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We recently had the chance to speak with Ryan Seabury, Producer for Netdevil's in-development Lego Universe. Along with Project Lead Mark Hansen, Seabury gave us an insider's look at the exciting create/play/explore world of Legos online. The two men were extremely confident in their vision for the project, and we couldn't help but be impressed by their passion for bringing this millions-of-kids strong product to the world of MMO gaming.

Join us as we talk to Seabury and Hansen about the background behind the project, and what kind of worlds we'll be seeing. From Castle to Racers and everything in between, it sounds like whatever kind of kid you are at heart there'll be something there to enjoy. And, of course, the exciting news is that it's definitely possible we'll one day see Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the other licensed Lego products inside of Lego Universe.

Read on, and be sure to come back for our next interview clip about gameplay!

One of the most hotly anticipated sci-fi MMOs on the horizon is Jumpgate Evolution. Despite the videos, screenshots, and bits of fiction that NetDevil has been releasing to stoke interest in the game, some questions remain unanswered -- particularly in terms of continuity with Jumpgate's previous incarnation and how they plan to differentiate themselves from competing MMOs in the genre.

To that end, WarCry has done a Q&A with Hermann Peterscheck, the Producer of Jumpgate Evolution. The interview touches on the challenges faced in the development process and the game's relatively low system requirements. In addition, Peterscheck discusses whether the game is really geared towards hardcore or casual gamers. See the WarCry interview for Peterscheck's views on where the game is and what he hopes it will be for fans of space-based games.

Gamasutra has an interesting article up concerning the reasons and implementations of early focus testing; two and a half years early in the case of NetDevil's LEGO MMO. They speak at length with LEGO Universe lead producer Ryan Seabury about why NetDevil has been taking the early approach to testing and how they do it in a way that actually helps the game. The biggest piece of the puzzle seems to be that LEGO itself has been treating the upcoming game like any of its other projects by offering its own consumer testing group to support LEGO Universe's development. Although there's a lot more to getting helpful results out of the process.

It sounds like NetDevil has learned a hard lesson from their time spent on creating Auto Assault, which didn't receive any focus testing until the end of its development cycle. This isn't an entirely new tune from the MMO developer out in Denver. They've been taking a similar approach with the sci-fi space shooter MMO, Jumpgate Evolution. Things are looking pretty positive for both games if our impressions from time spent playing and seeing Jumpgate Evolution at PAX 08 is any indication. Hopefully we'll soon begin to hear some information on the actual game part of LEGO Universe and not just the development of the game.

If you'd like to get an early taste of what ship types will be offered in Jumpgate Evolution, then head on over to their ships page and take a gander. For the time being NetDevil is showing off combat, mining and transport ship types on its website. That's a lot to choose from, but thankfully you're not left in the dark on any ship. There are paragraph long write-ups on everything from heavy military escort ships up to speedy blockade runners.

We're looking forward to darting our way through some contested space in our "GZ 23 Mad-Rabbit" (yes that's a made up name) to make a quick buck. Of course, we're sure that somebody will try and blow us into frozen space giblets with a light interceptor. That's what we (will eventually) get for trying to earn money by selling armaments between opposing factions, we (at a later date, will) suppose.

It's safe to say that there are a lot of sci-fi MMO fans out there who would appreciate a game that incorporates dogfighting into a space-based title. Jumpgate Evolution is shaping up to be that game, from what we've seen thus far of its combat. We've been following Jumpgate Evolution for a while now, and Massively's Kyle Horner recently interviewed NetDevil producer Hermann Peterscheck about the upcoming title. New video footage of the game, captured at PAX 2008, is now found at GameTrailers.

The video shows off combat taking place within a massive asteroid belt. Have a look at the video below the cut, and let us know if you think Jumpgate Evolution seems to be your type of game.

Gaming site Strategy Informer recently spoke with CCP Games about what the future may hold for EVE Online. The interview focused on two facets of the game: EVE's economy, and the fact that with other sci-fi MMO titles like Jumpgate Evolution on the way, EVE may face increased competition in the coming months and years.

CCP's Lead Economist, Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson talked with Strategy Informer about the game's economic depth, which dwarfs other titles, despite having a subscriber base that's a fraction of what Blizzard enjoys. The interview touched on the possibilities of new trade hubs being established by players over time, the scarcity of certain technologies and their increasing prices, and how the market moves in general. However, the main aspects of the game he discussed were the player-run financial services that have sprung up in EVE, what the community has come up with on its own.

On the last day of PAX08 we stopped by the Jumpgate Evolution booth, which was full of people with glazed-over eyes as they blasted away at enemy ships in space. After some time with the game, we sat down with the NetDevil producer Hermann Peterscheck. In-between our questions and his answers we also got to watch him blow up some space pirates, fly through a huge asteroid and battle above a super-volcanic planet with chunks of land -- that had a city on it -- floating in orbit around the planet. It was a lengthy look at a game that's already come a long way and is still showing some real promise, too.

The official Jumpgate Evolution website is periodically updated with lore and fiction articles about places in the Jumpgate universe. They reveal information about the game's setting and back story, but they're also detailed enough that they shed some light on what gameplay will be like in the sector in question.

The latest of these articles is about the Bleakstone Sector, an inner sector that's every bit as harsh and dangerous as the sectors in the outer frontier. In a binary star system, the planet Bleakstone gives off a radiant glow thanks to the minerals and chemicals on its surface. But that glow is a dangerous siren's call, as the atmosphere is extremely hot and toxic. One domed mining facility and a few outposts in space are the only evidences of humankind in this hostile region of space.

There's also a faux news report about a violent attack by The Inferno on the colonists who inhabit the sector.

Here's something interesting. It's a LEGO Universe behind the scenes look video (mouthful!) in which we get to see some sneak peek stuff concerning the upcoming title that lets players build their own world, which is likely full of genitals. Oh, we also get to gawk at a really cool building full of more LEGO than half of America sees in a few years. We really aren't sure how anyone at NetDevil or LEGO gets anything done with all those blocks just begging to be put together. We'd be halfway done creating our LEGO-dition of Han Solo frozen in Carbonite after our first day or two.

It didn't help our jaw-to-floor ratio when the video also informed that within LEGO Universe, we can expect to experience pirates, ninjas and robots in LEGO form. It's a nerd trifecta +1! We're not sure whether we want this MMO to succeed or fail. Success means the loss of our entire lives for an undisclosed amount of time and failure -- something we never really wish upon a developer -- means keeping our families, friends and jobs. You can check out the video for yourself below below the cut.

The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.

Battleground Europe launches new website
Playnet Inc.'s Amy-Lynn Engelbrecht informs us that the destination site for Cornered Rat Software's World War 2 MMO, Battleground Europe, has gotten a significant makeover. With a focus on providing information that's more helpful to members of its strong and active community, the new updated site also features an RSS feed for news, or the option to receive regular updates by Feedburner email. Join up and fight with a 14-day free trial!

Ankama Games announces new Wakfu features
The spiritual and temporal successor to Ankama's previous title Dofus, Wakfu is an up-and-coming 2D MMO with a currently unreleased launch date. However, bits and pieces of news trickle out from time to time, such as the following: There will be an Enchantment profession, in which items are dismantled for their runes, then grafted onto new items for special powers. Taking a page from World of Warcraft?

Secondly, Wakfu will have no NPCs to offer quests. Instead, the game will have "Dynamic Challenges" -- quests that arise when environmental conditions are right, such as time, area, etc. The types of Challenges include Kill, Ecosystem, Social, and Discovery. Each will be available in both solo and team play.

Netdevil is a firm believer that the MMOG genre is missing the galactic action-packed and fluid experiences that compare to Freelancer and Wing Commander. What is not lacking is the marvelous economic system found in EVE Online; however, when it comes to combat in space there's a lot to be desired and growth potential. Netdevil is setting out to fill that void with Jumpgate Evolution. We get a look at its current form in this two part developer with Associate Product Manager, Tim Hodges from E3-2008 courtesy of GameTrailers.com.

Unfortunately, what we loved about earlier builds that showed off the first action cockpit view is absent but not removed. Several landscapes and bases show a sense of scale and some combat aspects from the game. The videos don't reveal much detail, but for being in such an early state of development it looks okay. Jumpgate Evolution is due out sometime in spring 2009, and the alpha is underway and there's no official word on when the beta will start. However, beta signups are live on the official website. The second video is available for viewing after the cut.

Of all the unlikely comparisons we've heard over the years, one we hadn't really anticipated was the comparison between Jumpgate Evolution and Gran Turismo. And just the same, there it is, smack dab in the middle of a recent interview Gamasutra conducted with NetDevil's Scott Brown. Brown says that in Jumpgate Evolution, instead of merely relying on a level-based progression system, you can achieve ranks in specific classes of weapons and ships in a manner not unlike Gran Turismo's license system.

Brown goes on to talk about their priorities when it comes to putting the game through beta, the lessons they've learned from both Auto Assault and Jumpgate Classic, and the iterative development strategy they've employed. The interviewer also expressed shock--as many have--about the game's relatively lilliputian group of developers, with only 13 people developing such a brilliant-looking game. It's worth a read if you consider yourself a pilot-to-be.