The first Lego constructor. LEGO history

Kosyakov Igor

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Moscow Department of Education

Southern District Department of Education of Moscow

STATE BUDGET EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

SECONDARY SCHOOL №546

PROJECT WORK

LEGO. FROM CREATION TO THE PRESENT

Student 3 "B" class GBOU secondary school No. 546

Date of birth: December 26, 2004

Home address: Black Sea Boulevard, 5/5/415

T.499-619-19-94

Head of work: Bazhutova Natalya Viktorovna,

teacher primary classes GBOU secondary school No. 546

MOSCOW 2013

ANNOTATION

Work theme: The history of the creation and development of the LEGO brand.

Head of work:Bazhutova Natalya Viktorovna

The Lego brand is the most famous in the world of toys today. But few people know that the Danish company began its history as an ordinary manufacturer of wooden products. And the first Lego toys were completely made of wood.

I was interested in the question of why an ordinary construction set, initially made of wooden parts, gained worldwide popularity and has been the number 1 brand for more than 80 years.

My goal:

Tasks:

summarize data;

Methods: collection and processing of information; sociological survey; analysis and synthesis of survey data.

Hypothesis:

Conclusions:

I acquired skills in working with information: looking for sources, analyzing data, drawing conclusions.

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………..…4

MY GOAL………………………………………………………………………………...4

TASKS………………………………………………………………………………………...4

METHODS………………………………………………………………………………..…4

HYPOTHESIS…………………………………………………………………..….4

STEPS OF WORK………………………………………………………………………………....4

1. HOW THE LEGO CONSTRUCTOR APPEARED……………………………..…5

1.1.Homeland of Lego………………………………………………………..…5

1.2.The beginning of the brand history……………………………………………..….5

1.3.Brand development………………………………………………………...6

2. APPEARANCE OF LEGO……….………………………………………….....8

2.1.New concept…………………………………………………….……..8

2.2 Lego these days…………………………………………………………....10

3. UNIQUENESS OF LEGO…………………………………………......11

3.1.Lego - parks………………………………………………….………………...11

3.2.Lego – computer games……………… ……………………………....12

4. QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE TOPIC OF THE PROJECT……………………………..….12

5.MY LEGO COLLECTION……………………………………………………………...13

CONCLUSIONS……………………………..……………………………………………………....17

INTERNET SOURCES……………………………………………………18

Introduction

When I was very little, I really loved multi-colored cubes, from which I could put together various objects. I was very interested in such toys, and for the first time I bought one of the Lego sets. Now I'm nine, and all my guests are surprised to see the amount of Legos in our house. I really like to assemble various things from Lego - cars, planes, ships, tanks, houses. One day I wondered, who came up with these amazing cubes? Who could so easily captivate me for several hours that I forget about everything in the world while playing?

My goal

study the history of Lego creation. Highlight the most significant events and facts in the development of the global brand.

Tasks

find the necessary information;
analyze sources of information about the brand;
highlight the most important facts;
conduct a survey on the project topic among 3rd grade students;
summarize data;
draw appropriate conclusions.

Methods : collection and processing of information; sociological survey; analysis and synthesis of survey data.

Hypothesis: Lego's popularity depends on its history.

Stages of work

I was collecting information about how Lego was born.
Summarized all significant facts of development.
Analyzed the relationship between factors and their impact on brand development.
I conducted a survey of 3rd grade students at our school on the topic of the project.
Drew the appropriate conclusions.

1. HOW THE LEGO CONSTRUCTOR APPEARED

1.1.

Homeland of Lego

1.2. The history of Lego dates back to 1932, when Ole Kirk Christiansen founded a company in Denmark producing ironing boards and wooden stepladders. There was a global crisis and the company was not doing well.

The beginning of the brand's history

1.3. One evening, a father found his 12-year-old son Goldfred in the workshop, where he was sorting out scraps of boards. It turned out that Godtfred used a penknife to cut cubes from the remains of wood, painted them, and then traded various things with the neighboring boys. My father realized that this could bring in income, and in addition to stepladders and ironing boards, he began making simple toys, planed from wood.

Brand development Having started making toys, Christiansen began looking for a name for his company, and in 1934 the word LEGO appeared, which came from two others - Leg and Godt, which together mean "play well." A few years later, the founder learned that the phrase “LEGO” itself is Latin for “I learn” or “I fold.” Obviously, this awareness had a serious impact on companies. At that time, only 7 people worked at LEGO, passionate carpenters who took great pleasure in creating new things. And they already cared about the quality of their products. Above their workplaces was an inscription: “Only the best is worthy.”

By 1936, the company already had a set of 42 different toys at its disposal. At the same time, all of them were already far from the cheapest pleasure (now Lego is, as before, quite expensive). At the same time, the company still continued to produce not only toys, but also other wood products.

But in the early forties, Ole’s family suffered grief. First the wife died, and then, in 1942, the Christiansen factory burned to the ground. However, every cloud has a silver lining. The fire gave impetus to the fact that the newly built factory focused exclusively on toys, and the number of workers increased to four dozen.

1947 was a landmark year for Lego. At first, the idea was “borrowed”, and then a patent was acquired to use the development of a child psychologist from England, Hillary Page. It consisted in the fact that a small plastic cube could be connected to others similar to it, and thus it was possible to assemble small structures. Godtfred convinced his father of the need to buy a plastic production line worth 30 thousand crowns. To understand the cost, let’s look at the cost of the most expensive Lego toy at that time: 36 crowns for a cargo van.

In 1949, Lego began producing its own bricks. They could be folded and, most importantly, attached to each other. However, not as strong as we would like: the structures turned out to be quite fragile. Therefore, it was patented in 1958 new system fastenings Cubes with sloping edges in the form of a roof were also developed. By that time, Lego constructors were already known and very popular in Europe. It was in 1958, after the death of his father, that Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, who for a long time was ideological inspirer Lego took control of the company into its own hands.

In 1960, the company's workshop producing wooden toys under the Lego brand burned down. The company came to the conclusion that they would not resume their production, and the renovated workshop would be engaged in plastics. By that time, LEGO was already selling 50 of its construction sets in many countries around the world. And in 1962, the private LEGO airline (LEGO) was opened. Designers began to ship to the USA. By the mid-60s, the main Lego factory employed more than half a thousand people.

2. APPEARANCE OF LEGO

2.1. New concept

In 1963, the material used to make the cubes was changed to a new non-toxic material that does not discolor, is less susceptible to deformation, and is still used today. It is curious that the bricks made in those years, after almost half a century, retain their color, shape and are able to adhere to modern Lego bricks. Then events developed rapidly, and the company achieved worldwide popularity. In the late sixties, the famous Lego train network appeared.

Invented in 1967, so beloved by children all over the worldcube DUPLO.

In 1973 it was developed famous logo Lego, which is known to most people on the planet today. After the appearance of the new logo, the company began to open production outside Denmark. The first country to host a LEGO factory was mountainous Switzerland.

By 1977, the LEGO company was headed by Ole Christiansen's grandson, Keld. By that time, LEGO had already produced many different sets for every taste, among which there were even to some extent technical solutions. At this time, sets containing figures with movable limbs appeared.

2.2. Lego these days

The range of LEGO (LEGO) grew by leaps and bounds.But the main thing is that consumers loved the products of this company. She was truly original, attractive, and interesting. In 1980, Lego lovers expressed their love for the company by building a huge 13.1-meter tower from this construction set. Impressive, isn't it? But don't think that this is the most high tower, created from Lego (LEGO). Not at all! At the end of the 90s, a 24-meter 88-centimeter LEGO tower was built in Moscow. She was included in the Guinness Book of Records. On April 16, 1986, the birthday of Queen Margaret of Denmark, the company was awarded the title of Royal Household Supplier. And in 1988, the world championship “Lego Cup” for building construction sets was held for the first time in Billund, in which 38 children from 14 countries took part.

3.LEGO'S UNIQUENESS

3.1.Lego parks

The first LEGOLAND park Billand in Denmark opened on June 7, 1968, its success exceeded everyone's expectations - in the first year the park welcomed

more than 625,000 happy visitors. Today LEGOLAND Billand worldwide famous park area of about one hundred thousand square meters, it is visited by almost one and a half million people every year. On average, each family spends approximately 6 hours in the park. Here you can truly plunge into the magical world of LEGO, experience unforgettable fairy-tale adventures, and build whatever your heart desires from LEGO!There are also 3 more LEGOLAND parks - in England, the USA and Germany.

3.2.Lego - computer games

In the nineties, Lego had a serious competitor - computer games. Therefore, the company was forced to look for a new niche in modern conditions. So, in 1998, Lego released three computer games. Two years earlier, Lego Media International was founded in London, the goal of which was to combine Lego materials and computer capabilities. The company is engaged in grandiose projects, constructing, for example, a castle consisting of 400 thousand parts. And here, of course, the Guinness Book of Records could not be avoided. At the dawn of the new century, an opera was staged in Italy about the life of the company, starting from its very birth. The company collaborates with famous director Steven Spielberg and produces popular games such as football and Harry Potter. And at the end of 2000, the British Toy Traders Association awarded the Lego designer the title of “Toy of the Century”.

4. QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE TOPIC OF THE PROJECT

On the topic of my project, I composed several questions and asked my classmates and students of other 3rd grades in our parallel to answer them. I got this form:

Your favorite toy is _________
Do you have a LEGO set? _Not really
Do you know the history of LEGO? _Not really
Do you like to assemble Lego according to instructions or according to your own ideas? _according to instructions _no
Would you like to know how it all began in the development of LEGO? _Not really

89 students took part in the survey. The results showed the following:

More than half of the children's favorite toy is LEGO
75% of respondents own a LEGO set
75% of respondents do not know the history of the designer LEGO
Half the guys are collecting LEGO according to the instructions, while the rest - according to their own plans
Three quarters of respondents would like to know how it all began in the development of the brand LEGO , the remaining guys are not interested in this.

Thus, you can understand that LEGO is a very popular construction set these days, allowing children to develop through play and constantly learn something new.

5.MY LEGO COLLECTION

It just so happens that I owe my passion and interest in LEGO to my parents and close people. In honor of some holiday or my birthday, they gave me Lego sets, and I already had a whole collection.

Horse transporter – given by parents for 2 years. I collected it together with my dad.

Sea port - gift from godmother

for 5 years. I collected it with my dad one evening.

Police station

My parents gave me this construction set for my seventh birthday. I assembled it myself over two days.

Police and Airplane - toys brother. Collected in the winter of 2013.

Race. My pride. I assembled them in 20 minutes at the dacha in the summer.

Star Wars. Grandfather's gift New Year 2012.

Ferrari. A gift on the occasion of winning a Karate competition in the spring of 2013.

Little people. My separate collection from various sets.

And a huge amount

conclusions

It was a valuable experience for me. While working on the project, I found out which country is the birthplace of Lego, what important events influenced its development as Lego became a world famous brand.
Having collected everything necessary information, I realized: the larger the company, the more complex and mysterious its history.
I acquired skills in working with information: looking for sources, conducting surveys, analyzing data, drawing conclusions.

Internet sources

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/LEGO#.D0.98.D1.81.D1.82.D0.BE.D1.80.D0.B8.D1.8F
http://www.topic.lt/miru_mir/53034-istorija-lego.html
http://www.memoid.ru/node/Istoriya_detskogo_konstruktora_Lego

Lego success story
Lego inheritance
Gender miscalculation...

The history of the iconic Lego brand dates back to a small carpentry workshop in the Danish village of Billund in 1932. Its founder, a simple carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen, tried to make ends meet by making ironing boards, stepladders, chairs... However, His Majesty Chance decided to dispose of the modest family contract differently.

Lego success story

Christiansen noticed that his son and first assistant Godtfred collected large shavings that vaguely resembled various figures, painted them and successfully exchanged them with his friends for things of children's interest. Ole Kirk's ingenuity prompted the Danish carpenter to expand the workshop's range of wooden toys. The pioneer of the new product line was a duck on wheels. The children's line of business was gaining popularity and began to bring in disproportionately greater profits compared to other products. Already in 1934, the carpentry workshop received the sonorous name Lego. The company owes its name to the same resourcefulness of Ole Kirk Christiansen. It was he who, based on the new direction of the workshop’s activities, connected the first two syllables of the Danish words “LEg GOdt”, which translated means “play well”. In addition, the chosen name became prophetic in terms of translation from Latin - “I collect”, as well as “I study”...

A more detailed dive into the success story of the Lego company reveals that the idea of the snap-together construction set was spied on by Mr. Christiansen Sr. English company Kiddcraft. Its founder, Harry Fischer, in the mid-40s of the last century, invented and patented cubes with four and eight protrusions on the surface for mutual connection. A trip to Foggy Albion in 1947 became fateful for the founder of Lego. In addition to acquiring a molding machine for the production of plastic parts - with the goal of diversifying the production of wooden toys with plastic ones - Ole Kirk Christiansen received permission to use samples of Kiddcraft toy building blocks.

He modified the design of the English designer and, using the newly acquired unit, launched “automatically interlocking bricks” into production. This is the long name that the first parts of modern Lego bore.

Lego inheritance

May 1, 1954 is considered the birthday of the world famous brand, since it was on this day that the Lego name was officially registered. The new manager of the company, the son of the founder Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, realized that the “highlight” of his products should be the creation of a fundamentally new system of creative children's games. The concept was based on the philosophy of multifunctional construction. In the form of Lego bricks, it opened up an inexhaustible source for realizing children's fantasies, from constructing earthly castles to constructing space stations. When the locomotive of the innovative system, called the Lego Play System, despite the imperfect adhesion of the bricks, found its enthusiastic consumer, Christiansen Jr. realized that he had found his “goose that lays the golden eggs.”

At the same time, a technical failure in the high-quality holding of Lego parts to one another for several years was a stumbling block for a full-scale ideological revolution in the world of children's construction sets. Raw materials for the production of cubes due to their chemical characteristics did not allow achieving high-quality mutual adhesion of parts. Technical part Godtfred managed to solve the problem thanks to the invention of a new system for connecting blocks of the “spike-tube” type, which is also used in modern Lego constructors. The issue with raw materials was resolved after successful experiments with ABC polymer. It is this type of plastic that allows the spikes and tubes to be securely fastened together. Based on the experiments carried out in January 1958, the painfully familiar design of the Lego brick was patented.

It is worth noting that all cubes produced since the receipt of this patent are fully connected to parts that come off the assembly line today. Such continuity becomes even more relevant due to the fact that one generation is simply not able to implement all possible combinations. It has been mathematically proven that more than 915 million combinations can be made from six 8-studded, single-color Lego.

Working for a small consumer forced the company’s employees to think through all sorts of options for “using” the cubes by young designers. Barium sulfate provides an invaluable service to Lego. It is this water-insoluble salt that is included in the plastic composition of all parts. It is non-toxic and is clearly visible on x-rays, allowing the cube to be quickly detected if swallowed. Lego figures are also designed to be accidentally swallowed. To avoid an attack of suffocation in such a situation, all “little men” are equipped with special holes.

Gender miscalculation...

The beginning of the 1970s greeted the company unkindly. The prohibitive level of popularity of the designer, which covered consumers like a tsunami, sharply decreased to a critical level. Tempted by market abundance, the buyer, fed up with Legov’s bricks, began to look elsewhere. However, the third generation of the Christiansen family, Mr. Kjell, was able to breathe new life into production. The grandson of the company founder made a serious shift in emphasis in the concept of the gaming system. The basic line of universal construction sets aimed at developing children's imagination was supplanted by the creation of a whole complex of narrowly focused thematic sets. In addition, the transport series was provided electric motors. These conceptual innovations have borne fruit. Since the start of the next decade, the company's revenue has grown an average of 10% per year.

At the same time, the company’s serious miscalculation was its attempt to reach new consumers using the gender factor. The Scala set, designed specifically for little coquettes, did not find a response in their hearts and was soon discontinued, causing considerable losses.

Anti-crisis management “Legov’s way”

Subsequently, the European Court finally legalized their activities, ruling that the design of a Lego brick cannot be a trademark, since it exclusively technical function. Taking advantage of this decision, the niche of constructors a la Lego began to be filled by serious gaming giants, depriving the Lego Group of a comfortable environment for successful business monopolies.

In the early 1990s, management miscalculations in assessing the market and a serious increase in competition marked the beginning of a long-term management crisis. The era of computer games has made it worse. 1998 brought a kind of anti-record - the company's losses amounted to $48 million. Anti-crisis management led to the dismissal of more than a thousand older employees, the creation of a mini-film studio for filming cartoons with Lego characters, the development of a line of programmable robots, which made it possible to significantly increase the consumer age limit, as well as the opening of the production of related products, including clothing, etc. Thus, an attempt to keep up with trends " fast world"and diversify capital led to a shift in production focus from the design direction to other, often alien to the company, business areas. As a result, the pursuit of innovation almost brought the Lego Group to a sad bankruptcy procedure.

The turning point in determining the future of the company was the statement by the director of strategic development, Jorgen Knudstorp, that none of the innovations in the Lego Group was profitable, and the management system was not effective.

At the initiative of Mr. Knudstorp, the Lego Group got rid of the ballast of non-target and unprofitable business areas, relocated production to countries with cheap labor force, has established an online scheme for exchanging ideas with its clients. An important stage was the revival of the traditional Lego gaming system, as well as a return to the classic design and size of the bricks.

The measures turned out to be effective. After a long dive, the company managed to return to the ranks of serious players. According to Lego Group Vice President John Goodwin, the company's net profit in 2015 increased by 31% and reached DKK 9.2 billion.

40 trillion cubes to the moon

Confirmation of the newfound status of a gaming heavyweight for the Lego Group is that the Guinness Book of Records is replete with all sorts of “achievements” of spike-and-tubular parts: a 545-meter Lego railway, a 30-meter tower, full-size working cars, printing printers, Amur tiger life-size... The scope of application of bricks seems limitless.

According to scrupulous calculations by company employees, the total production of various design elements for all years of production exceeds 760 trillion pieces. Only the number of released animated Lego figures is rapidly approaching the population of our planet... The gigantomania of the Lego Group management prompted the company to carry out mathematical calculations, according to which a tower of 40 trillion Lego cubes will reach the moon.

Fortune magazine, paying tribute to Lego's status as the best toy of the century, allowed itself a very truthful joke, writing that of the countless bricks scattered throughout to the globe, “almost certainly 10 billion are stuffed under couch cushions, and another 3 billion are inside vacuum cleaners.”

Lego dividends for owners who have played enough

Of course, innovative technologies coupled with a competent business ideology are the key to a successful future. British financial analysts have done practically sensational statement. According to them, people who purchased Lego 15 years ago, if sold today, will earn more than those who invested in gold and stocks during the same period. For example, a construction set from the Star Wars series called the Millennium Falcon, the market price of which in 2007 was about 342 pounds, today can be purchased from “played enough” owners for 2.7 thousand pounds, which is equivalent to 280 thousand rubles... It turns out that that Lego is like good cognac. Over the years it only increases in price.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1932 in Billund (Denmark). Initially, the company specialized in wooden furniture and toys, and later began producing construction sets made from special plastic blocks. Today, LEGO play sets are among the most sought after and popular in the toy industry. In addition to classic construction sets, the LEGO company produces themed sets (including those based on movies) and computer games.

Name

The name LEGO comes from the Danish words "LEg GOdt" ("to play well, to play with pleasure"). Later it turned out that this word is translated from Latin as “I put together,” which perfectly reflects the main idea of LEGO constructors.

LEGO history

1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter and joiner, founded his own company in Billund (Denmark). His company produces stepladders, ironing boards, chairs and wooden toys. His son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, has been working in the family business since he was 12 years old.

1934 Christiansen's company has approximately 7 employees. The first line of toys under the LEGO brand appears. Soon the company itself changes its name in accordance with the brand.

1935 LEGO produces a Kirk's Sandgame playset and a wooden duck on wheels that has become very popular. In addition, the company offers clothes hangers “Dagny Holm design”.

1936 Gottfried decorates the workshop with his father's motto, “Only the best is good enough.” LEGO is releasing a new toy, Numskull Jack on the goat, which has become a highlight of the year.

1937 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen turns 17 years old. He begins creating models for LEGO.

1939 The factory employs 10 employees. "Only the best is good enough" becomes LEGO's official slogan.

1939 Denmark is occupied by the Germans. Gottfried does not go to study in Germany, as previously planned, but becomes a manager in his father's company.

1942 The LEGO factory burns down, but production of wooden toys can be resumed quite quickly.

1943 The factory employs 40 employees.

1946 LEGO becomes the first company in Denmark to purchase special equipment for the production of plastic toys and parts for them. The cost of the device is 30 thousand Danish kroner, the company's income this year reaches 450 thousand Danish kroner. The purchase of equipment turns out to be completely justified.

Product of the Year: wooden LEGO bricks with “decorations” - letters and numbers.

1947 LEGO now has The Windsor SH Plastic Molding Machine, a plastic molding machine. As a sample, six series of wooden toy animals are produced and exported to India.

Products of the year: plastic ball for children and educational game "Monopoly".

1948 The factory employs 50 employees.

Product of the Year:"A game of Tiddlywinks".

1949 LEGO produces about 200 different plastic and wooden toys, including the first construction sets - the predecessors of modern LEGO construction sets. They are sold exclusively in Denmark. Branded four-color packaging has appeared.

Products of the year: the first Automatic Binding Bricks with four and eight studs, plastic fish, plastic sailor.

1950 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen turns 30. He was appointed junior vice president of the company.

Product of the Year: three sets of plastic bricks that are sent to kindergartens.

1951 The first film about LEGO was shot (cameraman and director - Christian Lund) - black and white and without sound. Plastic toys account for half of the company's output.

Products of the year: a building made of bricks (base area - 10x20 studs), a plastic Ferguson tractor, which can be assembled and disassembled.

1952 Ole Kirk Christiansen plans to expand the company and build a new plant. The company has its own canteen.

Product of the Year: large plastic and wooden cars.

1953 The Automatic Binding Bricks get a new name – LEGO Mursten. The signature LEGO logo is printed inside each piece. An application for trademark registration has been filed.

Products of the year: « Gift box", including a plastic Chevrolet car.

1954 The LEGO trademark was officially registered on May 1st. Gottfried Kirk Christiansen goes to England and meets a purchasing agent on a ferry, with whom he communicates about toys. After this, Gottfried came up with the idea of creating a LEGO system.

Products of the year: windows and doors for LEGO constructors.

1955 The company improves the bricks and launches a revolutionary project – “LEGO System of Play”. This is a fundamentally new gaming platform. Gottfried demonstrates it at the toy fair in Nuremberg (Germany), where it receives many positive feedback. LEGO begins its first real export - to Sweden.

Products of the year: 28 play sets and 8 cars plus additional elements.

1956 LEGO Spielwaren GmbH becomes distributor in Germany.

Products of the year: cyclists and motorcyclists (small plastic figures of men).

1957 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen becomes Managing Director of LEGO. Invented new way adhesion of bricks. The LEGO Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Products of the year: international and Danish flags, LEGO bricks glowing from within.

1958 A new block communication system – “pins and tubes” – has been patented. It makes the models more stable. Gottfried Kirk Christiansen becomes head of the company, which by that time has 140 employees. Product of the year: slanted bricks (tiles).

1959 Futura, LEGO's development department, consists of five employees. A market analysis department and its own photo studio appear. Technological equipment the company has been significantly improved and partially automated. LEGO toys are sold in France, Great Britain, Belgium and Sweden.

Product of the Year: Bilo-fix (combination of wood and plastic).

1960 A warehouse of wooden LEGO toys burns down. A decision was made to discontinue their production. The company employs 450 employees. LEGO sets are sold in Finland and the Netherlands.

Product of the Year: bricks with numbers.

1961 The LEGO product range includes 50 play sets and 15 Vehicle, as well as various additional elements. Sales start in the USA and Canada under a license agreement with Samsonite Corporation. Product supplies to Italy are being established. Gottfried Kirk Christiansen buys a small Piper Apache plane, and a landing site is established in the immediate vicinity of Billund.

Products of the year: kit " Big city", Terapi line for preschoolers.

1962 The LEGO Wheel line has been relaunched. Sales start in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Morocco and Japan.

1963 LEGO production begins to use ABS, a special plastic that provides better adhesion to parts. Sales start in Austria, and INTERLEGO AG is created in Switzerland.

Product of the Year: London Bus toy (London bus).

Gottfried Kirk Christiansen lists the characteristics that every LEGO product should have:

1. Unlimited game potential.

2. Suitable for girls and boys.

3. Suitable for all ages.

4. Suitable for any season.

5. Healthy and calm games.

6. You can play for a long time - even several hours.

7. Development of imagination and creativity.

8. The more LEGO bricks, the better.

9. Additional elements and kits are always available.

10. The quality is visible in every detail.

1964 In addition to the core and special LEGO sets, a line of models is being launched. First sales in the Middle East (Lebanon). LEGO bricks are on display in the Danish Pavilion at the New York World's Fair. A new LEGO factory opens in Germany.

Products of the year: car models, Jumbo line (together with the Samsonite brand).

1965 First sales in Spain. The company employs more than 600 people.

Products of the year: special “tile” bricks, a set of doll furniture.

1966 The company's product range includes 57 sets and 25 vehicles. In one year, 706 million LEGO elements were produced. Branded construction sets are sold in 42 countries around the world.

Products of the year: battery-powered railway, light bricks.

1967 At this moment there are 218 various elements LEGO (not counting color variations). 19 million LEGO sets are sold every year. A wheel for small toy cars was invented.

Products of the year: biplane, motorized trucks.

1968 LEGOLAND amusement park opens in Billund. On the first day it attracts 3,000 visitors. The LEGO Group introduces its first computer, the NCR 390, costing DKK 85,000. First sales in Latin America(Peru and Curacao).

Product of the Year: Jeep (project by Kjeld Kirk Christiansen).

1969 LEGO DUPLO range for children under five launched on international level. The first film about the LEGOLAND park appears. Start of production of PVC tires for LEGO cars.

Product of the Year: 12 volt motor for trains.

1970 LEGO employs approximately 1,000 people in Billund.

Products of the year: colored gears for models, LEGO Impulse boxes cars.

1971 A new plastic molding workshop has been opened. Minitalia, the first and main competitor of LEGO, appears in Italy.

Products of the year: a line of furniture and dishes for a doll’s house, the book “We Play with LEGO.”

1972 The license agreement with Samsonite (USA) ends. The company has its own PR department. Sales are launched in the Czech Republic. To date, almost 2 billion LEGO bricks and other elements have been produced.

Products of the year: new cars for the LEGOLAND park, re-launch of electric trains.

1973 A new LEGO logo appears, uniting all of the company's products under one label. Sales begin in Eastern Europe(Hungary). Firms were opened in the USA and Portugal. German psychologist Karin Grossman writes the book “Get More with LEGO!” — Scientific research 200 children playing with the legendary construction set.

Products of the year: boats for LEGOLAND park.

1974 The LEGOLAND amusement park features a LEGO replica of the famous Mount Rushmore. Founded in Spain.

Products of the year: LEGO men, Car and Caravan line.

1975 The LEGO company employs 2,500 people. English becomes the official corporate language.

Products of the year: The Expert Series and Moon Landing lines.

1976 A LEGO monument was unveiled in Billund (sculptor Robert Jacobsen).

Products of the year: Harley Davidson motorcycle, LEGO VILLE line.

1977 Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, grandson of the company's founder, joins the management of the LEGO Group. The DUPLO plant in Billund becomes independent.

Products of the year: LEGO TECHNIC line, DUPLO men.

1978 Designed by new principle– “System within a System” (“System within a System”). The DUPLO rabbit logo appears. The first LEGO Road Show takes place in Dayton (Ohio, USA), which later becomes worldwide.

Products of the year: USS Constellation and The Castle lines.

1979 Kjeld Kirk Christiansen has been appointed President and CEO of INTERLEGO A/S. The DUPLO logo is registered as an independent trademark.

Products of the year: FABULAND and SCALA lines.

1980 An educational products department has been created.

Products of the year: toys for newborns DUPLO, sound elements DUPLO.

According to a survey, by the early 1980s, 70% of Western European families with children under 14 years old had LEGO construction sets in their homes.

1981 The LEGO World Show has opened in Denmark.

Products of the year: special educational program of 22 elements.

1982 The LEGO Fiction department has opened, and the company itself is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Products of the year: educational lines DUPLO Mosaic and Technic I.

1983 There are 3,700 LEGO employees worldwide.

Products of the year: DUPLO rattles, DUPLO trains, FABULAND books.

1984 Subsidiaries were founded in Brazil and Korea. McDonald's is partnering with LEGO for joint promotions in the US and Canada.

1985 The LEGO Prize (an annual international award for exceptional efforts on behalf of children) is founded. The company has 5,000 employees. Collaboration with Professor Seymour Papert begins.

Products of the year: DUPLO farm, LEGO Technic line, New episode LEGO trains.

1986 The LEGO Group has been awarded the title of Supplier to Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark.

Products of the year: DUPLO Family line, computer system controls for LEGO models.

1987 The company has 6,000 employees. LEGO products are sold in 115 countries. Korean climber Yong Hu leaves a LEGO man at the top of Everest.

Products of the year: monorail for LEGOLAND park, DUPLO Playboard line.

1988 The first official world championship in LEGO building is being held. The Art of LEGO exhibition is touring the UK.

Products of the year: lines DUPLO Circus, DUPLO Plane, Forest People, Black Star.

1989 Dr. Seymour Papert becomes head of LEGO Education and Research. It's now called LEGO Dacta (from the Greek word for "study"). The first LEGO Dacta Center opens at LEGOLAND.

Product of the Year: The Pirate line.

1990 The LEGO Group is recognized as one of the world's 10 largest toy manufacturers, the only one in Europe (the others are located in the USA and Japan).

Product of the Year: DUPLO Zoo line.

1991 The company has 7,550 employees. The number of molding machines in the five LEGO factories reaches thousands.

Products of the year: Ships, Flex-system elements and 9-V train lines.

1992 Two Guinness records at once: 545 meters railway LEGO and a castle made of 400 thousand LEGO bricks. Subsidiaries were opened in Japan and Hungary. The first LEGO exhibition in Russia.

Product of the Year: LEGO DUPLO Toolo line.

1993 The building of the GUM department store on Red Square in Moscow is decorated using LEGO constructors. The children's clothing brand LEGO Kid's Wear was launched.

1994 A subsidiary was opened in Mexico. IN Space center The LEGO exhibition “Journey into Space” has opened in Houston (USA).

Products of the year: LEGO Belville and DUPLO playhouse lines.

1995 Gottfried Kirk Christiansen has died. Weekly LEGO TV programs are broadcast in Latvia and Lithuania. The company participates in exhibitions around the world.

Products of the year: LEGO DUPLO PRIMO, LEGO FreeStyle, LEGO SYSTEM Aquazone lines.

1996 The website www.lego.com was launched. The LEGO SYSTEM line (Time Cruisers, Western, Exploriens) is developing.

1997 The LEGO Imagineering Center opens in Disneyland, Florida, USA. First The educational center LEGO MINDSTORMS launches at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, USA. A major LEGO event in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow attracts more than 300 thousand participants, mostly children.

1998 In the LEGO universe, the slogan "Just Imagine..." appears. The company begins cooperation with the Danish publishing house Egmont Group to produce books for children.

1999 LEGO opens its own online store. Products of the Year: Lines Star Wars and Winnie the Pooh and Friends.

LEGO bricks were named one of the "Products of the Century" by Fortune magazine.

year 2000. The British Toy Association calls LEGO the Toy of the Century. The LEGO Group begins to actively interact with major film studios: the LEGO Harry Potter line has been launched. In addition, LEGO collaborates with Steven Spielberg.

year 2001. LEGO My World receives prestigious award for the best in Germany software, and a robot from the LEGO Mindstorms line is sent from the International space station into Earth's orbit.

Products of the year: LEGO BIONICLE and LEGO DUPLO dolls lines.

2002 LEGO brand stores open in Cologne (Germany), Milton Keynes (UK) and Moscow (Russia). LEGOLAND amusement park is also opening in Germany.

2003 The first film based on the BIONICLE line, “Mask of Light,” was a great success at the box office.

2004 Jørgen Vig Knudstorp has been appointed as the new general director companies. LEGO begins to collaborate with Ferrari and releases sets based on the world famous racing cars.

2005 year. LEGOLAND theme parks have been sold to Merlin Entertainments. The site www.lego.com allows you to create your own models and then buy online elements, necessary for their creation.

2006 www.lego.com has over 8 million unique monthly visitors. A new and significantly improved version of the LEGO robotics system has been launched. The board game Parcheesi appears.

2007 The LEGO Group is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The LEGO Club has approximately 2.5 million members. Signed license agreement with Lucasfilm Inc., the LEGO Indiana Jones line will soon launch.

2008 The signature LEGO brick is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A huge model of the Taj Mahal Palace has been created, consisting of 5922 elements. On this moment This is the largest LEGO building.

year 2009. The LEGO Group is recognized as the world's fifth largest toy manufacturer. In collaboration with Warner Bros. the first in the world is being created Feature Film based on LEGO bricks and men. In the same year, multi-year partnerships with Disney and Pixar began.

Product of the Year: LEGO Games – Series board games, which can be played by the whole family.

2010 The first online LEGO Universe game has launched. The world's largest LEGO mosaic was created in London (dimensions 15.3 x 6.4 meters, consists of 384 thousand LEGO bricks).

Products of the year: Prince of Persia and Atlantis lines.

2011. LEGOLAND amusement park opened in Florida (USA). The LEGO Group is recognized as the world's third largest toy manufacturer.

Products of the year: LEGO Technic Unimog and LEGO Ninjago lines.

year 2012. Organizational changes are being made at the LEGO Group aimed at the future growth of the company.

Product of the Year: New LEGO Friends line, aimed at girls aged 5 to 8 years old.

Official site: www.lego.com

Russian language site: www.lego.com/ru-ru

Today it is difficult to find a family that does not have at least one Lego set - the products of the Lego company are known to children all over the world. The bright and eye-catching details of this construction set allow the child to completely immerse himself in the world of his fantasies and make them come true.

Now Lego constructors can be bought on any continent and in almost every country, and their scope of application is much wider than children's games and includes the creation of educational aids for schooling, construction of real Lego cities, launch current models robots, and even participation in space developments. And all this is accessible to both the youngest children (the minimum age for which Lego sets of the Duplo series are created is 3 years), and adults who are interested in construction (Lego constructors do not have a maximum age limit).

Why were these simple construction toys able to win the love of many, many generations of children around the world? How did it happen that Lego became so popular in the world? The answers to these questions lie in the history of Lego, in how this company treated its products, what goals it set for itself and how it sought to achieve them.

Lego history

Start of the company

And it all started back in 1932 in a small European country- Denmark. Carpenter and carpenter Ol Kirk Christiansen decided to found his own company, which for the first 17 years of its existence produced ladders and ironing boards, and besides this, wooden children's toys, which were very popular with children of that time, because plastic had not yet been invented. It is toys for children that have become the main direction of development of Kirk Christiansen's company, and that is why the company's name is associated with children. The word "LEGO" comes from the phrase "leg godt", which in Danish means "play with pleasure". It was the joy that his toys brought to children that became main goal, which was put in front of his company by Kirk Christiansen, and then by his son, Godtfred, who became his father’s main assistant at the toy factory.

The development of science and industry has made possible use plastics for the production of things for everyday household use, including children's toys. Therefore, since 1947, the Lego company began making not only wooden, but also plastic toys. While it was not the highest quality plastic - it quickly lost its color, and the edges of the parts quickly rubbed off from rubbing against each other. But appearance Lego parts were created immediately and forever, and it was the universal principle of attaching parts to each other that made the Lego company the most popular among children all over the world.

The secret of such popularity is very simple - Kirk and Godtfred Christiansen really wanted to bring joy to children - not just make toys, but make toys that children would like. Therefore, before starting production plastic construction sets, they turned to child psychologist– to Mr. Hilary Harry Fisher Page, who lived in England. Mr. Fisher Page, based on his experience working with children, created the first plastic cube that could be attached to an unlimited number of similar cubes in the same way. It was these cubes that became the basis of the now famous Lego constructor.

The emergence of modern parts and Legoland

But at first, plastic toys were not very popular, neither with children nor with their parents. The fact is that the plastic was not of very high quality - it smelled, lost color, and wore off. Wooden toys were much more durable and safe. But father and son Christiansen did not lose hope - after all, they wanted to create the most popular toy in the world, capable of bringing pleasure to children of all ages. Therefore, the Lego design was constantly improved and in 1958 the Christiansens themselves developed a modern Lego part - absolutely identical to the parts that are sold now. That is, Lego parts released in 1958 can easily be combined with parts released in 2000 or 2015.

Unfortunately, in the same 1958, the founder of the company, Ol Kirk Kristansen, died, and Godtfred Christiansen became the head of the company. Under his leadership, Lego has abandoned the production of wooden toys since 1960, devoting all its efforts to the development of plastic construction sets as a material with much greater capabilities. Thanks to research in chemistry, plastics are becoming better and safer. Since 1963, the Lego company began to use modern plastic - the so-called ABS plastic. This material does not lose color, does not smell and practically does not wear off when used. Parts from 1963 still adhere perfectly to modern ones. The further history of Lego is connected with the use of these parts in the creation of various sets and the implementation on their basis of the craziest ideas of their time.

That is, exactly 1963 is the year of creation of such a Lego part as we know it in our time. At this time, children in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and the USA can choose from 57 ready-made Lego sets and 25 individual cars. The created series of Lego trains in various options execution. By the way, for Lego cars and trains in 1966-1968, engines were specially developed that a child could use at his own discretion and construct various vehicles based on them. In 1969, Lego constructors were already produced in quantities of more than 700 million pieces per year, including the Lego series for the little ones, invented in the same year - LEGO DUPLO - this is the same Lego, but enlarged 8 times.

1968 is famous for another event in the history of Lego - this is the year of the opening of the grandiose amusement park - Legoland. This park covers an area of 59 hectares, which is approximately the size of 100 football fields. And all this space is reserved for a whole city, assembled from Lego parts known to everyone, even cars, trains and ships are made from Lego blocks. There were no such amusement parks in Europe at that time and there still aren’t. Today, millions of families from all over the world come to Legoland every year to immerse themselves for a few hours or even a few days in the exciting world created throughout the history of Lego. Legoland even has its own hotel with almost 130 rooms, where you can stay for several days.

About the first period of Lego's history - from the founding of the company, the appearance of the first parts of the designer, the development of a universal part, the creation of various sets, from the opening of Legoland and the increasing popularity of Lego throughout the world - the cartoon Lego Story was filmed, telling about the history of Lego from 1932 to 1968. This cartoon is worth watching not only for children who are interested in Lego, but also for their parents. This will provide an opportunity not only to learn about the development of one of the most successful companies in the world, but also to get to know the world of your children better, understand their hobbies and realize their fantasies and creative potential.

Lego figures - a new era of Lego

It’s hard to believe now, but those models and sets that are very popular today among children in most countries of the world were invented by Lego developers back in the 70s. A special role in the development of new ideas was played by the grandson of the creator of the Lego company, Kirk Christiansen, Kield Christiansen. It was he who came up with the Lego Technic series, the parts of which were connected in new ways that were unusual for Lego lovers. Lego Technician was intended for children school age and was a great help in developing technical skills.

Another breakthrough in Lego ideas, which occurred in 1974, while Kird was at the head of the company, was the appearance of Lego figurines (since 1992, Lego figurines were called Lego System). At first, the little figures could not move their arms and legs, but already 4 years after their birth - in 1978 - they had such an opportunity. It was Lego figures that allowed children not only to construct anything from identical parts, but to create their own worlds populated by inhabitants. Without Lego minifigures, the series of the most popular designer in the world today would hardly be as diverse. How can you imagine the Star Wars series without Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader, the Castle series without knights, and the City series without city residents? It was their own heroes who gave the Lego company a second chance, when in the 90s children became seriously interested in computer games and lost interest in ordinary toys.

Widespread computerization practically deprived traditional construction sets of popularity, and Lego suffered losses until 2001. But any crisis is always the basis for the emergence of something new, and the story of Lego is a vivid example of this. The development of new technologies marked the beginning of a new life for the company. In addition to the continued emergence of new series based on classic Lego parts, new versions of construction sets are being created, for example, Lego Bionicle, and a little later – Lego Ninjago. They very quickly become popular with children.

In addition, Lego was able to use its figures to expand the ability to master new technologies - computer games, animation and films. If at first computer games prevented Lego constructors from gaining popularity among children, then since the creation of the first Lego game for the computer (Lego Island), everything has changed. Lego games have become very popular among children and to date, 55 games have already been created for different Lego series, in different genres of games and with different plots. The same thing happened with cartoons and movies. If in the 90s the idea of making a cartoon with the participation of the same type of plastic men would have been received with surprise, then in the 2000s, when such cartoons appeared, both children and adults really liked them, since they were filmed using modern technologies and had learning potential and were interesting. Currently, you can watch more than 25 animated films featuring Lego characters.

Lego and space

It seems incredible, but Lego parts are so versatile, their scope of application is so wide that in addition to creating real vehicles, buildings and household items in Legoland, Lego parts have recently been used in space! It's about about a Lego robot from the MINDSTORMS series, specially designed to work on a space station.

The history of the appearance of this robot is as follows:

In 2001, the Lego company announced a competition to create a Lego robot that could function in zero gravity and perform some useful task on a space station. 124 Lego lovers from among the most different corners Earth. Their robots went through a rigorous selection process, and from 10 finalists, only one winner was chosen - a robot called Jitter, created by Conrad and Bastian Schwarzbach. Jitter went into space and demonstrated to the whole world the inexhaustible possibilities that are available to every owner of a Lego constructor. Using standard light sensors and a processor, Jitter could navigate the space of the ship and collect objects floating in zero gravity, thereby relieving the astronauts of the hassle of “catching” them. As a reward, the creators of the Lego astronaut robot were given the opportunity to observe its work during two direct communication sessions with the space station.
This story has become the embodiment of the dream of the creators of the Lego company - to make a toy that will be interesting and which will always be a pleasure to play not only for children, but also for adults. This is amazing, but any inhabitant of the planet could assemble such a robot as Jitter, having a very small set of parts and not having very serious knowledge of programming. The Jitter design does not have non-standard solutions, and today any schoolchild can bring this project to life. This is exactly what the organizers of the competition tried to achieve - to demonstrate to the whole world that human creative possibilities know no bounds, that a few pieces of plastic combined with modern technologies, make everything possible!

Lego now

Now the Lego company is the absolute leader among toy manufacturers in the world, producing the most popular construction set among children. It is probably impossible to describe all the areas of use of Lego in life and assess the scale of the company’s activities. But some facts and events from the history of Lego in recent years will help give you an idea of this:

- The most expensive Lego piece is valued at $14,449.
- A resident of Norway, Jon Jenssen, was included in the Guinness Book of Records for his Lego collection of the Star Wars series - it includes 300 ships, consisting of approximately 750 thousand parts.
- In 2013, a full-size car was assembled from 500 thousand Lego parts, capable of moving in space at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, using compressed air cylinders as fuel.
- In 2013, the X-Wing starship, assembled from 5.5 million Lego pieces weighing a total of 23 tons, was put on public display in New York.

It's hard to evaluate Lego today. What is it: a game or a construction business, an entertainment or a serious activity, a hobby or a collecting business, a toy company or a corporation serving all aspects of life? Most likely, all of these statements will be true. The history of Lego goes back more than 80 years, and all of it is subordinated to achieving the goal inherent in the company's name - “play with pleasure”! And watching how children and adults spend long hours with pleasure, surrendering to the power of their own imagination, creating their own creations, we can confidently say that this goal has been achieved!

Operating profit

▲ DKK 7.788 billion (2009)

Net profit

▲ $1.291 billion DKK

Number of employees Website

LEGO sets are produced by the Lego Group, headquartered in Denmark. Here, in Denmark, on the Jutland peninsula, in the small town of Billund, is the largest Legoland in the world - a city built entirely from LEGO constructors.

Lego bricks

Basic height ratio of Lego bricks

Basic principle of attaching Lego bricks from the sides

Story

One of the new popular hobbies is creating cartoons or recreating clips from existing films, using Lego bricks for the setting and Lego figurines as characters (LEGO animation). Typically, these films use stop-motion animation. Since 2000, this hobby has spread throughout the world, in particular in Russia.

Production

LEGO brick production workshop

All LEGO building blocks are manufactured to a specific standard with a high degree of precision (bricks created in 2011 can be joined to bricks released in 1958), which allows them to be connected without significant effort. In addition, after connection, the parts must be securely attached to each other. To ensure these conditions, design elements are manufactured with an accuracy of 2 micrometers.

The main plant in Billund (Denmark), where there are rows of machines in workshops up to half a kilometer long, churns out about 21 billion cubes a year. This requires about 60 tons of plastic per day.
The plant in Kladno (Czech Republic) produces 35-40% (over a million parts) of all the company’s products, and there is also a giant robotic warehouse, one of the largest in Europe, where orders are placed and products are sent to retail outlets around the world).

Set series

Alien Conquest (2011) - a series about the war of earthlings against aliens who want to take over the Earth. Out of production.
Toy Story (2010) - a series based on the cartoon Toy story. Out of production.
Ninjago (2011-2013) - a series about the confrontation between four ninjas and their sensei against evil skeletons and the mysterious Lord Garmadon. Since 2012, the skeletons have been replaced by 4 clans of snakes and the son of Lord Garmadon, Lloyd.
BABY (2001-2005) - sets for babies from several months. Out of production.
lego ninja (1998-2000) - this series was similar to ninjago. The figures include samurai, ninja and barbarians. Out of production
Creator (permanent) - standard sets of cubes, models of houses, cars. Feature - several assembly options in one set.
Exclusives (permanent) - various exclusive, realistic models of 2-5 thousand parts, mainly from 12-16 years old.
DUPLO (permanent) - sets of simple blocks that are twice the size of regular, standard LEGO blocks and are intended for children younger age. There are also various themes here (DUPLO Castle, DUPLO Fire, etc.)
Power Miners (2009-2011) - a series about underground miners who are at war with underground monsters that threaten to destroy our planet. Out of production.
AquaZone (1995-2007) - a series about the confrontation between aquanauts and underwater pirates. Out of production.
Agents (2008-2009) - a series about secret agents and their missions. Various devices of special agents and their opponents, usually high-tech and fantastic. Out of production.
Alpha Team (2001-2005) - a series, the predecessor of the agents. Out of production
Belville (1994-2010) - a series of models for girls. Saturated with pink shades, uses large dressable figures. Discontinued and replaced by the new Friends series.
Bionicle (2001-2010) - a series of prefabricated heroes fantastic story, which lasted for 10 years. Out of production.
Hero Factory (2010-?) - a replacement series for Bionicle, noticeably simplified in terms of assembly complexity.
Batman (2005-2008) - a series based on the comics and films about Batman. Out of production, but some sets have been re-released as the Super heroes series.
Space Police (2009) - a series about police officers of the future catching space criminals. Out of production.
Racers (ongoing) - a fascinating topic about racing and different jumps.
City (constant) is one of the most popular topics. Models of modern urban buildings and cars. There are game directions “Firemen”, “Police”.
- Trains - a subdivision of the "City" series - large model trains and stations.
- Farm - a subdivision of the "City" series
Harry Potter (2001-2012) - discontinued in 2007 due to violence in the last books. In 2010, it was re-produced in connection with the release of the last film. New sets were also released in 2011. Out of production.
Castle (1978-2012) - a series about the medieval world, the penultimate generation sets are based on legends and fairy tales about knights and fantastic creatures - trolls, dragons, goblins, skeletons, etc. The current generation is kingdoms. Out of production.
Lego Star Wars (1999-2016(?)) - a series based on the Star Wars saga. First Lego set Star Wars was released in 1999. Star Wars was the first intellectual property acquired by the Lego Group. The original sets, which were based on the original trilogy, were released in 1999 to coincide with the release of Star Wars. Episode I. The Phantom Menace / Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The license was extended until 2016.
Indiana Jones (2008-2009) - a series based on films about the famous archaeologist Indiana Jones. Previously not supplied to Russia due to last movie, Where soviet soldiers were negative heroes. Out of production.
Mindstorms (permanent) - programmable robots.
Pirates (1989-2009) - a series about pirates confronting imperial soldiers. First released back in the 1980s, re-released in 2008. Out of production.
SpongeBob SquarePants (animated series) (2009-2012) - an episode based on the animated series about SpongeBob. New sets were released in 2011-2012.
Avatar (2006) - an episode based on the animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. Out of production.
Technician (permanent) - complex designs for children and teenagers from 10 years old. The models are copies of aerial or automotive equipment; they often contain the simplest functions inherent in the prototypes (a rising excavator bucket, etc.)
Atlantis (LEGO series) (2010-2011) - a series about submariners who found the legendary Atlantis. Out of production in 2013.
Ben 10 (2010) - sets about the animated series Ben 10: Alien Force. Out of production.
Exo-Force (2006-2008) - giant humanoid robots in Anime style. Out of production.
Education(Dacta) (ongoing) - educational kits for schools, usually using the latest technology
Prince of Persia (2010) - sets based on the film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, in turn based on the famous game. Out of production.
LEGO Minifigures (2010-…) - a series of minifigures, 16 different ones in each issue. At the same time, it is unknown which of the 16 are in one bag of each series. There are eight episodes in total, three are currently being released.
Lamborghini is a series of car models in 1:17 scale.
Pharaoh's Quest (2011) - a series about 4 explorers who wander around Egypt and look for the rare treasures of the pharaoh. An analogue of the Atlantis series. Not officially supplied to Russia. Discontinued.
Cars (2011-2012) - a series of sets based on the animated film "Cars". Out of production.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (2011) - a series based on the films of the same name, released in 2011. Out of production.
Super Heroes (2012-?) - a series of sets using minifigures of DC Comics and Marvel comic book heroes. The series has been produced since 2012. However, there are no official deliveries to Russia.
Dino (2012) - a new series about people who fight dinosaurs.
The Lord of the Rings (2012-?) - a series based on the films and books “The Lord of the Rings”.
Friends (2012) - a new series for girls, replacing Belville in 2012. By the end of 2012, the sales plan exceeded the expected result by 83%. In this regard, the series will be continued. New characters will appear.
Monster Fighters (2012-?) - a new series in the summer of 2012, telling about the fight between people and monsters.
Minecraft (2012) - a new series in the summer of 2012, which was released based on Minecraft games. This is the third set of the Lego CUUSO project. Further development no series is expected.
Legends of chima (2013-?) - a series that will replace Lego NINJAGO.

Computer games

Exited

LEGO Island (1997)
LEGO Creator (1998)
LEGO Loco (1998)
LEGO Chees (1998)
LEGO Racers (1999)
LEGOLAND (1999)
LEGO Friends (1999)
LEGO Stunt Rally (2000)
LEGO Alpha Team (2000)
LEGO My Style: Preschool (2000)
LEGO My Style: Kindergarden (2000)
LEGO Creator: Knights" Kingdom (2000)
LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge (2001)
LEGO Racers 2 (2001)
BIONICLE: Quest for the Toa (2001)
LEGO Soccer Mania (2002)
BIONICLE: Matoran Adventures (2002)
LEGO Island Xtreme Stunts (2002)
LEGO Drome Racers (2002)
LEGO Knights" Kingdom (2004)
BIONICLE: Maze of Shadows (2005)
LEGO Batman: The Videogame (2008)
LEGO Battles (2009)
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5–7 (2011)
LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes (2012)
LEGO Lord of the Rings (2012)

In developing

Cartoons

LEGO Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace
LEGO Star Wars: Bombad's Bounty
LEGO Star Wars: The Search for R2-D2
LEGO star Wars: The Empire Strikes

Bionicle

Bionicle: Mask of Light
Bionicle 2: Legend of Metru Nui
Bionicle 3: In the Web of Shadows
Bionicle 4: The Legend Reborn

Hero Factory

Hero Factory
Hero Factory: Savage Planet

LEGO Ninjago

Full title: Ninjago Masters of Spinjitzu Season 1 - 4 episodes Season 2 - 13 episodes Season 3 - 13 episodes

LEGO and lawsuits

The LEGO Gruppen company name has become so synonymous with their core range of toys that many now use the word LEGO By this we mean only the plastic bricks themselves, or even more so, any plastic construction sets similar to LEGO construction sets. However, the company itself does not approve of such a generalization, and LEGO catalogs released in the 1970s and 1980s even contained a warning accordingly.

Lego has repeatedly submitted lawsuits against competing companies. Lego's claims were based on the fact that its competitors' use of the studs and joints that make up the Lego brick system violated the company's trademarks. In most cases, such claims were not satisfied. Primarily because the functional design of the underlying brick is considered a matter of invention patent rather than trademark, and all relevant Lego patents have expired. In one of the decisions, November 17, 2005, Supreme Court of Canada supported the right of one of the competing companies to continue selling the product in Canada.

Notes

Lego Group Annual Report 2009
Lego Specifications
Dimensions of a Standard Lego Brick
The LEGO Book. - London: Dorling Kindersley, 2009. - ISBN 978-1-405304169 -1
Willy Horn Hansen. 50 Years of Play. The Lego Group, 1982, p. 25.
Frances Corbet (September 2008). "Child's Play". Develop 3D(X3DMedia): 25–27.
Decision of the Federal Court of Canada dated 2005-11-17