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A Manchester Evening News article profiles Jon Burton, the man who started up developer Traveller's Tales -- later transformed into TT Games and swallowed whole by Warner Bros. last week. From humble beginnings in Cheshire, England in 1989, the company has grown to accomodate over 200 employees across the country and has sold over 42 million games, the majority of which were based on licensed properties. The report asserts that Burton, who owns 80% of the company, sold TT Games to Warner Bros. for the sum of "about" £100 million (approximately $210 million) spread over five years.

"After 18 years in the video games industry, the opportunity to become a meaningful part of the world's leading entertainment company is the fulfilment of a dream," said Burton. The Warner siblings are sure to be just as grateful, as their array of films and TT Games' success with licensed properties click together perfectly, much like those Lego bricks everyone's so fond of these days.

Not satisfied with merely financing, publishing, and distributing LEGO Batman, Warner Bros. has decided to purchase the whole pie, bagging developer Traveler's Tales and its parent group TT Games. While we haven't been told just how much cash will be stuffed into the briefcase when it changes hands, we do know the acquisition encompasses both the development and publishing arms of TT Games, which owns game rights to a book about obscure world records. Recreating the longest ironing session ever (55 hours, 5 minutes, fyi) would certainly be a thrill, but we've got our fingers crossed for a proper Matrix treatment to follow on the heels of LEGO Indy. Go ahead, eat the red brick -- we dare ya!

Nothing beats the satisfaction that arises from successfully assembling a Lego masterpiece out of a handful of meaningless blocks. LucasArts must be glowing with delight then, since they've just managed to construct a fully functional ATM by just clipping two of their pieces together. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, LucasArts has officially announced Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and DS.

The game will be a combination of Lego Star Wars: The Video Game and last year's Lego Star Wars: The Good Original Trilogy, with additional characters, enhanced levels and features tossed in by developer TT Games. The group promises to take "full advantage of the unique capabilities of all three next-generation consoles" (three?) and notes that the DS version is unique in being constructed from "the ground up." Brick your favorite console when Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga arrives this Fall.

We imagine the office floors of UK developer, TT Games, being completely covered in developers sitting with their legs crossed and their eyes firmly fixated on their latest Lego creations. When other groups are hard at work stringing together reams of code and drawing concept sketches, these guys are building bridges, stacking blocks and crying in anguish whenever a careless passerby kicks over a wall. They're making Lego games -- and lots of them too.

The studio's head of production, Jonathan Smith, tells GamesIndustry.biz that the Lego tracks have been put down beyond Lego Batman (bricking multiple consoles in 2008). "We have genuinely exciting plans for future Lego titles," says Smith, noting that the positive response earned by the Lego Star Wars games is pushing his team to exceed expectations. Though the titles have been popular among the young ones, it's not unusual to spot an "adult" having a good time with familiar characters and equally familiar building blocks.

Though no other Lego-fied franchises are mentioned, we eagerly anticipate the arrival of Lego Pink Panther, Lego Carmen Sandiego: Where in the World is That Damn Piece?, Lego Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Brickening and of course, Lego Lego Batman (the game based on the Lego based on the game).

LEGO Batman has been rumored to be in development for quite some time, but finally fans of building blocks and super heroes are having their dreams met (at least the ones that can be rated E for everyone). Variety of all places is reporting that TT Games is eagerly following up the success of LEGO Star Wars with a LEGO dark knight game. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will do the publishing rights this time and LEGO Batman is set to come out sometime 2008.

I'm personally more excited about this LEGO title than Star Wars simply because I'm a bigger fan of Batman. If you could have any property turned into a LEGO game, which would you choose?

[Via Firing Squad]

After witnessing the huge success of the Lego Star Wars games, Warner Bros. is going to work with Lego to make a Lego Batman game. With Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment heading the publisher duties, TT Games is returning to develop the title, which is slated for a 2008 release on new generation consoles. Did you play and enjoy either of the Lego Star Wars games, camera issues aside? Looking past some gameplay issues, we were able to have fun and enjoy The Original Trilogy for what it as. So, do you think "Lego-izing" the Batman universe could see the same success as the Star Wars franchise did?

[Via GameStooge]

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy will now be making an appearance on the Xbox 360, along with its earlier announced platforms (which include pretty much every current-gen system).

Whether creating a Han Solo-Greedo, lightsaber-wielding humanoid hybrid is really the wisest course of action or not is a debate best left to the fan community, however. (A green HanGreedo on the 360 -- it could work.)

Our only hope is that the original LEGO Star Wars will make its way onto the official Xbox backward-compatibility list by the time the sequel's released in September. Getting those unlockable characters from the prequels onto the next generation would be awfully nice. (Transferable saves? Even better.) The complete Lucasfilm press release follows below.

See also:

• LEGO Star Wars II out with OT DVDs Sept 12
• Original Xbox Games Playable on Xbox 360 (last updated in March)