Why Lego CAN'T Bring Back Bionicle
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 січ 2025
- At long last, I answer one of the biggest questions: Why won't LEGO bring BIONICLE back?
Check out the DuckBricks Instagram for Behind-the-Scenes content and MORE: / duck_bricks
Check out the DuckBricks Store, featuring comfy DUCK MERCH (shirts, hoodies, and more!), custom Resin/3D Printed Bionicle Kanohi and Canon Packs: duckbricks.big...
Join us on Whatnot for LIVE LEGO Auctions! Click this link for $10 FREE: www.whatnot.co...
Follow DuckBricks on Letterboxd for wild film takes: letterboxd.com...
Visit the DuckBricks Bricklink Store, with rare LEGO sets, minifigs, and parts added regularly! store.bricklin...
Join the conversation on the DuckBricks Discord Server: / discord
Dear Chris/Duckbricks and the amazing Bionicle community. I really enjoy this detailed deepdive into the possible/impossible return of Bionicle. Having been involved through the entire biological chronicle it has truly been a legendary creative journey now reaching 25 years. It was all the right pieces and ideas at the right time that made Bionicle magic. It is living proof of how collective creativity can change everything. From individual lives to big challenges for international companies. My core learning from this adventure is that creative community can move and change anything. It can create hope, change, value and purpose. We all have different experiences and wishes for what Bionicle could be if it returned and I agree with you Chris that it is highly unlikely that Bionicle returns as a regular LEGO property, it is out of our hands, BUT we, the community hold a common ability and knowledge straight from the legend itself, "together we are strong" - This is a force of nature that I have been powered by ever since. I have worked and put everything into keeping the dream and collective alive and I believe we can create something new and amazing on a global scale with big potential for addressing important challenges in our time and the near future. This is the time before time and we are all the Great Beings, laying the foundation for the future. We decide if it is a hopeful, creative future or a passive AI machine build. We are what inspires the future Toa. We are the creative Rebels of Nature who know and love the feeling of being on an epic adventure. Lets keep this magic ability alive in a growing creative community founded on Bionicle with the ability to go anywhere and redefine play, toys, and gaming. We are the heroes of This NOW. lets make the PAST a PRESENT for the FUTURE:)
Wise words from the co-creator of BIONICLE himself!! The future is what we, the fans, build it to be!
Beautiful and bittersweet words! On the one hand , I agree with @DuckBricks that it is, logistically and logically, very impractical for LEGO to revive the theme as we once knew it. On the other hand, a part of me likes that it might be preserved in the past so as to not risk harming the brand name. I have SUCH strong sentiment for the lore that my mind's eye can't see my childhood room, my "new" house in the early 2000s or even my final memories of school without bionicle being in some way involved. Its a part of the early 2000s aesthetic that permeated our childhood culture. Its difficult to put descriptors to it but "adventure", "mystery" , "ethereal" and "epic" all come to mind. Bionicle G1 was really a cultural phenomenon and for those of us who listened and were involved in the lore. It grew up with us and , as much as I would like to see it come back,( AND THATS A LOT), if it never does, it will sit as a nice element in the memory of the era :)
This man just walked downstairs, backwars, and didn't hit a thing in the way.
You must be new here
He does that it every video
lol
He does it pretty frequently on the channel, so I think it is muscle memory at this point
I mean you can get god at anything if you do it enough... And trust me this guys did it enough...
When you love something, you need to set it free. The toy industry isnt what it was in the early 00s when Bionicle came out. This is a great video, thank you.
I think most fans would be happy with a last hoorah send off that really gives the franchise the respect it deserves.
Don't worry, they will be back in adult collector format. Look what happened to all the 80s toy lines that are getting supreme toys now, like Ghostbusters, GiJoe, Transformers, MOTU. Kids don't buy toys anymore, it's going to become an adult hobby. And then they'll start releasing 300 dollar Bionicles.
@@fen4554and when they do…..I will be there burning my money
@@Kurotama11 You and me both brother.
@@fen4554 Likewise. I've already been re collecting lots of them and spare parts and it's quickly become expensive
What most people don’t know is that duck bricks actually films this walking forward and speaking backward, then he reverses the footage for us viewers!
But then you would have to explain how the cameraman was able to walk backwards without hitting anything.
Funny enough that was my first thought too haha
@@andrewszklanecki7762 It's actually a very, very quiet drone.
what i personally worry about is constraction
old bionicle parts are only aging and will keep breaking more and more and we arent getting any new ones. i dont want fans to run out of parts for their creations.
they 3d print new ones.
@@xDukii 3d printed pieces arent as strong as injection molded ones, nor as high quality
@galactica_2 That's because consumer trend & manufacturers went to more affordable printers instead of higher quality printing. There are better consumer and industrial grade 3d printers out there. Lego could sell a 50 cent piece for $5 custom printed. Maybe a small shop could sell high quality 3d prints of discontinued molds. Not just Bionicle. Generic companies already sell actual copies of Wargs, 3 for $10 vs $40 for an original.
@galactica_2Depends a lot on the kind of 3D printer-resin printers are very good at fine detail and are less likely to split along build lines, just generally have a much smaller maximum build volume. And industrial 3D printers like a print-on-demand service might have can get those parts made with properties much more similar to injection molding-or even make the pieces in metal to the same tolerances. And the wargaming community has been using other methods like “recasting” (ie using an original part to make single-use or few-use molds and casting replacement parts in said molds) to recreate out of print (or just too expensive) bits for decades.
They may never look “as good as new” but they would still be useable for play or display. And I think most people looking to have bionicle care more about that than keeping it in mint condition.
@@IONATVS Could just 3d print a mold, then do your own small scale technic injection molding. Craftsman steady crafting has touched on injection molding at home in some of his vids.
The other huge bonus that bionicle had was that the bionicle comics came for free with the already free logo magazine.
I was a huge fan of bionicle growing up. But I almost certainly wouldn't have been if I didn't get a monthly comic that feeds me constant story updates.
There is also the fact that most of G1 ran at minimum cost. The original Toa, I think, had under 50 parts (maybe even under 30. It has been a minute since I counted), so LEGO made bank on selling these relatively tiny sets. And then they had the bigger side sets that were part of the content, but not necessary for most play.
Will Lego prove DuckBricks wrong by announcing Bionicle gen 3 for 2026?
Lego, do it and my life is yours
bionicle is dead move on
@@DuckBricks I have a question , do you know any details about what the cancelled Speedorz Legends of Chima sets ? These being the Lava Breakout , Fang trap, and Frozen Fortress.
Also do you know if Lego still has the Chima molds in storage ?
@@hereiam6149Guys I love being reductive
@@hereiam6149Go home.
Your dower negativity is not warranted.
If wanting Bionicle to come back was The Five Stages of Grief, I've been in the Acceptance Phase for a good while now. I'm just fine holding onto the memories sharing them with others.
G2 definitely shouldn't have released for another 5 years at least. Of course, by then CCBS may've still faltered with other lines like Star Wars and Bionicle may've come back in a very different form, or not at all. Last year, I recollected the G2 Masters, Uniters, Protectors, Creatures, Skulls and Beasts, and fell in love with them all over again. The gimmicks, the builds, the COLORS... it even got away with comparatively few new pieces, reusing masks, textures and weapons intelligently, and in some ways 2016 was even better than 2015. Innovative new limb constructions, new methods of articulation, more technic. Constraction, as an art form, was evolving so fast and then it just.... stopped. If only we had at least one more year to see what else they were cooking.
Story-wise, I'd personally like to see Bionicle revived as an anthology series. Bara Magna proves that the motifs of Bionicle are versatile enough to be set on new worlds with their own denizens and mythos, even jumping from Maori names to Latin, so that's how I'd do it. Every few years, just soft reboot to a new setting and new characters with a few common traits- cyborgs, elements, headgear. But.... I'm not most Bionicle fans. While I can appreciate different building systems and new characters, for many Bionicle is JUST Tahu, Kopaka and co on a tropical island. But at the same time, G2 proved that just that recognition ISN'T enough. If Bionicle came back, I'd want it to be fresh, because that freshness, that newness is itself the thing I'm nostalgic about. The feeling of stepping into an alien world with its own peoples and stories.
But.... as you've proven in this video, Bionicle just isn't an easy theme to get right, and lego is in no position to try again. We can blame lego for shooting themselves in the foot by expecting us to do the marketing heavy lifting for them through word of mouth, we can blame retailers for not being willing to carry it again, we can blame some older Bionicle fans who were involved for not giving CCBS a chance, we can blame more recent lego fans brought onboard by The Lego Movie for only giving bricks a chance, we ALL let Bionicle down in some way. It was a perfect storm that killed it.
The existing story (especially the books/comics) already had the setup for getting people to enter - it wasn’t until Bara Magna that they really started to spread out the side stories.
And even if they don’t really do anything with the Story We Know, there’s a lot of potential in the Pre-Likan era of Toa. (Including leading just WHY Duke was such a trusted figure, and how he became Turaga. It DOES mean that he was a Toa at some point! Seeing Metru Nui prior to Teradax starting to mess things up would be REALLY neat!)
Kind of like what Star Wars did with the Clone Wars tv show.
OR EVEN PRE-SEPARATION SPHERUS MAGNA!
@@ESw0rdsman I disagree. The parallel universes, characters/places sharing the same names and factions within factions were a problem well before 2009. 2007 and 8 were very dense years that I ate up but were intimidating and unwelcoming for newcomers. Bara Magna was an attempt to provide a new jumping on point.
@@NickonPlanetRipple I so would have liked for Bara Magna had been successful, it was very much a breath of fresh air for someone who had been with the original characters for so long, new world, new non toa characters, heroes and villains galore, tons of potential. It was a major pity that it had to be rushed in the end.
I think what G2 really needed was a better story, villain sets, and media that released along side it
@@Twin_Takoyaki it needed better advertising...
For anyone Interested in catching up with the lore I highly recommend The Absolute insanity of Bionicle Lore series. Dude puts in a lot of work to piece a whole story togeather in enjoyable and cohesesve format!
Or Turaga Maxil, his recaps are hilarious and amazing
He also used A.I. in his most recent bionicle video.
Never touching his channel again.
54:41 collectible minifigs is also a way for designers to sneak in parts they need. They've done that multiple times already, it's quite funny
There are also the so called "family molds", which consist of multiple pieces produced in a single mold and are always included in the sets together in separate little bags, even if not all of them are officially intended to be used, most commonly they tend to be minifig weapons/accessories. Some designers themselves admitted, that it's a way for them to cheat some more pieces into existence, than they had been given the budget to.
Also Lego only has exclusive part issue with the star wars and Marvel theme... When they clearly have no issue with it for super mario and mionecraft both themes need insane exclusive or new parts to work as they are... But as Bionicle MOCs have shown Bionicle doesn't never have...
I have never been that involved with bionicle, but 17 seconds in and I can already tell thes is going to be one of the most interesting lego videos I have ever watched
Same
Even though Bionicle has been gone for so long, it's still the most amazing fandom of any Lego theme ever. Very proud of this community.
35:20 I don't actually buy this
Lego appears by all accounts to be a package deal at major retailors, and let's be real here, that means walmart and target.
I've never seen a walmart or target with a selection notably different from each other, and if a set isn't intended to be exclusive to Online or the Lego store, you're gonna find it there.
Besides, you really think the product acquisitions manager, who's no doubt worked at the store for less than 8 months in a stepping stone field, is gonna pay attention to the individual sales reports of their most significant "package deal" brand partnerships from 10 to 15 years ago?
I agree. Especially considering the fact that star wars toys sell so poorly that they show up at Ollie's fairly regularly yet they are still on the shelves at walmart
If I had a nickel for every time Lego had a major theme set before time had a name, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.
"But it won't make us that much money"
Do it anyway.
while you were talking about a Tahu minifig in a CMF i thought of how great it would be if lego released a full theme of minifigs that were a callback to their old themes. a bionicle minifig, a chima one and so on. that would be so cool
@ i miss the ninjago legacy subtheme every day 🥲
To quote an ancient meme we just need to clone Nelson Mandela
I actively hope the rumours are false.
LEGO has demonstrated (not least of all with G2) that they are no longer a company that could make Bionicle. Be it the story, the sets, the aesthetics and atmosphere, the marketing and mixed media delivery - none of it would come out of the modern day LEGO group. They just don't, or perhaps can't do stuff like that anymore and much like G2 a third attempt would be "Bionicle" in name alone.
Also brick-built figures like those superhero sets would be straight ass lmao, some people will really just settle for anything as long as it has the word "bionicle" attached to it
Tbh Bionicle was never a Lego product. It was a Greg Farshley's product financed by Lego that Lego hated from the start to end, but couldn't get rid off.
Lego with everything it stands for is against everything Bionicle is.
The problem isn't Lego being trash, they always were, it is that they seat on the IP rights and no other company can try to remake Bionicle in either name or construction.
Bionicle being a minifigure is the one thing I wouldn't like to happen, it NEEDS to be a constraction figure even if it's bricks
If you look at the present brick built figures, they are not playable. Look more at the big mech type builds, maybe but not the brick built figures.
Agreed. It should most definitely stay as a technic line
@StudSnob that would get us into the spaces that ninjago and monkey kid opperate in. Would it work as a concept? Yes, but it is a saturated field. You would have to convince lego to making yet another type of midi built figure to satisfy the root concept of what bionicle was, buildable action figures for things to work. The part about g1 and g2 bionicle I actually enjoyed most was making my own figures from the parts of the figures I had. If a robot team hero line is released in minifigure form, it would be best to remove it from the baggage that comes with the bionicle name.
@StudSnob look at mixles for what they did. There are small ball joints on plates and I think something could be done for attached armor. Alternately, look at bar clip hinges. Fyi bionicle did actually try play sets, but the figures were a singular piece. Hero factory also had some sessions that used figures in mechs.
@StudSnob I feel like most Bionicle fans tend older, that strikes me as people not really looking for playability. Personally I feel larger, diorama pieces would be more well received by the possible market than playable pieces would be.
It's not the ten year olds wanting to play with Bionicle, they are playing with Ninjago its their 30 year old parents wanting to get nostalgia.
It's actually really nice to hear how honest you are in this video. We all love Bionicle through and through, but the truth of the matter is that it just isn't viable for Lego to produce anymore. On the other hand; the community is still alive and thriving. 3D printing is such a huge part of the community now, it's easier than ever to make your own pieces and make your own new sets. The canonization contests are amazing for that and it's incredible that a lego theme that is as old as Bionicle is, to still be loved this much to this day.
All I really hope for is that one day Lego will see that they do not need the IP anymore and maybe sell it to another company (hint hint wink wink Nui Ventures)
2000s kids have adult money now, it's time for generation 3
THIS. looking back to the prices of sets in the early 2000's, even adjusted for inflation- I can never shake that feeling that if i'd been just a little bit older, maybe had a bit of my own money, I'd have more than my dwindling collection today. a toa canister in 2001 was like $9, thats basically pocket change, G2 Toa were almost $30 each in canada, and yes i know they were bigger and more complex but that isnt the point. you couldnt buy the main characters with some cash you have on hand anymore, and i firmly believe thats a big reason why it failed- hell its absolutely why i couldnt get any despite being employed when G2 launched, they were just too expensive. A prospective G3 needs to learn from this, or it WILL fail again.
This is a truth I refuse to accept. We’re manifesting G3 over here 🙏🤞
I agree with you. Plus, we have stories yet to be utilized in Lego World Builder. I hope the people behind that website will make at least a few of them come true.
Based
This video is so articulate and absolutely true. Leave it to DuckBricks to really put it in perspective. I appreciate this so much!! Unity, duty, destiny!! Always ❤
Lego should sell the Bionicle IP
I would prefer to have a spiritual successor to Bionicle, but nothing will feel like Bionicle to me if it's not Technic-based as Bionicle was. I see growing potential in Technic as there's an increasing number of small panel pieces and whatnots. The two things that could tie it all together would be technic-compatible towball (mixel) sockets and more custom-built (maybe modular?) head designs, which would lessen the need for new molds.
I actually made mocs of some G1 rahi in a more technic/mixel style as part of a collab, but also to kind of make a point of the concept. Utilizing stud shooters with towball sockets kind of provided the sockets I wanted without technically using system.
Agreed.
Lego made a $700 Technic crane, you’d think their designers could pull off a few action figures
I’ve only seen the first part of the video, but the solution to me is to bring the sensibilities into a new line. Avoid one-off parts, reuse as much as possible. Try to use the same parts in different ways. When the original Toa Mata and Toa Nuva lines came out you could also get bags that reused mask molds in different colours, so you could give your Toa a different power-set, or make a new Toa altogether. Even in this video you could see some Technic Heavy Sets using the masks as something else, Onua’s mask used as boxing mits for a scorpion, or Tahu’s mask used for knees, Takunuva’s mask was used for Hands, and Makuta’s mask could be turned upside down to make a different face (something underutilised) the more they reuse parts, they more they can justify their allowance.
Also, the CCBS system lacked the charm of G1 Bionicles, few or no technic holes. So many opportunities for using existing technic pieces squandered all for plates with no charm. G2 Onua was at least clever with using the arm sockets for the chest, but that’s it.
Those are my thoughts on the matter. A new Bionicle would need the charm of the oldest sets. It might be a slow start to begin with though.
Bionicle was magic to me as a kid. Lego was a lot of fun, but building a behemoth out of multiple Bionicle sets was one of the funnest things I remember as a kid.
I don't know what a lot of fans were doing in 2015, but for me, I was graduating highschool and joining the Navy. I completely missed the G2 line up and now if I want to buy them, I'd have to pay double or triple the price! If Lego released G3, I'd be a customer.
Similar for me. I was working in a factory and had no time to catch up on things online. I had no idea G2 was a thing, but i totally would have bought that whole line!
I don't think Bionicle should come back as a full theme, but maybe an Icons set where we can get all of the toa in the GWP style and like Kini Nui as a base would be nice.
Kini nui set with minifigures would be cool
I honestly wouldn't mind that. Mostly because it'd be easy on my wallet to not buy another Bionicle toy line again when I'm already in deep with other toy lines. The occasional icons set depicting big moments in the story I think is fine enough.
Same, nostalgia repacked is one of the main drives in the transformers community, while they are getting 3 Optimus primes a year, one of them is usually a remake of G1 toy that keeps both newcomers and legacy fans at bay. Some similar approach could work but in a non risky, super sporadic kind of way
@@FireFury190 I'd die happy if we get a diorama of Matoro's sacrifice.
@@bentoncozzi612if done correctly, that would be amazing
Honestly, I would really love Bionicle Minifigures. Despite them not being action figures strictly, it would feel different yet familiar enough for it to actually work.
I honestly don't need them to bring back the full sets. What I would like to see is every half a year to a year come out with a (I don't have any frame of reference for this other than Gundam model kits) "Perfect Grade" redesign of a Toa. Something large and intricate. Like I can't be the only one that remembers the last few pages of the instructions were like, "Hey here's part of something really cool you can build once you get all of them." Something like that, but crazier.
The reason I think the 2025 rumour is more plausible than previous rumours is because it started spreading two years ago, it was quite far in advance, and then a year later there was suddenly a Bionicle GWP and the 90 year Tahu.
And the GWP is a very unique set, which could easily become the new style.
it's already known what themes are going to release in 2025, there's no bionicle
@@BiomechanicalBrick Sure, *was more plausible then.
Having started paying attention in 2007 with the Barraki and the Lego Club Magazine comics, and hearing how older fans talk about MNOG, the complexity was a boon to Bionicle and not a problem, so long as there were plenty of 'on-ramps' that work at multiple levels of knowledge.
As far as recreating old sets with discontinued molds, it's hard to believe in a day where 3D models and CNC machines exist, storing specs and recreating molds to that tested spec would not be fairly cheap or even streamlined for the sake of perennial molds that wear out and need to be replaced often (they aren't reinventing the 2x4 brick every time a mold wears out). Even if the specs for the Bionicle molds are lost, it's definitely not too late to reverse-engineer new molds from the existing parts, which should still be cheaper than a from-scratch element design.
Well its not like the blueprints are completely extinct... People improve and remake complete old sets with the power of 3D printing all the time.
Personally I was super excited for Bionicle G2 when it first came out. When I was a kid just getting into LEGO, the only Bionicle sets available at the time were the Stars series, so I was very disappointed to learn that was going to be the last wave for the time.
I still love the designs for the Toa in the first wave, I consider them perfect modern reimaginings. However the second wave designs just....looked so gaudy, it completely turned me off from the theme. Maybe some people like them, but imo those ones just looked super unappealing.
I definitely agree they should've waited until a later date to release these sets, and refined the story a bit more. However I wonder, considering the CCBS system was also eventually scrapped, if that would've meant never bringing Bionicle back at all.
Bionicle was a technic series and bloated when it forgot that. If they just use the insane number of current pieces in technic vehicles in sure they can bring bionicle back with ease.
Also ALL their star wars balck panther spiderman figurines all hav ethe g2 bionicle parts even armor aprts even soem had the base head....
18:57 hard disagree. Especially at the start of the story.
Later it did became a thing, but I remember people begging for more mask recolours. I strongly believe that mask packs should have stayed as collectible for wach wave.
And first two waves, with matorans being so easy to amass by just swapping masks was such brilliant choice.
I would strongly argue that only bigger sets warranted exclusive parts, and even then I would love to see them recoloured.
Mask packs never sold well, not even back in 2001-2003.
@@skraox1053 You got a citation for that. The store my cousin worked at sold out of those
@@skraox1053well, they didn't sell them. They were impossible to get in most markets.
Will Lego bring back Bionicle?
Lego to its most passionate Bionicle fan: Can we lose the red helmet?
Story wise, I think that if Lego stuck with the premise from the preproduction for G2 that it could be doable. Originally, G2 was a continuation of G1 but in a way that it didn't really matter. Basically some characters were on a mission but fell into the 'well of time' that sent back, except things were different somewhat and the characters were basically reset power-wise. I see a real potential for retelling, remixing, and reinventing much of the Bionicle line.
even though they may not come back i wish they would still sell bionicle components, most of my lego stuff was built with bionicle and hero factory stuff, a lot of it has had breaks at the socket parts and cross slots which has made making new bits a bugger
You can buy it from bricklink most brand new.... since bricklink get their standalone parts form lego since they are parts owned by lego and they do make new parts i replaced the brittle legs 3 pieces all brand new and even older parts form fking robo riders....
Imagine how much damage you could do if you fell down this guys stairs
Honestly i just want an anniversary release product, film/show/animation anything. They don't have to COMPLETELY bring the brand back to life, just simple toa mata anniversary re-release and that's totally fine. Not only because this year is bionicle 25th anniversary but if they decided to reproduce the old toa mata it would be the first ever time lego releasing the exact same product that they've discontinued for anniversary purposes, it can be a chance for them to start selling new sets based on their old sets from 2000 or below for anniversary purpose
My last Lego I got was a Bionicle set in 2008 and haven't touched Lego until last year. I so want Bionicle to come back. ❤ I have been a fan since day 1 (in 2001).
'Improvement'. G1 ball joint snap on pieces never broke on me unlike Mistika.
This was a fascinating watch. I may largely be an outsider to the Bionicle community, but it's endlessly interesting to learn about. Great work!
Another issue would be that a new Bionicle wave would compete with Ninjago as a theme since both are themed around elemental manipulation
1-12-25
I feel like, if LEGO could bring BIONICLE back, they would. I feel like they could start of by releasing Brick Built Toa, like the GWP BIONICLE Tahu and Takua. If they find that the demand is high enough that they could justify remake the OG Molds, they can. I mean, the designer of the GWP Set actually wanted to rerelease the OG Tahu, but it would have just costed way too much to remake the molds for a GWP. So, I feel like it's a case of "Would there be high enough demand that remaking the OG BIONICLE Figures would be worth the cost of making the New Molds?"
If they ever do a G3, they need to recapture that sense of mystery, exploration, and deep lore that Bionicle had in the beginning.
The Mata Nui and Metru Nui stories were great. The Mata Nui era had such strong mystery and hints of deep lore. Metru Nui was also interesting. Then they got increasingly more edgy and convoluted. I could still understand the story, but I was not there for it.
The story and character personalities are where G2 failed. Last I checked Pohatu the Tao of Stone, was a homie. But G2 decided he was an impulsive hot head.
バイオニクルは最も神秘的で洗練されたレゴだった
スターウォーズのライトセーバーのような不思議な魅力がある
I'd be fine if they released it like the gwp. I think a system styled bionicle would be easier for lego to produce.
I could kill for a Bionicle focused CMF line. So many AFoLs seem to detest Bionicle as a theme but go crazy over different minifigures in different lines. I don't see why they wouldn't be just as interested in Bionicle CMFs as any other series.
I have a question, though I suppose off topic, what’s your opinion on Lego being a little bit original with their licensed themes? Example: Knuckles’ guardian mech, Goomba playground, etc., what’s your opinion?
I'm a tooling tech for a pre-form company and I work on molds like the ones seen in the videos! I work on 8 to 46 cavity molds. We have some molds in our warehouse that have been sitting there for well over 20 years unused. I have no idea why LEGO doesn't just keep the molds. Each mold is likely worth almost $500,000. At least our molds are pretty close to that and they are less precise than what Lego uses. Theoretically, the plant I work for could actually retool one of our machines to make Bionicle parts if we had the licenses to do so.
They could've at least put the Toa Mata in the LEGO Movie.
The frustrating thing is that 80% of this Lego brought upon themselves. Bionicle can never return under their current corporate structure and budgeting.
Personally, I'd be content with the series getting the Icons treatment, a premium adult System-based remake or location every other year or so, give it the Transformers Icons treatment, but this very comment section is proving your point that the fanbase is too immature to accept change or compromises for any full return, and Lego's fumbling of G2 making it retail poison means they're stuck.
There are definitely ways for Lego to honor the theme in the D2C market despite the fanbase, but it depends on them being brave enough to do so when they're so risk-averse.
Why System? Just use modern Technic pieces if we are so awarse to good action figure building systems.
I get that this is a fandom pretty much built on nostalgia, but y’all, we can’t keep doing this.
We cannot keep getting hyped over nothing and then get disappointed when the thing that wasn’t gonna happen doesn’t happen.
We can’t keep doing this to ourselves. I miss Bionicle too! I miss having new sets to be excited for too. But it’s not happening. We just need to accept when it only comes back in cameos or GWP sets and appreciate that along with whatever Lego offers now if it interests us
This is part of the reason why creators like Skybird really get under my skin. It’s that false hope he instils, getting Bionicle fans excited over nothing
I mean I don't think there's an issue with expecting more from Lego but yeah it's a pretty sad state of things
@@thedarkmasterthedarkmasterhonestly its clear that lego themselves do want to do more with the theme but as long as retailers think of bionicle as a dead series that can no longer sell legos hands are tied
It's sad but I get it. Hopefully the Tahu GWP generated enough sales of sets that we can get a special big Icons set to celebrate the franchise.
Isn't that tahu free?
It was, but it was very popular, and that's also something Lego can look at.
@@kira516 It was "free" as a Gift With Purchase with $99 in LEGO purchases from select themes
It feels right to have Bionicle come back
Bionicle collectable minifigures is just enlightened. With 12 figs per wave, there's room for the toa team of choice and their respective bad guys
34:36 - 35:06
Absolutely insane, I distinctly remember being so excited for G2, and yet I only ever saw sets in stores ONCE ever, a single set of the first year Tahu figure.
I lived in a fairly populated city too, so I just assumed they had sold out and were really in demand by the way I never saw G2 on shelves again. Guess it's just my local stores not having anything cool in stock ever as usual.
At least I still have.... the dream....
Guy is just comming with any excuse they can.
2nd year sold horribly, but first year was just no in stock in most places. There was a massive hype for first year, people kept on excusing lackluster story and basic model pieces until the tv series dropped. Then they had to shut up, cause they were proved stupid by Lego.
My toes were curling watching you walk down the stairs backwards. But also that collection is WILD and everything I hope my collection is one day....🤤
Duck bricks blink three times if LEGO is holding you hostage to make this video
Fully believe Bionicle is now in the hands of the fans. Would love to see Lego to bring it back, but I'm doubtful
Yeah we need to design some new ones and a chinese company probably now can do at elast as good plastic as lego does sinc ea lot of chinese technic cars almsot as good as lego ones for quarter of the price...
Yeah, I figured a lot of it would be the sheer mold requirements. Without a previous action figures theme to lift parts from like Bionicle started off with Throwbots, they'd have to create a prohibitive number of new molds to just get started. And while the Kanohi Masks sold magnificently in the Pokemon craze and the multimedia project was novel and exciting, the current market is dramatically different nowadays.
I'd still really like to see an Icons set with Bionicle at some point, maybe like the Tahu GWP. While the 80's retro sets are cool, I and many other collectors hold significant nostalgia for the 2000's original Lego themes.
I think a bionicle reboot should also focus on toa mata sized figures in the 10 to 14 dollar range.
Funnily enough, Bionicle G2 actually got *me* into Bionicle! I was about 11 years old during its run and was absolutely in love with them. Growing up I had a few hand-me-downs of various G1 sets from my uncle (who was about 6 years older than me, he grew up with G1) and G2 finally gave me a chance to have "My own" sets. I keep it very near and dear to my heart, and sometimes I'll snag a G1 set online if I find one I really want
this guy is ridiculously good at presenting and speaking into the camera wow
I recognize you as the winner of Lego Masters season 4 I believe. I'll never forget how you sneaked a Tahu mask into one of your guy's builds for a volcano, I believe.
That’s right! Bionicle forever!
@DuckBricks
Indeed my bionicle enjoying friend! Bionicle Forever!!!
Bring back the 6 original Toa in their original form and they will sell like hotcakes.
But taking down your video on protoypes is fair game. Man Lego is becoming like Nintendo in 2016
This! Pin this comment!
19:39
KAI’S MECH TIPPING OVER LMAO
Honestly, I think the majority of Bionicle fans will be happy as long as there are unique molds for the masks. Bountiful recolors too. G2 didn’t get enough mask recolors.
If G3 isn’t meant to happen, oh well.
G1 & G2 aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. 🤷
2:54 Legendary GIF
the story doesnt play a big role for kids, they go to a store and see a cool toy thats it
I guess you could say that Bionicle has...gone fishing
Tbh, the closest we will get to bionicle is ninjago mech sets
Wait, do not lego have a software models of the old molds? I mean they could theoreticaly bring old molds to life again. I am wrong?
The only way I could see bionicle returning anytime soon is as an 18+ set or lego Ideas set just because you can risk a lot more when it's only one set and we've gotten plenty of one off re-makes of iconic lego sets as of recent.
Then if the set is successful it could get maybe another 18+ set like what happened for transformers or get a whole theme couple years after like what happened with sonic.
Either way I can't blame lego for not bringing it back it's clear they still do care for the theme with all the references and the GWP but with all the factors at play it's really not possible for now at least.
Bro what the hell is the beginning my brother in Christ has the biggest collection of legos I’ve ever seen
i think this is one of your best videos yet, as someone that was in the "dark age" all throughout Bionicles lifespan, this was very informative to what it was and why it ended up the way it did.
Bionicle can come back through games. I’ll never forget that movie. It had a certain magic to it and I’ve always been curious about exploring more of that world.
At this point, just write a novel that bring the story to a satisfying end for an anniversary thing
We just want new parts.
I wonder if there's a production strategy and cost change if lego were to research 3D printing filaments. It would be nothing for them to keep a few hundred files of parts to be created perorder. Story would have to be the first priority in my opinion, they need a better bridge to spherus magna, maybe vakama telling the tale at the amagi at Atero. That might be enough to connect to the end
48:56 - You're basically describing Hero Factory.
21:59 that was the best quote you could have possibly put for that intro lol!
Honestly, I think I would just want a return of a constraction based original theme- even with the system they're currently using with superheroes. I made a whole essay in college on how special it was for fans to be able to create their own characters and have them come to life in the OFFICIAL story. It's something very special that NO other toy IP has done since. (that I'm aware of)
Yeah. The Bionicle fandom thrived on creating OCs all the time. Showing off all our builds and stories with them. In other fandoms you'd find it cringy but in Bionicle it was perfectly accepted and normal. Especially when Lego would actually hold contests and those characters would then be added into canon.
MONORAIL! MONORAIL!..........MONORAIL!!!!!
And some train parts as well please.
I personally loved the GWP Tahu and Takua, it feels great and the fun is still there I think, more so than original
That intro shot looks like it was hella hard to do and probably took many tries so Props dude
The thought that new mold creation will stop Bionicle is not very thought-through. The solution also coincides with Lego's current market prices and piece count per set! The solution is to break larger pieces into smaller, much less specialized pieces that could be combined together to make up parts like a Bionicle arm. Seperated, each piece could be used in different sets as they would be much more generic than just "Bionicle arm." That also fits into Lego's mold creation criteria.
Genuinely I think my life would have been a lot better if G2 released in 2022. You were spot on. I was in university when it came out. Could barely afford one of them, and that was a steep cost. Only around 2022 did I start having an income that allowed for some spending on, and accumulating more Bionicle would have pushed me to try and either rent a nicer place or just straight up make the decision to get a place of my own, since without needing to store many things, being geo-locked just wasn't worth the cost.
I believe the series can still be brought back but it would be very hard.
couldn't they do bionicle but instead of unique masks/parts, they have masks/parts be tied to factions rather than characters? not every set needs to be unique, they can still be cool action figures without needing to be specially unique
Even crazier when you keep in mind he filmed this entire intro in reverse!
I would have just loved for Farshtey (or by this point, someone else qualified) to have continued writing. It was promising going forward!
That intro is such a flex.
As a transformer collector who has every wall covered in shelves, damn, that's a lot of toys. I didn't even know they made that many sets by a mile. Also as a transformers collector: Don't worry, they will be back in adult collector format. Look what happened to all the 80s toy lines that are getting supreme (albeit overpriced) toys now, like Ghostbusters, GiJoe, Transformers, MOTU. Kids don't buy toys anymore, it's going to become a niche adult hobby, and then they'll start releasing 300 dollar Bionicles. For better or worse.