I know that some of our readers are planning to enter their LEGO project on CUUSOO this year, so I thought to talk about that a bit as there has been some pretty major changes on LEGO CUUSOO. As you probably know, CUUSOO is a platform where you can enter your very own LEGO design, and if you get 10,000 supporters LEGO will consider it for production. 🙂
CUUSOO is still in Beta as it is a fairly new venture for the company and there is still plenty to tweak and adjust along the way. This last change has been one of the largest ones and the CUUSOO team posted a helpful update on their blog to explain it (see below and see original here for more).
LEGO CUUSOO Updates to the Guidelines, House Rules, and Terms of Service: “…we’re introducing some updates to LEGO CUUSOO’s Guidelines, House Rules, and Terms of Service based on things we’ve learned over the last two years. These changes will help focus the contents of your projects toward what we’re able to commercialize through LEGO CUUSOO. We’ve seen a lot of great ideas and models from you, but not everything fits what is practical or possible to make and sell. Now that we’ve been through a few LEGO Review periods, it’s easier to decide what types of submissions work as potential sets and what kinds don’t. In order to nurture a pipeline that’s more in line with what is possible to produce, these changes narrow the scope of what we’ll consider. The new Guidelines, House Rules, and Terms of Service clarify and refine what types of submissions we’ll consider as potential LEGO sets. Our goal is to make review decisions more quickly, which means new CUUSOO sets will get into your hands sooner.” Below are some of the highlights of the changes:
| New Guideline | What This Means |
| Brick-Based Construction Toy Projects Only | Please only create projects suggesting standard LEGO sets and not new parts, software, websites, apps, or non-LEGO brick based products (backpacks, mugs, etc). |
| One Project = One LEGO Set | Projects should only suggest single stand-alone LEGO sets, and not a series of products or a playtheme. |
| No Minifigure Series or “Battle Packs” | We no longer allow projects suggesting solely minifigures, minifigure collectibles, “battle packs,” “character packs,” etc. |
| Only Use Authentic LEGO Parts | Please do not include non-LEGO brand bricks in your projects, whether from competing brands or after-market customizers. |
| No Company Logos or Team Mascots | We no longer consider projects consisting of company, team, or organization logos or mascots. |
| Please Don’t Use Our Logos | You may not use the LEGO Logo (or represent it), or any of our other logos in a way that could imply we endorse your project. See this guide for clarification. |
Here is a bit more from the new LEGO CUUSOO guidelines: “LEGO CUUSOO is set up to evaluate and release single LEGO set concepts that reach 10,000 supporters, and not playthemes, product ranges, or parts. The LEGO Minecraft concept proved so popular that the LEGO Group decided to release more sets as a continuation of our license agreement with MOJANG. This is really exciting because even more people will be able to celebrate their love for building, both with LEGO bricks and in the Minecraft universe! While this naturally gives hope that your concepts could also make it to ‘theme status’, our team still sees future scenarios like this as incredibly rare. Nevertheless, it is a possibility, so we’ve also added Guidelines language that clearly states we don’t offer credit or compensation for any potential follow-up sets, since those are developed by us outside of LEGO CUUSOO.”
And here is what will happen to existing projects that don’t meet the guidelines, and how LEGO CUUSOO will move forward: “Our team has learned a lot over the last two years of the LEGO CUUSOO Open Beta. We’ve browsed your great projects and ideas, and have had the privilege of evaluating those that make it into the LEGO Review. We’ve learned volumes about what’s possible to produce and what isn’t within the CUUSOO framework. As a result of these changes, there are now many existing projects we won’t consider anymore. Many projects that no longer fit will soon be removed and their creators notified. Owners of projects that can be modified to fit the Guidelines will also be contacted. To simplify the administration of this change, projects with over 1,000 supporters will have until December 31 to make the necessary changes, and projects under 1,000 are asked to make the necessary changes before they reach 1,000 supporters. Know that we can’t express enough how much we appreciate the passion and energy that goes into each and every one of your submissions, even if we’re not able to make them. Thanks again for enthusiastically sharing with us the things you would like to see made into future LEGO products and we’re looking forward to making more LEGO wishes come true as we grow.”
As you can see, the LEGO CUUSOO team took careful review of what has been happening with the platform and has weeded out a lot of projects that are just not a good fit for a partnership. The LEGO CUUSOO projects that have been produced so far has been received with great enthusiasm from the LEGO community, in fact, many people collect the sets. They are a great testimony of the collaboration between a company and its fans. You can check out the currently available LEGO CUUSOO sets at the Online LEGO Shop, and there are more exciting sets to come! 😀
How do you feel about the changes at LEGO CUUSOO? Do you agree with them? Did they effect any of your own LEGO projects that you either already posted or planned to? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below! Would love to hear what you think on this! 😉
If you would like to learn more about CUUSOO and see other featured projects, check out the following related posts:
I don’t really care about the changes, since I’m don’t make projects.
IF you don’t have any current projects it won’t effect you, however you may have some creative spark later. 😉
That’s true.
Yeah, the other reason at the moment is that I’m not old enough too make projects on Cuusco yet! 🙁
How old do you have to be?
18, if I’m not mistaken. That’s because it’s not legal (in most countries, at least.) to sign a business contract with people below 18.
is it legal to make an idea, and then have a relative who is over 18 submit the idea?
I guess you could submit a family project. I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
EXACTLY!!!!! muahahahaha, anyone up for an Avatar set? with the 1 2/3 sized mech armour ^-^
even though I didn’t make any, these are reasonable rules 😉
Are these not available at the Lego stores? I’ve never seen them there. Also, the DeLorean minifigs have special printing on their torsos. Is this considered a “new part”? It seems like all their past projects that were accepted were all company/movie/game/organization based. Those things resonate with people because they are familiar to them. Building a generic house, ship, whatever might not be as popular as a cuusoo project.
Andy, I have heard that in general the CUUSOO sets are not sold at LEGO brand stores, only the Online LEGO Shop and some LEGO Discovery Centers. I think the Minecraft sets were fairly widely available (even at TRU and Amazon), but the Mars Rover is not even available at LEGO stores, only online. I’m not sure what’s the point of this as there are sets that the public voted for so they sould be available to the public. But I don’t run LEGO. 😉
I don’t think printing is considered a new part as that is fairly easy to achieve. You do make a good point that so far CUUSOO projects were connected to something popular and easily recognizable. As CUUSOO is still in Beta I think they are adjusting as they go. Perhaps negotiating licenses is not an easy thing to do and at some point it just doesn’t make financial sense. I think scientific/space projects are going to continue to be popular though as they also have a fan-base and they don’t require expensive license fees. It also reinforces LEGO’s connection with science.
Actually, Admin, the Delorean is at Lego stores, or at least the Annapolis, MD one.
That’s good to hear as it is a very hard to find set. I think LEGO store managers have some options on what they can order, but there are also restrictions.
It is in King of Prussia
I picked up my copy in London’s Westfield LEGO Store. I’m talking about the DeLorean. Also, I got my Hayabusa in Japan.
I hope they make the exo suit still.
The Lego store in Santa Clara, CA has a LOT of Delorean sets available. My friend just bought one last week.
Nice to know that! I was down in Orlando recently and they didn’t have any. I guess it depends on the store management.
I saw a couple of deloreans in my TRU when they first came out.
I also wanna say hey guys, don’t worry I haven’t died or anything lol it’s just it’s been very busy recently and when I got back to school I got a ton of homework “sigh” XD so sorry that I haven’t been commenting 🙂
Noooooo I didn’t do the 😀 right you can tell it’s been a while since I commented lol
I was wondering where you were! Yeah, homework first! But stop by when you have a minute. 😉
Will new head molds count as new pieces?
Yes, that would be a new piece.
Printings should be easy to acchieve. They might even be replaced by stickers to cut costs…
Parts in new, official colors, should be cheap to produce as well. (There are official color lists available online.)
Official color list. If a part currently in production isn’t available in a particular official color, you should be able to propose it for a Cuusoo project.
https://www.brothers-brick.com/2010/01/28/lego-releases-its-internal-color-palette-news/
http://www.peeron.com/cgi-bin/invcgis/colorguide.cgi
https://lego.fandom.com/wiki/Colour_Palette
http://www.baseplate.com/colors/
Hakan, that’s very useful info if one wants to attempt a CUUSOO project. I’m thinking of one that I might put up there. 😉
I have been sort of planning a Cuusoo project…A Modular Zoo. But as you can probably guess, it would really only work as a theme…
Na, you could do it as a solo set you just have to do it like Jangbricks’ one or something like that 🙂
Apparently you’re underage, as well… Well, planning can’t hurt… Deciding on scale, etc…
Hm… looks like they don’t want themes any more. However I don’t see why a one-set modular zoo won’t work. Just make the size reasonable. LEGO badly needs a zoo! Plenty of DUPLO zoos, but nothing minifig scale. 😉
What’s wrong with maxifig scale? 😉
http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=258-1
Oh! LOL! Didn’t even know that existed! 😀
You’re not serious, right? I have a picture of that set hanging in my contributor’s page!
The fact that LEGO seriously lacks Minifigure-scale zoos is the reason why I want to do this project. I thought it could really make it because I keep on hearing the fan community yearning for a zoo…
The basic idea is, everything is built on a module of a size of 16×16 studs. One small enclosure, like a monkey’s, may be built one one module, whereas larger ones that may contain creatures like tigers, elephants, or Cthulhu (I’m not kidding. I’ve made a sketch model of one that is unfortunately lost.) may be built on a larger area, such as nine modules. So the idea is really to have a rather UCS-ish Starter Set containing a very rudimentary zoo which you can expand on by buying the “Booster Packs”, which can be more enclosures, or roads, or even a snack bar, a gift shop, etc.
Cthulhu would have been interesting to see…
“Please do not worship the animal”.
Incredible suggestion.
Yes, LEGO fans have been asking for a LEGO zoo for a long time! And also more animals. Friends have been giving us some, but they are too cutified. I’m not sure why LEGO is not moving on this suggestion. The DUPLO zoos are very popular!
they are. and I will support your LEGO Zoo Fikko 🙂
I came back from my holiday in France in Sainte Foy an hour ago! 😀 I’m also planning to TRY to make a cussoo project but I bet I will fail. But does the project have to be shown by camera in real life?
P.S. I live in UK so the time is different so i came back at a different time than you think. Also i’m sorry I don’t post that much i will try more now 🙂
Bob, if you want to submit a CUUSOO project I would suggest you approach it with a more positive outlook. It will need a lot of designing and promoting and if people feel that you yourself don’t believe in it, they won’t either. You can certainly submit LDD or other virtual models. THe final product will be redesigned my LEGO designers anyway. Anything that makes your model stand out and shows the concept in the best light can be used; LDD, photos, videos, different angles, a background story… all of that helps to bring it to reality.