Lego Creating Multiplayer Online Game 99
An anonymous reader writes "Players of Lego's new MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) are tasked with a mission: help save imagination from the dark forces of evil. The bad force can be kept at bay only by users' 'imagination and creativity,' said Ryan Seabury, the creative director for the game and founder of Louisville, Colorado-based NetDevil, which is developing the game for Lego. Players cannot be killed, but they can be reduced to a pile of unassembled bricks. The idea is to play the game and collect bricks, which will allow users to build more interesting models. Lego Universe, will launch in the second half of this year and will be a subscription-based service (price not disclosed)."
Re:Imagination? Please. (Score:4, Informative)
Seems you can at least order via Lego site [lego.com]. Actually now I'm wanting to order that Lego Giant Box [lego.com] :)
They also have some Lego Digital Designer [lego.com] where you can build the design on computer and possibly order the needed pieces.
But I agree, I'd rather get some good set of basic pieces than some of those pre-designed packages. They most likely make good money for Lego tho.
Re:PETITION TO REMOVE RED BRICK NERF (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Imagination? Please. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Imagination? Please. (Score:3, Informative)
The recent introduction of Toy Story sets and on-going Indiana Jones and Star Wars sets would indicate otherwise.
As for specialized pieces, if the new themes are any indication Lego has embraced them more than ever before. I think the problem with the early generation of Star Wars sets was not so much due to specialized pieces but rather unimpressive designs. Lego acknowledged the problem and has taken a lot more care in making more robust and impressive sets.
There are still sets, under the Creator series which feature, almost exclusively, more traditional pieces. Most sets, however, are incorporating a lot of specialized parts. In some cases it's a good thing, but I think the problem goes beyond just those pieces. The problem seems to be that Lego is approaching most sets as standalone playsets. They no longer present alternative designs on the back like they used to. And a lot of the sets I've come upon leave me with the feeling of being incomplete, especially when they incorporate stuff from the Bionicle series. This problem is especially pronounced in the newer themes. It's like they've gone for flashy-looking sets but provide little substance. And a lot of these pieces are so specific in their use that it's tough to combine them with other sets to build something new.
Despite all this, Lego sets are still far, far superior and much more faithful to the original concept than Mega Bloks and the junk they produce. Most sets consist of shameless Lego knockoffs and lame tie-ins.
Re:Imagination? Please. (Score:3, Informative)
I can tell you that for AFOLs (Adult Fans Of Lego), the vast majority of "custom" parts are embraced. At the very least parts usually have a broad application within their specific role, but more often than not, because they all have studs, or technic holes, or bars or clips or various ways to connect to other pieces, people find all sorts of uses for them.
Lego now have a broader range than ever. If you want more conservative sets, they are there. Some of the sets with bionicle-type parts are specifically to fill a certain segment of the market - flashy action themes for example. But you can get whatever you like, Castle, Pirate, Space, City or just bricks. Or you can get the incredible exclusive sets from the Lego website, aimed at adult builders/collectors.
In general even the sets with specific parts allow you to build similar things - so if you like building spaceships, good Lego sets to buy are the Space sets - they have parts most suited to the job (although if you look at the parts inventory, even seemingly "special" parts are used across many themes).
Anyway, in general the complainers are those who don't know what they are talking about, or had the misfortune of experiencing Lego in the late 90s early 2000s when they bulked sets out with larger parts and jacked up the prices (modern Lego sets now have the bulky parts *AND* more bricks and intricate detail than ever before).