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LEGO announces iPhone-based building game

Now here’s an unexpected pairing that makes a wacky sort of sense: LEGO and iPhones.

The Danish company responsible for the iconic building blocks announced its new interactive iPhone app this week, and it’s an interesting one, to say the least.

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Titled The Life of George, the app challenges users to quickly build small models using real LEGO bricks and then snap a photo of the finished product with the iPhone’s camera. Points are then awarded for accuracy and speed.

Sounds easy enough, but before you start building, you’ll need to purchase a real-world retail package required for the app. The package comes with all the necessary blocks and a special pad that facilitates pattern recognition on the app.

The game will feature 12 levels of brick-manipulating challenges, all of which revolve around George, a tech-savvy character who travels the world. Users will build things like George’s board shorts, a pineapple, or other items he encounters during his travels.

LEGO has indicated that, along with the specified models in the game, there will also be a “My Life” feature that allows users to create their own models. The company plans to add some element of Facebook-facilitated sharing of these models down the road.

At this point, the app is iOS-only and limited to the iPhone and 4th-generation iPod touch, though LEGO has indicated that an Android version is being considered. The Life of George will retail for $29.99, and is only available at LEGO’s website and LEGO retail stores for now.

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
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