Lego's open platform for user-designed playsets is stepping out of its beta phase and fully launching as Lego Ideas.
In a statement released on the current Lego Cuusoo site, the Danish company announced that the current system will be phased out from 30 April, when both the site and project relaunches under the new name.
Lego Cuusoo has allowed fans and aspiring creators to submit their custom-built Lego kits for public approval. Using an open voting system, projects that have accrued 10,000 votes have been considered for actual production, with the platform open to everything from architecture to licensed properties. Existing projects will be carried over to the new Ideas brand, along with any votes already cast in their favour. All projects new and old will also gain a full year to gather the necessary votes.
Along with posting a full list of updated terms and conditions that come into effect with the switchover, it was also announced that Lego Ideas will allow submissions from 13-18 year olds. The current system requires submitting users be over 18. This is a potentially huge change, incentivising younger people to explore the crafting and engineering potential the popular brick system.
Lego Cuusoo originally launched in 2008, as part of a collaboration with Japanese crowdsourcing site Cuusoo.com. Originally locked to Japan, the first kits released were based on the Shinkai 6500 deep sea vehicle and the Hayabusa spacecraft. The service's popularity lead to an international rollout in 2011, and subsequent sets released have included Minecraft, Back to the Future, and Ghostbusters. Western fans also voted for a set based on the Mars Curiosity Rover, proving we're not entirely obsessed with plastic reproductions of pop culture favourites.
With the entire user creation and voting model now in-house at Lego, it remains to be seen if that will result in a faster turn-around on approving and manufacturing popular projects.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
