LEGO lovers have the opportunity to create their very own fan games thanks to a new partnership between the LEGO Group and cross-platform game engine Unity. Users can access the LEGO Microgame video game design tool to easily create and submit game ideas, and if the idea is impressive enough, they may even earn the chance to become a fully-published title.
The partnership between LEGO and Unity was first announced back in October 2020 as the companies teamed up to create LEGO Microgame. The system acts as a learning tool for the basics of Unity and allows users to create 3D games in a short amount of time without writing any code. The Microgame, which is downloadable from the Unity store, incorporates familiar LEGO elements in the form of special bricks with gameplay actions built in and LEGO minifig characters ready for use. Different mods are available to personalize the experience, and more assets become available the more people use the platform.
LEGO Group senior technical lead Anders Holm sat down with Bits N' Bricks podcast hosts Ethan Vincent and Brian Crecente this week, where they spoke about the Unity partnership and its intentions. Holm said that the LEGO Group has been examining the possibility of publishing a few creations made within LEGO Microgame. He explained that the partnership stemmed from the LEGO Ideas platform, where the community is involved in designing physical LEGO sets. "We want to involve the same types of community that you can submit your game idea that you have built in the Microgame, and potentially, if it’s an awesome game, [it could] be actually published as a proper Lego title," Holm said.
In the same vein, the goal is to have creators who get their games published actually earn money, just like what happens with LEGO set ideas that become a reality. Of course, LEGO has not yet done something like this in the digital realm, so the LEGO Group is still looking into publishing fan games and monetization via a percentage of sales revenues. Because the platform is so new, Holm said that the company first needs to see who the tool attracts and what creations come from it before moving forward with how games are shared and marketed.
The LEGO Microgame may be in its early days, but it's certainly neat that people can dive into it right away. The tool is inclusive to all, even those who have absolutely no experience in game design, so it may be worth checking out on the Unity Store if you're someone with a few ideas brewing but no clue how to bring them to life.
Source: Bits N' Bricks, LEGO Microgame/Unity