LEGO Universe Going Free-to-Play: "The LEGO Group announces that LEGO Universe will go free-to-play this August. This involves the addition of a free zone, though they are not adding microtransactions at this point: 'LEGO Universe..."
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Via Broken Toys:
The axe fell at long-troubled NetDevil yesterday – and according to some developers, word actually circulated among the devs themselves via Facebook before the company got around to letting people know that yeeeeeeah, you’re not going to need to come in on Saturday.Personally, I wonder if this isn't because Minecraft turned out to be what Lego Universe SHOULD have been.
Unfortunately a lot of talented folks lost their jobs as we have found out on Facebook! I personally think it’s pretty terrible to find news out that way and not to be correctly notified. We all were receiving phone calls tonight and I just got mine about 2 hrs ago.
From what we’ve been told a handful of artists will be kept on board and continue working on Lego Universe. But at the moment that will be a very, VERY small team.
There’s been no statement from NetDevil or owners Gazillion Entertainment as to the fate of NetDevil, Lego Universe, new browser-based Fortune Online, or perpetually-in-development target-of-lawsuits Jumpgate Evolution. Scott Brown, NetDevil’s former CEO, had this to say:
"For everyone that get let go from what used to be NetDevil, please please use me as a reference, and if I can help in any way please let me know. Thanks for going on the ride with me while it lasted."
Off the record, however, I’ve heard that NetDevil still technically exists, but 30 to 40 people have been let go, and it’s hard to see how the studio can recover from a wound of that magnitude.
The scoop's over at Kotaku.The Lego world is all about creativity and building and Lego Universe will be no different. Players will start the game by customizing their mini-figs. According to Hanson, each figure will be endlessly customizable so that you can create a character that looks just like you (or not) to inhabit your little section of bricks. Each world of the universe will have a different theme that corresponds to the different sets of Legos. For example, you will be able to visit the Pirate Planet or perhaps jet over to the Medieval Castle Planet. Lego will provide the basis for each world and then the rest is all up the the users. You can own property and build up whatever creations your mind can come up with using your stock of bricks. Bricks can be earned by a combination of randomly finding them, completing missions and even battling. The more you play, the more bricks you can earn. While there will be no actual PVP battles, players will be able to create creatures/machines and use them to battle other players creations in their quest for more bricks.
Dammit, I think I'm already sold.
Kotaku's apparently got an exclusive trailer on the new Lego MMO. Watch it over here. Doesn't show much (if any) of the actual playing, but it does show you what they have in mind.
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Saw this over at Shacknews:
Read Full ArticleNetDevil's upcoming LEGO-branded massively multiplayer game will be known as LEGO Universe, Denmark-based licensor LEGO Group has revealed. Announced this March, the game will be NetDevil's third MMO following the RPG-flavored space-centric Jumpgate and last year's vehicular action-oriented Auto Assault. NetDevil is also the company behind the AGEIA-sponsored, PhysX-powered destructible shooter Warmonger, Operation: Downtown Destruction.
According to today's announcement, LEGO Universe will be a "child-safe" but full-scale MMO containing the range of social and community interactions expected from games of the genre. In particular, the game's source material of LEGO bricks gives the game a strong focus on interaction and customization. Last month, NetDevil's Scott Brown indicated that the team is shooting for a "fully interactive environment" and noted that the game's construction components are likely to appeal particularly to older gamers despite the game's all-ages aesthetic. NetDevil has strong development history with real-time physics; Auto Assault featured extensive Havok physics integration, and Warmonger is heavily physics-based.
"LEGO Universe is being built as a place where fans and community members can discover nearly unlimited play possibilities," said lead producer Ryan Seabury. "Given the strength of the LEGO community, a large part of bringing the game to life will be working hand in hand with them to ensure that the core values of creativity, connectivity, and imagination are reflected in the end product."
LEGO Group has seen success licensing out its popular toy brand to video games. Traveller's Tales LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy were well received by fans and critics, and the studio is currently developing a LEGO game based on Batman.
NetDevil plans to ship LEGO Universe in Q4 2008.
Heh, that's pretty cool...
http://www.lego.com/mmog/
Wonder if there'll be PVP.. would kind of re-create the whole kindergarten experience if some other kid came along and trashed your Lego castle.
Dammit, I wanna go buy some Legos now.
Legos rule.
