Lord of The Rings Online Expansion Coming in Late 2008 | Enter the Mines of Moria!!

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE™: MINES OF MORIA™ UNVEILED AT CONNECT 08
[14-Mar-2008]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE™: MINES OF MORIA™ UNVEILED AT CONNECT 08


Volume II of the 2007 PC Game of the Year Expected to Arrive at Retail This Fall


BIRMINGHAM, UK - March 14, 2008 - Turbine, Inc. and Codemasters Online today unveiled Volume II of The Lord of the Rings OnlineTM, the first retail expansion for the award-winning massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG). Announced in Birmingham, the childhood home of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings OnlineTM: Mines of MoriaTM will expand the online world of Middle-earth to let players explore the ancient underground cities of the dwarves, battle epic characters in the depths, face off with the Watcher, be a part of the fateful release of Durin's Bane and more! The Lord of the Rings Online expects to open Volume II of its epic story in the fall of 2008 with an increased level cap, two new classes and the introduction of a unique item advancement system.

"The Mines of Moria is one of the most epic settings in all of fantasy fiction," said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "No one delivers more quality content than Turbine and with our journey into Moria, we will raise the bar even higher. We are adding vast amounts of content, debuting massive new environments and unveiling numerous unique feature sets, like item advancement, which will create entirely new dimensions of compelling game play and social interaction which are unique to The Lord of the Rings Online experience."

NEW FEATURES:

Speak Friend, and Enter - Moria, called Khazad-dûm by the dwarves, was their capital and the grandest of cities. This enormous underground cavern in north-western Middle-earth, comprises an immense network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls that run beneath and ultimately through the Misty Mountains. For the first time, players of The Lord of the Rings Online will enter this ancient city which has served as the foundation for the modern-day dungeon-crawling adventures to battle the hordes of goblins and the Nameless of the Deep and journey through hundreds of new quests within six new kinds of stunning environments.
The Epic Continues! - The Mines of Moria represents the beginning of Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online. Players can experience six new books as part of this update and participate in the release of Durin's Bane, battle the Watcher, aid Galadriel and more!
Increased Level Cap - Players will be able advance their characters up to level 60, gaining access to new traits, virtues, skills and class quests. The crafting system will also expand, giving players the ability to craft even more powerful items.
Discover Two New Classes - The Rune-keeper and the Warden, the first new classes to be introduced since the launch of the game, allow players to build exciting and powerful new characters in The Lord of the Rings Online in diverse new ways.
Forge Legendary Items - The Mines of Moria will introduce Turbine's new item advancement system to The Lord of the Rings Online. Players will be able to forge weapons and class-related equipment and evolve them to build a legacy the likes of Bilbo's Sting and Gandalf's Glamdring. These legendary weapons will level-up along with the player, allowing customization by advancing the item's virtues, adding runic legacies, modifying its titles and forming fables.

To celebrate this exciting news, Turbine and Codemasters also announced today that they will kick off a major promotion that invites everyone to unlock the Mines of Moria by visiting http://www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com. Visitors can learn more about Mines of Moria and play special mini-games that will be periodically released over the coming months. Certain players who participate can complete special deeds through game play and other means to unlock exclusive previews, assets and special in-game items that may help them when they delve into Mines of Moria this fall. The Unlock the Mines of Moria promotion is scheduled to begin at the end of this month.

The Lord of the Rings Online is an award-winning MMORPG that delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy adventure of all time. From the picturesque surroundings of the Shire to Moria, the great underground realm, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before. The Lord of the Rings Online is available for purchase at major retailers across North America and Europe. For more information or to download a free trial, visit www.lotro.com or www.lotro-europe.com.





About Turbine

Turbine, Inc. is the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities. Turbine has grown to become one of the largest privately-held online gaming studios in North America. Turbine has created some of the world's most popular and award-winning online games, including The Lord of the Rings OnlineTM: Shadows of AngmarTM, Dungeons & Dragons Online® and Asheron's Call®. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com.



About Codemasters

Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience on current and future gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company's dominant brands include Colin McRae Rally, TOCA Race Driver, LMA Manager, Brian Lara Cricket and Operation Flashpoint. The company is headquartered in Southam, Warwickshire UK and maintains operations in the US, Germany, France, Spain, and Benelux. More information about the company and its products is available online at www.codemasters.com


About Tolkien Enterprises

The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien's works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.

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*Golden Joystick 2007 PC Game of the Year

"The Lord of the Rings Online," "Mines of Moria," "Shadows of Angmar," "Middle-earth," "The Lord of the Rings," and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to Turbine, Inc. Turbine and the Turbine logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Turbine, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 
I'm going to have to take a look at LOTR .I've got a friend who just loves the game.He's usually into Battlefield style games,but since he started LOTR thats been pretty much it. Right now I'm having a pretty good time with BFME II.
 
LOTRO is my first true MMO ( I played Guild Wars previously) and I am really loving it. This expansion sounds awesome even though I have a ways to go before I really need it (I'm level 22). And anyone who says no one plays is it just an asshole. I think there are about 1 million subscribers right now. That is actually a pretty good number when a beast such as WoW is out there.
 
People are definitely playing lotro actively. I started playing about a month ago, and every area that I have visited thus far has been greatly populated. The community is great too--much more kind and mature than in games like WoW.

The feeling of immersion the game offers is also outstanding. Graphically, it can best be described as a combination of realism mixed with an almost painting-like fantasy scheme. One of the things I really hated about WoW was how everything felt and looked fake/gaudy. You'd see a tauren running around with a huge multi-colored sword, with tons of tiny attachments hanging from it + enchantments. In lotro, you don't have this. Everything looks as if it should belong and results in a much deeper level of immersion.

Content-wise, there is a ton of different things to do. Of course you have your standard questing and push to the level cap, but the main difference is that while other MMOs have the mentality that the true content begins when you reach the max level, lotro instead focuses on offering an outstanding experience WHILE you level. Lotro caters to much more a casual crowd that wants to enjoy playing instead of feeling like they are working a second job.

I'd strongly recommend that anyone with interest in the game (or who is tired of another MMO) give it a try. There is a free trial, and if you like it, you can set it up so that your subscription rate is $10 monthly.
 
[quote name='Gnomes and Pie']People are definitely playing lotro actively. I started playing about a month ago, and every area that I have visited thus far has been greatly populated. The community is great too--much more kind and mature than in games like WoW.

The feeling of immersion the game offers is also outstanding. Graphically, it can best be described as a combination of realism mixed with an almost painting-like fantasy scheme. One of the things I really hated about WoW was how everything felt and looked fake/gaudy. You'd see a tauren running around with a huge multi-colored sword, with tons of tiny attachments hanging from it + enchantments. In lotro, you don't have this. Everything looks as if it should belong and results in a much deeper level of immersion.

Content-wise, there is a ton of different things to do. Of course you have your standard questing and push to the level cap, but the main difference is that while other MMOs have the mentality that the true content begins when you reach the max level, lotro instead focuses on offering an outstanding experience WHILE you level. Lotro caters to much more a casual crowd that wants to enjoy playing instead of feeling like they are working a second job.

I'd strongly recommend that anyone with interest in the game (or who is tired of another MMO) give it a try. There is a free trial, and if you like it, you can set it up so that your subscription rate is $10 monthly.[/QUOTE]

You're right, the community is mature and helpful. Even in OOC chat I rarely see any stupidity. Getting in pick-up groups has almost always been a good experience too. I think the lack of over the top animations and crazy looking characters help the game cater to a more mature audience.

As for not rushing to the level cap, I'm definitely in no rush to hit it. The fun is in experiencing the content for me. After nearly a year my main character is still 4 levels short of the cap. I do every quest that I can find, plus all the deeds and crafting.

Server populations are healthy. Some people probably think they aren't because they haven't opened any new servers... but Turbine keeps expanding the game and everyone is spread out a lot more than they were at launch when everyone was running around in the barrows. As long as they can keep adding new zones at a pace that can keep up with the increasing populations, they shouldn't need to open more servers.
 
This is a niche MMO, and I'm glad to have all the haters stay away. The community there is (for the most part) mature and helpful. It's still fun after a year. It's amazing how much free content / free areas they've released, too. Some people grind to the cap, raid a little, don't bother to read the quest descriptions too closely, don't explore for deeds and traits, complain there's no "end game", and leave. Compared to WoW the end game is NOT robust, but from hearing my friends talk about their "second jobs" collecting gear in WoW, spending ten hours getting a helmet or a suit of armor, I'm glad the journey is the reward in LORTO.

You have to slow down to really enjoy it... call it a casual MMO with a remarkably robust character component.

PvmP (Player versus Monster Player) is still sorting out balance issues with crowd control, but can be a lot of fun, especially when a fellow is fighting alongside you as a troll. Solo questing as a monster is particularly funny, too - really good writing in the quests there.
 
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