Category Archives: News

Stay current on the latest news and information about LEGO, from sales & deals to new set announcements. We also cover LEGO events and conventions all over the world.

10225 UCS R2-D2 – new LEGO Star Wars exclusive [News]

LEGO has just officially unveiled the newest addition to their Ultimate Collector Series of LEGO Star Wars models, the opinionated astromech droid we all know and love, 10225 R2-D2. Artoo ships in May 2012 for 180 USD and includes 2,127 parts.

Tons more pictures showing off details and functionality in the photoset on Flickr.

Here’s the full press release:

10225 R2-D2™

Ages 16+. 2,127 pieces.
US $179.99 CA $229.99 UK 149.99 £ DE 179.99 € DK 1499 DKK

Presenting the Ultimate Collector Series R2-D2™ – the best-loved droid in the Star Wars galaxy!

Presenting the iconic R2-D2 as you’ve never seen him before! Everyone’s favorite droid from the Star Wars galaxy is now part of the Ultimate Collector Series and features fantastic detailing, such as retractable third leg, front panels that open to reveal a universal computer interface arm and a circular saw, rotating head and 2 fold-out front spacecraft linkage control arms. With the included fact plaque and R2-D2 minifigure, this diminutive model is the perfect addition to your LEGO® Star Wars™ collection!

Ultimate Collector Series R2-D2™!
Features retractable third leg!
Front panels open to reveal a universal computer interface arm and circular saw!
Features realistic rotating head!
R2-D2 features 2 fold-out front spacecraft linkage control arms!
Includes fact plaque and R2-D2 minifigure!
Measures over 12” (31 cm) high and 7” (18 cm) wide!

Available for sale beginning May 2012

only at shop.LEGO.com, LEGO® Stores or via phone.

Here’s the designer interview video:

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10224 Town Hall out now + free shipping & double VIP points [News]

I realize that the release of 10224 Town Hall isn’t news to many of you (I’ve been on vacation), but the LEGO Shop online is also having a double VIP points promotion through March 15, and today through the end of the month you’ll get free shipping on all orders over $75.

If you buy the Town Hall between now and the 15th, you’ll get 399 VIP points.

2nd Japanese LEGO CUUSOO project launches with Hayabusa space probe

The second fan-created LEGO CUUSOO project has just been released in Japan, and will be available from the LEGO Shop online later in 2012. The set depicts the Hayabusa probe, which brought bits of an asteroid back to earth.

21101_back

Here’s the full press release:

BILLUND, Denmark – The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa, the second LEGO® CUUSOO release, has gone on sale in Japan, while a limited number of Hayabusa sets will also be available exclusively online via shop.LEGO.com later in the year. No release date has been set yet.

The original Hayabusa model on LEGO CUUSOO was built by Daisuke Okubo and achieved 1,000 supporters on the Japanese-only version of LEGO CUUSOO in the spring of 2011. LEGO model designer Melody Louise Caddick designed the final model, refining earlier concept models based on Daisuke’s original project.

The model is priced at ￥ 4,118 in Japan, USD49, EUR49

LEGO CUUSOO is a website where LEGO fans can submit their ideas for new LEGO products and collect votes to make their ideas become a reality. They can also vote for other users’ ideas. It can be found at http://lego.cuusoo.com

LEGO CUUSOO began in 2008 with a Japanese site that attracted hundreds of ideas and saw thousands of votes cast by a 35,000-strong community. It was launched globally in October.

The first Japanese product, the Shinkai 6500 submersible, went on sale in Japan in February 2011. A project backed by Minecraft developer Mojang became the first user-sponsored project to be approved on the global version of LEGO CUUSOO.

Ideas supported by 10,000 votes are examined by a LEGO jury to check the models meet LEGO standards of safety and playability and support the LEGO brand. Consumers who have their ideas chosen for production will earn 1% of the total net sales of the product.’

Hayabusa (“falcon” in English) is an unmanned spacecraft built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), designed to travel to a small near-Earth asteroid named Itokawa and return sample material to Earth. Hayabusa’s mission began in 2003 and ended successfully in 2010.

LEGO Space Shuttle ascends to 115,000 feet [Video]

The Space Shuttle program may have ended, but in late December 2011, Romanian teenager Raul Oaida launched its LEGO doppelganger 35,000 meters (115,000 feet) into the upper atmosphere. Raul achieved this singular feat by stringing the LEGO shuttle beneath a weather balloon — with the permission of German air traffic control.

Read more about the launch on Raul’s blog. Thanks to the dozens of readers who made sure we posted this. ;-)

LEGO invests 500 million on wind farm – energy-neutral by 2020

The LEGO Group’s parent company just announced that it is investing over half a billion dollars (3 billion Danish krone or 400 million euros) on an offshore wind farm off the coast of Germany.

The wind farm will have nearly 80 turbines, and will provide more power than LEGO’s production facilities will be projected to require in 2020, thereby enabling the company to become effectively energy self-sufficient within the next eight years.

This news follows LEGO’s announcement last summer that they are reducing LEGO packaging box sizes and obtaining their wood products from sustainable sources.

LEGO ISS built aboard International Space Station inside zero-G build bubble

Sending LEGO into space isn’t actually all that new, but an astronaut building a LEGO model of the spacecraft he’s in certainly is. Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa recently built a LEGO version of the International Space Station while aboard the ISS itself.

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The full story and more photos are over on collectSPACE, and you can watch a NASA video on YouTube as well.

Gotta love that special build bubble to keep the LEGO elements from floating away to who knows where inside the ISS.

Forbidden Cove’s Jolly Roger Contest [News]

Forbidden Cove has announced their third annual Jolly Roger Contest. Head on over to check out the fabulous Prizes and Categories, as well as the Contest Rules. Make sure you read the rules carefully, as some of the categories have different requirements.

Entries must be submitted by April 30. In order to enter, you must be a member of Forbidden Cove, and you do need to be at least 16.

Best of luck!

New Architecture Set: 21012 Sydney Opera House [News]

LEGO has unveiled their latest addition to the Architecture line, the instantly recognizable Sydney Opera House. Probably the most recognizable building south of the equator, and now something of a national icon for Australia, the opera house was designed in 1957 by then-unknown architect Jørn Utzon, who hails from Denmark, much like our favorite toy company.
The new set looks fantastic, capturing the aura of the structure, if not precisely the detailed curves of the shells. The set will have 270 pieces, and will be available March 1st for $39.99 or €39.99.

10224 Town Hall officially unveiled – due out March 2012 [News]

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly five years since 10182 Cafe Corner was released. The latest LEGO Exclusive addition to the modular building series takes the structure’s scale to a new level, with the 2,766-piece 10224 Town Hall, due out next month.

See all the photos in my photoset on Flickr.

10224 Town Hall

Ages 14+. 2,766 pieces.
US $199.99 CA $249.99 DE 179.99 € UK 149.99 £ DK 1499 DKK
Keep the wheels of commerce turning with the authentic Town Hall!

This classic 3-storey town hall building is the latest addition to the LEGO® Modular Buildings series. This highly-detailed model features large entrance-way columns and coat of arms, a tall bell tower with clock and a large skylight giving a view inside the building. On the ground floor, the large hall, tax office and auditorium are perfect for servicing the town’s citizens. Take the working elevator up to the secretary and mayor’s offices on the second floor, furnished eloquently with desks, chairs, paintings and even a frog sculpture. There’s even a balcony for addressing the town’s citizens. On the third floor, a spacious meeting room features a large conference table, chairs, globe and plants. Includes 8 minifigures: mayor, secretary, bride and groom, press woman, janitor and 2 children.

Includes 8 minifigures: mayor, secretary, bride and groom, press woman, janitor and 2 children

Features painting, desks, chairs, sculpture, lamp, conference table, globe, plants and bench

Functioning elevator with space for 2 minifigures and ladder access to roof

Bell tower features bench and maintenance ladder

Roof features skylight with view inside the building

Measures 10” (25.5 cm) wide and 20” (50 cm) high

Address the citizens from the balcony!

Combine with other LEGO® Modular buildings like the 10218 Pet Shop and 10211 Grand Emporium!

LEGO Minecraft Micro World set officially unveiled, includes Micro Mobs [News]

There’s been a lot of speculation about the first LEGO CUUSOO set, so the official announcement is a welcome relief. The set is due out this summer.

The set splits into four sections.

See all the photos in my photoset on Flickr.

Here’s the official press release:

LEGO® Minecraft™ Micro World details unveiled, available for pre-order

BILLUND, Denmark – The LEGO Group and Mojang have released purchase details and pictures of the LEGO® Minecraft™ Micro World today.

The new set, which was the first to receive 10,000 votes of support from users on the global LEGO CUUSOO idea collection platform, will be available for purchase in summer 2012, but can be pre-ordered from today, exclusively through Mojang retail partner Jinx.com for $34.99 €34.99 at http://www.jinx.com/LEGOMinecraft. The sets will also be sold in select LEGO brand retail stores and the LEGO online shop from summer 2012.

“LEGO Minecraft Micro World is designed to celebrate the essence of the LEGO concept and the Minecraft gaming experience,” said Paal Smith-Meyer, Head of the LEGO New Business Group. Each set features four cubic modular vignettes that can be connected to recreate the Minecraft experience in LEGO bricks. One Minecraft block is represented as one 1×1 LEGO plate with a tile on top — not a perfect cube, but the best approximation at the chosen scale.

LEGO Minecraft Micro World includes two of Minecraft’s most iconic characters, Steve and a Creeper, represented as “Micro Mobs.” The model presents a standard for building a Minecraft world that can be configured any way the builder likes.

The surface of the modules comes off to reveal mines and hidden resources beneath. Fans can build their own landscapes, stack cubes on top of each other, to build the world of Minecraft as they wish.
The product was developed in collaboration with four LEGO fans: Chris Malloy, Michael Thomas, Kyle Tingey, and Bjarne Panduro Tveskov. These fans developed concepts alongside LEGO designers and helped shape the product into its final version.

Upon seeing the physical model the first time, Mojang founder Markus “Notch” Persson exclaimed: “Woohoo!”

LEGO CUUSOO is a website where LEGO fans can submit their ideas for new LEGO products and collect votes to make their ideas become a reality. They can also vote for other users’ ideas. It can be found at http://lego.cuusoo.com.

Ideas that are supported by 10,000 votes have a chance of being selected to become part of the LEGO Group’s product portfolio. Consumers who have their ideas chosen will earn 1% of the total net sales of the product.

Mojang will donate the 1% proceeds from LEGO CUUSOO to charity.

For more on the co-creation process for LEGO Minecraft Micro World, see the LEGO CUUSOO blog at http://legocuusoo.posterous.com.

Special congratulations to TBB’s own Chris Malloy for his involvement in the launch of the first global LEGO CUUSOO project!

Let the inevitable discussion ensue.

FBTB covers Toy Fair 2012 in NYC – LEGO LOTR, Star Wars, Monster Fighters [News]

While we were distracted by images of the 2012 LEGO Avengers sets that Marvel released, our friends over at FBTB were busily covering all the news from Toy Fair 2012 in New York.

Leading the way, we finally have detailed photos of the LEGO Lord of the Rings sets (full coverage). I’m particularly excited by the new articulated horses.

Helm’s Deep looks like a great set for Castle builders and LOTR fans alike.

The LEGO Star Wars license was renewed for another 10 years, with lots of new sets this year. I’m liking the new Jabba’s Palace (full coverage).

The brand-new “Monster Fighters” theme harkens back to the LEGO Studios sets of a decade ago, with some interesting new figs (full coverage).

More photos to pore over in the FBTB photostream, and write-ups on FBTB.net.

Images of Lego Avengers sets

Marvel has revealed the first pictures of some of the upcoming Lego Avengers sets. The sets and minifigs look good except for Iron Man, who must have been modeled after a bobblehead version :)

Via Brickset