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Comment by morelisp | Hacker News Reader

> The Friends Lego set seems to be in line with their investment in adult demographics, in the sense of being product lines that are decorative show pieces instead of play things.

What? The Friends sets are specifically designed to be for use as objects in play, and this is pretty obvious from looking at them (multiple disconnected builds per set, role-play focused themes, character designs). They're weak as decorative pieces compared to even the Creator line, let alone e.g the Architecture or Icon lines which are specifically designed for that.

https://www.lego.com/de-de/product/street-food-market-41701

Does that scream "adult desk toy" to you?

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Maybe parent meant this Friends: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/the-friends-apartments-10...

Yes I was. Thanks for plugging the link.

Huh! I have never see that in a store here, not even one of the official Lego stores.

It’s a Lego “Ideas” set which is where fans build example sets, other fans vote on them, Lego examines them, determines if they can get the license if needed, and then rebuilds them for production.

Very many interesting sets, and some are now in stores (saw the Lego Office set at a Walmart, can’t wait for that to clearance and I’ll grab it root sweet)

Lego Friends is also the name for a theme built in-house and designed to appeal to girls (though the sets are not overly ‘pink’ if you will, and quite well designed as a “city”) by replacing the mini figs with mini dolls that are more realistically proportioned. It has been very successful and arguably has replaced much of Lego City (the boys I know have no problem mixing mini figs and mini dolls, the girls prefer to keep to the mini dolls).

No, this is an Icons / "Creator Expert" set. The Central Perk set was an Ideas set (and I did see that in stores here), but nobody called that "the Friends set" because it's confusing.

This is all complex and confusing heh. I know there have been some ideas sets that were popular enough to have a few more “in the line” but icons is new to me.

Ah Icons is Creator Expert.

Interesting fact: the various “lines” have developmental budget they can “spend” internally on design and parts and such - so a rebrand may indicate that the CE team now has more budget.

Think a piece that exists costs 1, needing a new color of an existing piece costs 5, and you only have budget for one or two entirely new pieces a year.

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