Funcom have just announced that they're making a LEGO Minifigures MMO. It'll be based on the extensive collection of LEGO Minifigures which includes brides, mummies, baseball players, and one called "Gorilla Suit Guy." He carries a banana.
It doesn't sound like the Minifigures MMO will be aimed at the min-maxers. Instead Funcom are focussing on "maximum accessibility" and working closely with the LEGO Group to produce a "broad and enhanced experience."
“The market for family-friendly online experiences intended for children and youngsters is brimming with potential,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “Being able to work with a world-renowned brand such as the LEGO® brand to develop an MMO for this audience is incredibly exciting to us as game developers and for Funcom as a company."
Here's hoping that Funcom's MMO doesn't suffer the same fate as the last LEGO-based MMO. Josh enjoyed LEGO Universe, but it got closed down in January due to a dwindling subscriber base. For more on that, check out his interview with the devs and retrospective on the tricky transition to free-to-play .
Funcom are also due to release a modern-day, non-plastic, MMO next week. The Secret World is due for launch July 3rd. That's a far more serious affair set in a world where "every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend" is true.
