Games Workshop releases product range
DarthCaeser @ 12:56 pm EST

"As promised in our initial press release, now that we have finalised the product range we will be making for the first movie release, the 'Fellowship of the Ring', we can share that information with you. The release information and product specification shown below may well alter before the final version is approved, but for the time being this is the plan of what we will be releasing and when." [More]

3/14/01 - Latest News

It's Official!
DarthCaeser @ 2:33 am EST

EA has picked up the rights for making video games based on the new LOTR movies. This from Tolkien Online: "A New Line Cinema press release annnouncing Jim Rosenthal's promotion to president of New Line Television reveals a few items of interest to Lord of the Rings fans -- like confirmation of the rumors that Electronic Arts has obtained the films' videogame license." And here's the bit of interest: "Rosenthal's expanded responsibilities also include the studio's licensing and merchandising department. The unit is currently embarked on a full-scale worldwide push to support New Line's highly anticipated adventure trilogy The Lord of the Rings.

Under the direction of Imhoff, the licensing department has already attracted key licensees such as Toy Biz, which has the master toy license; Electronic Arts, which is developing and distributing video games based on the franchise; Applause Inc., which has the master gift license; and HarperCollins UK, among others." [More]

3/13/01 - Latest News

Middle-Earth Online still going? Part 3
DarthCaeser @ 1:26 am EST

Xenite.org had something's to say about the current status of Middle-earth Online, including a bit about a conversation between an ME Stratics Staffer and a PR Representative. After reading the conversation on Stratics, I decided to try e-mailing Sierra again. And this time they actually responded! So what did they have to say? ...pretty much nothing. Here's the official word about the status of MEO from Adam Kahn, a PR Manager at Sierra Studios: "Wanted to touch base with you regarding the email you sent us
about Middle Earth. Right now we can't talk at all about the games, their existence or non-exstence, whether we have the license or not or really anything related to Tolkien or Middle Earth. Keep in touch with me though, because that could change in the near future." There you go, not much, considerably less then what was sent to the folks at ME Stratics (even though it was from the same guy). But, if you read the message carefully, there are a couple of points of interest. First, he say's he can't talk about Tolkien at all, that's kind of a hard stance on keeping quiet about MEO...unless that's part of there Lawsuit against Tolkien Enterprises. The fact that they refuse to comment about the project at all also points to continued Legal trouble. The second thing that caught my attention are the words "games" and "their". The only other announced title based on the Middle Earth license was Orcs: Revenge of the Ancients, which was canceled some time ago. There was also a rumored game that was completed in an attempt to appease Tolkien Enterprises and to keep the Middle Earth license but that was never actually meant to be released, that is just a rumor as far as I know. So why would Sierra say they can't comment on the "games" if MEO is the only one under development using the ME license? There's three explanations that leap to my mind immediately, first, he was including Orcs and/or the rumored game in that statement, unlikely due to the fact that Orcs has been dead for some time, Second, it was a simple grammatical error, happens to me often enough, unlikely due to the fact that he uses plural terms twice when commenting on the "games". Third, and the most interesting in my opinion, there is at least one other ME game in development. That's right, There might be another Middle Earth Game in development by Sierra! That is also unlikely, but it's enough to perk my ears. I'll be e-mailing Sierra again in the near future, now that they seem to be actually responding to inquiries by the LOTR Gaming Press, not that I'm expecting anything new, but hey, it gives me something to do. Feel free to e-mail me suggested questions and I'll try and fit some of them in. I'd now like to take this opportunity to thank Demosthenes, Sir_Mordred, and Arien for helping me to overcome my inability to write in understandable English (as demonstrated in this story :). Without them, loads of patience, and four hours, I would have never of written an even slightly official looking e-mail. Well, that's all for now, I'll be back with a Fourth installment, assuming anything else comes to light about the status of MEO...

3/08/01 - Latest News

More about Under Bree Hill
DarthCaeser @ 3:35 pm EST

I asked the folks from Under Bree Hill to tell us more about themselves and the game. Here's what they had to say:

Those of us in the Bree Hill Gang have for a long time wanted a real
interactive Middle-Earth experience on the net. Even though the video game
world and its technologies have advanced in extraordinary ways, Tolkien's
world has remained relatively untouched. There was the Hobbit game way back
(remember that?) for the IBM, and the LOTR games for the Super Nintendo, but
on the whole those who wished to traverse ME had nothing to go on.
The Internet gave us more opportunities for interactive expansion. We've seen
a small number of sites that have made adventures for us Tolkienites to go
on, Virtual movies, chat rooms, etc. We decided to create something that
hasn't been seen yet, a kind of graphic adventure that resembles early
role-playing games.
Under Bree Hill took about three months of solid work to complete. We scoured
our photo libraries, got permissions from various sources, to create Bree and
the Chetland, which is our favorite spot in Tolkien's world. We didn't know
all that much about web design, so we learned as we went. Little animations
became possible through animated GIFS and timelines. Conversations with the
villagers was created through a complex web of "trails," different responses.
We tried to make the conversations a little more intelligent than most RPGs,
so the player wouldn't get frustrated. And of course the dozens of little
secrets and hidden items made the world more fun to explore, never knowing
who you were going to run into. The time in which the game takes place is
very important. Emails that come in from various travelers make guesses as to
the exact moment in Middle-Earth's history. Many get it right: it takes place
right after Gandalf left Bree to consult with Saruman, leaving a note with
Barliman for Frodo.
We've now gotten many responses from the game, and are quite pleased that so
many are enjoying it. The most common questions we get are, "How to I get the
key to room 107?" and "when will more be added?" The answer to the second
question is that we are all very busy and would love to add on more when time
allows. It's a very long and laborious task to program different scenarios,
but on the whole fulfilling.
Many thanks to everyone who has visited, and enjoy a smoke on a hobbit pipe
on us.

---THE BREE HILL GANG---

Middle-Earth Online still going? Part 2
DarthCaeser @ 2:16 am EST

Well, Middle Earth Stratics is back up, but it doesn't say anything new about Sierra and what there doing with Middle-Earth Online, except the mention of a small bit from the Dec. 2000 issue of PC Gamer saying that Sierra had resumed work on MEO. I would assume that there basing there report on more information then that, I'll talk to the folks at ME Stratics to see if I can find out more about it. I've been searching all over the place to see if Sierra has started working on MEO again. Everything I've seen or heard still points to no new progress on the game. I've asked my "source" close to Sierra to poke around a bit, hopefully he'll get back to me soon. I'll write Part 3 as soon as I get my hands on any new info. Wanting to believe but still not convinced...

2/28/01 - Latest News

Middle-Earth Online still going?
DarthCaeser @ 4:34 pm EST

Stratics.com is reporting that MEO is still being worked on and that they're going to give there MEO section a new look. I don't know who "confirmed" that MEO is still a go, everything I've heard points to MEO being all but officially canceled. I'll snoop around and see if I can find anything.

Stage 1 Stratics - Long thought dead, it has been confirmed that Sierra Studios is still at work on the MMOG version of Middle-Earth under a whole new design team. Check out Middle Earth Stratics later this week as we relaunch with an entirely new look. Middle Earth Stratics