Summary
After years of letting theLord of the RingsIP gather dust, the gaming industry seems to be going all in on the fantasy franchise. No longer is it tied down by whatever Warner Bros. wants to make; instead, many studios have been able to get their hands on its world. Now, fans have been treated to an action-adventure title and a survival game, with anAnimal Crossing-like experience just around the corner. And although this has helped giveLord of the Ringsfans something to do, this direction seems to be a bit of a bumpy road.
So far, theLord of the Ringsgames released during this new wave have proven a bit lackluster with audiences.Lord of the Rings: Gollumwas panned andReturn to Moriaseems to have come and gone with a whimper. While there is a chance that thecozy Hobbit gameTales of the Shirerights that ship, if it also falls flat, then it may be time for the gaming industry to rethink itsLord of the Ringsstrategy a bit. The franchise could be a gold mine, but the games need to improve drastically for that to happen.
Lord of the Rings Games Might Not Be Able to Go On Like This
In 2017,Lord of the Ringsaddedthe hotly anticipatedMiddle-earth: Shadow of Warto its list of games. Even with its controversial microtransaction model, the game still ended up being pretty popular with players. But, instead of following it up shortly after with even more titles, the industry setLord of the Ringsaside for the most part. Outside a few mobile games and updates toLord of the Rings Online, the IP remained mostly dormant. Even after Amazon started production onTheRings of Power, there seemed to be nothing major in the pipeline. Luckily that has changed since.
Withthe release ofLord of the Rings: Gollumin 2023, there seems to be no shortage of Middle-earth-centric games on the way. While that game proved pretty lackluster with audiences, it was quickly followed by the survival gameThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. This year, players will also be treated toTales of the Shire. Amazon has also been hard-at-work on its ownLord of the RingsMMO, and there are likely many more projects in the works.
This slew of releases has helped to fill the void left by a lack ofMiddle-earth video games. However, at the same time, these experiences have yet to make a real dent in the market. It may be nice to explore this fantasy franchise through various different genres, yet many fans wish that these titles were a bit stronger. Because the last two were lacking, it’s understandable if fans are skeptical about whetherTales of the Shirecan deliver.
Tales of the Shire Needs to Live Up to the Hype
There is a chance thatTales of the Shirewill blow audiences away when it finally hits store shelves. Settinga cozyAnimal Crossing-like title in the Shiresounds like a recipe for success, so hopefully, the gameplay is able to back it up. If it cannot, then theLord of the Ringsbrand may be in a tough spot going forward, associating its name with a series of forgettable projects. While the main series will always be iconic, too many bad experiences could ruin the potential of future ones in advance.
If the games that release using theLord of the Ringsname are all disappointing, it will be cause for ever greater skepticism. Without a good reputation, projects with more potential may never stand a chance. But ifTales of the Shireends up being the hit that the studio wants, then it might be able to right the ship a bit. As long as developers can keep that momentum going, Middle-earth could dominate the video game landscape and avoid getting put on the backburner once more.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
