Month: July 2016

NEXO KNIGHTS: Phygital Survey Results

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So: UK Voted to leave the EU, the US Republicans have accepted Donald Trump, the Democrats accepted Hillary Clinton and the Australians returned the their conservative Government, with a reduced majority.  If these results show anything at all, it is that you should not squander your right to vote, because you can’t rely on your fellow citizens doing what you might be expecting of them.

So… How did readers vote on their experience of multimodal NEXO knight experience?  Of course, half way through the process here, the world was swamped by Pokemon Go, possibly the ultimate phygital experience…

As such, responses were limited, but give an insight into how things are proceeding in my limited audience. Continue reading →

Going off the Grid

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OK…so it has been a couple of weeks since my last post here: In part, I have been distracted reviewing the new LEGO Stationery line for New Elementary.  You should go over there and have a read of it sometime.  I’ll still be here when you come back.

This post was inspired while considering ‘What sets the MOCs that make me stop and say “Wow “apart from the others?’ – especially as a landscape inspired model.  There is no doubt that, for me, some of the most eye-catching constructions out there occur when the strict 90 degree world of LEGO is able to be overcome.  This ‘going off grid’ can be achieved at multiple levels: using a turntable base and octagonal plate to turn the action 45 degrees; using hinges such as might otherwise be used to open a playset building.  The problem with some of these techniques is that they do not easily clutch to the underlying plate.

So let’s look at a technique that I saw used by James Pegrum in Bricks Magazine earlier this year Issue 10, and also issue 6.IMG_0115

This will involve some geometry (sorry).  Let us consider a 2 x 4 lego plate, on a base plate. Next, place a single stud under opposite corners. Considering the intervals, this forms the hypotenuse of a triangle, with opposite and adjacent sides measuring 1
step and 3 steps respectively. The distance between these connection points is the same as the distance between the other two corners of the 2×4 plate, and so you can rotate that plate until those corners meet the studs. Continue reading →

First We’ll Take Manhattan, Then We’ll Take Berlin

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Since its origins in 2008, the LEGO Architecture range has presented a number of buildings in a number of different scales.  For 2016, the range took a left turn and folded up space time to produce something a little different.  Rather than individual buildings from different cities around the world, this year’s 3 launch sets feature skylines (that may or may not actually exist in the order presented), consisting of landmark buildings: the cities in question for 2016: New York, Berlin, and Venice.

New York, New York, its a wonderful town.IMG_0089

New York is the Largest of these skyline models: it contains a number of structures that have featured previously in Lego: The state of liberty- possibly its smallest possible LEGO manifestation, as a sand green ‘trophy nano figure.’; The Empire State Building – larger and greater detail than seen in Architecture set 21002; the Flatiron building (previously released as 21023) and LEGO debutantes: the Chrysler building in its art deco, pearl metal glory and the new World Trade Centre. At $AU70 for 598 pieces, this  represents around 11 Australian cents/ piece. Continue reading →

I don’t want to grow up: Printed parts in the Junior’s Range

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Batman and Superman: They are on the same team, and that team’s name is Friendship!

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to place more than 20 stickers on a single lego car.  It was a bit challenging: frustrating when the stickers wouldn’t quite line up, and in some areas looking like a cop out in the place of a more complex build.

 

So today, I was pleasantly surprised as I assembled the new DC Superheroes for Juniors set, 10724 Batman & Superman vs. Lex Luthor.  The last time Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor were in a set together, it was the Batman vs Superman Set 76046 Heroes of Justice: Sky High Battle.  While this set has some good points – primarily  two tone boot printing and the presence of Wonder Woman, it primarily reminds people of the cinematic disappointment that was Batmans vs Superman.

Our Juniors set however, is much more friendly: Bats and Supes have buried the hatchet, and are now playing well with others.  Of course, Lex isn’t one of those others.  But that’s OK.  He is the central villain of the piece.
IMG_9986Let’s look at the figures first: Lex appears with the Power Armour first seen in 30164:Power Armour Lex, a poly bag released at the same time as the Lego Batman 2 video game. He has changed his shirt and trousers, however.  IMG_9987So much Green and Purple, you’d almost think he was one of the Joker’s henchmen (or vice versa). Neither superman or Batman have new printings on their bodies: Batman is a carbon copy of the figure that appeared in 10672: Defend the Batcave, although on that occasion we had Batman and Robin, as well as the Joker.  The cowl, smirk and cape are all identical (even if i didn’t take the cape out of its box!).  Superman’s body is a copy of the one seen in 6862: Superman vs Power Armour Lex.  Although, here he has the same face as seen in Batman vs Superman: 76044: Clash of the Heroes.  Old ‘comic style’ body, ‘new movie’ head, complete with angry heat vision eyes. Continue reading →