News

Turbine to Showcase Highly Anticipated Online Games at Penny Arcade Expo

July 25, 2005 – Turbine, Inc., a premier publisher of online subscription entertainment, announced today that it will showcase its highly-anticipated massively multi-player games to consumers for the first time at the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Bellevue, WA on August 26-28.

Both Dungeons & Dragons® Online: Stormreach, the first project fully developed, funded and operated by Turbine, and The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, the only massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, will be available for fans to experience first hand at the event.

"Penny-Arcade is considered to be an influential voice in the gaming community and we look forward to introducing Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach and The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar to gamers at their event," said Tom Nichols, vice president of marketing, Turbine, Inc.

"I'm personally excited about Turbine's presence at PAX. Like any self-respecting geek, much of my adolescence was spent in the basement rolling 20-sided dice. I can't wait for the online version of D&D® to launch." Commented Tycho Brahe of Penny-Arcade.

The Penny Arcade Expo was established by the founders of www.penny-arcade.com, the hit web comic and journal that cover videogames and popular culture. The second annual gaming festival is expected to draw thousands of gamers from across the country.

Members of the Turbine development team will be available for demos and interviews at the company's booth at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA, August 26-28. Both Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach and The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar will be shown on gaming platforms powered by the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology Extreme Edition and servers powered by the Intel® Xeon™ Processor.

About Turbine, Inc.
Turbine, Inc. is a premier producer, publisher and operator of online subscription entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Mass. With studios on two coasts, the company is the largest privately-held online games company in North America. Turbine's catalogue includes some of the most famous online entertainment brands, including Asheron's Call®, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach and The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. For more information on Turbine and its services, please visit www.turbine.com.

About Penny-Arcade
Founded in 1998, Penny-Arcade is a comic and journal which covers video games and popular culture. Boasting a readership of over 4.5 million viewers generating 35 million pageviews per month, Penny-Arcade is considered one of the most influential voices in gaming. For more information on Penny-Arcade, please visit www.penny-arcade.com.

Jon "Calandryll" Hanna's E3 Update!

Jon Hanna sends an update from his first day at E3.

Thursday Afternoon:

It Was Inevitable

And so the E3 gamers answered the challenge! No less than 30minutes after the show opened we had our first brave group of adventurers defeat the Inevitable and win their much deserved spot in the DDO beta. Moments later a second intrepid party prevailed followed soon after by another. But don't worry, the Inevitable is still giving as good as it's getting!

Amazing what a little organization and some planning can do. I think it clearly demonstrates how DDO really rewards both character skill and player skill.

Today has been even busier than yesterday, which is saying a lot! It's amazing how many fansites are here too and it's great to see their dedication to our games. The LOTRO team and the DDO team have had their hands full answering questions and showing off the finer points of the games.

Well it's time to get some lunch. I'll check back in with you all later today after the Inevitable takes care of a few more would-be heroes. ;)

-Jonathan "Calandryll" Hanna

Patience adds: Jon included a couple of things with his update I think the LOTRO community might be interested in - a picture of the LOTRO demo station, and video of the conjunctions in action (1.2Mb)! (And check out the Dungeons & Dragons Online site for DDO images and video).

Thursday morning:

Update from E3!

Surprisingly, despite being in the industry for many years this was my first E3. Having read many updates about past E3s I had an idea of what to expect, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer number of people attending the show. It's really quite amazing how big this industry really is!

The Turbine booth (Shot 1, Shot 2, Shot 3) was packed all day aside from a slight slow-down during lunch. Even then there was hardly a time when one of DDO's game stations wasn't occupied. We gave out Turbine logo dice bags to people who reached a certain point in the quest and beta slots to anyone who actually killed the Inevitable at the end of the quest. You'd think that at a convention full of hardcore gamers we'd have given out tons of beta slots. But so far, nobody has killed it yet!

For LOTRO, the developers ran a demo showing off a quest and the combat system. So many people were peering over the dev's shoulders that it made it almost impossible to get a shot of the LOTRO game station! I'll have to get one before we open the booth tomorrow.

Although we weren't able to show demos of AC or AC2 on the floor we did have the opportunity to speak with quite a few AC and AC2 fansites and players on the first day. It's great to see people show so much interest in both of those games, especially with so many other games at E3 vying for their attention. I think it's a testament to how strong those communities really are.

I took a walkthrough video to give you an idea of the layout of our booth and also took some "shaky-cam" videos of some of the gameplay in DDO and LOTRO while nobody was looking. The videos include solving a puzzle in a dungeon in DDO and a combat "conjunction" in action in LOTRO. I'll try to sneak those online along with my next update. ;)

Overall it was a lot of fun to see people react so positively to the all of the games.

Anyway, my feet are killing me after standing for the entire day. I'm gonna order some room service and then get some sleep. Tomorrow should be even busier!

Oh and don't forget to check out the webcam too!

-Jonathan "Calandryll" Hanna

Turbine announces The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™

Turbine Unveils New Vision To The Creation Of The Lord Of The Rings Online™ Shadows of Angmar™

WESTWOOD, Mass. – May 10, 2005 – Turbine, Inc., a leading publisher of online subscription entertainment, announced today that it has revealed the first details about The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™, the first and only massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar will allow players to forge heroic legacies in the War for Middle-Earth. Gamers will experience an evolving persistent recreation of Tolkien's world-renowned fantasy realm where they can establish their unique reputations, and discover and wield legendary weapons in strategic battles, while adventuring solo or in Fellowships. The game and service are expected to launch in 2006.

"Turbine is thrilled to collaborate with Tolkien Enterprises to bring a compelling, authentic, world-class MMORPG to an audience that spans several generations and includes legions of devoted fans around the world," said Vijay Lakshman, vice president of production, Turbine, Inc. "We have engaged some of our finest creative and technical teams to deliver rich and diverse gameplay to online enthusiasts and fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's astounding and beloved world."

To coincide with the new game's announcement, Turbine has launched a new web site for The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar at http://lotro.turbine.com. Visitors can join the rapidly growing community to interact with the developers, get detailed information and get ongoing first looks at exclusive content from the game.

In addition, Turbine will present The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo May 18-20 in Los Angeles. Visitors are welcome to stop by Turbine's booth, #2666, to see the game in development and meet some of the team behind this highly anticipated title.

Formerly under development as The Lord of the Rings™: Middle-Earth™ Online, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar will be the first product and service resulting from Turbine's new relationship with Tolkien Enterprises. Under the agreement, Turbine has exclusive world-wide rights to develop and publish all massively multiplayer online role playing games based on J.R.R. Tolkien's world-renowned literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

About Turbine, Inc.

Turbine, Inc. is a premier producer, publisher and operator of online subscription entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Mass. With studios on two coasts, the company is the largest privately-held online games company in North America. Turbine's catalogue includes some of the most famous online entertainment brands, including Asheron's Call®, Dungeons & Dragons® Online: Stormreach and The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. For more information on Turbine and its services, please visit www.turbine.com.

About Tolkien Enterprises

The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films and merchandise based on Tolkien's works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.

Turbine Takes Over MMP License For Games Based on J.R.R. Tolkien Works

Turbine Acquires License from Tolkien Enterprises and Becomes the Exclusive Online Worlds Publisher

WESTWOOD, Mass. -- March 22, 2005 --Turbine, Inc., a leading publisher of online subscription entertainment, announced today that it has finalized a deal with Tolkien Enterprises and Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) that grants Turbine the exclusive right to develop and publish massively multiplayer online worlds based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit literary works. As part of the agreement, Turbine will own all of the game assets to the upcoming, highly anticipated massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) The Lord of the Rings": Middle-Earth" Online. All publishing responsibilities previously assumed by VU Games for the online license have been transitioned to Turbine effective immediately.

"As the exclusive publisher, Turbine looks forward to bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's vibrant worlds to online gamers around the globe," said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO, Turbine, Inc. "Turbine has been instrumental in the direction and production of Middle-Earth Online, its service and the community since day one. Together with Tolkien Enterprises, we intend to produce the best possible representation of these outstanding literary works and ensure a long and exciting future for Middle-Earth Online."

Acquiring the license to produce massively multiplayer online games based on Tolkien's world-renowned The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books is the latest in a series of aggressive business moves by Turbine the once small contractor that transformed itself into the largest privately-held online game studio in North America. Turbine now directly owns or holds significant interest in each of the games and services that it produces. The company purchased the Asheron's Call® franchise from Microsoft in early 2004 and is building out the first and only MMORPG based on the iconic fantasy franchise Dungeons & Dragons®, which Turbine is self-funding.

"We are pleased to be working with Turbine," said Albert M. Bendich, Executive Vice President of The Saul Zaentz Company, which does business as Tolkien Enterprises. "We are confident that, under Turbine's development, Middle-Earth Online will faithfully bring-to-life the realms of Middle-earth for Tolkien fans everywhere to explore and enjoy."

With their new relationship, Turbine and Tolkien Enterprises are committed to doing what's best for Middle-Earth Online and the community (www.middle-earthonline.com/), which has already swelled to about 100,000 registered fans. As a result of this commitment, Turbine's production team is considering changes to make the game even better than before. Turbine will launch Middle-Earth Online in 2006. Specific details and dates regarding the game's development will be announced in the near future.

Turbine also is currently in negotiations with a few key strategic partners for a worldwide launch, including China, Japan, Korea, Europe and the U.S.

About Turbine, Inc.

Turbine, Inc. is a premier producer, publisher and operator of online subscription entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Mass. With studios on two coasts, the Company is the largest privately held online games company in North America. Turbine's catalogue includes some of the most famous online entertainment brands, including Asheron's Call®, Dungeons & Dragons® Online and The Lord of the Rings": Middle-Earth Online. For more information on Turbine and its services, please visit www.turbine.com.

About Tolkien Enterprises

The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films and merchandise based on Tolkien's works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.

The Lord of the Rings", "The Lord of the Rings Online", "Shadows of Angmar" and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to Turbine, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of . respective owners.