I have noticed the recent slide of Lego from being a platform for creative play to being a model-making, merchandising tool. Sets where you build a vehicle or scene from a movie are cool and all, but they are pricey, can kill creativity* and indoctrinate kids to the mass marketing consumer culture.
It’s nice to see that (at least in some small part) Lego has some corporate guilt and it redressing this (a bit). Of course, they’re probably just doing it to keep old farts like me happy, since I’m the one forking over wads of cash.
* Happy to report that my boy, even though he is keen that the vehicle should look like the one of the website or box, does then use it to engage in creative role-play.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)