I saw it with my own eyes that the 2016 sets were out of stock and had to be restocked in a matter of 2 or 3 days.
European shops still have Bionicle sets, few but still have some.
Some more Bionicle art
Seems familiar? 
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Faber is so great…
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I have to admit, I too am struggling with the logic behind that choice. If LEGO knew that they were going to start a campaign to reduce demand in certain areas by purposefully cutting back advertising, why would they initiate a new line which would, by necessity, require advertising to get off the ground?
Perhaps–and I’m reaching here, admittedly–they believed that BIONICLE’s history as a popular theme would be a sort of “cushion” to balance out the lack of advertisements? If G1 was really as popular as some people claim, LEGO may have thought that G2 wouldn’t need as much advertising for that reason. That makes it a suitable candidate for release in a period designed to reduce advertising.
Honestly, though, it’s a silly notion, especially when you consider how it turned out.
Kids do know BIONICLE, and they like it, as you’ve said. However, they like Star Wars more. What @Ekimu said is also true. Disney has entered into a partnership with LEGO now that they control the SW brand. Even if LEGO wanted to reduce constraction or advertising in general, they still have obligations to Disney that need to be met. BIONICLE, on the other hand, is a LEGO IP, and therefore subject to their whims. If it’ a choice between axing a property owned by a big company with a lot of resources at it’s disposal and a property that you own, it’s very likely that the latter will get the boot, simply because it’s a less damaging loss.
So yes, BIONICLE was likely very popular, as all of our evidence and LEGO’s admission indicates. But it’s clear that a hard choice needed to be made in order to satisfy overarching priorities, and clearly BIONICLE didn’t fit into those priorities…TBH, this actually bodes well for a G3, as conditions could arise where a second reboot would be more profitable. Those conditions simply don’t exist at the present time.
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personaly… im against having a third reboot. Its been shown a few times, that the third one will not be as good. And i would like for LEGO to continue the stories they had, ither continue G1 or G2. Im more interested in them continuing G2, because there was so much room to be improved upon that they should not just drop it.
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I agree with your sentiment, though I personally would be happy to see a G3. I don’t think a G1 continuation is at all feasible anymore, simply because it’s been so long. A G2 “sequel” of sorts could work out, so long as it’s done right, but I think a new conflict would have to be created, rather than the old “Toa vs. Makuta” plot…
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"When Transformers got rebooted for the first time with “Generation 2” in 1993, the comeback was lackluster and didn’t really go over well with fans and kind of fell under the radar of most. It lasted only a few years and stopped (with the line ending in Japan in 1995). Then, in '96, Beast Wars got released and basically redefined the franchise as a deeper, more mature, more concise franchise with a well-produced television series and some great figures, excellent characterization, and a fantastic story that tied into the original. It changed a lot of themes and took a lot of risks, but the general consensus is that the franchise is better off for it.
Maybe we’ll get a Beast Wars style reboot of Bionicle in the next few years? I’d kind of like to think that this latest death of Bionicle was brought upon not by a lack of sales or high production costs, but by a campaign by the writers to reboot it and make it better. Perhaps in 2020 we’ll get to see Bionicle Gen 3 come out and blow everyone’s collective minds?"
-Echo 1’s thoughts about the end of BIONICLE and the possibility of G3 on CBW.
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I would love to see that actually happen to BIONICLE.
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Yeah man, he is he greatest!
Same here! A Gen 3 which includes Christian Faber or Greg Farshtey for its art and story team if possible.
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And Matt Betteker as character designer and John Ho as set designer.
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Make it happen Lego!
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Yeah I think if G3 happens, (which imo I don’t think it will), G1 will be the classic everyone loves, and G3 is the great reboot. G2 is treated like the middle child who isn’t talked about much and is always overshadowed.
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Traitor!!!
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And an actual Main Villain set!!!
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I would also like a new theme, but I would like it to keep a mythical feel.
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Wow. Things have changed.
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