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Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

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Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#171

Post by giantg2 »

makeitdouble wrote: post #140
giantg2 wrote: post #136

Maybe I'm wrong, but the vibe I get from the article is that Lego has become less creative and more about marketing/profit; sort of faulting Lego. I think this shift to complex, structured sets says more about the parents than the company though. Unstructured/unguided sets are still available. It seems many more parents today want brag about what their kid did, want some Instagram worthy end product, or instill that…

From the post: > Now: The bricks still exist, obviously, but now each set contains many odd shapes that are specific to that particular set and do not work with any other creation. To further this point, there are central components like motored hubs that are only available to specific sets and can't be bought as individual pieces. A lot of people will point at token actions Lego still does that match the old philoso…

Well sure, new pieces and specialized pieces are going to be sold in the set they work with. The point is, parents are choosing to buy the new sets with specialized pieces. You can also see in the article the points about the parents being frustrated while building, sad when the set is destroyed, etc.

So yeah, Lego is marketing and making profit, but it's the parents that drive/enable that. As stated before, we see this in other areas of life too with the full schedules of structured group activities and less self organized time.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#172

Post by dhosek »

travisgriggs wrote: post #165

Legos are like coding. The simplicity of Lego yesteryear was like some of the simpler programming languages out there. Approachable and rewarding, but limited. Over the years, the language of Lego has added new programming constructs and is inherently more complex, more capable, and harder to approach. The evolutions the article describes may be deplorable to some, but it was adapt or die. Anyone playing with Tinker…

My brother found some Tinker Toy sets that he gave my kids for Christmas a few years ago. They loved playing with them.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#175

Post by somethoughts »

cestith wrote: post #138

If you don't like the licensed sets, or even sets with instruction books, then you're still covered. Lego, Mega Bloks, and others have buckets or bags of just parts. To stick to Lego without a themed set, look for The Lego Classic line. If you want them as a themed set but maybe without a media license, there's the Lego Creator line (which does include some licensed material like the Bond 007 Aston Martin DB5). Kit 1…

One key mindshift is to realize that many of the newer sets are more in line with a 3D puzzle than a creative 1000's of blocks to invent your own thing. Its a lot less frustrating when you realize the replay value is in taking down the set and doing it again next year or passing it on to a friend - in a manner more analogous to how puzzles are engaged with.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#176

Post by watwut »

makeitdouble wrote: post #143
ARandumGuy wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like a lot of people look at the intricate sets that cost hundreds of dollars, and conclude that Lego has abandoned play and creativity. In reality, there's an abundance of kid-oriented sets that are meant to be built, played with, deconstructed, and modified. But those aren't the sets that get shared through social media. Lego has embraced the adult collector as a valuable customer. But that does not mean the…

TBF the best advice for people who only want a bunch of "classic" bricks for their small child is to buy them used or of some generic conpatible brand. I totally understand Lego not putting any marketing power in that direction and pushing so hard for more branding and licensed sets. The other end of the spectrum is their educational sets, but then we're really into the multi hundreds of dollars sets.

Classic bricks are available in toy stores. Not like a rare item, it is there pretty much all the time, usually at the bottom shelf. And they are not expensive either.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#177

Post by dhosek »

BrS96bVxXBLzf5B wrote: post #132
mcv wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think 1980s kids who grew up and got well-paying tech jobs are their largest customer demographic now. Kids play Minecraft instead. That's what my oldest son said, at least; he doesn't see the point in Lego now that Minecraft exists. Breaks my heart. I mean, Minecraft is fantastic, but it's not Lego.

An alternative viewpoint: Minecraft is Lego, and Lego isn't. When there were fewer themed Lego sets, Lego was a sandbox. You had a mish-mash of generic pieces and your creativity. Modern Lego sets are extremely tailored, both in theme and with sets having bespoke pieces - even if you throw all of your newer sets together in a pile (which people tend not to because each is supposed to be a thing), the pieces aren't as…

There are a lot fewer bespoke parts than you might think. Creating new molds is expensive and if you look closer you'll see that odd shapes are reused for different purposes in different sets.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#178

Post by tasha0663 »

> Blocks hide in the carpet until you are walking around barefoot in the dark. The pain of stepping on a a sharp Lego piece is not easily forgotten.

My first parenting superpower was the ability to step softly on Lego bricks. If I'm in a serious hurry, I'll even grip the thing with my foot and keep walking.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#179

Post by jacobolus »

somethoughts wrote: post #175
cestith wrote: post #138

If you don't like the licensed sets, or even sets with instruction books, then you're still covered. Lego, Mega Bloks, and others have buckets or bags of just parts. To stick to Lego without a themed set, look for The Lego Classic line. If you want them as a themed set but maybe without a media license, there's the Lego Creator line (which does include some licensed material like the Bond 007 Aston Martin DB5). Kit 1…

One key mindshift is to realize that many of the newer sets are more in line with a 3D puzzle than a creative 1000's of blocks to invent your own thing. Its a lot less frustrating when you realize the replay value is in taking down the set and doing it again next year or passing it on to a friend - in a manner more analogous to how puzzles are engaged with.

> the replay value is in taking down the set and doing it again next year

There is no end to the “replay value” in taking whatever miscellaneous collection of legos you have and making whatever you want out of them. This is what most kids do. Each new set gets added to the mixed-up pile. (This works because all of the pieces consistently follow a common geometric design, and connect together using a small handful of common interfaces. Note: sorting the collection can be helpful for finding pieces.)

Making the set following the instructions and then displaying the finished model on a shelf, packing the pieces back in its box, or reselling the kit is something more common among adults.

The “follow 3d-puzzle instructions” way of playing is pretty shallow. Even the hardest lego sets aren’t really that hard, and with a couple years experience even very young children can do them. (A 5 or 6 year-old can easily make the sets that claim on the box to be for age 11+ or whatever, with a couple years’ occasional experience.)

But if you like 3d puzzles, legos are pretty good for inventing new ones, and there are a wide variety of ways to make puzzles that are harder than the instructions shipped with the pieces.

Re: Lego has changed since we were kids (2014)

#180

Post by DrBoring »

ballenf wrote: post #120
gilbetron wrote: post #101

I really dislike all the bizarre "lego ain't what they used to be!" comments - they honestly come from people who haven't spent time with modern legos. For reference I was born in 1970 and played with legos probably from 1975-1985, and then seriously picked it up again in 2012 or so when my son was old enough to play with them. People paint this picture of these new legos that are made up of like 5 parts that you jus…

What I've seen is that kids get that dopamine rush from putting together everything exactly according to instructions. From opening the numbered bags and methodically working through thick instruction booklets. The problem now is that they have this expectation of gratification from making something kind of perfect and their own creations are less interesting and fulfilling. I don't know what the name is for the idea…

I find that I am qualified to offer the following data point.

My daughter is 8. She enjoys both Legos and Minecraft.

She mostly plays Minecraft in creative, but recently I've been playing through survival with her (first time survival for both of us).

She still enjoys building in survival. If anything, I would say her survival builds are more satisfying because she has to do the work of obtaining the resources, and crafting them into the parts she needs. There is also the added challenge of not being able to fly and to easily undo a misplaced block.

If I'm doing a complex build like an automated farm, she enjoys crafting the parts for me.

Back to Lego:

She mostly goes for the Lego Friends kits, but also has a few Lego Minecraft kits. After she'd built something, she does imaginative role play with her 6-yo sister. Sometimes, they'll take the kits apart and rebuild into something different.

Regarding temperament: My 8yo is pretty easy going. She is generally patient and doesn't get easily frustrated when things go wrong.

I could easily see how a different child could hate imperfect Lego builds, or survival Minecraft.

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