Call me old fashioned, but isn't the idea behind Lego and similar construction toys to develop manual dexterity that goes beyond pushing a mouse around?

On the other hand, smaller families and other societal changes do tend to mean fewer opportunities for social interaction when playing with toys like Lego, so allowing players to collaborate on larger - though virtual - projects may not be such a bad thing.

And Lego is fairly expensive. Depending on how the MMOG works - will there be flat-rate pricing, or will players have to 'buy' in-game blocks for real money? - it might allow players to construct much larger and more complex objects than they (or more likely their parents) could afford in real life.

Don't overlook the fact that there are many adult Lego fans, and online environments such as Second Life and World of Warcraft have shown there are plenty of willing participants in virtual worlds.

All that said, we remain uneasy about the shift from "doing real stuff" with physical objects and materials to spending many hours a day in an artificial unreality. This might reflect the nature of work for many of us,
but doesn't that make it all the more important to do something physical (even if it does have a intellectual aspect) during our leisure time?

Still, it's ultimately about money, we guess:

"As children around the world continue to spend more time online we are developing new and engaging ways for them to interact with our brand," said Lisbeth Valther Pallesen, executive vice president, community, education and direct division, Lego Group.

"The Lego brand represents construction, creativity and problem solving -- values that compliment the MMOG market. By merging the online world of social interaction with physical play, the Lego brand is providing new experiences for children, as well as fans."