The game will not be free: you will have to buy the game/box and in addition pay a monthly fee. The price at launch in North America is $49.99.

Current similar games cost the following:

• One time 50 US dollars for the initial release including one month of playing time.
• After the first month $14.99 US dollars each month depending on the number of months you subscribe for at once including (smaller) periodic expansions.
• 30 US dollars for each separately released big expansion.

All "normal" payment possibilities will be in place. Credit cards and game cards have been specifically mentioned. Since they are also aiming for the European and Asian market you can expect there will be payment options common to those regions.

Related Questions:

• What does the game cost?

Lord of the Rings Online, or Lotro is a Massive Multiplayer Online game based on Tolkien's books (not movies) Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. You create your own character, join the struggle against Sauron, carve out your own destiny, play together with thousands of other players, explore the whole of Middle-earth and constantly have new experiences through periodic updates and larger expansions.

Related Links:

• The LotRO Official Site

The content of the game is based on and limited to the following books: The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings including some of its appendices. The limits of the license work like this: they can use something if it is part of

a: the text of the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.
b: the appendices and not mentioned anywhere else
c: the appendices and mentioned in the storyline of the Hobbit/LotR.

Everything outside the books is not part of the license and cannot be used, including the following: The Silmarillion, MERP, Peter Jackson's movies, "standard" artwork from Alan Lee, Ted Nasmith and the History of Middle-earth.

What books?

Just kidding...

The game is completely based on JRR Tolkien's literary works, Lord of the Rings (and some of the appendices), and The Hobbit. Any material from his other Middle-Earth books is not licensed and cannot be used. The game is totally independent from the latest movies.

MMORPG stands for massively multiplayer online role-playing game. MMORPGs allow thousands of players to adventure and socialize together at the same time. In The Lord of the Rings™ Online, you will be one of the thousands of players interacting with each other every day. This creates a living environment populated by people across the world.

At this moment in time, Turbine do not have the license for the Silmarillion.

Yes. It should be playable on the 56K modem, but this is not advisable as updates, which you usually have to download, take forever.