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Product partnerships don't get much better than LEGO and Minecraft. Two worldwide phenomenons: one shared love - a billion dollar block-building business for ages 2 and up. With a trio of micro scale sets already under their collective belts, both sides are now turning their attentions to an expanded suite of crossover content.
Announced back in November of last year, the LEGO Minecraft Co-build Project aims to raise fan awareness, participation and yes - even the scale of the series' future sets - bumping their size up to a more respectable 'Minifig' level.
Following on from the project's debut at MineCon, the team behind the build has recently unveiled an all-new video, showcasing a number of prototype models currently under development at LEGO HQ. Potential figures and future playsets include four varieties of Creepers - with varying degrees of articulation — a multi-purpose sheep set and a selection of clever environment designs - including a simple mine cart and track.
Having emerged as favorites in a fan poll conducted late last year, these designs will now be scrutinized and combined to create the best available sets. To provide feedback on individual builds and suggest future Minecraft models, head over to the project's official facebook page.
In other Minecraft news, Markus "Notch" Persson, creator of the game and founder of development studio Mojang recently responded to rumors regarding a Wii U port of the successful title. The self-made millionaire told fans via Twitter that although the move made sense, both on a personal and professional level — Notch is after all an admitted fan of Ninty — the company was just too busy to consider developing for the console at present.
While it's clear that Minecraft makes sense on any platform, the lack of a sizeable install base on the Wii U means that there's currently less reason to develop there than elsewhere. Notch's award-winning formula is likely to turn a profit on any given format, though Mojang's limited manpower means pursuing these minor avenues becomes less and less rewarding.
Which of these LEGO prototypes deserves to hit retail? Are LEGO and Minecraft the perfect licensing partners? Should Mojang take a financial hit in order to develop for the Wii U? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check in with all of the latest Minecraft news, right here on Game Rant.
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Minecraft is now available for PC, PS3, Android, Mac, iOS and Xbox 360 formats, with Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita ports expected later this year.
Follow Sam on Twitter @GamingGoo.
Source: Markus "Notch" Persson (Twitter)