If they really dont want anything to do with the movies....

Kaalinn

If turbine really dont want anything to do with the movies, why is Saurons Eye the one from the movies? I mean they did a Gandalf that doesnt wear grey, a beardless Strider, an Elrond that looks younger than his own sons..... apparently to stay away from what the movie looked like (although stzaying away from a GOOD and accurate depiction of something makes your depiction....less accurate, i.e. less book-like too) but they use the movies Sauron, THE major opposing force and culmination of the dread effects. (For those who dont know, at high dread lvls your minimap goes away and is replaced by a huge eye of sauron in its place, glaring at you) The nazgul look exactly the same too, though i gotta admit that ghostly riders radiating menace and clothed in loose black flowing clothes doesnt leave that much room for interpretation. Angmar's helmet looks a lot like the evil armor in general we saw in the movies (especially Saurons).

That just popped into my mind. I was ok with them staying away and all, but then i realized that in the end they seem to not care at all, and just took what was most convenient to use, as i'm guessing depicting the actual actors wouldve cost them money in some way. I dont think Jackson wouldnt claim intellectual property of his version of the eye either though, so its really rather confusing why they completely ignored the movies for most anything, but were fine with copying the evil side.

Razperil

Why would a company base an MMO off from a movie in the first place? Books always come first, usually not the movie itself. I'm sure they chose the way they did this game for thier own reasons. The game isn't in retail yet.. they are adding news things constantly. A little to early to assume what they are and aren't going to be adding to the game. And besides, that's what expansions are for.

Pyrite

How about instead of seeing the Eye, you see a big green spongebob squarepants?  That would look less like the movies.  And the Black Riders could wear yellow rain slickers.  Yaya!!

virtuella

Uhmm didn't they start to develop middle earth online before the first movie released?

So maybe Peter Jackson stole the eye from when this game was named MEO.

Pyrite

Originally posted by virtuella

Uhmm didn't they start to develop middle earth online before the first movie released?

So maybe Peter Jackson stole the eye from when this game was named MEO.

Unless, of course, there happened to be an Eye of Sauron mentioned in the books.  I suppose PJ stole the idea for Gandalf to have a beard from the game too.

Orphes

Originally posted by Kaalinn


If turbine really dont want anything to do with the movies, why is Saurons Eye the one from the movies? I mean they did a Gandalf that doesnt wear grey, a beardless Strider, an Elrond that looks younger than his own sons..... apparently to stay away from what the movie looked like (although stzaying away from a GOOD and accurate depiction of something makes your depiction....less accurate, i.e. less book-like too) but they use the movies Sauron, THE major opposing force and culmination of the dread effects. (For those who dont know, at high dread lvls your minimap goes away and is replaced by a huge eye of sauron in its place, glaring at you) The nazgul look exactly the same too, though i gotta admit that ghostly riders radiating menace and clothed in loose black flowing clothes doesnt leave that much room for interpretation. Angmar's helmet looks a lot like the evil armor in general we saw in the movies (especially Saurons).
That just popped into my mind. I was ok with them staying away and all, but then i realized that in the end they seem to not care at all, and just took what was most convenient to use, as i'm guessing depicting the actual actors wouldve cost them money in some way. I dont think Jackson wouldnt claim intellectual property of his version of the eye either though, so its really rather confusing why they completely ignored the movies for most anything, but were fine with copying the evil side.

But I have pictured me the look of the eye and nazgul before I saw the movies. Dont know if I painted myself a picture from the books, the first (cartoon) LOTR movie or if it was art.



Maybe someone else can point this one out also?

Orphes

Originally posted by Pyrite

Originally posted by virtuella

Uhmm didn't they start to develop middle earth online before the first movie released?

So maybe Peter Jackson stole the eye from when this game was named MEO.

Unless, of course, there happened to be an Eye of Sauron mentioned in the books.  I suppose PJ stole the idea for Gandalf to have a beard from the game too.

You are being sarcastic right?

Orphes

Originally posted by Razperil

Why would a company base an MMO off from a movie in the first place? Books always come first, usually not the movie itself. I'm sure they chose the way they did this game for thier own reasons. The game isn't in retail yet.. they are adding news things constantly. A little to early to assume what they are and aren't going to be adding to the game. And besides, that's what expansions are for.

Are they not basing the game on the books, Lord of the rings series and The Hobbit?

Max_Torps

The red, flaming, serpent like eye was mentioned in the books. I suppose it could be interpretated in many ways, I don't see the harm in interperating it as the movies have as it is starwarsy and iconic.  Sorry, I mean iconic.



Look, it has been said many times that the lore is based off the books It doesn't mean to say VISUALS can't be based on movie aspects.



The owners of the IP gave their blessing to all of the visuals. They have to.



None of us are involved in the game design so noone is qualified to argue what is what. That's up to the respective copyright holders and in no way detracts from the game.



It's cherry picking as most companies do. So what? Small fry if you ask me and certainly not an argument winner. In fact... what was the point of the post?

Terminus-Est

The flaming eye of Sauron is in the books, and I am really struggling to think of an alternative way of representing it which is not... well... a flaming eye.



I would have said that the Nazgul are actually the most 'stolen from the movie' things I have seen in the game so far. They look almost identical to the movie whereas I had visualized the description in the book rather differently.

whitedelight

www.LetsComplainAboutEveryLittleThing.com

Korusus

I too was under the impression that licensing agreements between Tolkien's estate and EA prevented Turbine from using anything from the movies.  But I've also noticed things that seemed to be taken from the movies like the OP is talking about, especially the eye and the witchkings.  I hadn't realized it until now though.