LOTR MMORPG coming
 

From Middle-earth, the creatures of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" will rise into a new digital world in April with the launch of an online game which has raised the hackles of among some die-hard fans.

Game publishers Turbine Inc. and Midway Games Inc. will on Thursday unveil details of the highly-anticipated massively multiplayer online game, "The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar" with a launch date of April 24.

The game's creators are assuring fans of Tolkien's epic fantasy adventure that the game recreates the vast world of Middle-earth with dedication to the books and players able to create thousands of virtual characters.

But the game, the first Tolkien-based massively multiplayer online offering, was already causing dissent among some Tolkien fans who know all the details of the 1954 and 1955 trilogy.

"I know it is hard to judge a title before you play it but I feel like this won't feel like real Lord of the Rings," said one commentator on video game news and review site GameSpot.com.

Turbine's Chief Executive Jeffrey Anderson said fans from around the globe will be able to join the vast, digital world of Middle-earth to explore the untold stories, interact with legendary heroes like Gandalf, and play a vital role in the War of the Ring.

Turbine, which has a license to Tolkien's literary works, including "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit," is taking pre-orders for subscriptions and granting early access to the game so the first players, so-called Founders, can create their own characters to enter Middle-earth on March 30.

"The Lord of the Rings Online immerses you in one of the greatest literary works of all time," Anderson said in a statement.

Players will be able to create a characters based on one of the four good races -- humans, elves, dwarves and hobbits -- to battle the forces of evil but they will not be able to take over one of the main roles.

"Instead, you'll create your own character who can then play a supporting role to the Fellowship of the Ring by accomplishing quests and battling evil armies," said a review on GameSpot.

Reviewers given a sneak preview of the game earlier this month said digital Middle-earth was a graphically beautiful world with richly detailed landscapes and architecture.

Players will be able to move around the sizable land mass by hiring horses.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/...mes_rings_dc_2

Raph's Girl note: I have a friend who's beta testing this game and he is so far not impressed.

From my point of view, this is just a World of Warcraft game with Lord of the Rings thrown into the mix. All this new game needs is an expansion pack where you can play as enemy races and we're all set for what can become an ugly court case battle *sighs*

WoW didn't create MMO games you know...there were a ton of them before WoW was even a scribbled idea on a napkin. They can't sue over something like that...

Good point.... *tapes her mouth shut*

But yeah, I don't think this will turn out too well for some reason. I guess there is only so much you can milk out of LOTR *shrugs*

There's plenty of people who still play The Matrix Online simply because of the movies. The gameplay is buggy and awful. I don't see why any real man would want to continue playing it.

LOTR has a huge fanbase. I'm sure it'll be pretty successful.

I read an article not so long ago, I think it was on gamespot or gamefaqs or wherever, and they were saying in the article that a Starcraft game would come out. Since no official title has been decided, they called it World of Starcraft. I'm not talking about starcraft ghost here. Its really going to be a MMO.

Its really being developped and should, ''should'', come out some time next year or later.

I'll try to find that article again. Sounds interesting, I don't know how it would turn out, but it does have potential I think.

As for LOTR, well fans are gonna love it, and WoW fans surely will too. Well, those who won't call it a rip off that is..

AHAHAHAHAHA!!! I can't believe people still believe that. World of Starcraft was an April Fool's joke pulled by Gamespot! Classic! :lol:

Well I saw the article in september, it seemed to be fresh news.. :lol:
I must admit that I really fell for it, its indeed a little classic.
Its really sad that they canceled Starcraft : ghost. Heard they might produce it for next gen consoles... We'll see.