Lego unveiled its new Smart Brick on Monday during a presentation at CES. An accessory that Lego has described as its biggest innovation ever, the Smart Brick will add a new level of interactivity to some of its upcoming sets. However, reactions to its unveiling have been more muted, even slightly more negative, than Lego would have expected.
That's why Lego SVP Federico Begher sat down with IGN to better explain the work and thought process behind creating the Smart Brick in an effort to win over people. Among the main concerns of Lego lovers is the toy company abandoning its core principles, and that the Smart Brick feature potentially disrupts the layers of imagination that are usually inspired by building and then playing with Lego creations.
The Smart Brick is Lego's biggest innovation since the minifigure
“This is an addition, a complementary evolution. We're still going to be very nurturing and innovating and continuing our core experience,” confirmed Begher, assuring longtime Lego fans that the introduction of the Smart Brick doesn't mean the Lego they know and love will be left behind.
SVP compares the introduction of the Smart Brick to the invention of minifigures. Despite how intrinsically part of the Lego brand, Minifigures were nothing for the company's first 30 years. That the smart brick will be as important to Lego as the minifigures is quite a statement.
The latest Pokémon Lego Leak details ten sets and there are some deep cuts
After all, we might not need $650 to own one of the first Pokemon Lego sets.
“Minifigure started small, it was in a few things, and then wherever there was role-playing, it made sense to have a Minifigure,” Begher recalls. “We see [the Smart Brick] in a similar way to saying that wherever there's an opportunity for this type of dimensional play, we're likely to explore it. And that's kind of thinking.”
Like smart brick or not, you'll have to get used to it
Begher's comparison of the minifigures ties together the message SVP Lego is trying to convey following Monday's big reveal that the smart brick isn't going anywhere. Specifically, he says it's “another layer that's here to stay,” which should be a seven-word sentence that can either make you more anxious about the impending arrival of the Smart Brick, or ease your fears.
The added layer part is good news for those of you who don't care about the Smart Brick and what it can do. It sounds like, like with the Minifigures, it will be included in select sets where it makes sense, and that even in sets that include the smart cube, you won't need to use it if you just want to stick with the standard build.
The here to stay part might worry you, along with the Minifigures comparison, because it means like it or not, the smart cube is going to be a big part of Lego moving forward. Pre-orders for the first Smart Brick sets – the Star Wars-themed ones introduced during the unveiling – will go live by the end of the week. More and more Smart Brick kits will be moving forward, and whether you want the features that come with the interactive brick or not, the prices of these kits will almost certainly drive its inclusion up.
Who is the Autobot? Lego fans think his other two Transformers sets are hiding in Soundwave's reveal
The arrival of Soundwave could reveal who will be next.
