Building the LEGO MMO

Gamasutra has a lengthy interview with NetDevil's Ryan Seabury, creative director for LEGO Universe, which is due to launch next month. He talks about some of the difficulties in graphically optimizing a game with so many discrete, interactive objects, and mentions that they'll be keeping an eye out for inappropriate contructs to avoid problems similar to those that cropped up with Spore. "One thing we can say is when you build models you have your own property, and you can share that if you want to. If you share something publicly, it will be monitored by a human before it's seen by other people." Seabury also explains their desire to keep the game simple, using players' creativity as a driving force, as well as NetDevil's decision to stay away from a micro-transaction business model.

I want a ninja level...

[tacarat]

One with little lego caltrops.

Re:Minecraft is already doign this

[trooperer]

Minecraft should be made contraband, just like Heroin

Re:Minecraft is already doign this

[Supurcell]

I just started playing Minecraft two weeks ago. Last weekend I joined my first public server with a buddy of mine. Fantastic creations as far as the eye could see; monstrous spires that tickled the clouds and pyramids made of solid gold. That's when my friend turned to me and asked what we should make. I told him we should build a penis.

Re:Minecraft is already doign this

[Captain Splendid]

Better yet, find a lava flow source and make that be in the hole at the end of the penis. Call it Mount Gonorrhea.