Lego World Builder discussion

[Kaanere]

From Brickset:

LEGO partners with Tongal to launch LEGO World Builder

Quote

Here's a press release about a new platform to pitch concepts and ideas to LEGO's creative team:

LEGO partners with Tongal to launch LEGO World Builder, a first-of-its-kind platform for developing stories, shows and more

The platform opens unprecedented, direct access to the LEGO creative team for a worldwide creator community, revolutionizing the way new talent and stories are discovered

Los Angeles and New York – August 24, 2020 The LEGO Group and content creation platform Tongal announced today the launch of LEGO World Builder, a first-of-its-kind story development platform that gives the LEGO fan community and creative talent all over the world direct access to the LEGO creative team to develop stories, shows, and more.

 

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LEGO World Builder, designed in partnership with Tongal and powered by Tongal’s technology, connects a worldwide creator community to the LEGO Group, who can incubate ideas, collaborate, give feedback, and option or buy the rights to new concepts. Anyone over the age of 18 can join the open community and pitch their own stories, or team up and collaborate on story worlds with other fans, writers, animators and designers on the platform.

Each year, thousands of creatives send the LEGO Group original ideas for new content and stories. LEGO World Builder is wholly dedicated to empowering this type of creativity. The platform will also include challenges from the LEGO creative teams, where fans can share their own spin on existing LEGO IP.

“The LEGO Group is known for innovation. As early adopters of open platforms, they have shown true leadership in engaging those who love their products throughout the creative process,” said James DeJulio, Tongal Co-Founder and CEO. “They were one of the first organizations to adopt Tongal and our creative community, finding success developing and producing content on the platform, and now they have a dedicated environment to take it to the next level.”

The LEGO Group has been leveraging Tongal and its virtual production capabilities since 2012, working with their global creative community to produce video content across social and into streaming.

“As our partner for many years, Tongal has provided us a way to engage with our creative community and LEGO World Builder is an extension of that,” said Keith Malone, Sr. Director of Content Development at the LEGO Group. “We are privileged to be a brand that stands for creativity not only with our incredible products but also with the experiences we create for our fans. We hope the next Ninjago or LEGO Masters could come from this collaboration!”

Creators can go to worldbuilder.tongal.com to join the community, explore worlds and start creating.

 

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About Tongal

Tongal is the ultimate platform for content creation that gives networks, studios, and brands access to a global community of creators to simplify and scale content development. The company connects the best and brightest creative talent to opportunities in a virtual online production studio that facilitates remote work and collaboration. Tongal's product and technology power the entire creative process end to end to bring undiscovered, great ideas to life through branded content, original content and advertising made on the Tongal platform. Tongal is backed by Endeavor and Insight Partners.

 

 

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So apparenty it's a site to pitch entire themes to Lego. Simillar to Ideas, but projects don't automatically get reviewed once they get a certanin number of supporters, so there isn't a public review phase and all that. Other users can also contribute to a project. Also, 3rd party licenses are not allowed.

What do you think?

[JintaiZ]

I really like the idea, just a bit disappointing how licensed themes aren't allowed...

Edited January 19, 2021 by JintaiZ

[KotZ]

So it's IDEAs but for themes rather than just individual sets? Interesting. Also interesting it's backed by one of the largest talent agencies, but I'm not surprised really.

Edited August 24, 2020 by KotZ

[Lego David]

This has a lot of potential. The press release specifically mentioned that Creative Twists on already existing LEGO IPs are allowed, so for all those people out there who wanted to see the return of Castle, Pirates, Classic Space or Bionicle, this might be our chance. 

[Robert8]

This is...... strange

 

 

[Lego David]

2 minutes ago, Robert8 said:

This is...... strange

 

 

Why exactly? 

[Robert8]

4 minutes ago, Lego David said:

Why exactly? 

Isn't this what LEGO Ideas is for?

I mean they should "expand" LEGO Ideas and include this, instead of creating a whole different platform 

 

 

[icm]

In its early days, Ideas accepted proposals for entire themes.  It promptly got swamped by terrifically detailed, terrifically involved proposals for very expensive themes, so they instituted the rule that you could only propose a single set, not a theme.  That's how Ideas became the place for one-offs.  This looks like an attempt to bring back the theme proposals that were once a part of Ideas, but in such a way that Lego has more control over how they react to them because there's no vote threshold to reach.  This way also looks like it is meant to empower people who put a lot of effort into defining the story, background, and "look" of the theme without being experts at social media promotion or product presentation.

[TeriXeri]

26 minutes ago, Robert8 said:

Isn't this what LEGO Ideas is for?

I mean they should "expand" LEGO Ideas and include this, instead of creating a whole different platform 

IDEAS doesn't really build a world with a single-set approach.

I see this new place as a place for new concepts, for a theme, or a lineup of multiple sets.

Many LEGO themes have a mix of multiple small and large sets , IDEAS rarely has small sets make it to 10k, let alone into a set.

Sure, IDEAS does have some original sets out there, but very few non-licensed IDEAS set would be suitable for a theme of sets.

Space Rocket Ride was a small set but that was made into a GWP.

Exo-Suit was another small set, but derived from Classic Space, just like Barracuda Bay was based on Pirates, not entirely new themes.

Old Fishing Store and Tree House were original , but large sets.

 

The 2012 Cuuso minecraft set did eventually got developed further into a wave of sets, but Minecraft is an IP originated outside of LEGO.
 

I do think having a different place for theme concept is a good thing, as it takes more then just a single set to be a theme, even while a set like Ninjago City is fantastic on it's own, Ninjago's success is a combined effort of 10 years of sets, not just 1 single set.

Edited August 24, 2020 by TeriXeri

[koalayummies]

Easy. Something involving castles, cowboys and pirates with intergalactic boat ships fishing in outer space.

[Peppermint_M]

3 hours ago, Robert8 said:

Isn't this what LEGO Ideas is for?

I mean they should "expand" LEGO Ideas and include this, instead of creating a whole different platform 

This one looks like it is much better if you want to share a developed story pitch for a theme instead of some sort of single MOC. Let's be real, IDEAS is mostly IP dreams and display pieces that need to be proven to be popular. It might later lead to more sets later (Like with Ghostbusters) but it is mostly one and done.

This looks like a way to get attention for a playtheme idea in the same way you pitch a TV show, Movie or Novel. Great thing for fans, especially if TLG then purchase or work with you to create said theme. (Of course, I am going to read through the terms and conditions like a lawyer!). Creating a line of sets at different sizes and price points that might eventually get released.

So...

Pitch a plan for a Pirate, Castle or pure Space theme! Share a plan for an Adventure for Johnny Thunder! Come up with something so bonkers everyone will look at you askance! (Fabuland Wasteland, the Mad Max like adventures of cute animal characters....)

[pombe]

15 minutes ago, Peppermint_M said:

(Fabuland Wasteland, the Mad Max like adventures of cute animal characters....)

Funny you should mention that.  Flynn and Richard (of U.S. LEGO Masters fame) have put up a Fab Max: Furry Road challenge (note: no prizes):

https://www.trickybricks.com/fab-max-furry-road-your-guide-to-our-trickylug-collaborative-build/

Edited August 24, 2020 by pombe

[Peppermint_M]

Just now, pombe said:

Funny you should mention that.  Flynn and Richard (of U.S. LEGO Masters fame) has put up a Fab Max: Furry Road challenge (note: no prizes):

https://www.trickybricks.com/fab-max-furry-road-your-guide-to-our-trickylug-collaborative-build/

That was literally an off-the-cuff remark, but now I must build and participate in this challenge.

 

[jxu]

To me, this is the true World Builder

 

 

[Fred Daniel Yam]

I have honestly no idea how new submissions and ideas are meant to get any traction when the trending tab basically shows the top voted ideas that got submitted early enough whereas new submissions get buried unless people go around actively advertising their project

[Lego David]

One of the Beta Testers for LEGO World Builder just made an article on Brickset giving a more detailed explanation about how LEGO World Builder works:

https://brickset.com/article/53460/more-on-lego-world-builder

[Lego David]

LEGO just announced that they purchased the first fan-made world from World Builder! 

https://tongal.com/blog/articles/lego-acquires-first-fan-made-world-for-development-from-lego-world-builder

This fan-made theme called "Holiday Heroes" will be the first project from the LEGO World Builder platform to become an official LEGO theme. 

[icm]

The press release says it'll be developed for the screen, so I'm imagining an animated TV special or one or two YouTube shorts, maybe with a polybag tie-in but not a full theme.

[Lego David]

The World Builder project that just got approved is now open for people to pitch their own concept art to:

https://tongal.com/project/LEGOHolidaySpecialConceptArtProject#tab-brief

If anyone here is good at drawing/concept art, it might be worth it giving this a shot.

[Digger of Bricks]

On 1/11/2021 at 12:23 PM, Lego David said:

LEGO just announced that they purchased the first fan-made world from World Builder! 

https://tongal.com/blog/articles/lego-acquires-first-fan-made-world-for-development-from-lego-world-builder

This fan-made theme called "Holiday Heroes" will be the first project from the LEGO World Builder platform to become an official LEGO theme. 

Sorta forgot about this platform shortly after it launched, which is surprising since I would've been all over this sorta thing just a few years ago. Don't know why I'm not, I guess TLG's overwhelming receptiveness to AFOLs in the past two years has made this seem not as extraordinary as it would've been three or more years ago? 

[Lego David]

23 hours ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Sorta forgot about this platform shortly after it launched, which is surprising since I would've been all over this sorta thing just a few years ago. Don't know why I'm not, I guess TLG's overwhelming receptiveness to AFOLs in the past two years has made this seem not as extraordinary as it would've been three or more years ago? 

I mean, yes, TLG has gotten closer to AFOLs in recent years, but this new platform still opens up a lot of new possibilities that previously, we could have only dreamed about. I am already working on a new theme idea to submit to this platform, and I can't wait to get it done and publish it. Didn't yourself say at some point that you would have loved to see a new original detective theme of sorts? Well, now is your chance to pitch your Idea to TLG.

[Lego David]

I finally finished my project for LEGO World Builder, after working on it for over six months. If anyone in here is interested, I would highly encourage you to check my world out and perhaps support it with a like .

https://worldbuilder.tongal.com/world/8ff100ad-3233-4c1d-ab0f-fd77224ee424

 

 

[Mr No]

So, will we get sets from these projects?