Xbox Reveal Event Coverage

Lord of the Rings Online Features

  • Interview with Turbine's Jeff Anderson

    Ten Ton Hammer / LotroSource's interview with Turbine CEO Jeff Anderson

    John "Methost" Irwin interviews Turbine CEO Jeff Anderson on our LotroSource site.

    "Can you tell me the difference between a CEO for a game company and a CEO or any other company?"

    I think being a CEO of a game company is standing between a lot of different competing objectives, you've got creative talent who are passionate about the art and the work they are building, you've got the technology challenges of trying to get a platform to support customer service and billing and authentication, you've got an
    engineering challenge and trying to get a game engine, physics and all that working, you've got a team of designers and artists who are creating content, you've got the business people who need to be doing distribution deals worldwide. I could describe it as being in charge of making a feature film, where you are designing the camera and the film and the actors all at the same time, so it is a complex business and MMORPGs are at the tip of the spear."

    Get clicking to read the rest of the interview.

    Features, Interviews
    Tue, Nov 28, 2006
    LadySirse
  • Network's 1st LotRO Preview Posted

    Ten Ton Hammer / LotroSource's premier glimpse into Turbine's Middle Earth...

    John "Methost" Irwin on our LotroSource sister site offers up his first hands-on preview of Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, straight from last week's Midway event in San Franciso:

    Special mention should also be given to the artwork on this game. The stunning visuals had me stopping mid-quest more than once, just to look around. The ground foliage sways in the breeze and the lakes cast lifelike reflections. Leaves flutter from trees and stars twinkle in the night’s sky. Turbine uses the word “polish” when it talks about delays in development. This is what they mean. The end result is eye-popping.

    You can read the rest of Methost's engaging preview at LotroSource.

    Features, Previews
    Wed, Nov 08, 2006
    Ethec
  • LOTRO: Preview at 1UP

    Another WoW competitor, but with quite a legacy to back it up.

    1UP.com has posted a preview of Lord of the Rings Online.

    LOTRO will indefinitely prove that the rights to a movie license are vastly overrated. Even with only the books to pull from (the core trilogy as well as The Hobbit), Turbine's take on Tolkein's world is as vivid and as stylized as we've seen from EA's titles, if not moreso. Taking into account the sheer, massive size of Middle Earth, LOTRO is currently limited to one region of the world: Eriador. With the other regions of Middle Earth planned to be dolled out in due time, this gives Turbine the opportunity to give each region the type of care it deserves, thus giving off a handmade feel to the world. The region by region nature of LOTRO also allows Turbine enough time to roll out the ongoing story, which is intended to involve players in famous events from the Lord of the Ring series.

    Get clicking to read more. Have you been to our LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer Community sitelately? Head over and get caught up on all the latest news and information.

    Features, Previews
    Tue, Nov 07, 2006
    LadySirse
  • LOTRO: New Preview at IGN

    The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar Hands-on

    IGN has been busy getting hands on time with several upcoming games. Today, the posted a preview of Lord of the Rings Online. Keep reading to see what they thought of their time in Middle-earth.

    The game begins, as all others do, by creating a character. Males and females of the humans, elves and hobbits can be chosen along with a male dwarf. I guess females with beards aren't that appealing. After picking a race and gender a racial intro cut shows to give a little bit of background on that particular entry to set the stage for events to come.

    Those unfamiliar with the title up to now should know that it takes place during the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books. This simple fact opens up a lot of questions. Will we get to see the fellowship traveling around? Will we play a role in the events leading up to Frodo dropping the ring into the fire pits of Mount Doom?

    Get clicking to find out what answers they were able to find. Stop by our LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer Community today and get up to date with all the latest news and information!

    Features, Previews
    Fri, Nov 03, 2006
    LadySirse
  • LOTRO: Is It Tolkien Yet?

    Is It Tolkien Yet? -- Art & Design in Lord of the Rings Online

    Gamespy has posted in interview with Turbine. The interview covers Tolkien, good, evil, and the importance of pronouns in Lord of the Rings Online.

    "Tolkien's world is absolutely huge, so you need to focus on what works." The speaker is Cardell Kerr, the game's Design Director. He's one of several Turbine employees clustered around a conference room table. Over the remains of our lunch we've begun discussing the genesis of The Lord of the Rings Online. The game was originally under development with Vivendi Universal as Middle-Earth Online, where it had acquired a reputation as a game in trouble. Turbine acquired all the rights to the game as well as the full-ownership of the assets of Middle-Earth Online in March 2005. Once the company took possession they needed to seriously consider just what to do with it.

    Get clicking to read the rest of the interview. Let us know what you think about this and all your favorite MMOs in our new Ten Ton Hammer Forums. Don't forget that all the lastest news and information is waiting for you at our LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer Community site.

    Features, Interviews
    Tue, Oct 17, 2006
    LadySirse
  • LOTRO: PAX Preview

    Will Middle-earth Become Your New Home?

    MMORPG.com had a chance to preview Lord of the Rings Online during PAX. They have updated their site to bring us this preview. Keep reading to find out if they think the game is a hit...

    The star of the Turbine Entertainment booth at PAX was Lord of the Rings Online. In taking on this second massive license, Turbine has a mighty weight on their shoulders and expectations to live up to.

    “This is an MMO for people who love MMOs,” explained Lead Systems Designer Nik Davidson. He made special note of how the game had not tried to “reinvent the wheel” when it came to things like interface, controls and basic mechanism. Lord of the Rings Online will not have change for change’s sake.

    Read the full preview to learn more. Haven't joined the Lord of the Rings Online Community here yet? Why not? It just takes a moment to register. Head on over to LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer and sign up today! Then hit the forums and tell us what you are looking forward to seeing in this upcoming MMO.

    Features, Previews
    Thu, Aug 31, 2006
    LadySirse
  • PAX for the alpha information! - LOTRO!

    As I wandered the gaming exhibition area of the Penny Arcade Expo, I wondered what exactly people would want to know about Lord of the Rings Online. There has been a flood of information released by Turbine in the past weeks and most of the games major systems have been talked about. The systems we don’t know about were not going to be shown at PAX. What is a reporter to do? It is not easy for me to place myself in the position of an unknowing fan because I actually receive a bit more information about the game. That’s right, I know stuff. The desire to share all I know is very great. Unfortunately, I am limited to telling you about what I saw or could have seen at PAX. This may sound very restrictive, but there are so many small details that are to be learned. I will try to touch on and grade a few major areas of the game. These grades are based only on the current version that was on display at PAX.

    Features, Previews
    Wed, Aug 30, 2006
    Methost
  • Lord of the Rings Online Preview at GameSpot

    GameSpot sits down with Codemasters and Turbine at Leipzig to see an advanced build of this Tolkien-inspired MMORPG.

    Did GameSpot give this look at the game a thumbs up...or down? Keep reading to find out.

    LEIPZIG, Germany--Based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set for release on the PC. We've seen quite a lot of the game over the past year, and as it moves into beta phase at the end of September, more people will be able to see just how it's shaping up. As you'd expect from a game based on such a classic piece of literature, The Lord of the Rings Online has a firm emphasis on story. Playing as one of seven character classes, you will follow a path that frequently crosses that of the fellowship of the ring, with plenty of familiar names and places along the way. We visited Codemasters at Leipzig to see an example of the first few character levels and what players can hope to expect as they work their way deeper into the game.

    Check out the preview at GameSpot. Don't forget to stop by our own Lord of the Rings Online community at LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer. Share your thoughts with us in the forums there.

    Features, Previews
    Thu, Aug 24, 2006
    LadySirse
  • LOTRO: Developer Q & A

    Got Questions?

    The "blue names" have started to make their presence known on Turbine's forums for Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. The developers have started fielding a few questions, and we've compiled all of the answers into one convenient location for you!

    "Lead Game Systems Designer Nik 'Mithral_Miser' Davidson:
    A lot of us went out of our way to get clearance to talk about more than we were able to before.

    Ask me any one question you want, and I'll answer it. Pull no punches. This isn't a PR exercise, this is us excited about really getting a chance to talk about the game that we've been pouring our lives into."

    Keep reading to see answers to many more questions. Also, Ten Ton Hammer's Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle will be attending the LOTRO Gathering II on August 5, 2006. Ethec is certain to get some face time with the LOTRO devs. If you have have a question you want him to ask, post it in our forums on LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer!

    Features, Interviews
    Mon, Jul 17, 2006
    LadySirse
  • LOTRO: First Impressions

    Turbine grinds away on their Tolkien-set MMO

    GameDaily.com has posted their first impressions of Lord of the Rings Online. Did they enjoy it or find it a chore to look at? Keep reading to find out.

    Turbine is hard at work on Lord of the Rings Online, and they're proud to show it off. From the very first glance it's obvious that the team has made huge strides, bringing the visuals far up from last year's showing and improving the overall experience through control and gameplay by magnitudes.

    Read the full article and then head over to the forums at LOTRO Ten Ton Hammer and let us know what you think!

    Features, Previews
    Fri, Jul 14, 2006
    LadySirse
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