LEGO Universe Message Board

#lego The second this story went live, at midnight EST, January 30, the lights went out on LEGO Universe, a massively-multiplayer game that should have been amazing, but in the end, was far from it. More »

#fineart There was a lot of hype for the ill-fated LEGO Universe. Mostly because it was an MMO using LEGO, but also because the early stuff people saw of the game looked amazing. More »

An increasing number of massively multiplayer games are offering free entry into their worlds but it stands to reason that, more often or not, gangs of salesman will be roaming inside, or at the very least there will be equivalent of concession stands littered about the place, stocked with pricey but powerful socks and the like. Lego Universe began offering a free trial back in June and these short months later, the announcement reaches us that the game is shutting down.

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Lego Universe has run out of those skinny, flat, four-pronged pieces that are necessary to hold entire structures together, but that there never seem to be enough of in the Lego bin, probably because you lost them all and that's what happens when you don't take care of your things -- now go to time out and think about what you've done.

Lego Universe's problems actually run much deeper than missing pieces -- it's missing players. Since going free-to-play in August, "it has not been possible to convert a satisfactory number of players to paying subscribers," The Lego Group said. Lego Universe will officially close Jan. 31, 2012. Developer Play Well Studios in Louisville, Colorado, and the marketing division in Billund, Denmark, will be closed, affecting 115 people. We hope they'll be able to build new, better careers out of this.

Just slightly over a year since it first launched, the LEGO Group has today announced plans to shut down LEGO Universe, the LEGO MMO. According to the LEGO Group: "In spite of very positive player feedback and a large number of players in the free play zone, it has not been possible to convert a ...

#legouniverse Despite a strong brand name, positive early buzz, and the implementation of a new free-to-play model back in August, the massively multiplayer LEGO Universe will be closing its doors on January 31, 2012, the day imagination died. More »

] There's no longer a financial barrier blocking your access to Lego Universe. The block-rocking MMO's free-to-play trial offer has opened, allowing players to experience a chunk of the game, including one "property area" to build as you see fit, and two "adventure zones."

If you decide you like the interconnecting world of Lego Universe, you can upgrade to the $10 monthly membership at any time, and open up the rest of the world, comprising five "property worlds" and 15 adventure zones. There's also a Ninjago expansion coming this year for paid users. You wouldn't want to miss that.

#lego Bright, colorful, and charming, the massively multiplayer LEGO Universe has attracted droves of players willing to spend $10 a month to experience everything the block-built world has to offer. For everyone else, there's LEGO Universe: Free to Play. More »

#lego When LEGO Universe launched in October of last year it was a breath of fresh air in the stale MMO market. Putting an emphasis on exploration and creativity, it didn't need standard MMO mechanics like leveling to entice people to play. More »

LEGO Universe fans can now get ready to gear up and reap the benefits of their in-game adventures with the new level progression system! With the addition of the progression system, players will feel more powerful than ever before! In the latest content update, players can also look forward to new rewards, new Faction Kits, and new cooperative play opportunities...

Attention, budding animators with a love of everything from playing with LEGO bricks to getting digital kicks in LEGO Universe! The Ones and Zeros Pixelshow, a non-profit group committed to promoting the digital arts, is hosting a worldwide contest, "Build-a-Brickbuster," to find and highlight the b...

Whenever another MMO announces that it’s changing to a free to play subscription model, the sound of rapid intakes of breath can be heard throughout corridors of Castle Shotgun like some panicked zephyr. We just can’t believe it. There’s an alternate reality out there where all MMORPGs are free to play and it’s trying to break into ours.

Hot on the heels of the City of Heroes announcement, we’ve heard that child-friendly MMO Lego Universe is doing something similar, but a bit stingier. Where City of Heroes is letting anybody play for free up to level 50, this August Lego Universe will allow anybody to go romping through the game’s first two adventures zones for as long as they like.(more…)

The LEGO Group today announced plans for an upcoming free-to-play offering in LEGO Universe, the MMOG (massively-multiplayer online game) based on the iconic brick-building play experience. Beginning this August, the free-to-play option will welcome players to try LEGO Universe for free, as long as ...

The world of NetDevil's blocky MMO, Lego Universe, will expand to include a brand new, thriftier audience this August when a free-to-play version of the title will open its plasticky doors. Users of the free version will have unlimited time to romp around a specific zone that features a limited set of features from the full game, and will be able to upgrade to a full-blown, $10-per-month membership at any time.

The Lego Group has elected to make the game's client a free download rather than a retail product, alongside this free tier. This may upset those who previously purchased the game for real, tangible currency, but think of it this way: You were basically just paying a premium to get a head start on picking up the best bricks. These freeloaders will have to settle for those sticky bricks, most of which have all manner of bric-a-brac lodged into their hollow undercarriages.

#lego LEGOs are like a fine wine, they get better with age. But also like fine wine the finest LEGOs can get pretty pricey, especially if you buy in bulk. Thankfully, you wont have to sell your house or your dignity to get your LEGO fix anymore. More »

Go behind the game with the sound crew of LEGO Universe and see the design and recording sessions with Patrick Stewart.

The LEGO Universe community has answered the call, recently completing construction on Nexus Tower, the biggest in-game structure ever built! As Nexus Tower opens its doors soon, tons of new content is being released for all players to explore and enjoy. This will include new characters, weapons, Faction-specific pets, and over 50 new missions, as well as access to the new LEGO Universe Vault system for safe-keeping extra models and gear...

You answered the call and now Nexus Tower is complete!

LEGO Universe is rolling out a huge round of content updates next week, with major expansions to explore and new features to inspire. On May 3, players must band together to tackle a cooperative building challenge; a month-long mission to complete the construction of the Nexus Tower. LEGO Universe w...

As LEGO Universe continues expansion in 2011, players are getting more involved than ever before, and the LEGO Group is developing new ways to engage this thriving intergalactic community. The MMOG (massively-multiplayer online game) has fans stretching their imaginations to show the world their wil...

The founders of NetDevil left their Colorado-based studio recently to kick off another game developer start-up. END Games Entertainment has been mostly quiet until today when a blogpost went live hinting at what the foundling studio plans to work on next. Hint: Think casual. [End Stand For...] More »

The Lego Group has acquired Lego Universe and most of the NetDevil developers who were part of the project. A Gazillion representative explains to Joystiq that before Gazillion's acquisition of NetDevil, the studio had already begun the work-for-hire deal of Lego Universe, with Lego now buying the rights from Gazillion for Lego Universe itself.


"The transition of members of our team to the Lego Group allows us to conclude the work-for-hire segment of NetDevil's business and lets us expand our internally-published, free-to-play game businesses" said David Brevik, President and COO of Gazillion. "We're proud of the Lego Universe game that our team built, and we are certain that it has a bright future."

Gazillion notes there was a "minor staff reduction" at NetDevil, but that most of the staff was retained by Lego. Lego is expected to take over the space that NetDevil is currently occupying and the remaining staffers are moving to a new building. NetDevil is currently working on Fortune Online, with Gazillion unable to comment on the status of Jumpgate Evolution due to the current legal entanglement.

Group up for some raid action--LEGO style in battles such as Nimbus Station.

Playing with blocks.

The elegiac score accompanying Gabriel Belmont's action-packed emprise in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has impressed the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA). Spanish composer Oscar Araujo is nominated for the "Breakout Composer of the Year" award -- notably alongside French duo Daft Punk, who pounded cinemagoers into Grid-grout during Tron: Legacy. The Lords of Shadow soundtrack is also one of five nominated in the "Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media" category.

It's up against some stirring competition in the form of James Bond 007: Blood Stone (featuring Sega legend Richard Jacques) and Dark Void, which isn't usually written about unless it's in praise of Bear McCreary's distinguishing soundtrack. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole earns a nomination, thanks to Winifred Philips, as do the themes of Lego Universe, assembled by Brian Tyler.

Though the majority of awards focus on film soundtracks, the IFMCA's sentiment seems just as applicable to video games. "The IFMCA strongly feels that a film score's strength lies in the combined impact of two important elements: the effectiveness, appropriateness and emotional impact of the score in the context of the film for which it was written; and the technical and intellectual merit of the composition when heard as a standalone listening experience." Winners will be announced on February 25, 2011.

The battle for the LEGO Universe begins at the edge of space.

#lego NetDevil's toy-based massively-multiplayer LEGO Universe gets its largest dose of product placement-littered new content yet as the portal opens to Crux Prime, where players can learn the ancient art of Spinjitsu and, for the first time ever, form groups. More »

Major new content in the works for early 2011.

#mmolog After a brief vacation delay, we're back with the final entry in our four-part LEGO Universe MMO log. We'll keep this one short and sweet, with a real world twist. More »

Limited-edition winter wonderland zone and racetrack available November 30.