More Licensed Properties for LEGO Dimensions

Over the past few days LEGO have inadvertently released information on new LEGO Dimensions through the instructions download section on their website. Doctor Who, Ninjago, Legends of Chima, Scooby Doo and Jurassic World will all be part of the new LEGO ‘toys to life’ video game experience. There’s something for everyone in the new mix of properties revealed, which should make for a very eclectic experience…



The new licenses that have been revealed show that LEGO are aiming to reach the broadest audience possible with Dimensions. Portal, like Back to the Future, is aimed at teenagers and adults as neither brand has particular recognition with children. Lord of 
the Rings also falls into this bracket. LEGO clearly want to bring in all age groups, 
suggesting that the diversity of licenses fans have recently been seeing is going to 
increase.

On the other hand, Ninjago and Chima are going to resonate with children more than 
adults, and what’s more children who already like LEGO. This is an attempt to draw in fans of building, rather than just gamers, and shows that LEGO have at least a little faith in their own properties as well as licensed products. The LEGO Movie was announced previously, and if Dimensions proves successful this could be a way of keeping awareness high until the sequels and spin-offs are released. 

DC and Doctor Who are clearly intended to have dual appeal, with the geek community 
so vital to these types of product likely to be interested as well as children who both 
properties reach out to. The Simpsons is also likely to fall into this category. 

Image courtesy of Brickset.com

LEGO clearly feel intimated by the huge stable of characters that Disney Infinity have access to, and have cobbled together a semi-impressive line-up of licenses to draw in a mix of consumers when Dimensions launches. Some of these are epic, blockbuster licenses such as DC Comics, Lord of the Rings and Jurassic World. Others, such as Back to the Future and Scooby Doo feel a bit second tier, as if they were selected as they fit the budget rather than were must-haves.

Which licences LEGO selects for its product now seems to be purely based on whether they are cheap or profitable, rather than continuing to even pay lip service to any notion of ‘brand fit’, which means that Dimensions could go anywhere. In some ways this is exciting, as it opens up lots of potential properties that fans have been waiting for. 

Image courtesy of Brickset.com

What could be even more exciting, is if licenses are being used to launch Dimensions with a bang now, but are followed by more in-house LEGO themes. If fans could get City, Pirates, Castle, Western sets for Dimensions sets then even the least technologically interested AFOL may be persuaded to take a look. It could also be a chance to get products related to this themes even though LEGO are not currently pursuing them.

LEGO faces huge competition with Dimensions. Skylanders has shown that licenses are not necessary, but as the first of these platforms to take off has a huge built in following. Despite having the license for Disney, Star Wars and Marvel construction sets, LEGO have no chance of getting any of those characters into Dimensions and will actively be competing with them in Disney Infinity. But the biggest competitor for LEGO may be themselves. With so many sets at Christmas now over the £100 mark, parents and 
children may see a big LEGO set as providing more bricks for their buck.