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Riding into Rohan: LotRO maps out 2012
In the words of Frank Sinatra, 2011 "was a very good year" for Lord of the Rings Online. Executive Producer Kate Paiz and Director of Communications Adam Mersky sat down with us to talk about the future of the game, but before they got to the juicy details, they wanted to give a quick recap of the previous year for the game and the studio. The big emphasis for LotRO in 2011 was the unifying of the global community and the release of the game's third (and best-selling) expansion, Rise of Isengard. While the aforementioned unification of the NA and EU sides of the game presented many challenges for the team including localization, it paid off in spades. Turbine plans to continue to add more payment options for those used to methods other than the ones currently available. The team was most proud of unveiling Saruman "in all of his glory" and the inclusion of free players into the sphere of Monster Play. "The game definitely grew last year," Mersky said in response to a question about the current number of players. He noted that the playerbase has changed somewhat in the past two years, becoming more casual in some respects. But it's time to move forward! Turbine is prepared to take LotRO players on a dizzying chase around the wilds of Middle-earth with a few significant changes and additions to the game -- and the release of the brand-new expansion later this year, Riders of Rohan. Mounted combat, ho!
The Daily Grind: What are your MMO regrets?
"Regrets, I've had a few -- but then again, too few to mention," Frank Sinatra once sang. "I did what I had to do and followed through without exemption." Tell me all about it, brother. Most of us have accumulated regrets from our gaming experiences over the years. Perhaps you didn't jump on board a terrific title back in its hayday and now can only experience it in its twilight years. Maybe there's a guild with which you built up tight relationships -- and then you let those relationships fall to the wayside as your interest in the game faltered. It could even be something as small as choosing a class ill-suited to you but refusing to give it up after you put a heap-load of time into it. What do you regret doing -- or not doing -- in MMOs? And more importantly, how have you been able to live with yourself ever since? Perhaps we should start a Massively Regret Recovery support group. Anyone who purchased Star Wars Galaxies' Trials of Obi-Wan right before the NGE is invited to be the keynote speaker of the first session. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Cinemassively: Olibith romances us with "Something Stupid"
I came across this machinima while on my quest for the perfect video Valentine. Olibith weaved a cute World of Warcraft tale of love to the sweet sounds of Frank and Nancy Sinatra. The best part was that he appears to have dedicated it to his wife and child. Say it with me now -- "Awww!"While most of Olibith's material is pretty racy, this video isn't so bad. I must warn the viewers that there is some innuendo, though. Overall, I thought it was adorable to see the two gnomes experiencing the joys of courtship.
