EA updates LOTR White Council site
by Alan Rose 
{ Nov 8th 2006 at 2:00PM }
Now that Electronic Arts is dual wielding the Tolkien movie and literary rights, we can expect plenty of return trips to Middle-earth from the über developer. So far, we've seen two action platformers, a turn-based RPG, a portable tactics entry, and an RTS series that have each incorporated the look and feel of The Lord of the Rings films.
Scheduled for a late 2007 release, The White Council promises to deliver an Oblivion-style roleplaying experience from the perspective of a human, hobbit, dwarf, or elf. Only this time, the adventure is set 100 years prior to events depicted in the books and films, which puts EA in the precarious position of inventing some believable derivative fiction that won't upset the Tolkien fan base. To see how things are progressing, check out the relaunched web site that features new details on some of White Council's characters.
See also: Steve Gray discusses LOTR: The White Council
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
OnlyForward @ Nov 8th 2006 2:04PM
Heh, good luck with all that...
jc @ Nov 8th 2006 2:22PM
I look forward to this game... if they can keep the story true to Tolkien's books.
However, I suspect EA is going to ruin the story (even further): "'Uruk-hai' is used primarily to describe Saruman's forces while 'Uruks' or 'Black Uruks of Mordor' is used primarily to describe Sauron's" -wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruk-hai
Xboxbydegrees @ Nov 8th 2006 2:21PM
But they will probably charge you for each mission in the game.
rpg_gamer @ Nov 8th 2006 2:22PM
An Oblivion-style game set in Middle-earth has great potential. The only issue I see is EA's ability to create a good back story. Tolkien fans are a passionate lot, so EA could be treading on thin ice.
jaysins @ Nov 8th 2006 2:32PM
If you think gaming console fanboys are bad you've never ran into a lord of the rings fanatic. God help EA's soul. Seriously, that's a lot of pressure and a lot of backlash to be had if they cannot come up with a coherent story. I don't think they'll do it but am rooting for them none the less.
Phranctoast @ Nov 8th 2006 2:47PM
the back story shouldnt be that tough. Ever attempt to read silmirillion????
A lot of the events that happened prior to the war of the ring are depicted in there. Sort of set up like an encyclopedia. In fact the events that made up the four books only took a couple of pages in the silmarillion
philip @ Nov 8th 2006 2:50PM
"the adventure is set 100 years prior to events depicted in the books and films, which puts EA in the precarious position of inventing some believable derivative fiction that won't upset the Tolkien fan base."
If the book license includes The Silmarillion, then EA can just use some of the cool things that Tolkien actually wrote.
Fox News Reader @ Nov 8th 2006 3:38PM
From years of playing Interplay's Lord of the Rings, to wishing LotR movies would be made and eventually console games, one thing has always been maintained -- The Tolkien Estate (Christopher Tolkien) has never allowed licensing rights for the Silmarillion (be it the movies, EA console games, or Middle-Earth Online).
It's doubtful we'll ever see any of the Silmarillion detailed it in any movie/game publications.
Tukka @ Nov 8th 2006 10:10PM
I never made it all the way through The Silmarillion, but don't most of the events in it take place hundreds or thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings anyway? It could be a rich source of back story, but for the story/plot of the game itself, it would have little or nothing to directly contribute.
In any event, they shouldn't have much trouble coming up with a story that is consistent with the lore and time line of Middle-Earth, just based on what's in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and the appendices. I mean, obviously they can't have your heroes saving Middle Earth from Sauron (not without being a severe departure from canon), but there is plenty of room for heroics in Middle-Earth that have less grand implications.