The traditional blocks have just gained an equivalent in more modern molds. Now, children will be able to play with more technological “bricks”, involving sensors, accelerometers, light, sound and speakers. Toys inspired by the intellectual properties of the Star Wars saga will be the first equipped with the new feature.
Named “Lego Smart Play”, the new platform features more than twenty innovations patented by the Danish toy brand. At the center of the bet is the “Lego Smart Brick”, a piece powered by a personalized chip smaller than a standard toy block.
One of the sets chosen to launch the new technology is a Star Wars scene in which an A-Wing space fighter and a cannon turret defend the Throne Room of Emperor Palpatine, mentor of the iconic villain Darth Vader. Equipped with new technology, the A-Wing engine roars when approached by sensors, it is also possible to hear the buzzing of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker’s lightsabers and even the classic “Imperial March”, the sound theme of the villains in the original film franchise.
Behind all this innovation is a more important movement: the introduction of technology into traditional Lego plastic blocks seeks to continue attracting new generations with more and more entertainment alternatives.
“For more than 90 years, the Lego Group has inspired the imagination and creativity of children around the world. As the world evolves, so do we — innovating to meet the play needs of each new generation,” said Lego Group Chief Product and Marketing Officer Julia Goldin.
Despite the addition of new stimuli to the pieces, such as sounds and lights, Lego still clings to an important asset of its products: the appeal of playing away from the screen. Lego Group Senior Vice President and Head of Creative Play Lab Tom Donaldson treated the launch of Lego Smart Play as a union of creativity, technology and storytelling to make stories more engaging. “All this without screens.”
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In an interview published by The Guardian in August, on the same day that Lego released half-yearly results of 12% revenue growth, the company’s CEO, Niels B Christiansen, attributed the improvement in numbers to parents’ desire to keep their children away from smartphones.
“We see ourselves as competitors for kids’ attention. The most important thing is to provide relevant and exciting experiences, and that can keep them off their smartphones,” said Christianses. On the other hand, the company tripled, from 2022 to 2025, the number of software engineers and has targeted digital games to attract the teenage audience.
In April, the company opened a 120,000 square meter state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Vietnam to support long-term growth in the Asia-Pacific region. The company is still investing more than US$1.5 billion in a plant and distribution center in the United States.
