LEGO is introducing a new way to make its upcoming sets more interactive than ever before: Smart Play. The system uses Smart Tags, which are 2x2 tiles that house digital IDs telling nearby Lego Smart Bricks and Minifigures how to behave.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Joan Verdon is a veteran retail reporter based in Northern New Jersey. The Lego Group built itself into one of the largest toy companies in the world brick-by-brick. Now, two major U.S ...

Lego’s Smart Bricks differ from earlier tech-enabled Lego products by using wireless charging pads (avoiding disposable batteries) and boasting batteries that will still perform after years of inactivity.

LEGO does not reinvent itself very often. It’s a toy company that has been iterating on the same idea for decades. It patented the LEGO Brick almost 66 years ago, and any piece you buy today will work with one that came out of the first mold in 1958.