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Eurogamer: The sad, slow death of Lego Dimensions
- Thread starter LordOfLore
- Start date
wipeout364
Member
"Lego bricks are manufactured to a very high quality, and bricks made specifically for a single pack come at an increased premium. These pieces require individual manufacturing moulds to be made, and as a limited-run item cannot therefore be mass-produced, or stored for future use when no longer needed. Dimensions used many of these unique pieces in its sets. If a set did not sell, it affected the entire franchise's bottom line."
I like how they post this Lego PR bullshit hook line and sinker. Lego is probably the most overpriced toy in the market and everything they make is limited quantity it's their whole business model so these sets are really no different then anything else they do. The company is private so financial statements are not available but the company is the definition of highway robbery and if they had stock I would buy it.
I like how they post this Lego PR bullshit hook line and sinker. Lego is probably the most overpriced toy in the market and everything they make is limited quantity it's their whole business model so these sets are really no different then anything else they do. The company is private so financial statements are not available but the company is the definition of highway robbery and if they had stock I would buy it.
Activision just oversaturated their market with games. At some point a kid owns enough Skylanders. Activision most likely knew that and just went ahead to get as much money as possible in their available time frame. Just like they did with Guitar Hero.
Disney Infinity did fine as far as we know. But it's Disney. They don't want "fine". They want exceptional.
Lego Dimensions is a bit of a weird one. Maybe it's just too clunky with the base thing or licensing deals for all those franchises are just too expensive for this kind of game. Maybe it could come back as a mobile game or as a Lego Worlds 2.0.
Amiibo is just Nintendo doing what they do. They're not really into short-term business. And after undershipping a lot (Fire Emblem) and overshipping a lot (Animal Crossing) maybe they've found their sweet spot.
Now Ubisoft's take looks interesting. They don't have the IP to sell toys on characters alone. Instead they want to appeal to space ship nerds. Those don't have to be kids, so we'll see how that goes for them.
bigbaldwolf86
Banned
Agreed. A decent Lego set costs so much it's ridiculous. Masters of their own downfall with this game.
That's a console generation. Seemed like it had a good run.
SiegfriedFM
Member
The price was for a (sometimes) exclusive figure, a little (sometimes) cool build and (sometimes) cool story content. With something like Portal, you got a Chell minifig, who would never ever be possible otherwise, a companion cube and a sentry, and an awesome short story set after Portal 2, with brand new dialogue and all. Totally worth it.
Then you had Gimli or Legolas, who come with the same generic area as Gandalf, who comes free with the game. Or five different Ninjago figures with the same content. It very quickly added up to shelfwarmers.
The crossover was crazy though. You can play the original Ghostbusters story, bring in the new Ghostbusters, Batman, Sloth from The Goonies and the Powerpuff Girls, and end up fighting General Zod on top of the firehouse. Or have Wonder Woman and Bart Simpson play official Midway arcade titles. The licensing to make that happen must have been pretty insane.
Then you had Gimli or Legolas, who come with the same generic area as Gandalf, who comes free with the game. Or five different Ninjago figures with the same content. It very quickly added up to shelfwarmers.
The crossover was crazy though. You can play the original Ghostbusters story, bring in the new Ghostbusters, Batman, Sloth from The Goonies and the Powerpuff Girls, and end up fighting General Zod on top of the firehouse. Or have Wonder Woman and Bart Simpson play official Midway arcade titles. The licensing to make that happen must have been pretty insane.
I was so looking forward to Dimensions when it was announced. But by the time release came I was already priced out of it. I think there was close to $600AU of content to buy within the release period and I didnt bother.
Having lots of choice is fine, but there are many who like collecting and Lego went a little crazy with this one.
Having lots of choice is fine, but there are many who like collecting and Lego went a little crazy with this one.
Steve Youngblood
Member
Yeah, that's the most disappointing aspect of this failing. I get that the launch price of this stuff was pretty steep and that there are constant hooks throughout reminding you that you lack the necessary ability to get this golden brick or what have you, but if you could get past that there was a really neat crossover campaign here. I'll always remember this game fondly as probably the title I had the most success with in terms of getting my son acclimated to controller-based gaming.
I need some of the last wave of stuff still. I'm not completely certain, but while I don't have everything I think I acquired enough to have at least one of every ability/character needed for the adventure worlds. This is of course ignoring Teen Titans, Powerpuff Girls, and Beetlejuice. Never got any of that stuff.
plagiarize
Banned
I loved it but the writing was on the wall this e3 when no new content was announced. Was a fun two years though and most of the mini figs are ace, so I have no regrets.
you must not go to stores because every walmart/store that sells video games i've been in has an entire aisle/section dedicated to lego dimensions right next to the video games
dark_chris
Member
I love the concept of the game. I was blown away with it. But the pricing was indeed too much.
Instead of owning it, I just played with my little cousin.
Instead of owning it, I just played with my little cousin.
The game contained a lot of IP that I enjoy (Simpsons, BTTF, etc.) so I bought the game and some sets when they went on sale last year. Build the necessary stuff to start, finally got into the game... and really didn't like it. The humor was either taken directly from the source material or just plain bad, and the gameplay was mostly just breaking everything in sight and switching to an appropriate character when needed.
I think they said you dont need the toys for Starlink Battle
tearsintherain
Member
Yeah I just don't get it, seems like the kind of thing you could sell to kids forever. Badly managed and not enough annual innovation to keep kids interested? Too much crap?
As a kid I woulda loved a few toys I could buy each year and add into my world, but if it became like amiibo or stuff where too much was released every year I'd lose interest, fast.
Waddle Dee
Member
It was simply waaaay to expensive for what was just another average-as-can-be Lego game. It was also even buggier than other Lego games, somehow.
Yeah, the gameplay in the Lego titles is extremely shallow. Pretty much the bare minimum is put into these games from a design standpoint. From what I've seen (as a Sonic fan) the Sonic pack is actually pretty funny and makes some fairly obscure references, but it's even buggier than the other packs I've seen since they tried to make the gameplay feel more like a Sonic game and clearly their engine was not up to the task.
Yeah, the gameplay in the Lego titles is extremely shallow. Pretty much the bare minimum is put into these games from a design standpoint. From what I've seen (as a Sonic fan) the Sonic pack is actually pretty funny and makes some fairly obscure references, but it's even buggier than the other packs I've seen since they tried to make the gameplay feel more like a Sonic game and clearly their engine was not up to the task.
I've had a full collection, even with packs I never had any interest in (e.g. Ninjago series) but sold them all and without regret when moving. My issue with the project was that even though there was heavy financial involvement expected, there was no reward apart from "wow, so many licenses" factor. The game was exactly the same as multiple other LEGO games and offered absolutely zero gameplay improvements - apart of the obvious gimmick itself.
I don't think we'll see any new toys-to-life franchise any time soon.
I don't think we'll see any new toys-to-life franchise any time soon.
They probably did the smart thing by presenting them more as collectables first and in-game bonuses second.
Without a single game to be tied to, they can just sort of exist in their own space.
Yeah, exactly. I think Nintendo tackled the idea 'right' in the sense of longevity
Hot Coldman
Banned
Ultimately Dimensions delivered what they said they were going to deliver publicly (beyond the Year 3 plans, which at least had no obvious illusions made to what it might contain), and TT isn't going to get the axe, so... It's had its time.
It was great to see TT's LEGO spin on Sonic and Doctor Who, at the very least.
It was great to see TT's LEGO spin on Sonic and Doctor Who, at the very least.
akilshohen
Member
I was kind of disappointed that the Sonic set was just one level. Seemed like it should have continued.
This. Most of wave 1 was on sale at the 99 cent only store
I just want a good sale on the Powerpuff girls set and then I'm done. I have a bunch that I never opened. Midway and Sonic were enough for me to buy the game to start with though..
Sad but inevitable news.
Looking on the bright side I'll finally be able to get a starter pack and a few figures for my daughter once they hit bargain bins. She's been asking about it for a while but that was a slippery slope I wasn't prepared to go down at RRP.
Hopefully TT haven't taken too much of a financial hit with it as we're a household of LEGO game fans and would hate it to effect future projects.
Looking on the bright side I'll finally be able to get a starter pack and a few figures for my daughter once they hit bargain bins. She's been asking about it for a while but that was a slippery slope I wasn't prepared to go down at RRP.
Hopefully TT haven't taken too much of a financial hit with it as we're a household of LEGO game fans and would hate it to effect future projects.
As someone who was never into the toys to life thing this isn't particularly sad news to me.
Having to buy expensive physical stuff that take up space to play all parts of a game is just not something I'd ever support.
Hopefully they'll make a pc version with all the dlc like they did with Disney Infinity.
Having to buy expensive physical stuff that take up space to play all parts of a game is just not something I'd ever support.
Hopefully they'll make a pc version with all the dlc like they did with Disney Infinity.
As much as I criticise amiibo this was definitely a great move. Toys-to-life franchises are destined to lock out new people and collapse under their own weight because the (perceived) price of entry steadily rises. Nintendo have done a much better (though still far from perfect) job of making people feel like they're not obligated to keep up and keep buying them. Letting people spend their money on figures at their own pace without feeling bad about it is the sweet-spot.
Hero of Legend
Member
I dunno, it's the first one to actually NOT require the toys. Those are optional, every piece is downloadable IIRC.
Steve Youngblood
Member
At the end of the day, I think it was the sort of thing that was an absolute no-brainer that was just a year or possibly even two too late.
I don't think wave 1 fun packs have ever been below £5 here. Usually 'offers' are 2 for £15.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Not surprised. I know people jumped in this as the one that was gonna make it and carry the torch when Disney Infinity died. Just seemed like it was inevitable for the whole space.
This is coming from someone who loved the Toys 2 Life genre with my kids. There was a myriad of problems though which I easily saw and I understand why the market cratered.
This is coming from someone who loved the Toys 2 Life genre with my kids. There was a myriad of problems though which I easily saw and I understand why the market cratered.
Hero of Legend
Member
Dollarama in Canada carries some of the wave 1 stuff for $4, which seems to be about a 3rd of the normal $13/$15-ish prices.
I'm personally waiting for Sonic to be heavily discounted for collectors' sake. Never bought the game, way too expensive and surprisingly never got the discounts Disney Infinity and Skylanders have had, likely because those had multiple entries, versus just one technically for Lego Dimensions.
Agent Gibbs
Member
I like Lego Dimensions its the closest I got to Lego Ghostbusters (which really should have been a standalone game), it allowed Lego game versions of franchises that either wouldn't carry a standalone game on its own or they were hesitant to green light so could use the game as a test bed.
The Problem as highlighted in the article was the damn cost! £10 for an in game character (which likely had abilities you'd need to fully complete the game) £25 for a level pack and later £40 for a story pack!
For a lego set £10 would get you a decent amount of lego, with dimensions you got a mini figure and small amount of bricks for something else, akin to the promotional items normally given away, the added cost was the in game effect, which meant the set is over priced for lego collectors and over priced for people playing the game not bothered for the sets, equally the larger sets were baren on physical lego and in game content.
If they had allowed you to purchase the characters/levels/story as DLC only it would have helped the longevity of the game and allowed people to actually fully complete the game - you see the typical collectables you get in a lego game were often locked behind abilities that were not included in the main set's figures so you had to buy multiple sets to actually complete the game! the in game solution of hiring a hero was useless as the cost of studs increased with each use and in a game where modifiers were non existant and every lego set required millions of studs to unlock abilities, it made it not even virtual currency cost effective to complete the game, so people played the relatively short story and abandoned it.
I bought it at launch and the increasing cost to complete the game meant I put it down for a year until Amazon had a few year two sets in a sale, but even then I didn't have all abilities and gave in.
Toys to life games which were cheaper to buy and maintain have died off, so I'd have thought they would have made some pricing choices to increase longevity - I only hope that they make lego games of the more successful elements now, or just do a game only version of this, leave the lego sets separate for lego to do
The Problem as highlighted in the article was the damn cost! £10 for an in game character (which likely had abilities you'd need to fully complete the game) £25 for a level pack and later £40 for a story pack!
For a lego set £10 would get you a decent amount of lego, with dimensions you got a mini figure and small amount of bricks for something else, akin to the promotional items normally given away, the added cost was the in game effect, which meant the set is over priced for lego collectors and over priced for people playing the game not bothered for the sets, equally the larger sets were baren on physical lego and in game content.
If they had allowed you to purchase the characters/levels/story as DLC only it would have helped the longevity of the game and allowed people to actually fully complete the game - you see the typical collectables you get in a lego game were often locked behind abilities that were not included in the main set's figures so you had to buy multiple sets to actually complete the game! the in game solution of hiring a hero was useless as the cost of studs increased with each use and in a game where modifiers were non existant and every lego set required millions of studs to unlock abilities, it made it not even virtual currency cost effective to complete the game, so people played the relatively short story and abandoned it.
I bought it at launch and the increasing cost to complete the game meant I put it down for a year until Amazon had a few year two sets in a sale, but even then I didn't have all abilities and gave in.
Toys to life games which were cheaper to buy and maintain have died off, so I'd have thought they would have made some pricing choices to increase longevity - I only hope that they make lego games of the more successful elements now, or just do a game only version of this, leave the lego sets separate for lego to do
That's basically it. The time they did go for a traditional toys to life angle with Animal Crossing, it bombed into the core of the Earth.
Champion of the Wild
Neo Member
A classic example of the candle that is twice as bright burns half as long (although phenomenons like Pokemon still selling today dispute that)
Dragoshi1
Member
The story packs that cost 50 bucks was where I drew the line.
The last Dimensions thing I bought was the Sonic expansion, and even then, still a bit of money it costs.
I would have loved a straight up Lego Dimensions game sans the figures, just a huge crossover thing without the need to pay a premium.
Also, Supergirl never being available standalone killed it for me. Not going to buy ANOTHER starter set just to have her.
The last Dimensions thing I bought was the Sonic expansion, and even then, still a bit of money it costs.
I would have loved a straight up Lego Dimensions game sans the figures, just a huge crossover thing without the need to pay a premium.
Also, Supergirl never being available standalone killed it for me. Not going to buy ANOTHER starter set just to have her.
AusRoachman
Member
Learnt my lesson with Disney Infinity , never buying toys to life shit
I've been wondering who was calling the shots on IPs for a while. It seemed like WB was really trying to keep it in-house with all the DC and HB stuff, so if they were keen on pushing the 80s properties maybe they're to blame.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I don't know. I think the franchise choices were actually fairly interesting in terms of trying to target a combination of kids interests while also trying to target the interests of parents who actually are the ones with the money to buy this stuff. I honestly don't think there's a ton they could have done differently to make this successful. I mean, I guess there's two main things I'd cite:
1.) Get to market sooner before this genre collapsed
2.) Get the initial price point down because $100 for the starter pack was a bit of a sticker shock.
Really though, I think 1 was the far bigger problem. It was an also-ran product in a market sector that was on the verge of collapse.