lego-universe
Latest
The MMO Report: What is this I don't even edition
Welcome once again to Massively's coverage of The MMO report, where we get to imagine that this entire article is read by a 1930s radio announcer. The first order of business today is the record-breaking scam perpetrated in EVE Online, followed by the energy and weapon ability changes in the most recent test build of Guild Wars 2. Then we've got The Old Republic's first show of endgame content in the form of the Eternity Vault being showcased at Gamescom. Meanwhile, The Secret World announces a release date, slating the game for April 2012 with beta signups beginning on August 26th. LEGO Universe's transition to a free-to-play model rounds out the selections before a trip into Uncle Casey's Mailbag for some schmemes and other goodness. So jump on past the cut and check it out. Oh, and don't ask about the beginning. We don't know either.
PSA: Lego Universe free trial begins today
] 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.%Gallery-130624%
LEGO Universe goes F2P today
Free-to-play conversions have been in the news a lot lately, with games as diverse as Age of Conan and Champions Online throwing open their doors with various flavors of free access. LEGO Universe is the latest freemium convert, and today is the official kickoff for the brick-building MMORPG's new membership tier. So what can you do for free in LEGO Universe? Two adventure zones and one player property area are available for starters, and the game also offers up a decent selection of free mini-games, build options, and basic functionality (including the ability to sample faction gear and collect up to 10,000 coins). The LEGO Group is clearly looking to entice gamers to upgrade to a full membership, though, as it only costs $10 a month and it unlocks the full game including over 15 adventuring zones, access to upcoming expansion content, and the ability to join in competitions and community events. Head to the official LEGO Universe website for a full listing of free-to-play offerings and subscriber benefits. You can also click past the cut to see a new free-to-play trailer featuring gameplay and world-building highlights.
LEGO Universe update adds progression system
LEGO Universe has the creative aspects of MMOs and online gaming down pat. After all, we're talking LEGOs (edit: LEGO BRICKS OMG, LEGO BRICKS) here, and if there's one word that's synonymous with the long-running Danish toy line, that word is build. What's there to do in LEGO Universe when your creativity runs dry, though? Thanks to the game's latest content update, traditional MMO character-building is now a viable option. Player minifigures may progress through 40 levels of content, unlocking points, achievements, and equipment along the way. That's not all, as the latest LEGO Universe patch also features four new faction kits (Specialized Adventurer, Shinobi, Inventor, and Space Ranger), each of them aligned with one of the game's four Nexus Force factions and each offering players the opportunity to rank up and explore "new gear, powers, and abilities." Last but not least, the new LEGO Universe update brings a new instance challenge in the form of the Avant Gardens, and a big nasty known as the Spider Queen awaits players who are creative enough to make it through to the final battle.
Ex-NetDevil programmer talks LEGO Universe and getting an industry job
Fan site MMO Fallout has an interesting interview with Stephen Calender that's worth a read. Who's Stephen Calender? He's a Flash developer who was front and center for the brouhaha that went down when The LEGO Group acquired the LEGO Universe MMO from NetDevil (putting many NetDevil programmers out of work in the process). The interview is a wide-ranging and lengthy affair, and it features discussion on Gazillion's relationship with NetDevil, a blurb about the ill-fated Auto Assault, and of course, the bulk of the piece that focuses on the past and future of LEGO Universe. For all of the aspiring game devs in the audience, Calender also spends quite a bit of time talking about selling yourself in an increasingly competitive industry.
LEGO Universe dares you to make a 'Brickbuster'
Have an itching desire to be an amateur filmmaker, but all you have to work with is a video camera and your toys? No problem -- LEGO Universe and The Ones and Zeros Pixelshow think that's all you need to become the next hit director! From now until August 5th, you can film and submit your very own LEGO "Brickbuster" in the Build-a-Brickbuster Animated Film Contest. The best of the best stop-motion machinima will be awarded prizes, showcased at Pixelfest in Broomfield, Colorado on August 13th and 14th, and included in a special DVD later this year. Pixelfest Producer Dylan Krider sees this as a perfect cross-over between the MMO and real world: "When players aren't busy battling to save imagination in LEGO Universe, they can bring their wildest creations to life with virtual building and behavior tools that make it simple for anyone to make their own machinima creations."
Free-to-play trial version of Lego Universe coming in August
The world of The Lego Group'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 Universe going freemium this August
Fallen Earth? Check. City of Heroes? Check. Which AAA MMORPG act is warming up to take the stage next on the free-to-play 2011 world tour? That would be LEGO Universe, and the LEGO Group has announced via press release that the kid-friendly building-block title will be joining its formerly subscription-based brethren in the freemium ranks as early as this August. Interestingly, LEGO Universe will continue to make its money via paid memberships, with no microtransactions planned at this time. Free players will have access to a limited selection of game content for an unlimited period of time. If the trial content tickles their fancy, tire-kickers are then free to pony up $10 per month for full access. LEGO Universe is also doing away with its physical media, as new users will find that the game is transitioning to a download-only model for both paid and free players. Full details on the content available to free players isn't yet available, but check back with us frequently as we bring you all the latest updates.
Choose My Adventure: Should have played it by now edition
I admit it: I stick with my games for a long time. When I step into an MMO, I make it home for a while, and it takes a lot of effort for me to move along. That's part of the reason the games I'm actively playing are generally on the older side -- I've already got a history there. Unfortunately, it also means that there are a lot of games, new and old, that I just haven't had the time to play just yet. So to kick off my tenure on Choose My Adventure, I'm going to kick that straight to the curb with a poll I'd like to call the Should Have Played It By Now Edition. But which game I'll spend the next several weeks playing isn't up to me; that task lies in your hands, folks. So what's it going to be? Should I stop being the only person in the world who hasn't played RIFT? Will I dive into the free-to-play domain of Runes of Magic? Should I break my usual conventions and take a shot at Global Agenda or get some solid aggression out of my system with Warhammer Online? All of these are games I've only had a little playtime with at best, and in most cases, I haven't even touched them. So click on past the break and let me know what I'll be playing, and I'll see you back here in a week to find out more about my next destination. (But make sure to vote by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 19th!)
Former LEGO Universe dev: 'I have decided to get out of the MMO game'
We're all familiar with that guy who gets burned out on his game and makes a very public and lengthy rant as to why he's quitting on the official forums. But what happens when a developer does the same thing to a larger audience? Today we found out, as former LEGO Universe dev Ryan Seabury wrote an open letter saying why he left NetDevil -- and why he'll never work on MMOs again. Seabury cites four reasons: that the "MMO" label has lost its meaning, it takes too long and is too stressful to develop new games, it's difficult to play around with creative concepts, and the market is trending toward indie titles anyway. He left to start up END Games Entertainment so that he and others of a similar mind could indulge in "a ridiculous variety of game ideas" instead of treading the waters of the status quo. His letter is largely upbeat as he focuses on the joys of game development and play, and he thinks that it's high past time studios break out of old mindsets to embrace the new: "We have come to a point where the game concept trumps such insignificant bullet points, and global social connectivity is a given. From a creative standpoint, this is fantastic. Ideas are king once again; the industry feels as vibrant to me as the golden nostalgia years I experienced as a kid growing up through the coin-op and early console eras, except we've finally ditched the nerd-in-basement stigma." You can read Seabury's full letter over at Kotaku.
LEGO Universe opens the Nexus Tower
It's always nice to finish a big construction project of LEGO bricks, even if you're just making something out of spare bricks on your desktop instead of working. It's the same for LEGO Universe, but in a somewhat more substantive fashion -- the Nexus Tower, a massive structure composed of a huge number of bricks, has finally been completed in-game. Thanks to players donating bricks and working toward the tower's completion, everyone can start enjoying the features of this large-scale hub as well as several content updates due to accompany it. Players who explore the tower will find over 50 new missions to undertake as well as several faction leaders to work alongside as they learn more about the history of the game's multiversal setting. There are also new items, new pets, new daily missions, and a promise of more content to come down the pipeline following this. LEGO Universe players can check out all of the new stuff in-game now, but if you can't log in right at the moment, take a look at the trailer just after the break.
LEGO Universe unveils May contest schedule
May in LEGO Universe is all about faction pride, and as such, players are invited to participate in a host of exciting contests to demonstrate their factions' superiority. Well, that and win prizes. You can have your blocky cake and eat it in LEGO Universe! The site has posted its May contest schedule for your edification: All month: Join the community effort is underway to build the Nexus Tower via donations. May 7-8: Race in the LEGO Grand Prix, which will take place at a soon-to-be revealed location. May 14-15: Take aim and fire during the Shooting Gallery Showdown, where players will try to hit enemy ships and creatures in the water. May 21-22: Submit your best faction screenshot for a shot at several prizes. May 28-29: Unite with your faction in the Battle for Nimbus Station! Take a gander at the contest details and the many, many goodies you can win over at LEGO Universe.
LEGO Universe readying new race track, pets, property, and a month-long event
Next week is looming large for fans of LEGO Universe. May 3rd will see major new challenges made available to the game's community according to a LEGO press release circulated earlier this afternoon. First up is a month-long initiative to finish the colossal Nexus Tower construction project. The tower houses the Nexus of Imagination, and it's a good thing too since the dastardly Maelstrom is bent on unyielding destruction. Players will need to contribute bricks to the Nexus Force cause or risk leaving Imagination vulnerable to the forces of darkness. LEGO Universe will also be sporting a new race track as of next week, and the circuit is every bit as grueling as its name (Dragonmaw Chasm) suggests. New achievements are the order of the day, and skilled racers can unlock new cars including the Fire Brawl and Mach Lava. Finally, the new game update is bringing new property options to LEGO Universe. These include the ability for players to place pets on their in-game homesteads and bring said pets to life via a system of behaviors. Head to the official LEGO Universe website for more. %Gallery-49493%
Choose My Adventure: Into the cave I go!
Hello Massively Readers, and thank you MJ for passing the torch! It's been an enjoyable ride following her in her Xyson adventures, and I hope I can do the same for whatever game is chosen. And that brings me to the list -- what would you like to see me play? I made sure to include some of the bridesmaids from previous polls, as well as a few that were mentioned and not listed. So what's it going to be, Massively readers? Will Pirates of the Burning Sea finally get its comeuppance, or will I sport a jet pack and buzz around in Global Agenda? Are you curious about whether MYST Online has the same frustratingly difficult but gorgeous puzzles as the original, or would you prefer that I return to my roots and spend some time on the EverQuest progression server? And, of course, there's my long-lost uncle whom I never got to know -- EverQuest II Extended. Maybe you'd prefer to see an EQII vet head to free-to-play land. Whatever the game, I'm looking forward to your help choosing my path, and if you are also playing, I hope to get to know some of you during my adventures. Make sure to get your votes in by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 17th!
Massively's April Fools' Day [adjective] roundup
The favorite day of the year for anyone named April has [verb ending in ed] the internet, making some web surfers [emotion] and others [emotion]. In [adjective] Massively fashion, we felt it best to gather all this news [adverb]. After all, what would an event be without a [adjective] Massively roundup? World of Warcraft [past tense verb] not just one internet prank but four for the [plural noun] of BattleNet. Turbine invited its [plural noun] to be the broccoli for [adjective] race in Dungeons and Dragons Online. The [plural title] of Star Wars: The Old Republic did not want to leave the Wookiee [plural noun] from playing their [adjective] game, so they created a Shyriiwook interface for all those [adjective] people. However, the prank that takes the [food] has to be ArenaNet's new Guild Wars 2 class, the Commando; Anet created [adjective] videos complete with jiggle physics and placed helicopters into the current Guild Wars game. After the cut, we have [past tense verb] all the [adjective] pranks in this year's batch of favorite MMOs. Now you won't have to [verb] around the internet to find them yourself! But if you do [verb] something not on our list, let us know in the comments.
LEGO Universe on sale for $9.99
Have you seen the prices for LEGO brick,s these days? Some parents have had to choose between purchasing their child a Harry Potter Hogwarts set or paying the mortgage that month -- and Harry Potter usually wins. Fortunately, you can get your virtual LEGOs on for cheap: LEGO Universe is on sale for $9.99 in the official LEGO store. You'll want to note that this is a physical copy of the game, not a digital download. The purchase also includes the first month of play, which certainly lowers the barrier of entry. This promotion is a limited time offer, although the company didn't put an exact end date on it. This follows LEGO Universe's transition from Gazillion to the LEGO Group. Newcomers to the game will certainly want to check out the cooperative community events that highlight this MMO's unique strengths.
LEGO Universe builds community via community building
The fun of playing with LEGO sets is only half in the assembly -- a lot of the enjoyment comes with showing off what you've created to others, no matter your age. It's an element that LEGO Universe has taken to heart, as a recent release talks about the community events the game has run thus far and the plans for more events in the future. Each month of the game's operation has been based around a core theme for community events and challenges, giving players unified goals to work toward. March is the Battle Month, with the final event taking place this weekend in the Battle for Nimbus Station. Players who successfully face off against 29 waves of enemies will be in the running to win a variety of in-game prizes as well as some real-world LEGO sets. The Creation Lab has also been a major area of development, allowing user-generated content to come front and center in the community. Even if you're not currently playing LEGO Universe, you can take part in some of the contests and get your own buildings in the game -- sharing what you've built with everyone even if it's not made out of plastic bricks.
Gazillion press release clarifies Netdevil layoff rumors
The NetDevil/LEGO Universe brouhaha that unfolded earlier this morning is officially official thanks to a press release just published by Gazillion Entertainment. Gazillion has formally agreed to sell its development stake in the LEGO Universe MMO to the LEGO Group (the game's publisher and custodian of the world-famous toy brand). Most of the LEGO devs, formerly employed by NetDevil (a Gazillion subsidiary), have received employment offers from the LEGO Group and will continue iterating on the game from the company's Louisville, Colorado studio. Gazillion is re-focusing its ongoing development efforts into browser games, according to President and COO David Brevik. "The transition of members of our team to the LEGO Group enables us to focus completely on internally-published, free-to-play game businesses," he said.
Lego Group purchases Lego Universe and dev team from Gazillion
The Lego Group has acquired Lego Universe -- and most of the NetDevil developers who were part of the project. A Gazillion representative explained to Joystiq that before Gazillion's acquisition of NetDevil, NetDevil had already begun Lego Universe as a work-for-hire project, and now Lego has bought 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 System A/S is expected to take over the space that NetDevil is currently occupying, and the remaining non-Lego-aligned NetDevil 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. Update: Following up on NetDevil's "minor staff reduction," a Gazillion rep told us: "Less than a quarter of the Lego Universe team was let go with the transition." We weren't able to obtain NetDevil's prior or current head count, but we were told that 40 people are working on the Fortune Online project, which is the studio's key focus.
NetDevil lays off large portion of its staff [Updated]
When it comes to game development, it's somewhat common to see a layoff or realignment of development team members shortly after the release of a title. However, it appears that NetDevil's most recent round of layoffs came as a complete surprise to its employees. After all, the company's most recent release, LEGO Universe, is well past that initial post-launch phase, having gone live back in October 2010, and both Jumpgate Evolution and Fortune Online are (at least supposedly) under development currently at the studio. There are jobs posted on the hiring page, as well. However, it appears that the developer, owned by Gazillion Entertainment, is on shaky ground as of this morning, according to rumors. The truly horrible thing about this isn't that some developers were laid off -- it's how the affected employees found out. It appears that some of the NetDevil employees were notified that they were going to be laid off via Facebook postings before they were officially contacted by the company, according to a blog posting by Toby Cochran, who worked as a character/creature animator on LEGO Universe. Apparently an image showing a tombstone with the inscription "NetDevil R.I.P. Oct 1997-Feb 2011" started making the rounds on social networking sites shortly thereafter, indicating a far bleaker picture than just that of layoffs. We've reached out to NetDevil and Gazillion Entertainment for comment on the rumors and what, if anything, it will mean for the development of Jumpgate Evolution and Fortune Online. We'll be sure to update this post as soon as we have further information. In the meantime, we hope that all the talented, hard-working NetDevil employees who were affected are able to land fabulous new well-paying spots elsewhere, continuing to do what they love. [Update: We received the following statement from NetDevil: "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 based on our own properties and licensed properties. Gazillion is wholly focused on developing, operating, and publishing the next generation of browser-delivered games," said David Brevik, President and COO. "We're proud of the LEGO Universe game that our team built, and we are certain that it has a bright future."]
