Lego announced the Smart Brick, a tiny computer embedded inside classic Lego bricks that enables interactive features like lights, sounds, and sensors, starting with Lego Star Wars sets. These wirelessly charged, firmware-updatable bricks can detect NFC tags, movement, and sound, creating more dynamic play experiences. The first sets include Star Wars-themed kits with smart bricks, tags, and figures, marking a significant evolution in Lego's system-in-play since 1978, with potential expansion into other themes.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has topped the UK charts following its release on May 23, 2024, outperforming last year's Super Mario RPG and matching the success of Paper Mario: Origami King. Hogwarts Legacy has moved up a spot, while EA Sports FC 24 has dropped. Other top ten games include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Minecraft. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is also performing well, especially on the Switch due to retail discounts.
LEGO Star Wars is releasing a new Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) set, the Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser, in celebration of 20 years of Clone Wars stories. The set consists of 5,374 pieces and includes Captain Rex and Admiral Yularen LEGO minifigures. The designer, Hans Burkhard Schlömer, discusses the challenges and opportunities of designing a large-scale model, as well as the inspiration behind certain design choices. The release highlights the enduring popularity of Clone Wars iconography in the LEGO Star Wars franchise.
