LEGO and Epic Games partner for kid-friendly and 'creatively inspiring' metaverse

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The LEGO Group and Epic Games have inked a long-term partnership to shape the future of the metaverse by extending its reach to children and families. Details on the partnership's tenure currently have not been released. The family-friendly digital experience seeks to give children access to tools that will empower them to become confident creators and deliver amazing play opportunities in a safe and positive space.

As the metaverse evolves, it is reshaping how people meet, play, work, learn and interact in a virtual, 3D world. The LEGO Group and Epic Games will combine their experience to ensure that the next iteration of the Internet is designed with the well-being of children in mind. The two companies aim to build an immersive, creatively inspiring and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together.

The LEGO Group and Epic Games have agreed to three principles that will ensure the digital spaces they develop deliver engaging play opportunities safely:

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.

The LEGO Group CEO, Niels B Christiansen said that there is huge potential for children to develop life-long skills such as creativity, collaboration and communication through digital experiences, as they move seamlessly within the digital and physical worlds when it comes to gameplay.

“But we have a responsibility to make the space safe, inspiring and beneficial for all. Just as we’ve protected children’s rights to safe physical play for generations, we are committed to doing the same for digital play. We look forward to working with Epic Games to shape this exciting and playful future,” adds Christiansen.

Meanwhile, CEO and founder of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney said: “The LEGO Group has captivated the imagination of children and adults through creative play for nearly a century, and we are excited to come together to build a space in the metaverse that’s fun, entertaining, and made for kids and families.”

The LEGO Group has committed to the safety and well-being of children in its development of an industry-standard Digital Child Safety Policy with UNICEF, as it seeks to create safe and high-quality digital play experiences. In 2016, it launched the first fully moderated social app for children, LEGO® Life. Epic Games is also committed to enabling developers to create age-appropriate experiences online and in 2020 acquired SuperAwesome, a company that pioneers technology, designed to deliver safe digital engagement to children under 16.

Separately, as part of Autism Awareness Month, The LEGO Foundation also announced today the launch of a new Accelerator grant: an equity-free funding and fixed-term mentorship programme for social enterprises, ventures and organisations who wish to support autistic children and children with ADHD with play-based learning.

Photo courtesy: 123RF

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