Subject | Ghost, supernatural, and mystery solving with interactive augmented reality |
---|---|
Licensed from | The Lego Group |
Availability | August 2019–December 2020 |
Total sets | 32 [1] |
Characters | Jack Davids, Parker L. Jackson, Dr. J.B. Watt, El Fluego, Spencer and TeeVee |
Official website |
Lego Hidden Side (stylized as LEGO Hidden Side) was a Lego theme that was first introduced in August 2019. [2] [3] It took place in the fictional city of "Newbury" and linked Lego playsets to an app of the same name (for iOS and Android), which was used to hunt, capture and collect ghosts via augmented reality. [4] [5] The series came on the market in 2019 and, after the discontinued Lego Dimensions and Nexo Knights series, represented another attempt by The Lego Group to link digital and real game worlds. It was accompanied by the Lego Hidden Side webisode series and a television special, which was released on the Lego YouTube channel, and on Cartoon Network. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2020. [6]
Lego Hidden Side was a Lego product line that was designed to provide an experience that combines both physical and digital play. This has been described by The Lego Group as "fluid play". [7] The Hidden Side theme involved traditional brick built playsets, but combined them with augmented reality. This involved the use of a smartphone app that brought the sets to life and revealed a hidden digital world that offers various challenges. The digital world represented the "hidden side", a hidden world that is populated by virtual ghosts. The app provided the interactive aspect of the experience when a smartphone was held up to the physical sets. [8]
The augmented reality play experience focused on the main characters Jack and Parker who begin ghost-catching in Newbury. Players explored the various haunted locations of Newbury through these characters, with clues about the city's history of paranormal activity revealed within the sets. [9]
Lego Hidden Side began with a brief given to the company's Creative Play Lab to develop a concept for a "Play-Theme 2.0", a theme that would include augmented reality to enhance physical Lego play. The team at the Creative Play Lab came up with many concepts and tested them with children to assess their reactions. Senior Design Manager Sven Robin Kahl commented, "It was clear they needed to create a ghost theme, as that concept worked so well with the digital layer. Digital ghosts that can only be seen with the phone!" [10]
The theme was also the result of an extensive investigation by The Lego Group into augmented reality gameplay with the use of advanced hardware. To implement the functionality, the theme required ARKit for iOS users and ARCore for Android on mobile devices. This was a capability that could be accessed by most children in the primary market. [11] The theme was developed as a team process between the model designers and the app developers. Senior Product Lead, Murray Andrews commented that the integration of the app functionality offered certain challenges stating, "a simple example is you are holding the phone in one hand and you have to interact with the model, you have only got the other hand to do it. So they had to simplify some of the functions to be able to use one hand rather than two handed functions. That was just an interesting journey that we went on with this project, with the designers having to learn new ways of making things work." [12]
The sets were designed to appear like existing Lego urban buildings but, when used in conjunction with the app, were interactive. The augmented reality placed a graphic overlay on the image of the sets that transformed buildings, vehicles or Lego minifigures into paranormal creations. Roberto Marchesi, lead digital creative explained, "We didn't want to have a really cool game that was working in isolation from the sets. We wanted to create a holistic experience with AR." The process of developing an augmented reality game was particularly challenging for the design team and required an investigation into what good augmented reality really meant. Marchesi explained, "When we started this process, we didn't even know what good AR play was because no one had good AR play where you go back and forth between the digital and physical interaction. There was a lot of exploration and learning based on the simple mechanics involved of looking through your phone, taking stock of what you see, and then acting accordingly." [9]
The Lego Hidden Side theme was launched in August 2019. [9] As part of the marketing campaign, The Lego Group engaged The Mill to create an event that was designed to create awareness of the theme. The event invited five YouTube influencers to take part in an interactive ghost hunting experience, which involved the characters from the storyline. The event was subsequently broadcast on YouTube. [13]
According to BrickLink, The Lego Group released 32 playsets and promotional packs based on the Hidden Side theme. [1]
On 14 February 2019, it was officially announced by The Lego Group that the first wave sets [28] of Lego Hidden Side theme was launched at the New York Toy Fair on 1 August 2019. [29] [30] [31] The eight sets [32] [33] [34] being released are J.B.'s Ghost Lab (set number: 70418), [35] Wrecked Shipping Boat (set number: 70419), [35] [36] Graveyard Mystery (set number: 70420), [35] El Fuego's Stunt Truck (set number: 70421), [35] Shrimp Shack Attack (set number: 70422), [35] [26] [37] Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000 (set number: 70423), [35] [38] Ghost Train Express (set number: 70424) [35] [39] and Newbury Haunted High School (set number: 70425). [35] [17] [40] [41] Later, Newbury Juice Bar (set number: 40336) [42] [43] is an exclusive set only available on September until October 2019 [44] as a promotion. [45] [46] Each of the sets that allow the player to download the App in their smartphone and find the hidden ghosts. [47] [48] [49] The sets were designed primarily for children with an age rating of 7+ or above.
On 27 November 2019, it was announced that the second wave sets [50] [51] [52] would be released on 1 January 2020. [53] [54] [55] [56] The six sets being released are Welcome to the Hidden Side (set number: 70427), [57] Jack's Beach Buggy (set number: 70428), [16] [57] El Fuego's Stunt Airplane (set number: 70429), [57] Newbury Subway Station (set number: 70430), [57] The Lighthouse of Darkness (set number: 70431), [57] [58] Haunted Fairground (set number: 70432). [16] [57] [59] [60] [61] Also included Drag Racer (set number: 40408) [62] [63] is an exclusive set only available in January 2020 as a promotion. [64]
Later, the third wave sets [65] [66] would be released on 1 June 2020. The five sets being released are J.B's Submarine (set number: 70433), [67] Supernatural Race Car (set number: 704234), [67] Abandoned Newburry Prison (set number: 70435), [67] Ghost Fire Truck 3000 (set number: 70436) [67] [68] [69] and Mystery Castle (set number: 70437). [16] [67] In addition, the two polypag sets have been released as a promotions are Chef Enzo's Haunted Hotdogs (set number: 30463) [37] [70] [71] and El Fuego's Stunt Cannon (set number: 30464). [70] [72]
The product line was discontinued and all sets were retired by the end of 2020. [73]
The product line was accompanied by a series of animated short films that was released on YouTube. The series followed the story of Jack, Parker and their friends who aim to clean up the ghosts in Newbury. This series was created by Mikkel Lee and executive produced by Tommy Andreasen, Robert Fewkes, Sanjee Gupta and Joshua Wexler. It was produced by Pure Imagination Studios, written by Lila Scott [74] and directed by Zac Moncrief. [75]
In the first season, 11 web shorts were released on YouTube. [76]
# | Title | Release date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Face Your Fears' [77] | October 16, 2019 | LEGO Hidden Side computer-animated series |
2 | Vlog Hog [78] | October 23, 2019 | |
3 | Sink or Swim [79] | October 31, 2019 | |
4 | Don't Choke Now [80] | November 6, 2019 | |
5 | Bat Crazy [81] | November 15, 2019 | |
6 | Potty Mouth [82] | November 20, 2019 | |
7 | Gloom and Doom [83] | November 27, 2019 | |
8 | Life in the Ghost Lane [84] | December 4, 2019 | |
9 | Good Chemistry [85] | December 11, 2019 | |
10 | Skeleton in the Closet [86] | December 18, 2019 | |
11 | Parents Just Don't Understand [87] | January 30, 2020 |
In the second season, nine web shorts were released on YouTube. [88]
# | Title | Release date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Carnival of Doom [89] | February 6, 2020 | LEGO Hidden Side computer-animated series |
2 | Flying Lessons [90] | February 13, 2020 | |
3 | Doom Buggy [91] | February 20, 2020 | |
4 | Oh, Rats! [92] | February 27, 2020 | |
5 | Grave Situation [93] | March 5, 2020 | |
6 | Haunting 101 [94] | April 2, 2020 | |
7 | The Great Escape [95] | April 9, 2020 | |
8 | The Lighthouse, Part 1 [96] | April 16, 2020 | |
9 | The Lighthouse, Part 2 [97] | April 23, 2020 |
Lego Hidden Side: Night of the Harbinger Halloween Special is a 44 minutes television special in Lego animation, based on Lego theme of Lego Hidden Side, produced by Pure Imagination Studios. The special premiered on Cartoon Network in the US on 31 October 2020. [98] [99] [100] Also included the voice cast are Amelia Clover, L.C. Curci, William Kasten, Corey Krueger and Wally Wingert.
A crossover mobile fighting game named Lego Brawls was developed by RED Games. Lego Brawls was released exclusively for Apple Arcade on September 19, 2019, for iOS devices, and made available for PC and Consoles in June 2022. [101] [102] [103] [104] It includes Jack Davids and Parker L. Jackson as playable characters. [105] [106]
The Lego Hidden Side app was released on 29 July 2019, and is the mobile app for the Lego Hidden Side theme, available for the operating systems iOS and Android. [107] [108] [109] [110] The app has since received several updates that have increased the game options. Players can choose between playing the game in ghost mode or in ghost hunter mode. In ghost mode, the player is haunted by other players in a first-person shooter, [111] [112] in a location not unlike Newbury. In ghost hunter mode, the player has the task of catching as many ghosts as possible. To do this, the player scans a set that is supplemented by additional elements on the screen via augmented reality. Depending on the set, different ghosts appear - including a set-dependent boss spirit - which can then be caught. Captured ghosts are then collected and can be viewed in the app, including their short biographies. [113] [114] [115] The Lego Hidden Side app was discontinued in 2023. [116] [117]
The Hidden Side Haunted Fairground (set number: 70432) was the overall winner of the Editor's Choice Awards at Toy Fair 2020 at Olympia, London, which is an annual awards event organised by the British Toy and Hobby Association. [118]
The Hidden Side Paranormal Intercept Bus (set number: 70423) was listed as one of the "10 best Lego sets 2021" by official website Pocket-lint. [119]
Lego City is a theme under which Lego building sets are released based on city life, with the models depicting city and emergency services, airport, train, construction, and civilian services. It evolved from LEGOLAND Town as one of the three original themes that Lego produced upon its launch of the Lego minifigure in 1978 along with Castle and Space, with each of the three themes representing the 'Past' (Castle), 'Present' (Town) and 'Future' (Space). The Town brand was briefly replaced with Lego World City in 2003 and 2004 before it was simply rebranded as Lego City in 2005.
Lego Star Wars is a Lego theme based on the Star Wars media franchise created by George Lucas. It includes over 928 Lego building toy sets, 1389 Lego minifigures, an eponymous video game series containing six games, and multiple animated short films and television series.
Lego Minifigures are a 2010 Lego theme based on a set of collectible Lego minifigures. Each figure is an original character with new clothing and facial designs, and many contain previously unseen accessories. Each series usually contains 16 different minifigures; however, some series contain as few as 9 minifigures, while others contain up to 22. Since 2021, the number of different minifigures for a series is set to 12. In 2023, the Disney 100-anniversary series came out, bringing the total number of figures to 18, although it was once again reduced to 12 with the second Marvel series. This series also introduced paper boxes, instead of the plastic bags, making it no longer possible to feel up the pieces for each figure.
Lego Super Heroes is a theme and product range of the Lego construction toy, introduced in 2011, owned by The Lego Group and licensed from DC Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company and Pixar.
Lego Ultra Agents was a Lego theme that was first introduced in June 2014 after the discontinued Lego Agents theme. The theme was inspired by James Bond as well as various spy movies. The theme was considered to be a development or upgrade from the 2008 Lego Agents theme. The theme's 14 toy sets were released in three waves and were accompanied by a free app. Lego Ultra Agents was discontinued by the end of 2015.
Nexo Knights is a 3D animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network and premiered in 2015. It was produced by the Lego Group to coincide with the Lego theme of the same name. The series is based on a fantasy castle concept and is set in a futuristic kingdom called Knighton, which is home to five young knights. The storyline follows the adventures of the five knights as they defend their home from a court jester named Jestro and his monsters. Four seasons were produced for a total of 40 episodes. The fourth season finished airing in 2017. In 2018, the Lego Group discontinued the Nexo Knights theme, which also resulted in the cancellation of the series.
Lego Disney is a Lego theme based on the various Disney Princesses and Disney characters involved in different Disney films and television series. It is licensed from Walt Disney Pictures. The theme was first introduced in 2016 and was re-branded theme from the Lego Disney Princess line in 2017. The toy line was accompanied by several shorts and television specials based on Lego Disney.
Lego Agents was a Lego theme that was first introduced in June 2008 after the discontinued Lego Alpha Team theme. The theme was inspired by James Bond as well as various spy movies. The 13 toy sets in the theme's release were split into three waves. In 2009, the theme was re-branded as Lego Agents 2.0. It was discontinued by the end of 2009 and replaced with the Lego Ultra Agents theme in 2014.
Lego Ghostbusters was a Lego theme based on the Ghostbusters franchise created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It is licensed from Columbia Pictures and Ghost Corps. The Lego Ghostbusters theme was first introduced in 2014. The first set was released in June 2014 as part of the Lego Ideas theme. Later, a set based on the Ghostbusters' firehouse was released and one set based on the Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. The Lego Group also used this license for character and level packs in the Lego Dimensions toys-to-life video game. In 2018, a set was released as part of the Lego BrickHeadz theme. In 2020, another set was released in November 2020 and based on Ghostbusters: Afterlife film.
Lego Trolls World Tour was a Lego theme based on the film of the same name created by Thomas Dam. It is licensed by Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation. The theme was introduced in January 2020 and was discontinued by the end of July 2021.
The Lego Movie is a Lego product line based on the 2014 film of the same name. It was licensed from The Lego Group, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Warner Animation Group. The theme was first introduced on 26 December 2013 in the United Kingdom and 30 December in the United States to coincide with the release of the film, along with The Lego Movie Videogame. Further sets were produced to coincide with the release of the second film in The Lego Movie franchise, titled The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. The product line was discontinued by 31 December 2019.
The Lego Batman Movie was a product line based on The Lego Batman Movie, the second film of The Lego Movie franchise. It is licensed from The Lego Group, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Animation Group, and DC Entertainment. The theme was first introduced on 10 February 2017 as part of a licensing and merchandising programme associated with the film. Alongside the release of the Lego sets, the programme included the release of several promotional short films and The Lego Batman Movie Game app. The product line was discontinued by 31 December 2018.
The Lego Ninjago Movie was a product line based on The Lego Ninjago Movie, the third film of The Lego Movie franchise. It was licensed from The Lego Group, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Warner Animation Group. The theme was introduced on 1 August 2017 as part of a licensing and merchandising programme associated with the film. Alongside the release of the Lego sets, the programme included the release of several promotional short films and The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game. The product line was discontinued by 31 December 2019.
Lego Scooby-Doo was a Lego theme based on the Scooby-Doo franchise created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. It is licensed from Warner Bros. Animation and Hanna-Barbera. The theme was first introduced in August 2015. The toy line was accompanied by several shorts, a television special and films based on Lego Scooby-Doo. The Lego Scooby-Doo theme was discontinued by the end of 2017.
Lego The Lord of the Rings is a Lego theme based on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson and the novel by the English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. It is licensed from Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The theme was first introduced in 2012. The first sets appeared in 2012, to coincide with a release of the video game Lego The Lord of the Rings. Subsequent sets based on The Hobbit film trilogy would also be released and the video game Lego The Hobbit was released in 2014. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2015. Later, the theme was relaunched in January 2023 with three new sets released as the part of the Lego BrickHeadz theme. In February 2023, The Lego Group unveiled a new Rivendell set that released on 8 March 2023 as the part of the Lego Icons theme. Further, a Barad-Dûr set released on 1 June 2024, also as part of the Icons theme.
Lego Vidiyo was a Lego theme that allows children to create their own music videos and dance clips using a range of Lego toy sets and an associated app. It is licensed from Universal Music Group. The theme was first introduced in March 2021, before being discontinued by the end of January 2022 after being deemed a commercial disaster.
Lego Monster Fighters was a Lego theme based on Universal Monsters from the horror fiction genre. The Monster Fighters fight against the Lord Vampyre's monsters while collecting the moonstones. The story takes place in the Monster Realm and it's similar to The Monster Squad film. The theme was first introduced in May 2012. It was eventually discontinued by the end of December 2014. The theme also produced a range of associated media, including theme park attractions, several shorts, video game, app and publications.
Lego Fusion was a Lego theme that combined standard Lego bricks with a mobile app that was designed to interact and communicate with the build models according to the principle of augmented reality. The theme was first introduced on 1 August 2014 and exclusively in North America. It was eventually discontinued by the end of July 2015.
Lego Life of George was a Lego theme that for the first time, combined standard Lego bricks with a mobile app. The theme was first introduced in October 2011. It was eventually discontinued by the end of December 2013.