If you missed out on one of the hottest selling LEGO sets of this year, 21102 LEGO Minecraft, and dread having to pay aftermarket prices for one, you may be in luck. This Forbes article highlights a tweet from Mojang CEO Carl Manneh that LEGO will be producing more sets in time for the holidays. A quick call to Shop@Home yielded a reply that neither confirmed nor denied LEGO’s commitment. I’d keep my browser pointed here and here. You can also check back with us as we’ll try and stay on top of any new developments.
Category: LEGO CUUSOO
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CUUSOO Status Updates
A couple of days ago, LEGO CUUSOO posted on their blog an update to the summer and fall cycles.
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Curiosity Achieves 10,000 Votes On Cuusoo
I’ve been watching the speedy rise of votes for the Mars Science Laboratory built by Stephen Pakbaz for the last week and it’s been quite a ride. While it it appears that some noise on Reddit helped it blast past the finish line overnight keep in mind there were days when Ace and I monitored it climbing 500 votes or more, so this really only sped up the accomplishment by perhaps a week or so. Models like this are what Cuusoo is all about and though some may worry that the months between now and any possible release of this model will cool the interest in Curiosity, I believe it will probably be well recieved among it’s target demographic (Science!) in any case. LEGO’s pre-existing relationship with NASA also bodes well for this and I would love to have it as a compliment to my Mars Exploration Rover (I loved it so much I bought two). The review process would make any possible release an even decade after that last official rover model, which is pretty cool IMO. Here’s LEGO’s two bits:
Congratulations on 10,000 Supporters, Perijove!
2012.08.18
What a cool Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover model and a very timely LEGO CUUSOO project! You’ve built and presented the model in a good size that looks accessible and playable. We really like the Sky Crane as shown with the transparent flame pieces, too.This project has seen a pretty impressive run to 10,000 thanks to last night’s Reddit post. Awkward high-fives all around!
Congratulations on achieving 10,000 supporters. We now officially advance this project to the Review phase.
Congratulations to Stephen Pakbaz, everyone else who worked on the Mars Science Laboratory project and anyone who gets excited at the thought of atomic powered robots being landed on other planets.
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UCS Sandcrawler Achieves 10,000 Votes On Cuusoo
Marshal Banana has made a bit of Cuusoo history with his massive UCS Sandcrawler reaching 10,000 votes. Firstly, it’s the largest model to make the cut and be approved to move into the review phase, with the next quarterly review starting in September. And most impressively, this isn’t his first model to make the cut. He was also responsible for the very well recieved Western Town which is in the current review stage.
The size of this beast is the real concern for me as the original Sandcrawler from 2005 weighed in at 1669 pieces and would probably be close to $200 if it was released today. This model is probably 5 times that size and includes multiple power functions and lights, so if LEGO chooses to build it anywhere near this level it is sure to be an extremely costly set. This will be the most interesting entry to watch so far as the first three Cuusoo production models have been smaller $40-60 sets and even the Western Town could end up being done in micro scale similar to the Mini Modulars, but the entire intention of this one is the size and complexity. Congratulations to Marshal Banana and good luck in the next stage of this journey.
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Portal Achieves 10,000 On CUUSOO
If you like thinking with portals then there is now a chance you may be building with them in the future. If my count is correct this makes four video game licenses to reach the 10,000 mark and I doubt they will be the last. Team Jigsaw certainly put a lot of effort into their pitch and that along with fan support was probably what helped them through the rocky start that almost wasn’t and the two swift weeks of voting that have followed. I’m not sure what in this property would end up being made into a set, but I bet if it ended up as a Companion Cube LEGO would probably end up selling quite a few. It will be some time before we see a decision on this one as the deadline for the next quarterly review doesn’t even close until September 3rd. Based on the breakdown of review times on CUUSOO’s blog it sounds like the last review may still be a month or more so stay tuned.
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Firefly Cancelled… Again.
LEGO wasted no time getting to the point on this one and it really comes as no surprise. Do I like Firefly? Yes! Do I think tbone_tbl’s model looks good? Indeed! Being totally honest though, even I’d probably pass on a Firefly set. Wouldn’t mind a sweet Jayne hat though 😉
Here’s what LEGO had to say:
Congratulations to the Firefly Serenity playset reaching 10,000 supporters! Here’s our decision on fit with the LEGO brand.
First and foremost, huge congratulations to tbone_tbl for reaching 10,000 supporters on LEGO CUUSOO, and toward everyone for all of the support of the Firefly Serenity Playset project!
LEGO CUUSOO gives the opportunity for adult LEGO fans to submit product ideas. You submit some incredible things, and we’re huge fans of all of your work. This is a beautiful model and a skilled rendition of the beloved Serenity from Firefly built with LEGO bricks.
When reviewing projects for production, the LEGO Jury first looks at how the concept fits the LEGO brand. We learned the IP was questionable regarding a brand fit, and since we anticipated this project reaching 10,000 the team got a head start and reviewed the project on these criteria.
LEGO produces toys for children. Therefore all LEGO products, regardless of age target, must be content-appropriate for this core audience. With this in mind we have decided that as cool as the Serenity model is, the Firefly TV show and Serenity film contain content that is not appropriate for our core target audience of children ages 6-11. While we know this news will disappoint those who supported the project, we will not be producing this as a LEGO product.
Opening ourselves to new product suggestions invites popular ideas that don’t always fit our brand. We are grateful for the spirit behind projects like the Firefly Serenity and for the opportunity to be challenged. It keeps us sharp and looking toward the future of the LEGO brick.
I guess we should be thankful that we’ve gotten lines based on two great movies that Joss was involved in and call it a day.
Does leave me wondering about the state of BTTF & Zelda. Just barely though. -
Firefly CUUSOO Entry Gets to 10,000 Votes
If you are a fan of the show Firefly and have unrealistic expectations, I have news for you. Tbone_tbl‘s “Firefly Serenity playset” has reached enough votes to enter LEGO’s review process starting in June. While Firefly’s fans can be a vocal bunch, they’re the definition of niche. This is likely to play a major role–along with the fact there is nothing current to tie a Firefly product to–in LEGO’s decision regarding the license. That, and creating a feasible, marketable model.
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The Legend Of Zelda Reaches 10,000 Votes On Cuusoo
Yet another licensed property has called on the support of its fan base to reach the 10,000 votes needed for LEGO Cuusoo to consider production in some shape or form. I’ll admit that Mingles has done a nice job with the pictures and given a lot of thought as to how an entire theme could be produced, though a single set not unlike the one he has shown would be more likely and at least give the fans a little taste of Link. The content is no more questionable than The Lord of the Rings, so there should be no problem there. The main hurdles this project may have would be the licensing (Nintendo already has dealings with K’nex) and whether or not the fan base is there to actually make money on another hard to find set. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is still my favourite video game. Ever. So good luck Link! It’s dangerous to go alone! Take these…
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CUUSOO Back to the Future Entry Reaches 10,000 Votes
It was only a matter of time. M.togami’s “Back to the Future(BTTF) – DeLorean Time Machine” LEGO CUUSOO entry has reached its goal. Does this mean we’ll have a LEGO DeLorean in our future? Maybe. Maybe not. Consider the licensing that is likely required. Universal Pictures. Amblin Entertainment. DeLorean Motor Company. It’s quite a hurdle beyond designing a set that might one day grace store shelves or LEGOShop, but hopefully it’s a hurdle that LEGO is willing to overcome to deliver a stellar and geek-tastic product. Who knows, perhaps LEGO has considered a Back to the Future license in the past and the paperwork’s already been done…
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LEGO CUUSOO – ‘Eve Online Ships’ Gains Support
I briefly mentioned this achievement earlier, but it was a bit buried in the Shaun of the Dead post and I felt it deserved more recognition. Czar aka behemothjosh’s EVE Online creation–“EVE Online Ships – Rifter“–may very well represent a new, if not short-lived, license. Much like I’ve never played Minecraft, I’ve never played EVE Online, so my familiarity with the ship is severely limited, which is one of the reasons my enthusiasm is limited. I’m sure the EVE Online fans (both LEGO and non-LEGO fans) are stoked, however.
Unlike the previous MOCs to reach 10,000 votes, this model lets its studs hang out, something I’ve noticed many popular MOCs tend to shy away from, instead relying more heavily on tiles and/or extensive SNOT techniques. This model, as you can see, seems to hearken back to simpler, studlier times, which I appreciate and I’m sure many others do as well. We’ll keep you updated on LEGO’s decision regarding this model and future potential, long-shot licenses, some of which may require having awkward Oedipal moments.