Lego MMO? Yes, please.

The LEGO Group has confirmed that an MMO based in the Lego universe is under development, and is expected to be on store shelves by Christmas of 2008. The new MMO is being developed by NetDevil. Most recently, NetDevil delivered Auto Assault, which received a less-than-enthusiastic response from players and reviewers.

LEGO Universe will build on the franchise's success in the Star Wars Lego games developed by Traveler's Tales. "LEGO Universe ties together all aspects of our community and line of products in an online environment that can be enjoyed by LEGO fans of all ages. By merging the online world of social interaction with the LEGO concept of play, LEGO Universe will provide our community with an entirely new way to experience LEGO and connect with other players in a fun and imaginative setting," said Mark William Hansen, Director of Business Development, LEGO Universe.

Early reports are that the game will include character advancement, lots of community and social features, and that it will be a child safe MMO alternative for those younger gamers who aren't quite ready to tackle hacking and slashing.

-- LEGO Goes MMO With LEGO Universe

Back when I spent a decent amount of my quality time discussing mod possibilities with other like-minded people, one of the ideas tha would come up every so often was a "construction" gametype = where there would the ability to build walls and buildings from basic blocks and then invite people to come knock them down. OK, so it was something of a "construction" "deconstruction" gametype.

Still, I wouldn't mind a little virtual online world which was little more than a playground of Lego blocks. Now, if it turns out to be little more than an massively multiplayer version of the Lego Star Wars style of play - I wouldn't be terribly disappointed, but not nearly as thrilled either.