GamesRadar - Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood (Preview)

Nov 19, 2009

We haven’t covered LotRO much recently. There’s no dark reason for this, no sinister conspiracy – it’s just that this is an MMO that’s remarkably adept at keeping its head down and getting on with things. On the quiet, it’s accrued a massive and very happy audience. On the eve of its new expansion, it seems a good time to peer at what the game as a whole is like these days. ...

2010 MMO Calendar Goes On Sale (News)

Oct 26, 2009

The fourth annual MMO Calendar, which raises funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, is now on sale.

Developers of a wide range of Massively Multiplayer Online games have dedicated artwork from their games to the cause. This year, the list includes a mix of old and new games, some yet to come such as Funcom's The Secret World.

Anyone who purchases a calendar is also entered into a prize draw where they can win one of ten prizes for each game that features in the calendar.

LOTRO: EU Expansion Pre-Order Deals Announced (News)

Oct 14, 2009

Codemasters has released the pre-order deals for European players on the upcoming expansion for Lord of the Rings Online; 'Siege of Mirkwood'.

The expansion is launched on 3 December, and EU players can get it for free by opting for one of the special deals listed.

Turbine confirms LOTRO Volume III and Riders of Rohan (News)

Oct 9, 2009

In an exclusive interview with GamerZines, Turbine has today confirmed that Volume III of Lord of the Rings Online will be released in early 2010.

Siege of Mirkwood to be digital expansion for LOTRO, but at what price? (News)

Sep 7, 2009

Since the launch of Book 8 for LOTRO Volume II, it's all been a bit quiet. Volume 1 had several Book Updates which were free content downloads. Not so for Mines of Moria, the "epic conclusion" of Volume II of LOTRO is going to be a digital expansion called Siege of Mirkwood.

Lord Of The Rings Online: Siege Of Mirkwood Coming This Fall (News)

Sep 4, 2009

A second expansion to The Lord Of the Rings Online is on the way. The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood will be released digitally this fall.

EU LotRO Players Welcomed Back (News)

Aug 3, 2009

Codemasters are offering former LotRO players a chance to come back to the game and play for free for one week.

From today, former players can update their client to the latest version and log in to play LotRO for no cost, until 10 August. Players will find their characters waiting for them, so they can resume play from the last time they were logged in.

Lord of the Rings Online: Welcome Back Week July 9-15th (News)

Jul 9, 2009

Examiner.com writes:

"Turbine is offering a "Welcome Back Week" from July 9th until July 15th. For those who have already played Lord of the Rings Online, you can reactivate your account starting tomorrow, and play for a week for free.

For all players of Lord of the Rings Online, you'll also get to indulge in a 25% experience boost (which stacks with rested bonus.) "

Lord of the Rings Online: "Design a Horse" contest (News)

Jul 6, 2009

Examiner.com writes: "Turbine has launched yet another Lord of the Rings Online contest: this time, to design a horse. Using the horse template (previewed here), contestants will want to provide custom colorization and tack for a LOTRO horse, from at least the side view. Winners get their horse placed into the game, recieve a Turbine goody bag, and get a special forum title."

Lord of the Rings Online: Book 8 released (News)

Jun 23, 2009

"This morning, Turbine brought down the Lord of the Rings Online servers to apply the update for Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm. . . Here's a little of what you can expect in Book 8 . . ." (via Examiner)

Start downloading LotRO's Volume 2 Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm (News)

Jun 20, 2009

Announcement of pre-patching availability of MMORPG Lord of the Rings Online next major content update. Volume 2 Book 8's release date is set for June 23, 2009.

Lord of the Rings Online: Book 8 Instances and Raiding (News)

Jun 12, 2009

A new developer blog by Jared "Amlug" Hall-Dugas from Lord of the Rings Online's development team has brought to light many of the changes that will be new to instances and raiding in Chapter 8.

Lord of the Rings Online: Book 8 crafting changes (News)

Jun 3, 2009

A new developer diary for Lord of the Rings Online reveals several special changes to crafting in the upcoming Book 8 update.

Here are the highlights of what's new.

LotRO major update detailed (News)

May 22, 2009

Lord of the Rings Online developer Turbine has revealed the latest patch notes for Volume two of Book eight.

Lord of the Rings Online: "One Kinship To Rule Them All" contest (News)

May 21, 2009

Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) has begun a new contest, called "One Kinship to Rule Them All." A levelling contest for kinships, the winning kinships will have their kinship hall paid for for one year (or get a new kinship hall, and six months of payment). The top kinship across all servers will also receive a special badge for their my.lotro.com page!

LOTRO Book 8 On Test Server Tomorrow (News)

May 20, 2009

IncGamers report that Turbine will open its test server tomorrow, Thursday 21 May, at 7pm EDT to begin testing the next update for Lord of the Rings Online.

Players wishing to take part should ensure they have the up to date client installed and are ready at 7pm. New features such as the Summer Festival await testers.

Lord of the Rings Online: Performance event with prizes (News)

May 15, 2009

Turbine is upgrading the servers for its MMORPG, Lord of the Rings Online, and in order to promote the upgrade, tonight (May 14th) they will be hosting a special "Performance Event" to stress the servers and give away prizes.

Another LotRO welcome back week full of goodies (News)

Apr 24, 2009

A quick look at what Lord of the Rings Online 2 year anniversary welcome back week will include. A lowered subscription fee, bonus experience, and free time for returning players are highlighted.

LotRO: Book 7 Patch 2 Out Next Week (News)

Apr 17, 2009

Turbine has announced that the next patch for its MMO, Lord of the Rings Online, is scheduled for release sometime next week.

The exact date of the patch will be announced "as soon as the schedule is firm". The relatively small update, Book 7 Patch 2, features the new Quest Guide system, which is now finally out of beta. Players will find the system is turned on by default, but it can be toggled off in the options panel in UI settings.

LOTRO: Next Expansion Named? (News)

Apr 3, 2009

Keen-eyed Lord of the Rings Online players have spotted a new Trade Mark application for specifically computer games and related products under the name of 'Riders of Rohan', a possible expansion for the successful MMO.

The application was made on 20 March by 'The Saul Zaentz Company'. On further investigation, this company is behind a number of films including the 1978 animated version of LOTR. It appears that there is a division of Saul Zaentz called Tolkien Enterprises, which owns certain exclusive rights to the literary works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien Enterprises provides the licences to other parties wishing to use LOTR for "various lines of merchandise".

EU LotRO Book 7 Update Goes Live (News)

Apr 2, 2009

Book 7: The Leaves of Lórien, the latest update for Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online, has now gone live on European servers.

The huge patch introduces many new features to the MMO including a new 12-man raid, a revamped new player experience for Dwarves and Elves, a new self-revive function and of course the new area of Lothlórien.

The Elves of Lothlórien will only allow characters into the area if they have the required level of reputation, so a number of quests have been added to allow players to increase their standing with the Elven faction. Once inside, players are reunited with the fellowship and can accept a host of new quests.

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Screenshots)

Mar 31, 2009

Free Week of The Lord of the Rings Online (News)

Mar 28, 2009

BeefJack writes, "Turbine is offering a free week of The Lord of the Rings Online between March 26th and March 31st...

The free week also includes an XP boost..."

LotRO: Book 7 Leaves of Lórien Live (News)

Mar 18, 2009

The latest game update for Lord of the Rings Online has gone live today in the US.

Book 7: Leaves of Lórien introduces many new features to the game including:

* The new self-revive mechanic
* Induction times (time spent interacting with game objects) reduced
* Monster Play emotes
* New area: Lothlórien, with new quests and a new faction, the Elves of Lothlórien
* New player Experience overhaul
* New quest guide integrated with the quest tracker
* New 12 man raid
* Crafting instances
* XP curve change (faster levelling speed)

New LotRO: Leaves of Lórien Screens (News)

Mar 4, 2009

Turbine have just released six new screens of Lothlórien and Book 7.

Lothlórien is the new area in the upcoming Volume 2 Book 7 update, which also features a new faction, several new quests and a reunion with the Fellowship of the Ring.

LotRO Developer Diary: Lothlórien Quest Notes (News)

Mar 3, 2009

The latest 'Quest Notes' article from LotRO developers has been released, revealing details about quests in the upcoming Volume 2 Book 7 update.

Volume 2 Book 7 is a large update that has just begun its test phase. Once on the live servers, players may be reunited with (most of) the fellowship of the ring in Lothlórien, a new area the update.

LOTRO Devs Release Guide (News)

Feb 18, 2009

The developers of Lord of the Rings Online have been adding detailed information on different parts of their game to the official website, and the latest article is a guide to the area known as the Old Forest.

The guide takes players through the rough level they should be to enter the area, through to a list of monsters they might encounter.

No, World Of Warcraft Has Not Been Banned In Australia (News)

Feb 6, 2009

In the wake of reports earlier in the week, a lot of people are under the impression that massively-multiplayer online games are now barred from sale in Australia. Off the shelves. Well, they are not.

Let's clarify what's happened, and look at things from a more practical point of view.

At the moment, most MMO games are unclassified in Australia. That means they are not given a rating by the Classification Board (Australia's equivalent of the Entertainment & Software Ratings Board), despite this being, well, technically against the law.

The MMO Report: January 9 (News)

Jan 9, 2009

Welcome to the very first MMO Report. This week on the report TGR talks about Age of Conan and EverQuest server mergers, soloing in Lord of the Rings Online to level 20, server lag fixes for World of Warcraft zones, and the announcement of a new Eve Online expansion.

How to be a Lute Hero (Feature)

Nov 19, 2008

Dwarves know how to drink. They know how to fight. And most of them know how to pull off a reasonable Scottish accent. But did you know that your Dwarf can play Portal’s “Still Alive” song with a Guitar Hero controller? It sure can, if your Dwarf lives in Lord of the Rings Online, that is.

Combine LOTRO’s rich in-game music system with a Guitar Hero controller, and you’ll have a new reason to make some ...

Win an EXCLUSIVE cloak for Lord of the Rings Online (Feature)

Nov 17, 2008

We don’t usually purchase special collector’s editions of MMORPG expansions. It makes us feel like total tools, like simple fish that bite on any hook baited with an exclusive item or art book. That’s why we usually go to the store and pick up our regular copy like everyone else. But you know what? No matter how much we rationalize our frugal decision to pick up a retail copy, we LOVE those exclusive items! ...

Turbine and Warner Bros. Partner up for The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria (News)

Aug 1, 2008

Turbine has announced their North American product lineup in the wake of a distribution deal with Warner Bros.

The Lineup includes three ways to play Mines of Moria, including The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Complete Edition, Digital Expansion for existing users, and a Collector's Edition that's loaded with mouth watering swag.

Click through for more details!

Lord of the Rings Online Book 14 Update Goes Live Tomorrow (News)

Jul 24, 2008

Codemasters and Turbine have announced that the eagerly awaited update will go live tomorrow.

Codemasters Online Celebrates Father's Day in The Lord of the Rings Online (News)

Jun 11, 2008

In a rather strange scenario, Codemasters Online are inviting fathers from across the UK to celebrate this year's Father's Day in virtual style by taking part in the Father's Day celebrations set to take place across Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings Online.

Retired LotRO players wanted (News)

May 7, 2008

Ex-subscribers to Lord of the Rings Online have been granted a free chance to revisit the MMO and explore updates made to the game since launch.

The "Welcome back to LotRO" campaign, as the free experience is called, runs from May 8 through to May 12 enabling you to blow the dust off your old character(s) and get some play time in.

Naturally if you're so blown away by how the game's changed since you hung up your spurs, you can ...

Lord of the Rings Online Book 13 Update Released (News)

May 1, 2008

Avid Gamer writes;

"Today saw the release of the fifth content update for Lord of the Rings Online. Titled 'Book 13: Doom of the Last-king,' the update brings plenty of content for avid players. There's a completely new region, complete with its own dynamics. It's below freezing in the land of Forochel and you'll regularly need to find shelter or a camp fire. Along with Forochel, comes the Lossoth, a new Faction who are suspicious of any outsiders. On top of that is a new hobby system, the continuing of the official quest and over 100 new quests. Be sure to check out the exclusive new screenshots below."

New shots from LotRO's next major update (News)

Apr 10, 2008

Later in the year Turbine is unleashing the first full-on expansion for Lord of the Rings Online in the shape of Mines of Moria, but in the meantime the developer continues with its free content updates for the MMO.

Book 13: Doom of the Last-king is the next such update, and new screenshots can be seen here. They show the region of Eriador which is being added.

According to Turbine, much of the new content that's ...

LOTRO Spring Festival Full Guide (News)

Mar 19, 2008

Well the spring festival is here and love is in the air and a load of drunk Hobbit's are falling off a fence and people are waking up with nasty hangovers all over Middle Earth.

"The One True Blog" at Gax Online give us this comprehensive guide to the Spring Festival in Middle Earth.

First LoTRO expansion revealed (News)

Mar 14, 2008

Turbine has revealed the first expansion to its decent Tolkien MMO Lord of the Rings Online, which is scheduled in the shops before the end of the year. As True Believers probably already know, The Mines of Moria takes high level LoTRO players underground to battle goblins and other nasties in the old living space of the Dwarves (Gimli's cousin lived here). The expansion raises the original's level cap from 50 to 60, as well as adding two new ...

Turbine promises yearly LOTRO expansions (News)

Mar 14, 2008

Games Industry.Biz writes: "Jeffrey Steefel, executive producer at US developer Turbine, has said that the company intends to deliver yearly expansion packs for the growing MMO Lord of the Rings Online.

The ambitious plan was announced during Codemasters' Connect 2008 event, in which Steefel unveiled the first true expansion to the game, The Mines of Moria, due for release this autumn.

'We're going to have an expansion to the product on an annual basis. So we are going to be keeping up the pace of this game, this game will be evolving, growing and expanding constantly.'"

Codemasters reveals first Lotro expansion (News)

Mar 14, 2008

The first paid expansion for Lord of the Rings Online has just been announced at the Connect Event in Birmingham.

Midway Q4 Losses Rise Nearly $28 Million (News)

Mar 6, 2008

Publisher and developer Midway has released the results of its holiday quarter and full year, showing Q4 sales falling to $77.6 million, and losses rising considerably from $2 million in 2006 to $29.7 million, with execs saying the company has "overcome many of [its] technology hurdles" for a "smoother" 2008.

The company did trumpet the achievement of its Epic co-release of Unreal Tournament 3 for PC and PlayStation 3, which it notes has shipped over a million copies worldwide, and took home a number of awards, as did its The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

Major The Lord of the Rings Online announcement to take place at Connect '08 (News)

Feb 29, 2008

Codemasters Online and Turbine Inc announced today that this years Connect '08 event will be the staging area for a major worldwide unveiling for The Lord of the Rings Online.

Tolkien - Turbine Deal Extends License (News)

Feb 20, 2008

From the article: "Turbine, Inc. announced today that in the wake of the global success of The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, named the 2007 PC Game of the Year*, it has reached an agreement with Tolkien Enterprises to extend it's license to develop Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPG) based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien to 2014 with additional options to extend the rights until 2017."

The Hobbit MMORPG On The Horizon? (News)

Feb 20, 2008

According to the article, Turbine has extended the license with Tolkien Enterprises not only for Lord of The Rings online, but also for making The Hobbit MMORPGs.

Lord of the Rings Online revelation brewing... (News)

Feb 19, 2008

Something big is happening to Lord of the Rings Online next month. What's described as a major announcement relating to the MMO is set to happen at Codemasters' Connect 2008 online game event in the UK this March. We understand Turbine will be flying in to do the deed. That's how big it is. We've contacted Codemasters for more info, but all it would say is that it will be a "MAJOR" - the company's caps, not ours - announcement. But it's hardly ...

"Major" LotRO announcement planned for Connect 2008 (News)

Feb 18, 2008

Codemasters confirmed this morning that a "major announcement" concerning The Lord of the Rings Online will be made at its Connect 2008 conference in Birmingham next month.

The news will hit at a press preview on March 14, ahead of the public event on March 14-15. There are no details on what to expect as regards the LotRO update, but a presentation by developer Turbine has been confirmed.

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar - Book 12: Developer diary (Video)

Feb 15, 2008

Tolkien's classic fantasy world comes to vibrant life in this powerful mix of sophisticated storytelling, mouth-watering graphics, and polished gameplay mechanics.

MMO Charts version 22.0 (News)

Feb 15, 2008

Bruce Woodcock's MMOGChart.com has updated with his latest tracking of MMO subscriptions.

MMOGChart.com is dedicated to research in tracking the growth of subscription-based Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). Each version is updated with new figures, charts, graphs, and Woodcock's analysis.

His latest charts and analysis are listed under Alternative Sources.

Lord of the Rings Online Book 12 Announced with Screens (News)

Feb 14, 2008

From the article: "Turbine has released the details regarding the upcoming Book 12 content expansion for their MMO, Lord of the Rings Online. Book 12 will go live on February 13th and features enhancements such as the 'Outfit System', enhanced monster play, improvements to player housing, and over 100 new quests."

Foreign online games to hit Korea - SC2 'expected' this year (News)

Feb 13, 2008

A wave of U.S. and Japanese blockbuster online computer games will hit South Korea this year, threatening the long-run popularity of locally made games.

About a dozen foreign games, including Blizzard Entertainment's Starcraft 2 and Electronic Arts' Lord of the Rings Online are expected to begin service this year, dubbed in the Korean language. They will be competing with Korean games such as Lineage from NCsoft, Maple Story from Nexon and NHN Games' Dungeon & Fighter.

Lord of the Rings Online: Book 12 - Points of interest (Video)

Feb 13, 2008

Tolkien's classic fantasy world comes to vibrant life in this powerful mix of sophisticated storytelling, mouth-watering graphics, and polished gameplay mechanics.

LotRO's next major update - in screens (News)

Jan 31, 2008

Turbine continues to pour blood, sweat and tears into Lord of the Rings Online, and the next major update in the pipe for the MMO is Book 12: The Ashen Wastes. We've uploaded six screenshots from The Ashen Wastes just for you. ...

Codemasters Hiring Online Game Masters (News)

Jan 31, 2008

"Do you want an exciting career working in online gaming? If you have bags of gaming experience with strong customer service skills then this could be the job for you!"

Codemasters are expanding their GM team and are looking for good people to join their team. The positions are in Düsseldorf, Germany, and applicants must be fluent in English, French or German. Read the announcement in the official forums for details.

Codemasters Connect 08 UK! (News)

Jan 30, 2008

Connect 08 to be held in Birmingham U.K.
You can expect to play mmo's such as RF Online, Archlord, D&D online, LOTR Online, and of course receive beta invites to their new "Mystery MMO" that they will reveal at the event.

Ticket prices are 35 GBP for single day events.
Full 2 day event 55 GBP,
and for V.I.P 100 GBP

35 GBP approx. 70$
55 GBP approx. 110$
100 GBP approx. 200$

Codemasters Online announces new consumer event (News)

Jan 8, 2008

Codemasters Online is to host a two day consumer event to showcase recent and upcoming games, including as-yet unannounced titles from the publisher.

As well as access to over 400 gaming PCs, consumers will also be able to take part in round-table discussions and question and answer sessions with the Codemasters Online team.

"We are ecstatic to unveil plans on this amazing community orientated MMO gaming event," commented Ed Relf, director of marketing for Codemasters Online.

LotRO Gets Prettier With Nvidia and DX10 (News)

Jan 7, 2008

Turbine is extremely pleased to announce that their relatively successful MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online is the first MMO to fully support DirectX 10 and Nvidia's Geforce graphics processors. Utilizing the combined forces of the two, the MMO is now sporting upgraded water shaders, better particle effects, and more far-reaching lighting than ever before, along with a DX10 exclusive dynamicshadowing system. In layman's terms, if you got the right parts, the game just got a lot prettier.

ActionTrip's 2007 Game of the Year (News)

Dec 25, 2007

ActionTrip's 2007 Game of the Year voting poll registered 10673 participants. 1809 registered users voted for Call of Duty 4, 1279 for Halo 3, 1192 for Assassin's Creed, 837 for "None of the Above", 716 for BioShock, 710 for Crysis, 627 for The Orange Box, and so on. The rest of the results can be viewed in ActionTrip's voting poll section.

Â¿ People's Choice: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Â¿ Runners-up: Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Crysis, Half-Life 2: The Orange Box

Â¿ Game of the Year (ActionTrip Staff): Portal
Â¿ Runners-up: Mass Effect, Halo 3, BioShock, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, The Witcher

Â¿ Best Action Game: Halo 3
Â¿ Runners-up: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Half-Life 2: The Orange Box, God of War II, BioShock, Crysis

Â¿ Best Strategy Game: World in Conflict
Â¿ Runners-up: Supreme Commander, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

Â¿ Best RPG: Mass Effect
Â¿ Runners-up: The Witcher, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer

Â¿ Best Sports Game: FIFA 08
Â¿ Runners-up: SSX Blur, NHL 08, Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Â¿ Best MMOG: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
Â¿ Runners-up: Tabula Rasa, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

Â¿ Best Rhythm/Music Game: Rock Band
Â¿ Runners-up: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Â¿ Babe of the Year: Joanna Krupa

Trusted Reviews: Top 20 Games of the Year: Part One (News)

Dec 22, 2007

Trusted Reviews: Games of the Year - Part One.

As our Andy noted back in November, it has been a fantastic year for games, In fact, it's arguably been the best year ever. However, all that bounty has left us in a dilemma. We originally planned a top ten list for the end of the year, but looking at the long list of titles we've been forced to expand that to twenty - and even then we've had to sacrifice a few of our darlings and lose a couple of still great franchise updates that we felt didn't quite do enough to justify inclusion: Sorry Unreal Tournament III and Sega Rally, apologies Guitar Hero III, Football Manager 2008 and Pro Evo.

High Scores for the Games of 2007 - NY Times GOTY (News)

Dec 21, 2007

The New York Times - Seth Schiesel, December 23, 2007:

For gamers 2006 was all about the introduction of Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii systems; there weren't many great games released. This year, by contrast, has delivered one fabulous interactive entertainment experience after another. Even without Grand Theft Auto IV, which was delayed until next year, 2007 has witnessed the strongest lineup of new games since the fall of 2004, when Halo 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and World of Warcraft were introduced.

Even with heavy hitters like Spore, G.T.A. IV and Super Smash Bros. on the horizon for 2008, it will be tough for next year to top the crop of 2007. Here are some of this year's most important, intriguing and just plain amusing games and developments:

Â¿ Best Newcomer
Â¿ Most Difficult Delivery
Â¿ Best Adaptation of an Adored Intellectual Property
Â¿ Best Unambitious Representations of the State of the Art
Â¿ Best Single-Handed Rescue of a Major Game System
Â¿ Game of the Year

Kiddie Porn & Abuse Surrounding MMO Gold Selling (News)

Nov 16, 2007

Most MMO players know the story of IGE and Affinity Media by now, (the owners of WoWhead, Allakhazam, Thottbot and WoWinterface), and their relationship. A really interesting article popped up on Radar Online today which highlights some of the dodgy characters that are involved in the Affinity Media business which had claimed to have no involvement with IGE. Brock Pierce who is an advisor and a board member of Affinity Media, is highlighted in the above article and I have to say there's some pretty unsavoury stuff here pointing at child abuse. This has been brought up before regarding Brock Pierce who has apparently denied charges but there are filed legal cases which he has tried to settle.

In related news, there has been paperwork filed this week where IGE admits that it is Affinity Media (see additional link). Not that anyone doubted it. Next time you hit up an Affinity Media site, just think about who you are supporting and who's pockets your traffic is lining with cash.

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar - Developer diary: housing 11-16-07 (Video)

Nov 16, 2007

Tolkien's classic fantasy world comes to vibrant life in this powerful mix of sophisticated storytelling, mouth-watering graphics, and polished gameplay mechanics.

Gears Wins Big at Golden Joysticks (News)

Oct 26, 2007

Tens of thousands of gamers voted for the true people's awards, held Friday in London, which highlighted the elite titles from the past year across a diverse range of categories.

Undoubtedly the big winner at this year's awards was Microsoft and Epic's stellar third-person shooter Gears of War, which took four top honors. Gears triumphed in the Ultimate Game of the Year, Xbox Game of the Year, The Nuts All-Nighter and the Editor's Choice categories. It also placed third in the 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year and The GameTribe Online Game of the Year categories.

Codemasters received the UK Developer of the Year award for 2007 sponsored by Next-Gen.biz, while Game took the prizes for Retailer of the Year. Nintendo took the Publisher of the Year award ahead of Microsoft Game Studios and Codemasters, while the Wii was labeled Innovation of the Year.

Defenders of Eriador Available for LOTR Online Available (News)

Oct 24, 2007

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. Book 11: Defenders of Eriador continues the epic story of The Lord of the Rings Online adding over 100 new quests, a new 12-player raid, two new areas in Middle-earth and introduces the player housing system. Book 11: Defenders of Eriador will be available Oct 25 2007.

Huge content update for LotRO this month (News)

Oct 18, 2007

Oct 18, 2007 The latest free content update Turbine is whipping up for its MMO Lord of the Rings Online releases this month (on October 25) - and it's a hefty one. In addition to continuing the epic storyline the developer's cleverly intertwined with Tolkien's narrative, Book 11: Defenders of Eriador features 11 skill updates for the Minstrel and Lore-master character classes, new raid and high-level world content, Monster Play enhancements and - deep breath - player housing. "Just imagine ...

Can MMOs save PC gaming? (Feature)

Oct 18, 2007

Oct 18, 2007 There's a glut of fantasy-based MMOs out there, and more are on the way. But for every announcement we receive about a new MMO, it seems that there's another for one that's been delayed, gone free-to-play, or even cancelled. Are these signs of an imminent MMO bubble burst akin to the death of the dot com boom? Is there really room for so many new - and similar - titles for a genre that's known for sucking you in with its never ending content and making bank on monthly fees and ...

Free Guild Wars pet with issue 1 of free MMO magazine (News)

Oct 17, 2007

Issue 1 of MMOZine is out, and it includes a free Guild Wars pet for every reader, plus a chance to win a unique World of Warcraft mount, as well as previews, reviews and tutorials.

Gollum Creeps into Lord of the Rings Online (News)

Oct 9, 2007

Codemasters has revealed that Gollum is set to make his first appearance in Book 11 of LOTRO: Shadows of Angmar and IGN got the first ever exclusive artwork.

Lord of the Rings Online free 7-day trial (News)

Aug 30, 2007

Turbine announced today that they're offering a free 7-day trial for their successful Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. The offer is available for North America, Australia and New Zealand. The press release finally gives us some numbers for LoTRO and says there are "4 million characters calling Middle-earth their home." That's a pretty slick way of avoiding how many actual accounts there are, but Joystiq will totally believe them that it's the "second largest MMORPG" behind the unfathomably successful World of Warcraft. In that race, second place is a perfectly respectable place to be.

Details about second LotRO expansion, Book 10: The City of the Kings (News)

Aug 9, 2007

The Developer's Corner section of LotRO.com has revealed a few details about Book 10: The City of the Kings - Battle for the Ettenmoors, the second content update for Turbine Inc.'s The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

Consoles getting Lord of the Rings MMO? (News)

Jun 21, 2007

Turbine Entertainment is not ruling out a console version of its MMO The Lord of the Rings Online, exec producer Jeffrey Steefel has revealed. "I actually think Lord of the Rings is a platform we can build from. Our license is to build massively multiplayer online games based on the books on all platforms, all across the world, so we want to leverage that over time," Steefel explained in a recent interview. "You know, there are all these different ways of interacting with the world, how can I ...

Lord of the Rings Online (News)

Jun 18, 2007

Lord of the Rings Online is to experience three weeks of fun and general celebration in the game's first Summer Solstice Festival. The event kicks off this Wednesday, and is the first of many in-game seasonal celebrations planned. During the Summer Solstice Festival, LOTRO players will be able to partake in a variety of special quests and events and stuff. "The Summer Solstice Festival," Codemasters Online Gaming has whispered to us, "is called different things by different races. Whether ...

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar Summer Solstice Festival (News)

Jun 18, 2007

Codemasters has revealed details of the first annual Summer Solstice Festival in The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. The Summer Solstice Festival, the first of many planned seasonal celebrations in Middle-earth, will offer players a variety of quests, vendors and events to highlight this special time of year.

LOTR Online free update released (News)

Jun 14, 2007

Turbine, Inc. released the first free update for MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar today. The update, known as Book 9: Shores of Evendim, introduces the titular region, along with 100+ new quests, a raid called the battle for Helegrod, nine new monsters, and "major enhancements" to monsters and ...

First major Lord of the Rings Online update out June 14 (News)

Jun 5, 2007

The Lord of the Rings Online's first major content update will be released on June 14, Codemasters Online Gaming has informed us this afternoon. Book 9: Shores of Evendim is a free update that features seven new collectible epic armor sets, over 100 new quests, the Raid in the Battle for Helegrod (which involves 24 players duffing up a dragon called Thorog in the Misty Mountains), updates to the game's music system that introduce percussion and bass instruments and a new music notation system ...

Lord of the Rings Online - interview (Feature)

Jun 4, 2007

Prior to its release, there was some talk about how Lord of the Rings Online might just be a World of Warcraft clone with better graphics. Even if it were a mediocre game, LOTRO would probably have achieved marginal success just for the fact that it featured Urukai orcs and the occasional Gandalf reference. But criticisms that LOTRO was just another “me too” MMO were soon silenced. In just a little over a month, the game has become quite a success, securing its place as the second ...

Lord of the Rings Online Tops PC Sales in USA and Europe (News)

May 10, 2007

Kotaku reports:

"Midway, Turbine, and Codemasters are completely freaking ecstatic to announce that The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angamar, or LOTRO as we affectionately call it, is the #1 PC game in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. According to the most recent industry reports (see the release), the power of Tolkien and the popularity of the films have brought PC gamers out in droves to get a chance to frolic in Middle Earth."

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Review)

May 1, 2007

Setting an MMORPG in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth seems like a blessing and a curse: on the one hand, the meticulously constructed storylines and rich veins of lore; on the other, an ever-growing legion of critical fans who demand perfection. Mercifully, newcomers and long-time devotees alike should recognize this game as a cunningly crafted love letter to the acclaimed source material. The realistic bent of the art direction might not have the cartoony consistency of World of Warcraft, and ...

Free PC games magazine rules them all (News)

Apr 26, 2007

Issue 5 of PCGZine has a review of The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows on Angmar, and is surprised to find that the final build has polished off the flaws from the beta. The issue also has a hands-on preview of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and an exclusive interview with the developer of World in Conflict, the stunning RTS arriving later this year. As usual, the magazine is free to download and full of PC games previews and reviews.

The full list of games covered in this issue is The Lord of the Rings Online, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, World in Conflict, Overlord, Medieval 2 Total Wars Kingdoms, The Club, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Shivering Isles, Sparta, Genesis Rising, Penumbra and Silent Hunter 4. There are some more smaller previews and reviews, plus gamers' Q&A, etc.

LOTRO: first free update (News)

Apr 23, 2007

Turbine has revealed that June will see the release of the first free content update for its MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. Shores of Evendim, as the update is named, invites players to explores the land of Evendim and introduces 60-plus new quests, nine new monsters and collectible armor sets. In addition, players will be able to raid in the Battle for Helegrod, with an upgraded in-game music system also featuring in the update. Providing some background to the update and Evendim, ...

Lord of the Rings MMORPG opens its doors (News)

Apr 16, 2007

Early adopters who pre-ordered Turbine's MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar are now currently adventuring in the persistent-world Middle-earth. The pre-order offer allows gamers to get into the game 10 days before its full release on April 24. Early access was scheduled to begin on Saturday morning this weekend, but servers actually went live on Friday ...

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (News)

Apr 13, 2007

Publisher Codemasters Online Gaming seems pleased with the news that tens of thousands have taken advantage of their pre-order offer for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. Marketed as “the one MMO to rule them all,” Lord of the Rings Online hopes to lure adventurers to Middle Earth with breakfast-loving hobbits and sultry elves. The bait: a pre-order package offering 30 days of free play, a making of DVD, the games soundtrack, and an exclusive in-game item, The Glass ...

Lord of the Rings Online SE Announced (News)

Apr 12, 2007

Turbine and Midway today announced plans for a Special Edition of The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, revealing the special-ness that will be included in the MMORPG SE. The Lord of the Rings Online Special Edition will be available in limited quantities and contains a number of benefits & bonuses priced at just $59.99 MSRP. The Special Edition includes:

* Full Game on 2 DVD's
* 30-days of free online play
* Free 10-day Buddy Key

and much more.

LOTRO beta key giveway details (News)

Mar 29, 2007

The road goes ever onward and our Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar coverage is building to fever pitch tomorrow, with a massive allocation of 10k worth of beta keys to give away, plus a chance to meet CVG in-game in a special Middle-earth event where the combined forces of CVG, PC Zone and PC Gamer unite in the fellowship to end all fellowships.

EA extend Lord of the Rings license (News)

Mar 28, 2007

Electronic Arts have confirmed that they have agreed to extend the licensing deal with New Line Cinema for The Lord of the Rings franchise.

Turbine opens the floodgates on LOTR Online (News)

Mar 28, 2007

The people who make games like to control the flow of information on their projects. For that reason, you'd be forgiven for thinking the world of betas operates like an underground society where members communicate in code while exchanging secret handshakes. Developer Turbine Studios is shirking this tradition by offering extended pre-release access to its upcoming MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. And extend that access they will, opening up space for one million more ...

Lord of the Rings Online (Preview)

Mar 7, 2007

So weve played the beta, weve chatted with the developers a few times, weve seen the films and weve had our junior-high English teacher read bits of The Hobbit out with a raspy voice and exaggerated hand gestures. But we still dont know what Angmar is, and were still not sure why its got shadows. “Thats where the Witch King rises from, the guy who leads the Nazgul,” explains Codemasters Ed Blincoe while slapping his forehead. “Thats where he started from - he was doing ...

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar - exclusive screens (Preview)

Feb 23, 2007

We could tell you about how you can play as a breakfast-loving hobbit or a Legolas-like ranger in The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. We could gush over the games crisp graphics that makes World of Warcraft look like Diablo II. But even though immersing ourselves in a beautifully crafted world with Nazgûl and knights fills us with glee, thats not what grabbed our attention when we sat down with Jeff Anderson, President & CEO of developer, Turbine. Sure, LOTR Online has ...

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar - updated hands-on (Preview)

Feb 16, 2007

This latest stab at recreating the hallowed lands of Middle-earth doesn't mess around: from the very start you're dabbling in and around the much loved and extraordinarily well-known Fellowship storyline, spanning the lovingly recreated lands of Eriador. Be it clearing the path for Frodo and Sam with Boromir, or bumping into much-loved tree-hugger Tom Bombadil, you'll be thrust into your own personal story within the events of Middle-earth, without necessarily infringing on the adventures of ...

Free Beta keys for LOTR Online (News)

Feb 9, 2007

Friday 9 February 2007 GamesRadar's sister site CVG is giving away free beta keys for forthcoming PC RPG The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar - and all you need to do to get yours is click here and follow the simple instructions. Beta keys allow you to access a virtually complete version of the game and play it as if it were your own, for a set period of time. This means the code and servers can be tested by real gamers so that any previously unseen bugs or issues can be sorted out ...

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Preview)

Jan 26, 2007

Lord of the Rings Online takes the world of the books - the books, yeah, not the movies - and brings it to life in the form of an MMO that looks much like any we've ever played before. After all, every fantasy epic created since J.R.R. Tolkien put pen to page has pretty much been a big LOTR rip-off. That said, what's actually going to drive people to play LOTR Online? If you want to catch up on the basics, by the way, hit our older coverage. Sure, being able to make your very own Hobbit is a ...

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Preview)

Jan 4, 2007

In the wrong hands, the richly-woven veins of lore and adventure that define J.R.R. Tolkien's books could've proved bridling, and possibly insulting - after all, it has in plenty of previous games based upon The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. But a few dozen hours in the closed beta of The Lord of the Rings Online gives the opposite impression: one of freedom and excitement in a familiar world that's nevertheless brimming with untapped potential, whether you enter it as Human, Elf, Dwarf or ...

LOTR Online: PvP revealed (News)

Dec 6, 2006

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, the massively-multiplayer game set in Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy world, will feature an intriguing form of Player versus Player combat called 'monster play'. This will see gamers "inhabit the evil creatures of Middle-earth" to complete quests and engage in battle with other human-controlled characters, according to Turbine, the game's ...

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Preview)

Aug 14, 2006

High-profile licensing is no guarantee of widespread success for MMOs, as Star Wars Galaxies proved. Being faithful to the source can restrict the evolutionary freedom a virtual world needs; on the other hand, a fully-developed franchise can provide a well of detail that's invaluable in quenching these games' ceaseless thirst for content. In this respect, LOTR Online producer Jeffrey Steefel is confident he's sitting on a goldmine. "I could spend all the money in the world to find the best ...

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Preview)

Aug 14, 2006

Monday 14 August 2006 High-profile licensing is no guarantee of widespread success for MMOs, as Star Wars Galaxies proved. Being faithful to the source can restrict the evolutionary freedom a virtual world needs; on the other hand, a fully-developed franchise can provide a well of detail that's invaluable in quenching these games' ceaseless thirst for content. In this respect, LOTR Online producer Jeffrey Steefel is confident he's sitting on a goldmine. "I could spend all the money in the ...

E3 06: The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Preview)

May 11, 2006

It's been at least two years since The Lord of the Rings Online was first announced (albeit under the name Middle-Earth Online), but it looks like players will need to wait a bit longer before wandering around a massively multiplayer Shire. The early version shown is based on the same engine that powers Dungeons & Dragons Online, and while it was running smoothly, there's no release date to announce. The game will offer four races - human, dwarf, elf and hobbit - and seven classes, including ...

Codemasters to rule over Middle-Earth (News)

Mar 6, 2006

Codemasters has snapped up the rights to bring Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar to European gamers later this year. The game is currently in development by Turbine Inc, who has been lovingly recreating JRR Tolkien's Middle-Earth for MMORPG purposes. The action will take place in the north western region of Middle-Earth called Eriador, where the Shire and the Elven Rivendell are located, and its here that the Free-Peoples are fighting a threat from the realm of Angmar and the ...