Codemasters Online has announced that the European version of Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) will be adopting a free-to-play model as of 2 November 2010. This should be good news for South African MMO and LotR fans alike, whom will likely prefer the lower latencies offered by servers hosted in Europe to high latency North American servers (previously the only region offering a free-to-play version of LOTRO).
The free-to-play model has proven highly successful for the game which had reportedly doubled its income and quadrupled its player base since having ditched the subscription model.
South Africa typically falls under the EU region for game releases and Sarah Hartland of Codemasters Online has confirmed that the free-to-play launch will be open to South African gamers. Good news as SA gamers will find themselves playing from an officially supported region.
Under the free-to-play model players will be able to download the game and play for free as well as purchase expansions, quest packs, items, and account services à la carte from the new LOTRO Store which opens on Tuesday 2 November 2010. The game download will be approximately 10 gigabytes in size.
To secure a free-to-play account, visit the Lord of the Rings Online website.
LOTRO content update
A major new content update for LOTRO includes Volume III, Book 2: Ride of the Grey Company which extends the game’s story and expands the world of Middle-earth with the new region of Enedwaith.
Highlights of the latest update to LOTRO will include:
Volume III, Book 2: The Ride of the Grey Company – Having sworn to protect the heirs of Isildur, the Dúnedain responded with all haste to the urgent message from Elrond. Players will join the newly-formed Grey Company in Rivendell as they depart on their journey far from the relative safety of that hidden valley into the new region of Enedwaith. Book 2 consists of fifteen solo-able chapters full of exploration, exciting combat and a healthy dose of mystery.
The LOTRO Store opens for business – The LOTRO Store is loaded with thousands of convenience items as well as expansion packs, premium content, additional character slots, potions, character customization and more. The LOTRO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience, using Points which can be purchased in the Store or earned through gameplay.
The Return of the Harvest Festival – When the days shorten and the nights begin to cool, it’s time to celebrate the bounty of the harvest. All the races of Middle-earth celebrate this time and gather at the Bree festival grounds for the Harvestmath events that include bobbing for apples, pumpkin picking and much more. This year’s festival features a brand new event located in the new Haunted Burrow, a haunted hobbit Fun-house!
This latest update also introduces the Wardrobe, a new storage system for cosmetic items that’s available for free to VIP players or can be purchased à la carte from the LOTRO Store, an updated character creation system, a revamped new player experience, the update and addition of “classic” instances featuring repeatable, scalable content, and much more.
Discuss the Lord of the Rings Online free-to-play and SA support on the MyGaming forums.
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