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Pandemic Working On New Lord Of The Rings Title
Posted by Luke Plunkett at 3:20 PM on February 13, 2008
My aching sense of disappointment at the cancellation of EA's Lord of the Rings Oblivion clone The White Council still lingers. To be replaced soon, however, with a renewed sense of hope, even if it is - pardon the quote - a fool's hope: EA revealed in an analysts report today that they've set newly-acquired developers Pandemic to work on a Lord of the Rings game.
But what kind of Lord of the Rings game? Who knows. The use of Pandemic, they of Mercenaries and Star Wars Battlefront fame, offers some hints. They've shown they can do combat and action over large areas (SW Battlefront). They've shown they can put together a large, sandbox game world (Mercenaries). They haven't shown they can make an RPG, but hey, maybe this new game won't be one. Maybe it'll be Grand Theft Fell Beast. Which, you know...could be even better.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
DARTH_TIGRIS
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@Mohican: Defense much?! Wow, I didn't mean to come off as attacking LotR, because I wasn't. I enjoyed the movies a ton as well and the extended DVD's showed that there was a level of depth in the production that most will never realize. But that hasn't translated over to cross-media merchandising the way it has ENDLESSLY with Star Wars.
You say its nostalgia. Ok. My only problem with that is that there was no nostalgia when the original trilogy was released, but the merchandising was IMMENSE, possibly even bigger than it is now 30 years later. LotR, though, is still known as great books and movies only.
My question is why?
DARTH_TIGRIS
DonFubar
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Heh, I heard about this a while ago!
Can't wait!
DonFubar
Mohican
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@DARTH_TIGRIS: The only good Star Wars stories in the last 20 years have lived in the comic and the game world. If you don't admit this, then you're not of spiritual or intellectual capacity to grasp the immense power of Lord Of The Rings anyway.
Star Wars hype continued on 30 years after the original film is a severe case of nostalgia and the emperor with no clothes. It's so much less than so many crack it up to be.
Mohican
DARTH_TIGRIS
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
For those that have preached that LotR is the new SW (and even better), why hasn't that reached over into merchandising? This game hasn't received NEAR the attention that the SW news stories have.
DARTH_TIGRIS
MasterBalls
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
If they make a sandbox LoTR game for the Wii, I would love Pandemic BEYOND sexual boundaries. Oh god please let it be, just like that crappy Enya song off the first film.
MasterBalls
Ignited_Impulse
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
LOTR: Return of the King had the funnest co-op action of it's day.
Ignited_Impulse
Arkos
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
LOTR sucks. I can't believe people would still be excited about this.
Arkos
Irenicus-the one and only
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
God, I would love a good LOTR game.
Irenicus-the one and only
Fyren
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@JibbyJam: Yup. Right on the money. I am not a huge LOTR fan, but I hit max level with a burglar and dumped it. I did enjoy it for what its worth.
Fyren
JibbyJam
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@okenny :): Ever tried Lord of the Rings Online? If you're into MMO's, that game is pretty much exactly what you want.
JibbyJam
JohnnyLA
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@Lixie I think this has been in the pipeline for a long time.
JohnnyLA
TheWoj
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
If we get a Battlefront-esque LotR game with a solid single player story line, I will die a happy man.
I know they're capable.
TheWoj
darthmole12
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Interesting
darthmole12
Wookiee1
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Can we finally experience the First Age?
I want to play as Maedhros and shag Haleth.
Wookiee1
Chanaluss
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
ive been hoping for a LOTR action RPG, maybe with customizable characters like the create a hero system in BFME2
Chanaluss
SmilingPolitely
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
A new LotR RPG would be more than welcome. Haven't played any since the Interplay releases on PC and SNES in the early 90s.
... man, those games were awful. >.<
SmilingPolitely
Lixie
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
How about they stop starting new projects and start dedicating all available resources to finishing the projects they were supposed to have finished by now. Like say, Mercenaries 2.
Lixie
ThisCharmingMan
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
A Lord of the Rings Oblivion clone would be bliss.
ThisCharmingMan
NitrousO
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@Sonic_and_Tails: I noticed that as well and was wondering why Kotaku was trumping that up.
NitrousO
Samos42
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Pandemic Lord of the Rings would be pretty awesome. Exploding things in Middle-Earth would be equally as fun.
Samos42
TeaRunner
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Hobbit Mercs
U saw it here first! Scoop!
TeaRunner
Guild_Navigator
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Dude, a squad based fantasy game with the heart of full spectrum warrior. It's just crazy enough to work!
Guild_Navigator
RykinPoe
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Prepare yourself for Lord Of The Rings like you have never experienced. Prepare for... FULL SPECTRUM HOBBIT!!!!!!!!
RykinPoe
magically_delicious
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
I have often pondered the irony of Tolkien dying without ever knowing his books would become the greatest text to film adaptation in the history of text to film adaptations...
but after playing some of the book to film to game adaptations, i figured he was better off dead and not knowing how bastardized things eventually became...
magically_delicious
konchy
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Add in Mattias Nilson as secret character and I'll be very very happy =D. carpet bombing options will be good too =D
konchy
Sonic_and_Tails
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Oh shit!!!! KOTOR and new MMO are listed separately which does this mean!!!??? KOTOR 3 confirmed traditional RPG style? Wow I'm freaking psyched. Sorry for the excitement. Anyone else agree??
Sonic_and_Tails
Luke Plunkett
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@deathless: Yeah, looking into that...
Luke Plunkett
Luke Plunkett
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@okenny :): Well, that's what White Council was. And who knows, maybe that's what this will be as well.
Luke Plunkett
okenny :)
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
It's really sad their hasn't been an RPG based on LotR... I mean an epic one... Oblivion epic... 500 Hours of game play where it takes 4 hours to run middle earth from end-to-end!!! Yes! Yes... I'm retarded :(...I still want it though :(
okenny :)
usethefork
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Awesome!
usethefork
deathless
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Bioware working on a KOTOR title? That must be the LucasArts-Bioware collaborative project that was announced several months back.
deathless
symphony_of_the_night
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
a shield skating game featuring legolas?
symphony_of_the_night
Ares19
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@J-Fro: lol
Ares19
J-Fro
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@CitizenTian: I've got it...Grant Theft Oliphant.
J-Fro
okenny :)
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
ZOMG! That's the new screenshot from teh game! It's in 4D!!
okenny :)
shazmuscle
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Lord of the rings go kart racer. I'd buy that
shazmuscle
CitizenTian
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Yes! Yes! YES!
White Council had so much potential.
I would definitely be in support of Grand Theft Fell Beast, or Ring Wars Battlefront.
CitizenTian
Arttemis
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
I loved the hack&slash games of Two Towers and Return of the King. I'd play the games all over again if they tweaked the graphics, expanded the gameplay, and added online play.
Arttemis
Komrade_Kayce
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Lord of the Rings: The New Franchise Whore to Rule Them All
Komrade_Kayce
Luke Plunkett
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
@Ares19: Yes.
[kotaku.com]
Luke Plunkett
Shindokie: Kotaku's Whore
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
Lord of the Rings: Return of the Ring!
Shindokie: Kotaku's Whore
Ares19
Posted 5:06 PM 16/2/08
New MMO from Bioware?
Ares19