LEGO Systems Blends Physical and Digital Play with New LEGO® FUSION


-New Play Experience Moves Children Seamlessly Back and Forth Between Physical and Virtual LEGO® Worlds Via Hands-On Brick Building and App Gaming to Delight LEGO Builders and Casual Gamers Alike-

NEW YORK (June 19, 2014) – LEGO Systems, Inc., makers of the world’s leading construction toys, today introduced LEGO® FUSION, a play experience that combines traditional LEGO brick play with familiar app-based game themes. LEGO FUSION leverages new technologies—and children’s fascination with them—to create an entirely new way to engage in LEGO brick building and app game play for children ages 7 and up. Available later this summer, the LEGO FUSION collection will include four distinct titles: LEGO FUSION Town Master, LEGO FUSION Battle Towers, LEGO FUSION Create & Race and LEGO FUSION Resort Designer.

Each LEGO FUSION experience consists of a distinct set of LEGO bricks, a corresponding free downloadable app and the new FUSION capture plate, a small brick building plate with a printed design that enables a smart phone or tablet’s camera to identify the size and colors of the LEGO bricks built onto it. In response to game prompts, children build vertically in 2-D on the FUSION capture plate, enabling the app to ‘see,’ import and transform the creation into 3-D in the digital world.

“Children have always imagined their LEGO creations as immersive worlds which come to life for hours of role-play and adventure,” said Ditte Bruun Pedersen, senior design manager, LEGO Future Lab. “Recently, smart phones and tablets have become a popular platform for empowering game mechanisms that kids love. LEGO FUSION brings these two favorite play patterns together in an experience where real-life LEGO builds come to life in a virtual game, inspiring creativity, strategy, and the pride of creation.”

To Win, Step Away from the Screen
Once a child’s creation has been imported into the game, a series of challenges and interactions requires that players turn away from the device and return to the real world to use their LEGO bricks to build new solutions in order to move game play forward. Each game encourages this back-and-forth between physical and virtual, keeping children engaged in both worlds.
“In our research, we heard repeatedly from parents that they are constantly battling ‘zombie gaze,’ the experience when their children are immersed in their device screens for large blocks of time,” said Pedersen. “We developed LEGO FUSION with this challenge in mind, creating a play experience that keeps children entertained with the kind of app gameplay they love while giving real reasons to return to the brick pile to creatively build.”

Each LEGO FUSION product offers a distinct play experience. The four products launching this year are:

LEGO FUSION Town Master
In this simulation game, players create and rule their own LEGO town, first by building it with LEGO bricks, then by capturing it and importing it to the game. Children build everything from houses to a pizzeria, fire station and bike shop while completing errands and missions like catching robbers, fighting fires and skateboarding. To keep the minifigure citizens happy, players solve problems through physical building and earn points to gain access to more structures, and even run additional towns.

LEGO FUSION Battle Towers
Players build a tower and defend it against attack so they can rule the kingdom. First, players design the Battle Towers with real LEGO pieces, then capture them and import them to the game. Next, players choose tower defenders like wizards and archers and battle against evil warriors, skeleton armies, and more. If a tower is damaged in battle, players can repair the damage with a timed build with the game’s real LEGO bricks.

LEGO FUSION Create & Race
In this racing game, players get behind the wheel and virtually drive the cars that they create with real LEGO bricks. Once a custom vehicle is digitally designed, physically built, and imported to the game, it can be optimized for success in racing, demolition or stunts. Players learn that every brick shape and color on the vehicle matters for performance. Three themed courses offer endless challenges unlocked by physical LEGO builds, and children can even ghost race against friends to top the leaderboard.

LEGO FUSION Resort Designer
Players help the LEGO Friends design new vacation houses, shops and activities for Ambersands Beach. After building 2-D facades, capturing them and importing them to the game, players can design the interiors of 3-D digital structures, such as an aquarium, surf shop and beach houses. Children can unlock new levels and build more resorts by completing missions like rescuing dolphins, riding horses, surfing and other resort activities.

Beginning in September, LEGO FUSION will incorporate the ability for players to access their digital LEGO creations and game play anywhere. Using their LEGO ID, players can sign in on any compatible device and access their gallery and game play from within the LEGO FUSION app.
The LEGO FUSION app uses the Qualcomm® Vuforia™ mobile vision platform, enabling the games to ‘see’ the LEGO bricks and making possible the transition from physical to digital. Developed by TT Games, makers of the best-selling LEGO video game franchise, the LEGO FUSION Town Master, Battle Towers, Create & Race, and Resort Designer app games are free for download from the Apple, Google or Samsung App Store for Apple iOS and Android.

LEGO FUSION Town Master, LEGO FUSION Battle Towers, and LEGO FUSION Create & Race will launch in August 2014; LEGO FUSION Resort Designer will launch in September 2014. Each will be available for $34.99 in LEGO Stores and Toys”R”Us stores in the U.S., as well as online at shop.LEGO.com and at toysrus.com.

About LEGO Systems, Inc.
LEGO Systems, Inc. is the North American division of The LEGO Group, a privately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of creatively educational play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” Visit the virtual LEGO world at www.LEGO.com

LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure and brick and knob configuration are trademarks of The LEGO Group. ©2014 The LEGO Group. ]

About the Qualcomm® Vuforia™ Platform
Vuforia is a mobile vision platform that enables apps to see and connect the physical world with digital experiences that demand attention, drive engagement, and deliver value. Vuforia is supported by a global ecosystem of more than 100,000 registered developers in 130 countries and has powered more than 10,000 apps for iOS and Android devices. Additional information is available at www.vuforia.com.

Qualcomm Vuforia is a product of Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Qualcomm and Vuforia are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries, used with permission.

 

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DVD Review “Beyblade: Metal Fusion – Volume 4”

Directed by: Kunihisa Sugishima
Network: Cartoon Network
Episodes: 7 out of 51 episodes
Run Time: 154 minutes

Disc Score: 3 out 5 stars

“Beyblade” might be a little out of my age range when it comes to TV shows. I do not have kids yet but I do know how popular the “Beyblade” series is. It was not hard to catch up with this show prior to watching this DVD volume. This first series of “Beyblade: Metal Fusion” consists of 51 episodes, so volume 4 consists of episodes 22-28. Following this series, there is “Beyblade: Metal Masters”, and then Metal Fight Beyblade 4D”, each consists of 51 episodes each as well. I enjoyed this episodes overall.

The following episodes included are “The Fearsome Libra”, which show Ginga, Kyouya, Yu and Madoka are the final four left in the surival battle. “The Road to the Battle Bladers” follow Yu after he won the battle reveals he’s a member of the Dark Nebula. “The Beautiful Eagle” follows the meet of Tsubasa and how he has many secrets. “The Sniper Capricorn” has Kyouya going against Tobio, aka Captain Capri. “Tsubasa Flies Into The Dark” follows Tsubasa as he attempts to join Dark Nebula. “Intruders in the Challenge Match” features Kenta battling in the forest stadium and Hyoma battling in the river stadium. “Dark Gasher’s Big, Crabby-Crabby Operation” is the last episode on the disc and features Tetsuya as he follows Yu back to the Dark Nebula Headquarters.

Besides the episodes, their are no extras but kids will enjoy the fact that this DVD set includes an exclusive code unlocking special features, including the ability to battle other Beybladers on Beybladebattles.com.

“Beyblade: Metal Fusion Vol. 4” Hitting DVD August

BEYBLADE: METAL FUSION VOL. 4

FEARLESS HEROES FACE THE POWERS OF DARKNESS IN THE EXCITING, ONGOING SAGA

The Epic Battle Continues As The Next Chapter In The BEYBLADE Story
Debuts On DVD August 23

DVD includes EXCLUSIVE CODE to unlock special features, including the
ability to battle other Beybladers on Beybladebattles.com

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – Only the brave stand between the world and the forces of true evil in BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion Vol. 4, spinning onto DVD August 23 from Nelvana Enterprises and Vivendi Entertainment. From Nelvana and d-rights Inc., BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion chronicles the epic battle with the Dark Nebula in a fresh take on the original hit BEYBLADE. Only Gingka, the courageous hero with an in-depth knowledge of the Beyblade, and his loyal friends can prevent sinister forces from conquering their world.

BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion continues to grow in popularity, having already spawned a successful toy line from Hasbro and an action-packed video game for the Nintendo DS™ and Wii™. The new season of the popular series will debut this year on Cartoon Network, along with new toys from Hasbro and a new videogame.

The BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion Vol. 4 DVD includes an exclusive code unlocking special features, including the ability to battle other Beybladers on Beybladebattles.com. The DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.97.

Synopsis:
The battle between good and evil is even more intense and dangerous than ever as Gingka and his friends face a villain with a plot to unleash a long forbidden Beyblade in his quest to take over the world.