Mighty Machines, puny pieces: this Lego set just makes me mad
Lego regularly adds new products to our range. I look forward to many of them, others make me raise an eyebrow. But the Mighty Machines set (42233) just makes me angry.
In my view, companies have every right to ride their success all the way to the bank. Go ahead. By now, we’ve all got used to rising Lego prices.
But Mighty Machines really takes the cake.
Time to whine about my guaranteed disappointment in the checkout aisle
Lego set 42233 isn’t one single set. No, no, much better! Each package contains one of eight models, chosen at random. All least that’s what it says on the box. When it comes to product development, Lego’s marketing team seems to have drawn inspiration from Forrest Gump: «Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.»
Of course, the boxes don’t reveal what kind of machine’s inside. This way, grandparents, parents and other relatives can gift it multiple times.
Great.
And a kid will be delighted when they unwrap the same toy over and over again.
Collecting is fun, after all. And what’s five euros/francs anyway?
You’re not serious, are you?
A whopping 44 pieces tumble out of the box. Unless I miscounted. But what kind? Well, mostly the classic plug-in connectors we’re used to seeing from Technic. Not a single big building block. Not one.
And all the sets are like this. I tried them out for you. Ordering online wasn’t an option, since I wanted to pick out different sets. I was allowed to pick them out myself from the inventory of a friendly local dealer.
The sets can be told apart by an additional code on the packaging. After all, Lego’s logistics would go crazy if all the packaging were 100 per cent identical. Hardcore fans know that, of course. But kids don’t.
At ten cents per piece, Lego is at least staying true to its pricing strategy. I’ll just have to deal with the forty euros I invested – after all, we’re talking about Mighty Machines here.
Goes over really well with the target audience
The target audience for this stuff are children ages seven and up. I’m clearly outside this range while running my test. But since I’m curious about how much fun the game is, I need a test subject. That person can tell me right then and there just how deep they can dive into the world of Technic.
But since I have no seven-year-old available, a friend’s 11-year-old son had to take the fall. Maybe that’s not entirely fair, he’s already a bit too old. In addition, my test subject has already assembled a few Lego sets in his lifetime. After four minutes, he finished his first machine. It ended up small and not powerful after all.
Each piece performs exactly one function. But that’s about it. These Mighty Machines might be a little too minimalist.
I’ll just quote my test subject: «This is total junk.»
It seems that Lego itself already suspected that the long-term play value might be rather limited, even for seven-year-olds. That’s why there’s one last surprise! Each model comes with a trading card. And thanks to the street printed on it, it’s not just for decoration. After all, customers should get their money’s worth. Following a QR code in the building instructions, Lego provides three A4 pages with the rules of the game. It actually takes longer to read it than to build the thing.
To play, you need three cards, each featuring the corresponding machines. (Please imagine the sound of a cash register ringing and evil laughs from the Lego marketing team here.)
I have no idea when the folks at Lego last connected with children aged seven and up. For younger kids, the construction site game in which the cards are laid out might be interesting for a short while.
For about two rounds or so.
A slip-up by Lego? Or simply a clear statement that the company no longer cares about its customers because fans will buy literally anything?
Hamburg local, bookworm, and ice hockey fan. Dad and granddad. Constantly tinkering around with my smart home setup. I love DIY, the outdoors, fashion, and cosmetics.
This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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