LEGO Expands to More Software Engineering

 Lego to Expand Online Ambitions by Tripling Total of Software Engineers,  By Financial Times. May 10, 2022

Lego’s biggest announced digital project is a partnership with Epic, the maker of the Fortnite game, to develop a so-called metaverse specifically for children to be launched within the next 12 months.

Lego has announced that it will boost its software investments by several hundred million dollars and  triple its number of software engineers to 1,800 by the end of 2023. CEO Niels Christiansen said the company views its physical and digital products as "one experience."

Said Christiansen, "On that digital journey we're really upping and increasing our capabilities, and we're insourcing capabilities that were done by consultants before."

This comes after Lego opened a digital hub in Copenhagen, Denmark, last month, where about 400 software workers will be based.

The company also operates software centers in London and Shanghai.

In partnership with Epic, the maker of Fortnite, Lego plans to roll out a metaverse for children within the next 12 months.

From Financial Times

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Wendys' Markets with a Role Playing Game

 Had seen several test examples of trying to use non-trivial games in the enterprise, but non that I thought actually worked.  Here an example?

 Wendy's New Role-Paying Game lets Players (and their dice) Defend 'Freshtovia; from Frozen Beef
'Feast of Legends' debuted at New York Comic Con with a livestream from 'Critical Role'  ... 

By I-Hsien Sherwood  in Adage
Wendy’s isn’t afraid to go where its customers are, as it did when it infiltrated the video game Fortnite—and earned a Cannes Lion Grand Prix in the process.  ... " 

Fortnite Gaming Powers Business Technology

We examined examples of game engines for analytic applications early on.  Now seeing the addition of VR and other immersion techniques.   Management still needs some help understanding this.  Best way is to start with currently used analytic methods and then extend from there to show augmentation.  Some good examples in this article of use.

Engine Behind 'Fortnite' Powers Business Technology 
The Wall Street Journal
By Agam Shah

Businesses are tapping the gaming-engine software of "Fortnite" and other videogames for applications ranging from car design to drug discovery. Gaming engines exploit complex calculations performed by hardware like graphics processing units to create photorealistic three-dimensional visualization and simulation, in addition to physics models. In conjunction with virtual reality (VR) technology, gaming engines let designers and engineers invent products, visualize sophisticated designs, and structure worker-training programs. Designers at McLaren Automotive are using Epic Games' Unreal Engine to create, assess, and refine digital car models, expediting a process that formerly relied on drawings and modeling clay. Meanwhile, the U.K.'s C4X Discovery Holdings uses gaming engines to discover new disease-fighting molecules, with chemists employing VR headsets and in-house software to configure virtual molecules for more precise targeting.   ... "