Amazon to develop new ‘The Lord of the Rings’ MMO game

SAN FRANCISCO: Amazon has announced that it will be developing a new “The Lord of the Rings” massively multiplayer online (MMO) game based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien (an English writer and philologist) in partnership with the Embracer Group (a Swedish video game and media holding company).

The game is in the early stages of production with the Amazon Games Orange County studio.

The upcoming game will be an open-world MMO adventure in a persistent world set in Middle-earth, featuring the beloved stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings literary trilogy, said the company.

“We’re committed to bringing players high-quality games, whether through original IPs or long-beloved ones like The Lord of the Rings,” Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Games, said in a statement.

“Bringing players a fresh take on The Lord of the Rings has long been an aspiration for our team, and we’re honoured and grateful that Middle-earth Enterprises is entrusting us with this iconic world,” he added.

Amazon Games will publish the game globally for PC and consoles, however, additional details, including launch timing, will be shared at a later date, the company mentioned.

“We have the clear ambition to create the highest-quality entertainment products for this IP, whether we utilize internal resources or team up with the best industry partners that complement our capabilities,” Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode, said in a statement.

The tech giant has also announced publishing agreements with other video game companies, such as — NCSOFT for Throne and Liberty, Bandai Namco Online for the Blue Protocol game, Crystal Dynamics for the next major Tomb Raider game, and Glowmade and Disruptive Games for unannounced titles.