Until now, the LEGO Minecraft project has been undergoing the standard review process that all projects coming out Cuusoo will have. However, LEGO has now officially decided that the Minecraft project has what it takes to be a viable set. You can read the press release here.
The set seems to be picking up a lot of interest outside of the normal LEGO fan circles, even getting a nod in this week’s Penny Arcade comic (strong language).
This spindly mech by Kahan Dare (aka tadashistate) brings a bold look and a bit of flair as it poses cheekily. Kahan also proves his style with a spot of lovely photography using a simple background that accentuates his model.
Flickr user crises_crs portrays the new Collectible Minifig Series 6 Minotaur trying to put the mooves on a heifer in this beefed up vignette.
Nathaniel Brill (aka Shuppiluliumas) puts the new Friends line to great use with his delightfully retro scouting plane for Mia, complete with nose art and an adorable sidekick aviator hedgehog. The plane itself is quite a nice build, and the concept is great fun.
This vivid scene by flickr user Mark of Falworth portrays the fictional Hellenistic city of Tiylis being assaulted by medieval troops. Mark’s techniques for the palm trees and rocks are worth noting, and it’s always good to see some ancient architecture outside of the northern/western European styles, but it is Mark’s water technique that really stands out here. He’s used plain bricks in several shades, jumbled in a thin layer, to produce a quite fascinating style that appears vaguely painterly.
LEGO has released this hilarious video introducing all the new minifigs in the sixth Series of Collectible Minifigs, set up as a parody of some well-known American TV shows. I enjoyed it, and I think you will too.
The Porsche 917’s sweeping curves and smooth shape make it particularly challenging to translate into Lego, but Malte Dorowski has managed to accomplish it quite admirably, using some clever techniques and a great deal of skill. He has even managed to work in an opening engine compartment and functioning doors, and his presentation does his creation justice.
Be sure to also check out his beautiful Porsche 911 GT1.
Amacher Sylvain (aka captainsmog) is no stranger to this blog, and yet again his newest steampunk creation is simply delightful. This time it’s an elevated monorail of the most opulent style. The soot-coloured station and bare girders wonderfully balance the polished wood and ornate embellishments of the car itself, providing a lovely little diorama.
No folks, it’s not an untimely April’s fools joke. Lego is partnering with Warner Bros. to bring us what so many fans have asked for over the years — LEGO sets based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, including both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO Group Build on Partnership to Produce Construction Toys for THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ Trilogy and the Two Films Based on THE HOBBIT
-Building Sets Based on Epic Film Trilogy and Forthcoming Theatrical Release Slated for 2012-
BILLUND, Denmark and Burbank, CA – December 16, 2011 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO Group announced today a partnership that awards the world’s leading construction toy brand exclusive rights to develop build-and-play construction sets based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT™. The multi-year licensing agreement grants access to the library of characters, settings, and stories for THE LORD OF THE RINGS property, as well as films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. LEGO® THE LORD OF THE RINGS construction sets are slated for a rolling global launch beginning in June 2012 in the United States, with LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY scheduled for later in the year.
“Only LEGO, with their expertise in the construction category, is capable of doing justice to the incredibly imaginative environments depicted in the world of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and the two films based on THE HOBBIT,” said Karen McTier, executive vice president, domestic licensing and worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “These films give life to amazing worlds and characters and we are thrilled to bring fans these products that deliver an imaginative play experience befitting of these beloved properties.”
The LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS collection will translate into LEGO form the epic locations, scenes and characters of Middle-earth as depicted in all three films, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
In late 2012, LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY will give fans of all ages a chance to build and play out the fantastical story and new characters of the legendary Middle-earth adventures depicted in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, slated to premiere December 14, 2012.
“Our collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products has delivered numerous worldwide successes in the construction toy aisle with lines like LEGO HARRY POTTER and LEGO BATMAN, introducing us to loyal audiences who love great stories, strong characters and the toys that they inspire,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. “It’s particularly exciting to now be able to create sets based on the fantasy worlds and characters from THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT, not only because we know they will foster collectability and creative play, but also because these are two properties that our fans have been asking us to create for years.”
Information about the sets and collectible minifigures from both collections will be unveiled at a later date at TheLordoftheRings.LEGO.com.
This wonderful vintage plane has been recreated by Nick Dean (aka -NickD-). The Boeing 314 is one of the beautiful airplanes from an era when flying still had a romantic flair, and the world was shrinking due to the incoming rapidity of long-distance travel. Nick’s model is of a specific Boeing 314, the “Yankee Clipper” which flew for Pan-Am starting in 1939.
Tim Goddard’s (aka Rogue Bantha) horse sculpture really shows just how organic a shape can be achieved with bricks. The gorgeous posing and deft sculpting of the equine form lend the statue great beauty and elegance.
Here’s the official press release from Lego:
BILLUND, Denmark – A project backed by Minecraft developer Mojang has become the first user-sponsored project to reach the 10,000 vote threshold on the new global version of LEGO® CUUSOO, opening the way for a LEGO set featuring Minecraft to become a reality.
It took the project only 48 hours to gather votes from 10,000 fans of the project from around the world.
“We’re really excited to see the fantastic enthusiasm of the Minecraft community. This is what LEGO CUUSOO is all about, connecting people’s passion to the LEGO brick,” says Paal Smith-Meyer, Head of the LEGO New Business Group. “It is still too early to say whether a Minecraft play set will become a LEGO product as it still needs to go through a review and approval process to ensure it meets our usual LEGO standards, but it is certainly a lot closer.”
A go/no-go decision should be reached within the next few weeks. Assuming it is given a “go,” then development on any new sets will begin. During this time, LEGO model designers refine the product, while packaging, instructions, and marketing are developed ready for a production run. This will take several months.
LEGO CUUSOO is an idea collection system that asks the Danish toy manufacturers’ consumers to submit and vote for their favourite ideas for new LEGO products. It can be found at http://lego.cuusoo.com . The site is currently in “open beta” and has been well received by fans and niche interest groups eager to see their ideas become official LEGO products.
CUUSOO, which means ‘imagination’ or sometimes ‘wish’ in Japanese, has been developed with CUUSOO SYSTEM, a subsidiary of Japan-based Elephant Design that has worked with open innovation and crowd sourcing for more than 10 years.
The LEGO Group has worked with CUUSOO since 2008 on a Japanese site that has attracted hundreds of ideas and seen thousands of votes cast by a 35,000-strong community. Now the time has come to test the concept internationally.The first Japanese product, the Shinkai 6500 submersible, went on sale in Japan in February 2011. The next Japanese LEGO CUUSOO model will be the Hayabusa unmanned spacecraft launched in the first quarter of next year.
It took the Shinkai 6500, 420 days to reach 1,000 votes in Japan. Hayabusa took 57 days to 1,000. With the launch of the LEGO CUUSOO worldwide site the threshold was raised to 10,000 to reflect the larger audience.
On LEGO CUUSOO, ideas that are supported by enough votes will be examined by a LEGO jury that will check that the models meet LEGO standards of safety and playability and support the LEGO brand. Consumers who have their ideas chosen for production will earn 1% of the total net sales of the product.
In the case of the Minecraft project, Mojang and the collaborators have offered the 1% CUUSOO royalty to a charity of Mojang’s choice.