Amazon has to stop the development of a large new AAA MMORPG based on The Lord of the Rings. They themselves are disappointed with the development – fans are lamenting as well. There simply aren’t any good games based on The Lord of the Rings anymore.
That was the news: On Saturday evening, it was announced that Amazon is stopping the development of an online role-playing game based on “The Lord of the Rings”:
- The MMORPG was announced in 2019.
- The game was supposed to be a AAA title; Amazon wanted to invest a lot in the development.
- They promised “in-game cinematics”, stunning graphics, and an art style that differs from the usual appearance of the “The Lord of the Rings” films and games.
- The game was supposed to take place some time before the events described in “The Lord of the Rings”.
The new online game had no name yet and was being developed by Amazon Game Studios together with Leyou Technologies, a Chinese company. However, Leyou was purchased in December 2020 by the giant Chinese company Tencent, and the contract for the “The Lord of the Rings” game had to be renegotiated. No agreement could be reached, and therefore the game is now dead. This was reported by insider Jason Schreier on Saturday.
This is what Amazon says: They share in an official statement: They love the “The Lord of the Rings” brand. Amazon is disappointed that they cannot bring the game to their customers now.
Players want new games based on The Lord of the Rings
This is how fans are reacting: Since the news became known, there has been a lively discussion about the end of the “The Lord of the Rings” MMO, which was still largely unknown but eagerly anticipated by many.
There is especially a large group of “The Lord of the Rings” fans who had the game on their wish list. They are lamenting: Although there is already a good PC MMORPG for the fantasy epic with “The Lord of the Rings Online” (2007), it is widely regarded as “nice but outdated”. Other highlights of “The Lord of the Rings” as a game have also been a long time ago. Many users on reddit agree: They want a new game set in Middle-earth.
User MisterPanda says on MeinMMO: “Very sad. The plan was probably to have the game finished by the release of the Amazon series, to milk the fans nicely. But it looks like total overwhelm.
And unfortunately, HDRO will not work on the PS5 without a complete engine upgrade. I love the game, but the graphics just don’t hold up anymore. And unfortunately, you don’t hear anything more about it either.”
“Better deliver games instead of developing them”
The role of Amazon is being critically questioned by many. A Twitter user believes that Amazon should rather stick to its delivery service: “They should focus on delivering games, not developing them.”
A user on reddit even asks: “So is Amazon Gaming just going to dissolve? Seems like a waste of money.” Amazon is accused of luring many talented developers away from other studios, only to do nothing with them.
The criticism of Amazon comes after two games from Amazon, Breakway and Crucible, were already cancelled. The MMO New World has been postponed multiple times. The criticism of Amazon often accompanies skepticism towards Google Stadia: Google and Amazon are huge tech companies whose ventures into gaming have had little success so far.
However, the role of Tencent and the situation in China are also being critically viewed. One must keep in mind: The rights situation with “The Lord of the Rings” made the situation different than with Crucible, Breakaway or New World. In the end, Amazon was not responsible for the development that came into the project through Tencent.
A Twitter user said: “I believe this was the first time Amazon is not the bad guy.”
The big hope for MMOs at Amazon is, alongside New World, the team around MMORPG icon John Smedley. He is one of the fathers of Everquest. He and his team have been working for Amazon for over 4 years:
Game studio fails with indie project, now working almost entirely for Amazon
