New sensor-packed Smart Bricks introduced at CES add color, sound, and interactivity to classic Lego builds, debuting with Star Wars sets this spring.

But some argue new ‘Smart Play’ technology undermines the Danish construction toy’s gift for harnessing a child’s own imagination

The Smart Brick looks very similar to a normal 2x4 Lego brick, but it contains a custom Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip which is smaller than one of the studs on the brick itself. It’s joined by an accelerometer and a copper coil, and Lego has created its own Play Engine and Neighbor Position Measurement (NPM) system.

LEGO has announced a huge update to its bricks, which the company is calling "one of the most significant evolutions" in 50 years.