Amazon Games, developers of the acclaimed New World online RPG game, are heading development of a new multiplayer The Lord of the Rings video game.
Embracer, the fresh new owners of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, are licensing the Middle-earth MMO gaming rights to Amazon Games, whose first and only game, New World, was a big bold swing into a crowded massive-multiplayer-gaming space against Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, No Man’s Sky, and of course LOTRO.
This new LOTR MMO game will be a persistent open world Middle-earth set in the third age, but not based or connected to Amazon’s billion-dollar The Rings of Power TV series. Development is currently planning to launch on PC and console.
Reviews for Amazon’s New World currently sit at 6/10 on Steam with 200,000+ reviews, and a Metacritic score of 70. Metacritic is basically Rotten Tomatoes for video games, averaging review scores from professionals and the community. From what we have read, New World was praised for good modern graphics and multiplayer engagement, but with a limited set of innovative game mechanics.
This new game is unrelated to the cancelled LOTR online MMO game that was being developed in China. Amazon is building this in-house with its team from an earlier acquisition of Double Helix, a successful studio responsible for many franchise spinoff games like Enter the Matrix, Star Wars Episode III, Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb, Killer Instinct, G.I. Joe, Silent Hill, and more.
Fans may welcome a next-gen Lord of the Rings MMO experience, as one of the common knocks on the hugely successful (and still updating) LOTRO is the dated graphics. Amazon Games will have their work cut out for them to differentiate from Peter Jackson’s cinematic world, Standing Stone Games’ deep lore gaming in LOTRO, and the future secrets from The Rings of Power. LOTRO is still one of the best reviewed MMO games, even after 16 years of fresh expansions.
Standing Stone Games shares a peek at the new Lord of the Rings Online expansion Before The Shadow which dives into tales from the past. After 15 years, LOTRO is bigger than ever!
Prepare for the latest expansion to the long-running Middle-earth MMO game Lord of the Rings Online (abbreviated LOTRO) with these early images from Before The Shadow‘s in-game engine. Two new areas to venture through: the reedy fens of Swanfleet and the moors of Cardolan. Features include:
Questing from levels 1 to 32 in addition to four new Books for new characters
Two new regions: Swanfleet and Cardolan
A new Six-person Instance
A new Skirmish
A new Delving difficulty system: Higher level characters can increase the difficulty of new missions to earn great rewards!
New Themed Missions Wrapper: Earn rewards by completing daily and weekly rotating Missions!
The developers of the latest update will join us for TORn Tuesday tomorrow, Nov 15, at 5pm PT / 8pm ET.
First up have a look at Cardolan!
The new Swanfleet area!
Tune in on YouTube for a chat with the development team this Tuesday 5pm PT at youtube.com/theoneringnet. Be sure to Subscribe and turn on notifications for when we go live!
While security-related incidents haven’t been as common in recent months as they were earlier this year, when we learned about games and game-related websites being hacked on what felt like an almost daily basis, these things do still happen. Turbine has notified The Lord of the Rings Online players that the official forums may have been hacked recently and suggested they take precautions to minimize the potential impact.
In an email sent out to users last night users were told, “Turbine is concerned that a third-party recently may have attempted to access forum account information.” It says it doesn’t believe accounts were modified or compromised; regardless, it would be wise for users to change their LOTRO forum passwords to one that isn’t used elsewhere. (That’s a tip which should be followed with every password you make, especially in light of how many things have been hacked this year.) It sounds as if this incident took place on or prior to October 11, as it notes that if you’ve changed your password since that date you have nothing to worry about. More..
Today, Turbine has released a new video and screenshots from The Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard, the upcoming expansion to the award-winning MMO, which will launch on September 27th. A new Developer Diary video features members of the development team speaking about Isengard and new screenshots depict action within the new Isengard region. Continue reading “New Video & Screens, Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard”
Today, Turbine has released a new batch of screenshots from The Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard, the upcoming expansion to the award-winning MMO, which will launch on September 27th. The new screenshots provide a closer look at the continuation of the epic story! If you will be attending Gamescom and/or PAX Prime and would like to set up an appointment with Turbine, or if you would like to preview the expansion and get access to the Rise of Isengard beta, please feel free to contact me!
THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE™: RISE OF ISENGARD™
Explore Three New Regions! — The time has come for you to turn eastward, toward the vale of Isengard. Where ancient forests once flourished, a corrupted waste of metal and wheels suffers under the thrall of the traitorous wizard Saruman. Here, in the shadows of the tower of Orthanc, gathers an army of Orcs and Uruk-hai, toiling to make ready for war. Forge ahead into these devastated lands and uncover new quests, skills, and traits as you strive to thwart Saruman’s ambition. Continue reading “LOTRO: Rise of Isengard Expansion – New Screens of the Epic Story!”
