clone brands

timber_wolf899 · Post by **timber_wolf899** » Fri May 30, 2008 3:51 pm

Guys a question, in your opinion which clone brand is most like lego, and why? This is with regard to lego systems or technic just specify which you are talking about.

LordZode · Post by **LordZode** » Fri May 30, 2008 3:59 pm

No clone brand is like LEGO in any way, their quality is terrible, their set design is stupid, they are cheap knock-offs trying to confuse consumers.

They are unethical and sell a shoddy, worthless, and absurd product.

The only LEGO is true LEGO.

insurrection · Post by **insurrection** » Fri May 30, 2008 4:26 pm

They are unethical and sell a shoddy, worthless, and absurd product.

How bad they even might be, there are likley to be som difference betwen them anyways, right? No need to degenerate into moralism...

timber_wolf899 · Post by **timber_wolf899** » Fri May 30, 2008 4:45 pm

I don't see how clone brands are unethical. As long as you don't break any laws or outright steal, what's wrong with imitating something that works?

Obviously the clone quality is way below lego, but not all clones are created equal, no?

Post by **JoshWedin** » Fri May 30, 2008 5:02 pm

I have found that Tyco is the closest to Lego. Its the only one that has fooled me on a consistent basis. I generally spot MegaBloks, Enlighten/Shifty, and the others a mile away. But I still occasionally find Tyco in my collection...sometimes even in something I've built.

Josh

Dr. J · Post by **Dr. J** » Fri May 30, 2008 5:22 pm

The problem with them (Besides the lack of quality) is how specific most of the parts are. For example, in M*g*bl*cks, most of the castles are made of huge walls that have very detailed paint and outlines made to appear to be a Castle wall.
So a lot of parts cannot be built into other themes.
Edit: For some examples, take a look at this ginormous picture.

As long as you don't break any laws or outright steal, what's wrong with imitating something that works?

*cough cough*

LordZode · Post by **LordZode** » Fri May 30, 2008 6:14 pm

Dr. J wrote:The problem with them (Besides the lack of quality) is how specific most of the parts are. For example, in M*g*bl*cks, most of the castles are made of huge walls that have very detailed paint and outlines made to appear to be a Castle wall.
So a lot of parts cannot be built into other themes.
Edit: For some examples, take a look at this ginormous picture.

As long as you don't break any laws or outright steal, what's wrong with imitating something that works?
*cough cough*

See?

This gentleman is perfectly correct.

What they do IS stealing. They are stealing LEGO profits and copyright and intelectual property.

They sell an inferious imitation product to trick people who don't know any better or think LEGO is a generic term for building blocks.

It is tragic and unfortunate and every penny being spent on EVILBLOCKS or whatever is money that should be going to LEGO.

Imagine if none of those other companies existed and all their money went to LEGO.

LEGO could afford to make many more sets and price them more cheaply. LEGO would be able to make 2000 piece sprawling castles that only cost $100, imagine that for a moment.

They would be able to make army builders and space sets and explore all kind of themes, and be able to hire more employees.

So, not only do these evil, wretched, horrific companies steal LEGO profits, they limit what LEGO is able to do. That is why I hate them more than anything.

timber_wolf899 · Post by **timber_wolf899** » Fri May 30, 2008 6:24 pm

Stealing profits? That phrase really bugs me. We capitalists call 'stealing profits' competition.

If these other companies did not exist, would LEGOs be as good s they are today? I dare say they would not.

(This is not to say that there is no unethical business activity out there; however, the act of competition is in an dof itself not bad. )

Look at it this way, if I developed magic car-powering beans wouldnt i be stealing profits from Shell if i sold said beans?

LordZode · Post by **LordZode** » Fri May 30, 2008 6:31 pm

timber_wolf899 wrote:Stealing profits? That phrase really bugs me. We capitalists call 'stealing profits' competition.

If these other companies did not exist, would LEGOs be as good s they are today? I dare say they would not.

(This is not to say that there is no unethical business activity out there; however, the act of competition is in an dof itself not bad. )

Look at it this way, if I developed magic car-powering beans wouldnt i be stealing profits from Shell if i sold said beans?

I am a laissez-faire capitalist and I think that you SHOULD develop magic car powering beans, because that helps the consumer, who is crushed under the weight of 4.00 a gallon gas (If you are in the USA, kudos to the rest of the world).

Although of that, LEGO is a lean, mean, fighting machine - sure, a little healthy competition is good - but please, let LEGO compete with video games, action figures, etc - not a direct RIP-OFF like these evil unethical brain-sucking knock-offs that are just out to confuse poor grandmothers who are buying toys for their grandchild - the grandchild cries with disappointment on Christmas or their Birthday when they get crappy CloneBlocks instead of King's Castle Siege

Post by **Elephant Knight** » Fri May 30, 2008 6:56 pm

JoshWedin wrote:I have found that Tyco is the closest to Lego. Its the only one that has fooled me on a consistent basis. I generally spot MegaBloks, Enlighten/Shifty, and the others a mile away. But I still occasionally find Tyco in my collection...sometimes even in something I've built.

Josh

Hmmm, now thats odd. I found 4 or 5 Mega 1x1s in the Jambalaya box. hmmmmm.

I personally think that something called Coco is the closest. I used to frequently mistakee it as Lego.

EKnight

Tedward · Post by **Tedward** » Fri May 30, 2008 7:50 pm

timber_wolf899 wrote:If these other companies did not exist, would LEGOs be as good s they are today? I dare say they would not.

I can think of no instance where the competing clone brands or knock-offs have affected set design or quality of LEGO in any positive way. Your premise is unsupported and appears ideologically-driven. Please provide examples that support your thesis.

Sir Dano · Post by **Sir Dano** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:06 pm

Tedward wrote:
timber_wolf899 wrote:If these other companies did not exist, would LEGOs be as good s they are today? I dare say they would not.
I can think of no instance where the competing clone brands or knock-offs have affected set design or quality of LEGO in any positive way. Your premise is unsupported and appears ideologically-driven. Please provide examples that support your thesis.

If we didn't have the clone brands as a low quality benchmark, would we all be complaining about how LEGO has supposedly gone down in quality the last few years?

LordZode wrote: the grandchild cries with disappointment on Christmas or their Birthday when they get crappy CloneBlocks instead of King's Castle Siege

I don't know about anybody else, but I've gone into TRU plenty of times and seen kids looking at and buying Me*******s.

Just my 2 cents.

ELMAS · Post by **ELMAS** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:08 pm

Tedward wrote:
timber_wolf899 wrote:If these other companies did not exist, would LEGOs be as good s they are today? I dare say they would not.
I can think of no instance where the competing clone brands or knock-offs have affected set design or quality of LEGO in any positive way. Your premise is unsupported and appears ideologically-driven. Please provide examples that support your thesis.

I agree, the lego block has changed very little from it's initial appearance 50 years ago.
I still have my 111-1 from my happy childhood and little has changed.

They say imitation is the best for of complement but in this case I think they are stealing intelectual property to make a buck...
Not sure how the copyright laws work so that they would allow the existance of so many pseudo-lego-like block companies out there but it's like coming up for a new engine design, copyright it and then have someone still that design, add a bolt and say it's a new product.

Lewa Rocks · Post by **Lewa Rocks** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:18 pm

JoshWedin wrote:I have found that Tyco is the closest to Lego. Its the only one that has fooled me on a consistent basis. I generally spot MegaBloks, Enlighten/Shifty, and the others a mile away. But I still occasionally find Tyco in my collection...sometimes even in something I've built.

Josh

Same here! It's hard to tell the difference.

Post by **davee123** » Fri May 30, 2008 9:23 pm

I've had some experience with:

- Tyco (High quality)
- Mega Bloks (Mediocre quality)
- Best Lock (Poor quality)
- "Brick"/"Shifty" (Poor quality)

I'm curious how K'Nex new Lego-compatible product is, though. I haven't seen it firsthand, but it's probably worth checking out, just to see what Lego's up against.

There's also a lot of other brands... Here's a pretty good list of clones:
http://www.freewebs.com/orrex/constructionclones.htm

DaveE