The Lego Group announce that it's selected newly opened studio Dire Wolf Digital to produce a trading card game based on its upcoming Lego Universe massively multiplayer online game.

This agreement with Dire Wolf allows the company to not only create a physical collectible card game, but also digital products for PC, Mac, and mobile devices. The studio doesn't plans to release the Lego Universe card game until 2011, while the NetDevil-developed MMO will launch on October 26, 2010.

Based in Denver, the studio is headed by Sony Online Entertainment Denver's former head Scott Martins, and is staffed by veterans from SOE and Worlds Apart Productions (acquired by SOE in 2006). Martins and his team have previously specialized in creating online trading card games like Legends of Norrath and the Free Realms TCG.

The developer says it has an "Anytime, Anyplace" approach for its technology, which is designed to enable consumers to "play from multiple types of clients (web/social, mobile, console), all connecting to a single back-end." Dire Wolf's deal with the Lego Group allows it to potentially implement this concept with its Lego Universe project.

"Creating a game with the Lego Group and NetDevil is an exciting opportunity, allowing us to work with a beloved brand and great business partners," says Martins. "The creativity and ‘build anything’ spirit of the brand and Lego Universe fit perfectly with trading card games, where players are limited only by their imaginations."