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By Gavin Boyle
LEGO announced it will launch a line of new Star Wars kits that include its new Smart Brick, a special piece that brings tech to the famous analog toy.
“The launch of LEGO SMART Play™ brings creativity, technology and storytelling together to make building worlds and stories even more engaging, and all without a screen. We truly believe we are setting a new standard for interactive, imaginative experiences and can’t wait to see this innovation in the hands of kids when we launch this year,” said Tom Donaldson, Senior Vice President & Head of Creative Play Lab at LEGO.
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The new Smart Brick has the ability to play sounds through a built-in speaker and light up different colors based on a variety of factors such as noise, light, movement or proximity to other Smart Bricks. It features a rechargeable wireless battery and does not require internet connection, making its features accessible no matter where a child takes it.
LEGO believes this new technology will take its brand to even higher heights as it allows children to see their play become even more alive. But many LEGO fans worry that the Smart Brick will take the company in a direction that eventually not only limits creativity but also raises the price on the already inflated brand.
“I’ve loved the creativity involved without Smart Bricks,” LEGO enthusiast Jake Doll told Business Insider. “I think they’ll put more investment in tech as it can increase the overall purchase price.”
LEGO, however, is adamant that the new technology will only enhance the brand as it only enables creativity and helps modernize a toy that has remained largely the same since it first launched in the late ’40s.
“This isn’t changing direction from what the Lego brand has always been,” said Donaldson. “It’s an expansion — we’re staying true to our brand while innovating to meet how kids play today. The Lego brick our fans know and love isn’t going anywhere; we’re just making our play even more magical.”
The launch of the LEGO Smart Brick comes as many toy companies look to make their toys more tech-integrated. Last summer, for example, Mattel announced it was looking into partnering with OpenAI to bring AI to its toys.
“With OpenAI, Mattel has access to an advanced set of AI capabilities alongside new tools to enable productivity, creativity, and company-wide transformation at scale,” said OpenAI operating Chief Brad Lightcap when the partnership was announced.
While tech-integrated toys have the potential to bring a whole new world to play, parents should be weary of immediately introducing these toys to their children as analog toys have served generations of kids just fine, and in a world that is so tech heavy, it might be nice to keep toys old-school.
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