New Lord of the Rings RPG revealed?

Interview with EA developer appears to confirm existence of new role-playing game set in Middle-earth.

Posted Jan 9, 2006 4:30 pm PT

While the Lord of the Rings films were raking in billions of dollars in theaters, Electronic Arts also cashed in with its various Middle-earth game tie-ins. But although the publisher released solid action and strategy titles based on the movie trilogy, it somewhat neglected the role-playing category. Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, was a Final Fantasy X-esque action RPG that did not satisfy genre purists hoping for a more orthodox, Dungeons and Dragons-style title.

Now, it appears that EA is prepping a second RPG based on Lord of the Rings. In an interview with his former employers at 3D Realms, developer Jim Norwood revealed that he is at work on a new LOTR title at his current gig at EA. "I'm currently on Lord of the Rings: The White Council at EA as a software engineer," he told 3D Realms. "It's a new RPG game. That's all public information, so feel free to look it up on the internet or EA's website."

However, it appears Norwood may have spoken too soon, as EA's Web site has no product listing for Lord of the Rings: The White Council. As of press time, the publisher had not yet announced the game, and did not answer requests to comment on it.

While EA has released no details on Lord of the Rings: The White Council, its title gives a small clue to its content--if the game does indeed exist. In J.R.R. Tolkien's original Rings novels, the White Council was the body convened to stop everyone's favorite dark lord, Sauron, from reacquiring the One Ring. Originally headed by the wizard Saruman before he became evil, The White Council also included the wizard Gandalf.

GameSpot will have more details on Lord of the Rings: The White Council when--or if--they emerge.

50 Comments

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peeweeshift

i wont care if it is as boring as the third age

Posted Mar 10, 2007 12:18 pm PT
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Ek-Andy

Its on the EA website now under the news title unveiling white council or something allong the lines of that. http://www.ea.com/article.jsp?dcr=ea&id=whitecouncil

Posted Aug 15, 2006 1:00 pm PT
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snowman_rob

Maybe if this time it didn't directly follow the plot of the books/movies.

Posted Feb 3, 2006 11:18 pm PT
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juvi_gt

when i think of an rpgs, final fantasy comes to mind. So I hope this game is turn-based, cause i like turn-based rpgs

Posted Jan 10, 2006 3:37 pm PT
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gdogg4210

Enough Lord of the Rings already

Posted Jan 10, 2006 2:59 pm PT
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EliteSoldier1

EA will just mess it up so Im not getting excited about it.

Posted Jan 10, 2006 2:40 pm PT
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deltacotton

finally, a 'real' rpg based on lord of the rings, not some more of that action rpg junk that i refuse to buy. i hope they do it right!

Posted Jan 10, 2006 1:33 pm PT
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SavoyPrime

If it doesn't suck, then I'm all for it.

Posted Jan 10, 2006 9:35 am PT
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Viquist

I love the books and bought the extended versions of the movies... but the games were never that interesting to me

Posted Jan 10, 2006 9:09 am PT
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Timstuff

Awesome. One of my favorite LOTR games to this day is Interplay's LOTR RPG. I remember playing that game for hours on end searching for every little sub-quest and trying to find the coolest weapons. Off-the-leash gaming at it's finest. Hopefully this time around, EA will deliver the goods!

Posted Jan 10, 2006 8:35 am PT
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snippey

Hopefully this game is going to be cooler then the last one

Posted Jan 10, 2006 8:27 am PT
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RobertBowen

Will they make a decent RPG this time?

Maybe they should hire Bioware instead.

Posted Jan 10, 2006 8:17 am PT
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ewjim

They "don't have enough" of FIVE (or soon six) LOTR's?!

Posted Jan 10, 2006 6:14 am PT
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lilweightlifter

Sweet! I hope this game is awesome.

Posted Jan 10, 2006 5:57 am PT
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AceRampage

Cool...
Making everyone's favourite game into a rpg...
Hope that you can play as a created character too...
Or the stories going to be locked...

Posted Jan 10, 2006 5:12 am PT
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brianwh

Quote:

"...Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, was a Final Fantasy X-esque action RPG..."

Action RPG? With all due respect, LotR:TTA was a _turn-based_ RPG, as was FFX.

Posted Jan 10, 2006 5:07 am PT
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azizrulez

do we really need another LOTR RPG

Posted Jan 10, 2006 3:55 am PT
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kapadiajatin

It would be better if they include the characters from the movie. I didnt like the first game because the new characters were not appealing enough to like them.

Posted Jan 10, 2006 12:38 am PT
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molivers7

Three white wizards.

Posted Jan 10, 2006 12:17 am PT
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Bladex2k

yea rotk was their best game yet

Posted Jan 9, 2006 9:52 pm PT
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Nostradennis

Darn, I was hoping for a "Return of the King" type sequel. That game was awesome.

Posted Jan 9, 2006 9:18 pm PT
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forever_blank

Perhaps, it maybe exciting... maybe...

Posted Jan 9, 2006 8:51 pm PT
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wytefang

Hopefully it'll be a PC only title, or if it's for all systems, one can only hope that they'll make the game to play to each system's strengths, not pawn off a crappy console port to the PC gamers out here...

Posted Jan 9, 2006 8:34 pm PT
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Orasion_Seiz

it hope its better this time

Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:38 pm PT
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MWRHC

I don't care what it's on! I just want my Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess!

Dutch_Mix

Awesome. I hope its on the 360.

Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:30 pm PT
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_habit_

Personally I don't see how EA is all that bad, sure the only good series they have are the MoHs, but I don't think EA is _that_ bad.

Either way I love LotR enough to ignore the fact that its EA or any other company for that matter.

Posted Jan 9, 2006 7:14 pm PT
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matttrd

Great news I would love a new LOTR RPG.

I was even one of the few who actually enjoyed The Third Age as well.

It would be great if it was a free roaming RPG but I doubt it.

Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:37 pm PT
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PringerOtaku

Third Age was a bad experience. Very, very bland. I sure hope this is MUCH better. I agree with SF about EA, especially their RPG's.

Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:31 pm PT
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SpiderFreak

If it's made by EA, I ussually won't buy it. Not to mention that I highly doubt this game will be good at all.

SF

Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:14 pm PT
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helluvagood

yep its revelead

Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:09 pm PT
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never like these game

Posted Jan 9, 2006 6:08 pm PT
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