Lego Creating Multiplayer Online Game

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)."

Comments

Blockland is similar, but more interesting

[sopssa]

In recent months I've been playing Blockland. It has the similar lego/blocks aspect in it, but frankly it's a lot more interesting than what Lego MMOG sounds like.

Basic gameplay idea is that you're a small "lego" guy. You don't need to collect the blocks, you can just select them from menu and build whatever you want. You can do this with friends in multiplayer too.

But what's more fun is that the game has great support for scripting, macros, minigames, weapons and vehicles. There's tons of mods and user-created content. Different servers also all have different kind of gamemodes as they're all build by the players. There's the normal deatchmatch, tdm, ctf, zombie survival, portal games, racing and jail and city building RPG's. Some server owners concentrate on making a beautiful place (it's quite amazing what some have done) and some fun mess-around places.

Because of Blockland, I feel like Lego is seriously missing something here. It's not really that fun for long to just collect bricks and then build with them (actually the collecting part sounds awful already). In Blockland most of the gamemodes are accompanied with the building part. Some of the dig digging ctf/tdm servers are truly great, as it allows you to dig tunnels under everyone even as far as to the enemies base, or you can build better defences to your base or even surround the capture-the-flag point with a bunker.

Lego was earlier in talks with Blockland authors to make it a Lego MMO, but looks like they went the more boring route :(

Re:Blockland is similar, but more interesting

[RobVB]

Sounds like Garry's Mod with bricks.

Re:Blockland is similar, but more interesting

[pcolaman]

Actually the Lego MMO was talked about as having event and trigger scripting similar to that found in Little Big Planet, so your fears may be unfounded (yet to be seen one way or the other).

In Lego Universe the forces of evil are...

[presarioD]

...the same as in our Universe:

Entropy!

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

PETITION TO REMOVE RED BRICK NERF

[Useful Wheat]

PETITION TO REMOVE RED BRICK NERF

These changes are unnecessary, aggressive, CRIMINAL ACTS against the VERY BUILDERS WHO constitute the FOUNDATION OF LEGOLAND!.

Red bricks ALREADY have a 10 second cooldown, why would you reduce our DPS! WE already suck next to blue bricks.

Reply #1: /signed

Reply #2:
Learn to build noob

Reply #3:
can i has ur bricks?

Re:PETITION TO REMOVE RED BRICK NERF

[nb caffeine]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/02/25/ See, you missed the user names, which are also funny

Imagination? Please.

[FrigBot]

Lego sets of the past decade or so have been mostly build-it-once kits, and then you have a toy that the kid either plays with or leaves on the shelf. There's no imagination required, you just follow the directions. The parts are so specialized now that you can't take it all apart and come up with your own design, because they can only fit in one spot and have only one possible function. When I was a kid, I used to build super cool cars and spaceships and houses using these buckets of random Lego we had. There were some specialized parts, like laser thingies and stuff, but you could add that to your ship to make it super awesome and imagine how the guns would work. I used to also add bomb-droppers. Later in my Lego-career, me and a friend used to build little cannon stations and then targets out of Lego, and shoot blocks at the targets using rubber bands. That was fun.

Do they even sell bulk kits anymore? How can you get plain old blocks without going on ebay and buying someone's old, used random lots of Lego?

My point is that Lego itself is the enemy of imagination. By selling kits that you can't do anything else with besides build their prescribed design, they are stifling the imaginations of kids. It's really disappointing, actually. Like what's the point in building the set from Star Wars? What creativity is there in that?

Re:Imagination? Please.

[sopssa]

Seems you can at least order via Lego site. Actually now I'm wanting to order that Lego Giant Box :)

They also have some Lego Digital Designer 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:Imagination? Please.

[British]

The Lego Star Wars sets showed a direction of reducing over-specialized pieces. Sure, there's going to be a unique Yoda figure, etc, but the vehicles, etc weren't that bad. They could have gone overboard with specialized pieces for wings, etc, but didn't. Take a look at the Imperial Shuttle. Looks real nice.

Re:Imagination? Please.

[wjousts]

I've seen the same thing in a Lego store in the mall near me. They have giant containers that dispense blocks (standard colored bricks and some specialized parts). It's kind of like the a candy pick-and-mix.

Re:Imagination? Please.

[MaWeiTao]

They are also stopping the movie tie-in products

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.

[Rhys]

There's more re-use than you might expect. Battle droid-arm balconies have become a standard building tool in both what the community does and what Lego themselves do.

If you think the specialized parts aren't useful that's your own limitations, not a problem with the sets. Go peruse brothers-brick.com and you just can't say with a straight face, "well this part is only good for (use in original set)." In particular the blue dragon a ways down right now (cement mixer truck nostrils!), or the classic ford pickup's mudflaps (robin hood capes!).

Both of those parts are pretty old (mid to late 80s for both, I think). Still, if folks are still finding new uses for old parts, don't complain too much. You may just show that you aren't as creative as other folks.

Re:Imagination? Please.

[zoney_ie]

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).

Re:Imagination? Please.

[Rogue974]

I saw an article from a local news person about a year ago that said this exact same thing. I wanted to write to the guy and tell him that no, LEGO didn't remove the imagination, his age removed the imagination. The guy was a late 20's early thirtys single guy who has never watched kids play with the current legos. I have 4 kids and they play with Legos all the time. This is what always happens, they get their set that has the fighter, troll battle wagon, etc and build it per the directions. They then play with these as they are after they have built them. They set them up in various battles/scense, etc. Tons of imagination setting that up and carrying out battles, etc. Then, inevitably, the legos fall apart because of being thrown/steped on, etc. They then either rebuild it (that only happens a couple of times with the exception of a few things they think are really cool) or the pieces get dumped into the big bins of Legos and they toally forget that they can rebuild a Star Wars fight, Harry Potter castle and the Legos become part of the general pool to be used for whatever. Yes, they have sets that are built as something specific and some of those sets never get broken (touch my 6 year old's Darth Vader Tie Fighter at your own peril) but most of them get broken down as they play and then you have the jumble of Legos. And those specalized parts, they get re-tooled into anything other then what they were origionally used for and stuck all over the place on other things. An adult mind gets trapped into the convention of this big long piece is the blaster from Anakin's fighter, but once it lands in the kids bin with everything else, it no longer is that and it ends up being anything but a blaster. In the past 3 years, my kids have had Harry Potter sets, Knights sets and Star Wars sets. This Christmas, they got the Lego Space police sets and a couple of Knights sets. The Space police ones are still intact per the instructions. My son's Darth Vader tie fighter is still intact because of the fact he leaves it on my desk and no one is allowed to play with it. 100% of the remaining Star Wars sets, Harry Potter sets and all but the new Kinghts sets are totally broken down. Last night, they built a house and got all excited when they built in a big screen tv and movie theatre. A few weeks ago, they had a gladiator arena with Star Wars people, Knights, and other random figures. Before that, they had a rock monster pit for the Power Miners sets to work with. Legos have not changed, the people who grew up playing with them have changed and can't see LEgos the same way and say that the sets they put out are ruining the Lego play. For a constrained adult mind, it has. For a kid, it has not. If you doubt that, subscribe to Lego magazone or go online and look at the pictures that are submitted by the Lego kids club members. They are anything but following directions.

In a world run by Ubisoft...

[bobdotorg]

... the EULA's fine print would state that if your computer's webcam spots any Mega Bloks, Lego will ban you from the game.

In the pirate world

[bobdotorg]

FTFA:

Some worlds will have traditional Lego themes, such as pirates, ninjas and castles, while others will be novel for the Lego space.

Will the pirate world be built with Mega Bloks?

I can hardly wait

[idontgno]

to start grinding up to the point of raiding for sweet, sweet epic purple bricks.

Public chat will be full of "L2PYM" (Learn to play your model) taunts and Chuck Norris Lego facts.

Lego gold-colored plastic coin sellers will start spamming.

Griefers will player-kill you and reassemble your bits into something rude and embarrassing. And permanent, since they'll OMGH@x0r the system to glue the parts together that way.

Re:Great news...

[lorenlal]

What article?

- /. Readers

Undoubtedly ...

[PPH]

... one of the hazards in this online world will be Lego pieces hidden in the shag carpeting. Players will have to accumulate enough points to acquire shoes.

Obligatory Zorg.

[tim_darklighter]

"Life, which you so nobly serve, comes from destruction, disorder and chaos. Now take this empty glass. Here it is: peaceful, serene, boring. But if it is destroyed...

[Pushes the glass off the table. It shatter on the floor, and several small machines come out to clean it up]

...Look at all these little things! So busy now! Notice how each one is useful. A lovely ballet ensues, so full of form and color. Now, think about all those people that created them. Technicians, engineers, hundreds of people, who will be able to feed their children tonight, so those children can grow up big and strong and have little teeny children of their own, and so on and so forth. Thus, adding to the great chain of life."

Re:Are we talking about a ...

[An ominous Cow art]

LEGO my MMO.

Grr, now I need to go eat a waffle.

Stargate's Replicators

[HTH NE1]

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.

Well, until Maj. Carter develops a weapon which disrupts the communications between the individual bricks, rendering them inert and harmless.