"Learning through games": what LEGO pays attention to when investing in gaming companies

LEGO is open to investing in game studios that would reflect the core values of the company. The Danish manufacturer of designers intends to help enter the market for projects that help users learn and receive new information. To do this, the games must meet five key criteria.Rob Lowe, managing director of Lego Ventures, spoke about the company’s priorities in the field of video games during a speech at GI Live.

According to him, LEGO is actively looking for “other forms of learning through games” that simultaneously embody the company’s ideas and bring something new to them. Lowe notes that getting new information through entertainment is the future of gaming.

At the same time, the LEGO concept of learning through games does not exclude investments in complex story titles. According to Lowe, narrative projects can “absorb” the Netflix model, giving users a choice in obtaining new content through in-game nonlinearity.

“Telltale was very close to going beyond its narrow niche. Unfortunately, it flew too close to the sun due to the large number of IP and games released on the market. But I never understood why this type of games remained niche and did not achieve commercial success,” he explains.

Lowe believes that games should tell stories better than any other kind of entertainment. That’s why the company wants to invest in studios that know how to use innovations to make popular, not niche products out of story titles.

LEGO is most interested in investments at the “B” stage. “However, we can also consider the “A” series rounds, especially if we talk about long—term investments and cooperation,” explains Lowe.

LEGO believes that games should meet five main criteria: engage users, be meaningful, bring joy, have replayability and offer opportunities for social interaction. The company notes that this helps to develop the so-called “21st century skills” in players. Among them are teamwork, critical thinking, creativity and communication.

According to Lowe, these skills will be decisive for the new generation, and the list of professions in demand may change in comparison with what has been happening in the labor market in the last 100 years.