LEGO CUUSOO Announces 21103 Back to the Future Time Machine

[quincy]

Wow... 1% is all LEGO was going to give them? That's really weak. ...I work as a professional toy inventor and we take 5%, and that's considered small.

For all the freed design work LEGO is getting from the community, you'd hope they'd reward the initial designers more. A penny on every dollar taken in isn't good enough.

[Blackninjatom]

cough*5 made the deadline*cough I'm sorry for the projects that had to wait so long just to get rejected. Seems like they could save everyone a lot of time and release their decision as soon as they know what they are going to do (like they did with the firefly).

I don't understand how Cuusoo works for sets that were probably already on Lego's radar despite them being submitted by people. For example, while that sandcrawler is absolutely incredible, surely Lego will at some point make a UCS version with or without Cuusoo. If and when they do, would they have to give the creator of the existing one 1% of the proceeds?

I've wondered the same thing about the Invisible Hand playset, which has been on the site for a very long time, but definitely would be something that Lego could make with the capital ships line. Though maybe it wouldn't pass because it's too big?

-tbone_tbl

[gomek]

Well I have to say I'm impressed that some one at Lego picked up the phone and made this happen. As long as Lego doesn't underestimate the demand for this, they should be in good shape. (And truth be told, I'm probably more excited that this might pave the way for Ghostbusters). Still.. I'm in.

Also, just cause I have to find something to dislike.. I do dislike Lego's rejection responses. It's like talking to my wife. She never tells you the real reason she doesn't like something, and it always takes a lot of interpretation and beating around the bush to get to the root of problem. Very frustrating. The undoing of the Western town was the scale. It would have had a much better chance if it was just one of the buildings. Legends of Zelda is all about the licensing, not the molds.

oh.. and I think 1% of this set will turn out to be a good deal of money. Very generous. Also leads me to wonder the fate of other BTTF set. Normally I'd say the success of the Delorean would make other sets a given. But then again, there's nothing Lego likes doing more than leaving money on the table.

[Flynn]

The undoing of the Western town was the scale. It would have had a much better chance if it was just one of the buildings. Legends of Zelda is all about the licensing, not the molds.

We don't know that, and it's unlikely they wouldn't have just said the real reason, especially with the latter example. It doesn't do them any favors to obscure their reasoning.

[Oky Wan Kenobi]

Great Scott! This is heavy. (It had to be said.) I will almost definitely be buying this set, no matter how it turns out! 1% does seem a bit low, but at least it's something, right?

[JohnGreenArt]

I feel like the size of the Western Modular set is only part of the issue. If CUUSOO agrees to do a set, they don't have to do verbatim what was submitted, do they? As a modular set, they could've decided to release just one building/portion first. And if it was successful, release more. The Lone Ranger license is definitely a factor, and they even say that (without naming it).

As for why there are still Castle sets coming out along with the LOTR and Hobbit license, those are proven properties. LOTR is ten years old, and Hobbit is going to ride its coattails. Lone Ranger is most definitely UNproven as a modern property (regardless of its popularity in the past). When was the last Western film to do well in theaters and build a lasting fan base? And how many kids today are really into Westerns? I guess the closest film would be RANGO, which just so happens to be from the same director and star. But LEGO probably doesn't want to take any chances of watering down the license's potential, and likely wants any LEGO fan who wants Western sets to pick up the Lone Ranger ones, whether or not they're a fan of the film.

[cas]

In for 10! I can't wait to see the production model.