Disturbing news about the future of castle

Discussion of official LEGO Castle Theme sets and products
User avatar
Bruce N H
Precentor of the Scriptorium
Posts: 6311
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:11 pm
Location: Middle Zealand
Contact:

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by Bruce N H »

Hey,

Just thinking about the previous Lord of the Rings and Hobbits sets. These were not based on the books, but instead were based on the movies. So I assume (though I have not looked into this at all) that the licensing deals were negotiated with New Line Cinema (maybe also with WingNut Films and MGM), the production company for the movies. The new TV series is being produced by Amazon Studios (though New Line is listed as "in cooperation with"), so I assume that any potential license would have to be renegotiated starting from square one. I'm not saying that means there is no potential upcoming theme there, just that this is another roadblock.

Personally I'd rather they do a home-grown castle theme, but would be happy with a licensed theme as a second choice.

Bruce
[url=http://comicbricks.blogspot.com/]ComicBricks[/url] [url=http://godbricks.blogspot.com/]GodBricks[/url] [url=http://microbricks.blogspot.com/]MicroBricks[/url] [url=http://minilandbricks.blogspot.com/]MinilandBricks[/url] [url=http://scibricks.blogspot.com/]SciBricks[/url] [url=http://vignettebricks.blogspot.com/]VignetteBricks[/url] [url=http://www.classic-castle.com/bricktales/]Brick Tales[/url]
DemoGoblin
Gong Farmer
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 3:46 am

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by DemoGoblin »

Well this is disappointing, probably the only thing that would take me out of my dark age would be a new Castle theme. I haven't bought any lego in five-ish years, and the new blacksmith has me interested. But if there wont be any new sets for years I kind of feel whats the point? I check here randomly hoping for good news, which is how I found out about the vote. I would give my left leg for another classic or fantasy series!
User avatar
DaleDVM
Journeyman
Posts: 428
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:46 am
Location: Illinois, USA

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by DaleDVM »

After seeing the 3 in 1 castle and the blacksmith set, I can say this. It is nice to get the Black Falcons and some castle appropriate molds/sets this year. However, this falls incredibly short of getting a full castle theme. There just are not enough "castle" parts to satisfy an eight year hunger I have been left with.

If a couple of (Ideas and 3in1) sets every 2-4 years with few new molds or prints is all we are going to get, it is going to make MOCing castle at scale really really expensive. Especially for those new to the hobby that do not have extensive collections like many of us classic castle collectors do.

I suppose everything I own from the castle line just keeps going up in value on the secondary market. It still doesn't feel good to me though...
User avatar
INTENSS
Freeman
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 5:08 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA
Contact:

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by INTENSS »

Between the 3 in 1 and the Ideas Blacksmith there are a lot of useful pieces for medieval buildings and castles. I think the rub comes with weapons, accessories, and minifigs. I was very happy with the Blacksmith set, bought 3 and a lot of pieces from Bricks & Pieces for MOC building. The Black Falcons and tan horse were nice surprises for sure. The 3 in 1 could have really used a new civilian mold and another faction to battle with for those kids buying medieval Lego for the first time.

Hey Lego, feel free to make a couple smaller Creator sets with wagons/weapons/boats with some of them CMF knights you’ve been pumping out over the last couple of years. Space gets a whole line in City, Ideas sets galore, NASA specific expert level sets and then still finds time for smaller space centric sets in creator. Throw Castle fans some legit love. How many castles do we have to vote into Ideas for them to get a clue?

Side note, I really hope the Viking Village Ideas set gets approved and then Vikings get the Pirates/Castle treatment with a big longboat Creator 3 in 1 set next summer....
User avatar
Sir Bragallot II
Gong Farmer
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2020 6:17 pm

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by Sir Bragallot II »

Personally, I'd rather have a higher quality set now and then than a castle line that has the same old things. Modernized versions of the classic factions are cool to me.

Where minifigs are concerned, new parts you can use for Castle still appear in other lines sometimes. And I kinda have a ton of minifigs already...

However it is a good point that for kids to get into Lego Castle, a full-blown new Castle theme would be necessary... but I guess the guys at LEGO don't think it would sell very well. The thing I'd find exciting about a Castle theme, which is more focus on medieval life, is hardly what will get kids to buy those sets.

I did buy the blacksmith and the new castle, hoping that boosted sales encourage them to keep making Castle content in the future, lol.
User avatar
INTENSS
Freeman
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 5:08 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA
Contact:

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by INTENSS »

Viking 3 in 1 Creator ship coming next summer with 3 minifigs. First Pirates, then Castle, and now Vikings. Nice.
User avatar
Formendacil
Knight Templar
Knight Templar
Posts: 4162
Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 7:22 pm
Location: Ashland, MA
Contact:

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by Formendacil »

INTENSS wrote:Viking 3 in 1 Creator ship coming next summer with 3 minifigs. First Pirates, then Castle, and now Vikings. Nice.
This is starting a nice trend (albeit an expensive one) every summer. If this is accurate, I wonder what they'll use for helmets. Is the Viking mold still around? They last used it for the collectible Viking in Series...4?

However, it they used the "Historical Viking" mold from Series 20, I would go from "yes, I'll probably get it" to "SIGN ME UP--TAKE MY MONEY!!!" I mean, a whole ship full of Rohirr--I mean, Vikings? Yes!
User avatar
Elephant Knight
CC Spriggan
CC Spriggan
Posts: 1141
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:34 am
Location: Hiding.
Contact:

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by Elephant Knight »

Formendacil wrote:
INTENSS wrote:Viking 3 in 1 Creator ship coming next summer with 3 minifigs. First Pirates, then Castle, and now Vikings. Nice.
This is starting a nice trend (albeit an expensive one) every summer. If this is accurate, I wonder what they'll use for helmets. Is the Viking mold still around? They last used it for the collectible Viking in Series...4?

However, it they used the "Historical Viking" mold from Series 20, I would go from "yes, I'll probably get it" to "SIGN ME UP--TAKE MY MONEY!!!" I mean, a whole ship full of Rohirr--I mean, Vikings? Yes!
But at best there will be three Vikings. Creator sets are a bit stingy on minifigs. Could be a skeleton to pad it out to 4 minifigs. And only two will be proper Vikings, in whatever form they shall take.

EKnight
It's not what you say it's how you say it.

Flickr, Colour it Blacktron, A Pirate's Life
User avatar
Bruce N H
Precentor of the Scriptorium
Posts: 6311
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 9:11 pm
Location: Middle Zealand
Contact:

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by Bruce N H »

Formendacil wrote:a whole ship full of Rohirr--I mean, Vikings? Yes!
Rohirrim are not really known for their seafaring ways, you know.
[url=http://comicbricks.blogspot.com/]ComicBricks[/url] [url=http://godbricks.blogspot.com/]GodBricks[/url] [url=http://microbricks.blogspot.com/]MicroBricks[/url] [url=http://minilandbricks.blogspot.com/]MinilandBricks[/url] [url=http://scibricks.blogspot.com/]SciBricks[/url] [url=http://vignettebricks.blogspot.com/]VignetteBricks[/url] [url=http://www.classic-castle.com/bricktales/]Brick Tales[/url]
User avatar
DaleDVM
Journeyman
Posts: 428
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:46 am
Location: Illinois, USA

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by DaleDVM »

We will see what the Vikings bring next year. I hope it is useful.

However, creator being the home for castle and other historic themes is barely better than no castle at all IMHO. Even a fully fleshed out castle theme once a decade would be better than a single creator castle offering every 3-5 years. This is simply because creator sets do not get new parts, molds, and printing as a rule. This years sets while nice sets aesthetically, didn't really help much in the way of MOCing, minifigs, and/or parts selection. And really that is what I need the sets for. The parts and minifigs... not the model.

Getting historical figures, especially for new castle fans, in these sets is overly cost prohibitive.
User avatar
Terry Tuffnuts
Serf
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2021 3:00 am

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by Terry Tuffnuts »

Sir Bragallot II wrote:Modernized versions of the classic factions are cool to me.
YES!

There are no factions that are 'too big' and there are a lot that are too small (in number of sets)
User avatar
INTENSS
Freeman
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 5:08 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA
Contact:

Re: Disturbing news about the future of castle

Post by INTENSS »

DaleDVM wrote:We will see what the Vikings bring next year. I hope it is useful.

However, creator being the home for castle and other historic themes is barely better than no castle at all IMHO. Even a fully fleshed out castle theme once a decade would be better than a single creator castle offering every 3-5 years. This is simply because creator sets do not get new parts, molds, and printing as a rule. This years sets while nice sets aesthetically, didn't really help much in the way of MOCing, minifigs, and/or parts selection. And really that is what I need the sets for. The parts and minifigs... not the model.

Getting historical figures, especially for new castle fans, in these sets is overly cost prohibitive.
I’m with you on you logic and agree we need something outside of Creator 3 in 1 to get new parts/minifigs. However, with this set in particular, they’ll need at least 1 or 2 actual Vikings which means we may be getting something new or more availability of that great Viking from CMF. Either that, or we’ll be getting Pirate Vikings….
Post Reply