United Kingdom, Jan. 7 -- LEGO has reassured fans and that its newly unveiled Smart Brick will not undermine the foundations of physical play, and the sensor-packed brick is "here to stay".

The Smart Brick was revealed this week at CES in Las Vegas, prompting both excitement and unease over whether LEGO was drifting too far toward digital experiences.

LEGO senior vice president of product and new business Federico Begher has now said the company has been developing Smart Play elements for years, but remains committed to its core proposition of hands-on, imaginative play.

He told IGN: "It's a big part of the future. [But] It's very important to be clear that this does not mean that we're leaving our core proposition behind. This is an a...