London – June 7, 2010 – The LEGO Group and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced a distribution partnership for LEGO®Universe, releasing the second half of 2010. LEGO Universe will be the first MMOG – massively-multiplayer online game – based on the LEGO play experience for gamers of all ages. Under the deal, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be the exclusive retail distributor of LEGO Universe outside of LEGO channels.
“WBIE has tremendous reach as one of the industry’s largest full-scale games publishers, which will enable LEGO Universe to access a broader audience of kids and families interested in online gaming,” said Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, Vice President, LEGO Digital, the LEGO Group. “We believe this partnership will be mutually beneficial for both companies, as well as end users, and are pleased to work with experts in this space on retail distribution for LEGO Universe.”
Developed by the LEGO Group and NetDevil, LEGO Universe will enable players of all ages to build, create, interact with friends, battle, and explore LEGO worlds – past, present and future. The MMOG is currently in a closed beta, with the game scheduled to release later this year.
LEGO Universe is a family-friendly online game, appropriate for players aged eight and above, centred around an epic battle between creativity and chaos. The LEGO brick lies at the centre of the experience, and several levels of building are available, from simple gameplay oriented challenges all the way up to sophisticated brick-by-brick design. With a focus on creativity and building, LEGO Universe invites players to flex their imaginations with the iconic brick in a vibrant online world.
“The LEGO Group has long been a leader in family entertainment, and we are excited to help extend the brand into the online arena through an MMOG platform with LEGO Universe,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We look forward to expanding our relationship with the LEGO Group beyond what we’ve already established with the successful TT Games’ titles. LEGO Universe builds upon the LEGO video games business in an exciting new way.”
To learn more about LEGO Universe, please visit www.LEGOuniverse.com.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
About The LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932, and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through its products, which can be purchased in more than 130 countries. Visit www.LEGO.com
LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of The LEGO Group. ©2010 The LEGO Group.
