LEGO partners with Epic Games

Oh no. Oh no no no. All the bad buzzwords in one press release. One of the scummiest companies in the video game industry. Ninjago NFTs to follow?

I have very little hopes for anything predicated on the concept of the 'Metaverse', with as little utility it has and how much it's overhyped. A simple corporate buzzword, without a good reason for being.

Not a fan. Not onboard with Fortnite LEGO.

This sounds awful.

I hope for a great deal but expect just another video game geared towards income generation through micro transactions. None of these are suitable for small children. The only safe space for kids is one where equality is ensured as much as possible through the removal of money buying progress on a game. Sadly I fear those days are already long gone in todays market.

"Look mom, it has those yellow people from Fortnite!" - some kid at a store seeing a LEGO set, 2040 (Tencentised)
For real though, the entire thing is such a corporate marketing gibberish non-information, I feel like I've wasted seconds of my life reading this. Some interesting IPs down the line for LEGO though, maybe?

If I had a nickel for every time Lego insisted that its future was digital integration of bricks, I'd have enough nickels to buy every single VIDIYO blind box, every Hidden Side set, every NEXO Knights scannable shield, and every disk copy of Lego Universe.

I feel like the people saying "lego fortnite??" Didnt read beyond the title, since getting involved in the metaverse is far, far worse than that.

As someone who works in AR, I can say that Metaverse's significance is overinflated. It's a gimmick created by a corporation that tries to stay relevant. Just another aberration of "unlimited growth".

Isn’t this just Minecraft? And yeah. They lost me at “Metaverse”

I don't know a thing about video games so I am genuinely curious - why is this a bad thing? Is Epic not a good company or are their products problematic?

This reads to me as a very cautious press release that tries to say as little as it possibly can. It doesn't strike me as very enthusiastic from either side. More like, sigh, I guess we gotta do SOMETHING about the Metaverse or people will wonder why we're missing The Next Big Thing. So let's shake some hands and smile for the camera!

When I think digital, I think LEGO.
Not.

If LEGO wanted to safeguard children wouldn't it make more sense to try and get them away from the internet, etc. entirely...?

Microtransactions, NFTS, Battle Pass, Live Service, Gambling, Battle Royale, Tik Tok dances, Influencers, YAY!!!!! KILL ME PLEASE.

oh no

Metaverse => Second Life².
Looks like Lego's awkward hopscotching through obligatory digital hoops clearly shows that only marketeers and trendwatchers define a company's direction. Decisions don't seem to be co-taken by skilled and knowful brick build, design and play experts with a heart for what they are creating.

I hope that these companies all realize that the idea behind a "Metaverse" isn't anything new. Second Life has been around for over a decade, Minecraft could arguably have been considered one in the Java Edition days, and the idea of MMOs as a whole are kinda built around the idea of having a whole other virtual world to play around in.

There are a few problems when you start trying to get kids into the game.

1.) You either have to heavily moderate the platform or make the platform primarily for children. Mixing kids and with strangers they don't know on the internet is usually a recipe for disaster. I've seen plenty of Discord servers that encourage people they know are underage to post pornographic content and engage in NSFW activities. This is against the Discord TOS, and it's against most social media TOS, but how do you moderate something that big? It's like inviting a child to a night club and expecting them not to see something they aren't supposed to.

2.) Should we really encourage children to be online as much as they are currently? When I get on my computer, I don't get on it to play with LEGO bricks. I do it for homework, videos, memes, and chatting with friends online. Sometimes the discussion is about LEGO, but it's not really on my mind. They didn't learn a thing from Hidden Side or VIDYO, did they?

Granted, I don't mind if LEGO tries making something digital every now and then. The videogames are a good example of content that is usually great family-friendly entertainment. At least, the console games usually are. The mobile games are filled with the usual predatory microtransactions designed to get kids addicted to spending money that they probably don't have.

3.) Epic Games has a pretty shady history. I won't go into too much detail here, but I wouldn't exactly call them an upstanding company. Whether or not you care about this will vary from person to person. You'll be hard-pressed to find a partner LEGO works with that doesn't have some skeletons in the closet, so to speak.

My biggest concern with this and the partnership with 2k games is that LEGO will make profits a priority over both the safety of kids and the quality of their digital product. 2K and Epic both have histories of such behavior. 2K literally releases games unfinished with blatant gambling mechanics, and they target that towards children. There's a literal slot machine in their basketball games for crying out loud! Fortnite's Battle Pass system, while not as egregious as a lootbox, still plays into the fear of missing out. The shop is also randomized to encourage people to buy quickly before something is possibly gone forever.

I hope that LEGO treads carefully with this. I'm not saying some good can't come out of it, but this could go south in many ways. LEGO is a toy company. They are not and should not be a videogame/software company. If something happens on these platforms with LEGO's name tied to it, that will be a disaster.

The fact that Lego Universe never took off and Lego Worlds never hit mainstream popularity makes me think whatever this collaboration produces is destined for failure. Lego ought to take cues from Minecraft if they want a successful game, and I dont think Worlds was successful in making a Minecraft clone.

@Watsonite said:
"Metaverse => Second Life².
Looks like Lego's awkward hopscotching through obligatory digital hoops clearly shows that only marketeers and trendwatchers define a company's direction. Decisions don't seem to be co-taken by skilled and knowful brick build, design and play experts with a heart for what they are creating."

I think these companies wanting a Metaverse need to realize that massively sanitized corporate standards don't mesh well in an environment that will only stay alive through content creation and player interaction. Seriously, have you seen Facebook's mess of a game?

A Metaverse will work when people are given the tools to easily make whatever they want, and do whatever they want (barring some exceptions, like illegal content). I think Minecraft got big because it was a sandbox that really did let you do things however you like with the game's mechanics. So far, none of these projects seem to be anything more than glorified chatrooms.

With respect to Niels B Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, do kids really want that? Because Hidden Side, Vidyo, and pretty much all of TLC's attempts at gaming/vr have failed miserably. Admittedly, I don't have sales info or personal experience, but from an outsider looking in...

What exactly Lego hopes to bring to the 'Metaverse' table is something I will be waiting to see, although not something I'm particularly optimistic about. Hopefully I'm blown away and it's amazing though!

@imemine98 said:
"I don't know a thing about video games so I am genuinely curious - why is this a bad thing? Is Epic not a good company or are their products problematic? "

Epic Games does have a bit of a shady history.
For one, they popularized randomized shops and battlepass systems. How a randomized shop works is that an in-game store will only display randomly selected items instead of everything available to buy. The items will only be there for a certain amount of time before the shop refreshes and other items are randomly put in the store. This is done to encourage a "buy now before it's gone" mentality. The items aren't cheap either. One costume can cost you $10+ bucks.

Battlepasses is a system where you pay for something called, well, a Battlepass. This will be about $5 or so. You will then have a limited amount of time to complete everything in the pass to unlock the content with in it. Once that content is gone, it's usually either gone forever or it winds up back in the in-game shop. Basically, imagine if you paid someone five bucks to do some work, but you wouldn't get everything you paid for if you didn't play the game a lot.

Then there's been a debacle where they've tried setting up their own online store for videogames. Lots of false advertisement ensued, on top of the store containing software that looks into more information about someone's device than necessary. Also, Epic seems pretty close with Tencent. Tencent is a Chinese videogame publisher that is infamous for releasing games designed to have many addicting microtransactions within them.

There's more to it, but that's the basics of it. Oh, and then there was the time they tried having a serious MLK exhibit in Fortnite, but it wound up just coming across as very tactless with all the cartoon characters running around. Doesn't help they legally couldn't disable an animation where a character can perform a move imitating cracking a whip. Yikes.

@imemine98 said:
"I don't know a thing about video games so I am genuinely curious - why is this a bad thing? Is Epic not a good company or are their products problematic? "

As with all things it's a bit complicated, so allow me to try my best to summarize.

First and foremost, they've got the usual big tech company stench about them - Epic is behind the Unreal engine, so think of them as the Google of video game engines with all the positive and negative connotations that comes with.

Second, Tencent, a major Chinese company has about a 40% (see: very large) stake in the company. The implications of that are far-reaching, though they've denied harvesting user data.

Third, they own Fortnite. If you're somehow not at least aware of Fortnite by now... you're probably waking up from a coma or something, just look it up.

Fourth, and this is the most complicated to unpack, so forgive me if this gets a bit long - they inserted themselves into the PC game market with their own storefront as a direct competitor to Steam (the largest platform for PC games prior) - yes there are other platforms, but the competition with Steam is the most significant. There's a lot of tribalism involved to be sure, but Epic and its platform, the Epic Games Store (EGS), did quite a lot to earn the bad blood they've since accrued. Their entry to the market can best be seen as them buying their way in, as they outright purchased limited and unlimited exclusivity deals with various game developers to ensure their games would only be available on EGS. From the point of view of a PC gamer, this means that if you want to play those games you *need* to install EGS, *need* to use and spend money on the EGS platform, and *need* to go through their DRM (another complicated subject). This isn't to say Steam/Valve have perfectly clean hands in those same regards, they participate in all the same practices, some worse, some better. But this ultimately meant that PC games would have to now deal with running two platforms on their machines in order to play their games. Some opted to boycott EGS entirely for a variety of reasons (I myself am not particularly fond with their business dealings with Tencent, full disclosure), and this ultimately meant that EGS exclusive games were basically off the table. It really resulted in a lot of feels bads, if you know what I mean. All in all, one could come to the conclusion that EGS simply bought its market share without actually earning it in any meaningful way - they've done little to nothing to justify their existence aside from holding some games hostage and taking a smaller cut from developers compared to Valve (as of right now, the future notwithstanding).

To summarize in the briefest possible manner.
Epic Games is a big tech company and a lot of people don't like them for the usual (often justified) reasons that people don't like big tech companies.
Oh yeah and they're getting in on the whole NFT thing too.

All the enraged 10 year olds reading this comment section wondering why people think this is a bad idea

Lego sure likes money

| The LEGO Group and Epic Games will combine their extensive experience to ensure that the next iteration of the Internet is designed from the outset with the wellbeing of kids in mind.

Starting presumably with the wellbeing of their dopamine receptors, which will be stimulated with a random digital item in exchange for a small-scale transaction that has been designed in such a manner as to ensure it cannot in the letter of the law be considered gambling.

Really disappointed, Lego. I'm fine with licensing, but this is... I thought you were better than this.

@sirventricle said:
"Oh no. Oh no no no. All the bad buzzwords in one press release. One of the scummiest companies in the video game industry. Ninjago NFTs to follow?"

If we get LEGO NFTs, then LEGO can take those planet-based bricks and choke on them.

Why does every big company use the word "empowerment" now?

Two giant corporations climbing between the sheets together to do some horizontal bumping around…what could possibly go wrong?

Other than pretty much everything? LOL

@CPerks said:
"If LEGO wanted to safeguard children wouldn't it make more sense to try and get them away from the internet, etc. entirely...? "

Let's be real, you're using Internet to write this comment, and kids should be just as aware that it is how people communicate now. So the whole "safeguard children by avoiding the internet" is not a horse I would bet on.

That being said, I do understand that parents also want their kids to do other things than electronics-related activities, and it's weird to me that LEGO doesn't realize their strong position in that regard. Especially with buzzword heavy press releases like this: they're just spooking parents. They've had nice products before, early virtual City things were very appealing to me when I was younger, as it felt like a way to customize and build more than what my sets would permit. I wish that was what they'd focus on more, instead of the weird integration that just takes away from the bricks, real and virtual, that bolster creativity.

@Phoenixio said:
" @CPerks said:
"If LEGO wanted to safeguard children wouldn't it make more sense to try and get them away from the internet, etc. entirely...? "

Let's be real, you're using Internet to write this comment, and kids should be just as aware that it is how people communicate now. So the whole "safeguard children by avoiding the internet" is not a horse I would bet on.

That being said, I do understand that parents also want their kids to do other things than electronics-related activities, and it's weird to me that LEGO doesn't realize their strong position in that regard. Especially with buzzword heavy press releases like this: they're just spooking parents. They've had nice products before, early virtual City things were very appealing to me when I was younger, as it felt like a way to customize and build more than what my sets would permit. I wish that was what they'd focus on more, instead of the weird integration that just takes away from the bricks, real and virtual, that bolster creativity."

Here's the thing though.
The only way you are going to keep children safe on the entirety of the internet is if you heavily (and I mean HEAVILY) monitor and censor it. That's just not very practical,

Children need places designed just for them that are both fun and safe. I remember the 2000s was filled with great games and experiences that did just this.
-My LEGO Network was a game that simulated a social media website. It was basically a "baby's first social media" page. You could meet various LEGO characters, and the goal was to collect items by interacting with the characters in a positive way. It taught the basic features of many social media websites, but in a safe environment for kids to learn the ropes.

-Club Penguin was, in my opinion, the gold standard of online experiences for kids. It wasn't perfect, but I don't remember running into any issues as a child. The game was designed with kids in mind, and had the proper safeguards in place for that.

-Poptropica was a fun game that was also great at tricking you into learning. Time time travel level had little icons to click on to learn fun facts about each area you visited, but you could always ignore them. One level centered around investigating a stolen painting, and even showed how crime scenes are usually analyzed by police by incorporating it into the gameplay.

I don't believe in the whole "INTERNET BAD, TECH BAD, GET KIDS AWAY FROM IT". Not one bit. I grew up with Nintendo consoles and the PC. However, I think we should really keep an eye on just what we're throwing our kids into on the internet. I think we should also see just how much time they're spending online. Childhood is an important part of life. It would be a shame to waste it all staring at screens all the time.

So, did they just photocopy the original VIDIYO press release and cross out Universal Music Group and write in Epic Games?

Maybe the results of this partnership will have this printed on the inside of the boxes.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

My immediate first two thoughts on reading the title:
1. Are we getting Fortnite LEGO sets?
2. Are we getting minifig skins in Fortnite?

I guess it's neither, but the minifig skins would be kind of fun.

Lego really has a poor track record with digital anything. App-based interfaces for sets, Lego Universe, Lego Worlds, abandoning LDD, a ton of Lego games that never went anywhere, a web site that constantly has issues especially for VIP stuff, Hidden Side, Life of George, Vidyo... The TT Games titles are really the only thing that seems to do well...but even that isn't without issue. (When was The Skywalker Saga supposed to be released? How many other Lego games has TT Games released since 2019?) The "Bits & Bricks" podcast really highlights how Lego constantly has trouble getting anything digital to be successful. There's SO MANY episodes (of this Lego-created podcast) that talk about games and products that just aren't around anymore because they failed. You'd think Lego would learn from the failures. Apparently not.

They really do seem unfocused and floundering around trying to publicly try different things and hoping something sticks. Constantly. Nothing has changed.

Lego are vastly underappreciating their core value: physical play. People are wired to use their hands to create - that tactile nature is something we need and needs to be developed as digital attention-sapping nonsense floods our world.

Moving digital things around in a virtual world designed and controlled by a corporation who's reason to exist is to make money from our attention is a poor substitute for reality. Keeping kids safe and mentally healthy means keeping them off social media and the internet. There's no way round it.

I just want to throw in my voice here that I don't think "Internet bad" is a good way to raise children. I'm not against Lego making an online safe space, it's just that choosing Epic is like setting up a sanctuary for endangered tuna with Mitsubishi.

@sirventricle said:
"Oh no. Oh no no no. All the bad buzzwords in one press release. One of the scummiest companies in the video game industry. Ninjago NFTs to follow?"

Epic Games just donated all the profits ($144 Million) from the first two weeks of the latest season of Fortnite, towards Ukraine relief…

I’d say that makes them one of the least scummiest companies in the videogame industry.

Metaverse is just a fancy word for an MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) video game.

@sirventricle said:
"Oh no. Oh no no no. All the bad buzzwords in one press release. One of the scummiest companies in the video game industry. Ninjago NFTs to follow?"

I can see why Zane wasn't that important in Prime Empire, he would've been minted into the Blockchain.

It's like every bad marketing strategy group in the world got together and had a week long orgy that spawned a demon child.

This really doesn't read as anything specific to me just yet. Like has been called out by others, a lot of buzz words.

What this does tell me though is that on some level TLG does not see themselves as just a toy company. They are a "play" company. LEGO is "play well". They are interested in being a top name in the world of play, and that includes the digital realm. This is a deliberate move to partner with groups that are entering this space, whether the metaverse fails or not. But if it doesn't fail, LEGO is going to be glad they're getting in on the ground floor of future methods of play, so it's worth the risks right now.

Did corporations not get the Memo that no one liked the Idea of an even worse fully VR internet?

Metaverse... Lol. The whole word was coined by Facebook at the end of 2021, when they noticed that their growth and profit margins are going down the sink... So they created this corporate buzzword to draw away attention to other parts of the business... and now every company is jumping on the bandwagon, slapping 'metaverse' on everything they can, hoping to impress shareholders. Same thing what happened with 'blockchain' a few years ago. But as someone who used to play MMOs I just laugh at the whole thing, as the now almost 20 years old World of Warcraft puts the whole concept to shame. Btw there is no such thing as free lunch, no virtual world can exist without monetization - either paying a hefty fee every month for participating, or the company running it selling your data and soul. LEGO will learn this soon.

Epic is a godawful company; one of the absolute worst in the notoriously scummy video game industry. Very, VERY disappointed to see TLG partnering with them. This is not a good look at all.

Didn't they say all this about LEGO Universe? Right before they got steamrollered by Minecraft? Well, actually, for more like six years with barely anything to show for it, THEN getting steamrollered by Minecraft...

Metaverse? …Uh, oh jeez.
Whatever that means – it can’t possibly be good. Let’s just say I have a bad feeling about this.

But hey; maybe now at least I can finally have my dream of LEGO making actual Rocket League* sets come to reality!! (of the cars in the game, etc.)
Hahah – assuming this also, indeed, DOES mean that they will make physical LEGO sets based on their respective game titles as well, of course; which I hope is the case (even though I don’t really care about Fortnite either, personally – just Rocket League in my case, because I love that game).

[*Psyonix – the developing studio behind the game Rocket League – was bought and is now currently owned by Epic Games, for those who were unaware. They don’t actually just own Fortnite!]

@thefirst said:
" @sirventricle said:
"Oh no. Oh no no no. All the bad buzzwords in one press release. One of the scummiest companies in the video game industry. Ninjago NFTs to follow?"

Epic Games just donated all the profits ($144 Million) from the first two weeks of the latest season of Fortnite, towards Ukraine relief…

I’d say that makes them one of the least scummiest companies in the videogame industry."

That doesn’t make them not scummy in most ways, it just means they have hearts. Or it’s a pr stunt.

Not again...

Lego Universe turned into a dumpster fire to the point the plug had to be pulled, and the last updates to LEGO World before it finally launched ruined it--turning it from basically "do what you want" to a game with all kinds of conditions to unlock items. I do not think it sold well, either.

Why not partner with GOG, remaster the old Lego Media titles, and then sell them for a reasonable price? My disks to Lego Island 2 and Creator are shot, and new/sealed copies are pricey.

On another note, a modern Creator would be awesome! I remember LEGO saying Creator couldn't do what they wanted because of the limitations of systems in the late '90s. Today we don't have that. The interactivity and "virtual playset" features make it much, much more than LDD/Stud.io.

I am glad that it's not just me who think that this is a bad idea, was a bit concerned when I first read it on Facebook that the majority of comments were in favour of it. I have thought for a while that TLG are losing their way just like they did at the start of the millennium where they deviated from their core product, designed some terrible themes and experienced record losses. Their need to stay relevant seems to be their achilles' heel. In my opinion, they should go back to the days of "Just imagine" and promote creativity with bricks, not immersive experiences that encourage even more screen time.

Epic fail

@cody6268 said:
"Not again...

Lego Universe turned into a dumpster fire to the point the plug had to be pulled, and the last updates to LEGO World before it finally launched ruined it--turning it from basically "do what you want" to a game with all kinds of conditions to unlock items. I do not think it sold well, either. "

I resent the notion that LU was a "dumpster fire".

The game had a lot of potential, and has an enduring fanbase to this day a decade later.
Lego still considers pulling the plug to be one of their bigger mistakes, as the game had an impressive playerbase/subscriber count but was not converting enough F2P users into paying subscribers to turn a profit.

The game lacked product support to subsidize/advertise it. Products would have gotten word of the game's existence out farther and could have potentially included in-game content or even a month's free subscription for larger sets.

Additionally the game had steep moderation/development costs. Lego was obsessed with keeping the game safe for children and had their usual starry-eyed, scope-creep-inducing urges which pushed development and maintenance costs for the game way up. There were plenty of ways they could have course corrected for improving the game's longevity.

Lego keeps making the same mistake over and over again. It's fine to tie an existing product to digital media, but it never helps to chain the two together. Especially if the physical product suffers as a result.

I feel like LU could have been saved from the bin had they actually sat down and planned out its future, rather than simply throwing the baby out with the bathwater as they often do.

I swear if they start making NFTs, especially before they phase out plastic bags, I might have to boycott.

Oh look another failed project
LEGO, you had LEGO WORLDS. ANd you BLEW IT.
This game had potential to be second minecraft, but noooo, lets give false hopes for survival and later wrap it all up and dont even inform our customers.

Anyone has Jorgen Vig Knudstorp phone number? I think it's high time we call him back...

Wow. So much hate. This is a Win Win and an obvious attempt to compete with Roblox, who was all the rage at the end of 2021, with all this Metaverse talk. I understand the complaints about EGs business model, but developers love Unreal Engine, and Epic has been collaborating with just about everyone lately. Is a Disney really all that better? I also think that Fortnite sets are a future no brainer.

I guess they had to invest the windfall Vidiyo profits somewhere.

Come on LEGO, will you ever admit that Vidiyo was a flop. Same with Hidden Side, but not to that extent.

Just keep all your sets physical. Please.

So they can afford this, but can’t afford to print on parts, instead of stickers. Got it.

@Lego_Prime said:
"Not a fan. Not onboard with Fortnite LEGO."

Why? That could allow for a ton of interesting new minefigure parts, and recolors. Even if you're not into the game, the sets would still make great parts packs.

Imagine being so braindead that, even after like 5 or 6 failed "dIgItAl iNtEgRaTiOn" Lego themes, you don't realize that nobody likes it, and barely anybody buys it.

In my local supermarket:
) Hidden Side sets were really easy to get at ~30-40% off (I actually liked some Hidden Side sets because they at least were cool parts packs for my MOCs)
) The Vidiyo stuff is constantly on 60-70% clearance
) The Lego Mario stuff is similarly on ~50% clearance, only the newest waves have their regular prices

Dear Lego: instead of giving money to coked-up "marketing geniuses" to find the next big thing, FOCUS ON WHAT BROUGHT YOU WHERE YOU ARE: BEING A VERSATILE, FUN, PHYSICAL TOY. Oh and get some more funds to quality control, to fix printing issues and faulty molds.

Thanks for listening.

@cms02 said:
" @imemine98 said:
"I don't know a thing about video games so I am genuinely curious - why is this a bad thing? Is Epic not a good company or are their products problematic? "

Epic Games created the popular video game Fortnite, and for some reason everyone hates Fortnite because kids play it."

I couldn't give less of a f about Fortnite, but I agree that the excessive hate for it is weird. However, I am against this partnership because in-game purchases and other microtransactions are already pushed way too hard onto children (FIFA Ultimate Team says hello) and yes it is basically gambling-"lite". And Lego should stick to making playsets, not some digital dystopia metaverse shit. It's just corporate marketing buzz-speak to chase meaningless trends, as others have said.
The "Metaverse" is basically capitalism selling the "solution" (escapism) to problems it created (alienation, environmental destruction, shit working conditions,..)

@empire0 said:
"So basically we're gonna get Fortnite and BTS sets before we ever get classic Space or Castle. Kaaaayyyyyyy"

Some of LEGO's rumored 90th anniversary stuff coming down the pipeline this year might interest you. But, come on, they made a new Space and/or Castle line practically every year from the 1970s to 2013 and though this isn't the same thing as a full product line that nostalgic adults would like, there's been a fairly regular output of space and castle-themed sets popping up in themes like City, Creator, Ideas, Creator Expert, and the various LEGO Movies since then.

@Hermdefermdeherger said: "Lego sure likes money"

*looks at their attempts at digital bricks in the past*

Do they, though?

@empire0 said:
"So basically we're gonna get Fortnite and BTS sets before we ever get classic Space or Castle. Kaaaayyyyyyy"

Not exactly. Classic Castle and Space came out in 1978.

@thefirst said:
" @sirventricle said:
"Oh no. Oh no no no. All the bad buzzwords in one press release. One of the scummiest companies in the video game industry. Ninjago NFTs to follow?"

Epic Games just donated all the profits ($144 Million) from the first two weeks of the latest season of Fortnite, towards Ukraine relief…

I’d say that makes them one of the least scummiest companies in the videogame industry."

Yeah so they did a fundraiser where OTHER people raised 144m through their services. Great. That doesn't excuse their scumbaggery with poaching exclusivity, pairing up with Tencent (and alleged shady data collection), and forcing their way into the store market through unethical means. Not to mention they've gone all in on the metaverse nonsense. But yeah they're super ethical.

I've seen a few people worry about NFTs being involved in this, so I'll point out that Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, has made his feelings about NFTs very clear:

"We aren’t touching NFTs as the whole field is currently tangled up with an intractable mix of scams, interesting decentralized tech foundations, and scams."

So that's at least one thing we probably don't have to worry about.

Sounds pretty dumb like the dumb digital cross over nonsense they’ve already tried. I remember reading an article back in 2014 in Forbes or something like that but In the article they interviewed the ceo at the time and he was really driving the point they had gotten into fiscal trouble because the brand had strayed from what made it great and that the future success of the company depended on reinvigorating the PHYSICAL BUILDING EXPERIENCE. Those who ignore history’s lessons are doomed to repeat it. Plus anything meta verse is super lame and anti human.

@GBP_Chris said:
"If I had a nickel for every time Lego insisted that its future was digital integration of bricks, I'd have enough nickels to buy every single VIDIYO blind box, every Hidden Side set, every NEXO Knights scannable shield, and every disk copy of Lego Universe."

Gods, that's so true.
Those soulless ghouls at the company who keep pushing this bs need to be sacked yesterday.

"shape the future of the metaverse to make it safe and fun for children and families"

They want to make..... a pyramid scheme... safe for children? What?

@Ephseb said:
" @cms02 said:
" @imemine98 said:
"I don't know a thing about video games so I am genuinely curious - why is this a bad thing? Is Epic not a good company or are their products problematic? "

Epic Games created the popular video game Fortnite, and for some reason everyone hates Fortnite because kids play it."

I couldn't give less of a f about Fortnite, but I agree that the excessive hate for it is weird. However, I am against this partnership because in-game purchases and other microtransactions are already pushed way too hard onto children (FIFA Ultimate Team says hello) and yes it is basically gambling-"lite". And Lego should stick to making playsets, not some digital dystopia metaverse shit. It's just corporate marketing buzz-speak to chase meaningless trends, as others have said.
The "Metaverse" is basically capitalism selling the "solution" (escapism) to problems it created (alienation, environmental destruction, shit working conditions,..)"

Loot box mechanics are, to me, gambling. There's a reason why many officials, on both sides of the aisle here in the US, and in many countries, have sought to ban them.

When will these companies get it through their heads that most people despise the idea of the Metaverse? I genuinely don't understand how they could think it is such a good idea, especially after seeing the pushback other companies have had.

I have this inescapable feeling of impending doom.

Maybe new sets would be a little bit cheaper if LEGO haven't expend a lot of money in continuos unsuccessful digital experiments

@The_Toniboeh said:
" @Elite_1 said:
"Microtransactions, NFTS, Battle Pass, Live Service, Gambling, Battle Royale, Tik Tok dances, Influencers, YAY!!!!! KILL ME PLEASE."

that is just a bunch of random words that have no relation to the article

a bit of an overreaction"

They’re all tied to epic games in some way….

Idk about this, it seems like a bad idea, every time they’ve done something tech based it goes south. It will be interesting to watch though.

I kinda wish we'd get an article saying: Lego company drops 90% of licences, cuts prices by 30% and focuses on own IPs.

Lego is going to fail again. They cannot combine social aspects and creativity with "kid-friendly".

"Lego Universe" proved that once you make something "kid-friendly" you must remove creative and social aspects. The chat system was the worst I had ever experienced with millions of normal words on the blacklist. It was hard to ask another player whether he wants to join going into the dangerous cave and fight the pirates and so on. And the creative system was misused to build non-kid-friendly "creations". Moderation cost so much that the game struggeld to be profitable.

I think the so called Lego/Epic Metaverse will be a set of unimpressive mini-games with an online friendslist where you can play the minigames together, but communication will be limited to ten different emojis.

BTW I buy Lego for the kids to keep them AWAY from digital content.

@jteisberg said:
"Lot of haters... I think this could go places. Can't wait to see what this churns out!"

How about you actually read and respond to people’s concerns instead of blindly labeling them as “haters”?