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Turbine's Vision

Interview: Turbine Confirms Console Project, Talks Future Plans

When we heard this morning that Turbine was planning to put part of its $40 million Time Warner-led investment to work doing console MMOs, we wondered if a console version of Dungeons & Dragons Online or Lord of the Rings Online could be in the works.

Alas, when we spoke to Turbine's communications director Adam Mersky today, he confirmed Turbine is "actively developing a title for console," but declined to specify.

"We've hired over 60 people since the beginning of the year," said Mersky, and 40 more job postings for the project are currently waiting to be filled. "The people that invested in us, Time Warner... one of the media giants, getting into the MMO fold, and that's obviously a big deal," he said. "They also have a huge distribution network... that may bear fruit for us."

And that investment, Mersky said, makes Turbine "well funded for a good time into the future," and he told Kotaku a bit more about what the company plans to do with that money.

More »

3:30 PM on Tue Jun 10 2008
By Leigh Alexander
3,106 views, 13 comments

turbine

Turbine Talks Cross-Platform MMOs, Console DDO A Possibility

Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach developers Turbine recently received a $40 million cash infusion from Time Warner that they announced would go in part towards expanding the platforms they support. MMORPG.com has posted an interview with Turbine CEO Jim Crowley in which he further details the company's multi-platform plans, hinting that one or both of their existing titles will be heading to game consoles in the future.

"First, he told me that Turbine is investigating the world of cross-platform games, meaning consoles. “These worlds are so rich and robust, we do want them to be shared across platforms, both for existing and future worlds,” Crowley said. We should expect more details on the how and when “later on in the year”. He did make a point of clarifying that Turbine will remain dedicated to the PC, but want to make sure that people who want to enjoy the games (present and future) on the console will be able to do that."

So console MMOs are definitely in the cards for the company, and judging from a job listing posted over at Joystiq this morning, both the Xbox 360 and PS3 are in the running, but which games are making the move?

More »

8:20 AM on Tue Jun 10 2008
By Mike Fahey
1,512 views, 15 comments

Big Bucks For Turbine

Time Warner Hitches Its Star To Turbine With $40 Million Investment

Lord of the Rings Online developer Turbine has just snagged $40 million in equity financing primarily from Time Warner and GGV Capital, the company announced today.

The company's existing investors also helped out this funding round, and Time Warner said Turbine was "an important addition to [its] entertainment initiatives."

Both Time Warner and GGV look to be betting big on the growth of online worlds; full announcement follows the jump.

More »

8:40 AM on Wed Jun 4 2008
By Leigh Alexander
1,910 views, 33 comments

lord of the rings online

Return To LotRO Free This Weekend

Turbine is celebrating the first anniversary of the Lord of the Rings Online as previously mentioned, and they're giving lapsed players a chance to come back and see what's changed since they bucked up and kicked the hobbit (so ashamed of myself). Between now and May 12th, players who have cancelled their account may log back in for free, spend several hours patching, and then experience the new features they've missed out on, such as...
* New Region - Explore the icy reaches of Forochel
* New Quests - Over 100 new quests
* Hobby System - Feel like going fishing?
* Enhanced Monsterplay - New monster class: the Orc Defiler
* Looking For Fellowship Enhancements - Mustering Horns and UI improvements
* More customization options - cosmetic clothing, traveling clothes, and barbershops!
* New PvMP dungeon - The Delving of Frór
* Return to Angmar - completely overhauled to enhance playability and fun
All of this, plus they added more cowbell. What more do you people want?

8:40 AM on Thu May 8 2008
By Mike Fahey
1,459 views, 26 comments

Latest by poke50uk: ug.. well im giving the free trail a go.. its taken 5 hours to dl/install... but the updating is the worst.. 3000/7000+ updates im on now.. "109%" complete ¬_¬ more »

one year of lotro

LotRO Celebrates Year One - Lifetime Memberships Return

It's been a great first year for Lord of the Rings Online, and Turbine has an entire month of celebrations planned for one of the most successful MMO launches since World of Warcraft. It all starts with the launch of Book 13: Doom of the Last-King, which adds the frosty reaches of Forochel to the landmass and a brand-new Monster Player class in the Defiler, seen menacingly above. Monsters will be dropping rare items throughout the month that you can exchange for in-game rewards, and if returning players want to check those out they'll be allowed five days free play to see how the game has evolved since launch. Finally, special subscription plans are in effect for a limited time, with plans over 90 days in length costing only $9.99 a month, and the return of the launch premium lifetime memberships for only $199. Hit the jump for more details on the celebration of a year of l337-speaking Hobbits. More »

7:00 PM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Mike Fahey
3,786 views, 38 comments

Latest by svetlana: Anyone know if I buy this game stateside I can play it in Japan in August when I move there? I know that, with WoW, I'd just have to deal with ridiculous login times etc. for the overseas more »

lord of the rings

LotRO Reaches The Ocean

The latest chapter in the ever-expanding Lord of the Rings Online introduces Forochel, a new region which lies in the far, frozen north of Eriador, which gives players their very first chance to see the ocean in the game. It's funny how you don't notice such a thing missing until it's pointed out to you. Along with giant patches of water, Book 13: Doom of the Last-king promises new cold-based terrain effects. What that means exactly I have no idea. Perhaps slippery patches of ice? It's about time for an MMO to introduce slippery patches of ice. Failing that, some really well-crafted fjords. Turbine promises more info on the next free expansion shortly. For now, it's LotRO on ice! More »

10:20 AM on Wed Apr 9 2008
By Mike Fahey
2,857 views, 25 comments

Latest by n/a: Yup EQ was the First MMO I can think of with ice.... NOW if LOTRO wants to be the first to have boot attachments such as climbing spikes or snowshoes to negate that negate that slip. Then that would more »

expansion plans

LotRO Expansion Explores Mines Of Moria

With so much free content coming on a regular basis for Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online, the announcement of the first retail expansion, Mines of Moria, took me completely off guard. Announced today at the Connect 08 event and slated for a fall release, the expansion signals the beginning of Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online, and brings with it some pretty significant new features. First and foremost the expansion includes two new classes, the Rune-keeper and the Warden, both of which they can take up to level 60 with the accompanying increase in level cap. The expansion will also introduce item advancement, which allows you to craft magnificent, customizable weapons that level along with you, complete with weapon titles, virtue advancement, and runic legacies. To celebrate the announcement, players can register at http://www.unlocktheminesofmoria.com, where starting March 31st they can play mini-games that will unlock previews, assets, and in-game items.
More »

8:40 AM on Fri Mar 14 2008
By Mike Fahey
6,707 views, 26 comments

Latest by EnigmaNemesis: @SlayerOfMuffins: LOTRO is already about the Witch King, thus called "Shadows of Angmar". What is the other games excuse for such similar lore rip? more »

licensing

Turbine and Tolkien Sitting In A Tree

Most people who've actually gotten a chance to play a bit of Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online have to admit that the company has done a damn fine job in handling Tolkien's work in a respectful fashion. Apparently the Tolkien folks agree, as the two companies have signed an agreement granting Turbine the license to create online games based on the Lord of the Rings books up through the year 2014, with an option to extend the rights to 2017.
"We have had a wonderful working relationship with Turbine over the past several years," said Albert M. Bendich, Executive Vice President of The Saul Zaentz Company, and its merchandising division Tolkien Enterprises. "We look forward to our continuing success with Turbine as it pushes the envelope for compelling online entertainment and gameplay to bring the compelling characters of Middle-earth to life for Tolkien fans around the world."
Those TE folks aren't pushovers either, nearly single-handedly bringing about the downfall of Iron Crown Enterprises by pulling the license on their Middle Earth Role-Playing Game. Good show Turbine! More »

11:20 AM on Wed Feb 20 2008
By Mike Fahey
1,898 views, 20 comments

Latest by Chef: I'm on LOTRO to play with my brother every now and then, and I'm constantly surprised by how much content they keep adding and adding, beyond just new quests, balance fixes, and seasonal content - they've been adding entire features more »

mmo update

Turbine Continues To Impress With LOTRO Book 12

Turbine continues to kick the living crap out of most other MMORPGs feature-wise with the announcement of the latest free content update, Book 12: The Ashen Wastes. Book 12 introduces a mechanic that so many MMOs need but so very few utilize - the outfit system. Basically it allows you to customize the gear your character wears without affecting your armor stats, meaning that no matter what armor you put on, you can maintain the look you want. You wanna be known as the hobbit in hot pink pants? You can be that hobbit without worrying about your look changing every time you find a better piece of armor. They're also introducing barbershops where you can deck your character out in one of more than 50 new hairstyles, which is nifty indeed. On the actual game front, they are introducing The Delving of Frór, a 12-player raid dungeon that switches between player character and player monster control based on the faction winning the battle in the Ettenmoors, sort of like the Darkness Falls dungeon in Dark Age of Camelot. Enhanced player housing, over 100 new quests, and the chance to recover the ancient ring Narchuil round out the impressive feature list in Book 12. Hit the jump for more details, while I ponder the reactivation question for the umpteenth time. More »

10:20 AM on Wed Feb 13 2008
By Mike Fahey
4,664 views, 70 comments

Latest by AMonkey: Sounds pretty nice. I don't think I can be bothered to download the trial and none of the classes seem to fit what I want. When I get bored of WoW I'm sure I'll give it a shot. more »

mmorpg

LOTRO Goes Russian

They're taking the Hobbits to Kaliningrad! Russia is a gigantic country with approximately 142 million people, and not enough of them are MMO addicts. The gaming industry is slowly realizing this, with Blizzard readying the Russian-language version of World of Warcraft and now Turbine announcing an agreement to bring Lord of the Rings Online to the Hobbit-hungry populace. IT Territory LLC, a major Russian online game publisher, will be handling the publication and operation of the game in their country.
"The Lord of the Rings Online has taken North America and Europe by storm and we are committed to bringing the game to fans around the world," said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "ITT is a major player in online gaming and we look forward to partnering with them to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to Russia."
Hooray! The world has come so far, hasn't it? Remember when Russians were the enemy in all those 1980's video games and movies? We were all such dorks back then. More »

9:40 AM on Mon Jan 28 2008
By Mike Fahey
795 views, 15 comments

Latest by n/a: @bakana: They were playing on a private Lineage 2 server. more »

lord of the rings online

They're Taking The Hobbits To Korea

This year has seen a steady flood of 'top-quality' Korean MMOs into the U.S., so it's high time we showed them how it's done repaid the favor by giving them another of ours. Turbine has announced a partnership with Korean internet company and gaming site NHN to distribute Lord of the Rings Online in the Land of the Endless Grind. Already operating in North America, Europe, the UK, and Japan, LotRO should be available to Korean players sometime next year.
"The Lord of the Rings Online will redefine the MMORPG genre in Korea, with amazing graphics and high-quality game content, along with a game system that Korean gamers are familiar with," said Kim Chang-Keun, Director of the publishing division of NHN.
As opposed to all of those Korean MMOs with their crappy graphics and low-quality content. I didn't say it. *points to Kim Chang-Keun* More »

10:20 AM on Mon Dec 10 2007
By Mike Fahey
1,251 views, 19 comments

Latest by n/a: I don't know, all my friends around me don't really have much interest in this. Since most of the games produced here is MMO. We already have plenty of online "free" games to play. But I bought 15 stocks in more »

hobbit holidays

LotRO Gets Cheaper For The Holidays

With Blizzard adding a cold pack to their Burning Crusade and NCsoft giving Guild Wars players five hours of marketing, what does Lord of the Rings Online have to offer MMO players this Holiday season? Low, low prices! From now until January 31st, new and existing subscribers to LotRO can pay only $9.99 month, $5 off their normal $14.99 rate. You'll have to pay $29.97 for three months at a time in order to take advantage of the special offer, but 33% off is nothing to scoff at. Of course had you known you'd be so addicted you would have just dropped $200 at launch for the lifetime subscription. Hindsight, huh?

LotRO Holiday Promo [Lord Of The Rings Online via FiringSquad]

7:00 PM on Fri Dec 7 2007
By Mike Fahey
1,185 views, 13 comments

Latest by theun4gven: Is that the alien from 'Mac and Me?' more »

7 day trial

Play LotRO Free

A nice, week-long vacation in Middle Earth sounds absolutely lovely right now. I mean, they've got everything; verdant hills, babbling brooks, Misty Mountains, all-encompassing battle to determine the fate of the world...toss in some taquitos and I'm there. Right now you can take a 7-day trip to the land of hobbits for the low, low price of free as Turbine launches a free trial for their critically acclaimed MMO, Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. Just head over to http://trial.lotro.com to sign up, wait out what is sure to be a massive, time-consuming download, and you'll be toking up pipeweed in the Shire in no time. If anything it'll be something to do in between periods of swearing you'll never return to World of Warcraft. More »

6:30 PM on Wed Aug 29 2007
By Mike Fahey
11,073 views, 33 comments

Latest by n/a: The monthly fee is $15 with discounts for paying for more than a month at a time. If you know anyone who has been with the game since it launched, there was a promotion where they could extend their $10 more »

lord of the dance

LOTRO Shores of Evendim Detailed

A little over a month old and Lord of the Rings Online is ready for a major free content upgrade, further entrenching Turbine and Codemasters in the hearts of Tolkien fans around the world. For weeks now we've been logging in to see the teaser screen, and finally today details emerge on the Shores of Evendim patch. It's a whole slew of new content, including one major feature that might get my short attention span having butt to resubscribe:
Major Updates to the Music System — In addition to the new percussion and bass instruments, players can now utilize a new music notation system that enables them to compose music offline and upload it to your character in-game.

You have no idea how amazingly happy that makes me. No more sitting in Hobbiton plunking through the Rugrats theme song for me. Now I can plunk with one button! More »

8:24 AM on Tue Jun 5 2007
By Mike Fahey
3,352 views, 14 comments

Latest by EnigmaNemesis: Good stuff! I have been enjoying this game. And the additions sound really cool! more »

lord of the rings

LOTR Open Beta - Run You Fools

What is potentially the most hobbit-forming MMO of all time is about to start it's open beta phase, leading up to the release on April 24th. Just hit up the web site, click on the World Tour link (or the link below this post), and follow the instructions to find out how to receive your account key and download the client. European players need to go to a different site to sign up, but Canada, Australia and New Zealand? You're with us, but Canada called shotgun and New Zealand has to sit in Australia's lap. Don't make us turn this car around. More »

9:22 AM on Fri Apr 6 2007
By Mike Fahey
947 views, 29 comments

Latest by Slapworth: @MJDeviant: yeah, it wasn't just you. Our comments became a Blogging Brundlefly. more »

lord of the rings online

LOTROnline Entering Open Beta

On March 30 Lord of the Online will be kicking off an open beta of the MMO. More »

12:00 PM on Thu Mar 22 2007
By Brian Crecente
1,638 views, 22 comments

mmorpgs

D&D Online Adds Solo Play Instead of More, New, Better Content

In a bid to bring in more players to their sparsely populated and just as sparsely designed MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, Turbine's created a solo area for MMORPG gamers who prefer to play alone. More »

1:40 PM on Thu Jun 8 2006
By brownlee
436 views, 1 comment

dungeons and dragons online

Play Dungeons and Dragons Online for Free! Wait... Don't.

Love heavily instanced and overwhelmingly brown MMORPGs without enough content and require endlessly replaying the same dungeon over and over again until you jump a level from 2 to 3? Hey, who doesn't? Nevertheless, early buzz on Turbine's Dungeons and Dragons Online was so negative that you, like the majority of the planet's sane, may have been reluctant to drop your hard earned lettuce on it. More »

2:40 PM on Tue Apr 25 2006
By brownlee
6,223 views, 11 comments