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[Mista]

Amazon Game Studios has announced it will collaborate with Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited and Middle-earh Enterprises to develop and publish a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game based on The Lord of the Rings for console and PC. A title and release date were not announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via Amazon Game Studios:

Set in the world of Middle-earth portrayed in The Lord of the Rings literary trilogy, the game will give fans around the globe a new, immersive game experience for epic exploration of the vast world of Tolkien. In addition to the game development collaboration, Amazon Studios is separately developing a new Amazon Original TV series based on The Lord of the Rings for Prime Video unrelated to the game.

Amazon Game Studios and Leyou will jointly develop the game for PC and consoles, and Amazon Game Studios will market and publish the title globally with the exception of China, which will be managed by Leyou. The collaboration brings together Amazon’s game technology and talented MMO developers, and Leyou’s expertise in designing free-to-play games and operating live-service games.

“We’re committed to bringing customers games of the highest quality, both with our own original IP as well as beloved cultural pillars like The Lord of the Rings,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP, Amazon Game Studios. “Tolkien’s Middle-earth is one of the richest fictional worlds in history, and it gives our team of experienced MMO developers–from the same studio developing New World–tremendous opportunity to play and create. We have a strong leadership team in place to helm this new project, and we’re actively growing our team to help build this incredible experience.”

“Bringing Middle-earth to life necessitates having the very best partners, and Amazon’s customer obsession, technology, and talented teams make it the ideal choice for a co-developer and publisher,” said Alex Xu, CEO of Leyou Technologies Holdings. “We believe our combined resources and expertise will result in a beautiful and compelling game that customers will love and play for years to come.”

“Who among us hasn’t wanted to take part in an epic adventure,” said Fredrica Drotos, Chief Brand and Licensing Officer at Middle-earth Enterprises. “More than 60 years after the publication of The Fellowship of the Ring, we’re delighted that Amazon Game Studios has partnered with Leyou to bring their respective expertise to build a much anticipated game that will immerse us in the beloved, epic world of Middle-earth, envisioned by Professor Tolkien.”

The Amazon Game Studios leadership team includes veteran developers who helped create of some of the world’s most popular MMO games. Amazon Game Studios is also home to New World, an in-development sandbox MMO game set in an alternate 17th century world.

Amazon Game Studios announces free-to-play The Lord of the Rings MMO for console, PC

Amazon Game Studios has announced it will collaborate with Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited and Middle-earth Enterprises to develop and publish a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game b…

gematsu.com

 

[CRON]

"We need peoples' data! They didn't like the Fire Phone, only the elderly are buying Echo stuff, and the last time we tried gaming, it failed!"

"What if we tried it...again?"

"Good idea. What do nerds like? Lord of The Rings? They still like that? Let's roll with it."

 

[Deleted member 738976]

Can I get Killer Instinct 2 instead?

 

[Fuz]

We already have LotRO. Which is pretty great, actually one of the best MMOs I've played (best classes in any MMO by far). Too bad it's old now and would need a graphical overhaul to attract the masses.

 

[mckmas8808]

Wasn't Amazon making their own streaming video game service?

 

[Mihos]

'free to play' is one of my trigger words second only to 'mobile game'

 

[JimiNutz]

Is this in any way related to their new LotR TV show?

 

[Deleted member 752119]

.....only the elderly are buying Echo stuff....

I don’t think that’s true. We have a couple, and most all our friends and colleagues have them and we’re mostly 30 and 40 somethings, with a few in the 50s. So maybe it’s an urban upper middle class thing, but not an elderly folk thing. I did buy my parents one and they love it though.

We all love them and use them regularly for music, news, weather, adding things to our grocery list app, and control lights, fans etc with smart plugs.

 

[Trogdor1123]

I don’t think that’s true. We have a couple, and most all our friends and colleagues have them and we’re mostly 30 and 40 somethings, with a few in the 50s. So maybe it’s an urban upper middle class thing, but not an elderly folk thing. I did buy my parents one and they love it though.

We all love them and use them regularly for music, news, weather, adding things to our grocery list app, and control lights, fans etc with smart plugs.

Was going to say this too. We have nearly entirely our entire house setup as a "smart" house. It's fantastic.

We're in our 30s. Maybe that's old now haha

 

[BigBooper]

Any bets on how long until they announce it's cancelled? I feel like anything AGS does gets cancelled.

I'd love a new good LOTR mmo though. LOTRO was great.

 

[haxan7]

Interesting.

I wonder if it will be at a quality level to compete with WoW, FFXIV, and ESO.

I'm skeptical of the free to play model for an MMORPG, but who knows how it will turn out.

 

[Domisto]

Seriously Amazon - you own Twitch and are giving away as many games as Epic on your own launcher with a multi-billion empire backing it all. How are you fucking this up?

 

[Northeastmonk]

I played hours and hours of LOTRO with a group. Once you get a horse its much more enjoyable. I absolutely hated the sounds to the game and the graphics needed to be updated. I can't imagine playing it again. I bought one of the expansions and never went back to the game. It felt like LOTRO was the MMO for LOTR until they made something better. I don't exactly understand why this has to be made. I'd imagine the fan base LOTRO has is pretty solid and might not budge just because this is a new game.

If I remember correctly LOTRO had a rough start at first and it took a while before it actually took off. When I played the game it had a ton of content. I just got bored with MMO's. Turbine must have worked their asses off because the game is decent enough for whoever wants to play it. I'm skeptical. I think they might be taking on something they do not quite understand.

 

[theHFIC]

At this point Amazon should just have the launch announcement and the cancellation announcement in the same press release for their game projects. We know how this story is going to end.

 

[GreenAlien]

We already had a LotR MMO... why make another one? What a waste..

 

[Alan Silvestro]

yawn.gif

 

[Helios]

Apparently with a " team comprised of veterans from popular MMOs like Everquest, Destiny, World of Warcraft, Planetside, and more. "
There are no names, as far as I know but that gives me the slightest bit of hope.


Nvm, I just realized since it's made by amazon it's going to try to shove Prime down everyone's throat.

 

[Solarstrike]

What? This will be interesting. Really been hoping for a new Middle Earth game or any LOTR game for that matter. Worth mentioning is that Lord of the Rings Online is still a thing, since 2007. It even has HD textures now and looks quite good! I've been playing that on and off and the atmosphere, music, environments, are superb. It's on Steam, just download and play if anyone is interested:

"Episode 506" Yes, there are 505 other videos to watch. Great stuff

 

[NickFire]

They have the cash to make a great game. Hopefully they pull it off.

 

[Pejo]

What? This will be interesting. Really been hoping for a new Middle Earth game or any LOTR game for that matter. Worth mentioning is that Lord of the Rings Online is still a thing, since 2007. It even has HD textures now and looks quite good! I've been playing that on and off and the atmosphere, music, environments, are superb. It's on Steam, just download and play if anyone is interested:

"Episode 506" Yes, there are 505 other videos to watch. Great stuff

100% the best thing about this game were the musical instruments. I had so much fun jumping my horses on the various roofs of a town and then busting out my various instruments and playing enter sandman lol.

For the uninitiated:


Lmao it was shit but that's what made it so fun.

 

[johntown]

Was excited for a second until I saw free to play and MMO.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

Was excited for a second until I saw free to play and MMO.

I'll still wait and see on it. Warframe and Path of Exile are F2P and not very intrusive with monetization if you just play casually to do the missions and not min-max powering up and doing end game stuff (that holds no appeal to me anyway).

 

[Ian Henry]

Where dat console at tho?

 

[johntown]

I'll still wait and see on it. Warframe and Path of Exile are F2P and not very intrusive with monetization if you just play casually to do the missions and not min-max powering up and doing end game stuff (that holds no appeal to me anyway).

POE is great and really the only F2P game that I like. Cannot really speak to Warframe. If they were to design this game like that I would support that 100%

 

[Ornlu]

'free to play' is one of my trigger words second only to 'mobile game'

Mine is "Lord of the Rings".

People have been doing horrible, horrible shit with the IP.

 

[Ol'Scratch]

This was actually first talked about a while back, but Amazon being part of it is new. LotRO say what you will but at the time it was a beautiful game and I loved riding around going to all of the famous places and sight seeing. I loved most of all that they stayed far away from the movies which even though it was a legal thing was still a bold thing because with things like Marvel and other thing now everything has been changed and tainted to conform to the movies and it is really sad. The color palate and everything about it was just amazing. But there was only so much that they could do and eventually they had to hit a jump the shark moment and they did.

 

[Hari Seldon]

I would be a lot more excited if f2p wasn’t in that description. F2p mechanics just ruin MMO design.

 

[Spukc]

Nice hope they release the limited collectors cock ring edition

 

[zeroFiveNine]

F2P announcements have way more impact when they end with "and you can play this next week" or "available right now".

Hasn't anyone learned anything from Apex's launch?

 

[Norse]

yawn.gif

Took the words right out of my post lol

 

[PerfectDark]

f2p this game will never release.

Someone go make a Star Wars Galaxies 2. And take all my money.

 

[Iorv3th]

They announced it but had nothing to show at all?

 

[saintjules]

 

[Zoro7]

Lol

 

[jhjfss]

 

[HaveButOneLife]

I was really looking forward to this. Cancel New World too, that game looks terrible.

 

[Corgi1985]

star wars galaxies was the only decent MMO ever made anyway

 

[BigBooper]

So Amazon will never actually release a game, right?

 

[The_Mike]

I was really looking forward to this. Cancel New World too, that game looks terrible.

Agreed. The LOTR mmo must really have been shit if they cancel that and let's new world live.

Only reason that new world is hyped is because its the only real new mmo being released soon.

 

[TLZ]

What about the show? Weren't they supposedly making a show?

 

[Fuz]

What about the show? Weren't they supposedly making a show?

Oh god let's hope not.