Minecraft is one of the top three best-selling games of all-time. Long before it became the heavily merchandised and multiplatform juggernaut intellectual property it is today, it began as a small, free, downloadable application for PCs inspired by another game Infiniminer with the very simple idea of letting a player dig and build with blocks. It’s hard to believe now, but before Minecraft, this sort of creative sandbox freedom was unheard of in mainstream, triple-A video games. Toss in characters, the ability to play with other players, wildlife, and reasons to explore massive procedurally generated worlds, and Minecraft took the internet by storm, eventually leading to its expansion to mobile devices and game consoles before Microsoft acquired Minecraft and its developer Mojang in 2014 for US$2.5 billion. Minecraft appeals to users of any age group or demographic, and crafty players made fortunes creating series of in-game videos on YouTube, helping spread the game to more users via viral marketing.
It had become the digital representation of what LEGO toys are for the real world… so where was LEGO during all of this? LEGO had been making games for over a decade before the first version of Minecraft ever released, yet none of their games let players interact with in-game worlds or LEGO bricks like they can with real LEGO toy sets. Where LEGO is about being creative, and dismantling constructs, piece by piece, to build something entirely unique and different, none of the LEGO video games embraced the simple concept. Even the first massively multiplayer online (MMO) game in the franchise, Lego Universe, failed to deliver on that front and it was shut down within a year-and-a-half after release (it released a year after Minecraft first debuted). Minecraft continued to enjoy success for years as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment placed their focus on licensed LEGO adventure games (Harry Potter, Batman, Indiana Jones, etc.) built with the LEGO theme and using LEGO minifigure versions of iconic characters, developed by Traveller’s Tales.
Even the recently announced new Lego adventure game from the developer, Lego Dimensions, embraces a mix of these licensed properties instead of serving as block-builder. But in a surprise announcement yesterday, after leaks indicated another LEGO game was on the way, TT Games (parent company of Traveller’s Tales) and Warner Bros. together announced that there is another LEGO game releasing this year alongside Dimensions, one that finally delivers on what LEGO is all about: LEGO Worlds. And it’s already available to play! LEGO Worlds is essentially the brand’s long-awaited and inevitable version of Minecraft. There are dozens and dozens of clones of Minecraft, all trying to offer a new spin on the phenomenon, but LEGO’s may be the most adept and fitting. It is LEGO after all. Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games: “LEGO Worlds embodies the physical, LEGO brick-building fun that consumers have enjoyed for decades, on a digital platform that delivers an entirely new type of experience with the beloved bricks.
From the brick-by-brick editor, to discovering an expansive range of items, characters and creatures to populate your worlds – the creative possibilities are endless.” What LEGO Worlds‘ developers have that Mojang didn’t (pre-Microsoft) is resources, a massive development studio and licenses. They can take everything people loved about Microsoft, polish it and add what Minecraft was missing. It’s already evident in the trailer above for the early access beta which is currently available via the Steam service for PC players. Just like Minecraft, LEGO Worlds randomly generates a playing area for players, but it gives players more control with better tools to customize that world and add to it. At the moment, the playable version of LEGO Worlds is single player only but future updates will add multiplayer support, additional content, and sharing features. Even the way LEGO Worlds is launching in an early “creative mode” state is copying the Minecraft model, and that’s not a bad thing.
It does make you wonder though, what Microsoft has planned for the future of Minecraft now that there’s a worthy competitor entering the playing field. Could they be planning larger updates for Minecraft, or perhaps even an overhauled and improved sequel built with better technology? LEGO Worlds is available on Steam Early Access for PC.Yourgparents SamuraiDrill SamuraiVideo SamuraiJack SamuraiDownload SamuraiJack OyunlariJack VideoGirls SequelJon Solo VideosForwardListen to me explain just how related Samurai Jack and Powerpuff Girls are! It gets pretty crazy! Twitter: @JonKScudieri Facebook Fan Page:If the of the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes UCS S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier (76042) wasn’t enough, Warner Bros. also has an announcement today. TT Games will be releasing more LEGO games in 2015 including LEGO Jurassic World and LEGO Marvel’s Avengers as well as some handlheld and mobile titles which includes which we already talked about.We first saw a sneak peek at the LEGO Jurassic World game when a T-Rex and the theme song showed up at the credits of but it seems that WB and TT Games already had something in mind.
The game will consist of the first three Jurassic Park movies as well as the upcoming Jurassic World movie and it will be released in June.The LEGO Marvel’s Avengers video game will feature the characters and storylines from the Avengers movie as well as the Avengers: Age of Ultron and more. It is slated to be released in Fall 2015.WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, TT GAMES, AND THE LEGO GROUP ANNOUNCE AN ACTION-PACKED SLATE OF LEGO® VIDEOGAMES FOR 2015 New Brick Smashing Adventures Are Coming to Console, Handheld and Mobile Platforms LEGO Jurassic World and LEGO Marvel’s Avengers Lead the Line-up For more information and assets click here » Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, and The LEGO Group, today announced their 2015 slate of LEGO ® videogames including LEGO Jurassic World™, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers, plus new handheld and mobile titles. “The LEGO videogame franchise remains a cornerstone of our business, consistently delivering fun, engaging gameplay and remarkable humour both kids and adults love,” said David Haddad, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
“We look forward to expanding the successful series with this very exciting line-up of new LEGO experiences for players of all ages to enjoy on console, handheld and mobile gaming devices.” “This year will be the biggest yet for LEGO videogames with these incredible titles and several firsts for the series,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “TT Games are crafting humorous LEGO adventures, based on new stories and characters across some of the most well-known and iconic worlds.” The upcoming LEGO videogame titles are: Following the epic storylines of Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, as well as the highly anticipated Jurassic World, LEGO Jurassic World is the first videogame where players will be able to relive and experience all four Jurassic films. The game will be available in June for the Xbox One all-in-one games and entertainment system; the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system for Microsoft; PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems;
PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system; the Wii U™ system from Nintendo; Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system; Experience the first console videogame featuring characters and storylines from the blockbuster film The Avengers and the much anticipated sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron and more . Play as the most powerful super heroes in their quest to save humanity. The game will be available in Fall 2015 for the Xbox One all-in-one games and entertainment system; LEGO Ninjago™: Shadow of Ronin™ The popular LEGO Ninjago franchise gets its most expansive adventure to date in LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin. The latest LEGO handheld game delivers an untold story of the LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu TV show. Using their Spinjitzu abilities, players can unleash their Ninja’s elemental power to smash their way through enemies and solve puzzles. Developed by TT Fusion, a subsidiary of TT Games, the game comes to the Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system and the PlayStation ® Vita handheld entertainment system on 27th March, 2015.
The LEGO Movie Video Game The LEGO Movie Video Game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch follows Emmet, an average, rule-following citizen, who is mistakenly identified as the key to saving the world. In the game, players guide Emmet as he is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop the tyrannical Lord Business from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis. With a delightful mix of over 90 characters from the feature film, including Batman, Superman and the Green Ninja , The LEGO Movie Video Game leads gamers on a journey through fantastical worlds in 45 exciting levels. Developed by TT Games, the mobile game is now available on the App Store. LEGO Batman™ 3: Beyond Gotham In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the Caped Crusader joins forces with the Super Heroes of the DC Comics universe and blasts off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth. Players will unlock and play as more than 150 characters, including members of the Justice League and the Legion of Doom and explore iconic locations such as the Hall of Justice, the Batcave and the Justice League Watchtower.
) is the combined publishing and development group behind the hit LEGO videogame franchises such as LEGO® Star Wars™, LEGO® Indiana Jones™, LEGO® Batman™, and LEGO® Harry Potter™. Incorporating renowned UK developer Traveller’s Tales, TT Games has a distinctive focus on console, handheld, mobile and PC games of the highest quality, aimed at young gamers and their families. About Universal Partnerships & Licensing Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) oversees NBCUniversal’s consumer product and digital licensing for Universal Pictures, NBC Television, Focus Features and Sprout Channel. This dedicated division is also responsible for film, home entertainment and television promotions. UP&L is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses.
NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.