Lego links creations with virtual environment at Lego Fusion

Lego has announced a new series of sets called Fusion that link users’ physical creations to a game on tablets and smartphones. Users can build their own sets and have them scanned for a virtual representation in the game.

Lego comes with four Fusion sets: Town Master, Create & Race, Battle Towers and Resort Maker. In all cases, players receive a set of Lego bricks and a baseplate with a fixed size and print. Users can develop their own idea on the build plate, which must be a 2D object. Using a free mobile app for Android and iOS and a smartphone or tablet with a camera, they can scan their result and import it into a game. The game converts the 2D object into a three-dimensional representation, Lego describes.

The idea is that players do not linger in the game, but alternate it with new construction projects. Once a child’s creation is imported, a series of challenges and interactions require players to put the device away and use their Lego bricks in the real world to find new solutions to advance in the game. the functionality. The company says it often heard from parents when doing research for the Fusion project that children were sitting behind their tablet or smartphone like zombies.

Developed by TT Games, which makes virtually all Lego games, the games allow players to access their own gallery and game saves from any compatible device after logging in with a Lego account.

Town Master, Create & Race, Battle Towers arrive in the US in August for $35. The Resort Designer Friends set will be available in September for the same price. The European launch dates are still unknown.