Zaentz Co. is selling the video game rights to Lord of the Rings, opening the door for new games set in the world of Middle Earth. Before the upcoming Lord of the Rings: Gollum, many developers have taken a crack at creating a game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels. From tactical strategy games to single-player adventures through the Lord of the Rings story, and even a plethora of Lego adaptations set in Middle Earth, developers have explored Tolkien’s IPs in a variety of ways.
Arguably one of the most successful Lord of the Rings video games is The Lord of the Rings Online, an MMORPG set in Middle Earth. The game is over fifteen years old and has maintained a decent player count despite dated graphics and systems. Its most recent expansion, Fate of Gundabad, arrived at the end of last year and brought the mountainous region of Gundabad, the Brawler class, and a new level cap. Other notable Lord of the Rings video games includes Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, which filled in the 60-year gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The series is known for its Nemesis system, in which a player develops relationships with specific leaders of Sauron’s Army while simultaneously introducing an array of unique enemies specific to a playthrough. Now many fans of the franchise are anxiously awaiting Lord of the Rings: Gollum, a stealth-based game centering around one of Tolkien’s most beloved characters.
According to Variety, Zaentz Co. is selling the video game rights to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as other titles set in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Zaentz Co. currently holds the rights to use LOTR and The Hobbit in film, video games, and merchandising, as well as live events and theme parks. The rights are coming up for auction and projections indicate the holdings are worth upwards of $2 billion, due in part to Amazon’s new television show Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and recent valuations for other top-tier IP.
Despite the lengthy list of Lord of the Rings video games, many fans are still itching to jump into a digital Middle Earth. That being said, there are a number of potential buyers who could be interested in purchasing the rights and developing the next wave of Tolkien-inspired titles. Amazon Games recently developed the successful MMO New World, which secured a sizeable player base after its September 28 launch. The studio’s parent company also purchased the rights to produce its eight-part Lord of the Rings miniseries directly from the Tolkien estate, so it is possible the multi-billion dollar company is interested in expanding its holdings in the Lord of the Rings franchise. It would be interesting to see a tie-in video game with the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power show, so Amazon might snag up the deal.
Microsoft is another possible candidate given its buying spree. Microsoft recently purchased Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, the largest acquisition in video game history. It’s certainly possible Microsoft wants to expand its potential IPs even further, acquiring Lord of the Rings – one of the most popular fantasy franchises – for its ever-growing library of exclusive titles.
