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Yesterday we learned that Amazon Games, in collaboration with Embracer Group (owner of Middle-earth Enterprises, which owns the rights to JRR Tolkien’s literary work since August 2022), is once again developing an MMO game in the Lord of the Rings universe. The company’s vice president, Christoph Hartmann, gave an extensive interview to GamesIndustry.biz about this.
It turned out that the project is at the prototype stage. This means that the concept is still being developed and the game doesn’t even have a rough release date and will be released “when it’s ready”. There are many indications that it will be an MMORPG, although Hartmann has not confirmed this unequivocally. This is because developers are aware of the evolution of online games, increasingly providing audiences with instant rewards for their actions. Classic MMORPGs – like World of Warcraft or The Lord of the Rings Online – don’t do this to a “satisfactory” degree. While we don’t know exactly what Amazon Games will choose, the developers want to target a wide audience – including those who don’t like MMO games. Since the literary heritage of J.R.R. Tolkien is extremely rich, the developers have no shortage of material to work with. However, this does not mean that they will accurately recreate every detail from the books. “My goal is to make the game a game first and a reflection of the books second,” said Hartmann. The Amazon Games VP also assured that he cares about quality as the game is expected to last over ten years.
Whether the game will be paid or distributed according to the free-to-play model is unknown. However, since its release is still far away, this issue will certainly be raised repeatedly.
