Epic Games and the LEGO Group have announced a new long-term partnership that plans to build a metaverse experience “designed from the outset with the wellbeing of kids in mind.”
As a part of the deal, the making of the metaverse experience includes the development of “family-friendly environment” creative tools for children to “empower them to become confident creators and deliver amazing play opportunities in a safe and positive space.” The announcement includes no mention of Fortnite so whatever this “metaverse experience” might turn out to be, it is entirely separate from the popular battle royale game.
“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,” LEGO Group CEO, Niels Christiansen said in a statement.
“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.”
The focus on a kid-friendly metaverse experience is a part of the overall deal as both Epic Games and the LEGO Group have agreed to three principles that aim to create a safe digital play space:
- Protect children’s right to play by making safety and wellbeing a priority
- Safeguard children’s privacy by putting their best interests first
- Empower children and adults with tools that give them control over their digital experience
“The LEGO Group has captivated the imagination of children and adults through creative play for nearly a century. We are excited to come together to build a space in the metaverse that’s fun, entertaining, and made for kids and families,” Epic Games founder and CEO, Tim Sweeney said in a statement.
The announcement is probably in its early days so it may be some time before something official is known but it seems both companies are looking to create a LEGO metaverse experience. Whatever it might end up being it could take attention away from Roblox in the minds of its young user base. It seems Epic has been preparing for this opportunity for a while with kid-friendly acquisitions like Fall Guys developer, Mediatonic and SuperAwesome, a company that focuses on protecting children’s online privacy.
