Dismantled: Lego Universe Closing

An increasing number of massively multiplayer games are offering free entry into their worlds but it stands to reason that, more often or not, gangs of salesman will be roaming inside, or at the very least there will be equivalent of concession stands littered about the place, stocked with pricey but powerful socks and the like. Lego Universe began offering a free trial back in June and these short months later, the announcement reaches us that the game is shutting down.

Perhaps it's a sign of the game's quality rather than the increasingly crowded free to play market, or maybe it's because the amount of 'free' on offer wasn't enticing enough. It didn't show much of the game and some might say there wasn't much game to show. As may become a common refrain, the free version of the game hasn't managed to lure enough people in to paying subscriptions. On January 31, 2012, Lego Universe will cease to be and this will lead to developers Play Well Studios closing their doors.

Whatever the case, it's curtains for the bricks.