LEGO Media International
.svg){kind=logo} LEGO Media logo used until 2000 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Defunct | 2004 |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Headquarters | 100 Hammersmith Road, , England[1] |
| Parent | LEGO 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
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 March 2000
-
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 version) | High Voltage Software Climax Studios (GBC) |
Windows | Nintendo 64, PlayStation | Game Boy Color[note 1] | |
| LEGO Rock Raiders (PlayStation version) | Data Design Interactive | Windows | PlayStation[note 2] | — | |
| 2000 | LEGOLAND | Krisalis Software | Windows | — | — |
| LEGO Alpha Team (GBC version) | Digital Domain Climax Studios (GBC) |
Windows | — | Game Boy Color | |
| LEGO My Style: Preschool | Stormfront Studios | Windows, Macintosh | PlayStation[note 3] | — | |
| LEGO My Style: Kindergarten | Windows, Macintosh | — | — | ||
| LEGO Stunt Rally (GBC version) | 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 version, GBC version) | Silicon Dreams Studio Crawfish Interactive (GBC) |
Windows | PlayStation | Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color | |
| LEGO Creator: Harry Potter | Superscape | Windows | — | — | |
| LEGO Racers 2 (GBA version) | 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,[note 4] PlayStation 2 | — | |
| Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension | Tiertex Design Studios | — | — | Game Boy Advance | |
| Football Mania (GBA version) | Silicon Dreams Studio Tiertex Design Studios (GBA) |
Windows | PlayStation 2 | Game Boy Advance | |
| Island Xtreme Stunts (GBA version) | 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 | ? | ? |
Notes
- ↑ The Game Boy Color version of LEGO Racers was released in December 2000 in Europe and in January 2001 in North America.
- ↑ The PlayStation version of LEGO Rock Raiders was delayed until August 2000 in North America.
- ↑ The PlayStation version of My Style: Preschool was released exclusively in Japan in 2002, where it was titled LEGO no Sekai (レゴのせかい) and was part of the Kids Station series. Bandai published this version of the game; however, it still retains LEGO Media branding on the cover and the LEGO Software logo in-game.
- ↑ The GameCube version of Drome Racers was released in 2003.
References
- ↑ "Work on a new level". Edge. No. 73 (UK ed.). Future Publishing. July 1999. p. 98.
- ↑ Annual Report 2004 – LEGO Group (PDF). Stakeholder Relations. 14 March 2005. p. 53. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2024.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "LEGO Racers". LEGO Media Press Room (Press release). London. May 1999. Archived from the original on 27 October 2000.
- ↑ "Digital LEGO products". LEGO World Wide Web Press Info. The LEGO Group. March 22, 1996. Archived from the original on 10 January 1997.
- ↑ "LEGO MEDIA INTERNATIONAL, INC". Connecticut Business Directory. 0579539. Archived from the original on 2024-05-12.
- ↑ "Home". LEGO Media International (English Website). Archived from the original on 1999-02-18.
- ↑ "Home". LEGO Media International (Hebrew Website). Archived from the original on 1999-10-09.
