Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

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Eddy976
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Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by Eddy976 » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:02 pm

More and more toy companies wants to take some of the business from Lego. I wonder how sucessful Hasbro will be with the new Lego transformers line. The bricks are compatible with Lego and MegaBloks

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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by Hodgeman » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:33 pm

Not impressed really - they don't actually transform at all - you either build the robot or the vehicle. My son would not be impressed...
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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by vynsane » Wed Mar 02, 2011 8:27 pm

Kre-O? How can it be both blatantly copycat and totally lame at the same time?
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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by mrfootball » Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:25 pm

I wonder if Lego has any legal grounds to go after them or if the original brick and tube system copyrights are expired? At any rate, I would say most companies are envious of Lego's vast product ecosystem.

Does Hasbro have a series of hit video game franchises like Lego Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, etc.
Does Hasbro have their own global chain of retail stores where people line up around the block at their grand openings?
It's going to be hard to out 'lego' LEGO, but competition is usually good and makes everyone better.

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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by legitimatealex » Thu Mar 03, 2011 12:11 am

mrfootball wrote:I wonder if Lego has any legal grounds to go after them or if the original brick and tube system copyrights are expired? At any rate, I would say most companies are envious of Lego's vast product ecosystem.

Does Hasbro have a series of hit video game franchises like Lego Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, etc.
Does Hasbro have their own global chain of retail stores where people line up around the block at their grand openings?
It's going to be hard to out 'lego' LEGO, but competition is usually good and makes everyone better.
They don't have any legal grounds to go after them. The original brick design has been ripped off so many times in so many places that LEGO really has lost most of their claim to the brick. Even their trademark, the 2x4 Red Brick isn't a trademark, only the red LEGO box logo is. As long as the manufacturer doesn't reproduce EXACTLY the same thing LEGO does, LEGO can't touch them sadly.

As to the article, poorly written. First off, it's 'LEGO,' not 'Lego.' Secondly Hasbro doesn't have a shot in the world against LEGO. Admittedly, the transformer looks decent but the car is atrocious to behold. With 12 sets though, and looking like some cheap plastic, they wont fly very well.


The Transformers movies are terrible. Unrelated but it needs to be said.
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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by ncbarrett » Thu Mar 03, 2011 5:52 am

legitimatealex wrote:.. Admittedly, the transformer looks decent but the car is atrocious to behold. With 12 sets though, and looking like some cheap plastic, they wont fly very well.


The Transformers movies are terrible. Unrelated but it needs to be said.
Agreed!
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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by legohunter » Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:14 am

legitimatealex wrote: They don't have any legal grounds to go after them. The original brick design has been ripped off so many times in so many places that LEGO really has lost most of their claim to the brick. Even their trademark, the 2x4 Red Brick isn't a trademark, only the red LEGO box logo is. As long as the manufacturer doesn't reproduce EXACTLY the same thing LEGO does, LEGO can't touch them sadly.

As to the article, poorly written. First off, it's 'LEGO,' not 'Lego.' Secondly Hasbro doesn't have a shot in the world against LEGO. Admittedly, the transformer looks decent but the car is atrocious to behold. With 12 sets though, and looking like some cheap plastic, they wont fly very well.


The Transformers movies are terrible. Unrelated but it needs to be said.
Based on the pic, I would admit that the plastic does really look cheap. I wish LEGO could keep up with the good quality bricks.

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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by corsair » Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:41 pm

wonder why there wasn't just some kind of licensing deal worked out to have lego officially do it?

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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by ImmortalShark » Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:21 am

corsair wrote:wonder why there wasn't just some kind of licensing deal worked out to have lego officially do it?
If I understand correctly. Lego's factories run at close to 100% capacity. So Lego has to pick and choose it's themes and sets in advance. They just picked of the POTC license from Mega Blocks. Add that to the Star Wars, Cars and Toy Story licenses (3 of 4 are Disney!) and they probably don't have the production capacity to pick up any more.

This is just speculation, but I think Lego is making an educated guess on their target audience as well. I would think that a lot more children under 12 will get to see the new POTC movie and want to be Jack Sparrow then will see the new Transformers movie. We've let our kids watch the first three POTC movies, but not the Transformers. The violence level is just too much for your average 6 year old IMO. POTC may carry the same PG-13 rating as Transformers, but it's still Disney.

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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by vynsane » Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:08 am

I'd say it has more to do with the fact that Hasbro owns Transformers and is a competing toy company than it does any decision on LEGO's part.

Also, every time I read Kre-O I hear Creole.
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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by ImmortalShark » Fri Mar 04, 2011 6:59 pm

vynsane wrote:I'd say it has more to do with the fact that Hasbro owns Transformers and is a competing toy company than it does any decision on LEGO's part.
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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by Brick & Blue » Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:51 am

LEGO should sue. Hasbro sued LEGO for stupid reasons and LEGO should return the favor. :)

LEGO used to make some pretty cool Creator robots, LEGO could just do that and make them transform into different things.

The Habro bricks look incredibly cheap looking, I have Chinese ripoff companies that look better than that.

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Re: Hasbro will make Transformers Building Toys

Post by legitimatealex » Sat Mar 05, 2011 3:05 pm

vynsane wrote:I'd say it has more to do with the fact that Hasbro owns Transformers and is a competing toy company than it does any decision on LEGO's part.

Also, every time I read Kre-O I hear Creole.
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