Comments on: Lego Shaun of the Dead Set a No-Go [News]

By: claytonjr

claytonjr — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:42:07 +0000

Greg could wear the enterpreneur hat and sell it himself, as custom sets or even just instructions, while it’s still hot.

By: Bricktopia

Bricktopia — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:03:40 +0000

I could not agree less with LEGO on their reasons to reject this project. If we take a look at the newest sets from “Monster Fighers” we find Zombies being run over by some sort of car with a plowshare (Set 9465) and lots of other sets including graphical violence or at least enough detail to help your imagination catch on …

Nonetheless I do agree with what Badger said in some detail. The build and idea itself is great.

By: BrikkHedd

BrikkHedd — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 07:44:47 +0000

The DC bashing is a little bit unjustified in the fact that DC distinguishes between it’s demographic markets and caters for them specifically: DC Lego, Batman the Brave and the Bold and Young Justice for younger fans, while the comics lines are obviously for older fans. Seeing as how most children see particular films with their parents blessing I would assume that parents would also check out comics before handing over their money for their kids to read them.

By: Daedalus

Daedalus — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:16:46 +0000

Lower the support number too much, though, and you wind up reviewing a *lot* more sets. It seems the number is intentionally high to limit the number of sets that need to be reviewed. To those frustrated with TLC’s decision to retain and later reject Yatkuu’s concept, consider the ramifications of canceling the set prematurely. If they decided to remove the project before it got 10k votes, there would be backlash, warranted or not. It’s also setting a sticky precedent, potentially needing to field requests from every builder with a borderline concept. That they considered it at an early stage and decided to let things play out as intended was both the safe call and respectful to the builder.

I think it’s important to keep in mind that this program is (as far as I know) completely unique among major companies, not only giving consumers great input in product direction, but profit sharing. That’s huge. Between that and the fact that this whole thing is still a pretty young process, I think TLC deserves the benefit of the doubt here.

I’m also surprised at the continued reaction to the minecraft line. It’s a huge plus for the brand; from my experience, probably about half the people playing minecraft played with Lego growing up. As we all know, for most people all it takes it buying one set to bring you out of your dark age. The sets might not be exactly innovative, but the potential to grow the AFOL community is tremendous, which in the end is great news for all of us.

By: Denyer

Denyer — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:44:31 +0000

“I defy anyone to show me anything in the Marvel/DC superhero comics or Star Wars that even remotely compares to the spectacle of a human being screaming in incomprehensible agony as zombies pull their flesh from their body and their entrails out of their stomach and eat them while the person is still alive.”

Batman’s teen partner being assaulted with an electric drill in an overtly sexual context? A recent issue of a relaunched book ending with a character’s face apparently being cut off and pinned splayed to a wall?

Context does matter. Shaun of the Dead is to some degree a comedy, although it does shift in tone later in the film, and the fantasy the cannibalism is presented in doesn’t measure up to static images of more realistic violence.

The difference is that DC has tried to court both audiences, and tends to get a pass with parents until they discover Little Jonny with a library book featuring Barbara Gordon naked in a pool of blood.

Not a fan of SotD, for the record.

Agreed that review at an earlier stage would be a good idea. The current system’s just building up large groups of people (some of which will overlap, some of which won’t) who think a bit less of LEGO each time a project’s allowed to run for so long before being turned down.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:29:10 +0000

“let the votes come in and then evaluated the conflict they knew about the whole time? Why waste everyone’s time?”

Essentially you’re just arguing that the review bar should be lower than 10K votes, since the LEGO review at 10k is a clearly stated part of the Cusoo system.

And actually I would agree with you. Do a review at 1k votes and shut it down if it’s not a viable product. Otherwise it stays open and if it hits 10k, then it gets made. Not perfect but a lot more predictable.

By: SavaTheAggie

SavaTheAggie — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:34:49 +0000

I find it interesting how many really thought this would be a set. I also find it interesting how many think what chances any set that receives 10,000 votes will become a set. As a personal opinion, not based on any true facts but only my observations and experiences with the LEGO group over the years, I believe when viewed through the prism of history we’ll find that the vast majority, maybe as high as 75%, of all models that reach 10,000 votes will never become sets. Yes the first three sets to ever reach this milestone have become sets, but the first two were done while the program was in beta, and the publicity from the third did LEGO well. But I believe from this point forward anyone who immediately assumes a set that gains 10,000 will automatically be made a set will be frequently disappointed.

By: aidanrinku

aidanrinku — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:11:00 +0000

I think what would have been a good idea was to take certain ideas or portions of the set, and put them in other sets. I really like that telephone booth, for instance.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:31:36 +0000

I think Ghost in the Shell is a much harder one to call. I honestly don’t know how LEGO would react to that, but I’m certainly eager to find out.

By: Fred

Fred — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:03:35 +0000

This is bad news for the Tachikoma. Ghost in a shell doesn’t fit the mold well either.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:49:43 +0000

I’ve got to agree with Catsy and Andrew and the others who feel LEGO made the right choice here. There is absolutely a difference in the level of violence, language, etc, between the films for which LEGO already has licenses, and the levels in a film like Shaun of the Dead. I’m not making any judgments about the films themselves, but you have to admit that there is a substantive difference. That difference is precisely what the MPAA rating acknowledges.

By: Jai

Jai — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:51:29 +0000

Have you heard of “Marvel Zombies”, Catsy?

By: JimmytheJ

JimmytheJ — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:08:26 +0000

Ok, maybe LOTR and HP have more redeeming features, but people die in those too and I’m sure it’s not always very clean and child- friendly. At least with zombies kids will know how to kill them and be less afraid. But how to tell your kids that they’re safe from Voldemort… Heck, when I was little I was terrified of Mr Blobby. How the heck do you get a kid over that fear? Anyway. I’m a little bitter and rambling on a blog won’t change their minds. All I hope is that they still go through with the Monster Fighters theme after all this- there’s zombies in that. Fairly tame ones, compared to those in Shaun I guess. Got all their limbs, not covered in blood. I had a better design in mind for the Winchester anyway… So I guess we shall all have to make do with our own versions. And go buy the nessasary parts on bricklink. I just wish I had a better idea of how to do that curved bit at the front. And that sign! And more zombies! Augh! :P

By: the enigma that is badger

the enigma that is badger — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:08:07 +0000

I’ll echo Catsy’s sentiments exactly: disappointing but far from unexpected or without understandable reasons. If anything, I’m still amazed LEGO has given us elements in this theme at all, particularly the zombie minifig heads. They obviously give careful thought to what is and isn’t appropriate for their brand, and I give them credit for exploring themes that appeal to both AFOLs and the core audience in ways that are appropriate for everyone.

It’s sad we won’t ever see this on store shelves, but that doesn’t at all diminish the great work Yatkuu did in the original MOC or the efforts he and others put into raising awareness of the project. In addition, it certainly resulted in some nice positive coverage of our hobby to the general public, and hopefully that encourages a few people out there return to building or give it a try!

By: Catsy

Catsy — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:40:42 +0000

Somewhat hypocritical given that DC Comics, Star Wars, etc. contain violent and sexual themes.

Degree and context matters.

I defy anyone to show me anything in the Marvel/DC superhero comics or Star Wars that even remotely compares to the spectacle of a human being screaming in incomprehensible agony as zombies pull their flesh from their body and their entrails out of their stomach and eat them while the person is still alive.

I defy anyone to count the number of F-bombs dropped in Star Wars or a Marvel/DC superhero movie and compare that to Shaun of the Dead’s impressive tally. I’ll wait.

This isn’t an academic discussion for me. I have an 11-year-old boy. There’s things I’ll let him watch that other parents wouldn’t. I’ll let him watch LotR. I’ll let him watch Star Wars. Hell, he loves Monty Python, and frontal male nudity in The Life of Brian. He’s heard grown-up words before.

But he leaves the room if we watch The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones, and I wouldn’t let him watch Shaun of the Dead either. Lego zombies, cool. Lego zombies based on a movie I’d rather he not develop an interest in just yet, not cool.