Lego MMO beta sign-ups go live

Lego Minifigures Online officially launches in 2014, but some players will be able to try out the game ahead of time. Developer Funcom (The Secret World, Age of Conan) announced today that players can now sign up for a chance to participate in the upcoming closed game.

The Lego Minifigures Online closed beta is described as an "ongoing process," with more players added to the mix as more game content and features are introduced for testing.

To register for the Lego Minifigures Online closed beta, players need only provide their email address and date of birth. Those selected will be notified via email. Funcom did not say when the closed beta will begin.

An open beta will also be available for ahead of launch. All players are guaranteed access.

Executive producer Lawrence Poe described the Lego Minifigures Online closed beta as an "incredibly important tool" that allows Funcom to receive feedback that can be used to tune the game ahead of launch.

Lego Minifigures Online will be available on PC, iOS, and Android at launch. It is not clear which platform(s) the beta will be held on. The game is based on the Lego minifigures line of real-world toys. These toys will include a code to download a virtual version as a playable character in the game.

Players will be able to collect around 100 characters in all, and can swap between three playable characters at any given moment during the game. Users will get to travel to virtual destinations like Pirate World, Space World, and Medieval World, among others. Lego Minifigures Online will also feature PVP, though Funcom said it would talk more about this component later in the year. The game was originally announced last year.

A Lego MMO game has been attempted before. In October 2010, NetDevil launched Lego Universe, but the game had a short life. In November 2011, the Lego Group announced it would be shuttering the game. It managed to attract 2 million users, but failed to set up a satisfactory revenue model, developers said.

For more on Lego Minifigures Online, check out the video below.