Last week we conducted the very first preview press demos for LEGO Universe at the TriplePoint offices in San Francisco. Journalists were invited to check out the game, snag some new screenshots, talk with the development team, and get answers to all their LEGO MMO questions.

Ryan Seabury, the game’s Creative Director from NetDevil was on hand with an in-depth gameplay demo – the first peek for journalists into myriad challenges and worlds awaiting players when LEGO Universe releases next year.

Mark Hansen, Project Lead on LEGO Universe for the LEGO Group was on hand to talk about incorporating the iconic LEGO brand into an iconic MMOG. And NetDevil’s Chris Brubaker and Randall Furino helped run the show, along with team members playing remotely from Miami to show off the game.

Early reactions from the first-look LEGO Universe demo:

“It’s been a long time coming (and still has a ways to go) but the LEGO MMO is looking good… we recently got our first demonstration of the game in action and came away impressed… There is plenty to do on each world, it’s got that cute LEGO look, and the build tools appear to be complex enough to allow players to build anything they could in real life… Developer NetDevil is working closely with the LEGO company, a company that really knows how to take care of its fans. We’ve still got a while to wait for the big bang, but we’re excited to delve into this universe.” – IGN

“Sometime in the second half of 2010, Lego fans will be able to indulge in their red, blue, yellow, and white brick fantasies together, no matter where they are…” – CNET

“Are you a kid at heart? Then I think you’re going to love playing LEGO Universe…Last week I had the honor of being the first member of the media to see a demo of the new LEGO massively-mutiplayer online game (MMOG), called LEGO Universe. What I saw was something special… Obviously, I was really impressed with this game. While it’s intended for a younger audience, I know of many geeky parents who have enjoyed the LEGO console titles, and can easily imagine them exploring and enjoying LEGO Universe right along with their kids… I’m totally looking forward to it!” – Wired GeekDad

“An ambitious MMO that attempts to pull all the disparate themes of the LEGO System into one cohesive world, the game is pitched somewhere between Second Life and World of Warcraft, and has been in development for more than three and a half years…” – Eurogamer

“Accessible enough for the kiddies but deep enough for the most intrepid of LEGO architects, LEGO Universe has something for everyone… Though you’d think that players interested in building over level-grinding and looting would just stick to the property worlds, LEGO Universe will naturally push those players to explore in order to gain new bricks and themes to use in building. It’s a good balance to see in the game, and should help in LEGO and NetDevil’s goal to appeal to all types of gamers… already looking to be one of the hottest MMOs of 2010.” – GamePro

“Most importantly, the game is fun… For many of us, LEGO bricks were a part of our childhood. From the oversized Duplo blocks to the epic Death Star II kit, the vast majority of us have constructed something out of these diverse products. And soon you’ll be able to build – actually build! – in a virtual world as well…” – Zam

See more behind-the-scene photos and new LEGO Universe artwork on TriplePoint’s Flickr photostream, and info about newly-released LEGO Universe screenshots and “Build” key visual on VerticalWire. Visit www.LEGOUniverse.com for more information about the game.