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From Mega Bloks to Mega Construx

There are some interesting updates on Mega Bloks I wanted to share with you today. As I have mentioned previously (see links at the end of this post), I occasionally dabble in the higher quality and very detailed Mega Bloks Collectors series sets like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Destiny, Halo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek. 🙂

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Mattel (who owns Mega Bloks) recently resurrected the Construx brand name (which used to be another type of construction toy owned by Fisher Price in the 1980s), and now all the brick-based sets are under the Mega Construx branding instead of Mega Bloks. This means that the new 2017 Mega Bloks construction sets will have the Mega Construx name and logo. Besides the name change, the boxes also got more modern looking artwork, to differentiate the new sets from the old ones. In addition, there is also a new Mega Construx website, which launched at the beginning of January. You can check it out at MegaConstrux.com.

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As fans are quite confused and concerned about all these changes and what they mean, Mega Bloks set up a FAQ section on their collectors’ forum. I’m not sure how long the old forum will be kept alive and how much will be transferred over to the new site, so I have copied the relevant information below. It addresses most of the questions.

What is Mega Construx? – Mega Construx is a new construction toy brand in the MEGA brands portfolio, made to immerse and connect kids 4+ and collectors with worlds they love. Mega Construx aims to challenges the status quo with authentic details and unexpected play experiences with highly detailed micro-figures, authentic translation of properties, and unique build-to-play features for each consumer.

Is Mega Bloks changing its name to Mega Construx? – No, Mega Bloks will still exist as a brand that inspires preschoolers 1-5 to achieve their potential through building play. Mega Construx will be launching as a sibling brand to immerse and connect kids 4+ and collectors with worlds they love, with authentic details and unexpected build and play experiences.

Why the new identity? – This change is about more than just a new name. With Mega Construx, we wanted to create something to immerse kids and construction fans in the worlds they love! With product lines based on popular entertainment, toy and gaming franchises, Mega Construx aims to provide unexpected play experiences that empower fans to build their own worlds, redefine expectations, and discover new possibilities. From top-quality design and manufacturing to authentic details, action-packed play features, innovative materials, and content that connects fans, we don’t just make toys, we create experiences!

Is Mega Construx a new company? – No. Mega Construx is a new brand of construction toys from the same maker as Mega Bloks. Mega Bloks and Mega Construx are sibling brands, and both part of the MEGA construction brand within the Mattel family.

What’s happening to my favorite product lines? – Not to worry. Aside from preschool licenses, most of your favorite Mega product lines are coming to Mega Construx. This includes Halo, Destiny, Call of Duty, TMNT, Despicable Me, American Girl and many more. We’re even adding some exciting new product lines for you to discover!

Will Mega Construx sets be compatible with my old Mega Bloks sets? – Yes. Mega Construx is from the makers of Mega Bloks, and all sets will be compatible with existing standard size bricks, including current Mega Bloks sets for builders 4+.

What’s going to happen to my Mega Bloks website account? – If you have an existing Mega Bloks account, don’t worry. It’s not going away. Your account will continue to exist as a MEGA account. With your MEGA account, you will be able to log into the new Mega Construx site, and your info, settings, and preferences will all stay the same. And don’t worry, your forum posts and gallery images aren’t going anywhere!

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As you can see, the idea is to move the brick-based sets aimed at older kids under the Mega Construx name. The Mega Bloks Collectors sets are specifically mentioned (Halo, Destiny, Call of Duty, etc.), and also some of the regular collections like Despicable Me and American Girl. It is interesting to note however that some sets meant for younger kids with LEGO DUPLO-size bricks also have the Mega Construx logo, so it is still not completely clear what will remain under the Mega Bloks brand and what will move under Mega Construx. Perhaps the whole name change is part of a larger plan as Mattel is shifting around their toy categories. (Mattel has their own toy lines, and they acquired Mega Bloks in 2014.)

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As I mentioned at the beginning there is also a new Mega Construx website, which launched on the 4th of January. The new site is pretty much just a shell right now, as the links on any category still lead to the old website. This is probably another area of the transition that will take a while to sort out. The new site is similar to the old ones with product categories, forums, galleries, games, etc. You can visit it here: MegaConstrux.com

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So if you have been collecting any of the Mega Bloks sets, or just occasionally getting a few, don’t get confused if you no longer find the familiar Mega Bloks boxes at the store. While the older sets still on shelves will have the Mega Bloks logo, the 2017 sets will be named Mega Construx. But they are all the same. I have included some box images for you here, so you can see how they look.

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If you are interested in the new Mega Construx sets they are just starting to trickle in to retailers, so it is still a bit hard to find them, and they are also available on eBay: MEGA CONSTRUX ON EBAY

What do you think? Do you collect any of the Mega Bloks sets? What do you think of the name change? And what do you think the future will bring to Mega Bloks a.k.a. Mega Construx? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

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LEGO Creator Build and Rebuild Contest

The first contest of the year has been announced on LEGO’s ReBrick website! As you may remember from our previous announcements, ReBrick contests are for teen and adult LEGO fans with really interesting challenges and excellent prizes. Below are the details of the LEGO Creator Build and Rebuild Contest. 🙂

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LEGO CREATOR CONTEST – DESCRIPTION: What can you rebuild from your favorite LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set? One of the alternative models, or a new model of your own choice? Show the LEGO Creator design team the building process in a stop-motion video and you could win awesome prizes!

LEGO CREATOR CONTEST – HOW TO ENTER: Take a LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set of your choosing. Create a stop-motion video under 45 seconds showing the set being built into a model (either another one from the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set or your own original model). Upload your video to the video hosting site of your choice, such as YouTube. Enter the contest by going to the “submit entry” page on ReBrick and submit maximum 5 screenshots from your video. Make sure to also add the link to your video before you submit. Use the description field to describe your entry and what LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set you’re rebuilding. When you receive a “Success!” pop-up notification after clicking “submit” on the entry submission page, your entry has successfully been submitted. The moderation team will review it within 1-3 working days to make sure it fits all the contest rules.

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LEGO CREATOR CONTEST – RULES: Your video must be a minimum of 15 seconds and a maximum of 45 seconds. No rendered entries are allowed, only entries showing physical models will be accepted into the contest. Note which LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set you’re using for your entry in your entry’s description. Do not show your hands in the video – instead let the model rebuild itself using stop-motion animation. Only use LEGO pieces from the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set you’re using, do not use additional elements from other sets for your model. Use of non-LEGO elements, such as homemade stickers, rubber bands, or clay is prohibited in this contest. Entries must not contain LEGO elements which have been modified from their original form, including painted or cut elements. We encourage adding original sound effects/audio however, adding sound is not a requirement. Please only use music or sound effects you have created yourself or music available in a LEGO movie editor/music creator. All other music, even that under creative commons, is prohibited in this contest. Entries cannot contain containing copies of any existing third party work or creation, or infringements of any third party intellectual property right – be careful of posters or items in the background of your video. Your video should show only your model with minimum background clutter. Videos which are too blurry or dark will be removed from the contest. You can enter as many entries as you would like, but only one entry per person will be considered when winners are selected. Use of LEGO Digital Designer is not allowed for this contest. Entrants must be at least 13 years of age at the time of entry. You can read other terms and conditions here.

LEGO CREATOR CONTEST – DEADLINE: Submit your entry no later than March 24th, 2017 at 10:00 AM EST. If you’re not sure what time zone you’re in you can use a time zone converter.

LEGO CREATOR CONTEST – JUDGES: A panel of judges from the LEGO Creator team will select one grand-prize winner and two-runner up winners. They will judge entries upon: overall coolness and originality in video entry – 25%, most inspired details in video entry – 25%, attention to contest theme – 25%, best use of LEGO elements – 25%.

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LEGO CREATOR CONTEST – PRIZES: There will be one grand-prize winner, who will receive the full 1st half 2017: the #31054 LEGO Creator Red Racer, the #31055 LEGO Creator Blue Express, the #31056 LEGO Creator Green Cruiser, the #31057 LEGO Creator Air Blazer, the #31058 LEGO Creator Mighty Dinosaurs, the #31059 LEGO Creator Sunset Street Bike, the #31060 LEGO Creator Airshow Aces, the #31062 LEGO Creator Robo Explorer, the #31063 LEGO Creator Beachside Vacation, the #31064 LEGO Creator Island Adventures, the #31065 LEGO Creator Park Street Townhouse, as well as a LEGO Creator T-shirt, and some exclusive LEGO Creator goodies. There will also be two runner-up winners, who will receive the same sets as mentioned above, but no additional items. The winners will be contacted on the email address associated with their LEGO ID account after April 11th, 2017, and announced on ReBrick when the winner has returned the signed Winner’s Certification Documents. A winner who does not return their Winner’s Certification Document within one week of receiving it will be disqualified, and a new winner will be selected.

This is a great contest for those who like LEGO Creator sets and brickfilming. It seems like the emphasis is on the stop-motion video and not so much on creative building, so make sure you read and understand all the rules. And you can also check out the currently available LEGO Creator sets for inspiration under the LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop.

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Also, I should mention that the entry deadline for the LEGO Brick in the Life contest for Beatles fans has been extended until February 10th, so right now there are two contests you can participate in. If you decide to enter either or both of them, we wish you the best and hope you win! 😉

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