Kre-O and the Elephant in the Room

[JamesBenjamin]

And I finally posted a review on Eurobricks:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.p ... opic=56645

Enjoy!

[onions]

one thing that really bugs me about the large optimus prime kre-o set is that it has the movie truck form but the g1 style head. does. not. compute.

[mdilthey]

I love how many Lebowski fans this site has. It feels akin to a warm blanket

Also, I'm comforted by the fact that only children will be tricked into buying Kre-o. All the adults, teens, 12 year olds, and responsible parents will keep Lego as irreverent as they always have been, despite any hurdles like this.

[Custom333]

Logistically it would be insanely difficult to make models that actually transform, especially if they do a lot of the different characters.

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?S=4770-1

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?S=4745-1

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?S=8964-1

These aren't quite Transformers characters, but transforming sets have been done a few times by Lego.

[cas]

They transform sure, but they're on a whole 'nother level, like level 1-1. They don't change from one distinct thing into another distinct thing. Command Rig's still Command Rig. Undersea Explorer's still Undersea Explorer, etc...

[Flynn]

Well, there's less examples to provide for that, but a notable one from the Alpha Team line:


And then the Undersea Explorer does a dang good job of changing to two distinct things, IMO:


I mean, yeah, the transformations aren't too elaborate, but they're not a far cry from what Transformers LEGOs would have to be, I think.

[legodavee123]

Well, if you're looking for a LEGO set that's comparable to a Transformer, there's always LEGO's version of a Transformer that they did in 1987 back when the craze was still on:



DaveE

[bigkid24]

Well like with most LEGO sets, the TF fans only really want the Kre-O figure and not the big model. Seems like the reception to the sets has been lukewarm by Transformers fans. Has there been any sales data regarding the sets?

Also, I remember reading an article somewhere about the origin of the name and was based from a different language I believe.

[Feralcom]

When Transformers came out, I was at that awkward age when toys were "not cool" for my age. My experience with them was mostly through my younger brother. I honestly never understood the craze. They just seemed so limited compared to toys like G.I. Joe. Most didn't even look like robots to me when in their Robot mode. Then there were a few, like Optimums, which I could tell was probably a cool toy (or has potential) before it was brought to the States and neutered because it had seats and areas for miniature figures.

I looked at one of these KreO sets the other day and I was shocked to see how many pieces were exact replicas of Lego. I do not know the quality, but they look like the Mega Blocks (which I bought once and will never again). I wish them good luck as I think Lego needs some competition to knock them down from their price hikes. However, I think Hasbro missed their mark by not creating their own designs.

[legodavee123]

I looked at one of these KreO sets the other day and I was shocked to see how many pieces were exact replicas of Lego. [...] However, I think Hasbro missed their mark by not creating their own designs.

I expect it's a good indicator that Hasbro used LEGO elements to do their prototypes, and then just tried to replicate it as closely as possible rather than go through the whole design process for new elements. Effectively, they can piggyback on LEGO's research, and reduce their own spending.

I get the impression that Kre-O is an experiment for Hasbro. If it does well, they'll put more money in it (and probably have a lot more original elements). If it fails, then no big whoop-- it'll just be terminated.

DaveE

[onions]

i'm gonna guess that kre-o will do well enough to keep the line going. and by well enough i mean break even and maybe at a loss. it's no secret that the main selling point are the ugly kre-ons, and with transformers, there's no shortage of source material for more sets.

i too hope that it does well enough to keep going, not because i'm a fan, but it would create more competition in the marketplace. competition is good for the consumer.

[SuperDave]

competition is good for the consumer.

I'm not looking to start a fight, but I'm not sure this statement is always correct. Competition leads to fair prices, not cheap prices (see cars, soft drinks, athletic shoes, etc.). Hasbro, Mega, and Lego in the same marketplace (although with slightly different niches) will establish price ranges that are fair for the marketplace (reflecting production, advertising, packaging, various government regulations/requirements, profit margin, etc.)- it won't automatically lead to decreasing prices.

This is, of course, my opinion and is not fortified by facts, education, or experience.

[onions]

i didn't mean for lowering prices though it is one hopeful outcome. and looking back over my post, i didn't mention prices once. i meant for quality of product. imagine lego as the only company to make building block sets. what's the motivation in maintaining high quality if there isn't a megablocks brand to compare to? competition is what drives companies to produce their best.

i had an epiphany the other day: if kre-o transformers does well enough, i'm pretty sure hasbro's going to expand and do kre-o gi joe. then all the lego military nuts will go coco for cocoa puffs. because that is the one theme lego refuses to do: military.

[SuperDave]

Ah, yes- regarding quality, competition does push for an increase in quality (at least to certain balance points).

[hrdcrgamer]

It would have been cool if they could have designed these toys to also transform in some way. I know it may be very challenging but I wouldn't rule it out altogether.

[turtle]

i had an epiphany the other day: if kre-o transformers does well enough, i'm pretty sure hasbro's going to expand and do kre-o gi joe. then all the lego military nuts will go coco for cocoa puffs. because that is the one theme lego refuses to do: military.

I had the same thought when i first saw these sets in stores. And I think it's probably going to happen. But these toys still have the same problem megablock has had all along. Poor quality plastic that is brittle, with poor color quality, and poor "clutch". I mean, what good is a building toy - if it won't stay together and looks bad even if it will. I still think they will sell a lot of these, but it's still a movie license, and those havn't been that durable for TLG. To 30 something AFOLs Transformers is a cultural phenomenon that we grew up with - just like old school roller skates. But kids these days have been saturated with much more believable robot themes, pretty much from day one. Halo seems to have been good for them so far, but I really think that's been about it. The Iron Man stuff didn't seem to sell very well, judging by how much of it was on clearance here locally. And since Comic-con, they appearantly won't be making anymore Iron Man theme.

[Feralcom]

G.I. Joe would be incredibly hard for me to resist. I has taken every ounce of my self-control to not buy the new and re-release GI Joe toys that have come out these past few years. Hopefully, the mini figures would look stupid and
or the bricks would be mega-block quality. That would turn me away.

[tformsopti8]

I'm glad that Hasbro came out with the Kre-o line. Lego needs to have some competition. The problem with these sets is that in order to transform them you have to take them apart and build the alternate mode. Kids who love transformers may be a tad disappointed with this.

[turtle]

I just keep thinking about what used to happen when my transformers got in a fist fight back in 86'. With Kreo - that is just going to be completely hilarious with parts flying everywhere!

Okay....FIGHT !!! (15 minute pause for reassembly) Okay....FIGHT !!!

These are basically the bionicle large figure - with almost zero actual playability

So these are most useful for toy collectors, that like to put stuff like this on their book shelves, except these are the same people that hate (and that's maybe not strong enough a word) to buy cheaply made junk.

[smoreyjinza]

Kre-o is an interesting idea for sure. I don't think it will appeal to die hard transformers fan. There is no real ability to transform them. You have to build a different form. I think its a go first attempt. Hopefully if they keep the line alive we will see improvements.