Comments on: 2012 LEGO Friends sets bring brick-based construction play to girls [News]

By: leebattersby

leebattersby — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:02:26 +0000

I showed this to my 10 year old daughter last night– she’s been building for just under a year– and she lost her mind. we had to go searching for all the sets (thank you Brickset), and now I have a list of the ones she reallyreallyrellyreallyreallyreallyreally wants pleeeeeeeeaaaaasssseeee……. (roughly speaking: everything except the Outdoor Bakery and Splash Pool).

When I asked her what was so attractive about them, the mini dolls were the first thing she mentioned, followed by the fact that she wouldn’t have to try to build what she calls ‘story sets’ out of other kits.

This is a kid who’s set herself the holiday task of rebuilding and playing with all our Atlantis sets, so I don’t know if it’s essentially a ‘girl thing’, but it certainly does seem to resonate with a desire to build narratives and then populate them with recognisably human protagonists.

By: samwise_gamgee

samwise_gamgee — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:51:11 +0000

I’m fine with that, but I’m not gonna buy them, except maybe for the hair and new colors.

WHY DO THEY HAVE NOSES?

By: Mike Crichton

Mike Crichton — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:08:18 +0000

New colors? What did they need NEW colors for, they already had a full range of pastels. They should have used them. At this rate I'll never have enough matching pink bricks to make an accurate Arcee , or enough purples to make a Sentinel. For shame, Lego, SHAME! ... Ah, who am I kidding, I'm still gonna buy them.

By: Freddo

Freddo — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:32:50 +0000

My initial reaction was one of cynicism – another LEGO attempt to move into girls’ toy territory, however this seems like they’re making a good fist of it – it looks like a rebooted Belville with proper bricks and minifigs – it’s nice to see TLG combine those modern detailed features like the lawnmower and barbeque pictured above – my wife certainly likes those sorts of build, particularly from the modular range

But arguably that detailed style found in the modular range is already female friendly LEGO, do we really need girly doll-like minifigs? The minifigs have never been male orientated, they’re just minfigs, and the sets are rarely ‘aimed at’ boys, they just have always gravitated towards them because they generally like construction toys

If you’re in a situation where you’re studying girls trying to get your construction product to sell and find that you need to prioritise the role-play element to get them interested, then it seems somewhat counter-productive to me, it’s not really going to be a construction toy first and foremost

That said, they tell me a lot of LEGO is aimed at the play experience rather than the build… so maybe it’s no worse than Toy Story – and if I have daughters it might make it easier to get them into LEGO

By: legomason

legomason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 07:56:53 +0000

The real question is: What aisle will these be sold in? The “girl” aisle or the “LEGO” aisle? Seems like it would have to be both.

By: Syruss

Syruss — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:22:47 +0000

I have mixed feeling about this as well. I like the way the sets look, and will probably pick up a few for the element combination, but I’m also a fan of the modern minifig, so there’s that as well.

As far as gender stereotypes and why they changed the colors up when targeting girls, I think the explanation is obvious, if not entirely accurate. Lots of people are saying, “hey, I’m a girl, and I love LEGO. What’s wrong with the other sets.” Fact is, fewer girls have a desire for the sets that are out there now. I know some like them. My girlfriend and my daughter both love LEGO as it is. But if LEGO takes it’s current sales into account for marketing purposes, then it’s clear that something has to be changed in order for LEGO to appear to both genders. Now, is that answer pink bricks and “minidolls”? I couldn’t tell you. I don’t work in marketing.

But from a builders and fathers perspective, I think these will be much more successful than LEGO’s lat few tries. As I said before, I love the palette combinations, and I know my daughter is excited about these new sets. So while it may not be universal, it’s 2 for 2 in my house. (Haven’t gotten my girlfriend’s opinion yet. lol.)

By: graymattr

graymattr — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:34:12 +0000

I hope these sell like crazy. It’s a great idea and a huge step up from Scala. The only drawback I see is that the legs don’t move independent of each other.

By: darthpapercut

darthpapercut — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:38:46 +0000

Complaining that the new ‘Friends’ set is too pink and girly is like complaining that the ‘Batman’ sets are too black and boyish. Lego had a team of people from different nations work with girls to find what they wanted and researched how they played. Lego states they didn’t want to create a stereotypical ‘girl’ set, but girls liked the ‘Easter’ colors and ponies. They found that girls tend to put themselves into role playing situations while boys think in the third person when they play. Girls want to shrink down and be in the construct. Girls want a mini-figure with the same color hair, eyes, and skin that’s not bulky looking. (Think American Girls dolls.) This is from a father of a little girl that took my Star Wars sets and made a kitchen for the two female minifigs I have. The tauntaun was tied up outside.

Boys shouldn’t complain. This is somehow teaching girls that tall, leggy women want to hang with shorter, stout guys. :þ

By: Bruz

Bruz — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:37:37 +0000

As a father, i “influenced” my daughter to built with Lego and to get into Lego. basically, i succeeded by having an anticipated approach: we’ve seen Jack Sparow’s movies, then we’ve been to Legoland then she built her first boat at 5 y.o. and she really enjoyed it. we have great time together. lately, we went to a lego meeting, she discovered that Lego proposed trains, so guess what she ask to santa claus?

anyway…

When I’ve seen your post, I was thinking that it was a great thing. I just showed the pictures to my daughter which is 6 y.o. now… she told me: I don’t like it, this is for babies… I don’t feel the same, but she really didn’t appreciate the design, thinking this was too much baby-like designed (sorry, I don’t know an appropriate word in English).

I just wanted to share that.

By: worker201

worker201 — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:18:12 +0000

I think TLG has done well here, and I’m excited about the new sets. And I think building vehicles to the new scale of the mini-dolls will be an interesting challenge. If there’s any room in my Lego budget this year, I’ll definitely be buying this theme.

By: skypirate

skypirate — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:46:10 +0000

I wish LEGO luck, but I’m doubtful it will fare any better than previous efforts. I tend to believe boys and girls are just wired differently and have different concepts of play.

By: yoderism

yoderism — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:13:20 +0000

I love the proportions on those minidolls. If they are spacey enough, I would totally use them instead of minifigs. Minifigs have always been the most frustrating element for me, they just look so bad, all squished up and blocky.

By: fallentomato

fallentomato — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:31:38 +0000

You’re not the only one. Depending on the range of that hip joint, their “walk” will probably involve a lot of pelvic thrusting.

By: Paganomation

Paganomation — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:05:08 +0000

I am probably the only one thinking about this, but it looks like it’s going to be basically impossible for the mini-doll figures to do any kind of walk cycle through stop-motion animation.

By: dateman

dateman — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:17:00 +0000

Jack Stone has finally got a girlfriend! I think it is interesting as well and all those minifigs can also have an Amazonian girlfriend so it’s not all bad.

Look forward to some interesting new parts!