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NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution may not have a solid release date yet but the developer's other MMO title, the family friendly Lego Universe, just got a release date. In fact it has two of them. At E3 2010 it was announced that the game will launch for "Founders" on October 12 with everyone else getting their chance two weeks later on October 26.

In this case "Founders" are people who purchase the game via official Lego stores, the Lego web site and the Legoland theme park. The game will be made available to other retail outlets via Warner Bros. Interactive on October 26.

This impressive cinematic trailer for Jumpgate Evolution reveals the Octavius, a faction that's great with rousing speeches and apparently incredibly efficient at gearing up for war.

"Jumpgate Evolution is an exhilarating space combat MMO, set in a vast expanding universe, that allows players to choose from one of three playable Nations and engage in an intense action-packed gaming experience. While embarking on an immersive and accessible space adventure, players can trade valuable commodities, take part in awesome intergalactic battles, meet and play with friends and live out the dream of an elite hero."

Download HD Jumpgate Evolution 'Octavius Faction' Trailer (307 MB)
Check out all Jumpgate Evolution downloads

Lego Universe has been in development for a long time at Netdevil but the family friendly MMO game had not yet announced who would be handling its distribution to stores. Today Warner Bros. Interactive announced it is stepping in to distribute Lego Universe.

It's one of the most anticipated mainsteam MMO game launches of all time and now the Lego Universe web site is taking pre-orders for the NetDevil-developed game. Priced at $39.99 the game, due for release as a combo PC-Mac title this autumn, will come with 30 days of free game play. After that it will be $9.99 if you pay per month with a $49.99 price for six months and $89.99 for a 12 month subscription.

If you decide to plunge into the unknown and pay up front for the game before it is released, you will get some special bonuses including a code card for some exclusive in-game items and, coolest of all, a special real Lego mini-figure (pictured above).

It looks like the long awaited family friendly MMO Lego Universe is getting closer to its launch. Today our MMO sister site Massively reports that the first invites to join the closed beta test of the game are beginning to be sent out to the first wave of selected testers.

That's a good sign that the game, under development at Gazillion Entertainment-owned developer NetDevil, is finally coming closer to completion. The title, which was first announced in March of 2007, is still taking beta testing sign ups for anyone else who wants to give it a test drive. NetDevil is also working on their other long-in-development MMO, Jumpgate Evolution, which at the moment seems to be somewhat stalled.

It has been a long time since developer NetDevil has given a status update on their long-in-development space-based MMO Jumpgate Evolution. Last May the developer, now owned by Gazillion, announced that their planned fall 2009 release date for the game was being pushed back but declined to reveal a new release date. Since then the company has been fairly silent about the game's status.

Now there are some indications that the game is getting closer to an actual release. A post on the game's official message boards reveals that the game's North American Community Manager has been let go by NetDevil. According to the post, "There are a few reasons for this, the main one being that as we near the final leg of development for the game, the team would like their community managers to be on site with the developers." This would seem to indicate that the game's progress is getting closer to release.

In another post from the game's community director, he states that Jumpgate Evolution's delay was due to player feedback that "caused major parts of the game to be rewritten, which led to other changes, and so on." In another entry on the same forum thread he talks about why the dev team has been quiet for the most part about the game's progress, saying, " Did we think that day would come earlier? Yes. Is it still coming? Yes. Is it close? Well, we think so."

2010 seems to be the year that Lego Universe comes out of its shell. The long-in-development MMO from developer NetDevil had a coming out party last month at CES and today comes word that the game's official web site is finally signing up people who want to beta test the game.

This news follows reports that people were able to sign up for the beta test at the Lego Universe CES booth. The family-themed game is scheduled to officially launch by sometime in 2010. NetDevil, now owned by Gazillion Entertainment, seems to be moving faster on Lego Universe than their other upcoming MMO Jumpgate Evolution which seems to be stuck in a rut with no word on a release date.

Although this is a cinematic trailer for LEGO Universe, it's difficult to not get exciting about an MMO that would have almost no limitations. The MMO will feature a classic battle between good and evil, with destructive forces seeking to snuff out all imagination in the game world. There is no confirmed release date for the game at this time.

"Developed by The LEGO Group and NetDevil, LEGO Universe will bring the iconic brick online in the first MMOG – massively-multiplayer online game – based on the LEGO play experience. LEGO Universe will enable fans of all ages to build, create, interact with friends, battle, and explore LEGO worlds – past, present and future."

Download HD LEGO Universe Trailer (65 MB)

We've already reported that the upcoming MMO Lego Universe would be shown at CES this for the first time in public. But according to a new press release today you will be able to do more than go to a exhibit hall booth and play a demo. You will also also be able to sign up to play the beta version.

There are no details on how sign ups will actually work at CES 2010 but if you are in the North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center you will be able to play the NetDevil-developed game for the first time. The press release states that Lego Universe should be ready for launch in the second half of 2010.

It's been a long time in coming but folks who have been waiting to see what a massively multiplayer game based on the Lego toy brand will look like can now check out the first public in-game screenshots from Lego Universe. The screenshots come from the game's official web site which was updated today.

The screenshots give an idea of what the final game will look like and also show off a little of the game's character customization features. Developer NetDevil and The Lego Group first announced their plans for the game over two years ago. Currently the plan is to release the game sometime in 2010.

[Via Shacknews]