A Million Little Bricks

by Sarah Herman

  The sequel (the action of which focused on the original three films produced) sought to improve on the camera movement, and levels played out completely from inside a vehicle, to create a more enjoyable play experience. The game featured over fifty playable characters and was praised for its “cute” and “priceless” retelling of classic Star Wars film scenes. It was featured in Time magazine’s top 10 video games of 2006 and received a BAFTA at the British Academy Video Game Awards for Best Gameplay that same year. The LEGO Group continued this success with a compilation edition of both games called LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga in 2007, which was included in Guinness World Records’ top 50 games of all time at number 23. With these games remaining some of the most successful ever made under the LEGO name, and with other new titles selling well, 2011 saw the release of a new Star Wars game based around the televised Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series (for which there are already a number of LEGO sets).

  LEGO Indiana Jones

  With the phenomenal success of the Star Wars games, Traveller’s Tales, which was bought by Warner Bros. in 2007, began production on two games to coincide with the 2008 release of the fourth Indiana Jones film. The first, Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (2008) saw players re-creating famous scenes from the first three Indiana Jones films, and, similar to the Star Wars games, humor was injected into the characters and story—now a LEGO games trademark that has reinvigorated the licensed gaming market. Much of the fundamental game play was similar to that of the Star Wars movies (e.g., there was still the two-player drop-in/drop-out functionality, only this game had split-screen capabilities) but with minor changes—rather than collecting canisters containing parts of vehicles, for example, the Indy characters collect parts of ancient artifacts. Some additions were made, however, such as characters being able to interact more with objects in the environment, and build and ride new vehicles. The 2009 sequel The Adventure Continues, released after the fourth film installment, had a level and object creator, and split-screen capabilities for two-player mode, meaning players’ avatars could move farther from each other to explore the environment. The game received less favorable reviews than Original Adventures, probably due to the fans’ lack of affinity with the new film, on which the majority of the game was based.

  LEGO Batman: The Videogame

  Following Indy that same year was another release from TT Games that also included a well-known adventurer. The LEGO Batman toys of 2006–2008 were modeled on a traditional comic book image of Batman and included many of the famed characters from the stories (Robin, the Joker, the Riddler, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy, to name a few). While Warner Bros. was the publisher on the video game, released as the toy line was wound down, it did not model the game or the characters on any of the existing Batman films, choosing instead the more cartoonish and old-fashioned style of the LEGO toys and an original story as the basis for the game. Similar to the Indiana Jones games, Batman included more combat challenges. With three groups of escaped criminals to lock back up, the player (as Batman or sidekick Robin) could experience each level from the villains’ point of view, and try and carry out their criminal acts. Less LEGO building is required than in other LEGO games, but characters are customizable with a number of different suits available for specific abilities. The game was received well and praised for the less restrictive nature of the Batman license, providing more characters, locations, and freedom for creativity than with other LEGO games. According to an article in X360 Magazine, ten months after its release the game had sold 4.15 million copies worldwide, an impressive figure considering it was without the backing of a film release, and competed with the Indiana Jones game released previously in the year.

  LEGO Rock Band

  Traveller’s Tales’ unique video games seemed an odd partner for Harmonix Music Systems—the original developer of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band music games— but sure enough, in 2009 the companies who had brought the world LEGO Star Wars and The Beatles: Rock Band joined forces to produce LEGO Rock Band. Similar to other Rock Band games, this version allowed up to four players to use instruments to re-create the sounds of guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocalist on a number of popular songs, chosen for their family-friendly content, to earn points in the form of LEGO bricks. This child-proofed game also includes an easy setting where players do not have to hit the right notes, instead striking any note to achieve points; a feature to help those who can’t reach the drum pedal; and a no-fail setting so that rather than a song prematurely ending for poor playing, LEGO bricks are removed from the overall score. Though much of the environment was re-created in LEGO brick form, compared to previous LEGO games, Rock Band does not feature much building—a familiar aspect is the customization of avatars, and their Rock Den using accessories awarded to players for completing gigs. While the game fared reasonably well with the critics, particularly the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions, and received a nomination for Best Family Game from the Academy for Interactive Arts and Sciences (it lost out to The Beatles: Rock Band), overall most felt the LEGO element was a secondary selling point, with customers paying more attention to the song list when selecting a music game rather than theme.

  LEGO Harry Potter

  In March 2010 TT Games announced they had signed a six-year deal with the LEGO Group to allow them to continue producing LEGO-based video games until 2016. Since Warner Bros. bought the game developer in 2007, its output has been almost exclusively film-related, and most of those titles have been LEGO games. Harry Potter, being a Warner Bros. film property, had previously been licensed out to LEGO for the production of the Harry Potter theme which was first available in 2001. While new Harry Potter films have been released since 2007 (when only one Harry Potter set was released), 2010 marked a return to the theme for LEGO in the form of TT Games’ LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1–4. Some new sets were also produced to coincide with the game’s release.

  With the final two Harry Potter films not yet released at the time of the game’s launch, the storyline, for those who had not read the books, was not spoiled by the LEGO offering—this game only revealed plot details from the first four films. Similar to previous LEGO games, there was a strong focus on exploration and adventure, rather than combat. Characters used their powers of sorcery to fight off evil, and players cast spells and made potions to progress in the game. Jumping on where LEGO Star Wars left off, there were over 100 playable characters in the game. Early trailers for LEGO Harry Potter saw classic brown LEGO boats carrying the students across the water to their new school, a wall of LEGO bricks revealing Diagon Alley, and all the light-hearted touches fans have come to expect from LEGO games. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5–7 followed in late 2011 after the final film had debuted that summer.

  LEGO Universe

  Perhaps Ole Kirk Christiansen would have been skeptical if asked if he saw a bright future for LEGO video games when the idea was first revealed to the public in 1997. In one sense, the games produced today are a world away from stacking small plastic bricks to build a house, and in another sense the similarities are quite apparent. Many children are submerged in a technological world from a young age, even in their own home, and LEGO video games, with their interactive play and family friendly gaming style are an obvious contemporary extension of the toys Ole Kirk originally created. Arguably, the LEGO Group’s original vision attempted to be inclusive of as many children as possible, boys and girls, toddlers and teenagers, rich and poor—these video games are products that require access to a computer or gaming console, making them less inclusive than the core LEGO product line.

  Speaking to Business Management magazine, CEO and President of the LEGO Group Jørgen Vig Knudstorp said even he had his doubts about the success of the format. “I have to admit that we had our fears that the video games could cannibalize the physical play experience. With boys of that age there’s a strong synergy between the gaming experience we offer and the physical play experienced. We have learned that just as children still want to
read books and not just watch movies they still want to have that physical LEGO building experience that cannot be replaced by digital play.” Given that the release of LEGO games has, if anything, boosted sales of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones toys, it was time for the LEGO Group to find a more social way to connect LEGO builders, in a new interactive play format.

  The company’s latest venture aimed to pull together the success of its unique style of family-friendly games and the growing online LEGO community. LEGO Universe, released in 2010, is a massive multi-player online game (MMO), set in an alternate universe populated by LEGO minifigures recognizable from a number of existing LEGO themes. Players join forces online to help defeat a dark force trying to rid this LEGO world of imagination. MMOs and online game servers are popular ways for gamers to interact and share their gaming experience with real people, rather than playing against a computer. On entering Universe, the first creation players build is a customized minifigure to represent them in the game. This avatar is their own personal hero with whom they build, interact, and play with other LEGO fans. As well as being able to construct virtual LEGO designs of their own using different building methods, there are various challenges and tasks embedded in the game such as player vs. player skill competitions, smashable LEGO models that release in-world rewards, and personal achievements that can see your name appear on a number of Universe leader boards. The game also fosters a strong sense of community, and though players can compete against each other, marketing materials focus more heavily on the importance of teamwork building and challenges within the game, rather than individual success. The game has chat capabilities so LEGO fans can communicate in real-time with each other, no matter where in the world they live. Children and adult fans from different parts of the world who may only meet up once a year at a LEGO event, or not at all, are now able to enjoy their LEGO hobby together in this virtual environment.

  This MOC titled “Inception” by Alex Eylar uses clever building techniques to create this gravity-defying scene from the 2010 film of the same name. © Alex Eylar

  While most MMOs such as Blizzard’s World of Warcraft are targeted more toward teenagers and adults, LEGO Universe has been developed with a minimum age recommendation of eight years old, making it one of the most kid-friendly MMOs available. To ensure it remains suitable for children, there are strict monitory controls in place to give parents peace of mind. For example, there are rules regarding player names and creations—every time a LEGO creation is built in Universe, before it is visible to other players, it is sent to a server where it is moderated, transformed into a single-game play object, and returned to the game. There are also parental controls, such as time limits on play and zoning restrictions to enable parents to feel comfortable allowing young children to engage in this online environment.

  For the Love of LEGO: Meet the Fan Community

  Search the word “LEGO” on any photo-sharing website and hundreds of thousands of results will appear. The majority of pictures people have taken the time to upload are not snaps from their latest trip to LEGOLAND or LEGO Star Wars birthday presents, but MOCs (My Own Creation)—impressively crafted LEGO creations dreamed up from their own imaginations. From photos of minifigure armies and impressive Battle Bugs to dioramas from Star Wars and stone-work castles, pirate ships, and contemporary buildings, there is a dazzling array of LEGO delights sure to impress even the most skilled builder. Under the majority of these photos are comments left by other similarly inclined hobbyists. Many of these LEGO fans have LEGO minifigures as their social networking profile photographs, and sometimes a username to match.

  Welcome to the LEGO fan community. Ask many adult LEGO fans (AFOLs) about their experiences before the emergence of unofficial Internet sites and forums dedicated to LEGO building and many will tell you they were a closeted fan, believing they were one of a few adults in the world still building with LEGO toys. Then they found like-minded people online in other countries, in other states or counties, and some in their own city or town.

  In 1997 Boston couple Todd Lehman and Suzanne Rich set up Lugnet.com (Lugnet is an abbreviation of LEGO Users Groups Network). As a computer programmer who used to freelance for the LEGO Group as a conceptual artist, Lehman told the Los Angeles Times in 2001 that he figured it was just a matter of time before a dedicated LEGO fan produced a site like this, given the intelligence and enthusiasm of the community. Lugnet, despite its simplistic design, is still one of the largest online LEGO-oriented communities. The site provides users with a series of forums—general topics, LEGO themes, a marketplace for selling LEGO toys, and local boards for specific countries and locations. Users post pictures of their MOCs and access a parts database to find which sets contain pieces they need to build their next project. A quick browse of Lugnet’s LUGMap reveals nearly 100 registered LEGO groups around the world, most of which have their own websites dedicated to news and forums relevant to that localized area. Lugnet is not the only site to offer AFOLs this kind of experience—there are now a number of similar sites in a variety of languages, some focusing on a particular LEGO building theme. Beyond the forums, there are enthusiastic LEGO bloggers highlighting their favorite new MOCs and builders, reporting news, and discussing new LEGO products. One such blog is The Brothers Brick.

  Started in 2005, The Brothers Brick (TBB) serves the online community through its reportage of LEGO news and by posting MOC photographs that have caught the attention of the blog’s contributors. Important news does take precedent, but the spotlight focus on exciting MOCs and their creators—offering links to the builders’ own websites or Flickr.com accounts—is what really makes the blog such a success. Many fans view it regularly, and post comments to get involved in the discussion of a particular model or news story. The Brothers Brick is well-known in North America, where the team regularly sponsor events and attend conventions. In 2009 the site received nearly 1.5 million unique visitors, with users coming from 207 different countries and regions, no small achievement for a blog run voluntarily by passionate fans.

  Although the LEGO Group go to all that effort of creating varied and interesting sets for its customers to build, there’s a large sector of LEGO fans that can’t wait to get their hands on those shiny, perfectly designed boxes so they can rip them open and use the parts inside to build something completely original. These creations are MOCs. They exist in the minds, bedrooms, and LEGO rooms (yes, some fans do have these) of creative LEGO fans everywhere. The Brothers Brick defines MOC as “My Own Creation. Any LEGO creation designed and built by a LEGO fan without instructions. Generally pronounced ‘mock.’” For a MOC builder there are no limitations, with the exception of their disposable income and the pieces that TLG creates (and even these are sometimes modified by fans).

  While building MOCs is as old as the LEGO brick itself, the idea of sharing them with like-minded fans on an international scale is a relatively new phenomenon. Before social networking and photo-sharing sites had really taken off, LEGO Certified Professional Sean Kenney wanted a place where others could show off their LEGO creations like he did on his own blog, and so he created MOCpages.com, one of the first sites dedicated to sharing LEGO creations. The community welcomes anyone who loves LEGO bricks, including children, adult hobbyists, artists and engineers who use the bricks as a medium, and LEGO employees, although the site is not officially endorsed by the LEGO Group.

  While MOC builders do buy LEGO sets to add to their collection, often they are looking to buy particular bricks or minifigures rather than the specialized parts or base plates that increase the cost of the set. To facilitate this demand for specific bricks and encourage builders to buy directly from the LEGO Group rather than second-hand sellers, the company created the “Pick a Brick” system. First introduced into LEGO retail outlets in 2002, this shopping experience saw customers paying to fill a cup or bag with any number of pieces they wanted from a shelving unit full of parts. Pick A Brick is also available online at LEGO.com, where it is possib
le to browse through nearly 1,500 different LEGO elements costing as little as ten cents for a 1 × 1 brick. And it’s not just bricks; you can give your existing minifigures a makeover with new clothes, hats, heads, and hairpieces. Unfortunately, not every LEGO element is available, and there is not an on-demand service provided. While it’s possible for TLG to monitor the popularity of most staple pieces, or colors, making them readily available, they do not unnecessarily produce large amounts of pink bricks, for example, just in case one MOC builder decides to build a candy-colored fairy castle. This, however, is where second-hand brick selling plays its part.

  This beautiful whaling ship, named 66.5ºN, was built by AFOL Jordan Schwartz. © Jordan Schwartz

  Websites such as Bricklink.com bring buyers and sellers together. Want to pick up an original 1984 Black Falcons’ Knights Castle? Need fifty black monkey tails to decorate your latest Wizard of Oz MOC? Then Bricklink is the place to start looking. While some sellers are just getting rid of their old collection, online retailers usually offer more competitive prices, meaning vintage sets and unusual parts are available, and everything is generally cheaper, keeping buyers coming back for more and more bricks.

  Some individuals have gone a little bit further than simply selling parts, and have taken it upon themselves to modify minifigures and create accessories not currently available from LEGO themselves. One such seller is Will Chapman, whose custom toy business Brick Arms is a huge success story. Based in the United States, it is one of the largest manufacturers of LEGO-compatible weaponry and customized minifigures. Chapman initially went into business to make World War II LEGO weapons for his son; now his custom products are sold across the United States and in Canada, Australia, the U.K., Sweden, and the Netherlands. For an average of $1.15 you can arm your minifigures with a sword or gun modeled on real and fantasy weapons. While the LEGO Group has produced weapons in the past, it is wary of focusing too much on toys that encourage violent play, meaning Brick Arms is one of a few manufacturers offering LEGO fans alternatives to traditional minifigure attire and accessories.