For anyone who is addicted to ‘tower defense’ type games on their iPhone, you will be getting an amazing Christmas present this year. The folks from Glu Mobile are releasing an officially licensed The Lord of the Rings game app for the iPhone titled ‘The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense’.

The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense – Relive the major battles from the epic movie trilogy as you take command of Frodo, Aragorn and many other classic characters in a strategic tower defense game.

Gizmodo has posted a video of the gameplay featuring ‘story mode’ with Aragorn and Legolas are battling some ringwraiths and wargs (or at least it looks that way from the video). This is the first time we are seeing the gameplay, and it is expected to be available in December for download. Jump over to Gizmodo to check out the gameplay. Thanks to TORn Staffer Jincey for the heads up! [Gizmodo] [Glu Press Release]

Clever plot twist, or mere coincidence (with a very decided nod and wink to The Professor)? Either way, a September 22 birthday is shared by two of our favorite Hobbits: Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. In true Hobbit fashion, we are throwing a party of special magnificence on our  Main discussion board. Games, puzzles, poems and other fun activities abound, so be sure and  stop by throughout the day and help celebrate!

There and Back AgainTo celebrate the addition of ‘There and Back Again – The Map of Tolkien’s The Hobbit’ by Brian Sibley to the Official Tolkien Online Bookstore, TheOneRing.net and HarperCollinsPublishers are teaming up to give you a chance to win a copy! This enchanting little clothbound hardback is an essential companion for any reader journeying through The Hobbit. Featuring an entertaining text and detailed gazetteer by acclaimed Tolkien author Brian Sibley, this gift edition also contains a removable fold-out poster-map of Wilderland by John Howe. We’ll choose (3) three winners on September 30th 2010 and post them right here on TheOneRing.net

The entry form is after the break. Thanks to Harper Collins for making this giveaway possible! And don’t forget to pick up your copies today at a local store or through your favorite online source. [Harper Collins UK]

The giveaway is now over! Winners are posted here.

Fantasy Flight Games HobbitNo, no, not the film — it’s a new boardgame by Dr. Reiner Knizia, who designed the recently-republished ‘Lord of the Rings’ cooperative boardgame and many other excellent titles.  Fantasy Flight Games has announced this for ‘Winter 2010’.  Some time back, Knizia indicated that, like the book, this will be a lighter title than ‘Lord of the Rings’ and playable by younger players and non-gamers. 2-5 players represent dwarves who accompany Bilbo on his journey; the goal is to end the game with the most loot!

With the forthcoming cooperative LotR card game and the new edition of the older Knizia LotR co-op (and a likely new edition of the big-box War of the Ring wargame next year), and now this new product, Fantasy Flight is keeping their Tolkien line very much alive.  In any case, this game can keep us occupied on those long Yule nights while waiting for news about a Hobbit movie.

Learn more at the Fantasy Flight Games website. [Click Here]

[disclaimer – I (Ostadan) have nothing to do with FFG, but think they’ve done a fine job in their handling of the Tolkien game license, unlike some other companies I could mention…]

On September 21, 1937 ‘The Hobbit’ was first published in Great Britain to great success. In fact, it was so successful it took J.R.R. Tolkien a bit by surprise. In a letter to his publishers the following month he commented: “At the moment I am suffering like Mr. Baggins from a touch of ‘staggerment.’” Staggerment, indeed! Little did The Professor know the millions of lives he would touch with his little story about a simple Hobbit who rushed out of his door one day without any money or a handkerchief. Happy 73rd anniversary to The Hobbit!

Thanks to Ringer Kookie for this heads up from the NY Times:

Sahara India Pariwar, an Indian conglomerate with real estate and media holdings, says it has made a $2 billion bid to buy the debt of the struggling Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was unclear how MGM’s committee of creditors viewed the offer. A spokeswoman for the studio declined to comment. The offer came a day after MGM said it had received another extension on an agreement to put off interest payments on about $4 billion in debt until Oct. 29.

[Full Story]