LEGO Media International: Difference between revisions

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| logo_size = 255
| logo_size = 255
| logo_caption = LEGO Media logo used until 2000
| logo_caption = LEGO Media logo used until 2000
| former_name =
| type = [[Wikipedia:Subsidiary|Subsidiary]]
| type = [[Wikipedia:Subsidiary|Subsidiary]]
| industry = [[Wikipedia:Video game industry|Video games]]
| industry = {{ubl|Entertainment|[[Wikipedia:Video game industry|Video games]]}}
| parent = [[LEGO A/S]]{{R|Annual 2004|p=53}}
| parent = [[LEGO A/S]]{{R|Annual 2004|p=53}}
| key_people =  
| key_people =  
| founded = {{Start date and age|1996}}
| founded = {{Start date and age|1996}}
| defunct = {{End date|2004}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|2004}}
| fate = Dissolved
| hq_location = 100 Hammersmith Road
| hq_location = 100 Hammersmith Road
| hq_location_city = [[Wikipedia:London|London]]
| hq_location_city = [[Wikipedia:London|London]]
| hq_location_country = England
| hq_location_country = England<ref name="edge"/>
| website = {{ubl|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000301053119/http://www.legomedia.com legomedia.com] | [http://web.archive.org/web/20011024070156/http://www.lego.com/software/default.asp lego.com/software] | [https://web.archive.org/web/20050104010633/http://www.lego.com:80/eng/interactive/default.asp lego.com/interactive]}}
| website = {{ubl|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000301053119/http://www.legomedia.com legomedia.com] | [http://web.archive.org/web/20011024070156/http://www.lego.com/software/default.asp lego.com/software] | [https://web.archive.org/web/20050104010633/http://www.lego.com:80/eng/interactive/default.asp lego.com/interactive]}}
}}
}}
'''LEGO Media International Limited''' was a British publishing company that was part of the [[LEGO Group]]. It published media, primarily video games, under several different names: first '''LEGO Media''', then '''LEGO Software''', and finally '''LEGO Interactive'''; under the third label the company worked with Electronic Arts and THQ.
'''LEGO Media International Limited''' was a British [[Wikipedia:Video game industry|video game]] and entertainment company headquartered in [[Wikipedia:London|London]]. It was a subsidiary of the [[LEGO Group]] created to develop and publish media, primarily software for children. An American branch, '''LEGO Media International, Inc.''', operated out of LEGO's United States [[LEGO Systems, Inc|headquarters]] in [[Wikipedia:Enfield, Connecticut|Enfield, Connecticut]] until 2001.
 
LEGO Media International was established in 1996 in response to the growing dominance of video games and the threat they posed to the toy industry. At the time LEGO was working with Mindscape and High Voltage Software to develop ''LEGO Island'' and ''LEGO Racers'' respectively, and had already released ''LEGO Fun to Build'' in Japan the previous year. The company published media under several different brand names: first '''LEGO Media''' until 2000, then '''LEGO Software''' from 2000 to 2002, and finally '''LEGO Interactive''' from 2002 until its closure. Each name change came with a narrowing of the types of media published by the company, from all types to software to exclusively video games. Under the LEGO Interactive brand, the company co-published games with [[Wikipedia:Electronic Art|Electronic Art]] and [[Wikipedia:THQ|THQ]]. In 2004 LMI was shut down as part of a cost-cutting initiative in response to massive losses the previous year. Managers from LMI formed a new company, Giant Interactive Entertainment, which was soon purchased by Traveller's Tales and became TT Games Publishing.


== History ==
== History ==
LEGO Media International was established in the spring of 1996 in [[Wikipedia:Hammersmith|Hammersmith]], [[Wikipedia:London|London]].<ref name="Annual 1997"/><ref name="LMPR Racers"/> Its formation was announced on 22 March 1996 (the launch date of the then-new [[LEGO World Wide Web]]) as one of two new software departments being established by the LEGO Group, the other being [[Strategic Project Unit Darwin]]. The new British company was planned to develop and market LEGO software through alliances with various software company partners.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.lego.com/press/press_6.html |title=Digital LEGO products |date=March 22, 1996 |website=[[LEGO World Wide Web]] Press Info |publisher=[[The LEGO Group]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/19970110041308/http://www.lego.com:80/press/press_6.html |archive-date=10 January 1997 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Background{{R|BNB 4|p=1}}
 
LEGO Media International was established in the spring of 1996 in [[Wikipedia:Hammersmith|Hammersmith]], [[Wikipedia:London|London]].<ref name="Annual 1997"/><ref name="LMPR Racers"/> Its formation was announced on 22 March 1996 (the launch date of the then-new [[LEGO World Wide Web]]) as one of two new software departments being established by the LEGO Group, the other being [[Strategic Project Unit Darwin]]. The new British company was planned to develop and market LEGO software through alliances with various software company partners.<ref name="press 6"/> A separate American branch was established in [[Wikipedia:Enfield, Connecticut|Enfield, Connecticut]], at the location of [[LEGO Systems, Inc]].<ref name="CTCD"/>


<!--[[File:LEGO Software logo transparent.png|thumb|left|LEGO Software logo|220px]]
<!--[[File:LEGO Software logo transparent.png|thumb|left|LEGO Software logo|220px]]
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== Media published ==
== Media published ==
The following tables list the software and books published by LEGO Media International. The list only includes the initial releases of each product; many were re-released at various points by this company, as well as by third-party distributors.
The following tables list the software and books published by LEGO Media International. The list only includes the initial releases of each product; many were re-released at various points by this company, as well as by third-party distributors. Additionally, ''LEGO Island'' is not included in this list, as it was initially published by Mindscape.


=== Software ===
=== Software ===
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<ref name="Annual 2004">{{cite book |date=14 March 2005 |url=https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt07abb4b8a3da3f39/Annual_Report_2004_ENG.pdf |title=Annual Report 2004 – LEGO Group |publisher=Stakeholder Relations |p=53 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311135352/https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt07abb4b8a3da3f39/Annual_Report_2004_ENG.pdf |archive-date=11 March 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Annual 2004">{{cite book |date=14 March 2005 |url=https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt07abb4b8a3da3f39/Annual_Report_2004_ENG.pdf |title=Annual Report 2004 – LEGO Group |publisher=Stakeholder Relations |p=53 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311135352/https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/aboutus/assets/blt07abb4b8a3da3f39/Annual_Report_2004_ENG.pdf |archive-date=11 March 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="BNB 4">{{cite web |url=https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/bltd399c039fb565168/bits_n_bricks_s01e04_lego_island_feature_and_transcript.pdf |title=Episode 4 – LEGO Island|last1=Crecente |first1=Brian |last2=Vincent |first2=Ethan |others=Participants: Scott Anderson, Michael Thompsen, Kitty O’Neill, Ben Davies, Floris Thoonen |date=30 December 2020 |work=[[Bits N' Bricks]] |type=Podcast |publisher=The LEGO Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405231237/https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/bltd399c039fb565168/bits_n_bricks_s01e04_lego_island_feature_and_transcript.pdf |archive-date=5 April 2024 |url-status=live}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_x7MiUcT8s Audio version] via YouTube.</ref>
<ref name="CTCD">{{cite web |url=https://www.ctcompanydir.com/companies/lego-media-international-inc/ |title=LEGO MEDIA INTERNATIONAL, INC. |website=Connecticut Business Directory |id=0579539 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512145002/https://www.ctcompanydir.com/companies/lego-media-international-inc/ |archive-date=2024-05-12 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="edge">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/edge-020/Edge-073/page/98/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Work on a new level |page=98 |magazine=[[Wikipedia:Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |date=July 1999 |edition=UK |publisher=[[Wikipedia:Future Publishing|Future Publishing]] |number=73}}</ref>


<ref name="LMPR Racers">{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=LEGO Racers |url=http://press.legomedia.com/news/e3_legoracers.asp |location=[[Wikipedia:London|London]] |website=LEGO Media Press Room |date=May 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001027035304/http://press.legomedia.com/news/e3_legoracers.asp |archive-date=27 October 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="LMPR Racers">{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=LEGO Racers |url=http://press.legomedia.com/news/e3_legoracers.asp |location=[[Wikipedia:London|London]] |website=LEGO Media Press Room |date=May 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001027035304/http://press.legomedia.com/news/e3_legoracers.asp |archive-date=27 October 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="press 6">{{cite news |url=http://www.lego.com/press/press_6.html |title=Digital LEGO products |date=March 22, 1996 |website=[[LEGO World Wide Web]] Press Info |publisher=[[The LEGO Group]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/19970110041308/http://www.lego.com:80/press/press_6.html |archive-date=10 January 1997 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


}}
}}

Revision as of 19:30, 14 May 2024

LEGO Media International Limited
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
Founded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
Defunct2004; 20 years ago (2004)
FateDissolved
Headquarters100 Hammersmith Road,
London
,
England[1]
ParentLEGO A/S[2]: 53 
Website

LEGO Media International Limited was a British video game and entertainment company headquartered in London. It was a subsidiary of the LEGO Group created to develop and publish media, primarily software for children. An American branch, LEGO Media International, Inc., operated out of LEGO's United States headquarters in Enfield, Connecticut until 2001.

LEGO Media International was established in 1996 in response to the growing dominance of video games and the threat they posed to the toy industry. At the time LEGO was working with Mindscape and High Voltage Software to develop LEGO Island and LEGO Racers respectively, and had already released LEGO Fun to Build in Japan the previous year. The company published media under several different brand names: first LEGO Media until 2000, then LEGO Software from 2000 to 2002, and finally LEGO Interactive from 2002 until its closure. Each name change came with a narrowing of the types of media published by the company, from all types to software to exclusively video games. Under the LEGO Interactive brand, the company co-published games with Electronic Art and THQ. In 2004 LMI was shut down as part of a cost-cutting initiative in response to massive losses the previous year. Managers from LMI formed a new company, Giant Interactive Entertainment, which was soon purchased by Traveller's Tales and became TT Games Publishing.

History

Background[3]: 1 

LEGO Media International was established in the spring of 1996 in Hammersmith, London.[4][5] Its formation was announced on 22 March 1996 (the launch date of the then-new LEGO World Wide Web) as one of two new software departments being established by the LEGO Group, the other being Strategic Project Unit Darwin. The new British company was planned to develop and market LEGO software through alliances with various software company partners.[6] A separate American branch was established in Enfield, Connecticut, at the location of LEGO Systems, Inc.[7]


Websites

Write something here?

  • March 2000

    March 2000

  • January 2005

    January 2005

Media published

The following tables list the software and books published by LEGO Media International. The list only includes the initial releases of each product; many were re-released at various points by this company, as well as by third-party distributors. Additionally, LEGO Island is not included in this list, as it was initially published by Mindscape.

Software

Year Title Developer Platform(s)
Computer Console Handheld
as LEGO Media
1998 LEGO Chess Krisalis Software Windows — —
LEGO Creator Superscape Windows — —
LEGO Loco Intelligent Games Windows — —
1999 LEGO Friends Ivanoff Interactive Windows — —
LEGO Racers (GBC) High Voltage Software
Climax Studios (GBC) 		Windows Nintendo 64, PlayStation Game Boy Color
LEGO Rock Raiders (PS) Data Design Interactive Windows PlayStation —
2000 LEGOLAND Krisalis Software Windows — —
LEGO Alpha Team (GBC) Digital Domain
Climax Studios (GBC) 		Windows — Game Boy Color
LEGO My Style: Preschool Stormfront Studios Windows, Macintosh — —
LEGO My Style: Kindergarten Windows, Macintosh — —
LEGO Stunt Rally (GBC) Intelligent Games
Graphic State (GBC) 		Windows — Game Boy Color
as LEGO Software
2000 LEGO Creator: Knights' Kingdom Superscape Windows — —
2001 LEGO Bionicle Saffire — — Game Boy Advance
LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge (GBA, GBC) Silicon Dreams Studio
Crawfish Interactive (GBC) 		Windows PlayStation Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color
LEGO Creator: Harry Potter Superscape Windows — —
LEGO Racers 2 (GBA) Attention to Detail
Pocket Studios (GBA) 		Windows PlayStation 2 Game Boy Advance
LEGO Print Creator The Bending Spoon Windows — —
LEGO Software Demo CDs Enigma Interactive Windows — —
as LEGO Interactive, with Electronic Arts
2002 Bionicle: Matoran Adventures Argonaut Games — — Game Boy Advance
Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Qube Software Windows — —
Drome Racers Attention to Detail Windows GameCube, PlayStation 2 —
Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension Tiertex Design Studios — — Game Boy Advance
Football Mania (GBA) Silicon Dreams Studio
Tiertex Design Studios (GBA) 		Windows PlayStation 2 Game Boy Advance
Island Xtreme Stunts (GBA) Silicon Dreams Studio Windows PlayStation 2 Game Boy Advance
2003 Bionicle Argonaut Games Windows GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox —
as LEGO Interactive, with THQ
2003 Bionicle Möbius Entertainment — — Game Boy Advance
Drome Racers — — Game Boy Advance
2004 LEGO Knights' Kingdom Razorback Developments — — Game Boy Advance

Books

Year Title Author Illustrator Series
2000 Knights' Kingdom: Medieval Mischief and Mayhem Alan Grant Artworld UK comic strip storybook
Rock Raiders: High Adventure Deep Underground Robin Smith, LEGO Media International
Busy City Anne Marie Ryan (ed.) Lester Troughton Masterbuilders
Create N' Race Davey Moore Alexander Tomlinson, Sebastian Quigley, Jason Edwards
Mars Mission Anne Marie Ryan (ed.) Sebastian Quigley
Cool Cars ? ? Brick Tricks
Fantastic Fliers ? ?

References

  1. ↑ "Work on a new level". Edge. No. 73 (UK ed.). Future Publishing. July 1999. p. 98.
  2. ↑ Annual Report 2004 – LEGO Group (PDF). Stakeholder Relations. 14 March 2005. p. 53. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2024.
  3. ↑ Crecente, Brian; Vincent, Ethan (30 December 2020). "Episode 4 – LEGO Island" (PDF). Bits N' Bricks (Podcast). Participants: Scott Anderson, Michael Thompsen, Kitty O’Neill, Ben Davies, Floris Thoonen. The LEGO Group. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2024. Audio version via YouTube.
  4. ↑ "Progress in North America, Great Britain, Benelux and Russia". The LEGO Group Annual Report 1996. The LEGO Group. 28 April 1997. Archived from the original on 1997-06-15.
  5. ↑ "LEGO Racers". LEGO Media Press Room (Press release). London. May 1999. Archived from the original on 27 October 2000.
  6. ↑ "Digital LEGO products". LEGO World Wide Web Press Info. The LEGO Group. March 22, 1996. Archived from the original on 10 January 1997.
  7. ↑ "LEGO MEDIA INTERNATIONAL, INC". Connecticut Business Directory. 0579539. Archived from the original on 2024-05-12.
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