It's not really the end but it still smells very strongly of the tree for the virtual creation tool offered by LEGO: Lego digital designer, better known to fans by the acronym LDD, will no longer be updated as stated by Kevin Hinkle, Community Manager at LEGO:

Clearly, do not expect to see this software evolve through bug fixes, feature additions or an update of the available virtual inventory. Version 4.3 is probably the last and without any evolution of the parts catalog, this tool will quickly become obsolete.

In terms of virtual creation, you will now have to turn to existing alternative solutions such as ldraw, bricksmith, MecaBricks or even SR 3D Builder.

Gone are the days when you could let your children show a little creativity on the family computer with a tool accessible to the youngest to have a little peace at home ... The days of uninspiring LEGO Ideas projects. tinkered with in five minutes under LDD will be quickly too, and that is perhaps the only good news of the day.

Update of 21 / 01 / 2016 with catching up to the branches from LEGO trying to put out the fire:

A new bag from the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes range has just appeared at several British and Croatian sellers on eBay : This is the reference 30448 Spider-Man vs. The Venom Symbiote with in the bag, a minifigure of Spider-Man, a superjumper, and the Venom Symbiote with five heads (LEGO must have had too much stock on this part ...).

No information for the moment on the future availability of this sachet in France.

After the classic sets of the LEGO Super Heroes range, we are talking (again) about the small Mighty Micros boxes which will allow us next March to add a dozen new minifigs to our collections.

Opinions are very divided on these characters with a design that can be described as cartoonish, and I tell myself that LEGO will not have bothered to create a whole concept without backing it up with marketing content that will feature these rather original versions of the Marvel and DC Comics super heroes that we know.

In my opinion, we should expect at least a series of mini online games and why not an animated mini-series broadcast on the manufacturer's YouTube channel in the coming weeks ... The content of the boxes, characters and mini-karts type vehicles, just begs to be declined in a Mario Kart-style chase video game where the different protagonists get rid of each other using their respective weapons ...

These less serious than usual versions of Marvel and DC Comics characters will be sold in pairs accompanied by their vehicles for the modest sum of 9.99 €.

Below, (again) visuals seen on YouTube.

Who among you will finally be seduced by these mini-minifigs?

This box would go almost unnoticed in the midst of Marvel novelties based on the film Captain America: Civil War and mini-characters with sauce Mighty Pickups ... And yet the set 76053 Batman Gotham City Cycle Chase (24.99 €) contains a pair of very nice minifigs next to the umpteenth version of Batman that LEGO will sell us next March: Harley Quinn and Deadshot.

The visual above, seen on YouTube, allows us to discover these two minifigs in a close-up New 52 which have both the merit of being unique and very successful.

Below, the other official visuals of the set seen on Amazon FR, including the back of the box which as usual highlights all the "playability" of this set.

LEGO marketing around sets based on the film Captain America: Civil War in full swing with images that appear every day as if by magic in the four corners of the internet (Forums, YouTube).

Latest visuals to date, these close-ups of some of the minifigs that will be available in the three known sets based on the film. A fourth set would also be in the boxes and the whole would be accompanied by a polybag (30447 Captain America's Motorcycle) specially designed for the occasion.

Above, the Falcon minifig that will be delivered in the set 76050 Crossbones' Hazard Heist (24.99 €), below the minifigs of Captain America, Winter Soldier and Black Panther from the set 76047 Black Panther Pursuit (34.99 €) and lower the minifigs of Iron Man and Winter Soldier present in the set 76051 Super Hero Airport Battle (79.99 €).

Lower the back of the three boxes which allows for each set to better understand all the "playability" promised by LEGO ...

These three boxes, which will be marketed next March, are already available for pre-order. at amazon.