Lego to launch ‘toys-to-life’ range

Lego has announced a new line of toys that will combine with virtual worlds in video games, enabling players to build models from real bricks and then drop them into a game on a console.

Called Lego Dimensions, the new line of toys and video game is a partnership between the Scandinavian toy manufacturer, Warner Bros and several big names in the entertainment world, including DC Comics — the creators of Batman, the Lord of the Rings franchise, and movie franchises Back to the Future and The Wizard of Oz.

A starter pack will be released in September this year that will include the game and a Lego Toy Pad, on which users will place Lego characters and models to drop them into the virtual world.

The style of play is called toys-to-life and has already been successfully brought to market by the Skylanders series and Disney, whose Infinity game allows players to change which Marvel superhero they play as by placing a real life figurine on their own trigger pad.

Lego’s take on this idea will see players first build items, for example the Batmobile, from Lego bricks before dropping it into the game as a usable vehicle.

Lego already has a string of successful video game partnerships to its name, having combined with the Harry Potter, Batman and Star Wars franchises to create games in the past. Warner Bros confirmed that the Dimensions series will go on sale in the UK on September 29.

The Playstation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and One, as well as the Wii U have been confirmed as the compatible consoles for the launch.