Block by block, LEGOLAND New York prepares to open

NEW YORK -- After spending a lot of time indoors through the year-long coronavirus pandemic, families in the New York area will soon have one of the first new theme parks in years to visit as restrictions are eased, with LEGOLAND preparing to launch its latest resort.

Located in Goshen, some 95 km north of New York City, LEGOLAND New York is in the final stages of construction, and plans a phased-in opening this summer in order to comply with social distancing guidelines.

"We are the first theme park to be built in the Northeast in decades and really I think particularly with the challenges in the last year, people are looking to get out," said Matt Besterman, public relations manager for LEGOLAND New York. "They're looking to have a safe and fun place to play."

Besterman said the company hopes to make the theme park cashless and contactless in order for everyone to feel safe.

As coronavirus cases have dropped alongside the vaccine rollout, restrictions on businesses are being lifted, with New York City set to be "back fully" on July 1, its mayor said on Thursday. 

Features of the new theme park include a LEGO Factory Adventure Ride, which has never appeared before at a LEGO-themed park and takes visitors on a ride through a Lego 'factory' where the bricks are people-sized.

The first LEGOLAND park was opened in Denmark in the 1960s to show off the company's LEGO models. It later expanded to others parts of Europe and Asia, and has two existing parks in the United States, in California and Florida.

As well as rides, LEGO models are a feature of the parks, and the New York one will feature some 15,000 models.

-reuters-

Lego posts record profit in 2020 as lockdowns spur play

Lego posted a record profit in 2020 as pandemic lockdowns around the world left people whiling away their time indoors playing games and buying online, the Danish company said on Wednesday.

The unlisted family business registered a 19 percent rise in net profit to 9.9 billion kroner (1.3 billion euros, $1.6 billion), its biggest profit ever.

Sales jumped by 13 percent, to 43.7 billion kroner.

The maker of colorful plastic bricks said it had increased its global market share even though it was forced to temporarily close its plants in China and Mexico due to the pandemic, which led to higher supply costs.

Sales rose across the board, thanks to growing online shopping and a doubling of visits to its websites, as well as the opening of 134 stores, including 91 in China where the group intends to expand further.

Despite the rise in online sales, Lego, based in Billund in western Denmark, plans to open 120 new stores in 2021, including 80 in China.

In addition to its classic bricks, which remain among its most sold products, the company has in recent years moved strongly into areas such as video games, movies, cartoons and Legoland amusement parks.

Lego -- a contraction of the Danish 'Leg godt' or 'Play well' -- noted in particular the success of its Super Mario game collaboration with Nintendo launched in August, where players can build real life versions of 2D Super Mario levels.

After a vast restructuring in 2017, Lego turned its focus to multimedia games and sustainability.

While Lego's iconic bricks are virtually unbreakable and reusable for generations, plastic is increasingly shunned due to the lasting harms its chemical components do to the planet. Lego has therefore vowed that its bricks will be 100 percent sustainable by 2030.

The company also aims for its manufacturing plants to be carbon neutral by 2022, and is gradually phasing out its plastic bags separating pieces and replacing them with recycled paper.

Agence France-Presse

Lego's colourful plastic bricks to go green

BILLUND, Denmark — There may be a global revolt against plastic, but Danish toymaker Lego, famous for its multi-colored plastic building bricks, remains a raging success, even if it, too, aims to go green.

Once revolutionary, then a ubiquitous material, plastic is increasingly being shunned due to the lasting harm its chemical components do to the planet. 

As a result, Lego has vowed that its iconic bricks will be 100 percent sustainable by 2030.

With pieces that are virtually unbreakable and reusable for generations, Lego -- whose name is a contraction in Danish for "Leg Godt" or "Play Well" -- has always had sustainability as a leitmotiv, Tim Brooks, head of corporate responsibility, told AFP.

Now, the company just has to adapt to environmental and consumer demands.

A study by the NPD market research group showed that 47 percent of Christmas shoppers worldwide chose not to buy a toy due to sustainability concerns.

"Toy manufacturers are really embracing this topic... There's a lot of innovation in both packaging and material for toys," Frederique Tutt, a toy industry expert at NPD, told AFP.

Lego, based in the western Danish town of Billund, has no plans to abandon plastic. Rather, it aims to improve on the materials it uses.

Currently, most of its pieces are made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), a petroleum-based substance also used to make household appliances.

"We want to use plastic in a responsible way, and particularly where it is in a high quality, durable and reusable application. And that's what Lego bricks are," said Brooks.

For now, 2 percent of its plastic pieces, or 80 of the around 3,600 construction pieces, are made of a bio-sourced material, a sugarcane-based polyethylene.

These pieces are mostly trees, leaves and bushes in the kits, which do not have to meet the same durability requirements as bricks, which have to stick together tightly.

It is a technical challenge, as Lego wants to ensure that customers do not notice any difference between the old plastic and any new materials.

"We don't want you to notice it," Brooks insisted.

New pieces must have the same physical properties as the old ones: strength, color fastness and sticking power, in order to remain compatible with older pieces.

PASSING THE TRICK 

Over the years, the Danish company has evolved from simple brick kits to complex designs, such as its Harry Potter or architecture themed kits, and has made a strong foray into video games, apps, movies, cartoons and amusement parks.

That diversification has helped the group recover from its financial woes in the early 2000s. In 2019, it posted a 6-percent rise in sales.

Lego encourages customers to hand down their bricks to younger generations.

"The brick has been compatible since 1958. You can buy something from the shelves today that works with something from the late 1950s," Brooks said.

The company estimates that 96 percent of consumers either hold on to their Lego kits or pass them on, stressing the distinction between Lego's bricks and single-use plastics.

RECYCLING AND WIND FARMS 

In addition to developing bioplastics, Lego, which is leading a project in the US providing second-hand kits to disadvantaged children, is making cautious advances in the field of recycled plastic.

"Recycled materials is a very interesting area but you need to understand where that material comes from," Brooks said.

The company refuses to divulge its production secrets, but insists it reuses its own plastic waste products in its production.

In 2014, Lego vowed to reduce its carbon footprint, partnering with the environmental group WWF. It says it has relied solely on renewable energy sources since 2017.

"They made climate savings and shifted to more windcraft, now they're looking into alternatives to their plastic," said the head of WWF Denmark, Bo Oksnebjerg, of the company's efforts.

Kirkby, Lego's parent company, has meanwhile invested almost $1 billion in wind farms.

Lego is also working to improve its packaging, reducing the amount of plastic bags separating pieces and slashing the size of its boxes to reduce transport volumes.

It aims to use only recycled or renewable materials by 2025.

Antidia Citores, spokeswoman of the environmental group Surfrider Europe, stressed meanwhile that Lego needed to also look at the production end, as replacing one plastic with another would not reduce emissions. 

"Changing one plastic for another is not a revolution, not in terms of pollution or carbon emissions," she said.

Agence France-Presse 

German grandma builds wheelchair ramps from Lego

HANAU, Germany - Faced with rows of inaccessible shops and cafes, wheelchair user Rita Ebel has devised a low-tech high-fun solution - ramps made of Lego.

"For me, it is just about trying to sensitize the world a little bit to barrier-free travel," Ebel said in the German town of Hanau. She has been using a wheelchair since she was involved in a car accident 25 years ago.

"Anyone could suddenly end up in a situation that puts them in a wheelchair like it did me," the 62-year-old grandmother said.


Helped by her husband, Ebel often spends two to three hours a day building the made-to-order ramps which contain several hundred of the small plastic bricks stuck together with up to eight tubes of glue.

The bright colors stand out in town centers, she said.

"Nobody just walks past a Lego ramp without taking a look. Whether it's children who try to get the bricks out or adults who take out their mobile phones to take pictures," she said.

Local businesses are also enthusiastic.

"It's a brilliant idea," said Malika El Harti, who got a ramp for her hair salon. "Everyone who walks past is happy about the ramps. Finally, you can see from afar that you can get in here without any problems."

Reliant on donations, the biggest challenge is getting hold of bricks, said Eber, as many families can't bear to part with them.

The idea is even catching on abroad. Eber, who also has a part-time job, has sent ramp building instructions to Austria and Switzerland and there is interest from Spain and a school in the United States.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Movie review: 'Lego Ninjago Movie' is not so awesome

At first there was "The Lego Movie" (2014), which told us that everything Lego is awesome. Then suddenly this year alone, there were two more Lego films! "The Lego Batman Movie" was released in February, and now, barely six months later, this new one "The Lego Ninjago Movie" hits the screens.

The old owner of a Chinese antique shop tells his young visitor a story about the legendary city of Ninjago. The bustling metropolis was always attacked by a dark Lord named Garmadon who wants to take control over the city. However, he is always foiled by a group of ninja warriors who possessed the powers of Water, Fire, Earth, Ice, Lightning and Green.


The secret identity of the Green Ninja was Lloyd Garmadon, the 16-year old son of the evil Lord, who had always been shunned in school because of his father. The other ninjas were his friends Nya, Zane, Jay, Cole and Kai, and their group was under a white bearded Master Wu, the younger brother of Lord Garmadon.

When Lloyd uses a forbidden Ultimate Weapon against Garmadon, it unleashes a real-life cat named Meowthra on Ninjago, which causes so much destruction. This forces Lloyd and the ninjas to face more dangers in order to obtain the so-called Ultimate Ultimate Weapon which was their only hope to defeat Meowthra. En route on their quest, Garmadon joined in the fray, leading to father and son getting to know each other more.

The animation in this installment of the Lego franchise maintains the same frenetic pace of bright images at full blast. The color-coded rendition of the Secret Ninja Force were reminiscent of "Power Rangers" (as with the inclusion of "The Power" in the score). Those mech (fighting robot) battle scenes had a "Transformers" style of close-up action cinematography. The scenes at the Temple of Fragile Foundations reminded me of "Kung Fu Panda" imagery. The inclusion of a live cat interacting with the animated city folk and structures of Ninjago must have been quite a challenge for the team to execute.

Several noted film actors are in the voice cast, although I cannot say that they were particularly distinctive. These were Dave Franco as Lloyd Garmadon, Justin Theroux as Lord Garmadon, Michael Peña as Kai (the Red Ninja of Fire), Olivia Munn as Lloyd's mother Koko, "Fresh of the Boat" couple Randall Park and Constance Wu also voice minor characters, Chen the Cheerleader and Mayor of Ninjago, respectively. Jackie Chan played the elderly man Mr. Liu in the bookend live action scenes, as well as voiced Master Wu.

Compared to the first two Lego movies, this one was not as interesting to watch because the formulaic story of an outsider turning into hero three times around is getting too redundant. The jokes were mostly juvenile, only mildly funny for adults, many even falling flat. The soundtrack sounded rather generic, except for a radical flute arrangement of GNR's "Welcome to the Jungle" by Master Wu.

The central story about an absentee father and his son was strewn with spoofs of every cliche in that familiar movie plot line. While it is still fun to watch, there is oddly no emotional connection that comes through, and for that the viewing experience flounders. 5/10

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Japan's 1st outdoor Legoland park opens in Nagoya

NAGOYA - Japan's first outdoor Legoland park opened in Nagoya on Saturday, with the major new attraction raising hopes that more foreign tourists will visit the area and deliver an economic boon to the country's third largest business region.

With children's tickets priced higher than Tokyo Disneyland's, Legoland Japan offers various rides inspired by the Danish construction toy and serves meals including whimsical block-shaped fried potatoes in the seaside premises.

"We want children from all over the world to come to Nagoya and make unforgettable memories," Torben Jensen, president of Legoland Japan Ltd., said at an opening ceremony.

Visitors can stroll down a miniature town, called Miniland, which has models of landmark buildings in Japan, such as Tokyo Station, Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto and a 2-meter-high Nagoya Castle.

Some 10 million pieces of Lego plastic blocks were used to complete the miniature town, according to the park's operator.

Children can drive go-karts, ride a roller coaster and take a "submarine" tour through a real fish tank in the 9.3-hectare park in the Kinjo Wharf area.

Jensen told reporters recently that the park's operator plans to expand the size of the premises, open a Legoland hotel and build new attractions to increase the number of repeat guests.

Legoland Japan will also enhance cooperation with foreign travel agencies that are contemplating selling package tours whose prices include entrance ticket fees, Jensen said.

A local think tank expects the new theme park could give an economic boost worth 96.8 billion yen ($865 million) to Aichi Prefecture, whose capital is Nagoya, and other areas in fiscal 2017 starting Saturday.

Ryoichi Namba, economist at the Chubu Region Institute for Social and Economic Research, said that the park, which is only 17 minutes by train from the Nagoya shinkansen bullet train station, will attract a lot of foreign tourists as only the second Legoland in Asia after one in Malaysia.

The institute urged the park's operator to make efforts to encourage guests to come back after their first visits by rolling out new projects and increasing investment to keep their business on track in fiscal 2018 or later.

Namba said "it is premature" to forecast how successful the new Legoland business will be in the long run, but there is a concern that the 5,300-yen ticket price for visitors aged between 3 and 12 could discourage repeat guests. Visitors aged 13 or older pay 6,900 yen.

Tokyo Disneyland, meanwhile, charges 4,800 yen for visitors aged between 4 and 11. Universal Studios Japan, a major amusement park in the country's second largest business area including Osaka, charges 4,723 yen for the same ages.

Japan already has Legolands in Tokyo and Osaka, but these are indoor theme parks located inside shopping malls. The Nagoya park, the first full-scale outdoor theme park of its kind in Japan, follows in the footsteps of seven similar parks abroad.

==Kyodo

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Lego ends Daily Mail toy giveaway after protest on migrant coverage

Danish toymaker Lego said on Saturday it would stop giving away free toys with Britain's Daily Mail, following a campaign to stop advertising in newspapers accused of discrimination in their coverage of migrants.

Lego has been criticized by Stop Funding Hate, an online campaign, for cooperating with the Daily Mail - a newspaper it accuses of portraying migrants negatively and spurring hatred before and after Britain's June referendum on EU membership.

"We have finished the agreement with the Daily Mail and are not planning any future promotional activity with the newspaper," the company wrote on Twitter in response to tweets by Stop Funding Hate.

The campaign says it "aims to tackle the culture of hate, demonisation and division that is poisoning our political discourse" and seeks support to persuade advertisers to pull their support of the Sun, Daily Mail and Daily Express newspapers.

Lego declined to specify the reason for ending its cooperation with the Daily Mail, but said in an email that it spends "a lot of time listening to what children have to say. And when parents and grandparents take the time to let us know how they feel, we always listen just as carefully."

"And we will continuously do our very best to live up to the trust and faith that people all around the world show us every day," it said.

A Daily Mail spokeswoman said: “Our agreement with Lego has finished and we have no plans around any promotional activity with Lego in the foreseeable future.”

She said their agreement had related only to a promotion and not advertising.

Lego achieved double-digit revenue growth in the United Kingdom last year. Its global sales grew by 25 percent to 35.78 billion Danish crowns ($5.2 billion) last year.

(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Additional reporting by Michael Holden in London; Editing by John Stonestreet and Dale Hudson)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Angry Birds maker, Lego sign toy deal

HELSINKI - Finland's Rovio said on Monday it had signed a deal with Danish toymaker Lego to launch a line of Angry Birds building blocks as a bid to revive its ailing licensing business based on the popular mobile game.

Rovio, whose 2014 earnings fell 73 percent due to a drop in licensing the Angry Birds brand on toys, clothing and sweets, said the release of the Lego toys would coincide with the premiere of its full-length Angry Birds movie in spring 2016.

The Angry Birds game, in which players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal birds' eggs, is the No. 1 paid mobile app of all time, but the brand has been losing appeal and Rovio has struggled to produce new hit games.

The company is hoping the upcoming 3D movie will help the toy business turn back to growth.

Rovio recently cut about 110 jobs, or 14 percent of its workforce.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Opening this weekend: PH's largest Lego display

MANILA – Over 250 original Lego creations and dioramas will be displayed in an exhibit set to open at Resorts World Manila this Saturday.

Titled “Brickxhibit 2015,” the event is organized by the Philippine Lego Users Group (PHLUG) and will run until May 3.

A day-long Lego convention will be held at the same venue on April 25, with activities and games for both young and adult fans of the interlocking toy bricks.

For more information, visit the Facebook page of PHLUG.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Pinoy 'Voltes V' fan makes Lego tribute

MANILA - A Filipino toy enthusiast has created a Lego tribute to the well-loved Japanese anime series "Voltes V," featuring the complete team and the iconic robot.

Arthur Tanseco, who works in Hong Kong, said he wanted to own a Lego set based on the popular anime and that his three sons loved the idea of being able to build and play with the "grandfather of MegaZords."

He added: "I specifically made this model to fit mini-figures as I wanted to maximize playability. The only challenge is that this will be a very big set, but well worth the investment."


Tanesco submitted his "Voltes V" tribute to the Lego Cuusoo Project or now known as "Lego Ideas," where fans submit and vote on ideas to be considered as future Lego products.

His design currently has about 290 out of 10,000 votes of support that it needs to get reviewed by the Denmark-based company, where it could become a legitimate set.

You can vote for his set by clicking here.

Through this crowd-sourcing method, Lego has already produced a host of unique products based on several television shows and iconic franchises such as the "Ghostbusters," "Minecraft," and "Back to the Future."

Last month, Lego made headlines when it revealed the set titled "Research Institute" -- a product of the Ideas project, which became the company's first offering to feature women in a professional setting.

"I sincerely hope that this can be considered for production," pleaded Tanesco.

Voltes V, which tells the story of humanity's battle against alien invaders from the planet Boazan, was first aired in the Philippines in the 1970s.

During the martial law years, it was banned, along with other robot-based anime, by then President Ferdinand Marcos supposedly for its excessive violence. The ban came in 1979 before the last five episodes of the anime could be shown.

In an interview last April, Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. explained why his father decided to ban the anime.

"It was actually the parents that worried about the violence that they were afraid might influence their children in a negative way," he said.

"There was a lot of private lobbying by all kinds of groups, parents-groups, and so I guess my father saw it prudent to acquiesce to their demands on an issue that was and still is not well understood," he added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Google makes world a playboard for Legos

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google on Tuesday began letting Lego lovers build with virtual color blocks in its Chrome web browser and then give creations homes in online maps of the real world.

 "There's something pretty amazing about being able to piece together your ideas with just a collection of colorful bricks," Google product marketing manager Adrian Soghoian said in a blog post.

"Well, we think the creative freedom of Lego bricks shouldn't be limited to plastic bins -- which is the idea behind Build with Chrome."

The browser application was originally built as an experiment by a team in Australia, but was opened to the public on Tuesday in an apparent tie-in to "The Lego Movie" due out in February.

"More than one million builders have explored the new world of Lego creations downunder and published 66,000 builds, demonstrating the possibilities of the web as a creative canvas," Google said at its official blog in Australia.

Versions of the Build application have also been tailored for Android-powered touchscreen smartphones or tablets with high-end graphics capabilities, according to Soghoian.

source: www,abs-cbnnews.com

LEGO Unveils Totally Insane Sopwith Camel Model

Though the bulk of Geekosystem’s LEGO coverage has been dominated by licensed sets from properties that are near and dear to our hearts, LEGOs are pretty amazing in their own right. Take the recently announced set number 10226, the Sopwith Camel. Why would anyone be interested in an 883-piece replica of a fighter plane from the first World War? Because it’s amazing, that’s why.

Designed for older LEGO builders as part of the Creator line, this Sopwith Camel has a number of new pieces that are designed with the LEGO modeler in mind. If you’re the kind of person that needs just the right color or just the right shape, this is a set for you. It’s also a hefty and impressive looking rendering of the famed fighter plane.

But by far the most impressive part of this model is that the control surfaces actually move, and are controlled by the model’s tiny joystick. What’s more, it does this not with gears or motors, but closer to how the actual Sopwiths were controlled: With string. Sure, it’s a bit of a needlessly pedantic addition, but if you’re going to make an over-the-top model you (obviously) need to go all the way.

Of course, a set like this won’t come cheap. It’s slated for a June release at $99.99. For those of you less interested in the full scale version, an adorable mini version will be released around the same time to promote its big brother.

source: geekosystem.com

Toymakers look to 80s, apps and Facebook for hits

NEW YORK — Coming off a year in which U.S. toy sales fell 2 percent, toymakers and buyers at the 109th American Toy Fair in New York are looking for the elusive runaway hit that failed to materialize in 2011.

The industry has reached back to the past hoping Ninja turtles and caring stuffed bears from the 1980s, accessories that play with the hottest gadgets of today and a cuddly dog that has scored fame on Facebook, will turn around flagging sales this year.

“Although the down economy still presents many challenges, at the end of the day, kids will always want the latest and greatest toys. Technology and value will continue to be key factors in purchasing decisions,” Jeremy Padawer, EVP of Marketing for Jakks Pacific Inc.

In 2011, gadgets like iPads and smartphones were top consumer sellers, and toy companies big and small are betting on “AppCessories,” playthings that come to life when hooked up to popular devices such as Apple Inc’s iPad, iPhone and iPod, to woo tech-savvy kids who have grown up playing on their parents’ smartphones or their own gaming consoles.

“It’s a nice way to bridge the generation gap because a lot of these games are games that adults are going to have fun playing too,” said Adrienne Appell, toy trends specialist with the Toy Industry Association, which runs the four-day toy fair and expects more than 33,000 people. That is up almost 4 percent from last year.

For example, Mattel Inc showed off its “Apptivity” line. It included many items such as the Hot Wheels Apptivity Car that allows kids to use iPads as race tracks. Mattel said a special anti-scratch technology on the vehicle ensures iPad screen surfaces go unscathed.

“In keeping with today’s tech-savvy families, this new category merges physical toy play with tablets,” said Chuck Scothon, senior vice president of marketing at Mattel’s North America unit.

Hasbro Inc has its “zAPPed” gaming platform. Privately held rivals such as Spin Master, Crayola, WowWee and Discovery Bay also had offerings in the appCessories arena.

But hits from the past, as well as toys made from basic fabric and stuffing, also vied for attention.

Nickelodeon and Playmates Toys revealed a new line of action figures, vehicles, ninja gear and other toys inspired by Nickelodeon’s new CG-animated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which is set to premiere in the Fall. The turtles first hit the small screen in 1987, according to their official website.

American Greetings Corp is relaunching another 80′s hit, Care Bear plush dolls, which are celebrating their 30th anniversary.

Other plush toys were on display as well.

Gund, one of the oldest plush toy makers in the United States, unveiled what could potentially be a runaway hit with dog lovers.

It launched the first plush version of the “Boo,” a Pomeranian that has over 3 million Facebook fans. Priced at $20, the plush toy won’t be available in stores until spring, but thousands have already preordered it on the company’s website.

“We saw Boo on Facebook. We thought it will translate really well,” Vince Smart, vice president of marketing at Gund, a division of Enesco LLC. Gund contacted Boo’s owner, who has chosen to be anonymous, on Facebook.

Cuddle Barn launched Beaver Plush, a collection of plush characters that come to life by singing popular songs. The 12-inch plush beaver features Justin Bieber’s hit song “Baby,” and a baseball cap tilted to the side.

Then there is Lego, the Danish toy maker whose colorful building blocks do well even during weak economic times.

Lego unveiled three new DUPLO concepts that were designed specifically for the U.S. market. It includes items such as “Read & Build”, a series of preschool board books and a collection of DUPLO bricks that, together, hope to make ‘read to me’ time more fun. Lego also displayed a new line for girls and a host of toys themed on movies such as “Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit,” and Marvel and DC Universe super heroes.

Shopper dynamics are still impacted by the economy, but we haven’t seen any alarming trends in consumers trading down,” said Soren Torp Laursen, president of Lego Americas.

There was also no dearth of toys supporting good causes.

MGA Entertainment is supporting the fight against cancer by launching new hairless versions of their hit doll brands, Bratz and Moxie Girlz, while Growums gardening kits from Preferred Commerce Inc encourage children to grow their own vegetables and eat healthy.

There was also a huge selection of toys based on movies, especially the two films from Marvel that are coming out this year: “The Avengers” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

source: interaksyon.com