Do those NY Times authors know the source of hundreds of Lego's patents? From the kids who create projects as part of the national robotics competitions that they sponsor, using Lego Mindstorms technology as the base. Maybe they are looking to monetize more with product line extensions that are in a more ready-to-use format, and maybe that doesn't push kids to think as hard, but Lego hasn't forgotten that you also profit by letting kids expand their brains by playing the "hard way" using their own creativity. I know a number of these kids - the last generation of such nerds already have disproportionately made their mark on the 21st century business world. They should do a follow-up piece on that part of the Lego puzzle.
