Ask Turbine's Jeff Anderson About LOTRO

Last month, Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar went live in what was arguably the most well-received launch for a Massively Multiplayer game since World of Warcraft. The game soared to the top of the retail charts, and has been a breath of fresh air for gamers looking to get a taste of something just a little bit different and a little bit hobbity. Today, you have the chance to ask Turbine's CEO Jeff Anderson questions about the process of creating the game, the Tolkien license, and new content we'll see in Middle Earth in the coming weeks and months. One question per comment, please. We'll take the best of the lot and put them to Mr. Anderson in a phone interview later this week. We'll post his responses as soon as we can, so make sure to get your question in today if you want it to show up in his response.

Re:Indoors Areas require Zoning

[mrjimorg]

I can answer this one. Its so that the zone can change with the story line. The first time you go into a particular house there may be a person there who gets murdered by brigands. You kill the brigands and continue the story line. If the guy was alive and well again when you went back then you would have a schism in the story line.

Re:What would the professor think?

[abigor]

Tolkein had no objections to the dramatisation of the LoTR. It was first performed on the BBC back in 1955-56. Tolkein was dissatisfied with it, however. He also expressed interest in a cartoon version of LoTR: "As far as I am concerned personally, I should welcome the idea of an animated motion picture, with all the risk of vulgarization; and that quite apart from the glint of money..."

Re:What would the professor think?

[abigor]

My source for his quotes is "The Letters of JRR Tolkien", edited by Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien.

The quote you reference was a part of his complaint that the BBC messed up their LoTR broadcast (letter 175). He was never against dramatisation on principle. Tolkien is quite consistent on this point: dramatisation of the LoTR was always something he had in mind, not least because of the financial possibilities, as he was quite broke. Christopher's ambivalence was well-known, but he didn't write the books, so who cares what he thinks.

Re:Mod UP

[krelian]

Doh, just when I ran out of mod points...

We understand the size of the target market. We understand that it may not be economically viable. But does it hurt to ask for a port?

Why ask if you already know the answer? Zonk knows as well and just wants to prevent the interviewee from thinking of new ways to rephrase "we prefer to focus on markets that will actually us profits".