Alf Seegert writes: This week my board game BRIDGE TROLL is being released by Z-Man Games (it was released in Germany last week). I’m a huge Tolkien fan, as is the artist Ryan Laukat, and my hope is that the troll-theme of the game might appeal to other Tolkien-fans as well. (In the game players get to play bridge trolls who eat and extorts travelers who try to cross their bridges). It would be a huge honor if you found this fit to post on theonering.net! More..

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Lord of the Rings Online, the only MMO based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, is a subscription-driven online title, but it’ll soon be heading into a market filled with free-to-play games. CDC Games, which has more than 160 million users and 13 million active users in China, holds the exclusive distribution rights and expects to launch the game in China during the second half of this year. The Chinese version of Lord of the Rings Online will come with “significant changes” from the version launched in North America and Europe. CDC Games will utilize its extensive knowledge of the Chinese market and research into local customer preferences to alter the game in various ways, including an enhanced player versus player function. CDC is already encouraged by preliminary test data on the game so far, which has shown an activation rate of more than 80 percent during its closed beta test held earlier this year. Lord of the Rings Online to Rule China

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Today, Turbine has released Volume II, Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-dum, the latest major content update for subscribers of The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria (LOTRO). Book 8, which is now available to North American subscribers (available in Europe on 6/25), delivers the next installment to the epic story for Volume II of LOTRO, a new 12-player raid, several rich new instances for small fellowships, major gameplay enhancements, and the Summer Festival. An official press release follows. Turbine has also just released a new Book 8 teaser video and batch of screenshots. Read the rest of this entry »

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WESTWOOD, MA – June 18, 2009 – Turbine, Inc., the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities, today announced that The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™ has been named the winner in the “Gaming” category for the 2009 Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) Awards. The MITX annual awards program recognizes achievements in the development and implementation of innovative technologies. The Lord of the Rings Online, the award-winning massively multiplayer online game, expanded in the fall of 2008 with the launch of the critically acclaimed Mines of Moria, taking players into one of the largest and most dangerous online underground environments ever created.

“We are honored to be named among the best in New England technology by the MITX organization,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine. “It has been an exciting year for Turbine and this recognition is yet another validation of our vision for being the best in online entertainment.” More..

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From Stephany Nunneley at vg247.com: Unlike other MMOs that have had to merge servers, the same cannot be said for Lord of the Rings Online because the user base is expanding, according to Turbine. We asked Aaron Campbell, live producer for the game, if the company had seen a drop off in player activity on certain servers or if there were plans to merge servers in the future. “If anything, The Lord of the Rings Online is growing,” he told us. “We have no plans to merge servers. More..

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Belleferret writes: You may want to report that (not unexpectedly) Sean Astin will be providing the voice of Samwise Gamgee for the backstory for the upcoming game, LOTR: Aragorn’s Quest. More..

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Turbine has just released new batches of screenshots for the upcoming Volume II: Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-dum, the next free content update for Turbine’s The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria. The new LOTRO screenshots depict a new instance to be added with Book 8 – the Hall of Mirrors – which will go live in June. Read the rest of this entry »

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There’s a lot going on with LOTRO this week! Here’s the recap:

Volume II: Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-dûm Spotlight

Beneath the enchanted golden leaves of Lothlórien, you have made your name and won your glory, but the darkness of Moria is calling you back! Find out what awaits in the upcoming free content update for Mines of Moria! More.. Read the rest of this entry »

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Turbine has just released the latest batch of screenshots for the upcoming Volume II: Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-dum, the next free content update for The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria. The new screenshots illustrate the new crafting halls, which will be added with Book 8 in June. Read the rest of this entry »

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Ubisoft, who helped make the Peter Jackson’s “King Kong,” video game are working with Jackson and friend and co-director Steven Spielberg. The game studio announced today at the E3 video game conference that it would be producing and releasing a game version of the two directors’ movie, “Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.”

Said Paramount Digital Entertainment president Thomas Lesinski, “We look forward to working with Ubisoft and the filmmakers to create exciting new interactive adventures for Tintin. The upcoming video game will reintroduce Tintin to a whole new generation of gamers.”

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