LEGO Media International

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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. 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

Around 1999, LEGO Media International published an English website, www.legomedia.com, through which fans could learn about LEGO games, send email postcards to friends, or find customer support.[8] The website was also available in Hebrew at www.legomedia.co.il.[9]

  • legomedia.com in November 1999

    legomedia.com in November 1999

  • legomedia.com in March 2000

    legomedia.com in 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

Title Release Platforms Developer
as LEGO Media
LEGO Chess 11 November 1998 Windows Krisalis Software
LEGO Creator 11 November 1998 Windows Superscape
LEGO Loco 11 November 1998 Windows Intelligent Games
LEGO Racers 23 August 1999 Windows High Voltage Software
22 October 1999 Nintendo 64
26 November 1999 PlayStation
LEGO Friends October 1999 Windows Ivanoff Interactive
LEGO Rock Raiders 18 November 1999 Windows Data Design Interactive
LEGO Rock Raiders (PlayStation)
PlayStation
LEGOLAND
Windows Krisalis Software
LEGO Alpha Team
Windows Digital Domain
LEGO Stunt Rally
Windows Intelligent Games
LEGO My Style: Preschool
Windows, Macintosh Stormfront Studios
LEGO My Style: Kindergarten
Windows, Macintosh
LEGO Alpha Team (GBC)
Game Boy Color Climax Studios
LEGO Stunt Rally (GBC)
Game Boy Color Graphic State
LEGO Racers (GBC)
Game Boy Color Climax Studios
as LEGO Software
LEGO Creator: Knights' Kingdom
Windows Superscape
LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge (GBC)
Game Boy Color Crawfish Interactive
LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge
Windows Silicon Dreams Studio
PlayStation
LEGO Racers 2
Windows Attention to Detail
PlayStation 2
LEGO Bionicle
Game Boy Advance Saffire
LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge (GBA)
Game Boy Advance Silicon Dreams Studio
LEGO Creator: Harry Potter 2001 Windows Superscape
LEGO Racers 2 (GBA) 2001 Game Boy Advance Pocket Studios
LEGO Print Creator 2001 Windows The Bending Spoon
LEGO Software Demo CDs 2001 Windows Enigma Interactive
as LEGO Interactive, with Electronic Arts
Bionicle: Matoran Adventures 2002 Game Boy Advance Argonaut Games
Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 2002 Windows Qube Software
Drome Racers 2002 Windows, GameCube, PlayStation 2 Attention to Detail
Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension 2002 Game Boy Advance Tiertex Design Studios
Football Mania 2002 Windows, PlayStation 2 Silicon Dreams Studio
Football Mania (GBA) 2002 Game Boy Advance Tiertex Design Studios
Island Xtreme Stunts 2002 Windows, PlayStation 2 Silicon Dreams Studio
Island Xtreme Stunts (GBA) 2002 Game Boy Advance
Bionicle 2003 Windows, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox Argonaut Games
as LEGO Interactive, with THQ
Bionicle (GBA) 2003 Game Boy Advance Möbius Entertainment
Drome Racers (GBA) 2003 Game Boy Advance
LEGO Knights' Kingdom 2004 Game Boy Advance Razorback Developments

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 ? ?

Notes

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.
  8. ↑ "Home". LEGO Media International (English Website). Archived from the original on 1999-02-18.
  9. ↑ "Home". LEGO Media International (Hebrew Website). Archived from the original on 1999-10-09.
  10. ↑ Zdyrko, Dave (August 4, 2000). "New screens of Lego Media's venture into strategic mining action -- mining has never been this fun!". IGN PSX. Snowball.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000.
  11. ↑ "Lego Rock Raiders for PlayStation". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 26 April 2001. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  12. ↑ Fudge, James (May 1, 2000). "LEGOLAND Released". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on 29 November 2002.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Fudge, James (October 4, 2000). "LEGO Media Ships Three New Games". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on 2003-07-09.
  14. ↑ "Lego Alpha Team for GameBoy". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 27 April 2001.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Release Dates". GameBoy Station. January 29, 2001. Archived from the original on February 17, 2001.
  16. ↑ "Lego Stunt Rally for GameBoy". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 6 March 2002.
  17. ↑ "Lego Racers for GameBoy". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 27 April 2001.
  18. ↑ "Lego Island 2 for GameBoy". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 27 June 2001.
  19. ↑ "New Releases". EBWorld.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2001.
  20. ↑ "LEGO Island 2: Brickster's Revenge ships". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. March 26, 2001. Archived from the original on July 9, 2003.
  21. ↑ "Lego Island 2 for PlayStation". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 8 April 2001.
  22. ↑ "New Releases". EBWorld.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2001.
  23. ↑ IGN Staff (September 28, 2001). "Lego Racers 2 Ships". IGN PC. Snowball.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2001.
  24. ↑ "Lego Racers 2 for PC CD-ROM". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 5 January 2002.
  25. ↑ Zdyrko=, Dave (September 27, 2001). "LEGO Racers 2". IGN PS2. Snowball.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2001.
  26. ↑ "UK release dates". EuroGamer. EuroGamer Network. October 29, 2001. Archived from the original on October 29, 2001.
  27. ↑ "Game Info: Lego Bionicle: Quest for the Toa". Planet GameCube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2001.
  28. ↑ "Lego Island 2: The Bricksters Revenge for Game Boy Advance". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on 5 January 2002.
  29. ↑ "Game Info: Lego Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge". Planet GameCube. Archived from the original on 2 November 2001.
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