LEGO MMOG Named and Given a Launch Window
Kotaku has the press release expanding on details for LEGO Universe, the block-based Massively Multiplayer Game announced earlier this year. The title is slated for a Q4 release next year. There isn't any concrete discussion of gameplay yet, but the general description does sound promising: "The full-featured MMOG will be complete with character advancement, expansive social and community features, and will provide a child-safe alternative to other MMOGs on the market. As a player, you'll be able to customize your mini-figs and interact in the universe as any character you choose, providing unique opportunities for players to expand and explore with their creations."
Still, an MMOG has to be more creative than another freaking toy-brand-based television cartoon.
Mod parent up please. This is exactly the issue with 'safe' online MMPOGs. Every parent's level of what's "safe for their child" varies greatly. None of the MMPOGs I've seen give parents ANY ability to limit what their child sees or does. It's a case of some parents having to sit there and watch what happens.
Case in point: my 8 year old daughter likes these MMPOGs, which is fine I had no issue with it. Until I walked in one day and found my daughter talking to someone, (probably a "child" IE read 50 year old pedo), on IMVU. The other "child" had just said "Want to Cyber sex?". WTF? Where's the parental control? I searched on IMVU - none.
So, it's banned in our house until they come up with a way to give parents the ability to limit what goes on, or ensure that children are safe.
The thing is what works for one parent won't for others, and I BET anything that someone will respond to this post saying "What's wrong with that?". Well, yeah you might want to let your daughter do that, but I don't, and MMPOGs don't provide any ability to limit what goes on or provide parents with the ability to.
What I'd like to see is a way of gradually limiting what the player can do. All the way from full access to just logging in. Trouble is, (as the parent post said), there will always be a way around it.
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You want nerdier? I'll see your Star Wars, and raise you a Firefly. Lego Mal shoots first!
Between the falling angel and the rising ape
Actually, the promise of a LEGO MMO sounds intriguing. Most MMO worlds (not counting the sandbox-y types such as SecondLife) are limited to one genre. LEGO has such a rich collection of models that you can dedicate whole areas (in other words quests and activities) to each one with enough content to go for quite a while.
Even if you only start with one or two worlds think about this:
LEGO Sports (soccer, basketball, etc.)
LEGO Town (airport, mall, cops, etc.)
LEGO Space
LEGO Western Town
LEGO Castle
LEGO Star Wars
LEGO Circus
LEGO Comics (DC and Marvel)
LEGO Aqua
LEGO Harry Potter
The list goes on.....and on.
Layne