Profitable Elves?

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Mog
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Post by Mog »

Bluesecrets wrote:
I think you sort of kill your own point there.
No, I really didn't. I gave an exception.
But the exception you gave was "all current fantasy trends!" So even if everything except for all current fantasy trends say that elves are girly, if the current fantasy trends say that elves are okay for boy toys too, then why should LEGO abstain from making elves? That's what I meant by "killing your own point" - sorry if I wasn't clear before.

In any case, I don't see why dwarves would be fine and profitable but elves suddenly something that LEGO shouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Don't they both belong to the same "fantasy" setting? What is it about elves, specifically, that dooms them to unprofitability? Is it the name? Are green-clad forest-dwelling archers okay, until you call them elves? I mean, really?

You say that your eight-year-old nephew would dislike elves, but then you say that he doesn't like the current fantasy setting to begin with. Couldn't it be that his problem with elves is less that they're girly but more that they're from that same fantasy setting? And if he doesn't like fantasy and isn't interested in the current Castle theme, then that puts him outside of LEGO's target market when they're designing sets for that same fantasy theme - just as much as any of us are.

I think either nouveau Forestmen or Elves would make a lot of sense for LEGO, and Elves would fit in the current fantasy setting better. Done!
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Post by Bluesecrets »

I think you are reading a lot into my worlds that I did not say.

I did not say don't touch them with a 10 foot pole. I did not say dwarves were a better option than elves. I did not even mention Forestmen.

We are discussing profitability. We are not discussing what I want in a LEGO line. We aren't discussion what AFOL's want in a LEGO line.

I think this thread is a lot of speculation by adults who want to see elves, who believe that one little drawing of one little elf means that elves will be on the horizon. But what I am not hearing in this thread is the injection of what the LEGO Company really is: a child's toy company. I'm not quite sure that adults really know what children like or dislike. The fact that LEGO stated no elves on their own, must mean they have a reason.
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Post by Tower of Iron Will »

Just because LEGO doesn't have new elves/forestmen in their 2009 Castle product line doesn't mean that LEGO thinks them profitable or not. LEGO could be trying to get more out of what's there already - the Skeletons, Dwarves, and Orcs. If the current Castle product line is doing well let it run - sales among non-FOLs will eventually drop and that's when LEGO will look for something new within Castle. Will that be elves/forestmen? It will if the same product testing that brought us the Crown-Skeleton and the Dwarf-Orc product lines says that they should. If the same like-minded kids that helped shape the 2007 and 2008 product lines pick elves AND LEGO execs agree then we may have elves/forestmen in the future. Or we may not, no matter what we here may want or not want.

Personally, I think that elves/forestmen would be just as popular as the current Crown/Skeleton/Dwarf/Orc factions.
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Post by Username »

Tower of Iron Will wrote:LEGO could be trying to get more out of what's there already - the Skeletons, Dwarves, and Orcs. -Tower
Good point. Elves or forestmen, I don't care what you call them (a rose by any other name...), I'd love to see new forest/non-armored torsos.
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Post by Bear »

Just a thought. Do you think Dark Elves (Drow) might be more appealing to kids then good elves? The arguement has been made that kids see elves as kind of girly. Give us some light purple heads and problem solved.
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Post by Sir Kohran »

Bear wrote:Just a thought. Do you think Dark Elves (Drow) might be more appealing to kids then good elves? The arguement has been made that kids see elves as kind of girly. Give us some light purple heads and problem solved.
Maybe we are thinking of different colours here, but isn't 'light purple' bordering on pink? Given how most people see pink it hardly seems like a good colour to make them less girly...
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Post by Bear »

Sir Kohran wrote:
Bear wrote:Just a thought. Do you think Dark Elves (Drow) might be more appealing to kids then good elves? The arguement has been made that kids see elves as kind of girly. Give us some light purple heads and problem solved.
Maybe we are thinking of different colours here, but isn't 'light purple' bordering on pink? Given how most people see pink it hardly seems like a good colour to make them less girly...
Hey man, wouldn't you run if you had a bunch of purple faced elves frolicking toward you? :lol:
The color I am thinking of is not a pastel. It is almost kind of eerie.
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Post by Dr.Cogg »

Purple Elves, what ,are the elves holding their breath or something.
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Elves

Post by Duckingham »

Hey, didn't we have some house elves with the Harry Potter sets? Or was that just goblins? Do those count? :lol:
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Post by outcast »

Harry potter is a famous book and movie series and everyone who reads/watches them knows who dobbie the house elf is.

however last time I checked castle isnt a book or a movie and if elves to come forward it will be a major faction, not just the occasional minifig.
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Post by Count Blacktron »

Would you want House Elves or Tolkien Elves? Personally... I'd like them to be generic enough that they could be Forestmen or Elves. Pointy eyebrows like in all the Ninja sets would be better than odd head, odd ears, giant noses or short bodies. Just regular, well designed minifigures, yellow skin tone and work well with all previous accessories and parts.
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Post by BrianofBrick06 »

I think elves would be very profitable for TLC (provided the sets are good for the money and satisy both younger audiences and the AFOL comunty). If, a rather large if, elves are created I would imagine they might follow a forestmen appeal to their design. I doubt many new pieces or colors would be added (such as pointed ears as individual pieces) to the faction. Who knows what will happen, I guess we will have to wait and see...
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Post by outcast »

odd head, odd ears, giant noses or short bodies
lego will never make minifig noses. They'd have to go over my dead body just to try.
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Post by Sir Nelson »

outcast wrote:lego will never make minifig noses. They'd have to go over my dead body just to try.

ImageImageImage
Image

These can all be defined as 'minifigs'. *steps over body*
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Count Blacktron
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Post by Count Blacktron »

Sir Nelson wrote:
outcast wrote:lego will never make minifig noses. They'd have to go over my dead body just to try.

ImageImageImage
Image

These can all be defined as 'minifigs'. *steps over body*
Don't forget everyone's favorite: Image
:P
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