Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite and Unreal Engine, are partnering up with The Lego Group to create a family-friendly and kid-safe metaverse, the firms said on Thursday. According to a joint announcement from the companies, their “family-friendly digital experience” promises powerful creative tools and “wonderful play opportunities in a safe and happy setting.” Epic and Lego’s metaverse intentions sound as grandiose as they are currently hazy; as part of their long-term relationship, the firms claim they plan to create “an immersive, creatively stimulating, and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together.”
Epic Games official blog post reported that:
Niels B Christiansen, CEO of The LEGO Group said: “Kids enjoy playing in digital and physical worlds and move seamlessly between the two. We believe there is huge potential for them to develop life-long skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication through digital experiences. But we have a responsibility to make them safe, inspiring and beneficial for all. Just as we’ve protected children’s rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play. We look forward to working with Epic Games to shape this exciting and playful future.”
Tim Sweeney, CEO & Founder, Epic Games said: “The LEGO Group has captivated the imagination of children and adults through creative play for nearly a century, and we are excited to come together to build a space in the metaverse that’s fun, entertaining, and made for kids and families.”
The Lego Group has also created its own creative sandbox games, such as Lego Worlds, which was released in 2017, and is a randomly generated and player-made arena where Lego block fans can design game worlds to their liking. Another thing Epic and Lego have in common is licences. Fortnite and Lego have partnerships with some of the world’s most well-known brands and characters, including Marvel and DC superheroes, as well as Star Wars.
