LEGO Media International

From Research Realm
Revision as of 17:04, 11 May 2024 by Ringtail Raider (talk | contribs) (cite engine stuff)
LEGO Media International Limited
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
Defunct2004 (2004)
Headquarters100 Hammersmith Road, ,
England
ParentLEGO A/S[1]: 53 
Website

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.

History

LEGO Media International was established in the spring of 1996 in London.[2][3]: 7 

On 10 February 1999 LEGO Media announced four new titles: LEGO Racers, LEGO Friends, LEGO Rock Raiders, and LEGOLAND. Racers and Rock Raiders were to be the first LEGO titles for PlayStation, and Racers the first (and only) title for Nintendo 64.[4] In May 1999 LEGO Media presented the four new titles at E3 1999 in Los Angeles.[5][6]

LEGO Software logo (2000–2002)

In December 2001 Electronic Arts signed an agreement with the LEGO Group to co-publish video games with LEGO Software. Electronic Arts would also provide marketing and support for over thirty LEGO Software titles for the next three years to promote LEGO games to older audiences. The agreement included titles from the Bionicle, LEGO Island, and LEGO Racers series, as well as the then-upcoming LEGO Sports, Galidor, and Academy of Flight.[7]

On 16 March 2004 the LEGO Company Leadership Team and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen announced a plan to financially stabilise the LEGO Company, following a pre-tax loss on earnings of DKK 1.4 billion in 2003. The plan included shifting company focus to the production and sales of construction toys and away from other ventures that were not considered part of the company's "core business". Non-core projects, including the development of films and video games, were to be ended or transferred to licensed partner companies.[8][1]: 9 

LEGO Interactive was working with Traveller’s Tales on the development of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game when the LEGO Group pulled out of the video game industry. Jonathan Smith and Tom Stone, who had both been part of the senior management at LEGO Interactive, founded Giant Interactive Entertainment to continue production on LEGO Star Wars.[9][10] The new publishing company retained exclusive rights for the production of LEGO video games until 2012.[11] Traveller's Tales co-founder Jon Burton saw potential in the LEGO license, and discussions were held as to whether the two companies would work well together as a "developer driven publisher".[9] Traveller's Tales acquired Giant in April 2005, and the two teams became divisions of a new company called TT Games.[11] Giant was renamed to TT Games Publishing by 2006.

Websites

Write something here?

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.

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. 1.0 1.1 Annual Report 2004 – LEGO Group (PDF). Stakeholder Relations. 14 March 2005. p. 53. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2024.
  2. "Progress in North America, Great Britain, Benelux and Russia". The LEGO Group Annual Report 1996. LEGO.com. 28 April 1997. Archived from the original on 1997-06-15.
  3. Crecente, Brian; Vincent, Ethan (8 December 2021). "The LEGO Game That Unlocked True Digital Creation" (PDF). Bits N' Bricks (Podcast). Episode 43. Participants: Rob Smith, Servan Keondjian, Ronny Scherer. The LEGO Group. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 October 2023. Audio version via YouTube.
  4. Fudge, James (February 10, 1999). "LEGO Announces 4 New Titles". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on November 29, 2002.
  5. Fudge, James (May 11, 1999). "Lego Media at E3". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on November 29, 2002.
  6. IGN Staff (May 11, 1999). "Lego Media's E3 Lineup". IGN64. Snowball.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2000.
  7. Ahmed, Shahend (10 December 2001). "EA to copublish LEGO games". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2 August 2003.
  8. <<cite web |url=http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=pressdetail&contentid=4805&countrycode=2057&yearcode=&archive=false |title=New action plan by LEGO Company will stabilise financial position |first=Charlotte |last=Simonsen |date=16 March 2004 |website=LEGO.com Press Releases |publisher=The LEGO Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040410211041/http://www.lego.com/eng/info/default.asp?page=pressdetail&contentid=4805&countrycode=2057&yearcode=&archive=false |archive-date=10 April 2004 |url-status=dead}}
  9. 9.0 9.1 Wallis, Alistair (November 9, 2006). "Playing Catch Up: Traveller's Tales' Jon Burton". Gamasutra. CMP Media LLC. Archived from the original on 27 February 2008.
  10. Boyes, Emma (9 February 2007). "Q&A: Lego Star Wars producer Jonathan Smith". GameSpot UK. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 10 February 2007 suggested (help)
  11. 11.0 11.1 Maragos, Nich (April 15, 2005). "Traveller's Tales Acquires Giant Entertainment". Gamasutra. CMP Media LLC. Archived from the original on 12 June 2007.

Cite error: <ref> tag with name "IGN Snap" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.

Cite error: <ref> tag with name "Ultimate Media" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.