Stop us if you have heard this before, but the folks over at Amazon Games are going to be making a new massively multiplayer game using The Lord of the Rings as its core material. The upcoming title, in development for PC and consoles, will be an MMORPG featuring the iconic stories found in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings literary trilogy.
This is possible due to a new partnership with the Embracer Group, the current rights holder, with development being led by the Amazon Orange County studio, the very same team that has delivered the successful MMO, New World.
While the two games will likely be different in a number of ways, The Lord of the Rings MMO will “build upon expertise and learnings” while making sure player feedback is taken into account to create the best Amazon product in this aspect. Players can also expect “a truly unique and differentiated experience in this upcoming The Lord of the Rings game.”
“The number-one thing about a property like this is that you have to be respectful and authentic,” Rich Lawrence, the studio director, shared.
“When somebody is a fan of The Lord of the Rings and sits down and plays this game for the first time, they have to say, ‘This was crafted by a bunch of people who lived in this world just like I do in my head. They get it.’ We understand this world. The people working on this team love these works. We’re right there with you; we’re fans, and we want to make a game that we, as fans, will enjoy.”
This will be the second attempt by Amazon to create an MMO revolving around The Lord of the Rings, with the first leading to cancellation after Athlon Games was brought over by Tencent Holdings. The company also has the costly streaming series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, on its slate as well.
For fans, this might just be the best time to be part of the universe. There is also Daedelic Entertainment‘s The Lord of the Rings: Gollum to look forward to later this year, while EA has also just released its mobile Heroes of Middle-earth title.
Jake is a full-time trophy hunter and achievement gatherer on consoles, and part-time Steam Sale victim. He has a thing for Batman and awesome statues, and running out of space for both. Send help.
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