Lego Is Developing A Multiplayer Online Game
The toy company Lego is working intensely on a multiplayer online game or MMO. The game is launched in 2009. Children all over the world can now play with Lego bricks across boundaries.
The game is called Lego Universe and it’s said to be part World of Warcraft and part playing with toys. Virtual Lego bricks here we come.
You control a classic Lego figure, your avatar, that develops his or her skills as you play.
Lego Universe is built like a just like a classic MMO with missions, that earns you money and bricks, but the social and creative part of the game is what drives it forward. You will be rewarded extra for solving missions creatively.
The target group is boys from ages 8 to 12, but Lego is hoping on users from all ages.
Lego currently have 90 people working on the Universe project. The game is developed by Denver-based Netdevil.
30 children are testing missions, features and functions every week.
Black Digits
Since Lego’s missteps a few years ago, the company is now back on track and making money again. The recent drop in Second Life’s popularity isn’t scaring Lego. They have a strong brand and hope that the game’s creative angle will make them some money.
Since the Lego brand will be all over the game, we can expect quality, but probably also an expensive video game.
Targeting The Parents
If Lego wants to succeed, this has to be a quality game with great gameplay, sound and graphics. It should be launched around Christmas and they must market the game correctly. Previous Multiplayer Online Games show that quality isn’t enough, if you want to succeed.
There is no doubt that Lego will target their marketing campaign toward the parents. They (we) are the “gatekeepers” and decide what game our children can play, which online community they are allowed to visit and we pay the bills.
Lego is a very trusted brand, but can they convert this to an online game? Lego isn’t very experienced in the online world.
Do you think Lego Universe will be a success? Why or why not?
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Comment by Nicole Price on 6 May 2008:
No matter what, I would not let any kid of mine anywhere near this till he finishes school and leaves home. This can develop into a time sucking pastime which children can ill afford in these highly competitive times. As it is, they are not spending enough time outdoors, at least certainly not as much time as we did in our youth, and exposure to virtual games, will drive them further into being couch potatoes.
Comment by guy on 7 May 2008:
I think it is hard to say if it will be a success yet or not. As a long term lover of lego the brand works with me well, which I think will be the case for many parent who had many years of successful development as a youngster themselves.
I’m wondering what will transfer into the MMO from the real bricks. For example, will the avatars have to have such a bricky design or will the MMO universe allow them to evolve? :O)
More importantly, and with Nicole’s comment above in mind too, I wonder what exactly will be the benefit of kids getting involved. With real lego the creativity and exploration was immense IMO, so how does that transfer into the MMO?
I have no experience of the games so don’t know how well Lego got on with transferring the creativity that I experienced as a child with Lego into the gaming world. I only hope for kids, and for Lego that their online world will enable an explosion of creativity rather than it ending up being a ‘follow me’ project.
Comment by Phil from I'm no electrician on 7 May 2008:
Will this be similar to bloackland?
Comment by Cesar on 9 May 2008:
I remember playing Lego when I was a kid. It’s really fun but I am not sure if the new game will be a succes for Lego since children from 8 to 12 are already playing MMO games that I think much better is like WOW or Counter Strike.
Comment by Goran Website on 11 May 2008:
I think that it will be successful. I am having kids now and lego was what I did as a kid, so its easy for me to get involved with my kid. 8 year old kids are still listening to what their partents say.
I think it will be interesting, I might even take a sneak preview, embrace my childhood
Comment by im will not say my name in public on 2 June 2008:
hi will this have to be dowloaded