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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBlizzard teams up with Mega Bloks for Warcraft and StarCraft sets
by Mathew McCurley 
Jun 13th 2011 at 4:30PM
What is most interesting to me about this licensing partnership is Blizzard's consolidation and general changing strategy regarding the World of Warcraft and StarCraft intellectual properties. In South Korea, StarCraft is already on everything you can imagine, and licensing in general is one of Blizzard's biggest assets (as it is for most content creators.) Does this licensing deal signal a renewed push to put Warcraft and StarCraft on lots of new, carefully hand-picked products? Suffice to say, I am excited about Blizzard's licensing future.
The sets are scheduled for release in summer 2012. We have no news on what characters or settings will be featured in the sets, but our imaginations can happily wander. Will we get vehicles? Iconic location play sets? Lore exposition in block form? I've got a few ideas...
- Mow your way through the Alliance front lines in the TRUE WARCHIEF™ Orc Catapult complete with Garrosh Hellscream and Captain Krazz exclusive figures!
- Protect your lands from the filth of the Forsaken in Genn Greymane's HOWL-ON-WHEELS™ combination Gilnean stagecoach and roadster. Exclusive Genn Greymane and Crowley figures!
- Stormwind is back with a vengeance as you pilot CHINSTAR-ONE™, the new (and totally canon) gnomish-built air-assault platform piloted by King Varian Wrynn. Exclusive Varian Wrynn figure comes with two faces -- Varian and Lo'Gosh (slightly angrier Varian).
- The fight against the elements rages as The Earthen Ring battle Deathwing and the elemental lords. Join the fight in Thrall's I DID NOT ASK FOR THIS™ modified Goblin earthfury tank. Exclusive Thrall figure comes with optional attachable Aggra.
- Hide in your ship for 2 expansions as the world around you is obliterated with THE EXODAR™ playset, complete with exclusive Velen figure who does nothing.
Filed under: Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
(cutaia) Jun 13th 2011 5:03PM
"Is the new Activision Blizzard really so concerned about saving a buck"
How's this work? Wouldn't Lego have MORE money to give Blizzard for licensing fees?
Shinae Jun 13th 2011 5:19PM
Like cutaia said, Mega Blocks is paying Blizzard to use their IPs, not the other way around.
tresser Jun 13th 2011 5:01PM
it'll take me too long to correct everyone in this thread past/present/future, so lemme just get it done in one fell swoop....
the plural of Lego is Lego.
(cutaia) Jun 13th 2011 5:11PM
If we're getting technical, there shouldn't even be a plural of Lego as a noun, since that's the name of the company...not the product. The plural of the product then, would be Lego blocks, Lego products or something along those lines. Lego would be an adjective in those circumstances and not subject to pluralization.
But let's not get technical, cause they're Legos damnit.
leggomymuoio Jun 13th 2011 5:12PM
Not to my childhood it isn't.
Lemons Jun 13th 2011 5:15PM
Since you seem to be somewhat of an expert on these matters I was wondering if you could help me out with something?
What's the plural of "no one cares"?
tresser Jun 13th 2011 5:36PM
@(cutaia) Jun 13th 2011 5:11PM
It would be bricks. Not blocks.
Alyosha Jun 13th 2011 5:43PM
(cutaia) has it absolutely right. I believe the strictest term suggested by LEGO as a name for their product is "LEGO-brand building blocks". And, no, I've never met a single fan who has called them that with a straight face.
@ Lemons: LEGO cares because they don't want their brand name to become a genericized trademark, but I don't think that should matter to us online armchair jockeys. I did once room with someone who would ask if he could play my Playstation. I had a Gamecube. He had no idea why I was confused. To him, all game consoles were Playstations! /end unnecessary sidenote
Mitawa Jun 13th 2011 7:06PM
The thing is, "Lego" has become a noun through common usage.
You COULD say, "Hand me a number of Kleenex brand tissues, please", but more likely you'd say "Hand me a couple kleenex... kleenexes... Hand me the damn box."
So... common usage plays havoc with language rules. :)
Calaana Jun 13th 2011 7:28PM
LEGO is the brand, lego is the swedish word for "play" or "fun" or something, and Lego is the term for the blocks as a collective, and none have a pluarl in the native tounge, so don't when used in a foreign language either. "Legos" is western bastardisation in the same vein as "Mangas" or "sushies", and is clearly used by those who only had megablocks as a child, but worry not, now you've been educated and are welcome to join in fond childhood memories without destroying them with impure pluarization.
But seriously, megablocks is the type of thing you leave the love of your life over. It's like kicking puppies with babies; amusing concept until you realise it actually happened.
mechabahamut Jun 13th 2011 6:19PM
To all you people who think Lego is superior, I have one word for you: Bionicle. That crap ruined Lego.
Bart Jun 14th 2011 5:00AM
That is Bullcrap. I freaking loved Bionicle, it's the fact that the series was cut short before the final part of the story was wrapped up and they got replace dby crappy Hero Factory things that pisses me off.
Sumadin Jun 13th 2011 5:10PM
TBH i think the reasson blizzard chose Mega blocks could simply be lack of interest from Legos side for a couple of reasons.
Lego already has SEVERAL space related sets the most prominent of them of course being lego star wars. They got little to earn from that set.
Lego set are mostly based on movies if based on anything. They don't really base their sets on games.
Maybe starcraft and warcraft wasn't big enough */duck*. I am serrios lego base their sets on stuff that are REALLY big in media like harry potter and starwars.
Because i refuse to believe blizzard didn't consider Lego first over Mega blocks.
Besides who needs lego to make any sets to make warcraft and starcraft stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lTd5LpB6Ao
leggomymuoio Jun 13th 2011 5:14PM
There's no way anyone can say Warcraft isn't big enough for Lego to consider. I'd imagine, if Blizz DID contact Lego about it, a contractual agreement just couldn't be reached that made both parties happy.
Alyosha Jun 13th 2011 5:23PM
Frankly, the awesome Blizzard-based creation made by LEGO fans should have been reason enough for Blizzard to team with the LEGO Group. The siege tank you link. is a great example, but there are many, many other great LEGO mocs based on Blizzard's games. As a LEGO fan, Blizzard going with MEGA is a letdown.
gewalt Jun 13th 2011 5:57PM
Lego takes a fairly large cut. Mega bloks, being more desperate for clients, takes a smaller cut. sadly, they deserve a smaller cut cause their quaility is terrible
arawn.chernobog Jun 13th 2011 5:17PM
MEGA BLOCKS!?
Well... hm...
No
Ilmyrn Jun 13th 2011 5:24PM
Oh my. I almost died laughing. CHINSTAR-ONE needs to be the Alliance's main weapon against Deathwing come 4.6 or whatever.
Kareenta Jun 13th 2011 5:59PM
I too was once a diehard Lego fan (specifically Star Wars sets), shunning the inferior Mega Bloks. However, Lego has begun gouging the customer with ridiculously high prices. It used to be 10 cents per piece on average. Now it's $50 for a set with 327 pieces :(
Honestly the Halo sets from Mega Bloks have been a great improvement over the old blocks that don't stick together and I will definitely pick up some of the new Warcraft/Starcraft sets. But yeah still a Lego fan.
Blaise Jun 13th 2011 6:13PM
Peter: You got Legos? Aw, sweet! Lois only buys me Mega Bloks.
Lois: They're the same thing, Peter.
Peter: You know what, Lois? They are not the same thing. And the sooner you get that through your thick skull, the sooner we can get this marriage back on track.