LOTRO License Extention

[phaiLbuS]

Well there you have it. Turbine is going to extend the license past 2014! If you do not believe me, go read the 20 Questions thread Turbine just posted. Q16 is about the license, and Sapience answers that Turbine will continue to work on LoTRO for years to come.

WOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IttleBubba]

I hear rumors it will be extended until 2098. Discuss.

[Tarlywyn]

I hear rumors it will be extended until 2098. Discuss.

The end of the real world would've come by then

[Elrantiri]

I hear rumors it will be extended until 2098. Discuss.

I made up rumours that the license won't be extended and Turbine will only work on the game for their own private server. Discuss.

[Whart]

Until Turbine puts in writing that they have extended the license to a certain date, we have no proof of any extension. The mods may enjoy toying with people, but without an official statement that says 'Turbine has signed an agreement that extends the contract until x date,' we have no evidence that the license has been extended in any way, shape, or form. That said, I couldn't care less whether it's been extended or not. LOTRO will end when it ends, so who cares what they say about the future if it doesn't affect the parts of the game I and my friends care about? I can keep running slayer deeds in the Shire until they pull the plug on the servers, and when it ends I will find something else to do with my life.

[Elrantiri]

Until Turbine puts in writing that they have extended the license to a certain date, we have no proof of any extension. The mods may enjoy toying with people, but without an official statement that says 'Turbine has signed an agreement that extends the contract until x date,' we have no evidence that the license has been extended in any way, shape, or form. That said, I couldn't care less whether it's been extended or not. LOTRO will end when it ends, so who cares what they say about the future if it doesn't affect the parts of the game I and my friends care about? I can keep running slayer deeds in the Shire until they pull the plug on the servers, and when it ends I will find something else to do with my life.

Well, they don't actually have to sign an agreement as far as I know. Their current license has an option that extends the license to 2017, so they just have to make use of that option.

[Darmokk]

Well, they don't actually have to sign an agreement as far as I know. Their current license has an option that extends the license to 2017, so they just have to make use of that option.

So... did they? Is there a signature on some piece of paper?

[Elrantiri]

So... did they? Is there a signature on some piece of paper?

What I tried to point out is that they might not have to put a signature anywhere.

https://twitter.com/rickheaton/statu...14527734038529

[MarkoftheRealm]

I predict that this debate over whether a signature has been put on a piece of paper to extend the game beyond 2014 will still be going on in 2015.

Discuss!

[probitas]

What I tried to point out is that they might not have to put a signature anywhere.

https://twitter.com/rickheaton/statu...14527734038529

Not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure than any kind of legal document that offers an extension option would require that option to be exercised in a valid legal way, meaning signed and notarized documentation. They can't let it lapse and then later verbally claim, well we said we would, that's enough, right? Nope, not a chance.

Not trying to haze or troll, just pointing out something that should be clearly obvious to anyone that has signed a mortgage, a lease, or any other binding contractual obligation. If it doesn't get documented (like most verbal agreements should still be drawn up and signed and notarized, otherwise it's not really binding, it's she said he said, which don't hold up in most courtrooms), it's vapor.

[Eartholloth]

Yeah & if a paper was shown people would say oh it's a fake.

This is ridiculous how people are picking this apart. They said it has been extended.

BE HAPPY!!!!

[kickman77]

On another note, McDonalds is currently coming to the end of their agreement with Coca Cola. Until I see a piece of paper with a signiture on it that says McDonalds will have Coca Cola well past 2013, im going to worry. Even though McDonalds has told me they will serve Coke long into the future.. I need to see it with an exact date.

(this post is supposed to be satirical and not serious in any way shape or form... as far as I know McDonalds will still be serving Coca Cola.)

[DrnknElf]

On another note, McDonalds is currently coming to the end of their agreement with Coca Cola. Until I see a piece of paper with a signiture on it that says McDonalds will have Coca Cola well past 2013, im going to worry. Even though McDonalds has told me they will serve Coke long into the future.. I need to see it with an exact date.

(this post is supposed to be satirical and not serious in any way shape or form... as far as I know McDonalds will still be serving Coca Cola.)

I hate to be that person but agreements such as this example aren't always valid. In many cases the reason you see the same brands of drinks at certain restaurants is because one company owns the other or are owned by the same parent company. While there may technically be a chance for the restaurant to have another company's brand of drinks in the restaurant the chances of if happening are close to zero.

As for the topic, there's no reason for an announcement at this time simply because it's not time for an announcement. Yes, there's a stated option to extend the license but until it's quite a bit closer for the time for the license to run out there is little chance of any announcement because the the extension option has not yet been exercised. There are multiple reasons for this. WB (as Turbine's parent company) may want to negotiate a new contract instead of exercising the option and until it's much closer to the time to negotiate a new contract, renegotiate the old contract or exercise the option. It's in both parties' interests to wait as neither party would find any reason to conclude a contract this early.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that a new contract is negotiated since the old one was for Turbine and LotRO only. Now that Turbine is owned by WB and WB has outside interests due to the Lord of the Rings movies and Hobbit movies it may very well be more beneficial for WB to negotiate a new contract with all of the licensing under an umbrella contract.

As it is, everything in this thread is baseless speculation including my own opinion of what may happen. However, I'm attempting to look at this from a business point of view and at no point do I see an advantage for WB/Turbine or Middle Earth Enterprises to have concluded any new business contracts with regards to a license which could even be announced.

[kickman77]

I hate to be that person but agreements such as this example aren't always valid. In many cases the reason you see the same brands of drinks at certain restaurants is because one company owns the other or are owned by the same parent company. While there may technically be a chance for the restaurant to have another company's brand of drinks in the restaurant the chances of if happening are close to zero.

As I said in my post i was making an attempt to be funny Thats all. I do know that when the Community Manager does state in more than 1 place that plans are for Turbine to be working on LOTRO for quite some time, I take that as saying that the contract is done and the ink is dry. I highly doubt Sapience being the voice of turbine to its community would make a statement like that if it wasnt the case. I just think some people are trying to read more deeply into something than need be. As for my joke it was meant to show that not everyone knows what goes on with every company they do buisness with. I could easilly switch it from McDonalds and Coca Cola to Jc. Penny and Donald Trump. That was the satirical point I was trying to make.

[enginekid]

Well there you have it. Turbine is going to extend the license past 2014! If you do not believe me, go read the 20 Questions thread Turbine just posted. Q16 is about the license, and Sapience answers that Turbine will continue to work on LoTRO for years to come.

WOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

post a direct link please

[Mrnarfy]

They are extending the contract till 2015.... the 1st..... of January.

[enginekid]

They are extending the contract till 2015.... the 1st..... of January.

pls provide a link to the source

[Edrogar]

Not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure than any kind of legal document that offers an extension option would require that option to be exercised in a valid legal way, meaning signed and notarized documentation. They can't let it lapse and then later verbally claim, well we said we would, that's enough, right? Nope, not a chance.

Not trying to haze or troll, just pointing out something that should be clearly obvious to anyone that has signed a mortgage, a lease, or any other binding contractual obligation. If it doesn't get documented (like most verbal agreements should still be drawn up and signed and notarized, otherwise it's not really binding, it's she said he said, which don't hold up in most courtrooms), it's vapor.

Not necessarily, it depends on how the contract is written, it's not exactly the same thing but there's a chance it could be similar, i deal with tenancy contracts a lot and some of ours are written in a way that they have an end date, an opt out date and an extension period, they can opt out of the agreement at the opt out date or choose not to do anything to continue the contract, once they reach 30 days prior to the end date they have to notify us that they are ending the tenancy, if they do not notify us then they continue on for the extension period, no extra notification or signature requeired. It might be similar here, or it might not be. Either way i wish they would state clearly whether they have the extension or not.

[Edrogar]

pls provide a link to the source

Lol, obvious joke is obvious, i think that rushing noise you just heard was the joke whooshing over your head

[Rosiebelle]

They haven't confirmed or denied anything. All they said was that the Middle Earth Enterprises people pop round to their offices for tea, pie and a huge cheque a few times a year.

[enginekid]

I mentioned in Glff that Sapience said in the Q&A that Turbine will be supporting LotRO for years to come. And the basic response in glff was, he is just a forum mod, they aren't going to tell sapience stuff like that

[duck1545]

Because GLFF is the go-to source of reliable information on a myriad of subjects! Oh wait.

[Eartholloth]

I mentioned in Glff that Sapience said in the Q&A that Turbine will be supporting LotRO for years to come. And the basic response in glff was, he is just a forum mod, they aren't going to tell sapience stuff like that

LOL they have no clue what all Sapience does.

[Eartholloth]

They haven't confirmed or denied anything. All they said was that the Middle Earth Enterprises people pop round to their offices for tea, pie and a huge cheque a few times a year.

No there was more said then that but hey think what you want.

[kmcferrin]

Not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure than any kind of legal document that offers an extension option would require that option to be exercised in a valid legal way, meaning signed and notarized documentation. They can't let it lapse and then later verbally claim, well we said we would, that's enough, right? Nope, not a chance.

Not trying to haze or troll, just pointing out something that should be clearly obvious to anyone that has signed a mortgage, a lease, or any other binding contractual obligation. If it doesn't get documented (like most verbal agreements should still be drawn up and signed and notarized, otherwise it's not really binding, it's she said he said, which don't hold up in most courtrooms), it's vapor.

Firstly, there is such a thing as a verbal contract. Not that this licensing agreement is one, but they do exist.

Secondly, the licensing deal could have just as easily been written that the license would be automatically extended unless they provided written notice of intent to not exercise the optional years by a certain date.

Thirdly, it's largely irrelevant. They say that the game will exist going forward past 2014, the licensing agreement has an option allowing it to go forward past 2014, I think that any reasonable person could make the assumption that Turbine/WB is confident that they are capable of providing whatever formal notification is required to exercise that option.

The only people who believe otherwise would be the same people who have been posting stories on a regular basis trying to stir up non-existent controversy by claiming that the license wouldn't be extended in a thinly veiled effort to get traffic on their web sites. That, and people being overly pedantic about it.