Epic’s making Lego Roblox

pcgamesn.com:

A Lego metaverse is on the way which, to translate it into terms used outside of big-money marketing meetings and corporate press releases, is probably going to look a lot like Lego Roblox. Epic and Lego are working together on an “immersive, creatively inspiring, and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together.”

This unnamed game is billed as a “family-friendly digital experience,” which “will give kids access to tools that will empower them to become confident creators and deliver amazing play opportunities.” The notion of giving kids creation tools and allowing them to make their own games is the central pillar of Roblox, and it sounds like Epic and Lego are effectively trying to enter that same territory with this project.

Lengthy portions of the press release are dedicated to Epic and Lego’s respective track records with online child safety, and the devs aim to “protect children’s right to play by making safety and wellbeing a priority,” “safeguard children’s privacy by putting their best interests first,” and “empower children and adults with tools that give them control over their digital experience.”

Lego and Epic’s emphasis on child safety follows recent allegations that Roblox has failed to take action against child predators, adequately moderate sexual content, or give fair terms to the young developers which create much of its content.

While the term ‘metaverse’ is basically just a catch-all for things we’ve seen in sandbox games and MMOs for literal decades, it seems the trend isn’t stopping any time soon.