Reason for Lord of the Rings MMO Cancellation Revealed by Amazon
By
Alex Hopley
A previously announced Lord of the Rings MMO was canceled last year, and now Amazon is revealing the reasoning behind the move.
Amazon reveals the reason why it canceled a Lord of the Rings MMO last year, stating that Tencent purchasing the planned developer led to serious complications. Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMO was announced in 2019 and, originally planned to be a free-to-play title, it would have allowed players to roam the lands of Middle-earth before any of the events featured in Tolkien’s novels. From a lot of the early discussions surrounding the game, it seemed promising, but nothing concrete was ever revealed.
It was even expected that the Lord of the Rings MMO would release in 2022. But, unfortunately for many who were excited at the prospect of roaming around Middle-earth with their friends, back in April 2021 the game was canceled by Amazon. At the time, there wasn’t a clear reason as to why the MMO was canceled, with the company stating only that there were some contract complications with developer Leyou Techologies. Now, some more details on those complications have been unearthed.
RELATED: Lord of the Rings MMO Canceled by Amazon
It seems that Tencent’s purchasing of Leyou was the primary reason why the Lord of the Rings MMO faced cancellation. Speaking with Gamespot, Amazon Games President Christoph Hartmann discussed the difficulties of working with Tencent, which were amplified when Leyou was acquired by the conglomerate. Middle-earth Enterprises, the company owning the rights to The Lord of the Rings IP at the time, had a contract clause allowing it to terminate its deal with both Amazon and Leyou if either of its partners were acquired.
This is what really brought an end to the Lord of the Rings MMO, as it meant that the project was essentially brought to an end in its current form.
It would have been possible for Amazon to continue to develop its Lord of the Rings game, but it would’ve likely taken on a different developer or would’ve required some very tough negotiations with Leyou, Tencent, and Middle-earth Enterprises. Now, of course, Embracer Group has purchased the rights to The Lord of the Rings and may produce some more games based on the IP in the future.
While Amazon’s venture into producing Lord of the Rings games may not have worked out, it has recently launched its television series based on the works of J.R.R Tolkien, The Rings of Power. While there has been some controversy around the audience reception to The Rings of Power, it seems critics are largely enjoying the show so far, seeing it as a return to form for the epic fantasy that fans of The Lord of the Rings films will be familiar with.
MORE: Westeros Would Be a Good Setting for an MMO
Source: Gamespot
Lord Of The Rings Online To Get «Major Revamp» And Console Versions
By
Lu-Hai Liang
Big things are planned for the MMORPG.
Lord of the Rings Online is an MMORPG that launched 14 years ago, which is a long time in the world of video games. Heck, when the game debuted in April 2007, the PS3 had only been out for less than six months, and Instagram was still three years from existence. How time flies. But that Lord of the Rings Online, which originally included the subtitle Shadows of Angmar, has been running this long is something of a success in itself.
Since the game launched on Windows PC it’s received major updates and expansions, which added new quests and storylines to in-game regions such as Isengard, Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor. Now, it’s been revealed that Lord of the Rings Online will be getting a significant visual overhaul and will get console launches as a major new show, which is set in a JRR Tolkein world, is planned to hit TV screens nex year.
Related: The Lord of the Rings Amazon Show Will Be Nothing Like Wheel of Time
In an investor presentation, that was spotted by Twitter user and Twitcher streamer Miller (per Eurogamer), reliable details were published about forthcoming plans for the MMORPG.
The document, which is published online, shows that expansion pack releases are in the pipeline for Lord of the Rings Online. It also describes the game as «the biggest and truest simulation of Tolkien’s Middle Earth world online.»
The document continues: «Along with Amazon’s new streaming series (reported to be the biggest budget series ever) based on the Lord of the Rings IP, Daybreak is investing in a major revamp to upgrade the visuals, modernize the experience and release on consoles.» These details are published as part of an investor presentation, which is available online. ‘Daybreak’ refers to the publisher of Lord of the Rings Online.
Amazon’s forthcoming series is set in the world envisaged in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books, and is reportedly based on the wider mythology that the English author created for his signature fantasy series. The Amazon series is set to launch in September 2, 2022, and is said to have cost an incredibly large amount of money to produce.
While this new streaming series is not directly connected to Lord of the Rings Online, it is clear that the game’s owners want to make the most of the hype that will likely surround the release of Amazon’s show, and time the planned upgrades and console launches accordingly.
In Lord of the Rings Online players can choose between races such as Dwarves, Elves, Hobbites, and Men, and it all takes place in Middle-earth. This is all quite ironic considering that the book on which the game is based, The Lord of the Rings, has been enormously influential on fantasy MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft and RuneScape, or basically any game that features dwarves and elves and orcs, since it published in 1954.
It isn’t yet known which consoles the game will launch on, but considering the console versions won’t arrive until later next year, it seems the PS5 and Xbox Series are the more likely platforms, but we will have to wait and see.
Next: I Love Old School RuneScape, I Think
Lords of the Rings Online (LOTRO) — official site in Russia, release date, CBT and OBT
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4.5/5 — (80 votes)
Genre : MMORPG | fantasy
Platform : PC
Game engine : Turbine G3
Developer : Standing Stone Games 🇪🇺
Publisher : Standing Stone Games 🇪🇺 Innova 🇷🇺 (to be announced)
Release date : 04/22/2007 (West), ~2022 (Russia)
Payment Model : Free (DLC paid)
Download game : Store on Steam
Official website of : lotro.com (EU/NA)
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System Requirements
Operating system: Windows XP; Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.
0GHz / AMD Equivalent; Video card: 128MB Onboard; RAM: 1GB; HDD: 15GB.
Lords of the Rings Online (Lord of the Rings — LOTRO) is a very popular online MMORPG game in the West from Standing Stone, released in 2007 based on Tolkien’s work. The project was launched in Russia by Mail.ru from 2008 to 2015. At the moment, you can start playing LOTRO for free via Steam, only add-ons are paid. According to the latest rumors, the game may again return to Russia and the CIS countries in 2021 with the support of Innova. nine0004
Read more about the game
Review of MMORPG The Lords of the Rings Online
Fans of books will like the game. They were meticulously recreated according to the maps of the professor of the region of Middle-earth. Also in the game you can feel the magical atmosphere of that very fantasy area.
The game takes place parallel to Frodo’s departure from the Shire. The epic plot of the game takes the hero through the world of the game and introduces the characters.
The plot of the game is served through books. While playing Lords of the Rings you will meet the heroes of the book — Frodo, Sam, Merry, Aragorn and other familiar characters. nine0004
You will visit such locations as: Bree, Shire, Moria, Angmar, Mirkwood and other places familiar from the book.
The following races are available to choose from: Hobbits, Elves, Humans, Dwarves and Beornings. Also, some classes and genders are only available for certain races. LOTRO has the following classes: burglar, keeper of wisdom, guardian, warrior, minstrel and others.
LOTRO — PvE game
The character can learn one type of craft, which allows you to master three professions.
For example, having mastered the craft of an armorer, you can master such professions as a blacksmith, miner and tailor. Also in the game there are legendary weapons and armor that gain experience along with the player. nine0004
The popular MMORPG Lords of the Rings Online focuses mainly on PvE content. There is no PvP mode familiar to all Russian gamers. There is a so-called PvMP (Player vs. Monster-Player) mode. In this mode, you will be transported to a special area. You can play as your playable character as the Free Peoples, or choose a monster and fight for Angmar.
You can also build your home, decorate and furnish your own manor in one of the four dwelling places of Middle-earth: among the cozy hobbit hills in the Shire, in the forest fields of the city of Bree, among the majestic elven trees of Falatlorn, or near the pillars of the Hall of Thorin. nine0004
Official website and release date in Russia in 2021
It is important to know that the game was created based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and not on films.
At the beginning of its history, the game project was distributed on a monthly basis, only later the product switched to a free basis. In the future, you will only have to buy add-ons. By the way, LOTRO provides for the purchase of DLC for in-game currency that can be earned in the game. The player can independently acquire VIP status, which increases the experience gained, gives access to all classes of monsters, and some other bonuses. nine0004
According to the latest rumors, Lords of the Rings Online will be released in Russia in 2021 with the support of Innova. At the moment, the project is in the localization stage, namely: setting up and running servers, recruiting and searching for new employees, translating the game into Russian, and so on. In 2021, we expect the official announcement of the Russian version, the opening of the official website on the Fogeym service, and the first stages of CBT. Follow the news.
GO TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE
BREAKING NEWS
The Lord Of The Rings Online game review, publications, guides, release date and other events MMORPG game The Lord Of The Rings Online
More than a dozen years have passed since the release of the film «The Lord of the Rings», but still, despite for all the abundance of superhero movies, not a single film has been made that even comes close to Jacksonian quality.
Even by Jackson himself. However, unfortunately, the situation in the gaming industry is completely different, because computer projects related to the Tolkien universe are created not from the desire to “create”, but only from the desire of companies to capitalize on a name already promoted by someone else. The 2007 MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online is not particularly original or graphic quality, but it still exists and is even popular. Perhaps only due to the fact that this is the only online game based on the books of the Professor, the number of fans of whose work is increasing over time. Let’s see if anything changes after the release of the Hobbit trilogy. nine0004
The game «Lord of the Rings Online» (or simply «LotRO»), although tied to the plot of the three-volume universe, contains many references to other books. What the game is good for is the carefully written and recreated world of Middle-earth, the names of the territories of which the developers from the Turbine Inc studio looked for in The Silmarillion, and in the Children of Hurin, and in the Tales of Numenor, which was invariably reflected in the locations huge world.:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26783167/lotro.0.jpg)
A fan of the Professor, just for the sake of immersing himself in this atmosphere of great accomplishments, will be pleased to play LotRO, wander around the expanses of Arda, see with his own eyes the greatness of Eru’s creation … Well, not Eru, but the guys from Turbine Inc, but still nice. However, when all the corners are explored and inspected, gameplay flaws will also catch your eye. However, it will not be so easy to explore all of Middle-earth, because the authors have taken the trouble to compensate for the immense size of the map with the number of monsters per pixel square meter. But, as you know, fighting with artificial intelligence is not as interesting as with live opponents, so you hardly want to bypass the joint mode, that is, PvP. By the way, it will be the greater salvation from boredom, the deeper you move along the plot, because the quests here do not please with interest and variety. nine0004
Lord of the Ring
MMO13.ru tried to find the positive aspects of this multiplayer RPG, and, you know, something still happened.
First, I want to praise the work of artists. Yes, the graphics lag behind modern ones (don’t forget that the game is about seven years old), but it is drawn to the smallest detail. This is especially true for landscape differences in individual locations, which is especially valuable for lovers of the Professor’s books. Even in Moria, even in Lorien, you can always find unique local curiosities, and in the course of completing tasks, you inadvertently cross paths with the brotherhood of the Ring or even with the Balrogs of the great Melkor, feel involved in epic events and suffocate with delight. We are pleased with the persistence with which the developers adhered to the original even in our thoughtlessly tolerant age, protecting the precepts of the master from misinterpretation (we’d better refrain from explanations for those who are not in the subject). nine0004
Gameplay
Apart from the four «good» races of the West, you won’t get access to all the variety of Middle-earth creatures in the beginning.
However, in multiplayer mode, having pumped up to the tenth level, you can get the right to create an «evil» character. Moreover, he will automatically be granted the sixtieth level, although this does not mean omnipotence. The power of the hero is proportional to the rating fixed by the corresponding ranks. More anger, more power. If you want to choose a character of a certain combat class, then first of all you need to make sure to choose a race — eight branches of the military, for example, are available only to people. These are guards, burglars, minstrels, knights, defenders, hunters, warriors and readers. With the help of the appearance editor, you can find quite original solutions for giving a unique look to the character. nine0004
The reverse side of the ring
In addition to wars and wanderings in Middle-earth, you can do other useful things. For example, choose a profession. The skills of specialists are rather limited, so this kind of “business” is sometimes interconnected with the type of activity of other users.
