In 2012, children can help explorers catch dinosaurs which have escaped in the jungle.
In 2012, children can help explorers catch dinosaurs which have escaped in the jungle.
Look out! A horde of dinosaurs is on the loose deep inside the jungle. They have escaped from an enclosure in which explorers had been holding them for the purpose of studying them. Now, young LEGO fans are being asked to catch the huge prehistoric monsters before they reach the city.
That’s the story behind the new product lines LEGO® Dino, which has just been launched globally. With the contents of the various sets, children can hunt dinosaurs on land, sea and in the air. The largest set in the series contains the explorers’ HQ.
“Obviously it is a fantasy line but still fairly realistic with types of dinosaurs which children already know – for example, tyrannosaurus rex (T. Rex) and triceratops,” says Laurence Dawes, design manager specialist at the LEGO Group.
Consumer tests showed that boys did not understand the more complex story the design team had originally thought up. On the contrary, they completely accepted that the dinosaurs had broken out of captivity and had to be recaptured by a team of explorers – for example, using tranquilizer darts and nets.
Laurence Dawes: “It’s quite a challenge developing products that children in that age group can build – and still think are cool. This time I think we’ve really come up with something that appeals to younger children, and we’ve produced a story they can relate to and understand.”
The designers have invested a lot of effort developing the dinosaurs, which typically comprise 9‑10 elements – although the very smallest dinosaurs have been moulded as one piece. The results are some heavy‑duty models which should be able to stand up to rough treatment when excited children play with them.