A couple of days ago LEGO announced the next upcoming LEGO Ideas set. In case you are not familiar with it yet, LEGO Ideas is a platform for LEGO fans to submit their own ideas for future LEGO sets. If the project reaches 10,000 public votes, LEGO will consider the set for production. Below are the highlights of the announcement, and you can also read the original on the LEGO Ideas blog. So let’s see what’s coming! 🙂
“We’re thrilled to share with you the latest LEGO Ideas results, this time for the third 2014 LEGO Review. Nine projects qualified for the third 2014 LEGO Review between September of last year and early January. The LEGO Ideas Review Board has evaluated these projects and ultimately decided to green-light one project to become an official LEGO set, and we’re still considering another one. Here are those results: LEGO Ideas #013 Labyrinth Marble Maze.”
“Huge congratulations to LEGO Ideas member JKBrickworks, whose Labyrinth Marble Maze is the latest project to be selected as a future LEGO Ideas set! Jason Allemann is a Canadian LEGO artist who re-discovered the hobby when the LEGO Group launched MINDSTORMS and acquired the Star Wars license in the late 1990’s. Today he builds lifelike sculptures, mechanical models, micro-scale spaceships, and architecture models. We’re particularly excited about this project; it’s a great interactive table-top game that you can customize to your own liking. We’re still working out the final product design, pricing and availably for the LEGO Labyrinth Marble Maze, so check back on LEGO Ideas later this year for details.”
“The LEGO Review Board is still considering the LEGO F7A Hornet model by nosmigon. Our final decision will take some time, and we’ll share details when we’re able. All other projects from the Third 2014 LEGO Review will not be produced. This decision, however, does in no way take away from the incredible talent put into these projects or the passion supporters have shown.”
“The First 2015 LEGO Review is well underway, and you can expect results in fall this year. We’re also looking forward to sharing more details about upcoming sets LEGO Big Bang Theory, LEGO Doctor Who, and LEGO WALL-E when we are able. Until then, happy building!”
We have featured the LEGO Labyrinth Marble Maze back in 2012 when it just started gathering support on LEGO Ideas. Our regular contributor, Sarah, interviewed Jason about the project and got some very interesting details about how it was developed. You can read the article here: CUUSOO: More Changes & an Amazing Maze! (those days LEGO Ideas was called LEGO CUUSOO). We have also featured other works by Jason as he is an incredible builder (see links at the end of this post). So, congratulations to him on the success of his submission! I’m very much looking forward to it, as labyrinths are classic and well-liked games.
That LEGO is still considering the LEGO F7A Hornet is great news as well. The Hornet is from the upcoming game Star Citizen, which is a space themed video game for Microsoft Windows and Linux. The game consist of two main components: first-person space combat in a massively multiplayer setting, and a single-player and drop-in co-operative multiplayer campaign titled Squadron 42. The Hornet is flown by the elite fighter-pilots in the game and it also has a civilian version. Even for LEGO fans who are not into gaming, this is a really cool looking jet.
As far as the LEGO Big Bang Theory, LEGO Doctor Who, and LEGO WALL-E sets that were already approved in previous review periods, they should be officially announced any day now. From what I have heard they will all be released in the fall-winter of this year. My guess is that at least one (if not all) of them will be announced at the San Diego Comic Con in early July. In the meantime you can check out the currently available LEGO Ideas sets submitted by LEGO fans at the Online LEGO Shop.
So what do you think? How do you like the LEGO Labyrinth Marble Maze? Is this a set you are looking forward to? Are you disappointed that some of the other projects didn’t make it? And which projects would you like LEGO to choose from the next review period? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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I was expecting that, the ship, or the piano since everything else is to big, a product already, a theme that exists, etc. I am kind of surprised they didn’t except the piano because it would have a been a very nice build.
I think the issue with the piano is that several LEGO sets already include a nice piano so it was not worth to put it in a set separately. And it didn’t have much play-value on it’s own. But it does look nice. Although I have also read it was an extremely and fragile built, so that may have also been a contributing factor.
Yeah. I have heard about builders attempting their own versions, but I’m not sure if the creator has released any official instructions.
I think he might release the instructions now that the project wasn’t selected. It would make sense. After all here are at least 10,000 people who liked the project. For a minimal fee he could make the instructions downloadable with a parts list.
It truly is a deception that the National History Museum did not make it. Or is there a slim chance that it secretly still indeed is the next upcoming modular building to be announced later this year?
Yes, a lot of people liked that model, however it is way to big to be under the LEGO Ideas category. The announcement specifically stated that this model (along with the other rejected ones) will not be made. The only other model they are still considering for production is the Hornet. What the next LEGO Modular building is going to be is yet to be seen. I see no indication that it will be a museum, but it could be. From all the Modulars so far the weakest seller was the Town Hall because of it’s larger size, bigger price-tag, and somewhat boring exterior. Interestingly, this is also the set that is closest to what a museum would look like – in fact, it would be very easy to convert it into a museum. Anyhow, I don’t see much of a chance for another large, single use building like that. Since the Town Hall, LEGO has been focusing on smaller, more detailed, and more interesting models, which seems to be a direction that works better for them.
Pretty cool it went through. I would’ve assumed that the piece count would be too high, or that a lego-based construction would be too weak or too rigid for appropriate playability.
For the next review, most of the proposals look way too big or niched to have a chance to pass. (Golden Girls’ last episode aired may 9th, 1992, so I have trouble seeing it bear a mainstream recognition comparable to Dr. Who or BBT.) Tyrannosaurus Rex is cool, but the build might be too rigid to change its posing. Science Adventures is kinda sweet, but might have lost out on its novelty value. Zelda might actually be the most believable set, although apparently Nintendo has been very difficult in business negotiations…
I’m really rooting for Small Yellow. I really like Nathan Sawaya’s work and this would be a good representation on a small scale. Zelda has been chosen so many times – isn’t this is like the third or fourth project that made it to 10,000 votes? Nintendo must have taken notice. They would be crazy not to collaborate with LEGO on this. But big companies don’t always do what’s logical to us…
Extremely disappointed, although not surprised, with the choice. LEGO should just put a limit on the size on LEGO Ideas so other creators don’t have to waste time submitting their ideas, gathering 10k support and be turned down (not to mention disappointing all the supporters).
I agree with this. If they don’t want big projects they should say so. I think some of the biggest projects that obviously fall beyond most people’s budget were just uploaded for fun, and nobody – including the creators – expected that they will pass. However something like the museum, where the creator carefully set the piece-count and proposed price in line with current LEGO sets should be told if their project has no chance of being selected.
I’m sad that Minas Tirith didn’t make it. I was rooting for it!
I have heard some rumors that there may be a Minas Tirith set coming as a regular LEGO set. 😉
This set would be amazing, I can imagine it containing a lot of good techniques.