By Gavin Boyle
The launch of the new UK-based game studio Second Star Games came with the announcement that the company will produce a new Peter Pan-inspired video game.
“The studio is made up of world-class talent who have previously worked together on the hugely successful LEGO series of video games,” said Second Star Games creator Tom Stone. “We are incredibly excited to be building the definitive Neverland® gaming experience powered by imagination (and fairy dust!).”
The game, titled “Neverland: A Peter Pan Adventure,” comes with the blessing of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and GOSH Charity, the organization that owns the rights to Peter Pan in perpetuity. A portion of the game’s sales will go towards the charity which helps treat seriously ill children across the UK.
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“We are delighted to be working with expert partners Second Star Games to bring the magical world of Neverland to life for a generation of young gamers. Neverland, a place of adventure and imagination, provides an amazing backdrop to what we know will be a first-class game,” said GOSH Charity’s Senior Brand Licensing Manager, Jenny Martin. “What’s more, every game sold will help raise funds to support seriously ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital. We can’t wait for this next chapter in our Neverland journey.”
Stone and many people who have joined his team have found great success in the video game industry through creating multiple LEGO-based video games including “Lego Star Wars,” “Lego Batman” and “Lego Harry Potter.” These games are some of the most beloved in the LEGO video game universe, known for the charming way they adapt their source material while introducing new surprises for their players.
The creation of Second Star Games also comes as LEGO looks to bring its game development in house by expanding its own game studio. The company has recently expanded its game development team to 1,800 staff members, nearly tripling its previous numbers.
“We have made quite a few investments in the future – I’d almost rather overinvest,” CEO Niels Christiansen told the Financial Times. “That’s the benefit of being family-owned and long term.”
Its upcoming “Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight” also promises to take LEGO games in a new direction by introducing real emotional moments alongside the lighthearted fun that the franchise is known for.
“Is there something innate about Batman that makes him so beloved across the entire world? A tragic story that is being transformed into something good,” DC Studios head James Gunn said when announcing the game. “Or is it that Batman has attracted some of the greatest artists in all mediums (comic books, gaming, film, television) that have told the story about this character, and because of that his legend has grown and grown? I think the answer is both.”
As Stone and his team move on from the LEGO world, it will be interesting to see how they bring the whimsy of their previous work into their upcoming projects and if they can deliver audiences that beloved experience in the Peter Pan-inspired game.
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