Lego Universe shutting down

[Pingles]

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/lego-universe-shutting-down-january-2012/

After subscribing I suppose I'm not surprised. While the game itself was a great deal of fun it definitely had its problems and their Free-to-play implementation was really just the frist zone free with lots of limitations.

Too bad.

[ACWWgal2011]

I'll be honest. Its no surprise to me since LU isn't very good IMHO. On free play it's actually worse then toontown in a lot of ways. Major issue i have is the lack of stuff to do. Including the time to download, it only took me about 3 hours to get to the end of what i can do on Freebie mode NOT including a few side quests. Yes i am aware of the P2P cards but i just can't justify a 10 dollar card when it took me such a short time to get through the Free Play mode. by my estimates, i could probably get through LU within a week with a membership. TT took me 2.5 months from donald dock training to getting the boss suit but i would want another month of membership if it wouldn't be for the trouble makers i've faced with buildings and HQ's.

Another issue i had with the game was camera controls. I got turned around so many times while trying to move around areas that it wasn't even funny.

I could see LU working with a cheaper membership plan and a better tech team though. it was pretty fun at times and it's kind of sad to see lego just flush all that cash down the toilet.

[Blondie-Wan]

I'll be honest. Its no surprise to me since LU isn't very good IMHO. On free play it's actually worse then toontown in a lot of ways. Major issue i have is the lack of stuff to do. Including the time to download, it only took me about 3 hours to get to the end of what i can do on Freebie mode NOT including a few side quests. Yes i am aware of the P2P cards but i just can't justify a 10 dollar card when it took me such a short time to get through the Free Play mode. by my estimates, i could probably get through LU within a week with a membership. TT took me 2.5 months from donald dock training to getting the boss suit but i would want another month of membership if it wouldn't be for the trouble makers i've faced with buildings and HQ's.

Another issue i had with the game was camera controls. I got turned around so many times while trying to move around areas that it wasn't even funny.

I could see LU working with a cheaper membership plan and a better tech team though. it was pretty fun at times and it's kind of sad to see lego just flush all that cash down the toilet.

If you'll pardon my saying so, I respectfully think you've missed the point of the game if you think you "got to the end" of what you can do. The regular MMO-style quests and such are just part of the game; there's also freestyle building from bricks, and sharing your creations with others. Alas, I'm still just beginning to get into all the things to do in the game, and now it appears I'll never get to fulfill more than a bare fraction of the potential.

Ah, well. It really is quite sad, given how grand the ambitions and how much potential is there. Though I think you've overlooked the game's true essence, I do agree it could use a lot more preexisting material and quests and such, but I don't think that's really what kept people away. I suspect a lot of people in TLG's core market simply weren't receptive to the basic subscription-based MMO model - what parents want to buy their little LEGO fans a game and then pay a monthly fee for them to play it, when their other games are buy-it-once-and-play-forever-until-bored? And many AFOLs, I suspect, never looked into the game deeply enough to see any compelling reason to pay for this when they could spend the same money on real bricks.

It's really too bad. This game was perhaps unique in its potential for combining traditional gaming experiences with the kind of freeform creative play one gets with LEGO. Personally, I think I'm even more disappointed than its other fans; I actually preordered the game and had it from day one, having paid full release price, but found myself unable to play it because of computer issues, and was finally able to start playing regularly only just recently. So far, I've gotten to play it for a combined total of less than 12 hours, and today this news comes.

Ah, well. I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can before it closes for good.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

I was a Beta tester, and in several occasions, I felt like there was nothing more to do. I didn't actually like the building experience. It wasn't the graphics, or the versatility of building. Rather, I found the controls too awkward, and I have actually built models in MLCAD. If you wanted to buy a single piece, you had to scroll all over all the pieces. Even though they had a certain logical order, categories would have helped much. However, I don't know if this was ever fixed, since I never paid for a game subscription. This is what kept me away from building in LU, and building was probably one of the strongest characteristics in LU.

Furthermore, I didn't like to get to a point in which all remaining things to do are hang around, talk with people, collect stuff, and get achievements. In Beta, the game ran out of quests way too quickly. I acknowledge that Lego kept putting new quests in the game, but this was something that I was never able to experience.

However, I still feel sad to see this game go. I have fond memories of it and I think that it could have been saved. Alas, good bye, LU!

[gylman]

My two kids enjoyed it quite a bit.

We just found out, and one of them is crying right now.

They aren't hard core gamers, and LU was just right for them - they like the graphics, quests, and made a few online friends. It was probably too expensive for what it could do, but as a parent I had no trouble spending the money to make them happy playing with LEGO online.

Too bad.

[ACWWgal2011]

If i remember right from the time span i did play, there is some sort of category system in place. It works pretty well. As far as quests, it's the same case in Freebie mode w/ running out of quests fast.

i have tried doing the building component in the game and i really don't like the controls. It was really tricky to set up pieces properly to try and build any sort of walls or to set up the pre-made stuff. I really wanted to like it but it was just annoying trying to fight with the issues.

Personally as a lego product fan(I am no longer a real AFOL), i wanted to join to play a fun Online RPG game that was a bit harder then Toontown but still more of a kiddie type game that wasn't TO hard. I can see a ton of potential in LU but i think part of the problem could of been them taking so long to get the game out. I think all the times that they had to push back the release date(at least 3 times and pushing it back a total about 2.5 years from the first date giving) resulted in some people getting bored of waiting and as a result those people went to other games. Now that i think about it, that's mainly why i went to TT in the first place. I originally was really excited for Lego Universe but as a combined factor of the game release being pushed back and a cousin playing TT, i began playing on Toontown.

[dr_spock]

Will there be a refund to subscribers whose subscription don't run out at the end of January 2012?

[Corvus]

I was a Beta tester, and in several occasions, I felt like there was nothing more to do. I didn't actually like the building experience. It wasn't the graphics, or the versatility of building. Rather, I found the controls too awkward, and I have actually built models in MLCAD. If you wanted to buy a single piece, you had to scroll all over all the pieces. Even though they had a certain logical order, categories would have helped much. However, I don't know if this was ever fixed, since I never paid for a game subscription. This is what kept me away from building in LU, and building was probably one of the strongest characteristics in LU.

Furthermore, I didn't like to get to a point in which all remaining things to do are hang around, talk with people, collect stuff, and get achievements. In Beta, the game ran out of quests way too quickly. I acknowledge that Lego kept putting new quests in the game, but this was something that I was never able to experience.

However, I still feel sad to see this game go. I have fond memories of it and I think that it could have been saved. Alas, good bye, LU!

I was a Beta tester too, and this summarizes my feelings well.

The building was clumsy and awkward. The game either needed to remove the character for building, or go to a style similar to Minecraft. The opportunities to build were too limited, as well.

The controls for this game were also difficult. The camera was frustrating, and the combat was stale. The quests ran out too quickly, and all that was left was to smash enemies, which, again, was stale and unsatisfying.

The strongest parts of this game were the art and the music. Gnarled Forest and Forbidden Valley were beautifully done maps. It'll be a shame to see it go.

[-R8-]

As a former beta tester, and whatever access I had to the game in the free-to-play mode, I felt that Universe missed the integral concept of LEGO, creating something from nothing. Sure, the game allowed for building creations on properties, but I felt that the feature seemed more of an afterthought rather than a medium through which there could be a solid integration between players' creations and gameplay. My original assumptions of how the building aspect would work was not to simply show off my creations to my fellow members, but instead to play in a digital world with my creations. If I were to build a mech, then I could roam around in it; if I built a boat I could sail in it, etc. If Universe could have fostered that greater milieu for creativity, the game really could have revolutionized video gaming to bring it to a whole new level.

I found the game's seemingly endless list of missions to accomplish a chore to complete, especially when considering that the great majority of the missions constituted of 'smash X amount of this creature' or 'find X amount of this object.' I didn't find that this stimulated any creativity whatsoever, just endless repetition of mouse-clicking. Granted, I'm also introducing my own bias and preference.

After years of hyping up the game's release, Universe's short-lived lifespan is indeed such a huge disappointment. It's unfortunate for the company to have invested so many resources into its creation only to have it end like this. I won't call it a waste of TLG's time and money, as I hope the company will learn from whatever mistakes were made in this entire process, which in and of itself will benefit the company's approach to video gaming in the future.

Will there be a refund to subscribers whose subscription don't run out at the end of January 2012?

Yes. I was doing some reading on the official LEGO Message Boards to see how all the younger fans have been dealing with this (not pretty), and an FAQ was posted regarding the closure details:

http://messageboards.lego.com/en-us/showpost.aspx?PostID=4504073

The Details:

• The game will be turned off on January 31, 2012 at midnight (EST).

• All current subscribers (1, 6 or 12 month plans) who still have active subscriptions on December 31 will receive a refund for any remaining game time remaining after December 31 as well as free play from January 1, 2012 until January 31.

o For example, if you purchased a 6-month subscription on September 1, 2011 (which would expire on February 29, 2012), you would be refunded $16.66 for the 2 months following December 31.

• We will begin processing all refunds on February 1, 2012. All refunds will be made to the credit card used for the original subscription.

• If your subscription expires before December 31 you will need to purchase an additional 1 month subscription by December 31 in order to get the free game play in January (again, any unused game time as of December 31 will be refunded.)

• LEGO Universe game cards can only be used until December 1st 2011. Unused game cards after December 1st can be converted to LEGO Shop @Home gift cards for the same value.

o Please note: Details on how to convert unused game cards will be posted on December 1.

• You can continue to enjoy the free to play zone until January 31, 2012 but your last chance to convert to a paying subscription is December 31, 2011.

Sincerely,

The LEGO Universe Team

[dr_spock]

Thank you R8 for researching that.

My son was a beta tester too. Now he's into this Minecraft thing. My wife is going to be disappointed. She's hooked on LU.

[ACWWgal2011]

I actually made it into the beta thing too. However by the time that the acceptance letter came in I had lost all interest in LU and i never officially did the beta testing

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

I was a Beta tester too, and this summarizes my feelings well.

The building was clumsy and awkward. The game either needed to remove the character for building, or go to a style similar to Minecraft. The opportunities to build were too limited, as well.

The controls for this game were also difficult. The camera was frustrating, and the combat was stale. The quests ran out too quickly, and all that was left was to smash enemies, which, again, was stale and unsatisfying.

The strongest parts of this game were the art and the music. Gnarled Forest and Forbidden Valley were beautifully done maps. It'll be a shame to see it go.

Agreed.

As a former beta tester, and whatever access I had to the game in the free-to-play mode, I felt that Universe missed the integral concept of LEGO, creating something from nothing. Sure, the game allowed for building creations on properties, but I felt that the feature seemed more of an afterthought rather than a medium through which there could be a solid integration between players' creations and gameplay. My original assumptions of how the building aspect would work was not to simply show off my creations to my fellow members, but instead to play in a digital world with my creations. If I were to build a mech, then I could roam around in it; if I built a boat I could sail in it, etc. If Universe could have fostered that greater milieu for creativity, the game really could have revolutionized video gaming to bring it to a whole new level.

I found the game's seemingly endless list of missions to accomplish a chore to complete, especially when considering that the great majority of the missions constituted of 'smash X amount of this creature' or 'find X amount of this object.' I didn't find that this stimulated any creativity whatsoever, just endless repetition of mouse-clicking. Granted, I'm also introducing my own bias and preference.

I abhorred having to smash 1000 stormlings for a cool item that I wanted.

The ideas that you mention about building seem really interesting to me. If the models interacted in a more active way in normal gameplay, it would be much more appealing. In Lego Racers, you could build your own car, and then drive it. Putting many pieces on it would make it heavier and harder to accelerate, and placing a greater amount of pieces on one side of the vehicle would tend to make it tumble. It was a much more satisfactory experience than LUs building interphase.

[Lordofdragonss]

Wow.. Maybe I played Beta and Free to play, and it wasn't the best game ever, but it makes me sad. Lego did a great job creating worlds, creatures and NPCs for this game. I remember when first teasers appeared and it suppesed to be free game. AlsoI really hoped for sets...

It have to be horibble feeling for people who actualy played this game- Noone will pay for their efforts and time to getting rare pieces/items.

[K-Nut]

I tried being a beta tester, but the game never worked for me, so I gave up on it. I'm not surprised it's closing, but I thought it'd be open for another year or two.

[Blondie-Wan]

I half-thought TLG (or WB, or whoever handles the distribution of the physical game materials to stores) might recall the game packages and 1-month game time cards that are still out there, but the big-box stores (Target, Walmart, etc.) I've been to since the announcement broke still have the cards for sale, and I even just saw a few copies of the game itself still on the shelves at Walmart - not even for the $9.99 or thereabouts that the price had dropped to months ago from S@H, but $19.99 or thereabouts. Even if the game weren't closing in a little under three months, that would probably be a bit high, since the game can currently now be installed entirely from a download thanks to the addition of a free-to-play option some months ago, and the game time included with the physical disc package is just a month, for which one would normally pay ten bucks; for the game purchase to be worth twenty bucks, one would have to value having the physical disc, manual and package at at least ten bucks for themselves, and I don't know if many would (though I'm sure a few people would).

If anyone buys those remaining copies soon, I hope they know in advance about the forthcoming closing and all. I'd hate to think of someone buying that for a child for Christmas, only to find out they've got around a month or so to enjoy it (or even less, if they wait too long to try the game).

(Really, I just wish the game would continue, but I know that won't happen. Alas.)

Edited November 7, 2011 by Blondie-Wan

[Nikola Bathory]

Not a big surprise... TLG failed to make people pay for this game (and it was expensive, I think).

I personally would never pay for such a game. I am a gamer, I really enjoy playing serious PC games (not casual ones), but on the other hand I like LEGO in real life, I'm not interested in having LEGO on my computer screen.

I read a lot of AFOLs saying that if LEGO had released real sets to go with LU, then they could have make some money... You buy a set of a tower and it contains a code to unlock the same tower in-game - why not, sounds cool!

PS: I don't play Minecraft, I don't even know what it is, a guess a casual browser game - not for me.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Nikola Bathory

[Voodoo Hand]

I just got the official e-mail about this subject, ill copy/paste it so everyone that did not get this copy, will be able to read it anyways (no personal information in the message)

Hello Adventurer, today we are very sad to announce that LEGO® Universe will be closing on January 31, 2012. This was a very difficult decision to make, but unfortunately LEGO Universe has not been able to attract the number of members needed to keep the game open.

We realize how sad this will make the many players who have enjoyed LEGO Universe and we are committed to providing open communication with both kids and parents as we transition through this difficult time. We understand this is a challenging change and apologize for not being able to give parents forewarning before the general announcement.

We are thankful to have had the opportunity to share this adventure with an amazing community of players. We hope you will continue to enjoy LEGO Universe for the last few months. As a thank you, if you are a paying subscriber on December 31, 2011, we will provide you the full game for the final month for free.

Again, we want to thank the fantastic community of players who made LEGO Universe such a vibrant, fun and creative experience.

Sincerely,

The LEGO Universe Team

The Details:

The game will be turned off on January 31, 2012 at midnight (EST).

All current subscribers (1, 6 or 12 month plans) who still have active subscriptions on December 31 will receive a refund for any remaining game time remaining after December 31 as well as free play from January 1, 2012 until January 31.

For example, if you purchased a 6-month subscription on September 1, 2011 (which would expire on February 29, 2012), you would be refunded $16.66 for the 2 months following December 31.

We will begin processing all refunds on February 1, 2012. All refunds will be made to the credit card used for the original subscription.

If your subscription expires before December 31 you will need to purchase an additional 1 month subscription by December 31 in order to get the free game play in January (again, any unused game time as of December 31 will be refunded.)

LEGO Universe game cards can only be used until December 1st 2011. Unused game cards after December 1st can be converted to LEGO Shop @Home gift cards for the same value.

Please note: Details on how to convert unused game cards will be posted on December 1.

You can continue to enjoy the free to play zone until January 31, 2012 but your last chance to convert to a paying subscription is December 31, 2011.

Click here to read more.

[ACWWgal2011]

Not a big surprise... TLG failed to make people pay for this game (and it was expensive, I think).

I personally would never pay for such a game. I am a gamer, I really enjoy playing serious PC games (not casual ones), but on the other hand I like LEGO in real life, I'm not interested in having LEGO on my computer screen.

I read a lot of AFOLs saying that if LEGO had released real sets to go with LU, then they could have make some money... You buy a set of a tower and it contains a code to unlock the same tower in-game - why not, sounds cool!

PS: I don't play Minecraft, I don't even know what it is, a guess a casual browser game - not for me.

It comes in 3 payment brackets as far as credit cards. 10 dollars a month, ? for 6 months, and 90 dollars a year. As far as the cards in stores, i've only seen 10 dollars a month. I really wanted to buy a month but after zipping through the freebie play so fast PLUS encountering the camera problems, I gave up on that dream.

As far as unlocking codes, that sounds pretty fun. Build a bear ville does something on a bigger scale where u can bring BAB's to life online. If the LU sets were made and could of been anywhere as successful as BABV is, Lego would be rolling in dough.

[Blondie-Wan]

It comes in 3 payment brackets as far as credit cards. 10 dollars a month, ? for 6 months, and 90 dollars a year. As far as the cards in stores, i've only seen 10 dollars a month. I really wanted to buy a month but after zipping through the freebie play so fast PLUS encountering the camera problems, I gave up on that dream.

As far as unlocking codes, that sounds pretty fun. Build a bear ville does something on a bigger scale where u can bring BAB's to life online. If the LU sets were made and could of been anywhere as successful as BABV is, Lego would be rolling in dough.

In fairness, there's a lot of stuff beyond the taste offered by free play, though perhaps not enough. More has been added every so often, and I'm sure that more would be added still if the game continued (I think there may be a little more added even in the short time before it closes), though it would probably never have as expansive a world as, say, World of Warcraft. But still...

I think TLG is already rolling in dough as it is; it's just that none of it comes from LEGO Universe (quite the opposite, as LU is undoubtedly a drain on TLG's profits, hence the shutting-down). I don't know that it would ever be a huge moneymaker, though, given how much so many MMOGs struggle (at least if they're not from Blizzard, say), but I do think it might have done a lot better if there were associated sets (beyond the promotional astronaut and rocketship polybags).

Anyway, I don't think it was/is particularly expensive, at least compared to other MMOGs in general; the pricing seems pretty much in-line with other games of that type. I do think the pricing has been off-putting to some parents, though, who might not be familiar with the subscription model typically associated with MMOGs. I imagine a lot of the people TLG expected to pay for the game (i.e., the parents of the people who'd actually play the game) weren't/aren't necessarily acquainted with the form or aware of the ongoing costs of running such games, and thus inclined to consider subscription-based games a "rip-off."

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

This is already nostalgic to me (considering that I don't play since Beta ended):

[SpiderSpaceman]

Would it be appropriate to ask the ambassadors to solicit some high quality non-thumbnail pictures of the items, costume and accessory pieces, for posterity? or maybe even the flat textures for torso/leg prints?

LDD models would rock too..

Edited November 9, 2011 by SpiderSpaceman

[Piranha]

not really surprised they should have made actual sets based on the game that could somehow tie in with the game and thus create alot more of people wanting to play it. a wasted chance IMO

[Mr Hobbles]

I have an unused game code (30 days, the one that came with the boxed game), does anyone know if they will convert this to a gift voucher like they're doing for game time cards?

[DashCobra]

This is already nostalgic to me (considering that I don't play since Beta ended):

Lego universe had some of the most awesome music ever.

[Flipz]

Would it be appropriate to ask the ambassadors to solicit some high quality non-thumbnail pictures of the items, costume and accessory pieces, for posterity? or maybe even the flat textures for torso/leg prints?

LDD models would rock too..

There's a site doing that, Lunibook. You might check them out for what you need.