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Lego Fusion

Lego Fusion (stylized as LEGO Fusion) is a discontinued Lego theme that combined standard Lego bricks with a mobile app (for iOS and Android) that was designed to interact and communicate with the build models according to the principle of augmented reality.[1][2][3][4] The theme was first introduced on 1 August 2014 and exclusively in North America.[5] It was eventually discontinued by the end of July 2015.

Overview

The Lego Fusion product line focuses on the combination of construction sets and game app to create the digital worlds with the smart-phones or tablets.[6][7] This has been described by The Lego Group as "fluid play".[8] Users create their own 2D models and scan by using an app named Lego Fusion. The product line includes Lego Fusion toy sets that each contain Lego bricks, Fusion capture plate and connect to the app. The toy sets are marketed at children aged 7 to 12 years old.[9][10][11]

Development

Lego Fusion was developed by Lego Future Lab, Lego Fusion was invented as a way to marry digital and analog play. Lego Future Lab also used Qualcomm's Vuforia mobile vision platform for this process. Lego Future Lab senior design manager Ditte Bruun Pedersen explained, "To them, it's not two separate worlds. It's one world that blends together. It's all just play."[12][13][14][15]

Lego Fusion used the combination of construction sets and scanning with a smart-phone or tablet to create digital worlds.[16][17][1]

Construction sets

According to BrickLink, The Lego Group released a total of 4 Lego sets as part of Lego Fusion theme.[18] The product line was eventually discontinued by the end of July 2015.[19]

Lego Fusion was released on 1 August 2014 in North America.[20] As part of the marketing campaign, the Lego Group released three Lego Fusion sets alongside the theme's associated app. The next month, Resort Designer (set number: 21208) alongside the theme's associated app was released on 1 September 2014.[21][22][23][24]

Town Master

Town Master (set number: 21204) was released on 1 August 2014 and based on Lego City theme. The set consists of 258 pieces with a Fusion capture plate and one minifigure. It enables children to create 2D house models by placing bricks on the Fusion capture plate, scanning with the smartphone or tablet and playing with the Lego Fusion Town Master app to unlock their own game levels. The set included a Lego minifigure of Mayor. Lego Fusion Town Master app included the game levels of Lego City theme.[25][26][22][27][28][29]

Battle Towers

Battle Towers (set number: 21205) was released on 1 August 2014 and based on Lego Castle theme. The set consists of 212 pieces with a Fusion capture plate. It enables children to create 2D tower models by placing bricks on the Fusion capture plate, scanning with the smartphone or tablet and playing with the Lego Fusion Battle Towers app to unlock their own game levels. Lego Fusion Battle Towers app included the game levels of Lego Castle theme.[25][26][22][30][29]

Create and Race

Create and Race (set number: 21206) was released on 1 August 2014 and based on Lego Racers theme. The set consists of 223 pieces with a Fusion capture plate. It enables children to create 2D race car models by placing bricks on the Fusion capture plate, scanning with the smartphone or tablet and playing with the Lego Fusion Create and Race app to unlock their own game levels. Lego Fusion Create and Race app included the game levels of Lego Racers theme.[25][26][22][31]

Resort Designer

Resort Designer (set number: 21208) was released on 1 September 2014 and based on Lego Friends theme. The set consists of 263 pieces with a Fusion capture plate and one mini-doll figure. It enables children to create a 2D house model by placing bricks on the Fusion capture plate, scanning with a smartphone or tablet and playing with the Lego Fusion Resort Designer app to unlock game levels. The set included a Lego mini-doll figure of Olivia. Lego Fusion Resort Designer app included the game levels of Lego Friends theme. The set was designed primarily for girls aged 7 to 12 years old.[25][26][22][32][31]

Apps

The 3 Lego Fusion apps were released on 13 August 2014 and Lego Fusion Resort Designer app was released on 1 September 2014. Each of the Lego Fusion apps was based on different Lego themes.[25][33][34][35] Each of the Lego Fusion apps allows the user to select the game levels, build the construction set by place in a Fusion capture plate, scan the Fusion capture plate with the game app and play the game levels.[36][37][38][39][40]

Reception

In 2014, Will Greenwald of PCMag gave Town Master (set number: 21204) a 3.5 out of 5.[41]

In 2015, Lego Fusion product line sold well and was listed as one of the 15 hottest Christmas toys by Toys "R" Us, describing it as, "at best a 1.0 version of a digital-physical play experience."[42]

Awards and nominations

In 2015, Lego Fusion was awarded "Toy of the Year" and also "E-Connected Toy" by the Toy Association.[43][44]

See also

External links

References

  1. LEGO Systems Blends Physical and Digital Play with New LEGO FUSION PR Newswire, June 19, 2014^
  2. Lego fuses real and virtual worlds BBC, 20 June 2014^
  3. Lego Fusion combines fun with Lego bricks and char of virtual worlds techtimes.com, 22 June 2014^
  4. Shaun Smith, Andy Milligan. Strategy is Digital: How Companies Can Use Big Data in the Value Chain Kogan Page Ltd, 2020-10-13^
  5. LEGO FUSION new website & video preview thebrickblogger.com, 28 June 2014^
  6. Alex Fitzpatrick. LEGO's Newest Games Will Absolutely Blow Your Mind Time, June 19, 2014, retrieved February 18, 2021^
  7. Smart Lego Minifigures Could Become Reality With 'Lego Dimensions' Forbes, retrieved 31 March 2015^
  8. Bits N’ Bricks Season 1 Episode 2: Fluid Play retrieved 16 December 2020^
  9. LEGO Fusion: latest attempt from LEGO to blend physical bricks with digital play Brickset, 19 June 2014^
  10. LEGO FUSION - Watch how LEGO bricks come to life June 23, 2014^
  11. LEGO Fusion - LEGO Club Show - Behind the Bricks October 27, 2015^
  12. Lego Fusion lets you build virtual playgrounds with real-world bricks Engadget, 19 June 2014^
  13. Lego launches new gaming-related product line with Lego Fusion PCinvasion, 20 June 2014^
  14. LEGO FUSION – blending real & digital worlds thebrickblogger.com, 20 June 2014^
  15. The LEGO Group gets digital with LEGO FUSION, powered by Vuforia [VIDEO] Qualcomm, 9 September 2014^
  16. The Lego Group. LEGO Group Unveils First Fully Integrated Digital-to-Physical Gaming Experience PR Newswire, September 29, 2011^
  17. Lego Tries Augmented Reality With "Life Of George" Game TechCrunch, 2011-09-29^
  18. BrickLink Reference Catalog - Sets - Category Lego Fusion www.bricklink.com, retrieved 2021-04-12^
  19. Fusion LEGO Sets BrickEconomy, retrieved 15 June 2021^
  20. Katie Collins. Lego: 'We wish we'd invented Minecraft' Wired UK, August 20, 2014, retrieved January 5, 2020^
  21. Lego's New Product Lets You Build Stuff And Then Virtually Play With Your Creations On Your Tablet Business Insider, 19 June 2014^
  22. András Neltz. New LEGO Sets Put Your Buildings In The Virtual World Kotaku, June 19, 2014, retrieved December 7, 2020^
  23. Lance Ulanoff. Lego Fusion Blends Virtual and Physical Gameplay Mashable, June 19, 2014, retrieved February 18, 2021^
  24. Michael Grothaus. How I Got My Dream Job At LEGO Fast Company, 2018-03-13, retrieved 2021-06-18^
  25. Luke Edwards. Lego Fusion puts real world Lego into its new augmented reality Lego games Pocket-lint, June 19, 2014, retrieved January 5, 2020^
  26. LEGO Fusion Sets Now Listed on Shop@Home thebrickfan.com, 2 July 2014^
  27. LEGO FUSION Town Master - Learn how to play August 20, 2014^
  28. Chris Gayomali. What It's Like To Be The Mayor Of Lego Fusion Town Fast Company, 2014-08-15, retrieved 2021-06-18^
  29. LEGO FUSION – learn how to play! thebrickblogger.com, 23 September 2014^
  30. LEGO FUSION Battle Towers - Learn how to play August 20, 2014^
  31. LEGO FUSION – learn how to play! – part 2 thebrickblogger.com, 30 September 2014^
  32. LEGO FUSION Resort Designer - Learn how to play! September 25, 2014^
  33. Lego Fusion for iOS and Android is like Skylanders but with Lego bricks Pocket Gamer, 19 June 2014^
  34. Lego Fusion mixing physical bricks with a virtual world AndroidCommunity.com, June 19, 2014^
  35. LEGO Fusion Apps Now Available thebrickfan.com, 14 August 2014^
  36. Adi Robertson. Augmented reality Lego is actually pretty cool The Verge, June 19, 2014, retrieved March 16, 2021^
  37. LEGO Fusion - Learn How to Travel to Your Friends games February 13, 2015^
  38. LEGO FUSION - Learn how to get a good scan February 17, 2015^
  39. Jonathan Rey Lee. Deconstructing LEGO: The Medium and Messages of LEGO Play Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2020-10-13^
  40. Carlos Cordon, Pau Garcia-Milà, Teresa Ferreiro Vilarino, Pablo Caballero. Strategy is Digital: How Companies Can Use Big Data in the Value Chain Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2020-10-13^
  41. Will Greenwald. Lego Fusion Town Master Review PCMag, 2014-08-25, retrieved 2021-06-18^
  42. Jonathan Ringen. How Lego Became The Apple Of Toys Fast Company, 2015-08-01, retrieved 2021-06-18^
  43. 2015 TOTY Winners The Toy Association, retrieved 2021-07-01^
  44. LEGO Systems Wins Three Prestigious Toy of the Year Awards PR Newswire, February 14, 2015^