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Turbine to take control of Lord of the Rings Online from Codemasters in Europe
Starting June 1, Turbine will relieve Codemasters Online of all duties pertaining to Lord of the Rings Online in Europe. At that time, Turbine will merge its US and EU branches into one "mega-service" called LOTRO Global Service. Turbine expects there to be a bit of downtime for the game during this transition and will offer exact details on that at a later date. Additionally, EU players will need to migrate their account on over to the new service -- exact details on how to do so are forthcoming. Turbine has published a pretty extensive FAQ on how this will all go down, so if you're currently using the Codemasters Online service in Europe, you'll definitely want to head on over and give it a read. Full press release is just past the jump.
Codemasters unveils Lord of the Rings Online hacked account program
With great playerbase numbers comes great security responsibility. Wait, no. That's not the movie metaphor we're looking for. How about keep it secret, keep it safe! That's more like it, but unfortunately for some Lord of the Rings Online fans, the secret (and the safe) parts are being compromised as the free-to-play title sees a rise in hacked accounts to go along with its expanding user numbers. All hope is not lost, however, as Codemasters (LotRO's European publisher) has introduced a new Hacked Account Restart Program designed to assist victims and speed them back onto the road to Mordor. The program has a few prerequisites, among them player support eligibility and GM verification of the actual account owner. Claims must also be filed within seven days of the security breach, and reimbursement methods will vary at Codemasters' discretion. You can read the official announcement on the Codemasters website, and you'll also want to check out Customer Service Manager Sincilbanks' blog entry on the subject.
Codemasters files suit over Jumpgate Evolution delays
We have all been waiting for Jumpgate Evolution for quite some time, but perhaps no one quite as much as Codemasters. As a matter of fact, the company is so tired of waiting on the game to come out that it's decided to file a civil complaint against Netdevil and its parent company Gazillion Entertainment for the delays in publishing the eagerly anticipated sci-fi space shooter. While the announcement on Codemasters' official Jumpgate Evolution site doesn't offer anything beyond the generic "yes, we did this, here's what court we filed it in, no other comment at this time" statement, the court document itself makes for interesting (if dry) reading. Essentially, Codemasters charges that Netdevil failed to meet contractual guidelines, which called for the studio to ship the game by February 24th, 2009. During that time, Codemasters paid almost 1.4 million USD to Netdevil to help underwrite the game's development and for "art assets." Codemasters is also seeking compensation due to setting up servers, website, community team, etc. for the European version of Jumpgate Evolution. Ultimately, it boils down to a pretty standard breach of contract that offers Codemasters' share of interest back to Netdevil and Gazillion in return for all monies invested in the project to date. Whether or not this brouhaha will cause any changes to the timetable for Jumpgate Evolution will remain to be seen. We'll keep an eye out as the case progresses. [Thanks, Merketh!]
One Shots: The darkening of the light
With our brethren across the pond enjoying the free-to-play model of Lord of the Rings Online, we've been seeing more screenshots coming in from the game of late. If American servers are any indication, there are likely a whole bunch of people returning to (or taking their first steps in) the lands of Middle-earth. What adventures and sights await them? Well, one of the things that lies ahead is the Mines of Moria, a spectacularly spooky spot captured for us today by François C., who writes in about his experience: "I began to play Lord of the Rings Online more than two years ago (which does not make me an MMO veteran, strictly speaking, but I'm beginning to feel that way). Anyway, as a true casual player, I'm discovering the game at my own rhythm -- that is to say, very slowly. I am still regularly surprised and pleased by the magnificent scenery. [This] screenshot was taken in the Water-works in the Mines of Moria. It is a bit dark, as expected, but I feel it does a great job conveying the almost inconceivable talent of dwarves at building and engineering and the strange atmosphere in the Moria -- a kind of mix of immensity and claustrophobia." Would you like to share some images of your recent adventures? We're always on the hunt for more screenshots of the many different MMOs out there -- but we need your help. Email your screenshots is in to us at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in! %Gallery-85937%
One Shots: Peaceful protest
While the masses here in the U.S. are currently enjoying a free-to-play version of Lord of the Rings Online, our MMO gaming brethren across the pond are still wondering when precisely their version will go free-to-play. As such, they organized a rally to peacefully protest the delays, as we see in today's One Shots sent in to us by Henric. He writes in to explain it for those of us who weren't there; "EU players marched through Bree [last] Saturday on the Laurelin server to protest against the lack of information from Turbine and Codemasters about the F2P update in Europe. My character Henric is in front. We thought this would be a nice way to let off some steam. The event was RP friendly and over 50 attendees showed up. No server hamsters where harmed during the march." Have you captured an interesting slice of life from your favorite game? If so, share it with us! Email your images in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. Please make sure your image is at least 1024px wide with little to no visible UI elements so we can use it! Yours could be the next one we feature here on Massively! %Gallery-85937%
Dungeons and Dragons Online also going free-to-play in Europe
Turbine has announced that the free-to-play version of its die-casting MMO, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, will launch in Europe on August 20. Turbine will take the reins from Codemasters Online for its European operations, and explained to Eurogamer that the two parties are working together "to facilitate a smooth transition" to its globally-oriented business model. Potential players will be able to download the game client and play for free through DDO's official website. Players living in the UK who have been playing on U.S. servers will be able to transfer their characters to local servers shortly after the game launches. German and French-language servers are expected to enter beta later this year. Rôle d'initiative!
Indian company purchases fifty percent stake in Codemasters
While some gamers in the US may not be immediately familiar with Codemasters, we know our readers across the pond will immediately recognize them as the company with the rights to publish Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, and (the "who-knows-when-it-will-release") MMO Jumpgate Evolution overseas. With that said, last year we heard that the COO at Codemasters, Tony Williams, decided to step down from Chief Organizational Officer. Not too long after that, there were rumors that Warner Brothers was looking into buying the company. Today, it seems that a company from India called Reliance Big Entertainment has pounced, and now owns a 50% stake in Codemasters. Apparently, Reliance Big Entertainment is very well known in India. It's subsidiary company, Zapak Digital Entertainment, owns the largest online gaming portal in the country as well. This gaming-specific company will be the one in charge of overseeing the investment in UK-based Codemasters. As to what this could mean for MMO gamers in the EU, we'll have to wait and see. Perhaps Reliance/Zapak will see fit to close the gap in differences from the Turbine-controlled version of Lord of the Rings Online. Or perhaps this new company will finally roll the Codemasters version of Dungeons and Dragons Online over to the same free-to-play model that has been such a huge success for Turbine in the States. No matter what, this is going to be interesting to watch. [via Joystiq]
Lord of the Rings Online offers Welcome Back Week for EU players
Siege of Mirkwood is nearly here, and Codemasters is offering former European Lord of the Rings players a chance to jump back in and do some catching up before it arrives. Welcome Back Week begins November 23rd and continues through the 30th -- any former LotRO player can return and enjoy a week of free play, courtesy of Codemasters. They're also offering a bonus: those taking advantage of Welcome Back Week will get a 25% XP boost that week. Players interested in returning for the event need only download the game, or patch to the latest version. Codemasters has re-activated the accounts, so you'll find your characters ready and waiting to head back into Middle-Earth and prepare for the arrival of Siege of Mirkwood. Codemasters is also using this week to remind players to get in on the Siege of Mirkwood pre-order deals. The expansion is set to launch in Europe on December 3rd.
Jumpgate Evolution beta snags 250K sign ups
After jumping back into the slipstream of development this past May, NetDevil announced today that the latest beta for Jumpgate Evolution has had 250,000 sign-ups. The game is currently in the "friends and family testing phase," but it plans to go into full beta ... um, somewhere in the future.Jumpgate Evolution's development is in an interesting place at the moment. All we know officially is that the game missed its June release, and that feedback during the current stage of testing of the "feature complete" game caused the team to rethink some stuff.%Gallery-26197%
Newest Jumpgate Evolution screens would make Boba Fett proud
NetDevil recently unleashed a ton of new images from Jumpgate Evolution, including both concept art and screen shots. And while the new screens are full of amazing space battles, we had to put the spotlight on this concept piece you see above. Are primary reason is because this early captial ship sketch is pretty amazingly designed, and there was no way we couldn't point out how impressive it'll be to see it fully rendered in-game come launch this June.Still, our favorite newest screen is easily this shot of the spacecraft with the wing-design. Now, is it just us, or is that ship one 90 degree wing-turn away from highly resembling bounty hunter Boba Fett's Slave I spacecraft? Hmm, seems like the guys and gals over at NetDevil are letting their Star Wars geek show. Groovy!%Gallery-18375%
'Enter the Fray' in Jumpgate Evolution's latest trailer
NetDevil has released a new Jumpgate Evolution trailer showing off quite a bit of gameplay footage, including our first look at the much-promised capital ship battles.It'd be an understatement to say that as fans of things like space shooters, Battlestar Galactica and the original Star Wars trilogy, this trailer delivers a lot of excitement. In fact, we hope that Codemasters and NetDevil can figure out how to get stuff like this alongside any upcoming space movies or television series.June 2009 and beta can't come soon enough, but until then we'll keep updating you with the latest information and news regarding Jumpgate Evolution. Check out the video after the break.
Massively interviews NetDevil on PvP and more in Jumpgate Evolution
We got the chance to catch up with NetDevil Producer Hermann Peterscheck on everything Jumpgate Evolution this week. With the game coming up fairly soon, we thought up some rather specific questions that had been floating about in our brains over the past month or two. Exploration rewards, mining, cockpit view, PvP and more are waiting just after the break.%Gallery-18375%
Mines of Moria gets a November 18th release date
Mines of Moria, the first expansion for Lord of the Rings Online, has been given a release date of November 18th for both the NA and EU today. That means we're only about a month away from ten new levels, two new classes, legendary weapons, angry Balrogs and the under-mountain Dwarf kingdom of Khazad-dum. Those who decide to pre-order Mines of Moria will have access to an offer of $199.99 for a lifetime subscription. Considering that Turbine has said there's going to be plenty of expansions, including another one next year, this is an incredibly valuable investment for anyone enamored with the virutal Middle-earth.Also being offered are in-game bonus items, although the list differs slightly depending on your choice between retail or digital stores. Make sure to make a wise purchase decision by checking our our exclusive developer tour of the new expansion. We've also got a fantastic video that delves ... just maybe a little too deep. Find the lists of preorder items and their differences after the cut.%Gallery-33074%
LotRO Competition: Spend your summer in Middle-earth
The first week of the newest Codemasters European contest has come to a close, and we're already set for more. Last week's winners have been announced and now it's time for you to enter for your own chance to be the next week's winner.How do you enter? Simply log in to Lord of the Rings Online at any time during the week and answer the questions on the competition web page, and from there you'll automatically be entered into a drawing for a chance to win some great prizes including iPod Nanos, NVidia graphics cards, lifetime LotRO subscriptions and more. Even if you're not a current LotRO subscriber, you can play the 14-day trial for eligibility. Keep in mind though that this contest is only open to those players in Europe and South Africa. Sorry Americans!
LotRO-Europe website gets a facelift
Not that there was ever anything wrong with Lord of the Rings Online Europe's website to begin with, but they've recently decided to completely revamp their site to better accommodate the new expansion and future content. Codemaster Online's new website now features a separate branch for Shadows of Angmar and one for Mines of Moria, as well as the obligatory CGI trailer, free trial info, competitions and a link to their e-shop. Separating the two volumes like this allows the company to present news, features and contests that are specific to a certain expansion, which will become more valuable as the list of expansions grows in the coming years. They also promise that the community section will benefit from the creativity of their designers soon, and will be brought in line with this new layout.
Work on Mines of Moria continues as Codemasters and Partnertrans team-up
It's a done deal for the European markets. Codemasters Online, the European distributor and operator of The Lord of the Rings Online and Partnertrans, one of the leading interactive entertainment localization agencies are partnering together again. Partnertrans will provide localization, audio recordings, and additional linguistic support on the new expansion and has been providing localization support for Lord of the Rings Online since August 2006. Lord of the Rings Online has one last book before a new volume, Mines of Moria, is opened. Turbine and Codemasters Online are keeping the beta secrets locked away, but in the meantime to tide you over there's fun web-games and teasers to unlock the Mines of Moria website. Hands down these interactive web-games are better and much more fun than what Blizzard is doing with their one-a-day screenshot to fuel the speculative hype-machine on their unannounced game to be unveiled very soon. Although, it is working!
ArchLord to get expansion
Codemasters Online has released information about its upcoming expansion to the free-to-play ArchLord. Titled Episode 3: Spirits Awakening, the also-free expansion will feature 3 new game zones, over 80 new class skills, new ruling ArchLord abilities, new collectible armor sets, and new monsters and zone bosses. For those who haven't heard of this title, one of ArchLord's unique properties is that any player can rise to the top and become the ArchLord of their particular server, gaining access to a castle, stronger spells, and a dragon. Needless to say, the title is in constant flux, which provides a great incentive to continue to play. The press release doesn't give specifics for the actual expansion release date other than it's due in a few weeks. Once it arrives, we'll take another look at this MMO.
Archlord signs its 500,000th player
Codemasters Online, publishers of popular free-to-play MMORPG, Archlord, announced that it has signed over half a million players. The rising popularity of the game has seen the addition of a new server to handle the expected load as they ramp up to the next free content update, Episode 3. In Archlord, you fight not only monsters, but other players, to become the Archlord -- the supreme power in the land. "Raise an army, rule the world" is their motto. Though with so many players, what would happen if they all got together and voted in a benevolent, peaceful democracy?
The Quantar jump through the gate
Both Ten Ton Hammer and MMORPG.com are sporting exclusive screenshots of a Quantar ship. The Quantar are one of the many playable factions in NetDevil's upcoming space combat MMO, Jumpgate Evolution. These mystics construct their ships according to spiritual principles and believe that the pilot and ship evolve to become a single being. The Quantar are very gifted pilots, which might be due to being raised among asteroids.Ten Ton Hammer has two shots of this goldfish looking starship, while MMORPG has one.
Jumpgate Evolution: Combat controls
Jumpgate Evolution is a space combat MMO. How players control their ships will be instrumental to the enjoyment of the game. When you think of joysticks and flight sticks you likely think of highly detailed flight simulators and not massively multiplayer games. But if that's all you think about then you've likely never heard of, let alone played, the greatness that was some of the X-Wing, TIE Fighter and Wing Commander games. JGE plans on bringing back the joystick and - as Ten Ton Hammer's Cody "Micajah" Bye calls it - the "strap yourself in" mentality. I couldn't have said it better myself. Bye sat down with NetDevil's Hermann Peterscheck and asked him about their game's combat controls. Aside from the basic keyboard and mouse setup, players with very elaborate control setups will be able to use those as well. But the gaming control goodness doesn't end there. NetDevil is also supporting more advanced input devices such as TrackIR, and will continue to evaluate other brand spanking new hardware as it becomes available. JGE will also provide both third and first person modes, giving players the ultimate choice in how they want to play. So if you can't find a setup you like, well... lighten up. You're too finicky. But won't people with a tricked out setup have an unfair advantage over those with just a lil ole mouse and keyboard? Find out after the break!
