Do you think...

[Dragon Master]

A Legend such as Black Knights Castle or King's Castle would out sell KKII (if it were to go mainstream and not just in LEGO stores and catalogues). And I'm not talking about AFOLS here. I'm talking about 8-12 year old "target" boys and girls. Do you think they would go for the LEGEND Or the Super Cool Happy Fun Colorful Sets!!!

Share you thoughts,

DM

[Duke_Dave]

Who knows??? but i think it would split pretty even.

Dave

[J1A3L5]

I think different ages would be different. You say the age range 8-12. I believe that the lower end of the range would go for KK2, but by the time a kid reaches the upper end of the range they begin to want more 'mature' looking ones to look cool or whatever.

[Loneranger]

While I was at BF2004. I heard a kid say

"Look daddy! the new KK2 sets!" he didnt say knights kingdom he just said KK2 which means he knows a lot about it, and the kid is only 5 O_O

I see a lot of kids enjoying these sets, they werent made for us, they where made for them

And since I won the 8781 at BF, I can say I like it for parts and stuff, but I know a kid will enjoy it

LR

[lil Jon]

I like to think children nowdays would like castles like the sets mentioned. But I understand how the playablity of the KK2 line would be more appealing to them.

When I was a kid, I was all into the dragon masters because they were the main faction LEGO was selling, but I always thought that it was stupid how sets like 6076 had very few pieces. I prefered the older castles I had like Black Monarch's Castle were much cooler.

Kids these days may like older sets too, but just don't know about them.... Not everyone's parents can be AFOLs!

[LEGOFREAK]

Not everyone's parents can be AFOLs!

More's the pity. My son likes the new KK line, and so do I, but we both really like the older sets. I still have all the plans since I was a kid, and it is really really cool to watch Alex rebuild them all.
*sniff*
brings a tear to an old lego fans eye, it does.

(Of course he builds them out of whatever color is handy, so quite a lot of blue/red/yellow/white castles and siege engines, but hey - he's six.)

[Legomaat]

I think most children like vivid colours, and that will be the main reason that they choose the KK2 line. When it grows older, it depends heavily on his/her interests of he/she goes on with the older sets or simply quit playing with LEGO.(Having parents being AFOL-s will help to get some good taste, ofcourse )

But is is a open question if a kid really needs a balanced set. Having simply a pile of pieces will train and stimulate a child's imagination much better than a prefabricated, one way to to construct, whatever thing.

But okay, I come from another era

[Jojo]

Hello!


I always hear "playability" and "vivid colours". The Yellow Castle was vividly colourful. And I remember how I was in awe when the first _grey_ castles were released because the yellow castle wasn't appealing to me too much. Too colourful for my tastes and I guess for many kids' tastes as well. Nevertheless was the yellow castle a very great success for LEGO. Because it was the only castle available than, so people dien't have a choice.

Nowadays kids don't have a choice, either. There is just this KK2 stuff. If they would be able to choose between the Castle of Morcia and, let's say, the Dungeon Master's Castle I'm quite sure the Dungeon Master's Castle would come off well.

As for the playability/play value: How often would a kid change the colours on the Castle of Morcia until it's get bored from this? How often would a kid slam the Rolling Horses™ until real looking horses would be more appreciated? And there is no difference in play value between Vladeks siege tower and the Battle Ram 6062. Except you got 6 minifigs and a wall section and the siege machine in one set for about $20. And now you have to buy two sets for each €20. OK, I'm drifting away.


Bye
Jojo

[Sir Garth]

I am twelve, and I would like a Royal Knights castle over two citadels of Orlan, if you know what I mean
I think some should like the older sets more because now its like 'O my god I have Vladek twice what can I do with two? There's only one!' (for the people who keep their dudes as they are)
With older sets it is like 'Yeah! I got six soldiers who look the same, but who cares?'
And all the people who like more historical sets will also like the older sets...

[Formendacil]

I think that it would come out pretty even.

As said, the younger kids would probably go for the KK2 sets, whereas the older end would hopefully lean more in the direction of the AFOLs.

But not only would they have to be in all stores, their prices would have to be similar. No extra cost because they're "collectable legends" or something.

[architect]

I personally think that any castle year lineup from 1986 to 1990 would absolutely outsell kk2 in stores. Because sets were around for more than 1 year, there were a wide variety of sets (with great parts, colors, and figures) in different sizes and with reasonable prices. Plus there were large quantities of basic soldiers, some non military people (peasants and maidens), modularity, etc, etc. LEGO can do better than KK2 and they should.

Ben E.

[xxbattosaixx]

I'm in the target age group,and I REALLY prefer the old sets.To me,that new junk is parts.Not sets.I'd gladly take a Black Monarchs Castle over 2 Castle of Morcia.Seriously.

My only problem is that KK2 is all I can get.I grew up with Fright Knights,and it's all I have pretty much.I shudder to think of having only KK2 to buy,but that's the way it is,and I can't do anything about it.Thanks TLC.

[Robin Hood]

well I have three younger brothers, all in the age group and all avid lego lovers. I asked them which they would prefer, Black Monachs Castle or Castle of Morcia. They said Black Monarchs right away. i asked em if they would rather have the new kk2 jousting set or Knights Challenge. They said VERY quickly, knights challenge. I have to agree with Ben, any old castle line would out sell kk2 by a mile.

[Webrain]

I have to agree with those who said I believe kids nowadays are probably enjoying from the KK line, because of it's colors and it's playability.
They were meant for kids and not AFOL's. I think TLC is working nowdays on 2 stright lines, sets that meant for kids and sets that meant for AFOL's.
I guess that the designers POV was to add some colors to the Gray/Black dark middle ages. By doing it they lost reality.
I agree with Jojo by saying I was a kid and I liked gray castles - true, but a common kid (that probably won't grow to be AFOL) nowadays are probably looking for something more shiny (that's why gray is more shiny as well).

If I were one of their designers I would go about it by adding a medieval town, many various colors of houses, shops etc. Tudor walls in many colors etc.
Prehaps even going the way they went with trains lately, a single main model made the same as many sets with various colors. They had so many colorful models in their ideabooks.

Who said medieval are dull gray

[TwoTonic Knight]

A Legend such as Black Knights Castle or King's Castle would out sell KKII (if it were to go mainstream and not just in LEGO stores and catalogues). And I'm not talking about AFOLS here. I'm talking about 8-12 year old "target" boys and girls. Do you think they would go for the LEGEND Or the Super Cool Happy Fun Colorful Sets!!!

Share you thoughts,

DM

6086: 569 elements. Raised baseplate. 12 figs.
8781: 632 elements. Raised baseplate. 8 figs.

Both have a raised baseplate. 8781 has more parts, but 6086 has more figs. Charging $90 for either seems reasonable, so I think it a fair comparison. My son went with 6086 over 8781 (admittedly 13 and just outside the target group, but I have no doubt he would have made the same decision last year). Certainly I would go with 6086 over 8781.

6085 and 6080 are harder to make a fair comparison since if they were produced from scratch today, they would probably hit the $100 buyer-resistant mark (or carry a smaller profit margin, and thereby raise the question if it would be worth Lego's while to produce). I would pay the difference, but would the mass of parents do so? I would like to think so, but I'm not certain of it.

For what it is worth, though, as of last Sunday, all KK2 sets that include a minifig (i.e. not counting the large actions figures) were sold out at the Downtown Disney Lego store, including the boardgame.