MyGaming recently interviewed Codemasters Online’s David Solari about the growth of the now free-to-play MMO game. Aaron Campbell, the Producer at Turbine for Lord of the Rings, has also weighed in with some titbits of info about upcoming improvements to the game, and he even takes the time to answer some questions fielded by MyGaming forumites.
Aaron Campbell, Turbine’s Producer for Lord of the Rings Online
Quickly touching on the success of the LOTRO move to free-to-play, Campbell said: “In 2009 we added a “free” option to Dungeons and Dragons Online in North America, and in 2010 did so for LOTRO. The reaction from the players has been overwhelming – [more than] doubling LOTRO’s revenue in North America for example, and adding 1 million new players in the first thirty days. Early on we had the intuition that giving players more choice in how they pay and play would be better for the game overall; now we have clear proof.”
Moving on to discuss future content updates, Campbell gave us a quick overview of the upcoming ‘Rise of Isengard’ expansion: “Looking ahead to 2011, we’re going to Isengard! Rise of Isengard is the next major expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online, and will include a raised level cap to 70, the regions of Dunland, Gap of Rohan and Isengard itself, expanded opportunities for player v. monster play combat and more!”
Campbell then took the time to answer some questions fielded by MyGaming forumites.
Q: Will the European servers receive forums of equal quality to that of Turbine’s US forums? For example, Euro forums do not allow for sigs/armory showcasing of characters.
AC: “We’re working on deeper integration of web functionality such as the Lorebook as we move into 2011. More coming next year!”
Q: Will there be a reshuffling of PvP on the cards any time soon? Perhaps Arena teams? With the lack of opposing factions, there’s not much in terms of PVP happening in the game.
AC: Monster Play is something that is getting a serious look in 2011, particularly as we move on to Isengard.
Q: What sort of items/rewards can we expect in the LOTRO store which we’re getting points for?
AC: You can expect a range of items in the LOTRO store, from extra storage and character slots to accelerators for crafting XP or skirmish marks. Mounts, cosmetic items, quests and skirmishes are all available.
Q: Are there going to be improvements to the look of characters, so that individuals can feel a little more unique within the game world?
AC: We’re always introducing new cosmetic items, and of course graphics features such as DX10 and DX11 support! There are no immediate plans for player character changes, but it’s definitely something we’ll consider.
Wrapping up, we asked Aaron Campbell about his personal Lord of the Rings Online character. “If you ever see me online (publicly), I’ll likely be named +Rowan. When I’m incognito, you’ll tend to find me playing as a Hobbit Guardian.”
Discuss MyGaming’s interview with Turbine’s LOTRO producer Aaron Campbell on the MyGaming forum.
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