Last month, LEGO Universe Design Director Jordan Itkowitz hinted that a major update is coming to the game based on a new LEGO toy line. Well, that new toy line has been unveiled and it's called Ninjago. The product line is full of spinning ninjas (they're masters of Spinjitzu, after all), and they're coming to LEGO Universe in a few weeks!

The new Ninjago-themed adventure zone of Crux Prime will feature a story that unfolds throughout the year, as well as new missions, achievements, gear and items. players must seek out Sensei Wu among the ruins of the Ninjago Monastery to learn the secrets of Spinjitzu.

While you wait for Crux Prime to launch in LEGO Universe, check out the new screenshots in our gallery and the trailer after the jump.

If you're a fast driver in LEGO Universe, you could win some physical and digital prizes. On Jan. 1 and Jan. 2, players are invited to race around the Space Blizzard Race Track in Frostburgh as often as they'd like. The top 20 fastest drivers across all 3 servers will win!

The prize packages are pretty fun for LEGO fans. The top three winners will receive four physical LEGO sets, a copy of LEGO Universe to give to a friend, some in-game items and more! Check out the official announcement for the rules.

As 2010 winds to a close and we prepare for 2011, the ZAM news team decided to take a look back at this year's highs and lows, as well as share what we're excited to see in 2011. Our team has changed a bit recently, so we wanted to take the time to properly introduce ourselves and talk about about our favorite topic: gaming.

Over the next few pages, you'll get to meet Editor-in-Chief Darryl "Togikagi" Gangloff (yours truly), Senior Staff Writer Chris "Pwyff" Tom, Reporter Kayla "Reiyami" Smith and Staff Writer Paul "LockeColeMA" Cleveland. Keep reading after the jump for my personal thoughts on 2010 and then flip through the pages to hear from the rest of the team.

We'd love to know what you thought about 2010. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below, or contact us at news@zam.com. You can also find our individual contact information on the staff list page.

It looks like players are pushing their creativity to the limit in LEGO Universe. The game allows players to build in-game models on their personal properties, and the LEGO Group just announced that more than 86,000 player properties have gone through the game's moderation team in the past month alone! You can view newly released screenshots of some of the best user-generated content in our gallery. The creations cover everything from castles to a Christmas village.

The LEGO Universe team also shed some light on what's in store for the game in 2011. According to a press release, there will be new opportunities for multiplayer interaction, as well as new pet features, faction kits, skills, weapons, achievements and more. You can also expect to see new content based on LEGO's upcoming new toy line.

Design Director Jordan Itkowitz answered some questions on the official LEGO Universe site that shed some light on what players can expect see added to the game in the coming months. He hints at the addition of new worlds, items and gear before making a pretty interesting announcement:

"One of the most exciting things we’re planning for 2011 is based on LEGO’s big new toy line – which I can’t talk about just yet. We’re building an all-new world, new enemies and a fantastic new way to fight them. We’re also creating an epic storyline that will unfold throughout the year, tying this new planet together with Nexus Tower, the Maelstrom and some very important secret artifacts… Stay tuned!"

New toy line? This is good news for all LEGO fans, whether they play the MMO or focus more on building with the physical blocks. Keep reading after the jump for the full Q&A.

The limited edition Frostburgh zone opens up in LEGO Universe tomorrow, Nov. 30, in preparation for the Frostivus holiday event. But if you're not in the holiday spirit, it turns out you'll also have the chance to return to the Venture Explorer!

The Venture Explorer is the ship that acts as the tutorial zone for the kid-friendly MMO. The Maelstrom has overtaken the vessel, and the battle will actually be a challenge for higher-ranking Nexus Force members. Players will be able to earn new missions, achievements and gear, as well as complete the achievements they may have missed on their first run through the ship.

Players who are looking to complete as many achievements as possible should definitely take advantage of this opportunity. And if you need a break from the battle, you can go throw some snowballs in Frostburgh!

LEGO Universe players will be able to celebrate celebrate the Frostivus holiday event with the launch of the limited edition Frostburgh zone on Nov. 30. They can enter the wintery world to complete daily missions, collect candy canes, start snowball fights, build gingerbread homes, open presents, earn winter rewards, tame new Reindeer pets, and meet new NPCs. Players will also be able to race around a winter-themed racetrack, but they'll need to watch out for evil snowmen.

The Frostburgh zone will only be available for the holidays. You can watch the Frostburgh trailer after the jump for a glimpse at the zone, and be sure to check out our collection of Frostivus screenshots.

NerDevil just unlocked three new zones in LEGO Universe that were created by fans who are part of the "World Build League." Players can build snowmen and ride zambonis in DeepFreeze, search for aliens in the space-themed MoonBase area, or take quests from dragons in the fantasy-filled Portabello zone.

These new zones can be accessed via Starbase 3001 in Nimbus Station. To see the areas in action, check out the new screenshots in our gallery or watch the video after the jump. Also, keep an eye out for the next content update in early December that will let you build a holiday Gingebread House on your property and more.

For more details on the game, be sure to read our in-depth look at LEGO Universe. Have you played the game yet?

Players who pre-ordered LEGO Universe may have gotten a pretty big head start, but the doors are now open to all LEGO fans! Today marks the official launch of LEGO Universe in North America, which means the game can now be found on store shelves nationwide.

If you'd like to see the game in action, check out the official U.S. launch trailer after the jump. It shows a good variety of gameplay options, from combat to building with LEGO bricks.

Should you run out and buy LEGO Universe? Check out our recent closed beta preview for our thoughts on the game. You can also read about our adventures in the ninja-filled Forbidden Valley zone for an in-depth look at an area in the kid-friendly MMO.

When I first logged into the LEGO Universe closed beta, I immediately felt like the game was built using physical LEGO bricks. That's the best way to describe it. From creating a mini-figure to running through the zones, it honestly seemed like every piece was pulled from a huge box of assorted LEGO pieces. The level of detail in the game is perfect. While I did notice some minor flaws in the new MMO, it certainly succeeds in offering a fun LEGO world that fosters creativity in players of all ages.

Upon entering the closed beta, I completed a quick tutorial level that gave me a small taste of the main aspects of the game. All characters have three main stats: health, armor, and imagination. Health and armor should be pretty self-explanatory, and imagination is similar to mana in fantasy MMOs since it allows you to use abilities and build items. You can replenish these stats at any time by smashing objects around you. See that bench over there? If you break it, all sorts of icons will fly out, from hearts to Imagination Points. You can also collect items in this fashion, such as LEGO bricks that you can use to build your own creations.