Warner Bros. Interactive has announced of Lord of the Rings: War in the North, a co-op action RPG, to be released in 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
The game will be based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novel series, not the film property, and will "explore both original and familiar narrative elements" of the series, says the company's press release. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment holds the rights to adapt both the films and books into the game medium.
The game is under development by Snowblind Studios, best known for producing popular action RPG Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance for interplay. The studio also worked with Sony Online Entertainment. Warner Bros. acquired Washington State-based Snowblind in 2009.
The game is set to feature three-player co-op create-a-character action RPG play, which sounds not dissimilar to the studio's most famous titles. In a statement, Ryan Geithman, founder and studio head of Snowblind Studios said:
"This game is a natural evolution of the acclaimed RPG gameplay that Snowblind has consistently delivered over the past years. Players and fans will experience an innovative approach to online co-op gameplay, woven throughout every facet of the game in a way that only Snowblind can deliver."
In the same statement, Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment said,"With The Lord of the Rings: War in the North we are taking a mature approach to the widely celebrated property with authentic portrayals of battles and all new storylines."
Warner Bros. Interactive has recently stepped up development of original games based on properties it controls; last year's popular and award-winning Batman: Arkham Asylum is a prime example, and it appears that Lord of the Rings is following in its footsteps, strategically-speaking. The game's official website is live now.
This reminds me of Iron Crown Enterprise's MERPS - Middle Earth Roleplaying System - a tabletop RPG based on Tolkien's world. They published a ton of material.
There is a lot of material in the Simarillion that has yet to be explored in popular media. The estate has been releasing books recently based on JRR's notes and half-finished stories. Would be great to see some of those go into production as well.
