LEGO partners with Tongal to launch LEGO World Builder

This looks very interesting, although it's still a bit vague. I'll definitely be taking a closer look.

For he first time, I wish I didn't work for LBR, as employees in any capacity aren't able to participate in this :(

I'll stay up to date, but it'll be hard not commenting or anything.

Someone please make castle vs space

Thanks for this link, I'll be sure to use it for the better.

The site contains individuals pitching rough ideas, e.g. intergalactic traveling circus, but want contributors to add potential storyboards, character development etc. I'm assuming from reading https://worldbuilder.tongal.com/about/world-guidelines if this collaboration can generate enough material then the end goal is a detailed concept which could be taken further by TLG (with $$$ rewards) and turned into a proper theme with potential animation to help advertise? The stumbling block is that this all involves a lot of work from distant parties on the detail, who if they have the time might as well pitch their own concept and ideas rather than give them away to an unknown stranger. This is what quite a few people already do on Lego ideas is tell a story behind their proposal. Hmm need to find my old copy of Lego worlds and get creative.

This was confusing to me at first because I was wondering if they'd remastered the Shockwave game from the Make & Create era I grew up with or something.

No, it's a... different thing entirely. LEGO just did a Microsoft and reused a name for a completely different product.

I was never given beta access when I reached out to Tongal — I was told that they were full up, and never heard from them again. It'll be interesting to see how this initiative plays out.

@Spike730 said:
"Great press realease. I have no f* clue what they're talking about."

Neither do I.

I read the "About" tab on the site. So basically, you pitch an idea, and if it gains enough traction, Lego could use it for promotional material or even a new theme/product line. Yes, creators and contributors get paid (by the sound of it, only the contributors whose ideas are approved by the creator will get paid, I think?).
Also, they say you can build on original Lego IP (no licensed themes) so bringing back Classic Space or Bionicle is fair game.

And still no confirmation email... Still waiting...
And no way are all those proposals from people over 18!

I was a beta tester for this site and it’s really awesome! It’s a fantastic idea and I’m so glad something like this is launching! It’s basically like LEGO Ideas for content. LEGO can choose your idea and develop it into any kind of content they want, like TV, movies, or maybe a new theme like Ninjago or Nexo Knights.

I was part of the Beta Testing group. It is a fun little platform. You can design a world or add to other people's worlds. Think characters, settings, etc;

Hmm, interesting

I just had a quick look at the submissions so far and there was only 2 that interested me. A cowboy one which I don't think would get passed due to negative depictions of Native Americans, and a Clutch Powers one where he comes into contact with various past Lego heroes and villains, I think if the Clutch Powers character had been popular outside the fan community then Lego would have already done something else with the property. But overall there was not enough for me to bother creating an account.

@Robo_Nui said:
"Now I want that floppy disk piece..."

You and me both.

So does this mean all us fans' speculation and theorizing about the geopolitics of the classic Space, Castle, Pirates, Aquazone etc. factions can become canon? I'm not entirely joking- with Pirates of Barracuda Bay there was a continuation of the old lore (albeit retconning the Barracuda's design) but I doubt Lego would dig up the past outside of sets aimed at hardcore fans.

@jsutton said:
"At work I am paid to be creative; I wouldn't contribute if I was asked to do it for free. At first glance it feels uncomfortably like an attempt to fashion revenue streams out of the goodwill of fans, cloaking it under the guise of "listening". This doesn't feel like fostering and nurturing as yet undiscovered talent; it feels like something quite different. Time will tell."
If LEGO likes your concept and runs with it, I think they would give you credit and you would either get royalties or a job. I have seen it happen in another hobby with Hasbro (not that I personally like the world that was created, but that’s another story). What is worrying about the LEGO/Tongal platform is that if you help support someone else’s concept with art, writing etc which is how Tongal is supposed to be used, it seems like the concept’s creator gets the credit/royalties/job and you get nothing but the satisfaction of knowing you contributed. For legal reasons relating to IP, you probably wouldn’t even be able to say publicly what you did. So if you’re anything but the originator of a concept that LEGO runs with, you’re working for nothing.

@Zander said:
"If LEGO likes your concept and runs with it, I think they would give you credit and you would either get royalties or a job. I have seen it happen in another hobby with Hasbro (not that I personally like the world that was created, but that’s another story). What is worrying about the LEGO/Tongal platform is that if you help support someone else’s concept with art, writing etc which is how Tongal is supposed to be used, it seems like the concept’s creator gets the credit/royalties/job and you get nothing but the satisfaction of knowing you contributed. For legal reasons relating to IP, you probably wouldn’t even be able to say publicly what you did. So if you’re anything but the originator of a concept that LEGO runs with, you’re working for nothing."

No, that's not the case; on the World Guidelines page, under the "Working with the Lego Group" heading, they state that additional contributors whose work is used will get paid as well. For example, if a world is put into production and the original concept creator gets paid $[x], all additional contributors whose elements were used as well will split $[1/3 x] equally between them.

Source: https://worldbuilder.tongal.com/about/world-guidelines

So, like, they don't get *loads*, relatively speaking; but additional contributors do still get some payment if their work is used by Lego.

Reading the Guidelines, the premise of Worlds seems to be "Propose a new theme, or expand upon an existing theme" -- which Ideas isn't meant for, but people have tried to do. Moreover, the proposal needn't be in the form of a model (physical or digital), and it needn't be optimized to appeal to the mass market via standalone presentation.

TLG has been using "create named characters in a world" as opposed to "story-not-included" since Fabuland -- and continuously since Bionicle, Hero Factory, Universe, Ninjago, Chima, Friends, etc. Now you can join the fun.

If you're a fan of the "Universe" MMO (2010-2012), you could design a series of sets at the usual range of price points, based on the models from the game (Maelstrom creatures, three-piece spacecraft), pick a set of characters for a Collectible Minifigures cluster, and demonstrate how elements created since 2012 can be utilized. Since "Ninjago" shows no sign of stopping, you could propose the next adversary transforms them to candy-flavored versions in a giant pinball game, draw concept art (Mike Rayhawk-style), and create mockups of characters and props that don't constitute a full set.

The guidelines suggest collaboration -- consider the fan-created Space factions of the mid-'00s LUGNET era -- 3vil (black/red/white/skulls), Jade Empire (sand green/grey), Eastern Block, etc. ( https://www.lugnet.com/~1763/faction ).

This seems to me like a way to help them create new products or characters because they ran out of ideas a while ago. Recoloring existing models, new minifig prints, and re-releases are getting pretty old.

I'm very interested. This just may solve LEGO's recent problem of too many third-party franchises. (Don't get me wrong though! LEGO versions of some of third-party themes are always cool!) In my case, I'll probably end up starting a concept for a sequel to the story of LEGO Universe, if anyone here even remembers that.

I like the potential of this as a replacement for LEGO Ideas, to be used by creators who want to make original LEGO content and not just some boring display model or yet another copyrighted sitcom set. Time will tell if this is successful at all, but I'd love to see some kind of retail theme put out to showcase the best work from this community.

This seems to be a better version of FORMA - rather than start a kickstarter to gauge interest in something LEGO made, just let the consumers design their own products. Interestingly, there seems to be no usual prohibition against modern military and alcohol, etc...
Only "Don’t submit anything unlawful, harmful, threatening, defamatory, vulgar, or hateful."
I suspect users have to be 18+ for a reason. Ideas has many more appropriate content restrictions but is open to ages 13+.

It is my theory and belief that this is yet another recent attempt by LEGO to capture an adult audience. But this time with an original IP. The World Builder website is also a way to gauge interest, just like LEGO usually invites local kids to play with sketch models. The adult demographic is more invested in the subject matter than the playability.
Further evidence for this theory is in how the Miami Hills example in the video seems like a sort of action-comedy that, if you imagined it as live action, seems more like something for adults than kids. However, there's the rub: it becomes much harder for a non-AFOL audience to connect with what they'd view as blocky-looking toys. That will be the major stumbling block: the percieved dissonance in an adult-oriented IP launched by a toy company. They could make the show itself 2D and more abstract like Monkie Kid rather than the 3D of Ninjago. But then again selling building sets that look different than the show will be hard.

There are plenty of action figures and sculptures of characters from comics and anime aimed at adult collectors (and which are really expensive) but they are near-perfect replicas of the character's design. However, there has been a recent interest in kawaii chibi designs of characters, started by the anime collectible market, and then applied to every IP ad nauseum by Funko Pop. LEGO has tried to break into that market with Brickheadz, with mixed results.

I believe LEGO actually has a good chance at creating an adult-oriented IP. Make a more mature, anime-inspired show or something which needn't look like LEGO at all. If it looked like Ninjago, for example, adults would be unattracted by it. The sets would be able to sell if they aren't juniorized with a focus on play features, and the audience was captivated enough by the story and characters. The LEGO minifigure and the bricks themselves are a pop culture icon and LEGO doesn't need to try to copy anyone else like they did with Brickheadz. Even among adults the minifig is viewed as cute and fits into the same kawaii chibi niche.

TLDR; This is yet another attempt to capture an adult audience as evidenced by the 18+ vs IDEAs' 13+ and lack of prohibition of mature themes.
I really do hope LEGO succeeds in using World Builder to launch a more adult-oriented IP. It's an exciting time for us AFOLs recently

I was in the beta, there seems to be lot of promise and possibilities, but it will depend on the execution by LEGO/Tongal.

One thing is how to filter the chaff - the common low level stuff but mostly the attention grabbing IP stuff that should not be there in the first place.

Second is the lack of defined end-game (compared to win-or-lose at 10K at IDEAS). For some it could live as a platform for fan fiction, these guys can go on by power of fandom. But for the rest there would need to be some kind of recognition, does not have to be immediately monetary one, but even stuff like project highlights or interviews on Ideas site would help.

Now for the "LEGO will get my IP for free/peanuts" crowd. Simple answer is "then don't post it on that site".
The long answer is kind of a decision tree. The first question would be "can my Oscar winning grade script or toy fair winning product be done without LEGO, their patents and trademarks ?"
If Yes, then this platform is not for you, if you are really that good than build a crowdfunding, startup or whatever, your chances are probably better there.
If No, then by using LEGO's trademarks (hello minifigure) or patents or past/current themes you are pretty much depending on them to have any chance on worthwhile monetization. One might fly under the radar with some MOC sales on Rebrickable or custom printing official bricks or maybe few hundres per month on Patreon for films or such, but we were talking big big money, no ? You can't do crowdfunding with LEGO products/owned IP/TMs, you can't do anything big with let's say minifig CGI (small exclusion are some brickfilms with real products).
So let's be realistic, if you would want to do anything big with LEGO products, then they would be onto you one way or another.