The LEGO Group is preparing to make its second MMO, this time with a focus on accessibility and the Minifigures brand. The new MMO will be developed by Funcom, the Norwegian developer best known for its Anarchy Online MMORPG.
“Funcom and the LEGO Group will work together to make the game available to consumers in their online channels[…],” the LEGO Group said. “The game will be a prominent part of the LEGO® Minifigures online experience which already has millions of unique visitors per month.”
If you are wondering, this is the online experience they are talking about. The big question is, will LEGO be able to rebound and learn from the failure of LEGO Universe to create a fresh and profitable MMO?
What went wrong with LEGO Universe?
If you don’t remember LEGO Universe, there is a good reason. LEGO Universe was released October 26, 2010 and was completely shut down by January 30, 2012. The game received mediocre reviews that frequently highlighted boring grind quests, a difficult-to-use inventory system, and roughly 15 hours of gameplay before the entire world was explored.
In November, 2011 LEGO Group informed the public of the shutdown, explaining that the title did not make money. “Right now, we have almost 2 million players in LEGO Universe,” said Jesper Vilstrup, then the VP of LEGO Universe. “Unfortunately, we have not been able to build a satisfactory revenue model in our target group, and therefore, have decided to close the game.”
What to expect from the new LEGO MMO
First, the release date and title of the new MMO remain unannounced, which means the game is quite early in its development process. With little information outside of the press release, we can only speculate what the game will be like.
Even so, the well-received building feature, which allowed users to build with digital versions of real-world LEGO bricks, is likely to make a reappearance. It also seems likely that this system will be paired to the refined inventory system that critics of LEGO Universe wanted. These will systems will coexist with the ability to create LEGO Minifigures that interact with the LEGO world and its players.
Since LEGO has explained they wish to make the game accessible, it’s probable that the game will be heavily tied to real-world LEGO purchases, social networks, and cooperative marketing within Funcom’s existing communities. Finally, the target market of the game is undoubtedly children and families from demographics where the LEGO brand is already popular and established.
It is not clear that LEGO will be making any special effort to develop for the adult gamers that hold the LEGO brand dear, but one can hope.
Articles RSS