While the public premier of LEGO Universe isn't scheduled to take place until 2010, a new post on the game's official Web site has given fans a taste of what they can expect to see in the LEGO MMO.

You'll begin the game by creating a custom minifigure, which will be your avatar in the virtual brick world. According to the article, "once you become your little LEGO person, you’ll have space and freedom to build, quest, battle bad guys, explore, make new friends or show off your incredible LEGO creations!"

Remember all those LEGO kits you've played with in the past, or maybe recently purchased at a toy store? Well, you can expect to see pirates, knights, ninjas, dragons, mechs and more in the LEGO Universe. Players will be able to unlock new worlds, and the game "could become any of an almost infinite number of gameworlds depending on how you play and what you want to build and create."

The game will also be kid-friendly, so LEGO fans of all ages can give it a try. Will you be playing LEGO Universe when it launches?

If you're looking forward to the upcoming LEGO Universe MMO, you may be interested in a contest that is currently being held on the game's official Web site. The LEGO Universe team is challenging fans to design a sculpture or statue, and one lucky winner will have their creation displayed in the game.

You can use physical or virtual LEGO bricks to build your monument, or even draw it. You can't use any logos or trademarks in the statue, so you'll have to leave your Star Wars and Batman sets out of your design. Just remember, LEGO Universe artists may have to use their own interpretation of your creation or drawing to have it work in the game.

So far, 26 monument ideas have been submitted in the contest, so start working now and send yours in if you'd like a shot at public recognition in the LEGO Universe.

Are you excited to get your hands on LEGO Universe when it's unveiled to the public in 2010? Well, if you're a LEGO fan who will be in the Chicago area from June 18-21, you should consider attending Brickworld 2009. The LEGO Universe team will be at this fan event, which offers building, competitions, movies, games and a look at some crazy creations.

Also, you can enter the code LEGOFAN into the VIP area on the site and print out the coupon for the chance to win a free LEGO gift. The first 200 attendees to hand in the coupon will receive the prize.

So are you interested to play LEGO Universe? Do you play any of the LEGO console games?

The Lego Universe team has published an interesting tidbit of news on the game's official Web site today. While no official date has been set, it has been announced that the public premier for the MMO is scheduled to take place in 2010.

While we patiently wait for next year, you can still read all sorts of posts on the Lego Universe Web site, such as the ongoing series on creating digital designs. In the most recent installment, lead world artist Nathan Storm discusses how to make electronic models. Basically the artists use color variation, ambience and lighting to make the bricks stand out.

With the game preparing to see the light of day next year, the team is still asking fans to submit their Lego creations for inspiration. So dig out those old Lego sets or buy some new ones and see what you can do!

If you're a Lego fan, you're definitely going to want to check out NetDevil's LEGO Universe, an upcoming MMO that will contain a seemingly infinite amount of those digital bricks. But how does the team go about designing this world when everything must be crafted from such small pieces?

Well, the art team has been posting a series of articles regarding this very topic. In the third installment, which is the most recent, world artist Nathan Storm shows how he uses concept art to create a physical model of an item before it's copied using digital bricks.

Nathan says one reason his team normally builds physical LEGO models before going digital is that, “Digital creations can be much more flexible than physical ones. For instance, we could design digital models that wouldn’t physically hold together. Building with physical LEGO bricks helps us keep that connectivity in LEGO Universe!”

You can also read part 1 and part 2 in the series if you missed them.

Do you ever wonder where game developers get their inspiration? Well, in the case of LEGO Universe, children's creations can lend a hand in the development process.

Kids got the chance at a recent LEGO Universe event to solve puzzles using LEGO bricks that players may face in the online world.

The fun challenges were specially crafted to reflect obstacles faced by the LEGO Universe development team: How would your minifigure cross a LEGO Universe canyon while protecting a treasure? What would you build to entertain a powerful but sleepy ninja? The kids’ teams overcame these challenges by creating solutions like hovercrafts with camouflaged compartments, sliding pods, a lava-flow obstacle course and an amazing maze game!

More information on their creations can be found here. Lego Universe is set to launch in 2009.

Lego Universe has posted their March Newsletter and Lego goodness abounds!

In our Behind the Scenes feature, we get acquainted with our Art Director, Phillip Atencio. He talks about the look of LEGO Universe and gives us the inside scoop on what’s inspiring and challenging about working on the game.

You can follow Phillip further behind the scenes, where he details the game’s graphic influences in an exclusive bonus interview. In this shrouded environment, Phillip also speaks frankly about the art fiction that’s visually unifying our virtual universe.

Lego Universe is scheduled to release sometime this year.

Wired has some new news up regarding LEGO Universe!

LEGO Universe, the upcoming LEGO-branded MMO, can best be described as "LEGO Star Wars multiplied by a million," according to Mark Hansen, the Director of Business Development for the LEGO Group.

Tentatively set for release in 2009, LEGO Universe seeks to provide gamers with "a virtual extension of the real-world LEGO" gameplay, by allowing MMO fans a chance to virtually live among each of the thousands of LEGO sets that have been created over the years.

Most impressive in this quest is LEGO's plan to integrate fabrication of objects directly into the title.

Any structure or vehicle you may construct out of the MMOs virtual blocks, you can also export to LEGO who will allow you to purchase traditional LEGO sets that are exact replicas of what you've created in-game.

For more info on LEGO Universe, see our gameslist entry!

 

Lego Universe has updated their page with this month's newsletter!

The citizens of LEGO Universe---those little LEGO people that we call minifigs---are mighty important to LEGO Universe. In fact, the whole LU game is designed from the minifigs' point of view.

In honor of the special role that minifigs play in LU, we spoke with our resident minifig expert, Micki about what those awesome little LEGO figures will be able to do in the game, as well as other cool stuff. Check it out!

Read all the updates and keep an eye on this developing game!