Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: An Update 6 play date with Turbine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/10/the-road-to-mordor-an-update-6-play-date-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/10/the-road-to-mordor-an-update-6-play-date-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/10/the-road-to-mordor-an-update-6-play-date-with-turbine/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

LotRO
This past week, Turbine called my parents and asked if I could come over to play Lord of the Rings Online. "Sure he can," my mother replied. "As long as he wears his galoshes. What? It's wet outside!"

And thus I ended up hanging out with the Turbine crew -- Aaron Campbell, Jared Pruett, and Jeff Libby -- as they walked me through Update 6 with the optional developer commentary mode set to "on." I highly recommend you rent a developer for the same experience, as it helps to have someone giving you a Cliff's Notes version of the game's complicated lore.

Pruett first caught me up on the major PvMP changes of this coming Monday's update. The team wanted to increase rewards and turn progression into a seasonal mechanic to keep players coming to the Ettenmoors. As such, PvMP now has a universal currency -- that's account-wide, by the way -- that will allow players to purchase top-end gear. The team also tweaked down what the devs saw as a DPS race in order to give players time to deliberate and make strategic choices during fights.

Beyond PvMP, the devs marched me right into the next epic storyline book that whisked us away to a strange new land: The Great River. What did I find waiting for me there?

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: An Update 6 play date with Turbine

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: An Update 6 play date with Turbine originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lord of the Rings Online - The Shire
Can you believe that Lord of the Rings Online is nearly five years old? We can't either, but it's true, and Turbine's Aaron "Rowan" Campbell says the best is yet to come in his latest producer letter.

The piece is pretty short, and much of it is devoted to recapping 2011. Campbell touches on the Rise of Isengard expansion and the Turbine Global Service initiative (which unified the North American and European LotRO communities under a single banner).

The most interesting portion of the blurb occurs toward the end, and it features quite a tasty tease for the future. "In 2012, you can expect more content than you've seen at any time since our launch in 2007. We'll be unveiling details with you after the New Year," he writes.

In other LotRO news, Turbine is offering the aforementioned Rise of Isengard content for a whopping 50% off. The catch? It's a one-day sale that starts (and ends) on December 26th, so get it while you can!

MassivelyLotRO producer's letter promises a ton of content in 2012 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbellf2pfantasyfree-to-playlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromiddle-earthproducers-lettertolkienupdateMon, 26 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rings and words of power: Going inside LotRO's Update 5]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/rings-and-words-of-power-going-inside-lotros-update-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/rings-and-words-of-power-going-inside-lotros-update-5/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/15/rings-and-words-of-power-going-inside-lotros-update-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

LOTRO
It's been a couple of days since the news broke that Lord of the Rings Online's Update 5 is going to be bigger than previously thought, with not only a new instance cluster but an additional book in the epic storyline and an Instance Finder system.

As Update 5 goes up on the test server for the remainder of the week, we got in touch with Turbine to talk about the details of this mountain of content heading our way, including an epic confrontation with Rise of Isengard's big baddie himself, Saruman. It wouldn't be a conference call without a few notable surprises as well, and Adam Merskey, Aaron Campbell, Jeff Libby, and Joe Barry were eager to share what the team has been working on for the first update after the expansion.

It's time to wave goodbye to the Rangers, stop putting off instance runs, and take the fight to the bearded dude himself. It's time for Update 5. Get all the skinny after the jump!

Continue reading Rings and words of power: Going inside LotRO's Update 5

MassivelyRings and words of power: Going inside LotRO's Update 5 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Aaron-Campbelladam-merskydungeon-findereagleconentfeaturedgrey-companyinstanceinstance-clusterinstance-finderinstancesjeff-libbylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotroorthancrangersrise-of-isengardsarumanthe-foundrythe-prince-of-rohantheodredtower-of-orthancupdate-5volume-3-book-5volume-iii-book-5Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[New LotRO screens and video feature Orthanc, Isengard action]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/new-lotro-screens-and-video-feature-orthanc-isengard-action/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/new-lotro-screens-and-video-feature-orthanc-isengard-action/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/new-lotro-screens-and-video-feature-orthanc-isengard-action/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Lord of the Rings Online - Rise of Isengard orc and man
We're a few days removed from Lord of the Rings Online's latest expansion, and Turbine is ramping up the publicity accordingly. Today we've got a handful of new screenshots and a video for your viewing pleasure. The former focus heavily on in-game action and mayhem, while the latter is a dev diary that features senior producer Aaron Campbell and art director Todd DeMelle.

Lord of the Rings fans will be pleased to know that Turbine has recreated Orthanc to Tolkien's specifications according to DeMelle, and the new expansion will offer plenty of geek moments including the opportunity to rub elbows with luminaries like Gandalf and Wormtongue and to get a glimpse of Saruman's famous palantir. Head past the cut for the video diary, and don't forget to peruse our LotRO gallery below.

[Source: Turbine press release]

Gallery: Lord of the Rings Online Core Gallery

Continue reading New LotRO screens and video feature Orthanc, Isengard action

MassivelyNew LotRO screens and video feature Orthanc, Isengard action originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbelldesigndev-blogdev-diaryexpansionsf2pfantasyfree-to-playgandalfisengardlord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromiddle-earthorthancrise-of-isengardscreenshotstodd-demellevideowormtongueWed, 21 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Inside Isengard]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/09/the-road-to-mordor-inside-isengard/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/09/the-road-to-mordor-inside-isengard/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/09/the-road-to-mordor-inside-isengard/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Lord of the Rings Online
It's one thing to sit down during a beta and poke around on your own, making educated guesses about why what went where and who what is wherefore. It's another thing entirely to pick up the phone and go, "Hey Turbine? Drop everything -- no, not your pants! -- and take me on a tour of Rise of Isengard! Um, magic word? Oh! Pretty please? With a cherry on top?"

The first approach is good, but I wanted to get a more in-depth look into the making of Lord of the Rings Online's third expansion from the people who actually made it. How does one approach fleshing out an area that received relatively little source support from the books? What is Turbine trying to do differently in its fourth year of LotRO development? And why should we be afraid of an old guy in a bathrobe who won't come out of his tower?

See? These are good questions to ask, which is why I sat down with Bob Hess, Aaron Campbell and Adam Mersky, who graciously took me on a whirlwind tour of Rise of Isengard. I wanted to cut through the PR-speak and learn about the real stories of the making of the expansion and what we'll be encountering within, and the devs were happy to oblige.

Hit the jump as we travel further down The Road to Mordor and take the Hobbits to Isengard!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Inside Isengard

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Inside Isengard originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbelladam-merskybetabob-hessdunlandexpansionfeaturedhorsesisengardlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromountsndaopen-betaorthancrise-of-isengardrohanrohirrimsarumanturbineturbine-entertainmentwulfs-cleftFri, 09 Sep 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[E3 2011: A ride through LotRO's Rise of Isengard]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/09/e3-2011-a-ride-through-lotros-rise-of-isengard/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/09/e3-2011-a-ride-through-lotros-rise-of-isengard/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/09/e3-2011-a-ride-through-lotros-rise-of-isengard/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

With the news that Lord of the Rings Online's third expansion, Rise of Isengard, was finally given a release date, it became our quest to hunt Turbine down at E3 and make the team give up the One Ring of Info. We spoke with a couple of the devs about the lands and wonders that we'll get to experience come this fall.

We began our journey at a village in one of the starting destinations in Dunland. It's there, Turbine told us, that an army had recently pulled out to fight the Rohirrim, leaving so-called "Oathbreakers" behind for you to handle. Players are tasked with figuring out what's going on and how these left-behind invaders will fit in with the local populace.

The devs told us that one of the recurring themes of LotRO's latest expansion is the influence of others on the Dunlendings. With the war stirring across the world, suddenly this isolated area has become a major thoroughfare for enemies and good guys alike, and both sides are seeking to woo the Dunlending tribes. If you're thinking "tug o' war," you're not far off.

Continue reading E3 2011: A ride through LotRO's Rise of Isengard

MassivelyE3 2011: A ride through LotRO's Rise of Isengard originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbellcreepsdunlanddunlendingse3e3-2011ettenmoorsexpansionf2pfeaturedfree-to-playinterviewisengardlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-storemobile-questgiversmonster-playoathbreakersphasingpvmppvprise-of-isengardRohirrimsarumanturbineturbine-entertainmentvirtuesThu, 09 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Dungeon-running with Turbine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/the-road-to-mordor-dungeon-running-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/the-road-to-mordor-dungeon-running-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/13/the-road-to-mordor-dungeon-running-with-turbine/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

As we talked about last month, Turbine's toting around a double-barreled shotgun full of content that it's preparing to unload. While the biggest blast will undoubtedly be Lord of the Rings Online's third expansion, Rise of Isengard, the team is working hard to provide us with plenty to do between now and then. Part of that effort is directed at Update 3, which is currently scheduled to go live on May 23rd in North America and after June 1st for Europe when the LotRO Global Service takes effect and all of the accounts are moved under Turbine's purview.

I eagerly sat down with Turbine's Aaron Campbell and Joe Barry for a play-through of Update 3's two new three-player instances, Halls of Night and Inn of the Forsaken. Both of these scalable instances will be available to a wide swath of players, and they feature mechanics and sights never before seen in the game.

Also, they're wicked cool.

So join me today as I take you on a brief tour of horrors and adventures beyond imagination. Has everyone used the restroom before we go? Are you sure? It's a long article; I don't want you leaving in the middle of it. OK, let's ride!

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Dungeon-running with Turbine

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Dungeon-running with Turbine originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbellangmarbarrowbarrow-downsddodreamdreamsdreamscapedungeons-and-dragons-onlineemoteseuropefeaturedforsaken-inngauntletglobal-servicegoonieshalls-of-nighthungry-spiritsindiana-jonesinn-of-the-forsakenjoe-barrylord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-global-servicemay-updatemerrynightmareno-time-for-love-dr-jonespanicpippinriddle-doorrise-of-isengardterrorthe-gooniestomb-guidestortured-soulsturbineturbine-entertainmentuminupdate-3waterslideFri, 13 May 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Four more years, four more years!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/the-road-to-mordor-four-more-years-four-more-years/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/the-road-to-mordor-four-more-years-four-more-years/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/the-road-to-mordor-four-more-years-four-more-years/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

While four years is not a nice round number -- or even a halfway number like five -- it's a substantial milestone for any MMORPG. Debuting in early 2007, Lord of the Rings Online introduced something we'd never seen before: a fully realized 3-D virtual Middle-earth where we could not only enjoy a deep MMO but explore the lands and meet the people we'd only read about before.

It might not be a universal truth that all LotRO players are big Tolkien fans, but I'm sure enough that it's a sizable chunk of the playerbase. There's something special about the IP that gives a weight and richness to the game, especially when a long-time reader of the books is given leave to actually go on adventures through Eriador, Moria and Mirkwood. It's a giant sight-seeing tour of lore, a thrill with every brush one has with the source material.

It's heady to consider that four years ago we were but starting on this journey, feeling out the mechanics of combat, crafting and pie-running. Four years later, LotRO has emerged to be one of the most significant MMOs of the past decade, growing strong with no signs of slowing down.

Hit the jump as we reminisce about the ups, the downs, and the off-the-beaten-path hikes of our beloved game as it celebrates its fourth anniversary.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Four more years, four more years!

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Four more years, four more years! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4th-anniversaryaaron-campbellacadam-merskyanniversaryasherons-callatlas-of-middle-earthblizzardddodungeons-and-dragons-onlineepic-storylineeriadoreurogamerf2pfeaturedfourth-anniversaryfree-to-playgame-chroniclesjeffrey-steefeljrr-tolkienlegendary-itemslord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrometacriticmiddle-earthmirkwoodmoriapvmpradianceseoulshadows-of-angmarskirmishessouth-koreatolkienturbineturbine-entertainmentwarner-broswbworld-of-warcraftwowwow-cloneFri, 22 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Through Turbine's palantír: Developers outline LotRO's future]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/through-turbines-palantir-developers-outline-lotros-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/through-turbines-palantir-developers-outline-lotros-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/through-turbines-palantir-developers-outline-lotros-future/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

In J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, characters would use magical orbs known as palantírs to see and communicate with far away places. While Massively's own palantír is at the shop, we had access to the next best thing -- a one-on-two chat about Lord of the Rings Online's future with Turbine's Aaron Campbell and Adam Mersky.

A lot's been happening since LotRO's free-to-play version went online last fall -- the closest thing to a relaunch that this game is likely to ever see -- and both Campbell and Mersky have one important message for fans: We're just getting started. Even as the Turbine team gears up for LotRO's third expansion, Rise of Isengard, the devs want you to know that they're also dedicated to bringing a good amount of content between now and then.

Everything was on the table during this discussion, from this weekend's anniversary celebration to next month's update to the new expansion. Join us after the jump for a look through the palantír to see what information we can pry from the future!

Continue reading Through Turbine's palantír: Developers outline LotRO's future

MassivelyThrough Turbine's palantír: Developers outline LotRO's future originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>24-man-raidaaron-campbelladam-merskyanniversaryattack-at-dawnbarrow-downsbeer-brawlbeer-fightcharacter-modelsdunlande3e3-2011echoes-of-the-deadentsered-luinevendimf2pfeaturedfourth-anniversaryfree-to-playgap-of-rohangiant-dragongolfgoonieshall-of-nighthalls-of-nighthousingicy-crevasseinn-of-the-forsakenisengardlevel-caplord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromay-updatemirkwoodmounted-combatraidrevamprise-of-isengardRohirrimsarumanskirmishesthe-hobbitthe-riftthe-two-towerstreasure-huntturbineturbine-entertainmentupdate-2update-3yule-festivalzone-revampThu, 21 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Road to Mordor: Rise of Isengard is coming!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/the-road-to-mordor-rise-of-isengard-is-coming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/the-road-to-mordor-rise-of-isengard-is-coming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/the-road-to-mordor-rise-of-isengard-is-coming/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

[Update: Made a clarification that there is no indication of "open-world" PvMP in the expansion.]

Times are tough in Middle-earth, even after the inexplicable appearance of several hundred thousand new adventurers this fall. The Fellowship of the Ring is broken, Sauron is rising in power, and the White Hand of Saruman is marching across the lands. Even the bravest and hardiest soldier of the Free Peoples cannot be blamed for feeling disheartened, especially in the face of the monumental struggle to come.

Welcome to the beginning of The Two Towers in Lord of the Rings Online. Welcome to Isengard.

The rumors are true: Next year we will be venturing into LotRO's third expansion, titled Rise of Isengard, to confront evil in its own backyard. While this may not be the Rohan or Gondor expansion that we've anticipated, Turbine is fairly confident that it will be well-received by players and will represent an ambitious step forward on (wait for it) the road to Mordor.

Turbine's Adam Mersky and Aaron Campbell were on hand to outline for us the company's near- and far-future plans with Massively, starting with the imminent November update and cruising all the way through 2011. Hit the jump as we look at interactive theater, busy bees, Monster Play improvements and, of course, Isengard.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Rise of Isengard is coming!

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Rise of Isengard is coming! originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbelladam-merskybreakingbusy-beecosmeticcosmetic-systemdourhanddungeonsdunlandeager-beaverenedwaithettenmoorsf2pfeaturedfedexfellowship-of-the-ringfirst-agefree-to-playgap-of-rohangondorikeaisengardjourney-to-winter-homelegendary-itemslord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelore-masterlotromad-bagginsmiddle-earthmines-of-moriamonster-playnon-combat-petorthancoutfitpvmppvpraidsrandiancerise-of-isengardrohanrune-keepersarumanshadows-of-angmarsiege-of-mirkwoodstarter-zonestudly-mcawesometask-systemtasksthe-road-to-mordorthe-two-towersturbineTurbine-Entertainmentwardrobewhite-handwinter-homeyuleyule-festivalFri, 19 Nov 2010 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PAX 2010: Counting down to LotRO's relaunch with Turbine]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/pax-2010-counting-down-to-lotros-relaunch-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/pax-2010-counting-down-to-lotros-relaunch-with-turbine/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/pax-2010-counting-down-to-lotros-relaunch-with-turbine/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

With the launch of Lord of the Rings Online's biggest patch to date a scant few days away, we touched base with Turbine's Aaron Campbell, Brian Aloisio, and Bob Hess at PAX Prime to see how their nerves are holding up at this point. It is, as Aloisio laughed, akin to launching the game all over again, and LotRO is definitely under close scrutiny because of it.

Many players were surprised to hear that LotRO's free-to-play update was going live much sooner than anticipated, and we asked Campbell whether this was due to a preset schedule or better-than-anticipated beta feedback. He said that they weren't going to release it until it was ready, but by the team's reckoning, the beta process went so smoothly that there was no reason to delay any further.

Compared to the betas for Shadows of Angmar, Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood, the F2P beta -- according to Campbell -- was the most upbeat Turbine's ever had, with far more positive feedback than negative. Hit the jump to hear more and see the latest screenshots and video from PAX.

Continue reading PAX 2010: Counting down to LotRO's relaunch with Turbine

MassivelyPAX 2010: Counting down to LotRO's relaunch with Turbine originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It just may be the dream of every MMO geek to command the attention of his or her favorite dev team, bombard them with questions, and be shown secrets previously kept behind closed doors. Well, my friends, today that dream came true for this geek, as Turbine graciously sat down with Massively for over two hours to conduct an all-access tour to the fall's hot new LotRO content -- including the details behind the controversial and anticipated F2P switch. Aaron Campbell (Producer), Allan Maki (Senior Designer), Elliot Gilman (Senior Designer), Brian Aloisio (Designer), Joseph Barry (Designer) and Jonathan Rudder (Lore Guru) were on hand to fly me through the new content -- and reveal a few big surprises.

To say that I had questions is an understatement; I fear that I sounded a bit like a six-year-old who peppers parents with unending "Why?" queries. Expecting to hear "no comment" a lot (after all, this content is in beta), I was surprised when the Turbine team enthusiastically answered all of my questions and then some. This is a team who know this F2P move is bringing some apprehension and concern, and they're trying to assuage that with as much information as possible.

So join me as we go through the first part of this tour, looking at an enhanced new-player experience, instance scaling and the addition of Enedwaith to Turbine's Middle-earth.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part one)

MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Touring the fall's new content with Turbine (part one) originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbellallan-makialliot-gilmanannuminasbrian-aloisiodungeonsdunlandenedwaitheregionf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgondorgreat-barrowshelegrodinstance-scalinginterviewjonathan-rudderjoseph-barrylord-of-the-rings-onlinelore-gurulotromaur-tulhaumiddle-earthmines-of-morianew-player-experiencestoorstourturbinetutorialuivolume-3-book-2welshFri, 02 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood developer tour]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/lotro-siege-of-mirkwood-developer-tour/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/lotro-siege-of-mirkwood-developer-tour/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/lotro-siege-of-mirkwood-developer-tour/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

If you've been faithfully following along with the Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood beta, you may be excited by what you've heard -- or even seen yourself -- so far. The new expansion, which is set to launch on December 1st of this year (December 3rd for EU), centers around the forest of Mirkwood, just to the east of Lothlorien. It introduces us to a large new map of Mirkwood, the skirmish system, five new instances and much more.

On top of this officially-released news of these features, we were able to get together with Turbine's Aaron "Rowan" Campbell for a sample tour of the new content. Follow along after the jump for what we saw.

Gallery: LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood Developer Tour

Mirkwood mapThe DourstocksMore of the DourstocksBlackvenom Spider attacksThe gates of Dol Guldur

Continue reading LotRO: Siege of Mirkwood developer tour

MassivelyLotRO: Siege of Mirkwood developer tour originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbelldev-tourfeaturedinterviewlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-book-9rowansiege-of-mirkwoodturbineturbine-entertainmentMon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Server merges in LotRO? Heck no!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/21/server-merges-in-lotro-heck-no/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/21/server-merges-in-lotro-heck-no/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/21/server-merges-in-lotro-heck-no/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The longer you are exposed to the One Ring, the stronger the hold it begins to have over you. It would appear Turbine has been able to harness this magic and set it loose upon the unsuspecting gaming population because The Lord of the Rings Online is continuing to grow even two years after its release.

When VG247 caught up with Live Producer Aaron Campbell and asked him about any potential server merges, he had this to say: "If anything, The Lord of the Rings Online is growing. We have no plans to merge servers." Since Turbine nefariously refuses to release subscription numbers for any of their MMOs, I guess we'll have to take his word for it.

Is it really that difficult to believe though when you consider the steady stream of content Turbine releases in the form of new Books? They also launched a strong second anniversary campaign, which included a digital download of the original game plus the Mines of Moria expansion for only $9.99. This pricing is still available.

MassivelyServer merges in LotRO? Heck no! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbellbook-8lord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrolotro-book-8mines-of-moriaturbinevg247Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LotRO dev tour: Massively's look at Book 8]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lotro-dev-tour-massivelys-look-at-book-8/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lotro-dev-tour-massivelys-look-at-book-8/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lotro-dev-tour-massivelys-look-at-book-8/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Once again, Turbine has been kind enough to offer us a sneak peek look at the newest Book update to Lord of the Rings Online. This newest one, Volume 2, Book 8, introduces two new 3-man instances, a 6-man space and their largest instance to date: an enormous 12-man instance with six bosses! In addition, there's a revamp of quests in the 15-25 level range, many crafting system improvements and the Summer Festival, complete with new events and a different way to win the festival horse.

This dev tour was given by Aaron "Rowan" Campbell, Live Producer for LotRO and Adam Mersky, Turbine's Director of Communications. It focused mainly on the new instances, as we were shown the highlights of each space, including the incredibly difficult bosses at the end. Follow along in our 26-image gallery below for more on what we saw in Book 8.

Gallery: LotRO Volume 2: Book 8 Dev Tour

New Hobbit eventOn your mark...Go go go go!Turning in your tokensDwarven race event

MassivelyLotRO dev tour: Massively's look at Book 8 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbelldev-tourfeaturedinstanceslotrolotro-book-2.8rowansummer-festivalturbineFri, 29 May 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MSNBC: Live from Middle-Earth]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/msnbc-live-from-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/msnbc-live-from-middle-earth/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/msnbc-live-from-middle-earth/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Usually when a major news outlet picks up a story about a video game, it's in relation to how destructive they are, or how unmoral they are, or it will just be a really dry interview with a game designer that everyone's going to forget about in two hours. So when we got word that MSNBC was interested in the Lord of the Rings Online, we weren't expecting this oddly amusing interview.

Todd Kenreck, roving reporter and elven guardian, has taken it upon himself to brave the locales of Middle-Earth and catch up with LotRO's live producer Aaron Campbell. He braves the Misty Mountains, travels through Bree-Land, and gets all of the information from Aaron as the two chat in the scenic Rivendell. The entire interview is done inside of the game in a machinima style, and makes a pretty nice visual case for playing LotRO.

We've embedded the full video after the break, so everyone can enjoy some solid reporting from the lands of Middle-Earth.

Continue reading MSNBC: Live from Middle-Earth

MassivelyMSNBC: Live from Middle-Earth originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbellinterviewlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromachinimamsnbcmsnbc.comoverviewrivendelltodd-kenreckvideoWed, 25 Mar 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's exclusive interview with Turbine: Moria and more]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/massivelys-interview-with-turbine-moria-and-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/massivelys-interview-with-turbine-moria-and-more/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/massivelys-interview-with-turbine-moria-and-more/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Recently, we were fortunate enough to sit down with some of the fine folks at Turbine to discuss a few more details on their newest content patch and the future of Lord of the Rings Online. During this play session, we got a load of screenshots and an in-game video to document the amazing content that will launch with Book 14: The Ring-forges of Eregion.

The details of that play session are coming soon in another post and gallery, but for now, we'll tide you over with an exclusive interview with Jeffrey Steefel, Adam Mersky, Meghan "Patience" Rodberg and Aaron Campbell of Turbine. In it, we cover everything from the challenges Turbine may face with global distribution, to the reasoning behind introducing two new classes with Mines of Moria. Follow along after the jump for the complete interview.

Continue reading Massively's exclusive interview with Turbine: Moria and more

MassivelyMassively's exclusive interview with Turbine: Moria and more originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron-campbelladam-merskycodemastersfeaturedinterviewjeffrey-steefeljoystiqfeatureslotrolotro-book-14meghan-rodbergmines-of-moriarune-masterturbinewardenSat, 12 Jul 2008 09:00:00 EST