The still-in-the-pipes LEGO Universe online MMO title that has been in development for some time looks to be getting close to release, with the news that beta sign ups will be taken at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Developer NetDevil, who has been working on the LEGO Universe MMO project for some time now, will be showing off its progress at CES with the first hands-on demos.  This will allow eager LEGO fans to have a look at the progress made on the title.

Beyond showing up at CES and actually being able to get in so that you can sign up for the beta, we hear rumors that by subscribing to the game's official newsletter, you can also be notified when the company will be accepting additional eager fans to participate in the next beta cycle.

While we continue to hear a lot of talk about when LEGO Universe will actually be released, it seems that no one at NetDevil is talking about this. Our sources, however, seem to think that they are getting closer to release; and right now, odds are getting more likely that it will be released at some point this year.