Posts Tagged ‘lord of the rings online’

LotRO goes free-to-play this fall

Monday, June 7th, 2010

It looks like Turbine isn’t wasting anytime making big changes under the Warner Bros. banner. Announced late on Friday, Turbine’s flagship entertainment title, Lord of the Rings Online, will convert to the free-to-play business model.

lord-of-the-rings-online-smallerPreviously based on a subscription model, LotRO can be seen as a viable competitor to Blizzard’s king-of-the-hill MMORPG, World of Warcraft, often involving players in similar, if yet different, gameplay and quest lines, series of play. Turbine’s Lord of the Rings Online has won multiple awards, involving players in a rich adventure featuring a massive world of up-to-the-minute graphics and game mechanics. Naturally, as a former subscription based game, LoTRO also includes all the premium features that paying gamers have come to expect over recent history.

The free-to-play version, which is slated to remain (more or less) exactly the same as the currently paid-only version, will launch this fall in North America and Europe. Euro operations of the title will be handled by Codemasters. And just like Turbine’s Dungeons and Dragons Online, LoTRO will feature a pricing model that allows players to purchase expansion packs, quest packs, items, and account services. Likewise, Turbine will also offer a VIP package, whereby users can get unlimited access to all of the games’ features (so…a subscription, more or less?).

Beta testing of the new free-to-play version will commence on July 16th. Sign up for a potential “first crack” at the new LoTRO here.

Apparently, the Dungeons and Dragons swap to free-to-play is proof in the pudding that this model can and has been working for Turbine. What can be drawn from this move is that free-to-play is more than capable of turning a profit. Dungeons and Dragons was practically done and dusted until Turbine released it to the masses for free. Hours, weeks, and months of data review has obviously brought Turbine to the same conclusion in regards to Lord of the Rings Online. Not only has Turbine used this business model to breathe a healthy breath of fresh air into Dungeons and Dragons, but it now looks like they intend on taking the philosophy one step further and see what the model can do for a healthy title.

“Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is bringing quality games based on The Lord of the Rings to multiple platforms, and the franchise’s expansive adventure story lends itself perfectly for LOTRO free-to-play, giving a wide range of players the opportunity to experience the game,” said Jeff Junge, Senior Vice President Online Games and Digital Games Platforms, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We are focused on expanding our game franchises onto new digital platforms to maximize quality experiences for gamers worldwide and LOTRO’s new model is a great leading example of this.”

Highlights direct from Warner Bros./Turbine:

  • Free means Free! – Players will download LOTRO by visiting www.lotro.com and join with millions of other adventurers as they explore the most complete and authentic recreation of Middle-earth ever created and participate in LOTRO’s award-winning epic story up to level 50 for free.
  • Visit the new LOTRO Store! — The LOTRO Store is loaded with thousands of convenience items as well as expansion packs, premium content, additional character slots, potions, character customization and more! The LOTRO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience using points which can be purchased in the store or earned through gameplay.
  • Be a LOTRO VIP! – Players who elect to become a LOTRO VIP will have unlimited access to all premium content, receive priority server access, 5 character slots, a shared bank slot, and a monthly allotment of points to spend in the new LOTRO Store.

Given the Fall release, it should be very interesting to see what the post-holiday season numbers on the “new” Lord of the Rings Online will look like. My guess? Turbine/Warner Bros. is about to see some resistance right out of the gate, but by Christmas, I’d bet they’re selling digital swords and expansion packs like hotcakes.

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Warner Bros. acquire Turbine

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

And now the circle is complete. Warner Bros. announced yesterday that they’ve acquired the largest privately held games developer in North America, Turbine. This successful acquisition now puts all of the Lord of The Rings based titles under Warner’s roof.

Turbine, developers of some of the most frequented MMO’s on the internet including Lord of The Rings Online and the (semi-recent) free-to-play revival of their popular Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, was founded in 1994, and has raised over $46 million in funding since 1998. Their initial release, Asheron’s Call was published by Microsoft in 1999. Turbine later re-acquired the publishing rights to this title.

While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, one Boston Globe report hints at the purchase price in the $160 million range, based on a “source close to the negotiation.” And while this number seems lofty, when one considers what Warner Brothers just added to their stables, it might be the bargain of the year. Warner Brothers has been slowly but surely ramping up their presence in the video games market over the past several years, acquiring one studio after another. With the Turbine acquisition, Warner Bros. now have access not only to Turbine’s development staff, but their tested and proven free-to-play business model. And don’t forget about Turbine’s deep index of experience when it comes to direct-to-consumer relationships via their well developed social networking platform.

“Turbine is recognized globally for its industry-leading technology, groundbreaking graphics and its unique ability to create and operate massive and persistent online worlds which greatly enhance players’ social gaming experiences,” said Martin Tremblay, president, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online have both been an enormous success for Turbine and we look forward to working with their talented development team to continue creating award-winning online games.”

From Turbine’s side, CEO Jim Crowley comments, “This acquisition is very exciting because it allows us to expand globally while continuing to focus on creating spectacular online games that our loyal fans and players have come to expect.”

And while Warner Brothers have an investment past with Turbine, it’s fair to say that they’ve had their eye on Turbine for quite a while now. Not only to complete the IP collection of J.R.R. Tolken products, but also as a way to jump into the free-to-play market, and thus capitalizing on the plethora of virtual goods monetization potential. Turbine was great before the acquisition – let’s see what new cash and a much wider reach can bring.

Congrats Turbine! We expect nothing but good things. :)

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Turbine to tackle console MMO and microtransactions?

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

What would a hot day in Texas be without a little dust raising? It looks like Turbine’s VP of Product Development, Craig Alexander raised a little dust himself, as well as a few eyebrows when he took the stage on the last day of the GDC Austin 2009 event. In his presentation Alexander stated that the market of MMORPG’s on consoles, specifically Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 could be worth in upwards of $2.3 billion a year. Obviously a number no one is willing to pass on. However, up until now, no one’s taken a fair stab at making this dream a reality. To this end, according to Alexander, Turbine’s about to take a serious run at tapping this multi-billion dollar market.

craigalexanderIn his address, Alexander confirmed that the Westwood, MA based Turbine studios is in fact current at work on a console MMORPG. Citing the technical challenges of the physical operating procedure Sony’s PS3 employs, Alexander said that the team is developing for the PS3, with plans to shortly there after port the title to the Xbox. But if it sounds so easy on paper, why haven’t there been more serious attempts at addressing this market? In the end, it comes down to one simple answer: Money. According to Alexander, any decent attempt at this project is going to cost somewhere in the $20 million range just to develop. Given that Turbine has recently started receiving funding from a proposed $50 million investment round, their popular Lord of the Rings Online shows no signs of dipping in popularity, and their most recent experimentation into the world of hybrid subscriptions/microtransactions supported Dungeons and Dragons is out of the gate with a label of success, it’s fair to say that Turbine has the cheddar to make this a reality.

Alexander says that part of the difficulty in creating an MMORPG for a console is that in order to succeed, it must be radically different from the current state of play. A console MMO would need to have better graphics, less grind, and much more social interaction than is currently employed in the unofficial ‘standard elements your MMORPG must contain’ handbook. Speaking to the fact that many consider MMO’s a purely PC based form of play, Alexander was quick to point out that the same arguments were previously made when applied to sports sims and the FPS genre, but now market leaders Madden and Call of Duty have a massive console audience and following.

When talking monetization, Alexander primarily focused on subscriptions. Notably, he pointed out that reoccurring billing (subscriptions, if you will) options are already available on both platforms, and that the Xbox Live services are a clear indication that set top box players are willing to set up subscriptions and pay for additional enjoyment. If any of this sounds familiar, don’t forget that the rumor mill was rife with speculation back in May when the idea of LotRO microtransactions being utilized in the Xbox 360 item shop circulated. Alexander flatly and specifically denied this rumor of porting LotRO to the Xbox during his presentation.

And while the rumor didn’t pan out, it’s clear that with the implementation of a hybrid model with Dungeons and Dragons Online, and this confirmation that Turbine is seriously committed to a perhaps industry revolutionizing MMO for consoles project, clearly something major is afoot at Turbine. If they can truly hit the nail on the head and show us something that’s never been seen before, the pure subscription based model may have merit, but if they fall anything short of perfect, we may see them revert to something they’ve already seen work, and work well – the microtransaction/subscription hybrid model.

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Turbine lands (yet another) influx of cash, Masher Media scores for development of Myminipeeps

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Despite disparaging reports of VC’s tightening the screws on who gets their cash, and who doesn’t, yesterday’s news of major player Turbine and startup Masher Media both receiving investment money sheds a new light on the state of play.

Westwood, Massachusetts based giant Turbine, developers and publishers of the successful Lord of the Rings Online series, recently scored $6.6 million in series D funding, part of a planned $50 million investment round. This funding comes just one month before the planned public release of their Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberon title goes live. As you’ll remember, Turbine made some waves a few weeks back when it announced that their long time subscription based title Dungeons and Dragons Online would be going the free-to-play route. The title will still incorporate subscriptions, qualifying these paying players as VIP members with a monthly allowance of in-game currency to spend, but otherwise, it’s wide open for free gaming.

The yet again in the title stems from the fact that over the past several years of operation, Turbine has raised literally tens of thousands of dollars in venture capital. The lions share arrived via GGV Capital and Time Warner in 2008, where the company saw $40 million in investments. Previous investors include Columbia Capital, Tudor Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, and Granite Global Ventures.

On the other end of the spectrum, August 11th also saw VC money flowing into (yet another) virtual world for children. Tech Coast Angels has invested $300k in Masher Media Inc., who are currently working on MyMiniPeeps.com, a virtual world aimed at kids ages 6 to 13. This new virtual world is billed as, “an online experience as exciting as a video game but with more social networking, multiplayer, and complete and enriching real-world content.”

Masher Media Logo“Even in this difficult economy, Masher Media is a good example of how a great new company with an exceptional market opportunity can get investment money and get it fast,” said Richard Sudek, president of TCA.

And as evidenced in our video interview with Rebel Monkey CEO Margaret Wallace, the kids virtual world space is becoming an increasingly crowded space, Masher Media is holding one particular ace-in-the-hole that would certainly be attractive to any investor: CEO Sherry Gunther. Counting over 20 years experience entertaining kids, Gunther has produced animated hits including The Simpsons, Rugrats, Family Guy, and PowerPuff Girls to name a few. She also has two Emmy Awards and a Cable Ace award in the trophy cabinet.

Tech Coast Angles founder Luis Villalobos comments, “As investors, first and foremost we bet on people, and Sherry Gunther, the founder and creative genius behind Masher Media is one of the most accomplished people in her industry. Moreover, Masher Media has a terrific concept in a fast-growing market. This was an easy investment decision.”

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Quick Hit Football suits up for summer training

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Quick Hit (formerly Play Hard Sports Inc.) is a new kind of company producing a new kind of game.  I’ve been closely following the movements of this Boston area startup for a while now, and it looks like they’re right on track to not only give is something completely different, but completely free as well.

It came as no surprise to find out that the folks over at the good ship VentureBeat have been thinking the same thing, and recently sat down with Quick Hit CEO Jeff Anderson to talk about their first product: Quick Hit Football.  Anderson, former CEO at another Boston area company you may have heard of, Turbine, developers of the highly successful Lord of the Rings Online MMO is in good company at Quick Hit, with what he calls the “ultimate trifecta” of talent.  Designers and developers of the upcoming free-to-play title hail from the dev teams that have worked on Madden, NFL 2K, ESPN footcall, All Pro Football, and NCAA to name a few.  Partner them with talent from the LotRO and Ultima Online teams, and sit back and watch the games begin.  Literally.

quickhit

One of Anderson’s key points, and what makes Quick Hit Football different from all the ‘other’ football games out on the market today, is that they’re not out to try to recreate, or better the Madden experience, but rather, are focusing on building a robust social community around an authentic football experience.  Based on a low-spec flash based platform, Anderson also points to one very major difference (and draw) that Quick Hit holds in their favor: free.  While Madden and 99.44% of all other football titles on the market today are available exclusively on a console, Quick Hit seeks to bring the power and excitement of the game back to the PC, thereby giving a much larger audience a chance to play.  Combining the social community experience with the PC and flash allows not only the player to chat, socialize, and compete all in one place, but they’re not always specifically bound to localized servers and geography.  In other words, football fans from Ohio could very well find themselves in a duel against players from Japan or South Africa.

Quick Hit is also banking on the enormous numbers of fantasy football players in North America alone, some 20 million.  Toss the Madden players, clocking in at around 8 million, in there, and you’ve got a gold mine waiting to happen.  The concept and development of Quick Hit Football have not been centered around player’s abilities to juke a Running Back, or scramble a Quarterback faster than their opponent, but rather utilizing football fan’s already built in knowledge of what will and what will not work in a standard game.  Using the knowledge players set out to coach their team all the way to the superbowl, a feature and style of play now missing in most football genre games, as Head Coach 10 has officially been scrapped.  Echoing a growing sentiment in gaming overall, Anderson’s team has been very careful to ensure the authenticity (adding Bill Cower is a prime example) and depth of the game, but at the same time have make sure that the game is simple enough to understand, thereby allowing just about anyone to jump right in and get up and running within minutes.  Continuing this trend, Quick Hit football is also set up to be run in a more ‘casual’ way than it’s console competitors (aka Madden).  Traditionally with a console type football game, players either play the computer or an opponent that’s physically sitting next to them, and can plan on at least an hour of play time before a final score.  Not so with Quick Hit’s version.  “We developed Quick Hit Football to be something people can play in 20-25 minutes from start to finish,” says Anderson.  In other words, this type of gaming is absolutely perfect for the mid season armchair quarterback to get his/her game on during a lunch break, waiting for the train/plane, or just about any time.

Given the concept, scope, and talent pool involved, Quick Hit Football could very well be the great alternative to Madden that we’ve all been looking for for quite some time now.  Interactive play, check.  Utilizing knowledge and love of the game, check.  Ability to play just about anywhere and in a reasonable amount of time, check.  Anyone want to place some bets on how long it’ll take before CBS, NBC, ESPN, and/or ABC sports come a calling to use this technology as a visual representation platform for their fantasy football leagues?

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Turbine squashes LOTRO microtransaction rumors – new title in the works

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Maybe publicly posting a microtransaction/e-commerce manager is the new way to generate tons of publicity and hype for your business.  At the same time, dedicated fans of your biggest product tend to get a little jumpy.  A catch-22?

If this is the case, then Turbine has managed to accomplish it’s goals, and then some.  As previously reported Turbine is in fact looking for a microtransaction/e-commerce manager, and let the speculation train leave the station.  It seems as though hundreds of fans of Turbine’s successful Lord of the Rings Online game feared that microtransactions would be applied to this title, thereby igniting some truly ridiculous forum posts, to those that support the growing trend in gaming.

And while Turbine didn’t exactly nip the discussion in the bud, they did acquiesce to public pressure and wild speculation, by revealing that they are in fact working on a new title that will be microtransaction based.

“We know the recent job listing has caused a bit of a stir, but please be aware that this posting is for an unannounced future project,” says Sapience, a Turbine Online Community Specialist.

While this announcement alone is not earth shattering, it does put another brick into the Western market acceptance of microtransactions in the wall.  We’ve now got EA working on Battlefield Heroes (ok, let’s put the delays aside), SOE with free realms, Nexon’s Combat Arms is moving right along, and now Turbine has officially confirmed their development of a microtransaction based title.  Heck, even the stronghold of all things subscription, Blizzard is offering paid character customization, a microtransaction in it’s own right.  The winds of change are hard to ignore, and they seem to just keep gathering steam.

We’re obviously watching Turbine with an eagle eye now, and will keep you up to date with any further developments.

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