Author: bluephotographs800

LEGO-IKEA Team-Up Encourages More Play at Home

It had been one of the most unusual bits of LEGO-related news that came out in June, when the globally renowned Danish toy company announced a collaboration initiative with the Swedish-Dutch king of ready-to-assemble furniture IKEA. The reason given for this LEGO-IKEA team-up was for increasing environmental sustainability in their products, but no clarification was given.

The only line said by LEGO and IKEA on the products they’re working on together was that they’re (obviously) geared toward children. A LEGO-IKEA team-up would go towards “encouraging more play at home, and allowing children to be more creative, to experiment and to dream”.

LEGO is only one of several companies that IKEA has forged collaborative efforts with lately. There are also deals made with audio brand Sonos, luxury house Byredo, and shoe and athletic wear giant Adidas. They’re said to embody having the quality of major brands while making them also IKEA-level affordable.

While this is rather old by now, here’s a teaser by IKEA on the products they’re collaborating on with LEGO, posted on Instagram. It’s a short scene of children playing with LEGO Bricks and an IKEA stool. These products will start coming out in 2019 and years beyond, to be found at IKEA’s children’s sections.

Source: BHG

LEGO Harry Potter Collection Coming to Xbox One X October 30

Way back in July, we got our very first hints of a return of two of the most famous LEGO Harry Potter video games in compilation, as the LEGO Harry Potter Collection. Both UK retailer Argos and the Game Software Regulations Board of Taiwan confirmed it coming for the Nintendo Switch. This week, new information on the LEGO Harry Potter Collection re-release was revealed. Aside from the Switch it will also be on the Xbox One X. Furthermore, that version’s release date of October is earlier than the Switch version’s November. And if that’s not enough, it’ll look even better too on-screen.

Here’s what the re-release blurb says:

The LEGO® Harry Potter™ Collection brings LEGO® Harry Potter™: Years 1-4 and LEGO® Harry Potter™: Years 5-7 remastered! This compilation unites the creative prowess of LEGO and the expansive world of Harry Potter, with an exciting journey full of spell-casting, potion-making, puzzle-solving, lessons, dueling and much more for players of all ages to enjoy.

 

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Any old game getting a re-master on the Xbox One X would mean a visual overhaul into 4K graphic resolution. The above is one of the screenshots released for the LEGO Harry Potter Collection on Xbox One X. Notice the smooth renders brought about by ultra high-resolution.

The LEGO Harry Potter Collection combines the earlier titles of Years 1-4 and Years 5-7 into one massive package of adventure through the story of the Boy Who Lived, told in LEGO by Warner Bros. Interactive and Traveller’s Tales. Catch it for the Xbox One X this coming October 30.

 

LEGO US Reps Spent a Day with Preschool Children at Nearby School

Things must be rather busy at the global organization of The LEGO Group, particularly in the wake of their recently released revenue report for the first half of 2018. That however, doesn’t mean they won’t have time for goodwill activities, be they a large public event or something much quieter. Much like the main LEGO HQ is located in the Danish town of Billund, so too is their main US HQ, located in the town of Enfield, Connecticut. Not long ago, 30 LEGO US reps spent a day with preschool children students at nearby Tommie Johnson Child & Family Center, a preschool under the Square One umbrella.

A fun time was had by all as the LEGO team engaged around 150 Square One preschoolers in various building activities. One example has each child being given six 2×4 Duplo bricks having them copy, one by one, a design created by a chosen student.

That and other LEGO building games serve to help these preschoolers improve skills in memory, movement and creativity. As Square One development and communications head Kristine Allard says, “Playtime is a critical component of every child’s intellectual and social development. Who better to demonstrate that than the experts from LEGO?”

This is the start of a newly-minted partnership between LEGO US and Square One Preschools. Following the outreach activity by the company’s US staff with the kids at the Family Center in Enfield, LEGO will also design a new playroom facility for them. They’ll have LEGO sets aplenty, for sure.

Big LEGO Brick Hospital Charity Event Launched with £2,000 Raised on First Day

It would seem that in the UK, charity events wherein units of donations are translated into LEGO bricks to be put together to make a scale model have become a trend. We reported on one of this fun, charitable activity last month, with Suffolk’s St. Edmundsbury Cathedral hosting a particular brick-building event to make a scale replica of its own historical cathedral. Now the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity (CCC) is making its own splash during the Great Brick Adventure event in Liverpool. This week they have launched a new £-a-brick charity drive in the Big LEGO Brick Hospital, building a scale model of what would be a real thing.

CCC is looking for more funding towards building a new cancer research and treatment hospital for the UK, and they mean to get it from this Big LEGO Brick Hospital event. It begins with a LEGO-built construction site, where interested donors pay £1 a LEGO brick that will be assembled to make the planned cancer hospital, rendered in LEGO.

Big LEGO Brick Hospital

Building instructions for the model were made for CCC courtesy of Bright Bricks, the same brilliant minds behind the St. Edmundsbury Cathedral £-a-brick model design. When finished, the whole model will measure 1.6 meters by 2.8 meters in floor area, and 1.6 meters in height.

On the day the Big LEGO Brick Hospital opened for donations, two thousand bricks equal to £2,000 of charity was raised by well-meaning donors patronizing the event. CCC boss Katrina Bury approves of the successful launch. “We were thrilled to be part of The Great Brick Adventure and show LEGO brick enthusiasts to see the model so far,” she said.

The real cancer hospital this event is helping to build is estimated to be completed by 2020. Surely its LEGO version won’t take that long. For more information visit the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity official website.

LEGO SHOWS in Bahrain Draws Tens of Thousands of Guests

Last month, the little Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain did a great turn for all children and their families in their country and neighbors, by bringing together some of the most powerful child-friendly brands in the world, Cartoon Network and LEGO. From the third week to the end of August, LEGO SHOWS was in town.

LEGO SHOWS was a collaborative effort between The LEGO Group and the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA). This was the first time it was ever held in the country; but in spite, or maybe because, of that reason the event was a massive success.

According to The Daily Tribune – News of Bahrain, visitor counts by the BTEA have recorded more than 26,000 people that came to see LEGO SHOWS during its duration from August 22 to 31. Then again, what children from which country would be able to resist any reason to play with LEGO, from the classics to the specific lines like Duplo, Ninjago, Friends and Star Wars?

“The Lego Shows event received great attendance over a period of 10 days,” noted CEO Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa of BTEA, “Attracting more than 26,000 visitors from the Kingdom and neighbouring GCC countries.”

Bahrain looks to be in the right track with its objective of presenting itself as a place where children of all ages regardless of country of origin can have loads of fun, with the help of a globally trusted name like LEGO. One wonders when the next event will be.

LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Fire Station (10263) Finally Confirmed

Sometimes you can’t help but wonder if LEGO purposely reveals details of a set to one of its national markets alone, leaving other countries to pick up on it themselves before they make an official announcement later. How many times already did we learn about new sets because of a store flyer or product sighting anywhere from Europe to Korea? As August came to an end, we were treated to teaser details for this year’s LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village. The red telephone close-up hints at an emergency response office. Good guess! A LEGO store flyer from Italy now confirms that this year’s winter village D2C set is the LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Fire Station (10263)

LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Fire Station (10263)

According to the flyer, 2018 will see us getting the LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Fire Station (10263). Well, just because a village is covered in snow doesn’t mean fires won’t break out. This upcoming set is a realistic addition for an ever-expanding brick-built village.

Now that we know the set’s name, all that’s left is the eventual reveal scheduled to be on September 9, with its availability slated by October 1. As you can tell from the numbering too, this comes right after the LEGO Creator Expert Aston Martin DB5 (10262). The Winter Village Fire station joins the ranks of previous holiday-themed, advanced models sets such as last year’s Winter Village Station (10259), Winter Village Market (10235), Santa’s Workshop (10245), Winter Toy Shop (10249), and the Winter Holiday Train (10254).

Thanks also to Italian LEGO news site Mattonito for sharing this tidbit to the world.

LEGO’s Profits Recovering in 2018 – Thanks to Technic and Other Best-Selling Themes

To those who have an eye on the business side of LEGO, they would be aware that, in spite the veritable non-stop flood of new sets and whatnot, the company has been a bit worried about their financial standing last year. It didn’t help either that one of the brand’s biggest retail partners, Toys R Us, has since closed its doors. But if we know anything about how LEGO runs as a business, it’s that they’re quick to realize where they have problems. By pegging their enterprise as having “grown complicated”, and taking steps to simplify things again, LEGO’s profits began turning around for the better in 2018.

Notwithstanding the loss of Toys R Us, LEGO has been able to report a rise in consumer sales for the earlier half of this year amidst flat rates in the company’s revenues. In spite of last year’s market uncertainties, LEGO’s profit gained some considerable traction and improvement even if the desired growth targets were still far from the vaunted growth of 25% in 2015.

LEGO prides itself on always bringing something new; the fact that 60% percent of their total product output in a year being new sets and minifigures. At present, sets from their Ninjago, Creator and Technic lines like the recent Bugatti Chiron (42083) are the hottest contributors to the rise in customer sales that the company has reported for 2018.

42083technicbugatti

Western Europe and China have been noted as being the source of the increase in LEGO’s profits. CEO Niels B. Christiansen remarks his satisfaction at the stabilized growth of the old but constantly evolving brand, adding about China, “The Chinese appreciate and emphasize that children learn something when they play … There is a really nice fit between China and Lego.”

 

Source: Reuters

LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) Official Product Description Released

Just as August was drawing to a close we finally had visual confirmation on one thing: LEGO does have an upcoming brick-built figure set for the newest breakout alien creature from the Star Wars saga, the Porg from The Last Jedi. Ever since LEGO advertised the film by putting LEGO Porg statues in London last year, it was well-known. Leaks about the LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) set have been popping up in Europe since June, but it was only days ago when we saw the box design and learned the October release date. Now we have a full product description.

The official info for the LEGO Star Wars Porg (75230) set was spotted by Star Wars news source Rebelscum, from a product listing on Wal-Mart. The blurb goes:

75230 e1536054058519

 

Own an unmistakable character from Star Wars: The Last Jedi with this LEGO Star Wars 75230 Porg! This faithfully detailed Star Wars toy includes intricate feather detailing, authentic colors and an opening mouth and flapping wings when you press the tail. The set also comes with a display stand with decorative fact plaque and extra porg mini build, to form the perfect centerpiece for your LEGO collection.

  1. Features authentic detailing, an opening mouth and flapping wings.
  2. Also includes a display stand with decorative fact plaque and an extra porg mini build.
  3. Porg without stand stands over 7 (19cm) high.
  4. Display stand measures approx. 2 (6cm) high and 1 (3cm) deep, and over 4 (11cm) wide.
  5. Relive fun porg adventures from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

That’s right: the set includes a full-sized Porg, plus a data plaque for the creature on a stand, decorated with a mini-built Porg. Fans of the big-mouthed critter need only wait until October 8 to get their hands on this fountain of memes, at only $69.99 too.

lego star wars porg

 

LEGO Shop@Home Offering a Free Minifigure Display Frame this October

For LEGO fans that focus their collecting efforts on minifigures, they might be wondering how best to showcase their fave minifig characters on display. LEGO has answered that in the form of the minifigure display frame, a framed sturdy LEGO mat with brick-built perches for minifigures to stand on, for hanging on walls, or a portrait stand, or on flat surfaces. The LEGO Group has already offered a similar minifigure display frame for both the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and LEGO Batman Movie themes. If these are too “branded” for your taste, however, then this new promotional item on shop.LEGO.com this October is for you.

From the 15th to 31st of next month, LEGO will be offering a free minifigure display frame for shoppers with a minimum LEGO purchase of $75. This promotional gift features a gray display mat with a black border frame, white minifigure perches and 2×2 LEGO tile-logo in the corner.

This LEGO Minifigure Display Frame also seem to come with a summery minifigure with shades, white tank top, shorts and duck-head life-preserver. There are 16 minifigure perches in the set and the mat pegs can also support LEGO brick builds. Supply is also limited, so get ready to pounce this coming October.

Custom Mexico City Architecture Set Joins the LEGO Ideas Second 2018 Review Stage

A new product idea on the LEGO Ideas platform has received the coveted 10,000 supporters needed to be eligible for Review, and with its addition to the Second LEGO Ideas 2018 Review Stage, that batch of 10K-ers has become well and truly varied distinction. Much like the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 submission by AbFab1974, intended to join the established Speed Champions line, this product idea by Francisco Escobar (aka LegoFan_506) was designed in the convention of another LEGO product lineup. This custom Mexico City Architecture set now joins the rank of other projects that are eligible for the LEGO Ideas Second 2018 Review Stage.

LegoFan_506 replicated four (technically five) important landmarks in his custom Mexico City Architecture. These includes: the Angel of Independence statue on pillar, National Palace plus Constitution Plaza, Fine Arts Palace, and Latin-American Tower. Here’s what Francisco has to say about his product submission.

Each building I chose not only represents the most iconic structures at Mexico City but also different periods of time, culture and historic moments. They involve from the pre Conquest Period to modern times:

  • Constitution Plaza or “Zócalo” (since the time of the Aztecs). The People and Tradition. The heart and symbol of Mexico and its people. It´s Main Square is where countless persons join to celebrate events or festivities around Mexico flag.
  • National Palace (1522-1526). Union, Leadership. Headquarters of the federal executive in Mexico. It represents importance of the meeting of cultures, the blending of Spanish and Aztec.
  • Angel of Independence (1900-1910). Independence and love for their country. An iconic monument that represents the heroic struggle of Mexican people to decide and make their own path in the world.
  • Latin-American Tower (1948 – 1956). Leadership, hard work, and innovation. The once tallest building in Iberoamerica, it points out the achievements of Mexico hard work and role in the world.Palacio de Bellas Artes or “Fine Arts Palace” (1904-1934). The best expression of culture and arts in Mexico. It is a symbol of the incredibly rich Mexican culture and its arts contribution.

Francisco Escobar’s custom Mexico City Architecture set product idea is the last 10K passer to get into the LEGO Ideas Second 2018 Review Stage. It’s in strong competition from other 10K entries that include various space sets, to car models, and more.