraged the BA user community to vote for the Win in the BA forums - Will, if you read this you're the man!
    I also asked the CUUSOO team what they thought of using custom elements in the build and they had nothing against it. Now how will they consider making a Cricket Bat or a "Shaun" MF is of course yet to be determined if the project gets a green light...
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