Another LEGO Christmas!

As Christmas Day itself arrives, what is virtually a Christmas miracle has occurred in the UK for a second year running… LEGO sets are actually available for sale right up to the big day. As LEGO has struggled with distribution for so long, this can only be a good thing for both company and consumer. There have been festive products to enjoy and now the promise of unwrapping rattling boxes draws close…

Quick Reaction: LEGO Star Wars Summer 2012

Courtesy of HO

Images have turned up online of the second wave of LEGO Star Wars sets due for release next year. Exciting times! There are big ‘Confidential’ watermarks stamped all over them, but they are clear enough to wet our appetites for what’s on the way. 

LEGO Lord of the Rings is Officially Announced

It’s happened! The theme that has had speculation swirling, Lord of the Rings, is to be incarnated in plastic bricks. There will no doubt be debate as to whether it is a suitable theme for LEGO, discussion as to what sets should be included and derision regarding the scaled down nature of the locations. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and for now react to the announcement.

What the heck is LEGO Cuusoo?

Sometimes there are those things that exist on the periphery of your awareness; LEGO CUUSOO has been in that category for me for some time. I was vaguely aware that it existed, that it involved user-submitted ideas, but that was the extent of my knowledge. A good excuse to find out more was to write an article on it. So if you still think Cuusoo might well be a Canadian charity, then enjoy…

LEGO New Themes 2012 Rumour List Part II

With images of LEGO Friends and LEGO Dino (first rumoured here at All About Bricks) now all over the ‘net (well, if you’re a LEGO enthusiast and look for these things), speculation naturally turns to what LEGO have up their sleeves next…

Top 5 Collectible Minifigures: Series 1-3

Back in July, LEGO e-mailed subscribers to the official newsletter with a tricky question. From the first three series, which Collectible Minifigure do you like the best? Once the votes have been tallied, the top five choices are to be released as an exclusive set. So in the spirit of choosing, here are my five favourite Collectible Minifigures and why… 

Promotional LEGO Bricks at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

Promotional bricks are a fun (and frustrating!) part of LEGO collecting. They are tricky to keep track of and released at different locations around the world. The UK’s LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester have had several different bricks since launching, and will be giving away a Star Wars brick at this November’s event…

Yikes! There goes LEGO Universe

In an unexpected move, LEGO Universe is to close just eighteen months after launching. This Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) spent years in development, originally intended for a 2008 release, and didn’t pick up the subscribers that LEGO had hoped for. Read on for the full announcement and commentary.

Star Wars Weekend at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

The LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester are holding a Star Wars themed weekend on the 12th and 13th November. The LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is an interactive indoor LEGO visitor attraction for children aged 3-10. The Star Wars Days will feature characters from the films, unique building opportunities and a costume contest. Read on for all of the details...

Ho, ho, ho it's time for LEGO

It’s October, and you may be grumbling about all of the Christmas displays in shops everywhere. Just to annoy you that bit more, here’s a Christmas article at All About Bricks – but it’s all to stay topical… so read on, and find out why even though our US readers haven’t celebrated Halloween yet, I’m thinking about Christmas…

Reaction: LEGO Star Wars Planets

Images of the LEGO Star Wars 2012 line up have started showing up around the web, including one shot of the new Planets range. So what is the full line-up for Star Wars Planets? What do they include? And will the new range be a success?

LEGO Star Wars 2012 Rumour List Part II

Following on from the last list of LEGO Star Wars rumours, here is a fresh batch of speculation on what may be available next August. This is quite a way in the future, so do not expect this list to be completely accurate. A lot can change between now and then, and this is only a rumour list in the first place…

Impatiently waiting for LEGO City Stories

Does a LEGO video game not based on an existing licence sound like your thing? Because that’s exactly what Traveller’s Tales, the developer who has relaunched the LEGO gaming series so successfully, have up their sleeve.  Not only that, but it’s based on LEGO’s most successful home-grown theme. Read on for a few bits of info about where gamers will be collecting studs next…

Review - LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

LEGO video games are something that I approach with great anticipation, and it was no exception when I ordered my copy of LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. What follows is my reaction to one of Traveller’s Tales two big Summer releases, and includes the code for a bonus character, if anyone is still looking for it.

LEGO City 2012 Rumour List Part II

A few weeks ago you read a list of rumoured City sets for January 2012, and now you can read a shorter list of sets that may be coming to LEGO City next August. This is even more tentative than the previous list, as August 2012 is a whole year away.

LEGO Star Wars Summer 2011 Range: Part II

Earlier in the week I began my run-down of the latest Star Wars releases from LEGO, so today I round off by looking at the two large vehicles (conveniently released in time for Christmas) and the range overall. These views are all based on the official images that have been released, so are preliminary thoughts rather than product reviews, take that as you will.

LEGO Star Wars Summer 2011 Range: Part I

With the second wave of sets recently released, it seems a good time to take a look at this summer’s LEGO Star Wars offerings. A total of seven new regular release sets are available, with a variety of price points. These views are all based on the official images that have been released, so are preliminary thoughts rather than product reviews, take that as you will.

Launching LEGO Pirates

A classic LEGO theme used to amuse year on year in the 1990s, until it took a twelve year break. There were three clear launches for LEGO Pirates, which show how LEGO can do something well and how LEGO can do something… less well. In the spirit of hoping that someone deep in the basement of LEGO headquarters is busy designing the next LEGO Pirates line, here’s a look back at the launches over the years…

All About Bricks Question & Answer

A new column, that I didn’t imagine would kick off this soon, has sprung up from the buzz around the rumour lists for next year’s LEGO range. The following questions were asked by readers of All About Bricks, and I have endeavoured to answer them. So read on to find out something or nothing about Technic, Castle, Harry Potter and the chances of a Super Heroes video game.

Are LEGO taking on too many licenses?

Next year will see LEGO continuing to expand the number of licensed properties immortalized in plastic bricks. Lines such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Super Heroes have grabbed properties back from inferior competitors. But how many LEGO themes should be based on films, comics and TV? Where is the balance between just enough, and one too many?

Changes coming to LEGO Star Wars Battle Packs

The recent rumour list for LEGO Star Wars threw up a change in the Battle Pack model, and fans are now discussing whether they like their Battle Packs to have one faction in or two. Factoring in a likely price increase, will the change affect sales of this super popular product? Is it wise to try and fix something that isn't broken?

Where next for the LEGO VIP Program?

Over a year and a half ago LEGO came up with a new way to reward customers who buy from them directly, and now it’s been rolled out to any country that LEGO ships to online. Recently LEGO have been surveying fans to find out where the LEGO VIP scheme should take us next. There were a variety of ideas, are any of them the best way forward?

LEGO New Themes 2012 Rumour List

The seventh and final day of January 2012 rumours reveals two new themes that may be coming next year. It also reveals what I have not had any information about. So take this, as everything else, with a sceptical view and we’ll all find out how much of it comes to be in a few months.

LEGO Creator / LEGO Games 2012 Rumour List

Well you can probably tell that now I’m scraping around the bottom of the LEGO barrel to see what rumours are left inside to share. I don’t know how many collectors pay attention to LEGO Games, but it’s still fun to see what’s coming surely? And there’s a couple of LEGO Creator rumours in here too. So it’s all rumour, nothing is for certain, but enjoy today’s list of what we might be rolling the buildable die with in January.

LEGO Ninjago 2012 Rumour List

Today’s rumour list is what may be coming for Ninjago next year. The line has been incredibly successful for LEGO, and according to this list it will have a continued presence next year. As usual, this is all rumour, speculation, conjecture… nothing official. So read on to find out what sets the Ninjas may be showing up in next…

LEGO City 2012 Rumour List

This latest list of rumoured sets is what we can expect from the City line in January. All of this is currently speculation until an official announcement comes out of LEGO, and by the time the sets are released some may have changed, been dropped or replaced.

LEGO Super Heroes 2012 Rumour List

Next year sees the launch of the new LEGO Super Heroes line. What follows is a list of product that I have received that may be appearing next year. Please take this with a pinch of salt, and don't be surprised or disappointed if the actual finished line-up looks somewhat different to this list. But in the meantime, here's the LEGO Super Heroes rumour list...

LEGO Disney 2012 Rumour List

This year LEGO has offered products from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars 2 and Winnie the Pooh. What follows is a list of Disney product rumoured to be coming from LEGO next  year, although this is all unofficial and unconfirmed until the product actually shows up…

LEGO Star Wars 2012 Rumour List

For a few years now I have been posting a list of rumoured LEGO sets on Jedi News, and today I have revealed the LEGO Star Wars 2012 rumour list. So read on for the low down on what may be appearing in shops next January.

Comic Con Attendee Exclusives 2011

I wasn’t at Comic Con. I was across the pond here in the UK, jealously drooling over the images and announcements coming out of San Diego. More than that, dreading how much I was going to have to pay on eBay for all of those damn exclusives. Read on for a run-down on what LEGO exclusively sold at the event, some well publicised… some less so.

Reaction: LEGO Super Heroes

The new LEGO Super Heroes line combines the two biggest names in comics' most popular titles... and few would have predicted LEGO selling both DC and Marvel characters at the same time. Yet here we are. So what does it mean for our construction toys? Why now? And what is the tasty rumour about the new line?

Reaction: LEGO Super Star Destroyer (10221)

Just over a week ago LEGO announced their latest exclusive release, the Super Star Destroyer Executor (10221), Darth Vader’s personal flagship from the Star Wars galaxy. The set is in Ultimate Collector’s Series (UCS) format, making it a super detailed display model.

...but first, a bit about me

As this is the first post here at All About Bricks it seems to make sense to give some sort of introduction. This blog will be home to a weekly article with opinion and commentary on some aspect of the LEGO hobby, and in between will feature certain news bites that seem worth reporting. To give some hints as to what aspects of LEGO I’ll be talking about here at All About Bricks, a bit about LEGO and me…