In a recent AGDC interview, Gamasutra talked with Lego's director of business development Mark Hansen and NetDevil's lead producer Ryan Seabury, telling how NetDevil learned from its trials and errors working on Auto Assault and used that gained knowledge to purse the Lego IP deal:

"Around 2004 and 2005, we started to see that more computers were coming into kids' bedrooms," Hansen says, noting that in order to develop a game like LEGO Universe targeted at 8-12 year olds, the era had to favor more kids having access to tech.

"We took initiative and started searching for partners. We talked to over 26 different studios, and we picked one."

That studio was Auto Assault and Jumpgate Evolution developer NetDevil. Hansen said the decision came down to the company's personality, its tech, and its willingness to work with LEGO's vision.

"I still remember the day when we got the email from somebody at LEGO," says NetDevil lead producer Ryan Seabury. The initial missive was so simple that for a moment, the team thought it was a joke. But when it was confirmed, Seabury says, "I literally pushed away from my desk and was like, 'this could be the coolest thing ever.'"

Read the full interview at Gamasutra.