After last week’s series of teasers from LEGO and Tencent Games on several Chinese media outlets, the next LEGO-inspired online gaming platform is now unveiled. The LEGO Group has released its official press release launching its first LEGO branded mobile game in China dubbed simply as LEGO Cube.
This newest LEGO mobile game has been developed together with Tencent Games, and follows a sandbox format very similar to LEGO Worlds, while having the online gaming potential of Roblox. It is basically new territory for LEGO specially taking into consideration a host of concern regarding online safety for children and players. LEGO Cube is set to be available to the public at the end of this year, and we have to wait and see if a US version of LEGO Cube will be available soon.
Read on for the LEGO Group’s complete statement, following this video announcement for the LEGO Cube below.
LEGO® CUBE – THE FIRST LEGO BRANDED MOBILE GAME IN CHINA, DEVELOPED BY TENCENT GAMES
(Shenzhen, China, 19 September 2018) LEGO® CUBE, a sandbox game for Chinese players, was unveiled today at the “Imagination Creates the World” event by Tencent Games and the LEGO Group. This is the first mobile game developed under the strategic partnership between the LEGO Group and Tencent to provide fun, creative and safe digital experiences in China.
LEGO Cube is a sandbox game developed and operated by Tencent Games under the license of the LEGO Group, featuring LEGO bricks, minifigures and other iconic LEGO properties. It is expected that the game will be publicly available at the end of 2018.
In sandbox games players are not bound by the rules of traditional games. Rather than follow a linear story or structure, players are encouraged and empowered to explore the game world as they want. Creativity is at the very core of the game, where a players’ imagination is their only limit.
LEGO Cube provides an imaginative, creative and safe digital gaming experience and encourages players to explore, create and learn in safe open-ended play, leading to endless possibilities. It also offers players opportunities to develop skills including: 3D design, construction and building and coding.
Sean McEvoy, Vice President of LEGO Games at the LEGO Group, said “The LEGO Group has more than 20 years of experience in creating fun and creative games that extend and amplify LEGO play. We are excited to preview our first branded mobile game with Tencent Games in China. LEGO Cube is a platform that will enable more children and adults to engage with the LEGO brand in China, empowering them to explore their imagination and creativity in a digital world.”
The LEGO Group sees digital media, such as games, apps and movies, as an exciting opportunity to add new, exciting layers and dimensions to the LEGO experience and make it relevant to even more children.
LEGO Cube is the latest offering under the strategic partnership between the LEGO Group and Tencent which was announced in January 2018. Based on a mutual understanding of digital child safety, the two companies are working together to re-imagine the digital future of Chinese children. The LEGO Video Zone was launched on Tencent Video in May 2018 to provide a fun, inspiring and safe digital entertainment experience for Chinese children.
Paul Huang, Senior Vice President of the LEGO Group and General Manager of LEGO China, said “As a company with 86 years of history, the LEGO Group has always made safety its top priority, be that for our physical products or our digital experiences. Children are our role models and our most important purpose is to inspire them and help them develop through play. This means taking our responsibility as a company very seriously, since children’s safety is and always will be our most important concern.”
LEGO Cube will safeguard players of all ages with protection features on product and content design, user registration, parental controls and player-to-player interaction. The game will also require identity and age verification. This will empower children to play LEGO Cube, but on a dedicated server, featuring additional child safety measures. LEGO Cube will also feature an anti-addiction system to ensure a safe and healthy play experience.
