Tag: LEGO Ideas

The LEGO Group wants you to decide its next book

Posted by Chris Wharfeon in NewsLeave a comment

LEGO Ideas is hosting a public vote to determine the angle of its first ever book for AFOLs, which will focus on the history of the brick.

There are three options on the table: The LEGO Brick Museum, LEGO History in 100 Bricks, and The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks. Each of these ideas offers a different take on showcasing the variety of LEGO elements released over the past few decades, acting as a springboard to reveal insights from LEGO designers, managers and technicians.

The new title has apparently been developed with input from AFOLs, but it’s the author’s name Blocks readers will recognise. Our US Editor Daniel Konstanski is taking the lead on the book, which is a joint project by LEGO Publishing, the company’s global publishing partner AMEET, and crowdfunding publisher Unbound.

The vote is now live on LEGO Ideas, and will run until August 9, 2020 at 3.00pm BST. Once the winning title has been announced, the book will launch on Unbound’s crowdfunding platform, with bonus rewards for those who back the project. Not only will you get your name printed in the back of the book, but you’ll also get the chance to pledge for ‘additional must-have rewards’, according to the press release.

Robin James Pearson, Head of Publishing at the LEGO Group, said: ‘We are thrilled to be working closely with the AFOL community to identify, co-create, and publish unique books that satisfy the great thirst for knowledge of our adult fans. There have been a number of books published about The LEGO Group and the LEGO brick over the years, but this is the first time we have had the opportunity to work directly with the adult fan community to discover what titles that they would like to see on their bookshelves.’

Head over to LEGO Ideas to cast your vote, and look out for more info on the book in a future issue of Blocks magazine. Don’t forget to pick up Issue 69 now, where you can find our verdict on 75275 A-wing Starfighter and go behind the scenes with LEGO Monkie Kid‘s design team.

Make beautiful music with LEGO Ideas 21323 Grand Piano

Posted by Chris Wharfeon in NewsLeave a comment

The LEGO Group’s latest Ideas set is literally music to our ears. Donny Chen’s Playable Piano project has finally materialised in 21323 Grand Piano, which is billed as the first ever playable LEGO piano. That means the fan designer’s magic has been woven into the final product, with keys that genuinely play sounds – as long as you’ve got your phone switched on.

The key (if you’ll forgive the pun) to making the enormous piano sing is connecting it to the companion app, which acts as its speaker. Strike one of the keys in user play, and you’ll hear the corresponding note. String your notes together, and you can effectively play the model like a real piano. If you’re less confident in your musical ability, choose auto play, and the app will blare out one of four different melodies.

It’s not just the keys that replicate their real-life function, either. There are also moving dampers, a pedal, working hammers for each key, a fallboard and an adjustable bench. Can it teach you to play piano? Probably not, but at least it’s slightly cheaper than an actual grand piano, ringing in at £319.99/$349.99/€349.99 for 3,662 pieces. You can order it directly from LEGO.com (or pick it up at LEGO Stores) from August 1.

Check out the full press release and gallery below, and look out for an interview with the Grand Piano’s designer in a future issue of Blocks. For more immediate behind-the-scenes access, order a copy of Issue 69, which takes a deep dive into the development of Monkie Kid with the LEGO Group’s Senior Creative Director Simon Lucas.

And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out our subscription deals. Subscribers get the magazine early, free copies of the mag, and exclusive entry into our bi-monthly subscribers’ prize draw. Signing up between now and September 1 will put you in the running for 80009 Pigsy’s Food Truck.

21323 LEGO® ǀ Ideas Grand Piano

Ages 18+. 3,662 pieces

US $349.99 – CA $449.99 – DE €349.99 – UK £319.99 – FR €349.99 – DK 2699.0DKK

*Euro pricing varies by country.  Please visit shop.LEGO.com for regional pricing.

FEEL THE RHYTHM WITH THE SPECTACULAR FAN-DESIGNED LEGO® IDEAS GRAND PIANO SET

Imagined by an avid LEGO builder, the LEGO Group’s brand-new LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano is a show-stopping set for adult music lovers and builders – available from 1st August from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores.

A dazzling idea from a keen LEGO builder and music enthusiast, has now been brought to life after receiving overwhelming demand from the public – as the LEGO Group launches the brand-new LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ set. The latest product is part of the LEGO Ideas collection, which conceptualises and produces the creative wonders imagined and voted for by LEGO fans themselves.

Designed with the intricate elements of a real grand piano, this brand-new set is a fully immersive build. With a clever motor and working keys, when the set is combined with the LEGO Powered Up app, fans can become musical maestros one brick and one note at a time – making it The LEGO Group’s first-ever piano set with the ability to play music.

Talented builders can try their hand at creating their own masterpiece on the LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ using the LEGO Powered Up app, which allows them full control of the musical notes and piano keys. Alternatively, those looking to sit back and relax can choose to select ‘auto-play’ and enjoy the dulcet tones of one of the ten pre-set songs available.

The brand-new set is a masterpiece of craft and innovation, featuring all the makings of real-life grand piano to give an authentic musical experience in LEGO brick-form. These authentic features include a removable 25-key keyboard, a top lid that can be propped up, an authentic hammer action and a moving damper and pedal, which help to make the LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ as beautiful as it is functional.

Once built, the 3,662-piece LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ is made to take centre stage as a spectacular display model for any room, measuring over 8.5” (22.5cm) high, 12” (30.5cm) wide and 13.5” (35.5cm) deep when closed.

The new grand piano set is part of the LEGO Ideas collection, which offers fans the opportunity to submit their own brick creations with the chance to have their concept brought to life with the help of LEGO master designers and a share of the profits. Other recent LEGO Ideas sets inspired by LEGO fans, include the LEGO Ideas Pirated of Barracuda Bay and the LEGO Ideas Friends Central Perk.

Imagined by music teacher and LEGO aficionado Donny Chen, this set was designed as a way for him to combine his passion for music with his passion for building. To add to the excitement and personal feel of the build, the LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ even features a music sheet composed by Donny himself.

Speaking about the process, Donny Chen said: “When I’m not building with LEGO bricks, I’m teaching, tuning or writing music on my piano. So, when I first discovered LEGO Ideas, I knew I wanted to build something that not only combined my two passions, but also looked visually stunning. It’s truly an honour to see my idea brought to life by the talented people at the LEGO Group and I hope it brings joy to all the other music fans who voted for the idea on the LEGO Ideas platform.”

Federico Begher, VP of Global Marketing at The LEGO Group added: “We get so many amazing concepts submitted through our LEGO Ideas platform, but when we saw Donny’s piano design it really stood out as something extraordinary, with great potential to become a truly unique LEGO set.   

The accompanying images and video submitted by Donny really sparked some ideas within the team. We believed that including power functions as part of the model to enable the set to play real music in real life would elevate the design even further. We simply could not pass on the opportunity to create the ultimate LEGO Ideas Grand Piano model for music and LEGO fans alike!”

The new LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ set is the latest example of how the LEGO Group aims to inspire builders of all ages to build, rebuild and get excited by the process of creation.

LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano™ will be available directly via LEGO.com and LEGO Stores from August 1st