The LEGO Group is hoping to lure new gamers of all ages to its first massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game, LEGO Universe Online, by offering part of the gameplay experience for free. The game publisher is now welcoming new players to traverse the LEGO brick-building digital universe with its newly introduced Free to Play Zone. Fans will be able to enjoy the game for free for as long as they like, with the option to upgrade to a membership account at any time for $10 per month and receive full game access to the family-friendly game. The developer talks about the game in the exclusive video interview below.

The LEGO Universe free-to-play experience offers a selection of game content, including two adventure zones and one player property area for building your own virtual LEGO models as well as access to thousands of other players’ properties. Paying members will have access to all areas in the full game, along with membership benefits such as competitions and community events. In addition to the 15+ robust adventure zones and instances as well as six property worlds currently in-game, access to new expansions, like major Ninjago content coming later this year, will require players to register for full membership.

Here’s a list of all the free content in LEGO Universe: custom build one LEGO hero, interact with in-game friends, collect up to 10,000 coins, earn Universe Score to level up, play through The Venture Explorer and Avant Gardens, join the Nexus Force, sample Faction Gear, play the Survival mini-game, claim the Avant Gardens Block Yard Property, fight the Spider Queen, place LEGO models you have collected, build LEGO models of your own, bring LEGO models to life, and visit thousands of other players’ Properties.

If you haven't played LEGO Universe yet, now is the time. Not only can you play for free, but the game is now easier to access; available via free digital download only.

About the Author

John Gaudiosi

Editor-in-Chief

John Gaudiosi has been covering videogames for the past 20 years for outlets like The Washington Post, CNET, Wired Magazine and CBS.com. He has focused on the convergence of entertainment and videogames for outlets like Video Business, Home Media Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Gamerlive.TV and is also a freelance game columnist for Reuters and writes for outlets like Forbes.com, NVISION, Official PlayStation Magazine, EGM Now, Geek Monthly, PrimaGames.com, and Yahoo! Games. John also serves as the video game expert for NBC in Washington D.C. and has produced videogame documentaries for The History Channel and Starz Entertainment. John was named one of the Top 50 Game Journalists in the world by Next-Gen.biz in 2007. He is the co-author of Scholastic Books' How to Get into Videogames, Prima Publishing's Madden: Twenty Years of Videogame Football and Electronic Arts: The Official History.