Okay. I’ll kick the hornet’s nest. But before I begin:
1: This isn’t a “will there be a G3 in certain year topic.” If you have a case for G3 returning in one specific year, feel free to put it somewhere else.
2: Be nice. Please. I don’t know why this topic gets people fired up, but boy does it.
3: Like a person’s post even if they disagree with you. When you respond, it shows you aren’t mad them, you just disagree.
Now. I’m gonna pick yes, and here’s why. The difference between returning once and returning twice, is much much much smaller than the difference between returning zero times and once. Take Castle for instance, or Pirates. They’ll be back. No worries. It’s happened before. I personally don’t think Bionicle ended for financial reasons (for the reason that LEGO said so), so it’s really only a matter of time before we see it again. I honestly think that having something to plug the gap of what most AFOLs call “the Dark Years” is a sound business strategy. I think as soon as LEGO realized that Bionicle could do it, the cancelled the line to re-gear it towards an older audience. This kind of makes G3 imminent under my theory but that’s neither here nor there.
EVEN IF Lego lied and Bionicle tanked, at some point LEGO will find itself facing financial ruin again. All things must die, and LEGO is (unfortunately) included. (Who knows, maybe they make one Scorpion, Scorpio, Ketar, Skopio set too many? /s) When that happens, they will throw everything out there to save themselves, Bionicle included.
Okay. I’ve said my piece. Go nuts. Please be kind.
I’m worn out from it, to be honest. It was fun while it lasted, but I don’t think they’ll recapture that magic they had with G1. And honestly, I would hate to see Lego make BIONICLE like Pirates or Castle, because while Pirates and Castle don’t need a story, just cool sets, BIONICLE needed a story.
There’s also the fact that constraction is basically dying. I’d rather leave BIONICLE as it was, and enjoy my fond memories of it.
Plus I’m getting old, and just tired of LEGO’s current prices and bad set design. I’d rather spend my money on Marvel Legends figures. Those I still have fun with.
I don’t want it to come back any time soon, if at all. It was great while it lasted, but I think we just need to lay it down to rest for a good long while. The only way I could see it ever returning in any way would be in a Lego Movie, for instance having Matoro be a master builder or something. That’s just my opinion though.
If Bionicle is ever to come back, I’d want to see it done in a similar way to Ninjago. A system theme with a basic premise thats easy to get into, but still has enough of a hook to keep someone’s attention. The plot should be something that can be easily continued, but easily wrapped up if need be. Have a core set of characters and rules to stick to, but don’t be afraid to mix it up from time to time. The story needs to be set up in a way where it’s easy to jump in at any point, but it’s still worth following, no matter where you get in. As far as terminology and complexity, it should be there to some degree, but not too much. The Golden Years of G1 feel like a good sweet spot in this regard. Not too simple, but not too complex.
Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean a return is always imminent.
This is the way I see it: Bionicle was cancelled the first time because it wasn’t selling as well anymore, but LEGO still saw its potential. Instead of killing it, they pulled it from production, created Hero Factory to test the waters of a new building system, then released it again when they were ready.
This time it’s similar, but similar doesn’t mean the same. When LEGO reports something, that’s usually true. If LEGO says G2 is cancelled for financial reasons, then it probably is. There isn’t a reason for them to lie.
Either it didn’t sell as well as they hoped and they’re not lying, or it did sell as well as they hoped and they killed off a decent moneymaker. I’m more likely to believe the former.
What I’m getting at here is that I think this time, it’s really dead. LEGO has increasingly become a company more focused on sales figures and money, as evidenced by their rising set prices and general lack of originality and good set design. Is a company like that going to see the potential in a line that, according to what the numbers say, failed twice? I honestly don’t think so.
We were lucky G1 got some kind of ending. We were lucky G2 ever existed. Eventually, we run out of luck.
I do not think Bionicle will return. LEGO seems to be doubting the popularity of constraction and I do not forsee them creating a new line. If they do, I would personally prefer it to be a new concept.
Actually, has LEGO created any original themes recently besides Nexo Knights? I almost think LEGO is reluctant to sell any concept that isn’t licensed, regardless of whether it is system or constraction.
Construction is fun, but is definitely loosing popularity. System Bionicle on the other hand has much more potential, and a higher likelihood of success.
Honestly, as great as Bionicle’s books and comics were, to me, that’s not the core of the theme. I t’s a theme about building over-powered, epic-looking robots in bright, flashy colors with awesome functions and weapons that actually fire. That’s why I say it’s one of (if not the) best line of action-figures in history, not because of its story. When I was first getting into Bionicle, I didn’t care if the parts I had came from it, Robo-Riders, or Throwbots- as long as they fit together and looked cool, that’s all I needed.
That’s why, even if Bionicle never comes back (but come on, you know it will, it probably did a lot better than the early girl themes, but they kept throwing those against the wall until on stuck), I won’t care, as long as we have something bright, flashy and robotic that I can dump into my constraction parts bin.
For me, constraction has always been the center of Bionicle, not the story. For this reason, I think creating a system based Bionicle theme would sort of defeat its purpose, so I would prefer a new constraction line.
For me the essence of Bionicle goes way beyond the sets.
If all there was to Bionicle was the toys, it wouldn’t have been as popular as it was.
That’s why I’d prefer a System Bionicle if given the chance. A new constraction theme would be cool, but it wouldn’t be Bionicle just because it’s constraction. Whatever form a new Bionicle would take, I’d love it as long as it contained the spirit of Bionicle.
I’d prefer Bionicle in a different form than something in the same form trying to be Bionicle.
Severely doubt it. CCBS needs a major overhaul in direction if Lego plans on even continuing to make Constraction themes. G2’s lukewarm performance as well as SW Ultrabuilds seemingly in the same boat makes me believe Lego isn’t going to want to touch on buildable figures for a while, let alone bring Bionicle back a third time around. Maybe another original robotic or even mecha based Constraction line way down the road, but for now I can’t see them wanting to try again after these last two themes underperformed.
Bionicle will return. I decided when I was in the fourth grade that I would work for Lego one day, and if it hasn’t returned by then, I will bring it back my self. I have all sorts of ideas for ways to bring constraction, system building, and technic together. the trend of smaller but more parts is a good start, and I think that full and half width technic liftarms with mixel ball joints would be good not just for constraction parts, but also for standard technic sets in general. 1 by 2 modified plates with little sloped fake hydraulic rams at clip bar diameter would be great for greebling limbs, and so on and so forth. I have also been working on a story that takes place in the same universe as the original, but some time later. I learned to read with the bionicle books, at age 5 my first lego set was toa mata pohatu (I was about to have an MRI that would help diagnose me with epilepsy, and because of the similarity between the toa canister and the MRI machine I was able to remain calm), and I even made friends because of a common interest in the series.
tldr, I owe the bionicle series big time, and I pay my debts.
Bionicle will be back.