Amazon’s making a new Lord of the Rings MMO

[Elmagor]

Old news. News breakes on 4th September 2018 what Leyou and Athlon Games creating new Lord of the Rings MMO, now Amazon Game Studios just co-working with Athlon Games on it. Their site don't have any new information since september 2018, have only 1 picture with map of Eriador/Rohan/Gondor.

[Namma]

The techraptor article is from July 10, 2019 titled; Leyou Reveal Partner On New F2P Lord Of The Rings MMO Is Amazon Games

And new is, at least for me;

...the new MMO will be set many, many years before The Lord of the Rings takes place.

Also, the Mic article, A new ‘Lord of the Rings’ video game is in development from Amazon Game Studios, links to this game's page is dated July 10, 2019 or at this time 22 hours ago.

...co-developers Athlon Games described the game in a statement last year as one that will take place "during the years leading to the events of The Lord of the Rings."

Athlon has no current news save for the an update July 10, 2019 that Leyou will run game operations in China instead of Amazon.

If what is in the articles is true, then there is no worry about this game having direct competition as the two time frames are different and perhaps people who haven't played this game yet will want to play through in a logical progression.

[gildhur]

The techraptor article is from July 10, 2019 titled; Leyou Reveal Partner On New F2P Lord Of The Rings MMO Is Amazon Games

And new is, at least for me;

...the new MMO will be set many, many years before The Lord of the Rings takes place.

Given that this information is not anywhere in the Athlon or Amazon Game Studio press releases about the new co-development agreement, I would guess that someone is mixing up the new game with the new TV series, which is definitively set in the Second Age, many many years before LotR.

[LabadalofDorlomin]

Can you not all realise that this is possibly the worst news for a lord of the rings fan? !!

If you truly love Tolkiens world and want to enjoy it, then another big corporation player is seriously BAD!

Here is why...

Scenario : Amazon release a quite successful game and SSG take a hit in numbers... SSG lose staff in a round of lay offs. Lotro becomes worse for it. Story telling, world building etc etc all slows down dramatically. Eventually Lotro hit Maintenance mode or near as d@mn it. Amazon game trundles on for a few years and then, as corporations do, they shut it down...(as Warner did) and then where are we?
There is no SSG this time to pick up the pieces and carry the torch... So, the net result is that we have no world to play in or at best two worlds that are in maintenance mode with no more cool stories...

Everyone who says "great, SSG need some competition"... or "I can't wait and hope it is great" are really short sighted...

SSG cannot compete with the likes of Amazon...

If you really love Lotro... this can't be anything good
If you really love Tolkien. this can't be anything good

Curiosity though will drag most of us over but I hope that this is just another flash in the pan... and the inevitable Amazon game shut down is before the point where Lotro goes under.

[Pontin_Finnberry]

Can you not all realise that this is possibly the worst news for a lord of the rings fan? !!

If you truly love Tolkiens world and want to enjoy it, then another big corporation player is seriously BAD!

Here is why...

Scenario : Amazon release a quite successful game and SSG take a hit in numbers... SSG lose staff in a round of lay offs. Lotro becomes worse for it. Story telling, world building etc etc all slows down dramatically. Eventually Lotro hit Maintenance mode or near as d@mn it. Amazon game trundles on for a few years and then, as corporations do, they shut it down...(as Warner did) and then where are we?
There is no SSG this time to pick up the pieces and carry the torch... So, the net result is that we have no world to play in or at best two worlds that are in maintenance mode with no more cool stories...

Everyone who says "great, SSG need some competition"... or "I can't wait and hope it is great" are really short sighted...

SSG cannot compete with the likes of Amazon...

If you really love Lotro... this can't be anything good
If you really love Tolkien. this can't be anything good

Curiosity though will drag most of us over but I hope that this is just another flash in the pan... and the inevitable Amazon game shut down is before the point where Lotro goes under.

I don't think this will happen, as far as we know the story is set at different time won't be the war of the ring, so Lotro is fine in my opinion, also look at SSG other game DDO (Dungeons & Dragons Online) they have been doing fine while at same time another company makes "Neverwinter" (Also D&D MMO) since like 2013, so i don't think Amazon's game will effect lotro.

[Nebless]

Can you not all realise that this is possibly the worst news for a lord of the rings fan? !!

SSG cannot compete with the likes of Amazon...

First someone else (the guys that have Warframe) are making the game, Amazon's just putting money into it. Second from what others have written Amazon doesn't seem to have a very good record with games like this. Third it's either being done fast and dirty so as to launch along side the new Amazon Hobbit TV show or it'll take the normal development time on about 5 years.

I'm not seeing the threat and add to it it's not in direct competition. Shadows of Mordor and the other LotR games weren't threats, why would this one be?

[Hallandil]

Can you not all realise that this is possibly the worst news for a lord of the rings fan? !!

If you truly love Tolkiens world and want to enjoy it, then another big corporation player is seriously BAD!

Here is why...

Scenario : Amazon release a quite successful game and SSG take a hit in numbers... SSG lose staff in a round of lay offs. Lotro becomes worse for it. Story telling, world building etc etc all slows down dramatically. Eventually Lotro hit Maintenance mode or near as d@mn it. Amazon game trundles on for a few years and then, as corporations do, they shut it down...(as Warner did) and then where are we?
There is no SSG this time to pick up the pieces and carry the torch... So, the net result is that we have no world to play in or at best two worlds that are in maintenance mode with no more cool stories...

Everyone who says "great, SSG need some competition"... or "I can't wait and hope it is great" are really short sighted...

SSG cannot compete with the likes of Amazon...

If you really love Lotro... this can't be anything good
If you really love Tolkien. this can't be anything good

Curiosity though will drag most of us over but I hope that this is just another flash in the pan... and the inevitable Amazon game shut down is before the point where Lotro goes under.

Publisher with very little experience with Console and PC gaming market <

Athlon Games being a new studio spearheaded by a former Warner Brothers marketing suit with several Lord of the Rings titles that were short-lived money grabs of little substance <

Leyou is entirely interested in the monetary aspects of jumping on a marketing bandwagon, not too different than Warner Brothers during their rights-snag from Electronic Arts <

Game is now confirmed to be a direct tie-in to the TV series, which is also confirmed to be set in the Second Age - completely different to the setting of Lord of the Rings Online <

Frankly the only thing that's going to "kill" LOTRO is the needless fear-mongering posts like yours would bring.

[miriadel]

I hope that aside for the modern graphics it will also have engaging, non p2w gameplay and the store (as it will be f2p it will inevitably have a store) will be 90% for buying fluff and cosmetics. If Warframe managed to maintain a balance, so could this new game

[gildhur]

Game is now confirmed to be a direct tie-in to the TV series, which is also confirmed to be set in the Second Age - completely different to the setting of Lord of the Rings Online

This is false. We have no official information saying what the setting of the game will be. There has been lots of speculation that it will tie in with the show, which has been confirmed to be set in the Second Age, especially since Amazon is now on board, but it is NOT "confirmed" at all that the two will be in any way connected.

[Pontin_Finnberry]

Game is now confirmed to be a direct tie-in to the TV series, which is also confirmed to be set in the Second Age - completely different to the setting of Lord of the Rings Online <

Where did you read this? cause this is false as many articles Point out the game will be unrelated project to the TV series so no it will not tie in.

[Hallandil]

This is false. We have no official information saying what the setting of the game will be. There has been lots of speculation that it will tie in with the show, which has been confirmed to be set in the Second Age, especially since Amazon is now on board, but it is NOT "confirmed" at all that the two will be in any way connected.

The official twitter. At the start of the year it posted “Welcome to the Second Age” and cryptically posted “Which should we do first Appendix A or B?”

[Hallandil]

Where did you read this? cause this is false as many articles Point out the game will be unrelated project to the TV series so no it will not tie in.

That changed with the most recent news that Amazon is now partnered *with* Leyou and Athlon. Which is why the new game is resurfacing on these forums again.

[Namma]

Given that this information is not anywhere in the Athlon or Amazon Game Studio press releases about the new co-development agreement, I would guess that someone is mixing up the new game with the new TV series, which is definitively set in the Second Age, many many years before LotR.

:::sighs::: In answer;

Athlon Games is working with a partner developer to create an online game set in the world of Middle-earth™ at a time long before the events of The Lord of the Rings

First paragraph at http://www.athlongames.com/athlon-games-partners-with-middle-earth-enterprises/ and:

“We are extremely pleased to work with Athlon Games to create a new, immersive game experience, exploring epic regions in Middle-earth during the years leading to the events of The Lord of the Rings,” said Fredrica Drotos, Chief Brand & Licensing Officer at Middle-earth Enterprises.

Third paragraph down at the same page.

And I, for one, never said anything about a series tie-in. Thanks.

[Namma]

Can you not all realise that this is possibly the worst news for a lord of the rings fan? !!

If you truly love Tolkiens world and want to enjoy it, then another big corporation player is seriously BAD!

Here is why...

Scenario : Amazon release a quite successful game and SSG take a hit in numbers... SSG lose staff in a round of lay offs. Lotro becomes worse for it. Story telling, world building etc etc all slows down dramatically. Eventually Lotro hit Maintenance mode or near as d@mn it. Amazon game trundles on for a few years and then, as corporations do, they shut it down...(as Warner did) and then where are we?
There is no SSG this time to pick up the pieces and carry the torch... So, the net result is that we have no world to play in or at best two worlds that are in maintenance mode with no more cool stories...

Everyone who says "great, SSG need some competition"... or "I can't wait and hope it is great" are really short sighted...

SSG cannot compete with the likes of Amazon...

If you really love Lotro... this can't be anything good
If you really love Tolkien. this can't be anything good

Curiosity though will drag most of us over but I hope that this is just another flash in the pan... and the inevitable Amazon game shut down is before the point where Lotro goes under.

I don't think it will compete at all. It's not the same time frame and it's not about the Lord of the Rings Trilogy - the books or the movies.

I feel that perhaps it might spark some interest in this game providing that we continue to support it. The people playing that game just maybe might like to then play in the world of the Trilogy.

Of course I'm just speculating on the interest it might garner, but about the fact that they seem to be developing their game in a time before the Lord Of The Rings? No, it was said by the Middle Earth Enterprises spokesperson and quoted right on the Athlon games page.

I will remain calm about it regardless of any interest it may gain. We don't know what the game will look like and play like. If it tanks perhaps the resulting articles will be nice enough to link people here, no?

[Pontin_Finnberry]

That changed with the most recent news that Amazon is now partnered *with* Leyou and Athlon. Which is why the new game is resurfacing on these forums again.

That's what I'm talking about, most new articles that say amazon games is now with the Project say it won't be related to the TV series, is why i asked where you read that cause i haven't read any articles that say it does tie in.

[LabadalofDorlomin]

I don't think it will compete at all. It's not the same time frame and it's not about the Lord of the Rings Trilogy - the books or the movies.

Really? It doesn't have to be in the same time frame as Lotro.... all it has to be, is set in middle earth, a true mmo and good. You already have 99% of folks on here including myself saying that they will check it out. How many Dollarpounds do you think the average player has? Enough to sustain playing two middle earth games?

All it has to be is fresh and engaging and it will have a huge impact on this game. Blind optimism isn't going to keep the wolf from the door. Scare mongering or not this news is nothing good and as my original post stated all those who state that Lotro needs some competition are mad... they couldn't compete with the corporations.

I just hope like many MMO that it fails miserably in the design stage and gets canned before release.

[Hallandil]

That's what I'm talking about, most new articles that say amazon games is now with the Project say it won't be related to the TV series, is why i asked where you read that cause i haven't read any articles that say it does tie in.

My mistake then. Even if it isn't a direct tie-in, it has been stated even as far back as Leyou's corporate letter that the aim is to market it alongside the television series. To successfully do so, as the Amazon series is confirmed to be a Second Age based story for the time being, it would most likely be beneficial for them to utilise a different world-setting from Lord of the Rings Online. Especially given players likelihood of comparing both games.

[sapienze]

Really? It doesn't have to be in the same time frame as Lotro.... all it has to be, is set in middle earth, a true mmo and good. You already have 99% of folks on here including myself saying that they will check it out. How many Dollarpounds do you think the average player has? Enough to sustain playing two middle earth games?

All it has to be is fresh and engaging and it will have a huge impact on this game. Blind optimism isn't going to keep the wolf from the door. Scare mongering or not this news is nothing good and as my original post stated all those who state that Lotro needs some competition are mad... they couldn't compete with the corporations.

I just hope like many MMO that it fails miserably in the design stage and gets canned before release.

You are correct. It doesn't have to be the same time frame in Middle Earth. There is a very compelling draw to any Tolkien material for those who enjoy his stories. Its only those players here, who have roosted in this slice of the time line due to being comfortable with this LotR creation, who will deny any possibility another world in time might exist which can become compelling. It is up to SSG to decide what they can do with the time they have left.

I am sure that more than 90% of the people who have ever played this game, even remotely attracted to the story, will try a new MMO representing the same universe.

[Elmagor]

You are correct. It doesn't have to be the same time frame in Middle Earth. There is a very compelling draw to any Tolkien material for those who enjoy his stories. Its only those players here, who have roosted in this slice of the time line due to being comfortable with this LotR creation, who will deny any possibility another world in time might exist which can become compelling. It is up to SSG to decide what they can do with the time they have left.

I am sure that more than 90% of the people who have ever played this game, even remotely attracted to the story, will try a new MMO representing the same universe.

If they don't go with same time frame, why Athlon have picture on their site with Gondor, Rohan and other places from current time frame?

[Namma]

If they don't go with same time frame, why Athlon have picture on their site with Gondor, Rohan and other places from current time frame?

You mean the map?

Perhaps because that is the image that Middle Earth Enterprises allowed them to use?

[Cordovan]

Can you explain why this was moved to this thread? What was wrong with it being in a forum called LOTRO General Discussion & Feedback? People are more likely to see this in the original location than in an off-topic forum.

Regardless of how folks could argue it, and how discussions on the topic will likely blur into discussions about LOTRO (presumably our business model, among other things), we feel it is going to be important to set an expectation about discussing other Lord of the Rings IP-based games: they go in Off-Topic. Similar to a discussion about a mobile game, console game, or other game, discussions on this particular game will take place in Off-Topic.

[LabadalofDorlomin]

Regardless of how folks could argue it, and how discussions on the topic will likely blur into discussions about LOTRO (presumably our business model, among other things), we feel it is going to be important to set an expectation about discussing other Lord of the Rings IP-based games: they go in Off-Topic. Similar to a discussion about a mobile game, console game, or other game, discussions on this particular game will take place in Off-Topic.

That is fair enough.... Only the hardcore of us would be down here in the depths and we are already hooked with the biggest line and sinker.

[Ryukan]

For those saying the new LotR MMO in development won't affect LotRO because they are going to be set in different time frames I wouldn't quite hold that to heart. Star Wars Galaxies was killed off right before Star Wars the Old Republic launched and both games, while being MMO's, had distinctively different design and gameplay mechanics and were set in completely different time periods. Still didn't save Star Wars Galaxies (which was a better MMO than SWTOR in my mind). I am not proclaiming the death of LotRO by any means, but it is entirely possible that there will not be two competing LotR MMO's when the Amazon one comes out.

[Gildoriel]

If the new LotR MMO isn't an MMORPG I won't even bother to test it. I've tried my share of "suck the cash out of your wallet" strategy games which use an IP as a cosmetic over an existing mechanic, won't let you win anything unless you spend huge amounts of cash and won't even go into the depths of the IP's story. I really hope the new game will be different so that I'll have two cool LotR games to play, but I'm rather pessimistic.

[Hallandil]

If the new LotR MMO isn't an MMORPG I won't even bother to test it. I've tried my share of "suck the cash out of your wallet" strategy games which use an IP as a cosmetic over an existing mechanic, won't let you win anything unless you spend huge amounts of cash and won't even go into the depths of the IP's story. I really hope the new game will be different so that I'll have two cool LotR games to play, but I'm rather pessimistic.

It's a PC/Console MMORPG. That much has already been stated.