The thing is we dont know exactly how this game will be - could be web browser game for all we know lol
Could be a voxel minecraft type game.
A 2D pixel game
An isometric type game.
Or it could have really dated graphics like Runescape
Or maybe it's anime stylized
Could be instanced to hell.
Etc...
Too little details at this point - I wouldn't get excited until way more info is known
Show us gameplay videos - then we can talk.
I think you're missing the point. People are just excited that a new western mmo is in development. Other than a few indie mmos that who knows when or even if they'll launch. Most people don't really have an mmo they are excited about. I'm sure even you can understand that.
The thing is we dont know exactly how this game will be - could be web browser game for all we know lol
Could be a voxel minecraft type game.
A 2D pixel game
An isometric type game.
Or it could have really dated graphics like Runescape
Or maybe it's anime stylized
Could be instanced to hell.
Etc...
Too little details at this point - I wouldn't get excited until way more info is known
Show us gameplay videos - then we can talk.
Very true.
However - based on the press release - we can infer that they will want the game to launch around the time of the Amazon TV series - so 2020.
Which means this is not going to be a "5 years in the making epic" or even something along the lines of Destiny once they had inked the contract with Activision (2.5 years on top of the pre-work).
So if not a "reskin" and tweak Warframe its going to be something that is straightforward based on "well worn" concepts.
hmm missed it before but on a second read thru .. The game will take place in the years leading up to the LOTR... So before the fellowship .. Maybe during the Hobbit years or even earlier i wonder ?...
Athlon Games is partnering with Middle-earth Enterprises, to develop and publish a free-to-
play massively multiplayer online video game based on
The Lord of the Rings
, the landmark
fantasy literary work of J.R.R. Tolkien. Set in the world of Middle-earth
TM
during the years
leading to the events of
The Lord of the Rings
, the game will provide Middle-earth fans
throughout the world with a new, immersive game experience for epic exploration of the
Tolkien universe.
The team developing the game is headed by Dave Miller who is the general manager of Athlon Games. Craig Mitchell is also on the team. (Global Brand Director) They previously worked for Warner Brothers Interactive. Dave was in charge of the team that created Shadow of Mordor and Mad Max. These are not unknown or ill equipped professionals. The only question I have is how will they monetize the project. Hopefully it is more like Warframe and less like Dirty Bomb.
Thanks for the info mate. These people you've mentioned sure seem to know what they're doing. I'm interested in the project's scope and budget. Do you have any idea how many zeroes are lined up?
Constantine, The Console Poster
"One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Carl Jung
So many jaded people here. It's almost like they've been let down a bunch by the genre titles not living up to the expectations, and promises of developers.
Big veterans have been failing the genre recently, it's time for new blood to give it a try. Being F2P it's not hurting anyone.
You are ignoring history if you are excited for this game by a completely unknown developer. It's very telling that they haven't given the names of the people behind it, which tells me they spent money for the license but don't even have the pieces in place.
Get excited for it if you want to, but there is literally nothing of substance behind this yet. If they don't have leads in place yet, how can they even have a polished initial design. That's a big ask for any MMO, but a middle earth MMO that takes place before LOTR events? All of the red flags are here.
Yes but history has also shown good work form unknown developers. Who were CD Projekt Red before the Witcher?
Or Bioware with Baldur's gate?
Doom was created by two "guys" with moderate success with Wolfenstein but pretty much commander keen right?
It's really more about the talent and vision and design of the people involved. Having some experience making an actual mmorpg is a huge help and will probably make or break the project at this point.
Can they do it? Meh, I was disappointed with the Neverwinter when it came out so here's to this developer not creating something like that.
We'll wait and see.
For me the "excitement" is that someone is actually going to try. As opposed to "not trying" which is never good.
We're talking MMO's here - what studios made their first game as an MMO and did a good job post WOW? I'm sorry but you just don't just expect to build a AAA MMO from scratch as your studios first game. The torchlight MMO won't be AAA and they have all of that TL2 source code and art to work from.
That document is full of red flags and they couldn't even be bothered to list their leads names in the document or on the website.
Of course I want the game to be good but there's nothing of substance right now and that document is not encouraging.
These days, I save my excitement for concrete projects with public plans/manifestos. Don't fall for the hype simply because it's a Middle Earth title as most games in that world end up underwhelming.
The team developing the game is headed by Dave Miller who is the general manager of Athlon Games. Craig Mitchell is also on the team. (Global Brand Director) They previously worked for Warner Brothers Interactive. Dave was in charge of the team that created Shadow of Mordor and Mad Max. These are not unknown or ill equipped professionals. The only question I have is how will they monetize the project. Hopefully it is more like Warframe and less like Dirty Bomb.
It would be nice if that info was actually listed in the document or their "about"section of their website. Sticking a bunch of people together and expecting to make a great MMO is naive and the document makes it sound like a cash grab rather than a project of passion. Let's hope it's just a crappy marketing person and that they rushed this release for whatever reason.
It's like a blind date. I want to believe it could be my soul mate. But experience tells me different.
Yeah I fear that for most of we Tolkien fans when they reveal more about the game its going to become one of those blind dates that ends in disaster. You know, waking up in an ice filled bathtub missing both kidneys.
The Saul Zaentz Company owns Middle-earth Enterprises. They own the film, stage, merchandizing and other rights to the Hobbit, LOTR and "other literary works" of Tolkien.
In their announcement, LeYou repeatedly say that their new MMO will be based on the Lord of the Rings. But it won't. It will likely be based on the Silmarillion, which is a collection of stories about the First Age. You can't have an MMO based on the Lord of the Rings that only covers "events leading up to LOTR". Leading up to LOTR is not the same as LOTR. Just like The Hobbit isn't the same as LOTR.
If you've never heard of the Silmarillion, I'm not surprised. Few have and it has little name recognition outside we few Tolkien fans who acquired it in the 1970s, when it was first published. (It's a collection of Tolkien's Middle-earth creation stories that were finished and edited by Christopher after his father's death.)
Naturally, no one's going to announce they are making an MMO based on the Silmarillion. The what? Much better to announce they are making an MMO based in the Middle-earth universe of LOTR. A new Lord of the Rings MMO! See how much better that is?
I'm doubtful this license of a part of the LOTR IP will have any effect on LOTRO. SSG's license actually includes the Lord of the Rings timeframe, whereas it's clear that LeYou has licensed a timeframe that precedes the events of the Lord of the Rings, and not the Lord of the Rings itself.
If you're insistent on being hyped this far out, just remember to be hyped for A Silmarillion MMO.
Comments
I miss the good old MMO-times with B2P and honest subscriptions.
-----------------------------------
Life is too short to play bad games.
I think you're missing the point. People are just excited that a new western mmo is in development. Other than a few indie mmos that who knows when or even if they'll launch. Most people don't really have an mmo they are excited about. I'm sure even you can understand that.
Secret mmos hurt Ogg.
Secret mmos bad.
Ogg fear secret mmos.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
However - based on the press release - we can infer that they will want the game to launch around the time of the Amazon TV series - so 2020.
Which means this is not going to be a "5 years in the making epic" or even something along the lines of Destiny once they had inked the contract with Activision (2.5 years on top of the pre-work).
So if not a "reskin" and tweak Warframe its going to be something that is straightforward based on "well worn" concepts.
My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/skyrim-anime-overhaul
Athlon Games is partnering with Middle-earth Enterprises, to develop and publish a free-to-
play massively multiplayer online video game based on
The Lord of the Rings
, the landmark
fantasy literary work of J.R.R. Tolkien. Set in the world of Middle-earth
TM
during the years
leading to the events of
The Lord of the Rings
, the game will provide Middle-earth fans
throughout the world with a new, immersive game experience for epic exploration of the
Tolkien universe.
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
Let's party like it is 1863!
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?666608-New-LOTR-based-MMO&p=7865268&highlight=#post7865268
"The news will not have any impact on our development plans or licensing. We always welcome competition, and wish them the best of luck! "
The +Cord hath spoken
In their announcement, LeYou repeatedly say that their new MMO will be based on the Lord of the Rings. But it won't. It will likely be based on the Silmarillion, which is a collection of stories about the First Age. You can't have an MMO based on the Lord of the Rings that only covers "events leading up to LOTR". Leading up to LOTR is not the same as LOTR. Just like The Hobbit isn't the same as LOTR.
If you've never heard of the Silmarillion, I'm not surprised. Few have and it has little name recognition outside we few Tolkien fans who acquired it in the 1970s, when it was first published. (It's a collection of Tolkien's Middle-earth creation stories that were finished and edited by Christopher after his father's death.)
Naturally, no one's going to announce they are making an MMO based on the Silmarillion. The what? Much better to announce they are making an MMO based in the Middle-earth universe of LOTR. A new Lord of the Rings MMO! See how much better that is?
I'm doubtful this license of a part of the LOTR IP will have any effect on LOTRO. SSG's license actually includes the Lord of the Rings timeframe, whereas it's clear that LeYou has licensed a timeframe that precedes the events of the Lord of the Rings, and not the Lord of the Rings itself.
If you're insistent on being hyped this far out, just remember to be hyped for A Silmarillion MMO.