In a bid to take on the Microsoft-owned Minecraft series, Lego has announced a sandbox game in which players uses Lego bricks to build unique environments.
The studio behind the Lego videogame series, TT Games, announced Monday, June 1, that it's releasing "Lego Worlds," a Minecraft-like sandbox game.
"Lego Worlds" features blocky graphics just like "Minecraft," the game that was bought by Microsoft for a whopping $2.5 billion last year. The game is available now through Steam "early access," basically a paid beta program where games that are still in development can be purchased, The Verge noted.
Identical to "Minecraft," "Lego Worlds" features procedurally generated worlds where players can reshape their surroundings in order to create whatever they like. The only difference this time is that those worlds are made of Lego bricks.
The game's Steam page explains:
"Lego Worlds enables you to populate your worlds with many weird and wonderful characters, creatures, models, and drivable vehicles, and then play out your own unique adventures."
Along with other content based on actual Lego play sets, the game features buildings, vehicles, and customizable Minifig characters.
Lego will look at what it's learned and consider when it should launch a full game release. Prospective customers will need to have a Steam account to purchase the game.
Considering that Minecraft has been a hit for at least five years, it looks like Lego is a little behind. Nevertheless, Lego's been quiet sensible about the evolution of play, and may still benefit from the success of "The Lego Movie," Washington Post noted.
The full version of "Lego Worlds" is slated to launch early next year along with several important additions. Its currently available only on Windows machines. The full version will boast social aspects such as online multiplayer an the ability to share in-game creations with other players.
Talking about the early access version, the developers said, "We want to ensure that we provide it with the utmost care and attention as we expand on our ideas."
Despite having a mixed history with video games, Lego hasn't stopped going after some of the biggest names in gaming. Along with "Minecraft," Lego is also taking on toy-based games including "Skylanders" with the forthcoming "Lego Dimensions," which is slated to come out in September.
Both franchises have turn out to be huge moneymakers. While "Skylanders" made over $3 billion since its debut in 2011, "Minecraft" has been downloaded over 50 million times.
