Nickelodeon is pretty cool during this holiday season: The channel offers us a preview the first episode the new animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

So you have no more excuses, you can get an idea of ​​the quality of the series before spending all your money in the different sets.

For me, it's clear, no truck or lab, I just want the four turtles and basta.

If like me you are trapped in collectible minifig series, and you swear to quit but it's more than strong than you, then these few pieces of information are of interest to you:

LEGO has confirmed that starting with Series 9, boxes of 30 minifigs will be available to allow all those who want to acquire at least one complete series to do so without having to invest more than a hundred euros in a box of 60 minifigs. These logically more affordable boxes of 30 minifigs will contain at least one full set and 14 loose minifigs.

Amazon Italy has registered my pre-order for a box of 60 Series 9 minifigs, but the order tracking indicates that no precise date of availability can be communicated at this time. The product is now indicated as not available in the amazon.it catalog. The silver lining is that the merchant didn't cancel my order. However, most LEGO sets are still undeliverable elsewhere than in Italy. (See this article).

Amazon UK also references the box of 60 minifigs (available in direct link here), but no price or deadline is communicated for the moment.

The first series 9 sachets have just appeared in Great Britain in several stores of the WH Smith chain. We should therefore also see them arrive quickly in our regions (or on eBay ...).

Nothing either at Peek and Poke for the moment about this series 9. In response to one of my email requests, the merchant told me that I did not have any information about availability at the moment. from these minifigs to its catalog.

If you have any info or get your hands on these minifigs, don't hesitate to mention it in the comments.

On this Monday morning, I'm going to moan a little once again.

I told myself that I was going to write a summary of the different reviews of the new LEGO Star Wars products that are popping up all over the web. After all, many of you regularly claim that they help you with your buying decisions.

But I took a walk and I quickly gave up the idea: Youtube abounds with videos presenting these new sets, and even if what we see is enough to get an idea, most of them are technically distressing and are only put online to generate views, display ads, and make some money for their authors.

The height? hastily edited video reviews based on official visuals or photos found on Eurobricks and others ...

One of the few "filmmakers"of commented video reviews that find thanks to my eyes is Solid Brix Studios aka legoboy12345678. His reviews are clean and filmed properly. He has also just posted some cool videos of the latest Star Wars news.

I specify that the reviews of The Brickshow are out of competition. You take it as you want ...

As for photo reviews, we find everything, like here at Eurobricks in the LEGO Star Wars section, from a simple photo report on the chest of drawers in the living room to a philosophical essay (Brickset is a must). There are good things with humor and relevant content but again it is often posted in a hurry, just to be the first, to be able to claim the "First Review"and to gargle the obligatory thanks which then feed the topic.

Finally, the message is always the same, no surprises on it: It's great, the minifigs are pretty, the instruction booklet is nice, the price reduced to the piece is excessive, the box is pretty, run the buy, it will make you parts for your MOCs, it's super-playable, the flick-fire missiles are top, a rating of 92/50, a swoosh factor of 12,5, etc ... etc ...

You will understand, I am campaigning for a return to silent cinema and bubble-free comics.

To end on a positive note, I put here the pictures of the minifigs from sets 75013 Umbaran HMC (Mobile Heavy Canon) and 75001 Republic Troopers vs. Sith Troopers from Moexy's reviews on Eurobricks.

Ah, I also put here some ready-made answers, just to save time: "I just have to do them myself, I'm bitter, I'm mean, no respect ..."

And you can thank David who warns me by email of the existence of this competition open until December 19, 2012 on the site top-parents.fr. As you can see the endowment is substantial.

Simply complete the laborious registration form, read carefully the rules of the game and wait to be drawn.

Click on the image to access the Registration Form.

Following the first comments, I would add that the competition is only open to people residing in metropolitan France or DOM / TOM.

The Legends of Chima range is not yet available as it is already overdosed: Videos, visuals, leaks, mini site, endless teasers, sets System, spinning tops, action figures (Visual above unveiled by Bionifigs.com), etc ... This new in-house license covers the almost complete range of the manufacturer's offer, only a few Technic sets and one or two UCS are missing.

One thing is certain, LEGO is putting the package on this range which in principle should leave it a little more margin than products under third party licenses for which royalties must be paid to the rights holders. This is undoubtedly a question of restoring the balance between derivative products that generate guaranteed visibility and predictable sales (Super Heroes, Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit, TMNT, etc.) and products based on an original concept including LEGO controls all stages: Production, marketing, marketing ... This total control added to intellectual authorship over the developed universe obviously guarantees the best margins.

So, commercial success announced or major industrial accident in anticipation?

LEGO Legends of Chima Cragger Teaser Video

The future will tell, but at the start of 2013, LEGO will ensure a smooth transition with the end of the Ninjago range materialized by six sets marked with the words "The final battle"before launching Legends of Chima which obviously targets the same young customers of the brand. 
I put aside here the AFOLs and other TFOLs interested in this new range of which they are not a priority target. Their eventual enthusiasm alone will not be enough to ensure the success of this range.

Let us also be realistic about the playful alibis of the range: The Speedorz, ​​a species of hybrid tops-vehicles will not liven up the recreations and will not dethrone the Beyblade tops. And no one will ever play the Legends of Chima pseudo-card game. Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! still have a bright future ahead of them.

In recent weeks, LEGO has clearly shown its intentions and its desire to impose very quickly a whole new universe populated by strange characters and new stories that should revolve around the endless struggle of good against evil. But children are already extremely in demand by the various existing universes and it will be necessary to be very persuasive to attract the favor of young consumers who already have their favorite licenses on TV, in the cinema or in their favorite game consoles.

Shaking up these benchmarks is no easy task. We have to convince the children, who will play with these minifigs and these machines, but also their parents, who will pay for these sets and will have to come back to the cash register regularly to complete the kid's bestiary. They must be given cartoons, advertisements and other online mini-games, LEGO has also become a specialist in this type of diversified marketing plan by outsourcing these services and leaning on recognized specialists in their respective fields.

Some would say that if the Ninjago line has been convincing, Legends of Chima shouldn't have a hard time doing the same. But nothing is won in advance. The LEGO department is cannibalized by attractive licenses and Legends of Chima will inevitably lack a little charisma to fight effectively in the first months. LEGO will undoubtedly adapt its pricing policy to make the sets in the range financially attractive.

LEGO clearly feels in a strong position in its market, which the figures confirm, but the manufacturer is undoubtedly keen to maintain the right balance between derivative products and original creations. As if you had to show a certain ability to create and innovate rather than perpetually surfing on the success of others to generate profit. It is also the price to pay for maintaining control over one's own development without blindly relying on the performance of other players in the world of television and cinematographic entertainment.

2013 will tell us if this new range will be able to impose itself quickly as Ninjago did in 2011 or if LEGO will have to repackage its motorized crocodiles and return to the licenses better established with the young public.