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How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

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Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#51

Post by Libcat99 »

joshmarinacci wrote: post #47

While I have nostalgia and can talk about how I used to make amazing designs with fewer specialized bricks, the truth is modern Legos can do more and cost less (adjusted for inflation). My 12year old has built things that I couldn't do until I was a junior in college. We're just grumpy because we are old. I don't love how Lego makes all of these specialty sets for grownups, but.. I've bought some and enjoy it. Playin…

They cost less even before inflation. Here's a write up I did a few months back.

https://news.ycombinator.com/context?id=37657077

As far as I can tell, Lego just keeps getting more affordable.

Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#52

Post by w0m »

jansan wrote: post #50
Navarr wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say that it stifles creativity, but expands LEGO to people who don't want to be creative with it. You can treat it as a fun 3D Puzzle with step-by-step, or you can do whatever you want with it. Neither way is particularly "wrong"

It is not wrong, but it does not force the kids to be creative in a way it used to. I would rather buy some wooden trains and rails if my kids where young now.

you can always buy generic builder-part sets; they still sell them. Simply don't buy the overpriced kits.

Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#53

Post by yreg »

dudul wrote: post #45
sbecker wrote: post #19

Just to provide some counterpoint to the echo chamber here - as a Dad of a six year old who played with legos as a kid and again now, I can affirm - Legos and the sets they put out now are way cooler now than when I was a kid! You might worry that the less general purpose, specialized pieces might stunt creativity, but guess what!? The 6 year old has no problem taking them completely apart and building something off…

The new sets are more complex and detailed, but god do I hate the franchised sets. Nothing kills kids creativity more than that. It's not a pirate ship, it is Jack Sparrow's pirate ship. It's not a spaceship, it's Luke Skywalker's spaceship! Additionally, the quality of parts has seriously decreased since the 80s and 90s.

> Nothing kills kids creativity more than that. It's not a pirate ship, it is Jack Sparrow's pirate ship. It's not a spaceship, it's Luke Skywalker's spaceship!

Why do you think so? I had a Hogwarts Express set and most of the time I didn't pretend for it to be the Hogwarts Express when playing.

Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#55

Post by rufus_foreman »

jhbadger wrote: post #44
bombcar wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen this sentiment time and time again, but careful examination of the actual pieces and sets, excluding the obviously marketed to adults sets shows them just as adjustable and combinable as I remember them being when given to kids . My ability to see what is latent and possible in the pile has decreased, but my kids have what seems to me to be quite the same amount of fun I did when I ways young. There's even…

This depends on your age. I think you were playing with Lego in the 1980s or 1990s when there was theming like pirates and what not. I had Lego in the 1970s. We really just had sets with square/rectangular blocks of various sizes and a few special parts like windows and doors. We didn't even have minifigs. But I get why Lego changed -- you only need to sell one or two generic sets and the kid has enough legos for lif…

>> We really just had sets with square/rectangular blocks of various sizes and a few special parts like windows and doors

Same here. For me, they were stored in the same large bag as the Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Hot Wheels, and green plastic army men.

Which allowed you to realistically portray such common situations as "infantryman, flamethrower, and radio man hide behind giant plastic multi-colored wall while preparing to assault Porsche 917 garaged in a log cabin".

Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#57

Post by dragoncrab »

sbecker wrote: post #19

Just to provide some counterpoint to the echo chamber here - as a Dad of a six year old who played with legos as a kid and again now, I can affirm - Legos and the sets they put out now are way cooler now than when I was a kid! You might worry that the less general purpose, specialized pieces might stunt creativity, but guess what!? The 6 year old has no problem taking them completely apart and building something off…

Totally agree.

I always cry on the inside when I see those beautifully designed, symmetrical, detailed sets taken apart and tossed together to form the next ninja castle or whatever, but after all Lego is to be taken apart and my 6-8-9 year olds have no remorse in doing so.

Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#58

Post by yreg »

kazinator wrote: post #49

Lego is not the Apple of toys. People who have Lego in their homes also have tons of other toys. People who have Apple computers or mobile devices in their homes do not have tons of other devices. There are Apple households in the way that there aren't Lego households. Oh yeah, and there are cheap, Lego-compatible blocks out there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_clone There used to be Apple clone computers in the…

Apple didn't wipe anything out. Hackintoshes exist.

It is probably only a matter of time until macOS eventually drops Intel support, but we are far from there.

Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#59

Post by smugglerFlynn »

hospitalJail wrote: post #40
Dig1t wrote: post #18

There are a few “Apple of X industry” companies out there, I think it’s pretty interesting that you can generalize the things that make them what they are. Disney is the Apple of movies. Nintendo is the Apple of video games. They are usually the types of companies that tightly control almost all of their product, are at a premium price point, and have an “elevated” sort of brand recognition. For example Nintendo is i…

Its interesting, you find quality with these brands. I'm certain these brands advertise they have quality, but I think they fall far short of the competition constantly. Nintendo? Disney? Apple? When I think of their actual quality compared to the best in the business you are talking B- quality. Sure you never get a C or a D like when I get a random Android phone for $100, but you are never going to get a Baulders Ga…

> compared to the best in the business

Huh? They are among the best. Disney is among Big 5 major movie studios. Lego is top 4 toy companies, largest by revenue among them. Apple is top-3 company in the world by market cap.

Quality is very subjective, but the fact that you personally prefer Baulders Gate to Mario just shows that Nintendo plays it in a different niche, not that latter is somehow objectively worse / has less quality than the former.

In my opinion, what sums up all these companies are the things they don’t do:

  - they don’t focus on “power users” or similar niche segments, unless these segments gain enough popularity
  - they don’t cater to cheaper segments of mass market
  - they don’t build their business models around copying competitors
  - they don’t delegate or outsource critical pieces of their value chain
This is what leads to unique and pricey products that sometimes polarize general public. (Although personally I’d narrow Disney down to only Pixar in OPs list, due to Disney’s poor fit with #3 and #4).

Re: How Lego Became the Apple of Toys (2015)

#60

Post by jacquesm »

jansan wrote: post #38
sbecker wrote: post #19

Just to provide some counterpoint to the echo chamber here - as a Dad of a six year old who played with legos as a kid and again now, I can affirm - Legos and the sets they put out now are way cooler now than when I was a kid! You might worry that the less general purpose, specialized pieces might stunt creativity, but guess what!? The 6 year old has no problem taking them completely apart and building something off…

Having two teenage boys I cannot confirm this. They play with other stuff, but Lego is for building once and putting it on a shelf, where it will collect thick layers of dust. My sons never really played with Lego, which I found a bit disappointing.

You're free to take them apart and start making stuff with them. I'm pretty sure your kids would join in, mine certainly did. Sets should not be seen as holy and giving them a prominent display spot may be the wrong thing to do. For a week, sure, after that it's parts :)
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