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- Amazon Game Studios is developing a massive online roleplaying game based on "Lord of the Rings."
- Amazon is also working on a new "Lord of the Rings" series for Amazon Prime Video.
- "Lord of the Rings" is the second online roleplaying game announced by Amazon this year — the first is a game called "New World" set in the 17th century.
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A new "The Lord of the Rings" game is coming to consoles and PC thanks to a new partnership between Amazon Game Studios, Middle-earth Enterprises, and Leyou Technologies.
The untitled "Lord of the Rings" game will be a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game — a genre popularized by titles like "World of Warcraft" and "Everquest." Players will explore JRR Tolkien’s fantasy realm of Middle-earth, with all of its orcs, elves, dwarves and magic. No release date has been announced.
Amazon Studios is also developing a new TV series based on "The Lord of the Rings" for Amazon Prime Video. Though both are set in Middle-earth, the game and show apparently won’t be related.
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Amazon Game Studios and Leyou will jointly develop the upcoming game for PC and consoles. Amazon Game Studios will market and publish the title globally, with the exception of China, which will be managed by Leyou. The two companies said the collaboration will bring Amazon’s game technology and talented MMO developers together with Leyou’s expertise in designing free-to-play games and operating live-service games.
The Amazon Game Studios leadership team includes veteran developers who helped create of some of the world’s most popular MMO games. The studio is currently working on another MMO game called "New World," set in an alternate 17th century.
The studio showed off "New World" to reporters in February but details have been sparse in the months since. In June reports surfaced that Amazon Game Studios had laid off dozens of employees, a move the company described as "reorganizing."
"The Lord of the Rings" series already has an active MMO called "The Lord of the Rings Online." Originally released in 2007, the game is still active and free-to-play on PC and Mac.
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Source: Business Insider – kwebb@businessinsider.com (Kevin Webb)