Cuusoo Corner

 

  • Cuusoo Corner

    Posted by Huw, 08 May 2012 17:10. Filed under Cuusoo.

    You will have no doubt noticed by now the new Cuusoo Corner box in the side bar, which has been named after the long-running discussion in the forum.

    This is a new feature of the site that I will be using to showcase outstanding projects at Cuusoo to encourage you to support them.

    The box shows one entry at random, which changes every hour, from a selection of hand-picked Cuusoo projects. I intend to promote around ten or so projects at a time, and will be happy to take suggestions for those to include. I will not be promoting projects based on intellectual properties that do not align with LEGO's values, or those that do not stand a hope in hell of ever being made.

    This afternoon the Cuusoo team made a statement about brand standards that outlines what makes a suitable LEGO product. It states that they will not make products that feature:

    • Politics and political symbols
    • Religious references including symbols, buildings, or people
    • Sex, drugs, or smoking
    • Alcohol in any present day situation
    • Swearing
    • Death, killing, blood, terrorism, or torture
    • First-person shooter video games
    • Warfare or war vehicles in any situation post-WWII to present
    • Racism, bullying, or cruelty to real life animals

    which are all pretty obvious, but I think there is one missing:

    • Intellectual properties that it is not currently possible to license, that the owner would not grant a license for, or that do not meet the terms of a current license agreement

    So, the Star Wars Stormtrooper bucket should be out (in fact LEGO has said they cannot make it in their comments) and My Little Pony probably would be as well. Think about it: why would Hasbro let another company make toys that would directly compete with its own? I suspect projects based on Dr. Who would fail to meet this requirement also.

    Anyway, I hope you like Cuusoo Corner: let's see if we AFOLs can get models that we want, as opposed to what wannabe AFOLs want, to review stage now.


    199 comments, latest one posted 12 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
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Comments

Posted by Iron-Man in United States, 08 May 2012 17:39

"Cuusoo Corner: let's see if we AFOLs can get models that we want, as opposed to what wannabe AFOLs want, to review stage now."

That needs to be the Cuusoo Corner slogan! Haha power to the AFOL!

Posted by Si_Dorking_Surrey in New Zealand, 08 May 2012 17:43

Great idea Huw - we desperately needed a filtered version!
Good selection, would be nice to see a train in there too, although I have no idea if there are any good ones in there!

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 08 May 2012 17:51

I am still conviced that is a marijuana plant in the 10220 T1 Volkswagon Camper Van...

Posted by TBOC in United States, 08 May 2012 17:53

I like it, the one on the page right now seems cool - UCS Sandcrawler.

Posted by dougts in United States, 08 May 2012 18:00

^^ the point is that what the plant is is left open to the end-user's interpretation, not overtly stated, which makes all the difference in the world.

Posted by miskox in Slovenia, 08 May 2012 18:04

Huw,

should suggestions be written here or should be sent via contact form?

Dominoes: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/84

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 08 May 2012 18:06

True, but most people would look at it and assume that it wasn't a plant waiting to bloom... ;) It was most certainly a tounge in cheek joke from Lego...

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 08 May 2012 18:07

Huw, may I suggest the Phineas and Ferb idea? It has a valid chance of being accepted as it's popular with kids (And Adults) it Disney which Lego has a licensece with and they're making a Lego game of it later this year.

Posted by Andhe in United Kingdom, 08 May 2012 18:08

Hopefully it's already on your shortlist, but the space marines project is one that I'd buy. Re-uses the CMF galaxy patrol armour and expands it into an alternative space theme.

Posted by cjg in United States, 08 May 2012 18:09

I would suggest adding a countdown of some sort in the corner. Just saying how many votes are needed to get to 10,000.

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 08 May 2012 18:09

"First-person shooter video games"
Oh, so I guess I can go ahead with my Gears of War idea...
They should have said "Violent Shooter Games" not FPS games. It's not like FPS are the only violent games out there.

Posted by Mickitat in Germany, 08 May 2012 18:25

"post-WWII to present" - this really suprises me. I was sure they would never think about making something from WWII.

Posted by vagabondnma in United Kingdom, 08 May 2012 18:31

"Post WWII" I picked up on this comment too. Have been considering making a Lancaster Bomber myself....Would love Lego to make some of the planes. But surely a "bomber" is far too contentious. But what WWII vehicles/scenarios are viable to Lego? Would love WWII Lego - there are some great MOC sets out there.

Posted by Hello_World! in United States, 08 May 2012 18:32

You forgot two ;)
GBC balls (soccer & basket balls) http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/7753
And Anio's UCS Naboo Royal Starship http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/15446

Posted by rocao in United States, 08 May 2012 18:38

I think the likelihood of LEGO producing a WWII set is slim, but they didn't want to receive a deluge of "But Indiana Jones has WWII as a backdrop, and LEGO made that!" commentaries if they excluded WWII specifically.

Posted by rocao in United States, 08 May 2012 18:41

@Energyarrow: As Huw said, the explanation from LEGO is in the comments of the model:

"This is a (very) fun concept, but since we have the construction toy license and not the action figure license for Star Wars, it will not be possible to release a set consisting solely of minifigures. If the Dark Bucket concept were to go further, it would need to include some significant brick-based model component to be considered a construction toy for licensing purposes.

Also, since a collection of 100 minifgures would be quite expensive and limit the set's market potential, we think it's best to focus on smaller collections of figs."

Posted by Balthazar Brannigan in United States, 08 May 2012 18:45

I'd like to think Doctor Who sets could become a reality. Doctor Who has been licensed in Lego knock-offs, but that might just make it harder if the agreement forbid the BBC from selling licenses to other companies (such as Lego).

I'm also a little saddened by the religion stipulation. I'd love to see a medieval monastery or cathedral. I consider that a little bit hypocritical after the Taj Mahal and even the Indiana Jones sets, though I realize those are different for various reasons and that religion was downplayed in them (I'm thinking of the Ark of the Covenant being replaced by a treasure chest, for example).

Posted by spacehulk08 in Australia, 08 May 2012 18:46

Dam!! that knocks the Illiminati pyramid on the head. Mmmm I wonder what about Ancient Alien artifacts?

Posted by dmetcalf in United States, 08 May 2012 18:53

How are people supposed to know which IP are non licensable?
(My patent attorney is on vacation.)

Posted by dmetcalf in United States, 08 May 2012 18:58

Btw: Indiana Jones violates almost every rule single-handedly.

Posted by copperwonder96 in United States, 08 May 2012 19:00

@ Paul Boratko:
HILARIOUS! (I saw your first comment on another thread) You are a funny guy!

Posted by dmetcalf in United States, 08 May 2012 19:03

^^ Should we support everything, regardless of quality or your own taste?
That puts everything on the same level: worthless. That's the surest way to end Cuusoo.

Posted by hewman in Australia, 08 May 2012 19:15

Reading between the lines I think the point about alcohol and 'present day' is a positive sign for the western saloon to get the go ahead. Now all it needs is the 10,000 votes, unless it hit it overnight and I'm not aware of it.

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 08 May 2012 19:20

So what is the Story with the Western set now..? When it hits the 10k mark that only one of the buildings might be produced, or has Lego not verified what will hapen..?

This brings up another question... Has Cuusoo stated anywhere if there was a limitation to how large a set could be..?

Posted by Isabella and Lego Liker in United States, 08 May 2012 19:30

If the ponies get made by Hasbro bricks, they'll still sell like hotcakes. And I wouldn't really be suprised if in late fall/winter this year they have some Phineas and Ferb sets announced with the movie in July 2013 to be on sale May/June 2013. Anyway, good idea adding this so we see what may or may not get the green light for sets in the future.

Posted by jonbuddy in United States, 08 May 2012 19:40

As a brony, I'm not happy MLP sets are out of the question. I mean, that really bites!

EDIT #1: It's a shame Resident Evil or Silent Hill sets would never come to light. Maybe LEGO should implement a way for sets to be marked as "based on a game/movie rated -insert rating here-". Apparently the Halo (the video game) book series does that.

Posted by BlackRabbit in Canada, 08 May 2012 19:58

You should get the Robotech Macross idea on there. It has a chance of getting in but it needs more advertising.
http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/638

Posted by el_rey95 in United States, 08 May 2012 20:15

Vote for Space Marines!!!

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 08 May 2012 20:29

Whatever my reservations about the attitude many here have expressed toward licensed ideas on CUUSOO... this is a fantastic new feature and a hearty well done to Huw and the crew for implementing it! Rather than dumping on CUUSOO projects you don't like, pump the ones you do and settle things at the ballot box! It's on! I love it!

Posted by thebearcollector in United States, 08 May 2012 20:30

Ok so lets say someone puts an idea up for a Star Wars battlefront (1 or 2) ship/playset/figures In the PC version you can switch from 1st person to third person view I was thinking would that be allowed in there requirements because one of the rules is "no sets based of first person shooter games* but then again they do have a star wars liscense. please respond -thebearcollector

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 08 May 2012 20:31

@Tilius
Nothing is stopping you from creating your own list of favorites and promoting it on your site.
Why shouldn't Huw be able to do it on his?

Posted by behemothjosh in United States, 08 May 2012 20:37

"let's see if we AFOLs can get models that we want, as opposed to what wannabe AFOLs want, to review stage now."

It's fine. It's Huw's website and he can promote any sets he wants on the front page. That's his privilege as owner. I guess Yatkuu, Tbone_tbl and I are all wannabe AFOLs. One day maybe I'll be a real AFOL.

Posted by kuf in United States, 08 May 2012 20:49

Real AFOLs are those that are not voting on CUUSOO because they heard about a set from a person that is plugging a licensed set, and they are just fans of the licensed property.

Huw does not want to bother promoting sets that he sees as having no chance of being made. That makes perfect sense. And he is advising people not to post to CUUSOO if their idea has no chance of being made. Makes sense to me. Very helpful in fact.

Posted by Modeltrainman in United States, 08 May 2012 20:51

Can we push my Up house?

Posted by The Reviewer in United States, 08 May 2012 20:56

No Warfare and War vehicles? That is total JOKE. Face it ALL lego pretty much makes is war and fighting machines. Like Ninjago has Skull tanks Etc. Pharaoh's quest has some sort of fighting (archeoligits vs mummys),and Alien Conquest has alien tanks and human tanks. Even Atlantis had Submarines that fire missiles and spears and etc. So I don't get why they have that rule because that seems what lego seems to keep making (When I once bought a set at Wal-mart a Chashier said "Legos are violent, all they make are Battle Vehicles).

Posted by Darkknight in Canada, 08 May 2012 21:03

Sorry but the Lego Company's latest CUUSOO guidelines seem a little hypocritical. Lego consistently contradicts there stated policies i their own product lines. For example:

1. Batman Sets featuring the JOKER (homicidal maniac) = Death, killing, blood, terrorism, or torture

2. Indian Jones Sets featuring Nazis (The fact that they don't wear swastikas in the sets doesn't change the fact that they are Nazis) = Warfare or war vehicles in any situation post-WWII to present

3. Star Wars Death Star - Destroys whole planet

Don't get me wrong I love Lego and own sets from the product lines listed above, but if you are going to try and claim the high moral ground it can't just be when it is convenient.

Posted by thebearcollector in United States, 08 May 2012 21:07

also I remeber them releasing a UCS type Taj Maha building back in '08 wasnt that religious monument or something? and what about the Upcoming Sopwith fighter plane because When I saw the press video I noticed two guns on the front of the plane.

Posted by Brickmeister1138 in United States, 08 May 2012 21:18

@Darkknight: Lego did handle all of those ideas in their way aand kept their overall moral tone, and did not feature any of the ideas they state are unsuitable (except for the USSR vehicles in the Indy IV line), so I would not think that they are hypocritical. Also, none of the Lego themes listed above use the dark notions you mention directly and avoid overt references to the darker side of the themes. I see your point, but i think that the way that themes are handled has a great deal to do with how suitble it would be. All the themes you mention also are based on films and/or other media franchises that are hugely popular to many age groups, unlike films such as Shawn of the Dead or military combat games, etc. I think Lego is just trying to keep out sets focusing on these criteria or franchises which focus on them.

@thebearcollector: The Sopwith Camel fighter was used in WWI, and is thus pre WWII. Also, the Taj Mahal is a giant tomb, so in theory it is not that much different than featuring a graveyard in a set. In addition, it is one of the most beautiful and well known landmarks in the world.

Posted by MaverickDengo in United States, 08 May 2012 21:21

If I may suggest a model for CUUSOO Corner:

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/10585

I thinks it's an excellent model that deserves some support!

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 08 May 2012 21:24

I'm a huge fan of Ghost in the Shell, and LEGO's own initial comment on the Tachikomas is positive, but if LEGO is serious about applying these new rules, that project is going to get yanked very soon. I can think of four or five scenes of ultraviolence and sexuality indelibly etched in my memory from various iterations of that franchise, just off the top of my head. Remember the episode where Bato tracks down the ex-special forces op who skins people alive? Yeah, that one gave me nightmares.

In other words, it is patently obvious that Huw is not even following his own rules! Which is fine! LEGO isn't really following their own rules either! Everybody needs to get off their various high horses and just rally behind what they think is cool.

Posted by TooMuchLEGO in United States, 08 May 2012 21:50

No cruelty to real life animals? I see they don't want PETA on their tail...

Posted by ytjedi in United States, 08 May 2012 22:13

Let's all face it, this post is a rant, and honestly is disappointing to have this on the front page. The type of tone taken here ("not a hope in hell", flat out stating projects "should be out", "wannabe AFOLs") is what the forums are were built for. Yes Huw is the admin, and it's his site and all that, but I have also seen through his posts over time the building of a community of togetherness and inviting the sharing of ideas. This should have been a post merely reporting on TLG latest word on CUUSOO approvals and an invitation for members to discuss what it means in the comments and/or in the forums. I did not feel it was appropriate to use the home page as a pedestal because he or anyone else feels CUUSOO is being ruined somehow by people putting their MOCs there even if they do not have a chance of getting made. It hurts the same type of creativity that this site and many other LEGO fan sites try to bolster, and I'm afraid I have to cry foul.

Posted by IAmWillGibson in United States, 08 May 2012 23:13

Does Cthulhu count as a religious symbol?

Posted by skipper1011 in United States, 08 May 2012 23:28

Check out this: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/5127

Amazing design. Anyone agree?

Posted by tiberium_blue in United Kingdom, 08 May 2012 23:35

Projects have to go through a 72hr review process now before they can be voted on. Maybe that will cut out some of the crap.

Posted by wiggins in United States, 08 May 2012 23:49

Posted this comment on Cuusoo as well, but regarding the Western Town Module "For those who've supported this and those who are on the fence... this idea would offer limitless possibilities as well as a potentially intricate infrastructure. A Modular series featuring a historic era is waiting to be built...and sans any licensing agreements or external costs allows Lego to develop this to its fullest. Vote now, or if you have, encourage your friends, loved ones, co-workers etc..to support this...it takes five seconds of their time...and a quality product will be born."
Not to take away from the many other incredible ideas out there, but I believe this will be worth the effort.

Posted by wiggins in United States, 09 May 2012 00:05

Would be a delicacy to invent an historic European era or perhaps an Asian motif sometime soon. There are so many cultures with such rich creative, innovative and thematic history....no nation or subculture should be exempt from building blocks that could preserve and educate generations to come. Plus, these would be downright "Wow"....
Gotta be honest, love the movie and video game themes, but real people, places and things interest me more.

Posted by tamamahm in United States, 09 May 2012 00:06

I have to say the 'death' does crack me up.
How many themes have guns?

Star Wars has the word 'wars' right in the name. I'm pretty sure a war has to do with death and killing.

Alien Conflict, well that is another conflict with more weapons. The weapons are just used to threaten, and not kill?

Harry Potter is really about the battle between Harry and Voldemort, and one would think there is a death in there. They have a set about the Battle of Hogwarts, which was a battle and about killing the bad guys/gals.

Lord of the Rings? It's another battle/war/fighting. Do they not think death happens in this?

Zombies? Uh, I think they are dead. The entire theme is about fighting the monsters. Considering the 'good guys' have weapons, I think there might be some killing.

They are walking a bit of a fine line with the 'death/killing' bit.

Posted by LegoAdventures in Australia, 09 May 2012 00:08

I just don't get it. I'm so shocked at this website I'm speechless. I thought that it was OK to try and make licensed set's on Cuusoo, the Minecraft Project was a major sucess, and did very well, and this website said it was bound to failure. It makes me sad seeing the ciritism from you Huw :( I guess I'am from a different age group and our ideas would be different, however I don't see what the problem is making licensed themes, depending on the license themselves. I think the Legend of Zelda theme will do very well, promoting and advantaging Nintendo, so I just don't know why your so negative :(

Posted by harrypotter2010 in United States, 09 May 2012 00:13

The animal comment is quite interesting...did anyone else besides me tell them about that photo of the winter village where the kid appeared to be prepared to throw a "snowball" at the cat? I did not find that amusing.

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 00:30

@skipper1011
Huw is already promoting that one, as are many others, check the list
@wiggins
If you like the idea of an Asian motif, vote for
http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/53
@harrypotter2010
And such hypersensitivities are why LEGO has to produce its laundry list of no-nos. Thanks a lot.

Posted by Isabella and Lego Liker in United States, 09 May 2012 00:31

Death appears to be a REALLY grey area for Lego, like tamamahm said.

Posted by T-Lars in United States, 09 May 2012 00:37

@hewman: That's exactly what I thought! ...And it's so close right now, less than 500 votes to go.

Posted by skipper1011 in United States, 09 May 2012 01:21

Check out this idea: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/14933

Aren't they awesome?

Posted by GlenRichard's in Australia, 09 May 2012 01:37

My children were very upset Huw, by your negativity towards The Legend of Zelda series, and saying that it's another series bound to not get passed, and saying, perhaps, perhaps it might see the light? It's just so, I can't describe it. If I didn't like The Legend of Zelda, I wouldn't ever say something like that, I would put forward a positive view, and say if it get's chosen it get's chosen. My children and family love the Legend of Zelda, and we think that LEGO and Nintendo would benefit from it? :) Try and stay positive my friend, your a great person, and this is a wonderful website, but sometimes your actions can hurt others.

Posted by Ypres in Canada, 09 May 2012 01:41

Space Marines stand a chance of being made??? Umm, having a collectible minifigure is one thing, but an actual set doesn't send a message other than "Warfare". There's no hope of that turning into a theme or set... unless it loses its HALO feel.

I've really only been cheering for http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/13519 Motorized Tachikoma. Obviously Ghost in the Shell is a kick-ass mature anime series, but the model itself is far better than 99.99% of what's on Cuusoo. If any of you haven't checked out the Youtube video of the motorized function yet, DO SO NOW!

Posted by ramjam1980 in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 02:10

The Tachikoma is better than 99.99% of the models on cuusoo? Is that a joke? It is a nice model, but c'mon, there are far better models deserving without fanboy support. plus it has R Rating making it already dead in the water and fanboys will be sad when it gets to 10000, and youtube videos are edited, so you don't know how well the model actually works anyhow and lego looks at how good a model is for the long haul. too many people crying here for all of the wrong reasons. Huw hit the nail on the head though and Huw is negative on projects for all of the right reasons. better to kill the project in it's early stages than build up for the big let down. A video game fanboy is one thing, a video game fanboy that actually buys toys for their game is another.

Posted by LEGOSLUG in New Zealand, 09 May 2012 02:19

@ Huw: How about a form - like the one we use to enter comments - to submit suggestions for the 'top 10' ?

Maybe one that has an area for:

* Http://
* Creation Name:
* Creator's CUUSOO username
* Your Brickset username

Submit
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How does that sound?
Anyone?

Posted by Kez in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 02:21

The western set has nearly 10,000 votes on cuusoo not long now

Posted by Yooha in Europe, 09 May 2012 02:59

Druds: coffeemug
Death, killing: POTC, SW
Religious references: CM 2 Pharaoh
Please, LEGO, don't be inconsistent!

Posted by Corellian Engineering in Belgium, 09 May 2012 03:10

... well, at least TLG is now a bit more clear on explaining which kind of stuff stands a chance on CUUSOO and which not.
Though, being it their product they can do whatever they want, I cant help it but have to chuckle and frown at some of the guidelines, while others seem to be written specificaly to justify refusal of some CUUSOO project and being able to counter the "but TLG already did that" comments at the same time.

"alcohol in present day situation" ??? I think in the past alcohol had the same chemical components and exactly the same effect on people.. I can understand why TLG tries to ban alcohol, but this exeption to the rule seems to be clearly written to justify what they did for e.g. PotC ... money over morals???

* "war etc in any post WWII situation''?? Why? Was the bloodshed in WWI and WWII only fictional then? As far as I know those 2 conflicts were the bloodiest ones in the history of mankind. Living in Flanders, Belgium, we have here enough sites to reminds us of that. Again, the no war or death rules are very understandable, but the exeptions seem to be written "a la mesure du client" ..

And let us keep silent about the times TLG themselves violated even the exeptions to their moral rules..

* "religiuous building etc.." shouldnt that be contemporary religious , TLG? Or.. what else with all the ancient temples etc..?

* "cruelty to real life animal.." some vegetarians might have arguments about a fried turkey, drumsticks or a butcher cleaving some meat...

* "politics.." Mmm, is it just me, or are there more people that e.g. consider the white house not just a monument, but the symbol of political power in the US?

* "swearing" This is definitely the best one.. I have several dozens of minifigures in my collection, but up till now I never did hear any of them make a sound or speak.. let alone swearing.. Or is TLG maybe planning to produce figs with a speachchip included? No, this realy seems to be the wild card in their rules. If they dont like a CUUSOO entry, and can find somewhere a foul word related to it, this gives them a valid reason to refuse it..

Personaly I would love to see a less strict approach from TLG's side when it comes to products orientated to a more mature/adult public. And due to the CUUSOO age restrictions and selling channels, I thought this was the public Lego was aiming at. But again, being it their product, TLG has every right to do with the CUUSOO entries what they want.

But what annoys me a bit, and is starting to turn me away from the whole CUUSOO project is the .. ermm patronising tone they use to explain why something is rejected. Their arguments being contradicted by their own actions. Why dont they just explain it with B.C.'s words "its the economy stupid! , we dont see us able to sell enough of it" CUUSOO participants are supposed to be adults, mature enough to handle that cruel truth..

Well, lets hope that at least TLG isnt using CUUSOO only as a "lets see which MOC we can turn into a set" list, but also as a market research tool. Identifying what (kind of) themes are wanted by, a part of, the public.

Posted by tsi in Germany, 09 May 2012 03:30

suggestion for the cuusoo-box: A Dutch Beamtrawler

http://cuusoo.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/7c76b/addf8/505da/e678d/70aed/c0ce0/83e4f/47b45/thumb640x360.jpg

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/2507

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 04:02

@Tilius, et. al., my last statement says three things. It does not exclude all IPs, and indeed 2 of the models I have featured are based on IPs that LEGO does not currently license (Tachikoma and Vampire GT)

Taking each point in turn:

> Intellectual properties that it is not currently possible to license

This includes things that on the face of it would pass review, but securing a license would not currently be possible because another company has a construction toy license for the IP in question. e.g. Dr. Who and Transformers.

> that the owner would not grant a license for

Hasbro will not license My Little Pony to LEGO because they make MLP toys themselves

> or that do not meet the terms of a current license agreement

The Star Wars license does not allow LEGO to sell 'action figures', and as someone noted above they have stated this is why they could never make the 'dark bucket'.

Of course the selection will be based on my preferences, and I will use my judgement, based on 17 years as an AFOL, as to whether a particular project is worth adding. Anyone that doesn't agree, or thinks that somehow the selection should be chosen by the community, is welcome to create their own list on their own website.

I am very keen to have projects bought to my attention by email or in the comments here. And let's not forget, the list is going to be transient and will exist for years to come, so just because I don't add a project now doesn't mean it will never be added. I want to keep the list fairly short, otherwise it will just end up as a copy of the Cuusoo site, which can be a bit overwhelming and difficult to see the wood from the trees.

@GlenRichard, about Zelda: I think it would make a great set or series of sets but the problem I have with it is that to do it justice would require a significant investment in new moulds and minifig decorations. I have no idea what sort of budget the Cuusoo team has its disposal but I do know that even for normal million-selling themes, designers have a limited budget for new parts and old parts in new colours. So, LEGO could I guess come up with something that reuses existing parts but the whole point of the Zelda project seems to be to encourage the production of all manner of wierd and wonderful parts to from the Zelda universe.

Posted by Yooha in Europe, 09 May 2012 04:07

^^ tsi: cruelty to real life animals!
And maybe those fishermen are tend to swear (no offense).

Posted by Tradeylouish in New Zealand, 09 May 2012 04:09

I have a couple of suggestions for the featured projects:

Working pinball: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/2223
Lifesize UCS Lightsabers: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/11147

Posted by Delatron in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 04:26

OK, I pointed out some double standards about violence in Star Wars yesterday and there are plenty of grey areas from existing sets against those new guidelines listed above, but some of the hyper-critical, overly sensitive comments above are pretty silly.

@Harrypotter2010: I think you are the only one. Oh dear...

And the criticism of Huw is pretty shabby too. His work, his decisions, his opinion. Whose website are you posting your opinions on folks?

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 09 May 2012 04:45

So... Star Wars violates the following:

No death, killing, or torture

Han was tortured, Alderaan (hence MILLIONS of people) got blown to bits, Obi Wan chopped an arm off an alien in the Cantina... We'll see. :P

Posted by Thunderburt in Netherlands, 09 May 2012 05:16

Let me state for the record that Huw is obviously a LEGO-expert and I have no doubts about his effort and intentions. Having said that, I was, like others, surprised by some remarks in the opening article:

- What makes somebody an AFOL as opposed to being just a 'wannabe'? Do you have to own a certain minimum number of sets? For how long should you’ve been out of The Dark? In my opinion, anybody taking the time to visit Cuusoo in the first place is probably at least to some degree interested in LEGO and has a right to vote. Why create ‘us’ and ‘them’?

- Huw, you are excluding certain projects from the CC that you think LEGO could currently not obtain a license for. Even though it might in some cases be very unlikely that they do, unless you are a TLG board member or have a crystal ball, who knows what license-deals companies make?

- Moreover, I agree with the people that have commented before that even if a project is very unlikely to be approved by TLG, it can still be worth looking at and even supporting! As said before, for TLG it would be interesting to see what kind of things people (potential buyers) are interested in. But more importantly for us fans, let everybody reward the creators of what they think are great MOC’s with their vote; I’d be proud of 10.000 votes for my MOC even if TLG rejected it in the end! Who wouldn’t?!

Posted by caperberry in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 05:30

Disheartening to see this dissolve into another CUUSOO rant thread, when Huw's actions are so positive - he's just given CUUSOO a prominent place on the home page of a major LEGO fan site. That's to be applauded above any criticism imho. I think it was a brave decision on his part, given how unfocused CUUSOO still is.

The list choices are his - hey, because it's his site! It's not some wiki. But he's kind enough to accept our suggestions. I will review all the ones he publishes and support the ones I agree with, and I'll discover more CUUSOO projects that Huw doesn't publish via other means.

Can we focus on some positives guys?

Posted by Wiseman_2 in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 05:38

One of the things many people seem to be forgetting when referring to Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc., is that they are from fantasy series that are aimed in part at kids in the first place. The original Star Wars films all had U (suitable for all) ratings; if anything, the only licensed theme that could be a little contentious is the upcoming LOTR stuff.

As for the motorized Tachikoma, I think it is a rather brilliantly designed model. As mentioned though it is from a series that carries a lot of adult themes. Having said that, I have never seen the series myself so I cannot really judge it; but there remains the possibility that even if it didn't get licensed, the idea could be taken on and released as a more generic sci-fi model; it is quite similar to some of the stuff that came out with Exo Force.
@ramjam1980:
The original creator of the model has instructions available on his website. I've built it myself and can certainly say it works very well, and I'd very much love to see an official release of it.

Posted by mngoult in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 05:38

@caperberry: agree

and also i'm confused about the space marine project is it based on the games workshop product 40k, if it is licensing will be difficult if it isn't licensing will be harder as they have a look of the blood angels and the tank is similar to a a rhino for anyone familiar with the table top game.

i think this is why TLG has trayed away from the name 'space-marine' for its collectable figures so far.

Posted by Firox 5000 in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 05:41

The Weatern set is getting closer now, less than 500 supporters to go. If were lucky I think it might rea h 10.000 by or before the weekend.

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 05:41

> What makes somebody an AFOL as opposed to being just a 'wannabe'?

I was referring to the thousands of people that, for example, voted on The Winchester just because Simon Pegg mentioned it that are not LEGO fans and probably would never buy the set even if it was made.

Posted by Thunderburt in Netherlands, 09 May 2012 06:08

^ Didn't know about that specific case. So when I read about wannabees, it made me as a newbie question if I was 'fan-enough' to vote.

Regarding my other remarks, I'm not criticizing. I'm only suggesting that you a) might leave out projects that might be licensable after all or b) might not ‘acknowledge’ great MOC’s just because they don’t follow each and every rule (even TLG themselves don't always). HOWEVER, if the whole reason for the existence of Cuusoo is trying to convince TLG to actually take sets/themes posted there in production (as opposed to it (also) being a MOC-gallery), then I’ll withdraw my 2nd remark.

Posted by Mickitat in Germany, 09 May 2012 06:30

The Sopwith Camel is from WWI - and as I wrote in another thread earlier, that has been historized. Lancasters of WWII have not (yet).
Indiana Jones is WWII but in a totally fictional setting. WWII (or rather the nazis) serve as a backdrop, not more. Much of their material (like the wings-only aircraft) are from the realm of not-quite-fiction-but-never-produced-either. It is certainly not a "hard" WWII-setting.
Batman is the same - fictional. And there are Batman movies (and more important - comics) and TV series that are actually aimed at kids. The last Batman movie with Joker certainly is not the background Lego has in mind.

You can argue that sets like the Firefly, the Winchester or potential Resident Evil sets are from fictional settings, too. But let's face it - there are no kid-compatible (i.e. target audience) versions.
I very much doubt something like the space marines will be produced, either. It is much to close to Warhammer 40k (the color scheme alone makes it look like it), and I very much doubt you can create a kid-friendly war scenario to put the marines into (and there is no point about producing the sets if you do not have an antagonist).

I think it is a shame that there are so many great projects on CUUSOO (and so many Mocs out there) that have simply no historical/fictional background at all, but are simply great models that stand for themselves and nobody seems to notice these. I like the idea of a Lego bookshop for Lego city a lot more than some $1000 USC sandcrawler (even though I voted for it, too).

Posted by Delatron in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 06:42

@mngoult:

If you read through the FAQ on the space marine project it very clearly states that it is nothing to do with Games Workshop and goes on with many references in sci-fi for use of the term 'Space Marine' that have nothing to do with 40K - it's a recurring question that the creator is asked a lot.

Being a former player and painter of GW products myself I can see a bit of the rhino in the tank and blood angels chapter in the colour scheme, but not sufficient to make me think it's infringing on 40K. Others are drawing comparisons to HALO, etc. but I think comparisons to existing properties are inevitable when we are talking about armoured space warriors fighting an alien threat as it's a popular trope and people want a point of reference.

I genuinely think it's one of the better projects on Cuusoo, really well presented and designed, and deserves all the support it can get.

Posted by hewman in Australia, 09 May 2012 06:51

One thing I can guarantee about the western modular set is that a greater proportion of people that voted for it will buy it than any other cuusoo set. Why? Because the people voting for it are the people already used to spending big $s on quality Lego. Minecraft may sell more units than it because the pace at which that got to 10,000 was phenomenal, meaning there were probably many thousands of others willing to vote for it but didn't get the chance to. The way My Little Pony voting has slowed suggests that even if Lego did manage to get a license for it and it got to 10,000 it might be too big a financial risk for Lego, particularly with all those new molds.

Hewman
He who is highly optimistic about the Western Saloon being made. And he who also wonders how The Whitehouse got made with all the R-rated shenanigans that have gone on in there (no I'm not being serious!)

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 06:57

@Huw
"not LEGO fans"... YET
The bottom line is that even you, the world's most well-informed AFOL, don't REALLY know who these voters are. It's all inference and speculation.
And one thing about business, any business... it never pays to blow off someone who's not a customer NOW because you never know when they might be SOMEDAY. I once went into a supercar dealership dressed like a regular bum off the street just to ogle, and they treated me respectfully. I'm no closer to being a potential buyer today than I was then, but I've never forgotten that experience and the positive impression it made. I could cite many such examples, and counterexamples.
Labeling people as wannabes is not a good strategy to grow the ranks of AFOLs. And your own website business benefits from growth in the ranks of AFOLS, so... just sayin'.
But as far as you should pick whatever you like for your list and make no bones about projects you like and dislike personally, I support that 100%.

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 07:03

@hewman
You are making an assumption there that the only predictor of buying LEGO is existing loyalty to *LEGO*.
It could easily be argued that loyalty to the *license* is as good a predictor of buying goods associated with THAT LICENSE, which would happen to be made by LEGO in this case. These voters you disparage may have shelves full of Serenity or Minecraft bricabrac in their cubicles at work... we all know the type. Or if it is a merch-starved license, they may be longing with pent-up consumer lust to fill shelves, and a LEGO version could open the floodgates. I don't know that for sure, but neither do you know the opposite for sure.
And such behavior could well be a "gateway drug" to more LEGO buying in other themes.
I am quite sure LEGO's marketing gurus have contemplated exactly that scenario.

Posted by beegeedee in Ireland, 09 May 2012 07:12

> What makes somebody an AFOL as opposed to being just a 'wannabe'?

I'm a wannabe too. Love lego, have loads but don't have time to make anything with it. Still, woulda bought the shaun of the dead set....

Posted by jonbuddy in United States, 09 May 2012 07:27

@beegeedee, that's not a wannabe - that's a low-oppurtunity builder. ;)

Posted by beegeedee in Ireland, 09 May 2012 07:39

@jonbuddy now you put it like that, it sounds better.
When my son is a bit older, in a few years perhaps, I'll have an opportunity to build stuff. At the moment he can't quite say lego - it's ego and likes to drive any ego cars off table-tops onto the floor so they explode.

He does like his duplo to be fair...

Posted by UtarEmpire in United States, 09 May 2012 07:51

You guys are being a little silly about the "death and violence" thing. Obviously there is a difference between the "violence" shown in Star Wars/Indiana Jones/The Lord of the Rings/Avengers versus the violence shown in Saving Private Ryan or Resident Evil. Acting like there isn't a difference between sanitised, fantasy, or cartoon violence versus realistic depictions of violence is kind of living in Cuusoo denial.

Of course, maybe everyone is just trolling and I'm not in on the joke.

Posted by Nesquik in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 07:57

@Darkknight

"1. Batman Sets featuring the JOKER (homicidal maniac) = Death, killing, blood, terrorism, or torture"

The 'Joker' (and the rest of the Batman characters or identities) is based on the character from the 1960's Television show, which did not feature any violence. The Joker in this series was actually very camp and anything but threatening, which only adds to the playful nature of his character in the Lego world.

"2. Indian Jones Sets featuring Nazis (The fact that they don't wear swastikas in the sets doesn't change the fact that they are Nazis) = Warfare or war vehicles in any situation post-WWII to present"

Actually, it does change the fact that they are not symbolised as being Nazis through the use of decals/images. In addition, how can this violate Cuusoo's guideline of being post-WWII when it 'is' set during WWII?

"3. Star Wars Death Star - Destroys whole planet"

We don't see any living beings or creatures being hurt in the process. The imagery is just a huge rock that explodes in a not very convincing fashion.

The fact is, fantasised/fictional 'violence' has a different purpose to that of deliberate imagery. The former exists as a plot device, the latter is designed to unsettle the audience and therefore exists for its own sake. That is why the 'Shaun of the Dead' project never came to fruition.

Looking at the larger picture, Cuusoo's guidelines merely exist as a form of propaganda in order to filter project submission. Franchises like 'Star Wars' exist in TLG's marketplace because they generate massive sums of revenue and can be manipulated easily to retain the core design of the project, and to ultimately adjust the ethics. That is why the Lego Batman series is based on the 1960's show and not the darker movies of present.

The 'Sopwith Camel' does not enter the equation for several reasons.

Firstly, it is an Exclusive product that is not part of a theme or line - it simply exists as a standalone design. Even the Modular Buildings which, although referred to as that very term, are not part of a product theme.

Secondly, it is not to minifigure (or any 'figure') scale, and therefore does not demonstrate any characterisation or bias to a particular group of people or persons. The model exists for just that reason - it is a model.

Thirdly, the product is focused on the actual build and the features of the aeroplane.

Posted by brandobond in Canada, 09 May 2012 08:08

I can understand not wanting to cause religious offense but not including religious buildings seems dumb to me. I want a lego Vatican (well, not the whole Vatican, but a St. Peter's Basilica)! That set would totally be in line with the many other world landmarks that have become lego sets.

Posted by Lama in United States, 09 May 2012 08:23

I think Dr.who may still work because character options is not there own company licenses change all the time where as My Little Pony Hasbro owns Kre-O. If any thing Dr.Who may pass and Kre-o will make mlp.

Posted by scoopi68 in Australia, 09 May 2012 08:32

Love the idea of Cuusoo Corner, thanks for putting it on Brickset.

Posted by legomaniac in United States, 09 May 2012 08:47

Love the Coosuu or is it Cuusoo? blahhhh lol I like it. The western town is like 500 votes away from 10,000!

Posted by Deinonychus in United States, 09 May 2012 08:53

Great new site feature. It'll make it easier for me to support worthy creations because the CUUSOO site is so damned difficult to just browse without a specific idea what you're looking for.

Posted by Lama in United States, 09 May 2012 09:02

@miniroll32
The 'Joker' (and the rest of the Batman characters or identities) is based on the character from the 1960's Television show, which did not feature any violence. The Joker in this series was actually very camp and anything but threatening, which only adds to the playful nature of his character in the Lego world.
Thats not true. The Tv series was based of a comic book in which the joker was a blood thirsty homicidal maniac. Along with All the other villains. or should I say "killers'

Edit # 1: Posted from wikipedia....The original and currently dominant image is of a highly intelligent psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor.

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 09 May 2012 09:07

"Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 04:02

@Tilius, et. al., my last statement says three things. It does not exclude all IPs, and indeed 2 of the models I have featured are based on IPs that LEGO does not currently license (Tachikoma and Vampire GT)"

The Vampire GT isn't a real car or based off of one and wouldn't require a License...

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 09:22

Thanks for the clarification...

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 09 May 2012 09:37

Obviously if a Huge Blockbuster movie is the theme, some of Lego's guidelines are going to be overlooked because it is all about making money first and Lego knows that Billion Dollar franchises are going to net more money than movies that didn't make their budget...

Lego knows that violence sells, otherwise most of their themes wouldn''t involve some type of battle...

If you use those Brand Standards that Lego released, you could probably nitpick something about most sets...

Posted by behemothjosh in United States, 09 May 2012 10:04

"Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 04:02

@Tilius, et. al., my last statement says three things. It does not exclude all IPs, and indeed 2 of the models I have featured are based on IPs that LEGO does not currently license (Tachikoma and Vampire GT)"

Wait, you are supporting the Tachikoma? A set based off of Ghost in the Shell - an R rated and mature anime movie and show? If SotD and Firefly were canned, what chance does the Tachikoma have?

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 09 May 2012 10:41

"I'm very disappointed with you Huw," "But that's not fair to only include the ideas that are non-licesned!"
Give him a break. It's Huw's web site he can do whatever the heck he wants with it. He put in sweat, tears and time to make this a successful website, he should have the freedom to say whatever he wants and post the idea's that he thinks would be successful. And he's taking advice on other sets to accept. And you know what? So far he's been right about Firefly and SotD. And you're saying Huw is being negative, yet the very essence of complaining if negative.

Posted by lovaquero in United States, 09 May 2012 10:52

@Huw

I like the idea of the CUUSOO corner - thank you for the addition to the site!

It can be daunting surfing the CUUSOO site, so I think your small plug for it and the ideas featured is a great thing.

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 11:06

@behemothjosh, I have to admit to not knowing anything about 'Ghost in the Shell' so thanks for enlightening me. I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one, then...

Posted by lovaquero in United States, 09 May 2012 11:07

@everyone else:

I find it kind of sad that the community seems to be devolving into what I am witnessing here. Not everyone falls under my broad brush-stroke, obviously, yet it is telling that people are complaining about Huw's comments (on his own, personal website) as well as nit-picking Lego (for essentially not choosing that person's favorite design).

It is no better than my 5-yr old throwing a fit when she doesn't get candy every time she asks. Fit-throwing, plain and simple.

It is LEGO's decision and they can be as inconsistent as they dang well please. Especially since they are a private company that caters to the world of KIDS. And their parents/grandparents/family. Not stockholders, not you, not me, not Huw, not TFOL's and not AFOL's.

If you have a beef with LEGO, CUUSOO or the decisions (and explanations) made there-in, take it up with LEGO and CUUSOO. I recommend you state your case intelligently and with thought, otherwise you may be flat-out ignored by LEGO as the fit-throwing 'kids' you may be perceived as...

Posted by Delatron in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 11:13

@Lama: Miniroll is sort of correct, in terms of the 1960's comic Joker (Silver Age) that Cesar Romero's depiction was based on was more a goofy prankster rather than a homicidal maniac. That's in the same Wiki article you quoted.

I'm splitting hairs though and as a big Batfan I personally see the Joker as you describe him, but the 'Legofied' version is a cartoony kid friendly version not the guy who beat Jason Todd with a crowbar and crippled Barbara Gordon. It further reinforces how Lego view the IPs they are using for their sets and being 'flexible' about presenting them to the core audience.

Posted by Brickmeister1138 in United States, 09 May 2012 12:03

@lovaquero: You make an excellent point. It seems that many AFOLs seem to forget that Lego is a toy for kids at its heart.
I think Lego already does an excellent job of accomidating us AFOLs via exclusives and shout outs all the time.

I also believe that Huw's selections of sets in the CUUSOO corner show some of the best effort and craftsmanship that has been put into the system so far. Frankly, many of the "suitable" IP projects I saw on CUUSOO show relatively little effort and seem to be a plea for a theme more than anything else. I am a BIG fan of Zelda, and I was dissapointed with the lack of a strong set in the project, especially since I could think of dozens of other potential sets that would be more interesting (despite the fact that it was a fair diorama). I like that the CUUSOO corner focuses more on craftsmanship and effort than it does on themes, without excluding well-made "suitable" liscence sets.

Posted by yellowcastle in United States, 09 May 2012 12:16

It would seem to me that LEGO reverse-engineered these "guidelines" based on whatever sets they've already built. The comment above that Raiders of the Lost Ark breaks each and every rule had me in stitches. :o)

Posted by tamamahm in United States, 09 May 2012 12:22

@UtarEmpire: A different opinion doesn't mean a person is trolling. Lord of the Rings has quite the violent death scene with Boromir at the end. This is not a sanitized scene at all, despite it being 'fantasy'. It is a PG-13 movie because of the violence.
My point is that 'death/killing' is far too generic a statement for them to make.

@Paul Boratko: EXACTLY!! To me that is it. While they may state 'death', at the end of the day it comes down to the particular movie, and they will brand it if they think they can make it work for kids even if it has death/killing in it.

Posted by savatheaggie in United States, 09 May 2012 12:27

It is strange and amusing, all this fuss over something (Cuusoo) that pretty much goes against the whole idea of LEGO to begin with. Upset that LEGO isn't making something? Build it yourself.

I can see where a particular builder's bragging rights are at stake, but to have so many up in arms over something they didn't make themselves, but very well could if they sat down determined to do it...

LEGO has yet to make a train that I'm 100% satisfied with. I didn't complain to LEGO about it, I made my own. LEGO has yet to make a huge cathedral for sale, so I made my own. To quote Tony Stark: "That's the way Dad did it. That's the way America does it. And it's worked out pretty well so far."

Much ado about nothing.

Posted by pstrickler27 in United States, 09 May 2012 12:33

I noticed the Exoskeleton in the CUSSOO Corner.. dosen't that break 2 rules "Death, killing, blood, terrorism, or torture" and "Warfare or war vehicles in any situation post-WWII to present".. maybe I'm reading too far into it - I realize it is similar to EXO-Force.. but the massive guns in some of the pictures don't seem appropriate.

Posted by Lama in United States, 09 May 2012 12:49

@pstrickler27
Yes but the gun was just for fun the actual model has no gun.

What I dont get is that lego makes all the rules in there favor.

Politics-politic symbols: What about the white house,city hall with mayor
Religious symbols: Taj mahall
Alcohol in any present day: that's stupid alcohol wasn't bad 200 years ago but is today? that's just because of Potc is non present.
Swearing:Harry potter, LOTR,POTC etc
Death, killing, blood, terrorism, or torture: Star Wars,POTC,LOTR, and no Batman s all fun and games and cheery.
This is messed up to me

Posted by Lama in United States, 09 May 2012 12:52

@Delatron
True but the sets lego makes are not based of Adam west and Ceser Romero. But not the ones you describe also.
Personally I would love to see the Joker you describe as a Lego

Posted by pstrickler27 in United States, 09 May 2012 13:05

I really like the new CUSSOO Corner.. I think Huw is doing a grape job.. (add 1 to the positive comments)

Posted by Psymon in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 13:06

I think the ten top CUSSOO models should be voted by our community.

Posted by Roborider in United States, 09 May 2012 13:21

@Tilius, My Little Pony was made and owned by Hasbro. It would be the equivalent of Hasbro trying to make Hero Factory or other LEGO playtheme products. Personally, I think that a Transformers license with Hasbro and LEGO MIGHT work well for both companies, but I don't think it would actually happen.

Posted by vynsane in United States, 09 May 2012 13:28

@Tilius - comparing My Little Pony to other license agreements is comparing apples to oranges. Hasbro OWNS the IP for My Little Pony, they don't have to buy the license from someone else. Both Hasbro and LEGO negotiate their license agreement with Lucasfilm for their respective Star Wars-related offerings. Habro doesn't have to negotiate with anyone for the right to produce My Little Pony, GIJoe, or Transformers because they OWN those properties. Therefore, they're not going to allow another company to produce toys of those properties. You're 100% more likely to see My Little Pony Kre-O sets than you are My Little Pony LEGO sets.

Regarding the inspirational material for the Batman sets, I have to disagree that they are in any way based on the campy 1960s TV series. Bane is in the 'Batcave' set, and was created long after the series ended, as were Harley Quinn, Damian Wayne and Jason Todd for that matter (not sure which Robin that is, but it's definitely not Dick Grayson). Other than the Avengers tie-in sets, all the LEGO Superheroes offerings are based on the comics first and foremost, with any applicable animated series coming in a close second.

As for 'wannabe AFOLs', well, I don't really think any 'normals' (non-FoLs?) who voted for The Winchester or Firefly even know what an AFoL is, much less wannabe one...

Posted by The BrickKeeper in United States, 09 May 2012 13:38

I am quite happy with Lego's stipulations on Cuusoo projects. I'm even happy about the religion one. I'm a Christian and would love a church, but I don't want Lego making a Mosque, and I'm sure that other religions wouldn't appreciate just Christian items. @Vynsane: You are so right. Most of those voters have no clue what Lego really is about.

Posted by lovaquero in United States, 09 May 2012 13:39

@Titlius.

And attacking the person who runs the site (a blog, really) is a fruitless activity. Especially if you disagree with LEGO's guidelines on CUUSOO...

Are you attacking Huw because you don't like what he said or how he said it, because you don't like his stance on CUUSOO, because you just feel like trying to take Huw down a peg or two, because you are upset at LEGO, or something else?

It is interesting how so many people are reading into Huw's comments what they _think_ he is saying because they are miffed at LEGO or CUUSOO or the guidelines or cannot see past the end of their nose or think they know better or...

I have to wonder if there is a lot of sad head shaking and reconsideration going on at LEGO right now over CUUSOO.

Posted by The BrickKeeper in United States, 09 May 2012 13:44

At Lama: Excuse me, but LotR has no language, unless you count the book. Besides, these stipulations have to do with Cuusoo, not the Lego company. Also, the Taj Mahal and the White House are architectural models, not political and religious symbols. AS for PotC, I have no answer. I really disapproved of the series to start with, because of the content.

Posted by yellowcastle in United States, 09 May 2012 13:44

^^ Hopefully not. Any publicity is probably good publicity for LEGO.

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 13:47

Thank you Tilius for your feedback. I have, however, heard enough now so please keep it to yourself.

When you've created your own website, at which you can do and say what you please, let us all know so we can come and provide you with feedback.

Posted by vynsane in United States, 09 May 2012 14:02

@The BrickKeeper - I never said non-FoLs have no clue what LEGO is really about - I'm sure they know exactly what it's about: An awesome building toy for kids (a fact that a fair number of AFoLs seem to regularly forget).

Non-FoLs don't have any aspiration to build insane MOCs, or be completist hoarders of all the Star Wars sets MISB, or go to AFoLCon. They merely saw a "cool model of Serenity made out of legos" and said "I'll add my support, because that would be cool". Regardless of whether or not the set was approved, we'd probably see but the smallest fraction of them at the next LUG meeting.

That's the double-edged sword of CUUSOO and licensed properties - as we've already seen, it can shed a large spotlight on a niche that most people aren't aware of, and as yellowcastle pointed out, any publicity is good publicity. We actually might see more people become AFoLs because of these events. At least there's more of a chance than there would be if CUUSOO didn't exist...

Posted by icey in Denmark, 09 May 2012 14:09

@Huw: Religious references... incl. buildings(?) That limits out quite a lot of nice European historic Architecture. At TLC online achitecture poll 3 of 10 suggested buildings are churches, so it doesn't seem they are that strick.
(See: http://architecture.lego.com/en-US/inspire-us/)

Posted by ghostmind in Canada, 09 May 2012 14:15

LEGO must have known that this rush in licensed builds would happen. As such, I'm hoping that once this initial round of rejections has concluded, and hopefully the bulk of the CUSSOO users have realized the boundaries, we can start seeing some more original projects that would stand a much better chance of approval.

Hopefully that happens, and everyone just doesn't get discouraged and leaves the site. I guess LEGO could always drop the threshold back down to 5,000 if that happened though.

Posted by vynsane in United States, 09 May 2012 14:23

I think they could do a dual-threshold system - one for ideas based on existing IP and another one for non-IP ideas. This could have the double-benefit of encouraging original ideas while making sure the demand for IP-based ideas is high enough to pursue the license - off the top of my head, say, 7,000 supports for original ideas and 15,000 for IP-based.

Posted by pstrickler27 in United States, 09 May 2012 14:32

@vynsane.. I like that idea.

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 09 May 2012 15:34

@vynsane

That sounds about right...

And the day that anything My Little Pony related has a Lego Logo stamped on it will be the Day Chevrolet unveils it's all new Mustang GT...

Posted by mkoesel in United States, 09 May 2012 15:44

Huw, if you are taking suggestions, here's mine:

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/1297

This is positively breath-taking and would make a fantastic basis for a theme. Lego have already commented on how much they like it.

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 09 May 2012 15:52

@Tilius - I love your method of showing gratitude to the creator of the best Lego site out there. You are however, a 'little' wrong on some of your points.

1. George Lucas sells the license to other companies to make money and promote SW. Hasbro and Lego both bought a license. It would be ridiculous though if Hasbro asked Lego if they could start making Bionicle's too, or vise versa. They are competing toy companies, the chance they will start trading is slim at best.

2. Who is the greater fool? The fool or the fool that criticizes the fools foolishness. Yes, Huw probably does have more experience then you or me because he has 17 years of hardcore Lego fandom. If fact did you know (Be warned this may be a rumor) that Huw actually made his own website because he loved Lego's SO much! I know it's crazy! And he doesn't just 'like' Lego's, he loves Lego's and has a burning passion for them which is exemplified by his work on this site. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

What's ironic is that your post makes you look a someone who just can't stand someone having their own opinion and freely saying it. Perhaps Huw didn't use the best word by saying Wannabe AFOLs, can you not give him the benefit of the doubt?

Posted by ka.lego in United States, 09 May 2012 16:16

Whew. I'm a little late to the party. For the most part, I enjoyed the exchange of ideas, but clearly things got emotional and there's frustration. All that aside, I actually appreciate Huw for putting this out there and folks like Tilius for openly challenging it. It's dialogue and at least it's happening, because I think we're all realizing that this whole CUUSOO thing is a work in a progress, and since it was originally pitched as an opportunity for fans of LEGO to have *some* influence on future sets, I think it's great that we're all here talking about what that process should look like. So yeah, I personally can't fault Huw for having his perspective (even if I disagree), nor can I fault Tilius for pointing out what he considers flaws in Huw's arguments. This is just us fans showing our love for LEGO, our passionate concern for how things are done, and so it's ALL GOOD. I'd love it if we could steer away from the personal disses / attacks, but it'll happen. It's the Internet, after all.

All that said, I agree that Huw can do whatever he damn well please. It's his site. It's ALL GOOD once again. And since there are opportunities to add comments on the site, I also assume folks are allowed to give feedback without it being characterized as "biting the hand that feeds." Sure, it doesn't have to get personal, but I think that sort of pov makes it seem unnecessarily antagonistic.

So yeah, I don't totally agree with Huw. Most of it I'm fine with. And I ABSOLUTELY think he should be making recommendations about what to vote on, etc. If you're not into his recommendations, rally the troops to support other projects. I assumed that was the intention of CUUSOO…to see where people are passionate, etc.

The main thing I disagree with is about the general assumptions we should be making about what will and will not be made into a set. I just don't believe, as dmetcalf pointed out, many of us know which corporation has which license, etc. As Huw pointed out, from his perspective some things are more-or-less obvious because another company has a license. True enough, but again, when it comes to all things corporate, legal, and $$$, things can be adjusted or changed. Unless I have the legal paperwork in front of me (which most of us don't have access to), I really don't think anyone's assumptions are valid. For example, not too long before LEGO POTC came out, Mega Bloks had a POTC license. Not too long before LEGO Superheroes came out, Mega Bloks were making Iron Man sets. I could've easily assumed things like "They'll never make POTC because Mega Bloks has the license" as some did on other forums. They were wrong in their assumptions. Some of us here may know the ins and outs of these kinds of things, but many don't. So it asks a lot of us to somehow *know* when things "obviously" can or cannot be done.

I have more to say but have to run to a meeting. Ha. AFOLing on the job. But yeah, I appreciate the dialogue. If you have a sec, check out my post on my blog (http://ka-go.net/blog/brickmemes/cleaning-up-on-cuusoo/) about CUUSOO. There's an incident I describe there that I'd like to bring up here later regarding how things are deemed violent and what to do with projects that don't make the cut. (i.e. delete them, immediately just "archive" them, or let them stay until LEGO *has* to say something as in if it gets 10,000 supporters).

Thanks folks. Seriously, I'm not biting anyone's hand. Just want the dialogue because I'm an AFOL who likes to get insight into how other AFOLs think.

ka.lego / Sergio
www.ka-GO.net

Posted by Suukorak12 in United States, 09 May 2012 16:16

I'm disappointed that they won't be making mlp, but Hasbro won't want to compete with Lego.

Posted by alorian in United States, 09 May 2012 16:17

I'd like to suggest this theme for the corner, mminnitt's Glory of Rome:

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/9068

It's really well-thought out and early comments from Lego have been very encouraging. (Sorry if it's been suggested up there somewhere in the thread already.) It has the potential for violence, but the sets presented strike me as much more of a woodsmen v/s wolfpack kind of setup.

Also, the Piano / Composers project by Hidaka is fun and cute, and not something in the zillion-dollar range.
http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/167

They're both things I'd like to get for my (brick-crazed) niece and nephew.

Posted by jonbuddy in United States, 09 May 2012 17:05

Reading these comments, it looks like we got fans of MLP out there. :D

Posted by LegoC10 in United States, 09 May 2012 17:18

WHAT!!! No shooters! That's not right! But what about third-person shooters? Would Uncharted work?

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 17:39

@mkoesel, I have added that, it's excellent.

I've also removed the Ghost in the Shell creatures. They are very cool but I've been told that the cartoon and movie deal with adult themes and therefore not likely to align with LEGO's values. Even the front covers are dodgy from that POV: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell_(film) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell.

@alorian, I do like the Rome project and the pianos but I have to draw the line somewhere. When the western set has passed 10,000 I'll add one of them then.

Posted by GlenRichard's in Australia, 09 May 2012 17:48

I do apologise Huw, you are right, it would provide LEGO with an exhaustive amount of new moulds? I didn't think of that, perhaps that will have to use a limited amount of moulds on the set's themselves creating them with normal based LEGO moulds and then make the moulds for the Mini-figs? That is a good point.

Posted by ka.lego in United States, 09 May 2012 18:13

Okay, back. Some have already mentioned how some of the guidelines don't seem to jibe with past sets that have been released (i.e. Violence and Indiana Jones/POTC/PoP/SW/Ninjago/Alien Conquest). I had a project based on a theme that was a throwback to 70s/80s high-adventure cartoons and TV shows like Jonny Quest, Thundarr the Barbarian, Buck Rogers, He-Man, etc. It was called "Brick Rogers: The Galactic Girl from the 5th Cenury AE. " I can't point you to the project because the CUUSOO team took it down and sent me this email as explanation:

----------

Dear Ka-GO,

We are sorry to inform you that your LEGO CUUSOO project "Brick Rogers: The Galactic Girl from the 5th Cenury AE. " has been removed to reflect the new Project Guidelines, which do not allow content related to realistic or extreme violence. Please review the Project Guidelines and House Rules when posting future projects.

Thanks,

The LEGO CUUSOO Team
LEGO.cuusoo.com

---------

Now I feel like I have to swear that this isn't me taking things personally. Ha. It was *my* project after all. If possible, I'd like to push that fact aside and just ask folks for their feedback. The theme's photos are up on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalego/sets/72157628424280121/

They described it as having "content related to realistic or extreme violence", which I'd like to explore. At no point in the description did I talk about fighting or violence, but more about adventures, etc. So I guess one could argue that since they're holding "weapons" (mostly funky space weapons) that it implies violence. I'm SO not about violence, and wasn't trying to make it a shoot-em-up sort of theme. I was actually envisioning it more of a space exploration with the need to get out of some harrowing situations sort of theme...very Jonny Quest for those familiar. So I was taken aback by the whole thing. A few specific thoughts:

1) "...realistic or extreme violence"? When I imagined the theme, I was thinking more in terms of a weird mish-mash theme...a space/western/pulp setting about a kid-heroine who goes through coming-of-age adventures with a cool crew. Yes, they're armed, but hey, so are Ninjago (in which play more or less revolves around combat where kids actually COLLECT golden weapons) and Alien Conquest (rayguns, armored ADU troops, military-esque blue vehicles, etc.). Curious to know what they actually took issue with. Also curious what folks here think.

2) I'm wondering if the "realistic or extreme violence" was because of the weapons. If so, I feel like I could've just taken those out and still advocate for the theme on CUUSOO. Why delete the project outright? I would've liked the opportunity to make adjustments to tone down any implied "violence". Where's the room for adjustment? This is my issue with just deleting a project: Why not see if things can be edited first rather than say, "Oh, you didn't fit the guidelines. You're out of here." It seems a little more DIScouraging of people to share their ideas this way. Why not ENcourage folks to freely come with whatever, suggest changes if necessary, and delete them (or archive them as an example of what's *not* okay) if the project owners refuse to do some editing? Besides, why worry about it at all until it reaches the 10,000 stage?

3) There are some *great* projects with waaaaay more apparent violence and waaaaay more votes than mine had—I had maybe 30, although in my article I said 3 to be self-effacing...either way, pretty small potatoes. These haven't yet been summarily deleted. Wondering why. Also wondering how many others had this experience that we may never know about. That sort of thing just makes the whole CUUSOO thing feel a bit uncomfortable and non-transparent.

Now of course, if it's just because the theme sucked (which I'm open to...ha), than ok...but to say it's violent seems odd to me.

Posted by ka.lego in United States, 09 May 2012 18:26

Last thing... About the "wannabe AFOLs" which I agree wasn't the best choice of words, but I think has been since satisfactorily clarified. Here's my take. I get it...it might seem weird that celebrities on talk shows can drum up a buzz that sparks voting for a set, and that might *seem* problematic on the surface, but I see another angle.

Doesn't this bring all sorts of brand awareness and attention to both LEGO and the LEGO CUUSOO site/model? If anything, it's free publicity and brought 20,000+ eyeballs that probably weren't really thinking much about LEGO at all. Huw said: "I was referring to the thousands of people that, for example, voted on The Winchester just because Simon Pegg mentioned it that are not LEGO fans and probably would never buy the set even if it was made." I get it, but who's to say that they might not buy it? Who knows? There was BUZZ about it...people felt like they made it happen. If priced right, I think many might. Regardless, that sort of attention is gold to any company. Sure, it doesn't fit with the brand, but talk about spreading brand awareness. I'm reminded of my dark ages and how the release of Star Wars LEGO brought me back in. Since then I've bought WAAAAAY more LEGO sets that AREN'T SW than I have Lucas' stuff. For all we know, there could be Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg, or Conan O'Brien fans out there who were big LEGO fans as kids who haven't thought about the brand at all in years/decades. Maybe this was a way to reintroduce them to the possibility of buying LEGO again because it was being coupled with something else they love as an adult. Who knows? If we cut them out of the equation or treat them like second-class folks who aren't allowed to our LEGO party, that's a loss of potential business for LEGO.

Just another angle. I 100% agree with ytjedi's comments above and similarly "cry foul", but remember, it's a "foul" coming from a place of love. Hahahah.

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 09 May 2012 18:27

Ka.Lego, that seemed like a pretty interesting Sci-Fi theme that you had there...

If they turned down your idea for that reason, then there are a quite a few projects currently on Cuusoo that are going to end in a whole lot of sadness when they hit the 10,000 mark...

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 09 May 2012 18:32

I also doubt that the Cuusoo team will ever come out and say "Your idea sucked", so they will probably use one of their "Standards" as a Politically correct way of dismissing one's project...

Posted by LEGOSLUG in New Zealand, 09 May 2012 18:34

@ Huw: you still left my suggestion untouched:
How about a form - like the one we use to enter comments - to submit suggestions for the 'top 10' ?

Maybe one that has an area for:

* Http://
* Creation Name:
* Creator's CUUSOO username
* Your Brickset username

Submit
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How does that sound?
Anyone?

Posted by madplanet in United Kingdom, 09 May 2012 18:40

This is my idea if anyone is interested. Plus depending how it goes it can be linked to licensed properties.

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/15090

Posted by Roborider in United States, 09 May 2012 18:53

@madplanet, I love it. I am not a fan of stickers, but I would love to see this. I might recommend, though, a morph it into a more generalized one for decals that would not necessarily be limited to minifigures. LEGO has made some sets (most from the Racers series) that I bought on discount just to get the detailed stickers. Maybe try to include scans of official LEGO stickers (provided by LEGO). As well as a creation thing to make your own stickers.

Posted by PaulTR in United States, 09 May 2012 19:34

My thoughts on the whole CUUSOO project?

It's getting out-of-control.

When you give fanboys an opportunity to influence what types of products a mega-corporation puts out, things are bound to rub the wrong way with the companie's goals; all that's left is for the media to show up, and you've got yourself trouble with a capital "T".

Don't get me wrong: I love the whole concept...I love the creator's builds...but CUUSOO is turning into a giant freak show. An interesting, clever freak show, mind you, but...a freak show nonetheless.

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 19:36

@ka.lego
It is unfathomably bizarre that your project was booted.
Not because I love it, though I do, but because I can't see anything at all that would trigger the justification they used.
Thanks for that data point supporting my theory that LEGO are totally winging it on this and probably all bets are off on what will pass muster and what won't. Which leads to the conclusion, everyone should keep posting everything they can think of to CUUSOO! Even resubmit failed ideas after tweaking, you should definitely do that with yours... I doubt LEGO will even be consistent enough to treat the same project the same way twice, at this point.

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 19:37

People say "fanboy" like it's a bad thing.
I object to that.

Posted by Moreira in Brazil, 09 May 2012 19:38

This was always just a matter of time. Lego is a children toy, as a brand, although liked by many adults. The Cuusoo is an opportunity for one to make a toy FOR the Lego brand. As so, you need to obey their rules, which was always very clear (again, toys for children).

For the people saying "but star destroyers kill planets, but there are nazis in Indiana Jones, but Voldemort wants to kill Harry Potter": you are right. However, these conflicts are not explicit WITHIN the Lego sets, even if they are in the movies. What they don't wanna do is this, make such concepts explicit in their toys. If this was a "convenient moralism", they wouldn't be able to make a cat and a rat, because the cat bruttaly kill the cat, or they wouldn't make ships with cannons, because a ship like that is made to sunk others ships, killing dozens in the process, or they wouldn't make cars, because the smoke they put in the air is higly toxic, more than some drugs. That's not their point, their point is not to show these bad things in a way that children from 6-11 understand and absorb it.

If we, adults, see pyramids, we may see tomb/death/suffering; but the child sees a sand building with big scorpions and funny mummys inside. If we see the Super Star Destroyer, we think about the ultimate weapon of a xenophobic, racist, cruel, dictatorship, but the child sees a big big big ship of a bad angry guy with an odd breathing problem and a cool black mask. See? That's how Lego wants to keep things going for the toys they make.

Keep in mind that the Cuusoo is not a civil right that the AFOL has, but a chance that Lego gives to fans.

Posted by dougts in United States, 09 May 2012 19:38

@PaulTR which is a big reason why, from day 1, I've always thought Cuusoo should limit itself to non-licensed submissions. Remove existing licenses, and almost all the angst we've seen would go away. Ideas would then be judged solely on the merits of the idea itself, and the building techniques and creativity involved. LEGO has a pretty good idea of what third party IPs they want to license, can license, and they do plenty enough of them already. Let LEGO do that, and let Cuusoo focus on fan-created original content.

My two cents anyway...

Posted by Moreira in Brazil, 09 May 2012 20:00

@ka.lego

I think Lego should at least tell briefly to the submitter why they think what they think, like "we think that your weapons have a very agressive design". But as i put as my opinion above, we should keep in mind that what we have with Cuusoo is an alternative to show projects that fit what they want, whatever it is what they want.

I don't think, although, that submitters should have a chance to "correct" their ideas for two motives: 1 - If the corrected idea should keep its votes, it would be wrong, because people voted for the original idea, not the corrected one. 2 - If the votes would be erased, there's no point in correcting, the submitter can submit a new one.

I think they worry about the project right from the beggining to let the creator know their opinion fast, so he can do a new one and forget the submitted, otherwise he would be happy watching as his project grows in popularity, just to see it fall after the 10.000.

Let's consider, also, that they may not have personel to discuss each project deeply with each submitter.

I wish you good luck with your next idea!

Posted by snoboarder31 in United States, 09 May 2012 20:17

So can they depict cruelty to fake animals?

Look out, bigfoot.

Posted by behemothjosh in United States, 09 May 2012 20:21

@Huw "I was referring to the thousands of people that, for example, voted on The Winchester just because Simon Pegg mentioned it that are not LEGO fans and probably would never buy the set even if it was made."

I was thinking about this more (and please don't take this as arguing cause its not). If Simon Pegg can plug a LEGO on Conan and get 10K+ people to sign up and vote (which is itself a feat), then couldn't Simon Pegg plug an actual product and get 10K+ people to buy it? Fanboys rally behind ideas and they also rally behind products. Then would we complain about fanboys going into a LEGO store and buying *only* the licensed sets that they want?

@Moreira "However, these conflicts are not explicit WITHIN the Lego sets, even if they are in the movies."

This could be said of the Firefly set as well. The ship didn't have guns (just like in the show it doesn't). Yes, the Malcolm minifigure has a gun, a standard LEGO gun - but he's not killing anyone in the playset. And its not like the Inara minifigure is dressed like a prostitute or engaging in sexual activity in the playset. No, LEGO's beef was with the content of the show, not the playset.

So, my wife made a valid point that I couldn't argue. As I rambled off the new list of cuusoo guidelines and shared some of the same hypocrisies as mentioned above, she said "LEGO has its sets, and cuusoo has its sets/guidelines". And she is right. We cannot attach this list of cuusoo submission guidelines to all of the LEGO products made. These are the CUUSOO guidelines. And we should accept it.

Posted by dmetcalf in United States, 09 May 2012 20:31

So, how about those Olympic Minifigs?

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 21:11

@ka.lego

I think I figured out what happened to your project.
Clearly, they were sending some boilerplate in all or many of the rejections citing the violence thing when that wasn't the actual basis... that happened to Serenity, unquestionably.
It also happened to you, I bet.
The actual basis was probably a problem of licensing gray zone: Brick Rogers is an obvious takeoff on Buck Rogers, a venerable brand. Since you didn't propose the actual Buck Rogers, a license cannot be pursued. But A Brick Rogers LEGO set would obviously infringe Buck Rogers if made. So LEGO would be in a quagmire with that one. That's why they pulled the plug. In my view.
I bet if you renamed it and resubmitted it, you could sidestep that.
And you should, it's a fantastic and practical and original theme.

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 21:13

Olympic minifigs? Too political. Think of Berlin, of Munich, of the US and USSR boycotting each other's games.
It will never happen.

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 21:16

@dougts
Right. They knew all along they would be making a Minecraft set. And they always wanted to pursue BTTF, CUUSOO is just a convenient pretense. Oh, wait...

The anti-licensed snobbery really doesn't have a leg to stand on, people. Just come out and say, "I don't like fanboys! Nyah!" Fine, that's a valid opinion. It will be more authentic and persuasive than this ludicrous attempt at rationalization.

Posted by Moreira in Brazil, 09 May 2012 21:19

@behemothjosh

"This could be said of the Firefly set as well."

Indeed. However, although I don't remembre very well of Firefly, the concepts may not only be in the movie, but be in a positive/indifferent aspect in the movie, for example, prostitution is good, killing is funny, stealing is whatever and smoking is oh yeah. I guess when these concepts are treated as positive/indifferent, if the children goes to the source, they may link the source to the Lego brand.

It's different with SW, for example. As a whole, killing, by the heroes, is only done when necessary, otherwise is a villain thing, a bad thing.

Anyway, the main thing they want to protect is the children's plane view, not our adult critic view.

By the way, your wife sure has a point, although I don't think the actual sets are out of the rules for Cuusoo.

Posted by Lost Cosmonaut in United States, 09 May 2012 21:44

I know it's been touched on, but I find "Warfare or war vehicles in any situation post-WWII to present" an extremely nice bit of weasel-wording on LEGO's part, especially on the eve of the second Sopwith Camel coming out.

Posted by Roborider in United States, 09 May 2012 21:48

A question. Do you think that these rules will be very strict, or held more in the "spirit of the rule"? For example Portal are Portal 2 are both technically first-person shooters, but are rated E 10+, and the "killing" that you do is with robots, most of which involve making them tip over. Sure there is the implication of human death, but none of it is seen on screen, even if you are the one who dies because of a mistake. I know that most First-person shooters are significantly more violent, but I wonder if LEGO will allow exceptions to the rules if they see fit for heir target demographic.

Posted by Nightshroud99 in Canada, 09 May 2012 22:22

I like the new CUUSOO corner, Good Job Huw!

Posted by dougts in United States, 09 May 2012 23:02

@ninjagoyo I really don't appreciate your mischaracterization of my opinion. You are certainly entitled to disagree with me, but my opinion on Cuusoo and licenses is a valid one either way, and in no way am I masking my true feelings behind something phony - I meant exactly what I said, and it has nothing to do with being anti-license or anti-fanboy at all. I love LEGO doing licenses. I buy lots of licensed sets.

My opinion I thought was pretty clear: I personally wish Cuusoo would just eliminate licenses altogether - not because I don't like them, but because I think LEGO is going to do the licenses they are going to do mostly outside the Cuusoo vehicle, and I would prefer they focus the efforts in that product line on original work. That's a valid opinion, whether you agree with it or not. It also would eliminate a lot of the potential controversy and anger they now keep running themselves into.

I'm not denigrating anyone who believes Cuusoo should be used to promote licenses, I'd appreciate you not denigrating me for wishing for the opposite.

Ultimately all these guidelines and rules are really just fluff anyway. There are many licensed ideas that could be put on Cuusoo, not violate any of the guidelines, hit 10,000 votes and LEGO would still never touch them. Because they are obscure, niche, and/or long past their prime IPs that won't move units. All this other stuff is just convenient cover so they don't have to come out and say "We don't like this idea, because it won't sell to the masses, and the IP is so old it isn't going to provide us the free advertising that we get from SW, Avengers, LotR, and all the other current licenses we do"

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 09 May 2012 23:13

@dougts
Fair enough. Well put. But "mostly outside", which is no doubt true, and "entirely outside" are a world of difference. Clearly, many existing and potential LEGO fans yearn for their favorite franchises, and CUUSOO lets them dream! I see no reason to kill those dreams in the cradle with a blanket policy... let them meet their fate when LEGO decides.

Posted by dougts in United States, 09 May 2012 23:38

^ Fair enough. I guess I just see it as getting people's hopes up, only to inevitably dash them at the finish line, which is in my mind a lot worse of an outcome for everyone involved.

Posted by johnnyvgoode in Guatemala, 10 May 2012 00:38

Hey Huw! I think you should add this. It's a good idea that many of us would like to see become a reality, yet it still hasn't gathered more support. http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/15185

Posted by The_Creator in United States, 10 May 2012 00:39

I really dislike the part about no army stuff from 1900 on but besides that I'm glad the rest got put in their.

Posted by wokajablocka in Australia, 10 May 2012 03:17

It really makes me think how in the hell did they approve LOR? While I love the theme and don't want it to go anywhere but doesn't it come under some of these quoted features? It seems they do make exceptions on some of the rules.

Posted by Yatkuu in Belgium, 10 May 2012 03:45

“For all we know, there could be Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg, or Conan O'Brien fans out there who were big LEGO fans as kids who haven't thought about the brand at all in years/decades. Maybe this was a way to reintroduce them to the possibility of buying LEGO again because it was being coupled with something else they love as an adult. Who knows? If we cut them out of the equation or treat them like second-class folks who aren't allowed to our LEGO party, that's a loss of potential business for LEGO.“

Thank you Ka-Lego for this very good point, I can actually confirm first hand that this is true.

During the Winchester “adventure” I have received several feedbacks from people who were thanking me for opening their eyes to what LEGO can be for adults. Granted, I did not receive 10k emails but even if it is only 10 it’s still worth something because for all I know the next Mike Doyle could be one of those 10. I’m sure the same happened with the EVE and the other infamous licensed ideas.
As I have clearly stated all along the Winchester project my main goal was to promote the hobby awareness and in that perspective I still consider it a success.
I also think we should not forget where we come from, we have all been wannabe AFOLs one day…

Posted by Lost Cosmonaut in United States, 10 May 2012 04:32

@The_Creator, my history may be way off, but I don't think World War 2 (WWII) happened in 1900.

Posted by mkoesel in United States, 10 May 2012 07:17

If nothing else, it appears this news post and ensuing discussion have brought much-needed attention to the Cuusoo movement in general.

I see that the Modular Western Town has gained 1000 votes over the past 24 to 48 hours. At that rate it ought to hit 10,000 today, and that is fantastic news. It will be interesting to see what Lego's review concludes about this model and idea, and if they do decide to have a go at it, how they might break it up.

Posted by Morgan19 in United States, 10 May 2012 09:10

“For all we know, there could be Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg, or Conan O'Brien fans out there who were big LEGO fans as kids who haven't thought about the brand at all in years/decades. Maybe this was a way to reintroduce them to the possibility of buying LEGO again because it was being coupled with something else they love as an adult. Who knows? If we cut them out of the equation or treat them like second-class folks who aren't allowed to our LEGO party, that's a loss of potential business for LEGO.“

I absolutely and whole-heartedly agree with this wonderfully open-minded statement. It echoes my feelings exactly and I could not've said it better, thanks!

Posted by Corellian Engineering in Belgium, 10 May 2012 09:44


I dont know if this one is mentioned yet, but it might be a candidate for your CUUSOO corner waitlist Huw:

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/14933

I know, it is licensed, but since they already own the license you might think different about it.
If not released as just one set, but as a line, I could see this appeal not only to Lego SW fans, but also to a kind of non-Lego public. A bit a niche market as the public for e.g. the architecture range.
People that arent necessary into Lego but do like to display a nice miniature of something they like..

Posted by Rockman Xtreme in United States, 10 May 2012 09:51

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/16669 Huw! Someone stole you r picture and put it on cuusoo! Or, that is you.... But I don't think it is! :O

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 10 May 2012 11:39

So they have... I'll report it to the cuusoo team.

Posted by behemothjosh in United States, 10 May 2012 11:55

oh, that's not you? I already supported it too :/

Posted by Mickitat in Germany, 10 May 2012 12:32

I just love those Star Wars mini-sets! I consider it a much greater achievement if you manage to create something tiny, yet recognizable. The less parts, the better. Just awesome!
I like the zoo idea, too. Please put it up yourself, Huw, I will support it for sure.

Posted by Gandalf1 in United States, 10 May 2012 12:56

@LEGOlas1: Like it says, it is updated every 6 hours.

Posted by Rockman Xtreme in United States, 10 May 2012 13:07

^^^^ That sucks man..... they must have some nerve!

Posted by The_Creator in United States, 10 May 2012 13:16

@Lost Cosmonout
Opps sorry scatter brained.
Wait does post mean after so does that mean we can have WWII sets?

Posted by lovaquero in United States, 10 May 2012 13:50

@Huw - Well, at least the name is appropriate (Slimy) of the person who stole your MOC...

Posted by johnnyvgoode in Guatemala, 10 May 2012 14:23

Here's a minifigure-scale Camper Van. I think it deserves a spot in your corner. :) http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/16609#

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 10 May 2012 14:33

^ That's very nice. To be honest I've been somewhat bombarded with suggestions and it's been difficult to pick others to add. I'm not going to flood the 'corner' with them now but I've bookmarked the best and will add them at some later point.

Posted by Haltiamieli in Finland, 10 May 2012 14:40

I like the Cuusoo Corner, great idea! Though personally I think it would be even better to have a bit more than just around 10 projects in rotation - more the better in fact, provided that all are judged to be worthy.

My own suggestion for the list would be Paultox's beautiful trees: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/9173 Don't all AFOLs clamour for more foliage?

Posted by johnnyvgoode in Guatemala, 10 May 2012 14:43

@Huw I figured out that could happen... Perhaps you could keep a bigger list somewhere on the site with more suggestions for people to explore?

Anyways, this is a great idea. Hopefully it'll help to raise the quality of Cuusoo. (Y)

Posted by harrypotter2010 in United States, 10 May 2012 14:49

ninjagoyo
I was making an observation. I am sure I am not the only one who saw that. I am an AFOL, not a kid.

Posted by GeøDav in United States, 10 May 2012 15:44

You should add the Old-style Japanese Architecture entry to Cuusoo Corner. I would love to see that realized as a series.

http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/53

Posted by Jay Kenobi ZX in United States, 10 May 2012 16:26

I find this slighty ironic, since LEGO has made Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean, which are both rated PG-13 and have drugs, sexual themes, and blood. I alos believe that Star Wars: The Old Republic is rated T. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the Batman sets based off of the latest series (which is rated PG-13), and what about The Avengers?

Posted by dougts in United States, 10 May 2012 17:11

I think it's reasonable to assume LEGO is going to have a different (and tighter) set of guidelines for Cuusoo than they will for internally created designs. This is entirely reasonable and makes perfect sense. They can internally have private discussions and decisions about which guidelines to break and by how far on a case by case basis. Doing so in public for Cuusoo submissions creates an entirely different set of challenges, almost all of which can lead to negative ramifications for LEGO.

Posted by TBOC in United States, 10 May 2012 17:30

You guys really need to stop complaining, Lego has stated what they don't want, so it's easier for them to actually make them into sets. Sure, Star Wars and Indiana Jones had violence in the movies, but they managed to TONE IT DOWN in the sets. It's a wonder how Lego gets anything done with so many people complaining anytime they do something that at least 1 person doesn't like.

Sorry if I sound really bitter, it's just annoying watching everyone complain over something that's not that bad.

Posted by maximk in United States, 10 May 2012 19:05

Apparently everyone missed the key word in LEGO inc response.

PROFIT.

They want to make a small and pretty lego set with simple bricks little ads and sell it for above regular price as exclusive. Lego inc does not want to bother with licenses - they want money!!! If the margin profit is too low - they will not bother.

Perfect case set for them would be a pretty banana tree or fishing boat or some thing harmless.

Also, they will not build anything for WWII not because of violence but just because it is Dutch privately owned company. It may sound strange but Denmark was embarrassed after they surrounded in two hours after Nazi invasion (similar to Western/Central Europe though). It is tough for them..

Posted by vpustote in United States, 10 May 2012 20:45

Hey.... Cuusoo is the awesomest thing I have ever heard of in my life. How many other companies/organizations let's its consumers tell them what they would like to see and actually get it built.

Lego Minecraft....!

I think Minecraft is lame, but you can't deny that that set is pure awesomeness.
I look forward to other projects inspired by fans, supported by anyone, and created by Lego. Even if I don't like or care for it.

Please don't ruin Cuusoo for the rest of us.

Posted by Orange Lemons in United States, 10 May 2012 21:33

LEGO is a company who needs to make a profit. They will more than likely make an exception (read: taking advantage of a corporate opportunity) on almost any of these rules if they see there is a widespread audience to potentially sell their product to. Since they end up re-imagining the idea anyway, whatever goes against the recently-set rules will be diluted to the point at which the theme/set is deemed kid friendly.

Posted by The Reviewer in United States, 11 May 2012 01:15

I know this is a little off topic, but why won't the Dark Bucket be in production?

Posted by ninjagoyo in United States, 11 May 2012 03:53

^What I've read a number of times, enough to think it must be true, is that apparently selling minifigs only violates their license from Lucas, which is for building sets and not action figures.

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 11 May 2012 06:53

That is exactly the reason, and LEGO has stated as much in the project's comments.

Posted by nathan.hartzell in United States, 11 May 2012 08:23

How does LEGO feel about gambling. I've been toying with the idea of making a lego horse track, and submit if via CUUSOO. However I don't know how they would feel about this. any guidelines from lego?

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 11 May 2012 08:51

I am sure once the first modular Casino hits Cuusoo that they will be adding "Gambling" to their list of standards...

Posted by Ebak in United Kingdom, 11 May 2012 08:55

As a fan of both LEGO and Firefly I am very disappointed in this ruling. I was looking forward to possibly buying this set (although I kinda knew this would happen).

However I feel that LEGO is being very unfair and somewhat hipocritical. Most LEGO sets depict violence that would eventually escalate into death with most of its themes and sets, Star Wars and Ninjago come to mind. Therefore I think its unfair that they say that there should be no link to death and voilence at all in the sets.

However, my biggest complaint is the Batman part of LEGO's range.

The comics interpret Catwoman as a prostitute who became a jewel thief. I find it very hipocritical that LEGO would gladly risk this link to their company and ignore it and then reject a prostitute character from another series. Granted Inara's current occupation is prostitute, so I can see that part.

I also resent Huw's comment: "let's see if we AFOLs can get models that we want, as opposed to what wannabe AFOLs want"

I resent this in many different ways...to start...who gives you the right to define what an AFOL is? Furthermore...you use the Modular Western Town as an example of a set that should be approved. While I too would like a Modular Western Town, I think it stands for itself that if the damn thing is struggling to make 10,000 supporters then maybe there's a good reason why it shouldn't be made if TLG isn't going to make its money back.

End of Line.

Posted by Pumpkin Jack in United Kingdom, 11 May 2012 09:04

I think everyone forgets that Star Wars and Batman have children's cartoon/animated shows on the television. Yes while some of the Batman/Star Wars range is directed at the more mature end of the market (Comics and live action films). It also caters for the younger end

e.g.
Star wars the clone wars, currently showing on cartoon network
Batman the brave and the bold, again showing on a children's channel
Avengers, Earths mightiest heroes, showing on Disney XD

While Lego, has produced sets in these ranges there is a market for the young consumer as stated above. I feel that some people are only seeing some of the overall picture , when it comes to licences and themes.

Posted by Rockman Xtreme in United States, 11 May 2012 09:28

@nathan.hartzell It must not be a super big deal, cause they have batman, and in batman the animated series, there is plenty o gamblin!!!!!!

Posted by Paul Boratko in United States, 11 May 2012 09:35

Ebak, I suspect Huw's point of view on what makes an AFOL is based upon whether or not you are actually a fan of Lego or if you are only a fan for the 5 minutes that you spent registering a Cuusoo account to be part of a "Trend", one of which you actually have no real intentions of ever being part of in the future...

I also wouldn't say that the Western Town is struggling at all... It is just more work to reach the top than a Project with a theme and a fanbase backing it...

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 11 May 2012 09:53

Huw! The Modular Western Town has just passed 9,900 supporters: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/1787 Less than a 100 to go!

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 11 May 2012 12:25

Ebak - "Who gives you the right to define what an AFOL is?" Think of Brickset as Huw's home, he built it up by hand and has made it a flourishing household. If it's HIS house he can say whatever he wants, it's his opinion, and he is being perfectly honest.
And the Modular Town is not struggling, it's going at the pace Lego probably intended. It's simply looks slow compared to many others projects that were given a big boost by someone/something famous promoting it, or a famous and popular theme backing it up.

Posted by Modok in United States, 11 May 2012 13:45

Huw - with the Modular Western Town soon to reach its milestone, there'll be an opening in the Cuusoo corner. I know you're getting inundated with requests, but I'd like to second (third?) the nomination of the Star Wars micro-scale scenes:
http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/14933

They're quite lovely little micro-worlds, suitable for display like the architecture sets.

Also, great call on the squirrel. I really like that one, and that's just the kind of set that tends to get buried on Cuusoo.

Posted by itsaturkey in United States, 11 May 2012 19:23

^ Agreed, those mini sets are a masterpiece.

Posted by Bricknave in United States, 11 May 2012 19:32

@itsaturkey: Just wanted to give you a heads up; there is a Phineas and Ferb LEGO board game coming out:
http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=3868-1

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As far as Cuusoo goes, I personally would like to see more non-licensed ideas like the Western Town to reach the number of votes required.

Posted by Si_Dorking_Surrey in New Zealand, 12 May 2012 17:37

Why the support for the Apple store Huw?
It has no merit at all as a model, it's just a box. If you took the logo off it no-one would be interested.
Anything which relies on just the logo to succeed is getting support for all the wrong reasons.
Please don't encourage fanboyism.

Commenting has ended on this article.