I'm disappointed that while discussing the alternate builds, you didn't mention the old comics they used to have in the back of instructions. The comic would be focused on the main build with the characters having to take apart and rebuild the sets so that they could use the alternate vehicles
I’m with you on this stuff brother. I’ve collected since 2005 and the charm is definitely not the same. I think a major problem is the over glorification of accuracy in the sets and figures. Kids don’t care to play with these sets anymore, they just want to display them and sell them for a profit.
That's a great point! I think a lot of the younger crowd is looking at us adults more and more and seeing us display them😂 We might of created the problem...
Play features literally were so much better 2005 - 2008 than nowadays. The springloaded shooters and stud shooters cant ever replace it. Keep in mind, the deplay-ification of the playsets mostly comes from them hoping to make money off adults buying them.
This is actually so true the nostalgia of turning on clone wars back in 2010 and then seeing the sets on the commercials with the play features Lego just needs to keep this algorithm the commercials now are kinda strange to me personally 🎉
With a high volume of content to adapt its no wonder they've stopped making original or obscure sets. And a more recognizable anything is always going to sell better.
if that was the case we would get things from all the saga but we dont . No naboo n1 for years , no hellfire droid , no persuader droid , no droidekas ,nothing from the sequels (the movies werent that great but kids like them and the sets were good) , always the same tie , xwing , jedi starfighter . They seem to only listen to ''mandr'' kinda fans and not other people . Even the death star has been left over , in switzerland it is at 1300$ in stores (not resellers) and it's been 7 years since launch
@laurielkami1100 Yeah, I agree. Like I said, they focus on recognizable icons that have historically sold well. Once the sequel fans show their wallets, things might shift, as they have recently with Clone Wars sets. And yeah, it feels like we're lucky to get an Episode I wave every decade at this point. When it comes to the Death Star, I hope a remake (and not just a slight upgrade) is imminent.
@@bluebrickmax sequel fans would pay if they had anything to do it i believe , same for old republic and all the comics stuff . Even ot fans dont have a lot to buy recently . No ewok , death star 2 , anything except in the over 100$ pricing
I wanted the Republic Cruiser SO MUCH as a kid. After discovering your RU-vid account, you reminded me of this set, and managed to purchase myself one WITH BOX last month! Incredible set! The box is in fantastic condition and the set is awesome!
I think Lego stopping commercials has to do with the product practically advertising itself now. I know multiple adults that stalk target just for new set releases lol
Using the creative license and LEGO magic is something I wish they did more. I don’t have a problem with people wanting accurate sets, but having a set with 0 features or goofs is not the same as having some hidden features and surprises
i think the lack of ads these days isn’t really on lego, but more of changes to their advertising model. the fact is that no one watches tv anymore, so there’s no point making cool but expensive ads that won’t reach their target audience, who r mostly on instagram and tiktok these days
That's a good point, but the fact that their trying to cash in on nostalgia makes tik tok and instagram a perfect place to publish more adds like the originals! Imagine how COOL it would be to see an old fashion ad for the new sets..
It's a crime they've only made 2 Bad Batch sets. Hopefully we get a couple more for season 3. I think a great cheaper set could be Tech vs. Tay-0 with their racing pods, with Sid as a new fig.
The pictures of alternate builds for the UCS star destroyer genuinely shocked me. LEGO still held so closely to the original appeal of LEGO back then that even their adult oriented sets weren’t treated purely as collectors items destined for display, they were still pieces you could and should use to build whatever you want. And I love that the alternative builds were things like a T-16 and a Correllian freighter from the expanded universe, lol. How many collectors have completely overlooked those? I wanna build that huge T-16!
Yeah they outsourced most of their advertising to the online community. The Lego catalog and magazines were a big reason why I like Lego so much. The flash games on their site were really fun too.
i remember whenever we go to a bookstore that had the character encylopedia for lego star wars with the free minifigure i always read that and was always fascinated in the amount of characters it had and wished i had those minifigs
My favorite period for lego star wars was from 1999 up until around 2013, especially with their older tie fighters. The blue on black added so much pop to a shelf...
The only thing I care about in terms of accuracy with a model is if it’s as close to figure scale as possible, as proportionately correct as possible, and includes whatever functions the actual vehicle has. But other than that, throw a little space scooter inside my X-Wing, LEGO!!!
oh yeah also, the new captain rex and cody helmet commercial with rex and cody building the sets might mean that were getting the golden age wuality commercials back.
It's not just LEGO Star Wars ads which has changed. The rapid assembly and battles from all themes were pretty epic back in the day, but all LEGO ads now are "let's play to make the world better".
@@brickmasterharri I know. Disney killed LEGO Star Wars by removing what made it so fun and interesting. The commercials acted as a great way to lure in potential fans and future master builders. It baited us with bright colorful sets and scenery. The box art alone was enough to interest you in wanting to buy it just to make your own story.
Bro tbh you’re the only lego SW RU-vidr I can watch. They’re all so negative. I do like LifeBricks too but he’s friends with that one yucky dude and brings him on streams Idk I think you’re the best channel in the community atm
This perfect explains why i think the 06 star destroyer is the best. I do not understand why everyone doesnt feel the same, the fact that the bridge is misshapen is the reason its the best
It had the best play features too. The fireable laser, the escape pod, the lenticular printed hologram brick of the emperor, the two imperial guards to defend Vader (movie inaccurate but great for playing with it). The huge interior with loads of free studs. Especially the last part is lacking in modern Star Wars sers in around the same price range. The last Star Destroyer from 2014 iirc wasnt any smaller from the outside but left way less interior inside
I think the biggest issue is them adding so much unnecessary detail to even playsets that it racks up the price. Maybe I’m alone in thinking there should be less detail but I think it changes expectations and inflates the price.
Considering how more and more terrible the Disney Star Wars Canon it getting (imo), I would love to see more official Legends sets. A TIE Phantom, Outrider, Harrower Class Dreadnaught, Other Space?
LEGO became very serious and got more into money making business with their exclusive sets for adults every month. I miss playful sets. Lets see how my little girl will want to play with sets when the time comes
2006 - 2008, felt like the best era of lego star wars and I think its more than just nostalgia It had progressed alot since 1999 but still had alot of simple charm. I never owned it, but I always thought the 2007 At-St was the best version. Its way blockier than in the movies, but its very „lego“ Only shame is that alot of people seem to agree with it being the best era since the used prices are quite high. Ironically youd think I could get what I couldnt afford as a child as an adult. But now I cant afford it as adult either.
I was saying the TIE Crawler is! The Cruiser is episode one, but the mini ship for the pilot found inside is something Lego created just for playability🔥
Lego star wars feels more like investment with play features, and not a toy. It's sad that kids today can no longer enjoy Lego because the adults are buying them to resell
Yes Lego Star Wars is still awesome! They've given us so many things we've never gotten before, but I wish they could continue doing that while bringing some of the classic charm back🙌
I definitely think Lego needs to work a bit on their presentation and quality of the boxes and instructions. I also think they need to go back to the picture of the set and not a render.
On the topic of the renders being used in the instruction booklets, I remember when they first started doing it, I got the Lego Minecraft Barn set (I can't remember the exact name) I thought it was strange that it looked like that because it looks like it was still in LDD. It was so bad in fact that in those instructions, I remember two instances as clearly as the day I built it, where pieces either were just floating, or were clipping into each other. This was so atrocious in a Lego set that I was baffled how it got through quality control and onto shelves. edit: I was chuckling to myself during this whole video because the contrast between him and MandR is so funny. He is walking on broken glass making sure to not say anything that would get him on Lego's bad side, and good on him. On the other hand, MandR almost makes sure that he says something about Lego in all his videos, it's become his staple, and hey, all the power to him.
Same with Lego Harry Potter. The newer sets are awesome, yet I feel they don't have the same magic I felt as a little kid, when I got the very first big Hogwarts Castle set for christmas and looked at this lovely box and tried to put together all these different pieces (I was more used to Lego Explore/Duplo before), some of them printed with nice details, some of them transparent, like this completely random but awesome looking trans-clear chest, some pieces not even real pieces but just printed cardboard. It was so simple, yet it had a level of magic, features and playability that got me immersed a 100%, and that was before I even started reading Harry Potter. And that's why I wanna collect every single Lego Harry Potter set ever produced to put it all together and to get the best Hogwarts one can possibly build by just using official models. I just have to convince my bank account of this idea.😅
I think the overarching issue that does sum up a majority of these points has been due to a deviation from children towards teens and adults which in turn has removed most of the fun itself from the theme. It focuses more on accuracy and displayability which is fine, but when 8/10 sets in each wave are like that it quickly loses any charm as a lego theme and becomes just any other collectors item. They need to balance out how many sets are for older and hiw many are for younger because just one 4+ set and a brciikheads for the kids is not a viable nor enjoyable route to take.
I think the box art these days are exciting for the playsets. The instructions, however, do need a new style away from this computer rendering and lack of color. Maybe next year, there will be improvements. Never know what LEGO is cooking behind the scenes.
IMO lego star wars is dead, the number of sets drasticly decreased (and not even highly popular shows like mandalorian or bad batch had many sets, only 2-3 max) and the playability decreased too lego star wars golden era was when the original The Clone Wars aired, every year several new sets were released with many play features, new molds for new characters, new unique vehicles and spaceships what never built before, now most sets just collectables, diorama, head statues, UCS
I agree that they need to bring back May the Fourth promos and I also wish they would throw in new minifigures in fairly cheap sets. I also agree that Lego needs to add sets not exactly from the movies and I feel like they need to do this with other licensed themes like Marvel and DC.
this man is spitting out facts. people always talk about the quality, but never talk about how lego should really bring back the golden era of ads too. those old ads left me super pumped and looking forward to any chance of getting my hands on those sets.
I'd like to add a few points you didn't mention, but I thinknare big factors. 1. Cost. Maybe it's because I'm from a part of the world that is economically less well off than the US, but to me, this is a big one. LEGO was never cheap, but nowadays models are almost prohibitively expensive. Worse, there is a gradient of the same products based on price - so if you can't afford the collector's edition, you'd stuck with models that frankly, do not measure up in complexity. 2. Too many spaceships, not enough setpieces. I know that on the surface Star Wars might look like a universe of spaceships and space combat, but the setpieces can be equally important; and LEGO has succeeded in creating incredible setpieces for other franchises, so there's really no reason why Star Wars should be an exception. And there are two huge benefit to setpieces: 1. More playability value, more functionality. The amount of functionality you can put into a spaceship is quite limited. It shoots, it opens up, and... yeah, that's it. The size and accessibility constraint of having to fit into a spaceship size really makes this difficult. With a setpiece you don't have to worry about any of that. 2. More lax lore requirements, and more content. Am I the only one tired of the umpteenth X wing or Naboo fighter? You can only recreate the same spaceship so many times before I stop caring. At the same time the movies, comics, and games all offer a ton of incredible setpieces. Just to name one that still stings - why is there no LEGO Duel of the Fated setpiece? It's literally the perfect setting for a LEGO set, yet it has never, and will never exist. Imagine as a kid, playfighting with minifigures, and dropping Maul's dismembered body into the reactor chute, like in the movie... except it will never happen.
I do miss the addition of little non-canon elements, like the little glider/shuttle thing in the OG Millennium Falcon. Not something I necessarily want as an adult collector buying things mainly for display, but as a kid added a TON of play value. Although I have to point out the TIE Crawler *does* show up in the original 1998 Essential Guides to Vehicles and Vessels, so it was considered "canon" at the time (for however much that word does or ever did matter). EDIT: Oh also LEGO really needs to step up their game with their box art again. These minimalist renderings are dull, uninspiring, and pretentious.
I think it's fair to blame Disney for the lack of alternate builds: they would demand extra license fee for them, even if it's made of the same pile of parts. They are also concerned about "brand integrity" so no fun is allowed, just make and sell the product!
LEGO doesn't do minifigure promos anymore because people started buying sets in bulk, then returning all of the ones that didn't have any extra minifigures. I even remember looking at promo boxes on the shelf, only to see that the box had obviously already been opened.
Its really disappointing when u see new boring designes of instructions and boxes throughout 5 years and remember that childhood time when commercial was fun and interesting, boxes was beautiful with interesting back side, and instructions with comics, posters and arts
man I loved so many of those weird little play features that weren't originally there, but were still pretty cool. In the modern day I feel like the deranged helmet hole baby type fans would fill their diapers and scream over that type of thing because they aren't screen accurate. The republic cruiser is a shining example of that.
I want space police and exo force back, I was too young to get them at the time and I really want them now, I also want the black visors from the space police back too.
The advertisement issues are thanks to the minimalistic style every company tends to gravitate towards. Like, no one likes that design, give us some fun renders!
