Jungle Explorer Base Camp to feature interactive brick
Posted by Huw,
A new product has cropped up at LEGO.com that appears to be part of a beta test, in which families in the UK are invited to participate.
60691 Jungle Explorer Base Camp, which "includes an interactive brick, 8 tile tags, 3 interactive minifigures and a wireless charger" is set to "deliver a sensory-rich and responsive play experience for kids." Details beyond that are scant, but it sounds interesting.
Find out more at LEGO.com, and if you're eligible, sign up for the beta test.
Update: there's more information about the interactive brick here and the range includes two other sets that are designed to work with it: 60692 The Lost Crocodile Temple and 60693 Survivor Island Seaplane
Thanks to chrisaw for the news.
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112 comments on this article
This feels like an evolution of the classic Light & Sound system, and the concepts introduced in the Mario sets. Keen to see the end result!
Boo, I was hoping for that being a death ray mounted on the helicopter looking at the image.
Very interesting concept. I'm not sure this is the right direction but nice to see LEGO exploring new grounds.
Does it require a phone app?
Lego said
"interactive toilet"
looking forward to this new improvement in Lego toilet technology
What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg?
It's on the 60691 page on lego.com that @Huw linked to but it's not from that set and the url contains number 60692 . Another new set?
Is that a new sand green crocodile, looks different from the one in the other set?
@PurpleDave said:
"Does it require a phone app?"
It does. One of the questions when trying to sign up is:
"Do you have access to an iPhone XR or newer, or an iPad Pro 2017 or newer device with iOS17 installed that you can install software on and can be used for the Beta test?"
I can't get to the webpage
EDIT: I just noticed that the PR says "for families in the UK."
Well frick
I wonder how they're implementing the interactivity with the figures, will it be little NFC chips integrated directly into the figures or are they traditional, simple plastic figures on an NFC base like Dimensions?
Why does LEGO insist on trying digital gimmicks when they've flopped over and over and over and over again?
@SMC said:
"Is that a new sand green crocodile, looks different from the one in the other set?"
Looks like it. 60425 has the adult croc in olive green and the baby croc is sand green, 60692 (if you can call it that) the colours are swapped.
@rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg? "
Okay, if that's not a reference to 70014 (or possibly 70112 too), I don't know what is.
Maybe LEGO has gotten to the point that they're willing to include Legends of Chima easter eggs, like the EXO Force mecha in 60421?
Anyway, not the point. The point is that you just accidentally discovered an unreleased set! Props to you!
New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids.
That is neat, but I'm really in it for the volcano.
container panels in dark red! More shipping containers!
Cool idea, buuuut I'm curious if we will witness the usual short-sightedness again: only 1 product with the new system and/or high development costs+low demand and/or turning out lame/limited and/or too expensive to be in demand.
I'm not being negative; I just have experience.
@8BrickMario said:
"Why does LEGO insist on trying digital gimmicks when they've flopped over and over and over and over again?"
Ironic given your username, but I don't think Mario has flopped. Also, even if something fails to sell very well, it doesn't make it a bad product. My oldest loves Dimensions now, years after it got unplugged. And the reason for this is simple, kids are too digital already, and if Lego doesn't even try, they stand to lose chunks of the kid market.
The helicopter pilot looks Pippin Reed-inspired... maybe we'll see more Adventurers connections besides just Johnny Thunder?
That monkey looks DOOMED.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg? "
Okay, if that's not a reference to 70014 (or possibly 70112 too), I don't know what is.
Maybe LEGO has gotten to the point that they're willing to include Legends of Chima easter eggs, like the EXO Force mecha in 60421?
Anyway, not the point. The point is that you just accidentally discovered an unreleased set! Props to you!"
Ras, from Ninjago is canonically from Chima. Chima has been "referenced" for a long time now. Season 2 of Dragons Rising, went even further with Chima, showing "The Wildness" which is obviously Chima's name in the Ninjago universe. I don't think it can be called a reference anymore, it's more of a canon location and characters in the Ninjago world.
@8BrickMario said:
"Why does LEGO insist on trying digital gimmicks when they've flopped over and over and over and over again?"
They flopped over and over again with the female demographics until BOOM Friends happened. And it is not going anywhere.
Those are new legs on the "Interactive Minifigures." I assume you place them in certain places and the bricks make sounds. I do not like this at all. Just let the kids play with the sets. I don't do this often, buuuut. "Back in my day, we played with characters and made the sounds ourselves, we don't need Lego bricks to do it for us!"
Only available in the UK? The completion-ists are going to have a fit when they see this...
Not yet conivnced anyone will remember this in a year.
Reminds me too much of Hidden Side, Vidiyo and Ultra Agents which all had one-off 'interactive' gimmicks.
Super Mario mostly works because of the license, so I wouldn't compare it too much with it.
I just hope the figure prints might pop up in other sets.
@CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
The iPhone XR is from 2018.
The actual requirement is likely something that uses the A12 or more recent chip, so it's likely that the software uses a feature of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 that needs those chips. This includes not just the 2017 iPad Pro (an expensive, but now old, tablet), but also the 2019 iPad Mini, 2019 iPad Air, and 2020 iPad.
Seeing the content of the set and adding the Interactive bricks, how much it will cost?
Are we talking about a 300€ set?
Too much for a Christmas gift for a kid
And anything that an AFOL could be interested in (maybe if the interaction were in a sw or marvel set could be AFOL stuff but not in a city set)
@Murdoch17 said:
"Only available in the UK? The completion-ists are going to have a fit when they see this..."
As mentioned in the article above, that’s only for the beta test.
Wireless charger? Looks like small LED bricks and lighting kits are coming.
@chrisaw said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
"Only available in the UK? The completion-ists are going to have a fit when they see this..."
As mentioned in the article above, that’s only for the beta test. "
Even more reason for them to have a fit!
Interesting they didn't stick to the established white-navy-orange color scheme.
This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it.
@whiteghost said:
"Interesting they didn't stick to the established white-navy-orange color scheme."
If they're going for the 2022 run, I think that was a lot of red, blue and tan.
@560heliport said:
"This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it."
Let’s calm the hyperbole and dismissive insults. I’m pretty sure completionists do not collect every single LEGO set but limited interesting/different/exciting sets can trigger FOMO in the best of us.
@rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg?
It's on the 60691 page on lego.com that @Huw linked to but it's not from that set and the url contains number 60692 . Another new set?"
hoping new city theme----- jungle explorer (not but an example indiana jones)
@yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
"This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it."
Let’s calm the hyperbole and dismissive insults. I’m pretty sure completionists do not collect every single LEGO set but limited interesting/different/exciting sets can trigger FOMO in the best of us."
Think you missed point of completionists
what I find funny. that pic had sound for minifigures..
@Atuin said:
"Not yet conivnced anyone will remember this in a year.
Reminds me too much of Hidden Side, Vidiyo and Ultra Agents which all had one-off 'interactive' gimmicks.
Super Mario mostly works because of the license, so I wouldn't compare it too much with it."
I'd argue Mario works so well because it's very simple and doesn't require a phone to work - the app enhances the experience, but as far I'm aware, you can just turn on the interactive figures and start hopping your way through the courses without any setup. It's less of a cheap gimmick and more of an actual play system that all the sets are designed around, it makes a huge difference.
I can use my imagination.
Sounds like an updated version of those old light and sound bricks. Only one I ever had was from the Sonic Stinger but I thought it was pretty cool! The tile thing makes me think some of LEGO Mario's tech might be thrown in too.
@BlueLanturnCorp said:
" @whiteghost said:
"Interesting they didn't stick to the established white-navy-orange color scheme."
If they're going for the 2022 run, I think that was a lot of red, blue and tan."
This year's summer lineup is clearly a continuation of 2023 in terms of aesthetics.
@CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
Looks like they've listened this time - iPhone XR is from 2018 which is prehistoric in phone terms. Min spec seems to be ios17, which can (allegedly) be run on iPhone 11 and later No Android support though.....
Is that the Obi-Wan Kenobi hair piece?
@CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
Hardly new, they are referencing devices from2017/18…
@missedoutagain said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
"This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it."
Let’s calm the hyperbole and dismissive insults. I’m pretty sure completionists do not collect every single LEGO set but limited interesting/different/exciting sets can trigger FOMO in the best of us."
Think you missed point of completionists"
As both a completionist and a FOMO sufferer, I think you are missing MY point... out again here. The only completionist affected her would be CITY or JUNGLE EXPLORER collectors. And those themes will not include a "probable NINE HUNDRED" sets this year. That was hyperbole. And calling folks "Chicken Little" when they express concern is both dismissive and insulting.
Is the interactive brick the Medium Azure part on the front of the helicopter? Interested to see how these work with the minifigures. Have to say that Volcano looks pretty weak, 60124 Volcano is better :)
@KONVICT said:
"Have to say that Volcano looks pretty weak, 60124 Volcano is better :)"
Agree to disagree: the volcano in 60124 is a Minecraft heaven and definitely nowhere near as polished as the one presented here.
Whoa, that brick looks nice and compact! I definitely agree with other folks that it sounds like a fun evolution of classic light and sound functions. If the beta testing goes well, I can imagine it being used for various sets and themes, especially since connecting to a phone for software updates would allow for all sorts of set-specific interactions without needing a different version of the brick with a different sound chip for each and every set that it comes in.
It sounds like the interactions are varied enough that it won't get tiresome as quickly as a sound brick that only produces a few pre-programmed sounds. The page also describes it coming with a "wireless charger" which is a nice alternative to having to unscrew the base of the brick to replace batteries like other light bricks and sound bricks from the mid-2000s onward! On a more low-tech level, I also quite like the vibrant new recolors of the geode element (which will presumably generate different responses from the interactive brick).
Interestingly, one of the images on the page, erroneously captioned as the "medical centre", appears to depict a totally different minifigure and build compared to the other images. Possibly an accidental glimpse at a separate, future set? My first guess was an alternate build for the base camp set, but very few of the parts match those in the other images. https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg
But...aren't ALL Lego bricks "interactive"? I mean: one brick by itself does little to nothing (unless you go by those Lego ads w/the bricks and their shadows, with the latter looking like planes and such). However when a brick interacts with another brick...and another...and (you get the 'Idea') it becomes 'something'...greater than the sum of its parts, sometimes...just a thought...
Also, and while on the same 'track': I HOPE this NOT "the norm" going forward. I mean, parts are expensive/costly as it stands; and to add a frankly unnecessary expense to what was an already design that was/is as good as when it first rolled out upon this planet...it harken also back to the "light-up Lightsabers"...that all that needs to be said there...:)
As a fan of the Mario interactive system and the City Adventure/Exploration sub theme I'm really bummed I can't try this out. I don't know if there are NDAs involved but I would love to see this in action in a video. Interactive Mario is revolutionary, so I'm happy to see that they're trying to build on that. I don't think they can shrink the the Mario system to fit inside a minifigure however so I'm really curious to see how those sound emotes work.
Anyway, hopefully some of the new pieces will show up on Brick and Pieces. Those color coded geodes, dark red panels, and minifigures all look tasty.
@Pollywanna said:
" @Atuin said:
"Not yet conivnced anyone will remember this in a year.
Reminds me too much of Hidden Side, Vidiyo and Ultra Agents which all had one-off 'interactive' gimmicks.
Super Mario mostly works because of the license, so I wouldn't compare it too much with it."
I'd argue Mario works so well because it's very simple and doesn't require a phone to work - the app enhances the experience, but as far I'm aware, you can just turn on the interactive figures and start hopping your way through the courses without any setup. It's less of a cheap gimmick and more of an actual play system that all the sets are designed around, it makes a huge difference."
Mario just uses a phone to download updates, doesn’t it? Bar’s pretty low when all you’re using the phone for is as an internet router.
Link does not work for me. I assume because I am not in the UK. :(
@chris38911 said:
" @CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
Looks like they've listened this time - iPhone XR is from 2018 which is prehistoric in phone terms. Min spec seems to be ios17, which can (allegedly) be run on iPhone 11 and later No Android support though....."
But do younger kids regularly have them? My kids when they were younger, and most families' kids I know, have relatively cheap android tablets.
@Aanchir said:
"Whoa, that brick looks nice and compact! I definitely agree with other folks that it sounds like a fun evolution of classic light and sound functions. If the beta testing goes well, I can imagine it being used for various sets and themes, especially since connecting to a phone for software updates would allow for all sorts of set-specific interactions without needing a different version of the brick with a different sound chip for each and every set that it comes in.
It sounds like the interactions are varied enough that it won't get tiresome as quickly as a sound brick that only produces a few pre-programmed sounds. The page also describes it coming with a "wireless charger" which is a nice alternative to having to unscrew the base of the brick to replace batteries like other light bricks and sound bricks from the mid-2000s onward! On a more low-tech level, I also quite like the vibrant new recolors of the geode element (which will presumably generate different responses from the interactive brick).
Interestingly, one of the images on the page, erroneously captioned as the "medical centre", appears to depict a totally different minifigure and build compared to the other images. Possibly an accidental glimpse at a separate, future set? My first guess was an alternate build for the base camp set, but very few of the parts match those in the other images. https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg"
The downside comes when they stop the online / app support. At least the fixed sound bricks continue to work for years after LEGO stop selling them.
@yellowcastle said:
" @missedoutagain said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
"This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it."
Let’s calm the hyperbole and dismissive insults. I’m pretty sure completionists do not collect every single LEGO set but limited interesting/different/exciting sets can trigger FOMO in the best of us."
Think you missed point of completionists"
As both a completionist and a FOMO sufferer, I think you are missing MY point... out again here. The only completionist affected her would be CITY or JUNGLE EXPLORER collectors. And those themes will not include a "probable NINE HUNDRED" sets this year. That was hyperbole. And calling folks "Chicken Little" when they express concern is both dismissive and insulting."
YOU missed the point. My comment was for those who seem to think that this new stuff will be in all sets, and LEGO will fail as a result.
Galidor. Jack Stone. Hidden Side. Vidiyo. All of these happened, apparently weren't successful, yet LEGO remains.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
"Those are new legs on the "Interactive Minifigures." I assume you place them in certain places and the bricks make sounds. I do not like this at all. Just let the kids play with the sets. I don't do this often, buuuut. "Back in my day, we played with characters and made the sounds ourselves, we don't need Lego bricks to do it for us!""
Wow, you're older than I am. As a kid I had fire trucks and a police van that all made their own siren sounds and flashing lights. I even had a freight train and a monorail that both went around the tracks by themselves.
@8BrickMario said:
"Why does LEGO insist on trying digital gimmicks when they've flopped over and over and over and over again?"
Starting in the 1980s, LEGO saw its share of kids’ time eroded by electronic toys and has been concerned - or paranoid depending on your point of view - ever since. That’s not speculation on my part. I was told that by someone who used to work in a related capacity at LEGO HQ in Billund.
@560heliport said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @missedoutagain said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
"This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it."
Let’s calm the hyperbole and dismissive insults. I’m pretty sure completionists do not collect every single LEGO set but limited interesting/different/exciting sets can trigger FOMO in the best of us."
Think you missed point of completionists"
As both a completionist and a FOMO sufferer, I think you are missing MY point... out again here. The only completionist affected her would be CITY or JUNGLE EXPLORER collectors. And those themes will not include a "probable NINE HUNDRED" sets this year. That was hyperbole. And calling folks "Chicken Little" when they express concern is both dismissive and insulting."
YOU missed the point. My comment was for those who seem to think that this new stuff will be in all sets, and LEGO will fail as a result.
Galidor. Jack Stone. Hidden Side. Vidiyo. All of these happened, apparently weren't successful, yet LEGO remains.
"
LOL. We're going to have to just agree to disagree as you keep moving the goal posts. If LEGO had pushed Galidor and Jack Stone into all of their sets, they absolutely would have failed, LOL.
@Andrusi said:
" @DaLegoNerd1 said:
"Those are new legs on the "Interactive Minifigures." I assume you place them in certain places and the bricks make sounds. I do not like this at all. Just let the kids play with the sets. I don't do this often, buuuut. "Back in my day, we played with characters and made the sounds ourselves, we don't need Lego bricks to do it for us!""
Wow, you're older than I am. As a kid I had fire trucks and a police van that all made their own siren sounds and flashing lights. I even had a freight train and a monorail that both went around the tracks by themselves."
Sad... sad indeed
I’d prefer it if the animals were interactive. The monkey could make noise when you steal the banana from him etc.
Also “sounds interesting” - nice.
Damn it. Can you still buy this set normally without this "beta test" stuff? It looks like a really cool set!
@yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @missedoutagain said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
"This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it."
Let’s calm the hyperbole and dismissive insults. I’m pretty sure completionists do not collect every single LEGO set but limited interesting/different/exciting sets can trigger FOMO in the best of us."
Think you missed point of completionists"
As both a completionist and a FOMO sufferer, I think you are missing MY point... out again here. The only completionist affected her would be CITY or JUNGLE EXPLORER collectors. And those themes will not include a "probable NINE HUNDRED" sets this year. That was hyperbole. And calling folks "Chicken Little" when they express concern is both dismissive and insulting."
YOU missed the point. My comment was for those who seem to think that this new stuff will be in all sets, and LEGO will fail as a result.
Galidor. Jack Stone. Hidden Side. Vidiyo. All of these happened, apparently weren't successful, yet LEGO remains.
"
LOL. We're going to have to just agree to disagree as you keep moving the goal posts. If LEGO had pushed Galidor and Jack Stone into all of their sets, they absolutely would have failed, LOL."
But they didn't push Galidor and Jack Stone into all of there sets, and I see no reason to think they're going to do that with this new stuff.
@560heliport said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @missedoutagain said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @560heliport said:
"This is one set out of a probable NINE HUNDRED that Lego will release this year.
The sky isn't falling, Chicken Little. Get over it."
Let’s calm the hyperbole and dismissive insults. I’m pretty sure completionists do not collect every single LEGO set but limited interesting/different/exciting sets can trigger FOMO in the best of us."
Think you missed point of completionists"
As both a completionist and a FOMO sufferer, I think you are missing MY point... out again here. The only completionist affected her would be CITY or JUNGLE EXPLORER collectors. And those themes will not include a "probable NINE HUNDRED" sets this year. That was hyperbole. And calling folks "Chicken Little" when they express concern is both dismissive and insulting."
YOU missed the point. My comment was for those who seem to think that this new stuff will be in all sets, and LEGO will fail as a result.
Galidor. Jack Stone. Hidden Side. Vidiyo. All of these happened, apparently weren't successful, yet LEGO remains.
"
LOL. We're going to have to just agree to disagree as you keep moving the goal posts. If LEGO had pushed Galidor and Jack Stone into all of their sets, they absolutely would have failed, LOL."
But they didn't push Galidor and Jack Stone into all of there sets, and I see no reason to think they're going to do that with this new stuff. "
An excellent counter-argument to an idea that no one above had actually raised. :o)
I will get this subtheme (except for this one - assuming the beta test is successful). To me, this look like a designer from the Friends department escaped and went to the city working desk - this designer then did what they usually do in the Friends space - he/she selected all the most non-coordinated colours possible and built that set. Incidentally, in the recent past, the Friends sets are getting much better in terms the colours coordination.
This set also seem to have taken a page from the Marvel book. I see a yellow, green, blue, red and purple stone (which seems to be important to collect).
so can I, a UK resident, buy this set? Because I absolutely love it!
@Pollywanna said:
" @Atuin said:
"Not yet conivnced anyone will remember this in a year.
Reminds me too much of Hidden Side, Vidiyo and Ultra Agents which all had one-off 'interactive' gimmicks.
Super Mario mostly works because of the license, so I wouldn't compare it too much with it."
I'd argue Mario works so well because it's very simple and doesn't require a phone to work - the app enhances the experience, but as far I'm aware, you can just turn on the interactive figures and start hopping your way through the courses without any setup. It's less of a cheap gimmick and more of an actual play system that all the sets are designed around, it makes a huge difference."
Also, you can just hop on anything that has certain colors and don't even need the built courses either. Just have surface colors (i.e. orange, blue) to "hop" on and if you choose, baddies to knock off with the coded tiles. My girls sometimes play with Mario despite not having any course set up, it's a great toy.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg? "
Okay, if that's not a reference to 70014 (or possibly 70112 too), I don't know what is.
Maybe LEGO has gotten to the point that they're willing to include Legends of Chima easter eggs, like the EXO Force mecha in 60421?
Anyway, not the point. The point is that you just accidentally discovered an unreleased set! Props to you!"
Ras, from Ninjago is canonically from Chima. Chima has been "referenced" for a long time now. Season 2 of Dragons Rising, went even further with Chima, showing "The Wildness" which is obviously Chima's name in the Ninjago universe. I don't think it can be called a reference anymore, it's more of a canon location and characters in the Ninjago world."
All of those references are in the show, though, and I'm not gonna say that "no one" watches that but let's be honest, no one watches that. It's good to help keep kids buying the sets, but the tv show crew is entirely separate from the people who make the sets. The references in sets are what we're talking about here
Interesting that minifigures are being labelled as 'interactive'...
That means the interactive brick or an app would have to recognise the figure (or at least, an individual printed piece that is not a QR code type thing).
If it recognises that then we cannot be far from Lego releasing it's own app that recognises any piece you scan which could have so so many applications...
I'm very curious to see how they work and look
it "sounds" pretty cool
@rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg?
It's on the 60691 page on lego.com that @Huw linked to but it's not from that set and the url contains number 60692. Another new set?"
Yes, it is:
https://discord.com/channels/1128148810439331861/1247595519899861003
Two other city sets have also been discovered.
That volcano looks sweet.
@CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
If you can afford these sets, you can afford a new iPhone.
I’m looking forward to seeing this expand across themes: sirens and lights for City, lasers and lightsabers for Star Wars etc. I hope the batteries they choose are available in Australia though…
@fakespacesquid said:
" @DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg? "
Okay, if that's not a reference to 70014 (or possibly 70112 too), I don't know what is.
Maybe LEGO has gotten to the point that they're willing to include Legends of Chima easter eggs, like the EXO Force mecha in 60421?
Anyway, not the point. The point is that you just accidentally discovered an unreleased set! Props to you!"
Ras, from Ninjago is canonically from Chima. Chima has been "referenced" for a long time now. Season 2 of Dragons Rising, went even further with Chima, showing "The Wildness" which is obviously Chima's name in the Ninjago universe. I don't think it can be called a reference anymore, it's more of a canon location and characters in the Ninjago world."
All of those references are in the show, though, and I'm not gonna say that "no one" watches that but let's be honest, no one watches that. It's good to help keep kids buying the sets, but the tv show crew is entirely separate from the people who make the sets. The references in sets are what we're talking about here"
"No one" is quite a lot of nothing, which is obviously untrue considering it's demand on Netflix. The show is still Lego, and shows how Chima is still relevant to Lego, and they realize it's fans still exist. Ras has three minifigures, so Chima still is in Lego form if you don't care for the show. Saying that the show is irrelevant is simply ignorant, because it quite litterally shows the future of the direction of the story, and therefore the sets. Without the show, we would not know that Ras is from Chima, and that Chima is in the crosshairs of the designers.
This does sound like it could be interesting. The fact that TLG worked out a successful paradigm with the Super Mario theme could be a sign of better things to come--a programmable sound brick would be a wonderful thing, and more flexible lighting options from Lego itself would also be very pleasant!
@Maxbricks14 said:
"Damn it. Can you still buy this set normally without this "beta test" stuff? It looks like a really cool set!"
They'll likely be priced premium to pay for the software development. Just like the awesome Hidden Side sets were pricier because of the "software" premium attached to them.
It would be cool if I could customize what sounds the bricks make.
I want to press a button and play Van Halen music from my lego set.
@PixelTheDragon said:
"It would be cool if I could customize what sounds the bricks make.
I want to press a button and play Van Halen music from my lego set. "
I wonder if the reason we haven't got a programmable sound brick is because then LEGO'd feel a need to moderate it, and they would have a hard time doing so...
@Modeltrainman said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
"It would be cool if I could customize what sounds the bricks make.
I want to press a button and play Van Halen music from my lego set. "
I wonder if the reason we haven't got a programmable sound brick is because then LEGO'd feel a need to moderate it, and they would have a hard time doing so...
"
That's just the reason why it might become imperative for hackers to crack into it and do all sorts of stuff - just because they can. Surely the technology is nothing complicated, the only way to prevent all sorts of 'undesirable' recordings is if you need extensive equipment* to reprogram the chip.
*hackers will most likely have all the required equipment but not everybody will have what might be required at home - thus limiting the spread quite a bit.
@Modeltrainman said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
"It would be cool if I could customize what sounds the bricks make.
I want to press a button and play Van Halen music from my lego set. "
I wonder if the reason we haven't got a programmable sound brick is because then LEGO'd feel a need to moderate it, and they would have a hard time doing so...
"
If I pay for the bricks, I have the right to make them play the non-radio edits of Van Halen.
@Atuin said:
"Not yet conivnced anyone will remember this in a year.
Reminds me too much of Hidden Side, Vidiyo and Ultra Agents which all had one-off 'interactive' gimmicks.
Super Mario mostly works because of the license, so I wouldn't compare it too much with it."
What I've noticed is that, if a new LEGO theme is an app tie-in, it's gonna instantly flop.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @fakespacesquid said:
" @DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg? "
Okay, if that's not a reference to 70014 (or possibly 70112 too), I don't know what is.
Maybe LEGO has gotten to the point that they're willing to include Legends of Chima easter eggs, like the EXO Force mecha in 60421?
Anyway, not the point. The point is that you just accidentally discovered an unreleased set! Props to you!"
Ras, from Ninjago is canonically from Chima. Chima has been "referenced" for a long time now. Season 2 of Dragons Rising, went even further with Chima, showing "The Wildness" which is obviously Chima's name in the Ninjago universe. I don't think it can be called a reference anymore, it's more of a canon location and characters in the Ninjago world."
All of those references are in the show, though, and I'm not gonna say that "no one" watches that but let's be honest, no one watches that. It's good to help keep kids buying the sets, but the tv show crew is entirely separate from the people who make the sets. The references in sets are what we're talking about here"
"No one" is quite a lot of nothing, which is obviously untrue considering it's demand on Netflix. The show is still Lego, and shows how Chima is still relevant to Lego, and they realize it's fans still exist. Ras has three minifigures, so Chima still is in Lego form if you don't care for the show. Saying that the show is irrelevant is simply ignorant, because it quite litterally shows the future of the direction of the story, and therefore the sets. Without the show, we would not know that Ras is from Chima, and that Chima is in the crosshairs of the designers."
“Without the show, we would not know that Ras is from Chima”
Yeah, that’s what I’m getting at. Is it really a reference if you need an entirely separate form of media to have the connection? It’s nowhere near having an Exo-Force mech in a set, or having a Bionicle character on a sticker.
@elangab said:
" @CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
If you can afford these sets, you can afford a new iPhone."
Maybe a new iPhone is cheaper in Canada but the lowest spec new iPhone available in Ireland is EUR 549 for a 64GB iPhone SE. Can’t imagine this set costs anything like that.
@Zander said:
" @8BrickMario said:
"Why does LEGO insist on trying digital gimmicks when they've flopped over and over and over and over again?"
Starting in the 1980s, LEGO saw its share of kids’ time eroded by electronic toys and has been concerned - or paranoid depending on your point of view - ever since. That’s not speculation on my part. I was told that by someone who used to work in a related capacity at LEGO HQ in Billund.
"
Yeah, but they dumbed down the sets to make it easier for kids to get the building process out of the way as fast as possible and start playing, and they got their shirt handed to them. They went back to the basics, with interesting construction and strong story, and they conquered Hasbro. When they were chasing the girls market, they kept trying different things, and eventually one of them stuck...and it was the one with interesting construction and strong story elements. They've made several attempts now to app-ize the LEGO experience, and all signs indicate that, when people buy them, they buy them in spite of the app, but almost never because of it. At some point they're going to have to face facts and realize that they have an entire department that's not providing any ROI.
@fakespacesquid:
Bionicle released story through comics, through books, through games, through the website, and through mini CD-ROMs, but almost no story element was obviously present in the physical sets beyond the fact that characters fought with each other. If you go strictly by the sets, Toa would fight Toa, each species of Rahkshi would only fight their own kind, Bohrok would fight Bohrok, etc. The first few sets, at least, weren't designed in a way that made it easy for them to play out the actual story.
Which typical kid has the newest iPhone?
The kids I know (at least those at an age where they still play with LEGO) either don't have a smartphone at all or if they do they have the handed down used phone from their parents or older siblings. And even if they somehow managed to get a new one it tends to be a low end device.
Seriously, which parent can (or wants to) spend 1.5k Euro on a phone for an eight year old?
@Johnny__Thunder97 said:
"Interesting that minifigures are being labelled as 'interactive'...
That means the interactive brick or an app would have to recognise the figure (or at least, an individual printed piece that is not a QR code type thing).
If it recognises that then we cannot be far from Lego releasing it's own app that recognises any piece you scan which could have so so many applications..."
I'm reminded of this April Fool's Day joke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60HmIKwi0q8
@gunther_schnitzel said:
" @elangab said:
" @CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
If you can afford these sets, you can afford a new iPhone."
Maybe a new iPhone is cheaper in Canada but the lowest spec new iPhone available in Ireland is EUR 549 for a 64GB iPhone SE. Can’t imagine this set costs anything like that."
LOL, no, everything is expensive in Canada. I was just joking :)
@elangab said:
" @CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
If you can afford these sets, you can afford a new iPhone."
That reasoning didn't work for Vidiyo or Hidden Side.
@Modeltrainman said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
"It would be cool if I could customize what sounds the bricks make.
I want to press a button and play Van Halen music from my lego set. "
I wonder if the reason we haven't got a programmable sound brick is because then LEGO'd feel a need to moderate it, and they would have a hard time doing so...
"
Presumably because ...
I bought a second hand LEGO set and the brick told me to F*** Off. Now I am suing them for psychological damage.
Funny enough, I once bought a job lot of parts and there were 1x1 tiles on a plate telling me to do that. I wish they had told me to 'suck it' instead, as they would have been more valuable.
To me the most exciting part of this news is two words 'wireless charger'. If lego finally learned to dropp the aa/aaa batteries in favor of rechargeable and learned to have wireless transmission of energy to lights/motors then we enter a completely new era in lego system. I can't wait to know more, but it still sounds too good to be true. It's also quite interesting that UK was chosen as the test market.
@AustinPowers said:
"Which typical kid has the newest iPhone?
The kids I know (at least those at an age where they still play with LEGO) either don't have a smartphone at all or if they do they have the handed down used phone from their parents or older siblings. And even if they somehow managed to get a new one it tends to be a low end device.
Seriously, which parent can (or wants to) spend 1.5k Euro on a phone for an eight year old? "
I suspect the kind that casually buys their kids a 200€-set? 1%-parents? LEGO is a luxury brand, after all.
Strange, the two links in the article give me a 404 Error.
Am I alone in this case?
@jkb said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"Which typical kid has the newest iPhone?
The kids I know (at least those at an age where they still play with LEGO) either don't have a smartphone at all or if they do they have the handed down used phone from their parents or older siblings. And even if they somehow managed to get a new one it tends to be a low end device.
Seriously, which parent can (or wants to) spend 1.5k Euro on a phone for an eight year old? "
I suspect the kind that casually buys their kids a 200€-set? 1%-parents? LEGO is a luxury brand, after all."
LEGO isn't cheap, but it's definitely not a luxury brand. Or have you ever seen a luxury brand sold at Aldi or Lidl? LEGO sets are sold there regularly, plus there's loads of sets for kids from 5 to 50 Euros available online and at brick and mortar toy stores. Those 200+ Euro sets usually are of the 18+ variety that caters specifically for the affluent adult market.
iOS needed for beta
Not a great sign.
All the torsos and plates with prints are the same colour, so I don't think the minifigures have any technology in them. I think the interactive brick is able to recognise the different torsos in the same way it can identify the different prints on the plates and it's the interactive brick which makes the sound or whatever. I think the wireless charging will be for this brick and the gems which seem to light up. This would mean the extra two sets should be the normal price but its anyones guess what price the main set will be as it includes all the extra stuff.
Edit: Looking again the back of the torso has the pattern the same as the printed plates for the interactive brick to recognise. And the Crocodile Temple has the light gems in too.
@AustinPowers said:
" @jkb said:
" @AustinPowers said:
"Which typical kid has the newest iPhone?
The kids I know (at least those at an age where they still play with LEGO) either don't have a smartphone at all or if they do they have the handed down used phone from their parents or older siblings. And even if they somehow managed to get a new one it tends to be a low end device.
Seriously, which parent can (or wants to) spend 1.5k Euro on a phone for an eight year old? "
I suspect the kind that casually buys their kids a 200€-set? 1%-parents? LEGO is a luxury brand, after all."
LEGO isn't cheap, but it's definitely not a luxury brand. Or have you ever seen a luxury brand sold at Aldi or Lidl? LEGO sets are sold there regularly, plus there's loads of sets for kids from 5 to 50 Euros available online and at brick and mortar toy stores. Those 200+ Euro sets usually are of the 18+ variety that caters specifically for the affluent adult market. "
Uhm, I believe that was somewhat true five years ago, but recently, City, Friends and C31 - NON18+ themes - increasingly released sets between 100 and, indeed, 200€!
look at the new 99 buck LEGO truck. AFOLS marvel about it, but man, does it REALLY have to be that big? And thus, expensive?
It's kinda lame how we all just accept that sets get bigger and more costly because we don't have a look at similar (read: same thing, not brick built) from other brands.
The sets at ALDI and LIDL are what is nowadays an impulse buy or occasionally a brick box, the cheapest stuff that is available.
I also noticed how supermarket chains like Kaufland, Marktkauf/Edeka and the like drastically reduced their LEGO aisles to 50€ max sets, and I'll let you guess why.
I'm the 100th comment.
I really have no serious position on this. Lego is always going to come up with the next silly interactive tech spin which almost surely will inevitably fail.
Boy, there were some good clearance deals on the Vydio and Hidden Side sets. The HS sets had some impressive builds, too.
@CCC said:
" @elangab said:
" @CCC said:
"New iPhone only ... it sounds like they are going to make the same mistakes as with vidiyo. Let the app run on older and cheaper tablets more likely to be used by kids."
If you can afford these sets, you can afford a new iPhone."
That reasoning didn't work for Vidiyo or Hidden Side."
Or rather, it did, but not in the way they intended.
Is this a April fools joke? The link in the article goes to a 404 error site. After a quick google search nothing comes up?
@kmvk83 said:
"Is this a April fools joke? The link in the article goes to a 404 error site. After a quick google search nothing comes up?"
Webpage access is restricted to UK IP addresses. If you have a VPN service, transfer to a UK server to access it.
The brick looks interesting and very different from the other brick-integrated technology we've seen. I'm excited about stuff like this! It makes sense for LEGO to branch out and try new things. There's so much negativity around themes like Vidiyo but I'd rather see LEGO attempt new things and fail instead of never doing anything different. I didn't like the tech for Vidiyo but I did like the new molds and minifigures it introduced. I also love light bricks and sound bricks, and these interactive bricks could be the next evolution of them someday.
@CCC said:
" @Modeltrainman said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
"It would be cool if I could customize what sounds the bricks make.
I want to press a button and play Van Halen music from my lego set. "
I wonder if the reason we haven't got a programmable sound brick is because then LEGO'd feel a need to moderate it, and they would have a hard time doing so...
"
Presumably because ...
I bought a second hand LEGO set and the brick told me to F*** Off. Now I am suing them for psychological damage.
Funny enough, I once bought a job lot of parts and there were 1x1 tiles on a plate telling me to do that. I wish they had told me to 'suck it' instead, as they would have been more valuable."
:o
@GoldenNinja3000 said:
"The brick looks interesting and very different from the other brick-integrated technology we've seen. I'm excited about stuff like this! It makes sense for LEGO to branch out and try new things. There's so much negativity around themes like Vidiyo but I'd rather see LEGO attempt new things and fail instead of never doing anything different. I didn't like the tech for Vidiyo but I did like the new molds and minifigures it introduced. I also love light bricks and sound bricks, and these interactive bricks could be the next evolution of them someday. "
It’s not the trying, or even the trying and failing, that gets everyone ticked off. It’s the fact that they keep shackling new themes to subpar apps that only run on a handful of devices, and have a very short window of support before the whole interactivity thing is obsolete.
"404 Not Found"
So I am just guessing, because it is not written down in the article:
Those minfigs have a LED face, and their expression changes and they make sounds, when those animals, or the mug is near to them? At least this is what that picture says.
Looking at the images for the two additional sets, I'm seeing three light bluish green tiles [one behind the cockpit of the plane, and another beside the fire in 60693 and one on the back of the boat in 60692 ], that aren't standard tiles. They appear to be two half tiles that fit together, and the top is printed with a seemingly different icon for each.
Additionally the minifigs in these three sets use light bluish green torsos, while the rest of the sets under the "Jungle Exploration" sub theme use a variety of torso colors.
@Yooha said:
""404 Not Found"
So I am just guessing, because it is not written down in the article:
Those minfigs have a LED face, and their expression changes and they make sounds, when those animals, or the mug is near to them? At least this is what that picture says."
Minifig faces are too small to cram more than one LED into. And even that would require the head to remain permanently attached to the torso, like the old light-up lightsabers had to be.
I get a 404 not found error when I click both links.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Yooha said:
""404 Not Found"
So I am just guessing, because it is not written down in the article:
Those minfigs have a LED face, and their expression changes and they make sounds, when those animals, or the mug is near to them? At least this is what that picture says."
Minifig faces are too small to cram more than one LED into. And even that would require the head to remain permanently attached to the torso, like the old light-up lightsabers had to be."
Clearly you’re not familiar with Rob Hendrix’ work, like the Cylon minifig he gave its trademark side-to-side red light, or the LED _and_ battery he managed to cram inside of a single 1x1 round plate.
What? Talking minifigures? Am I right? If so, it'll probably be the next step in LEGO technologies. Also, I suppose that LEGO's portable toilet evolution has got to it's highest point so the toilet can speak. Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
This shall work well... If you have a 1000$ iphone and you use it witin in the one year they support the app :D
@rebelpilot said:
"What is this: https://www.lego.com/cdn/cs/set/assets/blta2fc3d1175711f28/60692_Block_Standard_3.jpg? "
Why does this one have teal arms, but in the image in 60692 she has white arms?