Amazon Games Teaming Up With Embracer Group for Lord of the Rings MMO

Amazon Video games’ first foray into MMOs took us into a brand new world, however now they’re taking us into Center-earth. 

We’re excited to announce our collaboration with Embracer Group and Center-earth Enterprises for our upcoming MMORPG based mostly on the enduring The Lord of the Rings property!

Study extra right here!
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— Amazon Video games (@amazongames) May 15, 2023

Amazon Video games introduced this week that they’re partnering with Embracer Group for an thrilling new endeavor; a brand new MMO based mostly within the legendary world of the Lord of the Rings. 

In partnership with Embrace Group’s subsidiary Center-Earth Enterprises, Amazon Video games has permission to develop and publish a Lord of the Rings MMO. This will likely be Amazon Video games’ second try at making a Lord of the Rings MMO. Their first try, in 2019, ended when their partnership with Leyou Technologies fell apart due to failed negotiations with Tencent (Who bought Leyou Applied sciences). 

In keeping with the corporate announcement, the upcoming open-world MMO will characteristic parts of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings literary trilogy however can even give followers of the franchise a recent tackle Center-earth.

That sentiment sounds acquainted, provided that Amazon additionally produces the Lord of the Rings: Rings of Energy streaming sequence. Rings of Energy takes place within the Second Age of Center-earth and introduces new characters and storylines to the Lord of the Rings franchise. Nevertheless, Amazon Video games said that this sequence is not associated to the upcoming MMO. 

Amazon Video games Orange County, the developer of Amazon Video games’ first MMO, New World, can be heading up improvement for the untitled Lord of the Rings MMO. That calls into query whether or not this can adversely impression the time and sources Orange County can allocate to New World but in addition presents Orange County with a chance.

Will Amazon’s LOTR MMO Keep away from The Errors Of New World?

New World is approaching its 2-year anniversary, and its journey to this point has had a justifiable share of ups and downs. Preliminary hype ranges for New World had been comparatively excessive. After its launch in September 2021, New World managed to enter the top-five record for many concurrent customers in Steam historical past, with over 700,000 concurrent gamers. Shortly after, it peaked at over 900,000 concurrent gamers. The October 2022 Brimstone Sands replace breathed new life into New World, leaping the sport into the highest 10 highest-played PC video games. 

Regardless of these notable feats, New World hasn’t made an enormous impression on the MMO panorama. The sport has had some important issues which have held it again from turning into one of many high MMOs on this planet. Frequent criticisms of New World embrace soulless surroundings design, forgettable narratives and characters, repetitive quest design, stale endgame content material, and a damaged participant report system. 

Keep in mind that many MMOs take years earlier than they discover their stride, however it will be splendid if the upcoming LOTR MMO avoids the pitfalls of New World proper out of the gate. 

This Center-Earth Is not Large Sufficient For The Two Of Us?

Amazon Video games’ upcoming MMO won’t be the primary LOTR MMO to hit PC. Standing Stone Video games’ The Lord of the Rings On-line is a veteran MMO that simply celebrated its sixteenth birthday final month. Standing Stone Video games’ guardian firm, Enad International 7, is doing nicely, with its most recent earnings report revealing its income for Q1 of 2023 noticed a 43% improve over final yr. 

With fixed assist and updates, The Lord of the Rings On-line is doing simply high quality as a geezer recreation. That hasn’t stopped Amazon Video games from throwing mild jabs at its soon-to-be competitor. 

In a recent interview with gamesindustry.biz, Amazon Video games Vice President Christoph Hartmann spoke about their hopes for his or her Lord of the Rings MMO and LOTR On-line. 

Hartmann stated, “To start with, I’ve a variety of respect for them to maintain it going that lengthy. They’ve a, not large, however a really devoted fanbase. However wanting simply on the know-how, the place we’re at now, and the place we will likely be in a few years, it is simply worlds aside. It is somewhat exaggeration if I say it will be like black and white films to color, however that is the method I need to take. It is only a utterly totally different world.”

He continued “I believe they really can co-exist. Even the almost certainly situation is… for folks simply to maneuver over, as a result of the opposite one is an outdated recreation. It isn’t a foul recreation, however the trade strikes on in some unspecified time in the future, and it is a very long time from their launch to ours.”

Any MMO fanatic who performs Runescape 3 and Oldschool Runescape is aware of that being new would not essentially imply higher or extra well-liked. But when Amazon Video games’ Lord of the Rings MMO avoids the errors of New World and Lord of the Rings On-line, it might show to be a really sturdy competitor. It stays to be seen if Hartmann’s prediction will come to cross. 

The Lord of the Rings On-line crew has taken discover of Amazon Video games’ announcement, and assured fans in their forums that Lord of the Rings On-line is not going wherever. 

One thing else Lord of the Rings followers ought to be mindful is that Amazon Video games first introduced New World in 2016, however the recreation did not launch till 2021. It should probably be fairly a while earlier than Amazon Video games’ Lord of the Rings MMO is playable by the general public.