Amazon's Second Attempt at a Dominant MMO

Amazon is once again attempting to create a massively multiplayer online game based on The Lord of the Rings, after a previous attempt was canceled in 2020. The company has partnered with Middle-earth Enterprises, which controls the rights to JRR Tolkien's works, to develop the game. According to Hartmann, the goal is to create the largest MMO out there, which will be a challenging task given the existing Lord of the Rings Online game. Hartmann believes that the two games can co-exist, with Amazon's game offering a new and different experience. The company is drawing on lessons learned from its debut title, New World, and is focused on creating a game that is accessible to a wide range of players, with a focus on instant rewards and social interaction. The game will center around stories and characters from both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and the team is working to balance creative vision with fidelity to the original books. With no release date announced, Hartmann is taking a long-term approach, stating that the game will be released when it's ready, with the goal of creating a game that will last for over a decade.