Category: Community (Page 147 of 171)

LEGO Becomes World’s Biggest Toymaker

September 4, 2014 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 1 Comment

LEGO has finally topped Mattel as the world’s biggest toymaker according to The Financial Times. Sales were up by 11% from the previous year which was boosted by the popularity of The LEGO Movie. The company posted revenues of DKK11.5bn ($2.03bn) in the first half of this year compared to Mattel’s $2.01bn over the same timeframe. The net profit for the first half of 2014 was DKK2.7m vs DKK2.3m in the first half of 2013.

LEGO was also the world’s most profitable toymaker which turned plastic costing from $1 a kilo to bricks that sell for about $75 a kilo.

In addition, LEGO also had growth of more than 50% in the first half in China where the new Shanghai office and factory helped bring products to the customers in the region.

FT also notes that about 60% of The LEGO Group’s sales are still to come the rest of the year, mostly around the weeks leading up to Christmas. With all the new exclusive sets coming out in the few months like Santa’s Workshop (10245) and the UCS Slave I (76060), there are a lot of holiday gifts to choose from.

LEGO CFO John Goodwin also confirms that the LEGO Ninjago movie will be coming out in 2016 like we reported before.

Finally, Goodwin mentions that the new LEGO Fusion sets were created as a fear of being left behind in the digital world but an opportunity to ensure the physical building experience remains relevant and act as a bridge between physical and … Continue

A Young Boy’s LEGO Wish

September 2, 2014 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 2 Comments

Usually we report on LEGO news and do reviews but there are times when we have to take a step back and look at life itself and how short it can be for some. I’ve was recently emailed by someone named Alana who runs the blog, “Growing My Way Out” and she informed me about a post about a young boy named Dylan.

Dylan has been real sick and unfortunately, he has been given only a few months to live. One of his “bucket list” items is to be buried in a coffin built of LEGO bricks.

To spread the word about Dylan, Alana also posted on Reddit and has gained a lot of traction the past day or so. A user by the named of WikeTheWizard is a former LEGOLAND Master Model Builder and a current professional LEGO artist and he has volunteered to help out with Dylan’s wish if they can get the resources in time. After doing a little bit of research, WikeTheWizard is actually Brandon Wike and who is currently working at LEGOLAND California. From what I can see on the Reddit thread, the community is supporting Brandon and is doing what they can to help out with Dylan’s wish.

If you are able to help out, you can donate on PayPal to help the family with the various costs. It was also mentioned that Dylan lives in the 65401 zip code (Rolla, Missouri) so if you are in the area, you can probably help out locally as well. If you can’t … Continue

LEGO Activities at FAN EXPO Canada 2014

August 26, 2014 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

LEGO has a press release detailing all the activities that will be happening at FAN EXPO Canada 2014 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from August 28-31.

The first public screening for Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary will be held on Saturday, August 30 at 5pm in Room 701A. Attendees can pretty much watch the movie for free at the event. It will be showing in theaters early next year as mentioned at the SDCC panel.

Attendees can also see life-size LEGO models which probably will be the same ones we saw at SDCC.

There will also be themed LEGO giveaways each day of the convention starting Friday. These aren’t the same ones that were given out at SDCC but some other promo items for the themes. No word on what these items are at this time.

Finally, the LEGO booth will be selling The Ghost exclusive set. It is the same set from SDCC except that you get a Kanan Jarrus minifigure instead of Chopper.

FIRST PUBLIC SCREENING OF BEYOND THE BRICK: A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY TO BE HELD AT 2014 FAN EXPO CANADA

– LIFE-SIZE LEGO® MODELS, EXCLUSIVE PRODUCT OFFERINGS AND ACTIVITIES WILL DELIGHT ATTENDEES OF ALL AGES-

WHAT: Providing the perfect backdrop for on-site filming and interviews, The LEGO Group will feature hands- on activities, life-sized LEGO® models and a film screening for attendees of 2014 Fan Expo Canada.

LIFE-SIZE VISUALS IN THE LEGO BOOTH:
• A wide variety of popular franchises will be showcased via one-of-a-kind, life-sized models made completely

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Philly Brick Fest LEGO Fan Festival Sept 12-14

August 25, 2014 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

On September 12-14, Philly Brick Fest LEGO Fan Festival returns to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Check out images of what went on at Philly Brick Fest back in April as well as a list of some of the attractions below. Public attendees can get a special ticket offer here while AFOLs/TFOLs can register here.

Brick Fest Derby: Build and race your custom built LEGO derby car down a 35-foot long timed track
Inspiration Stations: Add to existing LEGO cities on display
Video Game Arena: Have a favorite LEGO video game? Challenge a family member or make new friends in the Brick Fest Gaming Arena
YouTube Celebrities: Meet popular YouTube LEGO show hosts from The Brick Show, Your Creative Friends (YCF), and more.
Mini Golf: A miniature golf course built to inspire!
Brick Fest Theater & Trivia: Watch some of the best LEGO brick films and participate in LEGO trivia all while taking a break from what will be an overwhelming amount of awesome!
Build Wall: At Brick Fest, art on the walls is allowed. With over 80-feet of wall space is covered in studs, attendees are encouraged to use bricks to build in three dimensions.
Mosaics: Using a colorful variety of 1×1 LEGO bricks, build a piece of art to proudly display for other attendees.
The Brick Zone: The Brick Zone is where imaginations run wild as builders are free to create anything they desire. Creativity shines while being surrounded by thousands of LEGO bricks of every shape and size.
Shopping: Find new, vintage,

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BrickLink MOC Shop Now Live

August 22, 2014 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

It appears that the new BrickLink MOC Shop is now live. If you haven’t heard about it, basically the MOC Shop is a place where people can show off their builds and other people can purchase them if they desire. BrickLink CEO Jay Kim has released a statement about the latest service as BrickLink’s modernization project aka BrickLink 2.0:

With MOC Shop, BrickLink is on a mission to bring the creativity of building back to the world by means of everyday commerce. We’re providing a platform where our sellers and buyers can meet a whole new category of “designers.” We not only sell loose parts and official LEGO sets but also custom designed sets built by the most innovative brick artists around the globe. Our platform seamlessly connects designs to active BrickLink stores that will source the parts based on preference or popular demand. We’ve built a system where anyone can share, review, and purchase parts and manuals all in a collective experience. We’ve introduced the one-click solution for you to buy packaged MOCs as gifts or even just for yourself.

Also as part of the BrickLink MOC Shop going live, the Seed Part Challenge #1 has begun as well. The part that is required for the contest is Medium Azure Vehicle or Mudguard 4 x 2.5 x 2 with Arch Round. You can read more about the rules of the Seed Part Challenge here. The submission phase ends in two weeks on September 5th.

Check out all stuff that going on at the new … Continue

Upcoming LEGO CLUB Magazine Subscribers Changes

August 21, 2014 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 2 Comments

Keith Severson of the LEGO CEE Team recently shared the following information to LEGO Ambassadors regarding the free LEGO CLUB Magazine. Starting in September in parts of Europe, CLUB members who are older than 13 years old will no longer be enrolled in the subscription. In November, all of Europe will be subjected to the same regulation and in 2015, the rest of the world will be following the same rules.

The magazine will now focus its distribution to children 12 years old and younger. AFOLs who still want the magazine can get it at LEGO Stores although it’s a slight inconvenience. For me, I mostly enjoy the different comic that are included in the magazines.

Check out the email that was sent out below and leave a comment to share your thoughts on this change. Although I’m not a LEGO Ambassador, maybe LEGO can see some of the readers’ comments and pass them along.

I have recently have had a dialog with the LEGO CLUB team. They are taking a new step in the CLUB Magazine which is resulting in some changes, specifically affecting adult subscribers.

Coming in the September release in EUC (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) all CLUB members who are older than 13 years old will receive a notice that it is their last subscription. Then in November it will be all of Europe (November will be the 2nd launch in EUC, so DE, AT and CH only) and then starting in 2015 it will be global. The CLUB magazine will focus its

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The LEGO House Construction Officially Begins

August 21, 2014 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran / 0 Comments

Last year, we reported that The LEGO Group will be constructing the LEGO House which will be opening in Billund Denmark in 2016. A few days ago, LEGO announced that the construction for the LEGO House has finally begun. Three generations of the owner family was there to lay the six foundation stones that represent The LEGO Group’s values: imagination, creativity, fun, learning, caring, and quality.

The completed project will be 12,000 square meters and will feature multiple experience areas, a cafe, an unique LEGO Store, and a 2,000 square meter public square. The LEGO House is expected to bring in about 250,000 people annually.

Bjarke Ingels, founding partner of BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and the architect of the LEGO House notes:

“For me the LEGO brick embodies the notion of systematic creativity – that the rigour and rationality of the LEGO brick allows children of all ages infinite possibilities to create their own worlds and to inhabit them through play. We have been inspired by the modularity of the LEGO brick to create the LEGO House. It will appear like a cloud of interlocking LEGO bricks that form spaces for exploration and exhibition for its visitors within. On the outside the pile of bricks form the roof of a new covered square as well as a mountain of interconnected terraces and playgrounds.”

Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

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