Warner Bros has just launched the official website for the Lord of the Rings: War in the North. The game is under development by Snowblind Studios and will be released on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The game will be a multiplayer co-op action RPG, and it seems there will not be a singleplayer option. The game will shift the theathre from the War of the Ring up to the northern parts of middle-earth, but will take place in the same timespan. The game will be released sometime in 2011. More details are to be revealed on the upcoming E3 conference in Los Angeles.
“Subscribers to the Playstation: The Official Magazine will have a first look opportunity of the game in the May 2010 issue shipping to subscribers on March 18th and hitting newsstands on April 6th. Lord of the Rings: War in the North not only has the cover of that issue, but a full first reveal inside.”
* Article will be updated as information comes in *
Here’s the official press release:
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR IN THE NORTH
FOR XBOX 360™, PLAYSTATION®3 AND WINDOWS™ PCGROUNDBREAKING ONLINE CO-OP IN NEW ACTION RPG ODYSSEY
Burbank, Calif. – March 18, 2010 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces today that The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, an epic multiplayer action/RPG video game based on the renowned novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, is set to launch on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows® in 2011.
Developed in association with Middle-earth Enterprises, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North explores both original and familiar narrative elements as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment holds the rights to develop video games based on both the literary and motion picture content from The Lord of the Rings. Breaking new ground as a mature RPG video game set in Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North advances the RPG paradigm through innovative online, interdependent co-op play for up to three players who form their own Fellowship to fight Sauron’s forces in the North.
“With The Lord of the Rings: War in the North we are taking a mature approach to the widely celebrated property with authentic portrayals of battles and all new storylines,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Utilizing the award-winning and passionate development team at Snowblind Studios, we are looking to evolve the RPG experience and deliver The Lord of the Rings game fans have been waiting for.”
“In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Snowblind will deliver an action RPG for core gamers featuring authentic narrative and environmental locations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original The Lord of the Rings,” said Ryan Geithman, Founder and Studio Head of Snowblind Studios. “This game is a natural evolution of the acclaimed RPG gameplay that Snowblind has consistently delivered over the past years. Players and fans will experience an innovative approach to online co-op gameplay, woven throughout every facet of the game in a way that only Snowblind can deliver.”
In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, players can become the heroes in the great battle of the North as part of the epic War of the Ring. Exploring unseen lands, story elements and characters from Middle-earth as well as elements familiar from past feature films, gamers will experience extensive character customization and development, expansive co-op gameplay options and upgradeable weapons, skills and special abilities.
For more information about The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, please visit http://www.warinthenorth.com.
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About Middle-earth Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture stage, merchandising, and other rights in certain literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Middle-earth Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on the Tolkien work for more than 30 years and is headquartered in Berkeley, California. http://www.middleearth.com.
About Snowblind Studios
Snowblind Studios is an award-winning video game developer based in the Pacific Northwest with more than 10 years of experience. Utilizing a rich history of cooperative play games, they helped to define the growing Action RPG genre with critically acclaimed titles including Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and the Champions of Norrath series. The studio was acquired by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group in 2009 and is currently working on The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
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Comments:
EmThor:
OMG, I'm so buying this!! Anyone got that PS Official magazine? Anyone finds scans, please post it, want to know how does it look like (third person, or isometric view, etc).
Thx
EDIT: TEASER ON YOUTUBE!
click
*faints* EPIC!
LOTR PO:
Great news!
Is it a only a online game? Or could you also play co-op offline? :) Strange that it doesn´t support singleplayer.
OMG!!!! just watched the teaser, and it looks AMAZING!!!!!! :D can´t wait!!!!!!!! :D:D:D
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHwzap7O5to)
EmThor:
Snowblind updated the website, cant reg on their forums though :(
http://www.snowblindstudios.com/Stud.../anouncingWITN
Mithrandir7:
Great. It seems that all these year(s) of speculation have been worth it :P
guztaw77:
This is my question can u play 1 player but to play online u need xbox live right ?o.o
Looks awsome so far
zach:
If you are playing on the Xbox 360 then yes. :P
PS3 and PC will both have free online... Unless Snowblind does something weird.
guztaw77:
Thats so unfair qq ....got 360
Freek:
Well we don't know whether or not there will be a single player mode, my guess is there will be, and your fellows would probably be replaced by AI players. But really nothing's been said regarding this.
LOTR PO:
Mithrandir7:
They couldn't have a major release on the 360 without single player... it just wouldn't make sense. Logic dictates there will be a single-player, in my mind.
Cheeky Hobbit:
Just a quick reminder that the Official Playstation Magazine - which has an exclusive reveal of War in the North inside - has been shipped to subscribers. So, if you know anyone who happens to be a subscriber, get them to spill the beans!
The elf:
I can't seem to get past the stupid bit at the beginning where it asks ur age etc. - it just returns to that screen all the time :(
Freek:
Perhaps you're not old enough?
d3an-extreme:
i had that problem, then i realised the date was in the american format and i was putting it in wrong, theres just no error message to tell you :D
Yams In a can:
It will not let you enter if you put a date that makes you younger than 17 or 18...
Cheeky Hobbit:
That's a good thing for me, as it suggests a mature game. ;)
Ilaras of The Dunedain: