Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment unveiled today The Lord of the Rings Online™: Rise of Isengard™, the latest expansion to the award-winning free-to-play massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) developed by Turbine. Rise of Isengard will expand the online world of Middle-earth where players will join forces to press further eastward into the legendary region of Isengard. Rise of Isengard will be available for purchase in the LOTRO Store in the Fall of 2011 with an increased level cap, the new region of Isengard including the legendary tower of Orthanc, enhancements to monster play and much more!
“2010 has been a year of unprecedented growth for The Lord of the Rings Online with our successful introduction of a free-to-play option for our players,” said Kate Paiz, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online. “This is going to be another outstanding year for the game as we progress on our journey toward Mordor and it all begins with our upcoming November update. The journey will carry through 2011 ending with our arrival in the epic region of Isengard where players will confront the raging war and shadow that has spread across Middle-earth.” Continue reading “LOTRO: Rise of Isengard Announced!”
San Mateo, Calif.- November 18, 2010 – Glu Mobile Inc. (Nasdaq: GLUU), a leading global publisher of social games for smartphone and tablet devices, today announced the availability of The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense, on the App Store. The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense is a strategic tower defense game based on the unique characters and locations from the blockbuster movies.
Looking at 2011 and beyond, the action role-playing genre is very much alive and well. Between Torchlight II, Dungeon Siege III, Darkspore, and Diablo III — whenever it winds up being finished — there are a lot of cool games on the way. One of the more promising is Snowblind’s Lord of the Rings: War in the North. In case you’re not familiar, the folks at Snowblind were responsible for the gleefully addicting Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. Based on what they’re saying about War in the North, it sounds like they’re doing everything right.
But hang on a second. Do you know what an action-RPG is? Basically it’s a game like Diablo where you run around dungeons and kill tons of stuff at a fast pace. That stuff then drops equipment and items you can use or sell, and in the process you gain experience to level up and learn new skills. Mix in the occasional vendor visit to clear inventory space, stock up on restorative items, and advance the story, and then it’s right back into the field to hack away at swarms of enemies and powerful bosses. More..
Robert Purchese writes: The Lord of the Rings Online may never get another proper expansion pack, producer Aaron Campbell has told Eurogamer – the free-to-play relaunch has taught Turbine “a lot” about “pacing” of updates. But don’t worry – next year’s trip to Isengard will be just as good. “Expansions classically have a few things tied to them,” Campbell educated. “They have something along the lines of a new system; they typically have a level cap tied to them; and they have some epic piece of content or arc to hang their hat on – an important place in the world that people want to go to. More..
The Games blog caught up with Mr Gollum himself to discuss the role of Monkey and his passion for performance capture. Andy Serkis as Monkey in Enslaved Andy Serkis as Monkey in Enslaved Since his breakthrough digital role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Andy Serkis has become the film industry’s go-to thespian on all things digital. And after he won games critics’ hearts (if not, perhaps, consumers) with his contribution to last month’s Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, we thought we’d find out a bit more about what tempts a high-profile actor to spend hours wearing only a skintight black bodysuit covered in Pritt Stick and ping-pong balls. More..
Ostadan writes: Fantasy Flight Games’ new ‘Hobbit’ title by Reiner Knizia is apparently already in stores in Australia (not yet in North America; perhaps shipping from China has something to do with this), and a review has been posted to boardgamegeek:
“The Hobbit is a great little game, perfect for families. It also makes a nice 45 minute super-filler for gamers who want an appetiser before playing something deeper. Components are attractive, the rules are so straightforward that Grandma can be playing in five minutes, and there are plenty of laughs and groans as the dice come out at adventure time. Recommended for families, and gamers who want something light and fun.”
The Games blog caught up with Mr Gollum himself to discuss the role of Monkey and his passion for performance capture. Andy Serkis as Monkey in Enslaved Andy Serkis as Monkey in Enslaved Since his breakthrough digital role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Andy Serkis has become the film industry’s go-to thespian on all things digital. And after he won games critics’ hearts (if not, perhaps, consumers) with his contribution to last month’s Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, we thought we’d find out a bit more about what tempts a high-profile actor to spend hours wearing only a skintight black bodysuit covered in Pritt Stick and ping-pong balls.