Aimed at children ages 7 to 10, LEGO VIDIYO is designed to allow users to direct, produce, and star in their very own music videos. LEGO says it "encourages kids to view the world around them in a brand-new light, by transforming even the most ordinary surroundings into potential, incredible music videos". A press release dated January 26, 2021, states, "by putting them in charge of their own music video productions, children can both discover music and harness their passion for it through an immersive, positive, safe social experience". In blending the elements of augmented reality, minifigures, and bricks, LEGO intends to allow children to "experience LEGO play in a way never seen before. Using new AR technology, this will be the first-time children can play with minifigures in real-life scale and at a super-sized scale, in addition to the iconic minifigure scale".

Let's break into the box. As usual, inside the box I found an array of pieces, which were easily assembled. The finished product was one minifigure, their stage, a cool carrying case, and 16 BeatBits. This particular mini was Party Llama, complete with a pair of mini-maracas. To work with the app, he stands at the center of the stage, with six BeatBits located to his left and six to his right. The 2x2 square BeatBits make the magic happened. Users line up these which unlock special effects that let you control different elements of your music video. You can make your mini do the 'running-man', set in motion some beach balls, play a riff on their guitar, or activate some auto-tune. Each mini also has their own signature move or gimmick, like break dancing or surfing on a shark.

Once you have your mini and BeatBits in the desired arrangement you can head into the app. It opens by asking the users year of birth, then runs through a short tutorial video. I was able to choose a name for my band (from a list) and my minifigure characters. More minis can be added to increase band members. The real fun begins by choosing a song. LEGO teamed-up with Universal Music Group so you don't have to worry about quality here. The current catalog isn't huge, but artists include The Weeknd, Lada Gaga, Sam Smith, and Diana Ross. Once I chose a tune, I scanned my minifigure on the stage. A reminder: Adequate lighting is needed in order for the app to scan your set-up. Once the scan works, images of your mini, and each BeatBit appear on your device's screen. The app chooses some of your specific bits and mixes in some Daily BeatBits. Ready to Roll? If so, users click the right arrow. Before the performance begins, I could choose the size of my minifigure; mini, real-life scale, or super-sized. Next, users choose a place in their space to anchor the character - tap the screen and set the stage.

When my music video began, the AR Llama appears flanked by some back-up singers. To each side of my screen, also in AR form, appeared the twelve BeatBits. To the bottom of the screen was a button which activated my figures signature move. Each bit, and the move, could be chosen more than one time. I think the real neat thing is that the Llama's lips were actually synced to the words of the song - like he was really singing. Performances earn users 'Note Points'. Each effect-driven performance runs 60 seconds and is recorded for easy playback, or to share. Users can share the whole video or a trimmed down version of 5, 10, 15, or 20 seconds. As a parent, I always take a hard look when I see content sharing as an option. LEGO addresses this concern, "Users are fully anonymous, all uploads and comments are pre-moderated by us and there's even a parental dashboard." They go on to state that "any content featuring personally-identifiable information, such as children starring in the video, will not be approved for App feed upload, but can be stored locally in-App."

The VIDIYO app offers activities to become more engaged with content. Completing each activity leads to additional 'Note Points' and in-app accessories, like different BeatBits or minifigure apparel. Digital BeatBits appear to be released on a rolling basis and full description of each are offered under the Scan tab. If you don't have your hands on a BeatBox, LEGO sells blind boxes containing Bandmates. Each Bandmates comes with three BeatBits which function in the same way at the box with the stage.

LEGO did it's homework developing this app. They conducted a survey across 18 markets between May and June 2020, gathering info from a total of 18,117 parents with children aged 1.5 to 12 years old, and 12,591 children aged 5-12. Results - listed in their January 26, 2021 press release - showed that 89% of parents say music helps build creative skills, while 83% say it helps build confidence. 94% of parents believe playing with LEGO bricks helps develop creativity, 91% say it improves problem-solving, and 76% of both parents and children aged 5-12 believe music helps them express who they are.

AR content in the VIDIYO app is simply amazing. A mega-corp like LEGO definitely has the capital to throw at a venture like this, but they deserve huge credit for creating an outstanding front-to-back, immersive, tactile, digital, musical, user experience. VIDIYO takes what they begin with Hidden Side and dials it up to the level beyond the next level. AR modeling is stable without fail, precisely designed, and clean. In app set-up is smooth and extremely easy to use. It is a great introduction of AR for younger learners. VIDIYO is not a play and forget experience. It's can engage with users who keep coming back to create and express themselves through music and their videos.