In just six months, LEGO has built out its VIDIYO range into something quite spectacular. It's a mashup of augmented reality, music, physical bricks and figures, it's creativity, special effects, and a colourful display of what could be the best bands on earth - at least if your kids have anything to say about it.
My household is a family of LEGO lovers. We know that LEGO didn't have grownups in mind when they brought VIDIYO to life – but the company is famous for inspiring people of all ages.
The basic idea behind VIDIYO is that players are on a mission to create masterful music videos. They create these videos with the help of LEGO sets, 35 minifigures called Bandmates, a huge range of tiles (BeatBits) that provide special effects, and interactive stages.
The latest addition to my collection is the Candy Stage, and I've also included the Alien DJ in my photo above (blue baseplates need to be purchased separately).
The physical range of LEGO sets pretty much covers the main music genres (K-PAWP for example). There are robot DJs, punk pirates, candy cheerleaders, mermaids, foxes, evil witches and many more. Every Bandmate comes with their own little backstory, as well as key stats.
In order to create these videos, users must collect sets and figures and activate them within the LEGO VIDIYO app. This app is the powerhouse of the entire experience.
Players first need to attach the Bandmate to a stand and attach the BeatBits. This process can be a little difficult because players need to position their device's camera at the right angle so the app can recognise the characters.
Luckily, Bandmates come with a little stand where you can display the character and a selection of BeatBits tiles. Each character comes with their own special BeatBit and a variety of random BeatBits. At the time of writing, there are 105 BeatBits to collect, each set comes with its own special BeatBit and an assortment of random ones. I'm still working on collecting them all.
VIDIYO has a range of stages on offer, such as Candy Castle Stage. To scan them into the app, players are asked to aim the camera at certain areas of the stage (e.g. speakers, lights), and you'll see virtual setpieces appear on your screen. It's an awesome way to add extra sets as a bonus to the physical sets.
Before putting the band together and choosing a name, players can customise clothing and accessories. Then it's time to choose a song from a sample of Universal Music's catalogue (36 songs at the time of writing).
Fancy Guns n' Roses' Sweet Child of Mine? Perhaps Billie Eilish's Therefore I am, or L.L.A.M.A's Shake is a better fit for the mood...
The device's camera sets the stage and from there, players become the director of the music video. The LEGO BeatBits provide different special effects, like lighting and action. One of my BeatBit tiles enabled me to turn the band into chickens – it was a bizarre scene to the track of Guns n' Roses.
To start the show, players need to scan at least one bandmate from their band and at least 3 BeatBits.
For every performance, players earn coins that can go towards ‘purchasing' new accessories from the store (don't worry, there are no in-app purchases with real money).
The social tab allows creators to share their videos and watch others (all videos are moderated). This adds an extra dynamic to the VIDIYO experience because I can see what others have come up with.
LEGO VIDIYO isn't just about collection and creativity, it's also about the experience. That's what impresses me most about this range – the videos and memories I've created along the way.
Hey, down in front! The next show is starting, and I have the best seat in the house.
Read our previous stories on LEGO VIDIYO below:
- LEGO announces second series of VIDIYO stages, BeatBoxes - Bandmates
- LEGO unveils full set of music VIDIYO masters
