Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that The Lord of the Rings Online will be free-to-play starting this Fall. This will allow players to download and play the game for free, though expansions, quest packs and items can bought through the The Lord of the Rings Online store.
“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.”
The new The Lord of the Rings Online has free content for players up to level 50. There will also be a VIP subscription program that gives players unlimited access to all premium content, priority server access, 5 character slots, a shared bank slot, and a monthly allotment of points to spend in the The Lord of the Rings Online Store.
“Turbine’s Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited was the world s first truly premium free-to-play online game that ushered in a new era of choice for online gamers seeking quality entertainment,” said Jim Crowley, President and CEO of Turbine. “The popularity of DDO validated the extraordinary demand by gamers for quality entertainment they can experience at their own pace and within their budget. Extending free-to-play to LOTRO will offer another premium game to a broad spectrum of fans.”
