LOTRO is set in the Third Age, during the War of the Ring. The game begins approximately after Frodo leaves the Shire with the One Ring. The launch product will essentially cover the time and many locations of the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring.
At this time, our license does not include The Silmarillion.
Turbine owns the rights to produce massively-multiplayer online games based on the written works, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Codemasters owns the rights to distribute and operate the service in Europe.
The Lord Of the Rings Online™: Shadows Of Angmar™, is an MMORPG set in the most breathtaking world ever created; Middle-earth. Based on the books created by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord Of the Rings Online™ enables players of all ages to immerse themselves in one of the greatest stories ever told. Using what is referred to as an in-game avatar, or character; players can forge their own destiny in the world of the Middle-earth and play alongside other players from lots of different countries.
The initial launch of the game will cover the region of Eriador, including the Shire, Rivendell, Breeland, and other landmarks from The Lord of the Rings.
Both the recent The Lord of the Rings™ movies and The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ are based on the trilogy by J.R.R Tolkien. However, the two projects are not related directly to each other and do not share art, music, or settings.
