IncGamers has posted their full interview with Saul Zeantz, the company that gives out the video-game license for the Lord of the Rings. The interview is full of interesting snippets and reveals, which give a great insight into the inner workings of the company and their opinion on the Lord of the Rings games thus far.
Most interestingly though, they drop some pretty big bombs when it comes to the future of Lord of the Rings gaming and what is going to happen now that EA’s license is running out. The biggest hint is that a game may be coming out this christmas!
We know EA’s license time has run out now, Conquest being its last game. What happens now? Are you talking to anyone about the license and what are the procedures that need to be taken to secure a license as big as this?
We’re in negotiation right now, and we’ve spoken to a lot of videogame developers and publishers over the last few years including EA. This is something we’ve done with our colleagues at New Line Cinema, who are now Warner Bros. and weighed up the pros and cons. Obviously some of it was financial, but a great part of it was who could do the best job with the lore. It’s interesting that most of the companies have someone who will blow your mind when they talk to you about the trilogy and The Hobbit, so that’s a passage we’ve gone through over the last couple of years and we’re now in negotiations, but we haven’t finalised a deal but we’re very close. There are going to be Lord of the Rings games of course, but there will also be The Hobbit games too, based on the films.
Well if New Line Cinema, the guys responsible of the trilogy, has joined Warner Bros. and with Warner Bros.’ new gaming division now doing some big film titles as games in, like Terminator and Wanted, wouldn’t it make sense that they were the next license holders?
Warner Bros. is definitely a player, and yes they’re new into the field, but as you pointed out, they’re working with some good people. We’ve had a relationship with Warner Bros. not only through the New Line experience, but for our film library. We’re a small film company here too, and they’ve handled a lot of our film distribution in the past.
Well, it would make sense I suppose now they’re publishers, distributors and now developers. It seems like a great package.
That’s right.
So when can we expect the next LotR title to be out and what platforms it’ll be on?
We’re hoping that something will be out by Christmas this year, but we’re not sure. There have been a lot of changes in the last two years which have been unforeseen so that has a bearing. But we’re hoping for Christmas. We’ll keep you posted on that one.
This is just a small part of a very great interview, so make sure to read it all.
Of course we’ll be trying to find out whatever we can about a possible new license holder and gaming title, so we’ll make sure to let you folks know if we find anything out.
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Comments:
krapyl:
DUDE!
A new LotR game allready in christmas?? :O
zach:
This sucks ... that is really soon. Unless he is lying about the discussions not being final. That already leaves only 9 months. Unless they already have all the concept stage done and have an engine to use, then it just cant be done. If this is true it will simply be another rush job like Conquest.
krapyl:
Yes...it sounds like a rush job. I just hope he don't talk about a new expansion for LotRO or something :/
LOTR PO:
I hope if they are going to make a new game, they could make an RPG game. It would be cool to go around in middle earth and visit places you saw in the movies, like going on all the 7 levels in minas tirith.
Cheeky Hobbit:
A LOTR game by Christmas? Count me in, so long as it isn't a rushed effort.
They say that there have been "a lot of changes in the last two years which have been unforeseen", and I'm entirely not sure what that means. Could it be referring to the White Council being put on indefinite hold? One can dream.
krapyl:
I doubt they give EA the licence again. So i don't think any White Council
kylej13:
What could the game be? They have to have been working on it already to release it by Christmas. It's probably the White Council or something like it. What other kind of game do you think they could make based on LOTR right now? If not an RPG, then I think the only other possibilities would be an RTS, or Conquest 2 (highly unlikely)
zach:
RTS: Doubtful, we may see one for the Hobbit but I doubt we will see another one for lotr.
RPG: Doubtful unless EA has the license and has been working on White Council or another RPG secretly. RPG's takes years to make. One cannot simply make a rpg in less than a year and hope for it to be good.
Conquest 2: I highly doubt this considering how well Conquest did....
Freek:
If they've already been working on it, it has to be from EA (which would lead to them renewing their license), Turbine (which already has it) or from the new Warner Bros games. Or, ofcourse, they didn't mean X-mas '09 but X-mas '10 which is more likely if they are working on a new game.
I don't think the White Council is very likely to get picked up, but if you want that game, the only hope is if EA keeps the license (and lets Bioware develop the game? Not likely, they're working on Mass Effect 2 now)
Cheeky Hobbit:
I don't think the White Council is very likely to get picked up, but if you want that game, the only hope is if EA keeps the license (and lets Bioware develop the game? Not likely, they're working on Mass Effect 2 now)
It's hard to know how committed EA are with regards to the license, so I can't really say whether they will renew the license or not (although a large part of me thinks they will). Bioware is also working on Dragon Age: Origins (due out later this year) in addition to Mass Effect 2, so I don't think they'd work on a new LOTR game.
Freek:
I think there's a lot of interest for the license with the Hobbit coming in two or three years :)
krapyl:
But as i said in my last post. It can just be an expansion for Lord of the Rings: Online
zach:
In that case there is one of those ever couple months.. most are free though. It is unlikely that we will see another full expansion so soon (although I hope it is). Anyways a lotro expansion doesnt count as a new 'game'.
I really hope a GOOD rpg is coming but I am worried about the new Warner Bros. game studio leading it. RPG's are delicate games and a lot is needed to make them great, unlike action games. There games thus far havnt been too impressive nor do I think they are a big enough studio to take on something as big as a RPG.
Maybe turbine will submit to many of our wishes.... we know they have been wanting to expand to consoles for over a year now, and lotro was one of the key games being looked at to being made for console. They were hiring to console programmers a while back...
This is maybe the most likely. ALL the artwork is there they just need to do a crap load of coding and UI restructuring. Now when rumors were floating around we knew it wouldnt be a direct port as that just isnt possible due to limited keys on the gamepad. Its quite possible though. Time shall tell, but honestly lotro for the 360 is on my MOST Wanted list.
Freek:
I would perhaps get it on the PS3 if that came out, although I'm still wary of subscriptions (usually because I get bored with most games after 1 or 2 months)
zach:
You can always just get a sub for a month here and a month there.