Little Coloured Bricks

Here is some good news to all parents out there, Lego Universe was given the Best Family Game award. The E3 awards sure keep on coming for the Lego Group and they are very proud of it. Zam, the group that gave Lego the award said “the developers are working hard to make this a game where parents who play games can introduce their kids to an MMO where they have no concern over questionable content”.[1]

This is a very exciting thing not only for the Lego Group but for parents who constantly worry about the games their children play online.

This gives a new face to MMOs (which are usually very violent and feature characters who have very womanly curves in tight fitting clothes) since Lego Universe is a wholesome game that can be played by any age group.

More Lego Universe News

Here is some more good news. The Lego Universe team just released an announcement that they are looking for Lego Universe Beta Testers. The team needs fans to help them with the final touches before its October 2010 launch. The game is available in English or German.

To sign up you can either go to Lego.com or click here.

A Compelling Story

Don’t know the story of Lego Universe? Imagine 4 minifigs in a quest for Pure Imagination. Baron Typhonus, Doctor Overbuild, Duke Exeter and Hael Storm embark on a dangerous journey to find Imagination Nexus. in their journey, they are led to Crux, a strange planet where they eventually find Imagination Nexus. Something bad happens after that though because the greedy Baron Typhonus gets pulled into the nexus and eventually causes a Maelstorm of chaotic energy. Amidst the rubble, the good Doctor Overbuild finds a tiny shard of the nexus. The three adventurers then decides to go through another quest –to defend Imagination Nexus from all evil.

If you look at this picture, it looks like a photo of a real castle from a distance. This is probably the place you would want to go to on your next vacation. What many do not know however is that this castle is actually made out of Lego bricks and it comes with one whole Lego city! It is too bad though that the Lego Group does not sell a set like this one because this castle is very intricate and exquisite. This Lego creation was done by a German Lego fan and the city he or she built includes a rather large airport that somehow resembles the famous Airport City of Frankfurt, a Lego Coliseum, and a football field.

The Lego enthusiast shows this city to visitors annually but we do not know how much money is made out of it and how much money was used to make it. All we know is that these creations are quite amazing.

Now what would shock most non-Lego enthusiasts is that the inside of the planes in this creation has all the little details too –minifigs, seats, carry-on bags, flight attendants, pilots, the pilots’ dashboard, etc. Now isn’t that fantastic. It just goes to show that German Lego fans are as detail-oriented as their predecessors.

Now to the coliseum. This is a photo of the Lego coliseum with people in it. Pretty cool right? In fact, it is REALLY cool because the people look so real.

If you’ve never been to Venice, try to go there in Lego style. This is a part of the city and the water is real. Now for those who have been reading this blog for a very long time, you will know that we’ve shown this photo before but we never knew that it was part of a bigger place…well it seems that we all have something new to learn everyday, thanks to the information superhighway called the World Wide Web.

Let’s first discuss the issue about the big, gray wall. You probably have built one already because 1.) you are building a fortress for your castle 2.) it looks imposing 3.) it protects your castle from invading troops. We have to admit however that building such a Lego creation can be boring but hey, if you do not use the same brick color, you will be able to build a rather artistic and realistic wall.

Here are a few examples:

This is a fine example of a mottled brick wall. Yes this is a castle but take a look at the bricks, they do not have the same shade right?

You can mix a few bricks together to create this effect. If you want to have a gray wall however, you can still get different shades of gray. Here is one thing to remember, old bricks turn yellow as they age so you can put a few yellows in the mix as well. Sounds good? Now let’s move on to castle building.

Once you are done with your wall, you can now concentrate on the castle itself. What good is a wall if it is not protecting anything, right? While building your castle, you notice that corners look real odd if they do not have color variations. According to experts in Lego castle-making, a variation of colors at the corners of your castle can create a real cool effect. Take this castle from classic-castle.com as an example.

Another tip from the masters is shape variation. Try to give your castle a distinctive shape and do not stick to making a rectangular one because it would look pretty boring if you do so. Think Lego Coliseum.

A little inspiration will go a long way too. Take a look at the beautiful castles in Europe and pattern your creation to these castles.

When planning for a vacation, whether it is for business, a romantic getaway or a family holiday, the hardest thing one must do is to choose the best hotel that can provide all the necessary amenities at a reasonable price. In the land of Lego minifigs however, picking a hotel is pretty straightforward especially if you come from a small Lego town.

Phil Aaronson’s hotel looks like a 3-star hotel situated in the downtown area of a certain Lego City. Much like all 3 star hotels, minifigs get to enjoy complimentary internet access, complimentary toiletries and a free continental breakfast. We are not sure about other amenities though since there are no other pictures of Phil Aaronson’s hotel.

For those who want to experience ultimate luxury however, staying at the Trump Tower is the best choice. All amenities in this Lego hotel are topnotch and the service is great too. Although more costly than other Lego hotels, if you are in the mood for a luxurious vacation, this is truly the place to be.

For minifigs planning a trip to the city of love and lights, there are many Lego Paris hotels to choose from. Be reminded however that staying in Paris hotels is pretty expensive. For those who do not have the budget, it would be best to just go backpacking around Europe and stay in hostels since they have competitive rates and the frequent traveler won’t have to break the bank.

Visiting Paris is always a memorable and delightful experience, especially if minifigs include the Notre Dame de Paris int heir itineraries.

This exquisite cathedral was built by Lego enthusiast Ingo Bramigk. This is a masterpiece both the real one and its Lego version. Truly a sight to see, Lego minifigs from the world over should go to this place and Lego enthusiasts should marvel on the structure online as well.

In the Summer 2009, Digital Blue announced its licensing agreement with the Lego Group to manufacture electronic gears inspired by the little coloured bricks.

Thanks to their enthusiasm and ultimate love for the Danish blocks, Digital Blue was able to produce digital cameras, walkie talkies, USB drives and MP3 players that were built through the use of Lego elements. This is a rather inspiring project especially for those who truly love the bricks.

Other than these portable products, the group also introduced the Lego boom box and alarm clock radio to its patrons.

Today, Lego enthusiasts from the world over can get these products at real affordable prices ($19.99 to $59.99).

More Information About Digital Blue

Digital Blue has different product lines and this includes Lego. This brand was built mainly for children since they also carry gadgets inspired by Disney characters, WWE, Bakugan and even Batman.

Where To Buy

If you are in Australia, you can buy Digital Blue products at your local Kmart, Target, Toys R Us, Toyworld, and TGA Unlimited.

For Canadians, you can buy at National Focus, Best Buy, Black’s Photo, Costco, Henry’s, La Senza, Sears Canada, Staples, Zellers, and Toys R Us. You can also buy online through Toys R Us and Best Buy.

Lego enthusiasts from France should say Merci Beaucoup to Lexibook S.A. because they are the only store that has Digital Blue products in the said country.

Lego enthusiasts in Germany can buy these products from Worlein, Toys R Us and Baur.

The Italians can go to Consumer Electronics while those in Mexico can visit Next Technologies, Radio Shack, Sanborn’s and Walmart.

If you are in the Netherlands, you can go to Bart Smit or IPC.

Spanish and Portuguese Lego enthusiasts can choose from many stores. The following have Digital Blue products: Auchland, Corte Ingles, HyperCor, IMC Spain, Mediemarkt, Modelo Continente Hiperm, Rubies Portugal, and Toys R Us.

For those in the United Kingdom, you can get Digital Blue products at Amazon, Harrods, Argos, Interactive Learning, Asda, Littlewoods, Recreation PLC, Bentalls, Boots, Smyths, Debenhams, Disney Stores, TAG Learning, Toys R US, Woolworths, World Stores, Youngsters, Hamleys, Fenwicks and DSGI.

Those who are residents of the United States can buy these products online through Best Buy, Brandsmart, Frys, Compuvisor, Costco, Disney Shopping, Etoys, Kmrt, Kohl’s.com, Ritz Camera, Salestorm, Sears, Target, Toyrgroove, Toys R Us, Walgreens, and Walmart. You can also buy them in retail stores such as Academy Sports, JC Penney, Meijer and Staples.