LEGO® Bits N’ Bricks
59 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago - ★★★★ - 149 ratingsAn official LEGO® Games podcast dedicated to digging out and exploring some of the many fascinating stories and lessons learned from a quarter century of game development. The podcast will feature the most memorable games and, importantly, some of those dedicated developers who helped bring them to life. For questions and comments, please write to [email protected].
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Episodes
Conspiracies, Fans, and LEGO® Designers: Inside the Disappearance of the LEGO Goat
June 13, 2023 17:00 - 27 minutes - 1 ByteThis is a story about a very particular LEGO creation, the people who designed, sculpted and mass produced it, the fans who came to love it, the designers who tried to bring it back, and the conspiracies that today swirl around its mysterious disappearance. For questions and comments, please write to [email protected].
Why LEGO® Bricks Stick
June 13, 2023 16:00 - 28 minutes - 1 ByteThe original LEGO bricks didn’t stick together. How and why that changed offers deep insight into the very core of the now 90-year-old toymaker. For questions and comments, please write to [email protected].
Sustainability and the Everlasting LEGO® Brick
June 13, 2023 15:00 - 41 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO bricks can last generations. Here’s how the company makes sure they never land in a landfill and other ways its working on environmental sustainability. For questions and comments, please write to [email protected].
Creating beehives, stunning art, and a prosthetic limb with LEGO® toys
June 13, 2023 14:00 - 58 minutes - 1 ByteChatting with the talented creators behind a LEGO brick-compatible prosthetic, amazing, often Afrofuturistic sculptures, and a working beehive made of LEGO bricks. For questions and comments, please write to [email protected].
Demogorgons, Frogs, and Car Parts: Inside the Creation of LEGO® Botanicals
June 13, 2023 13:00 - 48 minutes - 1 ByteThe blossoming success of the LEGO Botanical Collection started years before they hit stores thanks to the popularity of two employee creations that took over the company’s offices. For questions and comments, please write to [email protected].
The Tale of LEGO® Bricktales
October 24, 2022 06:55 - 58 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO Bricktales is a game born in a bathtub of LEGO DUPLO® bricks, inspired by Nintendo’s own Captain Toad, and created by a team behind a game played by one in every 100 people on Earth. The story of LEGO Bricktales is one of childhood friendships, big gambles, and unexpected success. For questions and comments, please write to [email protected].
A Journey Into the Real LEGO® City
August 31, 2022 11:55 - 59 minutes - 1 ByteDiscover how The LEGO Group are injecting creativity and imagination into daily life in Billund, the birthplace of The LEGO brick.
The LEGO Group’s Playful 90th
August 10, 2022 11:55 - 1 hour - 1 ByteIn the lead-up to the LEGO Group’s 90th anniversary this month, we journey to the company’s home in Billund, Denmark to talk with some of its eclectic employees about how they create the future of play, informed by the past.
The Rise of BrickLink
January 31, 2022 12:05 - 1 hour - 1 ByteAs the LEGO Group retires the fan version of LEGO® Digital Designer and transitions to official support of BrickLink Studio, we examine the history of both digital brick designers and how their histories came together.
Postscript
December 29, 2021 12:05 - 3 minutes - 1 ByteThe final episode of 2021, after a year of celebrating the rich history of LEGO® video games. Stay tuned for more episodes in 2022.
25 Years of LEGO® Lessons
December 22, 2021 12:05 - 55 minutes - 1 ByteAs the Bits N’ Bricks one-year celebration of LEGO Games’ 25th anniversary wraps up, we examine what lessons we learned, speak with some of those behind the podcast, and talk to LEGO Games thinkers about its future.
Creating Worlds with LEGO® Bricks
December 15, 2021 12:05 - 44 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO Worlds was a slow-burning success, the byproduct of the LEGO Group’s innate desire to make its own Minecraft™, empowered with lessons learned from LEGO Universe and LEGO City Undercover.
The LEGO Game That Unlocked True Digital Creation
December 08, 2021 12:05 - 44 minutes - 1 BytePerhaps the most important video game ever made for the LEGO Group was almost more tool than plaything. Over its nearly 25-year lifespan, LEGO Creator evolved from an early ‘90s masterpiece to the LEGO Digital Designer, used in crafting toys, games, and movies.
How a Soccer Net Almost Killed Football Mania
December 01, 2021 12:05 - 31 minutes - 1 ByteThe LEGO Group’s dip into creating a sports video game almost ended at the net. A look into the early history of Football Mania.
When Forza Cars Met LEGO Bricks
November 24, 2021 12:05 - 37 minutes - 1 ByteThe 2019 collaboration between Microsoft’s Forza Horizon and LEGO® Speed Champions started at a car show in Detroit and includes a fun little bit of fictional backstory.
Alligators, Buckaroo Banzai, and LEGO Studios Backlot
November 17, 2021 12:05 - 46 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO Studios Backlot is a hidden gem that sparked creativity in the children who played it and opened their eyes to the joy of exploration.
LEGO® Harry Potter™ – A Journey Through All Eight Films
November 10, 2021 12:05 - 54 minutes - 1 ByteThe LEGO Harry Potter video games reshaped the way LEGO action-adventure games are made and played.
Tiny LEGO Brick Towers, Big LEGO Brick Ideas
November 03, 2021 12:05 - 37 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO Tower wasn’t just a brickified take on smash hit Tiny Tower. It was an evolution of both that delightful game and LEGO Games’ approach to mobile games as a whole.
The Surreal History of the LEGO Galidor TV Show, Game Console, and Action Figure
October 13, 2021 12:05 - 1 hour - 1 ByteHow a LEGO game console, sci-fi TV show, and trip to another dimension gave birth to the beloved LEGO toy flop Galidor.
DUPLO® World, Create & Cruise, and LEGO Games for Pre-K
October 06, 2021 12:05 - 42 minutes - 1 ByteWhy the LEGO Group decided to create games for preschoolers and how it continued its focus on empowering children while doing so.
Return of the LEGO® Star Wars™ Battles
September 29, 2021 12:05 - 44 minutes - 1 ByteHow a meeting alongside an English motorway kicked off a three-year journey for LEGO Star Wars™ Battles.
Holy Game Development, LEGO Batman
September 22, 2021 12:05 - 42 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO Batman wasn’t just one of the LEGO Group’s most popular video games and most visited topics, he also arguably had one of the biggest impacts on TT Games’ long history of brickified game making.
Nexo Knights and the Big Bang Theory
September 15, 2021 12:05 - 43 minutes - 1 ByteWhile LEGO Nexo Knights was a massive transmedia property that spanned television, books, magazines, toys, and even an amusement park ride, it was the video game that held the property together and fueled its success.
The Life (and Legacy) of George
September 08, 2021 12:05 - 39 minutes - 1 ByteInside the birth of Life of George and how a flat, LEGO brick puzzle game sparked a reexamination of the role digital experiences can play in the physical toy business.
Prototype, Playtest, Repeat: Inside Light Brick Studio
September 01, 2021 12:05 - 42 minutes - 1 ByteAn intense weekly playtesting schedule is at the heart of Light Brick Studio’s follow-up to the award-winning puzzler LEGO® Builder’s Journey.
The Legacy of LEGO® Legacy: Heroes Unboxed
August 25, 2021 12:05 - 37 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO® Legacy: Heroes Unboxed isn’t just a snappy LEGO minifig take on action role-playing games, it’s also a nostalgia-filled examination of the diminutive LEGO figure’s roughly 40-year history.
Junkbot: The Lovable LEGO® Garbage Game
August 18, 2021 12:05 - 40 minutes - 1 ByteNearly two decades before LEGO® Builder’s Journey had players assembling their way through brick levels, the trash eating, side-eyed Junkbot inspired digital LEGO brick creativity.
The Fans, Devs, and Remake of Real-Time Strategy Classic LEGO® Rock Raiders
July 14, 2021 12:05 - 46 minutes - 1 ByteAs we wrap up season two of LEGO® Bits N’ Bricks, we dig into the creation of real-time strategy game LEGO Rock Raiders and its tremendous fanbase who work to ensure new players get a chance to try the original and are even creating modern remakes.
Roblox Meets Minecraft™ in China’s LEGO® Cube
July 07, 2021 12:05 - 53 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO Cube may be the LEGO Group’s most ambitious title to date, delivering a fully realized LEGO brick world to users who can create and share their own content in a mobile-first game. It may also never be released outside of China.
Rocket Racer, Veronica Voltage and the Legend of LEGO® Racers
June 30, 2021 12:05 - 47 minutes - 1 ByteThe first LEGO® video game to hit consoles outside of Japan was born of one man’s idea of allowing children to build LEGO brick cars and then race them around a track. This week’s episode dives into the three-year development of 1999's classic LEGO Racers.
Myth, Maori, and a Brain Tumor: The BIONICLE® Saga
June 23, 2021 12:05 - 1 hour - 1 ByteFrom Boneheads of Voodoo Island to a Star Wars™--meets-Pokémon inspired transmedia mega hit: The metamorphosis of BIONICLE contains multitudes of fascinating stories and challenges including the tale of the franchise’s first retail video game and its failed sequel.
Inside LEGO® City Undercover: From Segway® to Zombie Hordes
June 16, 2021 12:05 - 49 minutes - 1 ByteConsidered by many to be one of the LEGO Group and TT Game’s best titles, LEGO® City Undercover is a masterpiece packed with referential humor, hidden jokes, and not a few fascinating developer stories. Joins us as we dig into its creation and many hidden gems.
LEGO® Loco: The LEGO Group’s Take on SimCity
June 09, 2021 12:05 - 35 minutes - 1 ByteThe story behind second-wave LEGO video game LEGO Loco and how it drew deep inspiration from SimCity and Will Wright’s theories around digital toys and playful experiences.
LEGO® Marvel and the Missing Spider-Stan Song
June 02, 2021 12:05 - 47 minutes - 1 ByteA deep dive into the making of LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes, one of the top-selling LEGO video games, unearths a wealth of interesting secrets. For instance, did you know Stan Lee actually sang for the game? How about the hidden appearance of EGO the Living Planet and the nod to an old Konami game? Tune in, true believers, for that and more during this week’s episode of Bits N’ Bricks.
Birth of a LEGO® Brawls-er
May 26, 2021 11:45 - 52 minutes - 1 ByteLEGO Brawls was born as a fun run mobile game, but a little bit of Nintendo inspiration transformed it into a sort of LEGO-themed Super Smash Bros. brawler. In this episode, developer Red Games Co. walks us through the evolution, success, and long tail of LEGO Brawls.
May the Fourth Be With You
May 04, 2021 11:45 - 1 hour - 1 ByteFrom brickifying emotional movie death scenes to the creation of the LEGO® Star Wars™ Pooper Trooper, Lucasfilm Games doesn’t just hand over its beloved properties, it also makes sure they’re handled properly. In this special May the 4th episode, we chat with two of the many Lucasfilm Games folks responsible for ensuring the sanctity of the Lucas creations while still allowing for TT Games’ beloved sense of humor.
To Be Continued
April 14, 2021 11:45 - 55 minutes - 1 ByteIn the season finale, some of the Bits N’ Bricks team unite to discuss the making of the season’s episodes, their favorite stories, and where the show is headed after season one. A 2-minute quick read and a written transcript of the entire episode is available at https://www.lego.com/legogames-25-subpage.
A Fabled History
April 07, 2021 11:45 - 1 hour - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent chat with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, former CEO and grandson of the founder of the LEGO Group, and Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, executive chairman of LEGO Brand Group. The two discuss the company’s long and fascinating history with video games and digital play.
LEGO® Video Games and Digital Play
March 31, 2021 11:45 - 46 minutes - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent chat about the 25th Anniversary of the first LEGO video game with LEGO Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen, chief product and marketing officer Julia Goldin, and vice president of LEGO Games Sean McEvoy. The three discuss the path forward for the company in an increasingly digital world.
LEGO Video Games and Digital Play
March 31, 2021 11:45 - 46 minutes - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent chat about the 25th Anniversary of the first LEGO video game with LEGO Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen, chief product and marketing officer Julia Goldin, and vice president of LEGO Games Sean McEvoy. The three discuss the path forward for the company in an increasingly digital world.
Darwin
March 24, 2021 11:45 - 1 hour - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent unearth the almost forgotten work of the LEGO Group’s early work in digital efforts at its Strategic Product Unit Darwin.
LEGO® Overwatch®: A Conversation
March 17, 2021 11:45 - 44 minutes - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent speak with Blizzard Entertainment and the LEGO Group about how the LEGO® Overwatch® theme sets came to be and the impact video games and the LEGO brand have on one another.
LEGO® VIDIYO™: A Conversation
March 10, 2021 11:45 - 40 minutes - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent speak with the LEGO Group’s Julia Goldin and Will Thorogood about the new LEGO® VIDIYO™ sets.
LEGO® Universe: Death of a Dream
March 03, 2021 10:55 - 1 hour - 1 ByteIn this second of a two-episode Bits N’ Bricks special, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent trace the bumpy launch and eventual death of the LEGO Group’s first massively multiplayer online game: LEGO® Universe.
LEGO® Universe Soundtrack: A Conversation
February 24, 2021 09:54 - 43 minutes - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent speak with Richard Dekkard and Brian Tyler about their work on the LEGO® Universe soundtrack and the news of its remastering and first release on streaming platforms.
LEGO® Universe: Birth of an Idea
February 17, 2021 09:54 - 1 hour - 1 ByteIn this first of a two-episode Bits N’ Bricks special, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent trace the early roots and pre-production of the LEGO Group’s first massively multiplayer online game: LEGO® Universe.
LEGO® Sonic Mania™: A Conversation
February 10, 2021 10:02 - 44 minutes - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent speak with the fan creator, SEGA®, and the LEGO Group about the recently announced Sonic Mania™ Green Hill Zone LEGO® set.
TT Games
February 03, 2021 10:54 - 1 hour - 1 ByteIn this episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent speak with the founders of TT Games about the formative years for the studio, the creation of its popular LEGO® Star Wars™ games, and what’s to come for the group.
LEGO® Minifigures: A Conversation
January 27, 2021 10:54 - 43 minutes - 1 ByteIn this special “conversation” episode of Bits N’ Bricks, journalist Brian Crecente and documentarian Ethan Vincent speak with Tara Wike about how the beloved LEGO® minifigure evolved in digital form and how those video game creations helped to influence the physical figures.