Lego has said it is reversing its policy on bulk purchases and will no longer ask customers what they want to use the bricks for.The U-turn follows a recent controversy involving Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.In October last year, Ai accused Lego of censorship when it refused to sell its bricks directly to him.The company said its policy was to reject requests if it believed the bricks would be used to make a political statement.Ai is known for his criticism of the Chinese government as well as for being one of the world's leading contemporary artists. He wanted the bricks for an artwork on political dissidents. The artist ended up using "fake" bricks donated to him by the public for an exhibition in Melbourne, Australia.Ai appeared to react to Lego's decision on Wednesday by posting a picture on Instagram of a young boy sticking bricks onto his face, accompanied by a grinning emoji caption. When Lego first refused to sell a bulk order of plastic bricks to Ai Weiwei in September, he's thought to have kept the news to himself.
But a few weeks later, the announcement that a new Legoland theme park would open in Shanghai led the artist to reveal Lego's decision to stay away from projects that had a "political agenda". It was a surprising decision by Lego. After all, Ai Weiwei had used Lego before. He created a series of portraits of political dissidents that appeared at an exhibition in Alcatraz prison in 2014. Back in October, the artist tied Lego's financial interests in China with its decision to refuse his order. His accusation has some merit: KIRKBI, the private Danish company that owns the Lego brand also owns a significant amount of shares in Merlin Entertainment, the British company that operates Legolands around the world.China is Lego's fastest growing market and the company wouldn't want to irritate Beijing. However, as Lego might attest, few would want to battle the feisty Ai Weiwei. In a statement posted on its website on Tuesday, Lego said it used to ask customers ordering bulk purchases for the "thematic purpose" of their project, as it did not want to "actively support or endorse specific agendas"."
However, those guidelines could result in misunderstandings or be perceived as inconsistent, and the Lego Group has therefore adjusted the guidelines for sales of Lego bricks in very large quantities," it said.As of 1 January the company will instead ask that customers make clear the group does not support or endorse their projects, if exhibited in public.Lego's earlier decision to refuse Ai's request angered the artist, who accused the company of censorship and discrimination, and of attempting to define political art.The artist told the BBC he welcomed Lego's change of heart."I think Lego made a good move, I think this would be a small victory for freedom of speech." The artist also linked Lego's stance with business interests in China.The controversy sparked a public backlash resulting in supporters around the world offering to donate toy bricks.Ai set up "Lego collection points" in different cities, and ended up making a new series of artworks based on the incident as a commentary on freedom of speech and political art.
Correction: This article was changed to make it clear that Ai Weiwei's Melbourne exhibition used non-Lego bricks. Below is everything you need to know about the upcoming season two of Lego Dimensions. To read our thoughts on the first instalment of Lego toys and the game, head over to page two for our review.We'll be updating this page with a full review of season two once the toys launch, so be sure to check back soon!Lego Dimensions saw Warner Bros. and Traveller’s Tales jump into the bustling toys-to-life market in spectacular style last year. It brought with it a much needed dose of nostalgia by adapting the likes of Doctor Who and Lord of the Rings into adorable Lego minifigures going on their own dimension-hopping adventures.It proved to be a massive success, too, so much so that Season 2 is on the way later this year with a host of new figures to build and experiences to play.We’ve compiled everything you need to know about Lego Dimensions Season 2, and will update as new information pops up so be sure to bookmark this page for new information.
Lego Dimensions Season 2 is spread across a selection of different figures and packs, all of which have their own release dates.Related: PS4 Neo vs PS4There isn’t a new disc you need to buy, with the new packs compatible with last year’s game.We’ve compiled them below in separate categories, making it easier for you to find what you’re looking for.Season two kicks off this September and rolls on until August 2017, with more figures and packs to be announced.Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them – 18 NovemberAdventure Time – 27 SeptemberMission Impossible – 27 SeptemberSonic the Hedgehog – 19 NovemberAdventure Time – 27 SeptemberHarry Potter – 27 SeptemberThe A-Team – 27 SeptemberFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – 18 NovemberWarner Bros. and Traveller’s Tales have announced a selection of new packs coming to Lego Dimensions in the coming months, including the likes of Ghostbusters, Mission Impossible and Gremlins.You can check out a list of the newly announced packs below alongside some images.
The abundance of varied playsets when you first step foot into Lego Dimensions can be daunting, especially if you’re unsure whether or not a certain pack is for you.We’ve put together brief descriptions for the four different types of packs on offer, including the newly announced Starter Pack featuring Supergirl.Starter Pack: To play Lego Dimensions you will need to have purchased the Starter Pack, which will get you the game, the gateway (platform which you put the figures on) and the following minifigures: Batman, Gandalf and WyldStyle. Oh, and you also get the Batmobile.Keep in mind that Supergirl is exclusive to the S2 starter pack, and as far as we know, won’t be sold separately.Fun Packs: These normally include a single minifigure alongside a vehicle or gadget. If it happens to be your first figure in a particular set – such as Doctor Who – it will also unlock their respective universe. You can normally find these for £12.99 in most retailers.Team Packs: Unlike fun packs, these include two minifigures.
You once again get a vehicle and/or gadget, depending on the pack. Much like the other packs, these can be used to unlock specific dimensions. Team packs will cost you around £24.99.Level Packs: These include a minifigure, gadget and vehicle. In addition, they also give you access to a story-based level and other extra missions. Once again, you’ll unlock previously unvisited dimensions. Level packs retail for roughly £24.99 or less depending on where you look.Lego Dimensions is introducing an all new bundle known as Story Packs, intended as a fully-fledged adventure based on a single property. These include a minifigure, vehicle and new design for the dimensional gateway.Each story pack delivers a unique mini-campaign of its very own, as well as giving the dimensional portal some new abilities, five of which can be found in the original game.The first pack from season two is based on the new Ghostbusters movie, featuring all four of the new characters with their own skills and abilities.
It appears the whole film will be playable across five stages, crammed with dialogue pulled directly from the film.Other story packs announced for season 2 include Harry Potter: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Lego Batman Movie.The second season will maintain the fun, accessible gameplay formula of Lego games. It’s all about collecting, building and exploring, except now you have more control than ever over the worlds and characters you come across.Characters and vehicles are entered into the world of Lego Dimensions by placing them on the USB portal, with each piece possessing unique abilities that can be used to solve puzzles and reach new areas. Additional levels and characters can be purchased and spliced into the main game, letting you mix and match different franchises however you see fit.As with the first season, all new properties will have their own free roaming worlds to explore. Traveller’s Tales is also introducing a couple of new modes, one of which is known as Battle Arena.Battle Arena, exclusive to Season Two content, drops you and three other players into an Adventure World where you must compete in a variety of different objective-based modes.