With the help of LEGO, 2K Sports is about to get even bigger.
2K has signed a deal to license the LEGO brand for a new wave of casual, kid-friendly sports games. Sources tell Video Game Chronicle that Sumo Digital, the developers behind Crackdown 3, Team Sonic Racing, Little Big Planet 3, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, are working on the first game in the series. It's believed to be a soccer game slated for 2023.
Another racing-based LEGO game is coming from Visual Concepts, who are responsible for the NBA 2K and WWE2K games.
The 2K Sports brand is one of Take-Two Interactive's most lucrative business segments, and is largely responsible for billions of dollars of recurrent consumer spending every year. NBA 2K alone helps drive a significant portion of overall sales, net bookings, and microtransaction earnings on a consistent annual basis. However these mainline sports games are tailor-made for enthusiasts.
The new LEGO games will be made to sway mainstream consumers and younger audiences into Take-Two's powerful live service ecosystem. Expect online play, microtransactions, and tons of content over time.