Posted by Jon Davie, Managing director
New Media Age has a feature this week about brands using the web as a platform for kids to create and share content. Aside from coining a horrible new acronym – CCG (Child Created Content) – it’s an interesting summary of initiatives in this area, including the We Make Stories site we developed for Penguin last year. I spoke to the journalist who wrote the piece before Christmas, and the feature highlights lots of examples from clients including the BBC, Cartoon Network and the Tate. The case study that really excited me was Lego.
Lego Universe, which is scheduled to launch in 2010, is a multi-player online game that will allow kids to build cool stuff and share it with a global community. For someone who loved Lego as a kid, the screen grabs are a tantalising glimpse into a world where you never run out of bricks and your brother can’t dismantle your football stadium so he can add a new control tower to his space station.
The technology and graphics behind Lego Universe are clearly very impressive. But the reason the game looks so exciting is exactly the same reason Lego was so popular way back when – because it engages young minds and provides a platform for creativity.
There’s a lesson in here for all of us who create tools and applications in a digital world, whether they are intended for grown ups or toddlers. Technology doesn’t magically make boring things fun; or pointless things useful. Smart use of digital can give an old idea a new lease of life. But all the Flash in the world won’t compensate if you don’t have a great idea in the first place.