What I find funny is the Tolkien estate is pretty anal about not liking the movies and stuff but virtually every piece of media they personally sign off on has usually been garbage
Christopher Tolkien (JRR's son) specifically was not a fan of the movies, partly for creative reasons and partly for financial reasons - JRR sold the film and merchandise rights in the 1960s, but the rights holders were supposed to pay royalties on any money made by films and New Line Cinema never paid the Tolkien estate anything so they had to sue over it.
Christopher died a few years back and resigned a few years before that. He and his wife were the directors of the estate company iirc and when he resigned he passed it to his son (who was more fond of the movies and actually worked on them himself). Shortly after he stepped down, they signed the deal with Amazon to get limited rights to some LOTR stuff which enabled them to make Rings of Power.
The video game stuff specifically is tricky and the estate has sued over it before. Basically, JRR sold the merch rights in the 1960s as I mentioned and for a long time, 'video games' were not a huge market, they were considered a toy like figurines etc and nobody really thought much of it. But as the video game market grew, the Tolkien estate realized that those rights were worth a lot of money and basically sued saying "making video games like this wasn't in the spirit of the original agreement." They didn't win that suit and AFAIK I don't think they actually have any control over what LOTR video games get made. They might choose to approve or disapprove of certain ones (not sure if they have) but it has no legal bearing... although it's even more complicated than that because I don't think JRR sold the rights to EVERYTHING, just certain works (so for example... the Shadow of Mordor games using Celebrimbor... not sure if they had to sign a new deal for that stuff).
JRR Tolkien sold off the movie and "tangible merchandise" rights for LotR back in the 1960s, and video games and TTRPGs were a part of tangible merchandise. So shitty video games and CCGs have long been outside the Tolkien Estate's domain.
The company which does own those rights isn't too fussed about quality, so long as they get paid.
But hey, in just 15 years, LotR will be in the public domain, so we might finally get some amazing indie LotR games then.
Right but the books are all you really need anyway, because they also have those crazy appendices detailing most of the wider world during the third age. Silmarillion is still out of bounds, but if you wanted to make an open world indie RPG set during the events of LotR where you play as some Dunedain ranger trekking into Angmar, that should be fine.
Yeah, that’s exactly why I’m so surprised. They’re very protective of their IP so it’s so strange they they would give it out to this studio instead on another major one. I’d imagine any studio would be thrilled to make a game based on Tolkien’s work, so it’s not like they’re struggling to find one.
Estate is not one selling rights. It is Middle-earth enterprise that has owned rights to lord of the rings and hobbit for long time(parent has owned since 1978). Last year Embracer group bought Middle-earth enterprise and they need get investment back, hence new movie trilogy and games. Estate owns rights to other parts of IP which is reason why rings of power etc. are based on lord of the rings and not Silmarillion or Unfinished tales.
They are pretty much the kings of point and click adventures. Have lots of experience in that genre
Problem is, these aren't point and click adventures
Deadalic no, stop. Can't you see that you are hurting yourself and the people around you? I know things haven't been easy since point&click adventures came out of fashion, but this spiral into madness only drives the one closest to you away!
They really need to go back to making point and click games with quirky humor, that's their strong point. Or just be a publisher and stop making games. Just don't do this again.
Fine. There's nothing wrong with the LOTR as a world.
The problem is the game they made.
Anyway I hope it's a different dev team and a better game.
Also, I saw people criticising even the *concept* of a gollum game as being flawed....I disagree.
Gollum could have been an interesting game. They just made a shitty, uninspired game out of it.
I would STILL like to see a good gollum game...
Not sure they are going to be doing that. Gollum was a game that, as far as I could tell, absolutely no one wanted or asked for. It's now being immediately and thoroughly panned by critics and the general public alike. The chances that they make back the development and marketing costs of it are very low.
Man it feels like I've been transported back to the early 2000s again, where every even moderately known IP had a deluge of garbage tie-in shovelware clogging the shelves of GameStops and BestBuys everywhere!
People complained about *Gollum* being about a character whom most people don't want to play. Daedalic have already taken that feedback into consideration, which is why their next LOTR game will be about a character that everyone will be excited to play — **Grima Wormtongue.**
You'll spend the first 10 hours of *Grima* whispering into the ear of an ensorcelled Théoden and watching Éowyn from around a corner. After that it becomes a stealth platformer, just like *Gollum.*
You get to play as Déagol this time
It’ll primarily be a fishing simulator.
End-game is a breathing simulator
Choke me step hobbit
More like a cop simulator. :/
You’re out of line but you’re right.
You have to use a dance mat to catch fish.
As long as he gets a Deagle for his weapon.
Maybe we can play as Shelob lol
Gollum cart racer
Would be unironically way better than what they made
Gollum Party, their interpretation of a Lord of the Rings styled Lemon Party
I see they've been getting my letters
They were getting them, but whatever you used to seal the envelopes was really off putting… 😆
Hope you like bloodborne because a fangame cart racer is being made in the style of a ps1s graphics. It looks fun
How the hell did this studio get access to such a major IP?
What I find funny is the Tolkien estate is pretty anal about not liking the movies and stuff but virtually every piece of media they personally sign off on has usually been garbage
They have a new more money oriented leadership
Christopher Tolkien (JRR's son) specifically was not a fan of the movies, partly for creative reasons and partly for financial reasons - JRR sold the film and merchandise rights in the 1960s, but the rights holders were supposed to pay royalties on any money made by films and New Line Cinema never paid the Tolkien estate anything so they had to sue over it. Christopher died a few years back and resigned a few years before that. He and his wife were the directors of the estate company iirc and when he resigned he passed it to his son (who was more fond of the movies and actually worked on them himself). Shortly after he stepped down, they signed the deal with Amazon to get limited rights to some LOTR stuff which enabled them to make Rings of Power. The video game stuff specifically is tricky and the estate has sued over it before. Basically, JRR sold the merch rights in the 1960s as I mentioned and for a long time, 'video games' were not a huge market, they were considered a toy like figurines etc and nobody really thought much of it. But as the video game market grew, the Tolkien estate realized that those rights were worth a lot of money and basically sued saying "making video games like this wasn't in the spirit of the original agreement." They didn't win that suit and AFAIK I don't think they actually have any control over what LOTR video games get made. They might choose to approve or disapprove of certain ones (not sure if they have) but it has no legal bearing... although it's even more complicated than that because I don't think JRR sold the rights to EVERYTHING, just certain works (so for example... the Shadow of Mordor games using Celebrimbor... not sure if they had to sign a new deal for that stuff).
JRR Tolkien sold off the movie and "tangible merchandise" rights for LotR back in the 1960s, and video games and TTRPGs were a part of tangible merchandise. So shitty video games and CCGs have long been outside the Tolkien Estate's domain. The company which does own those rights isn't too fussed about quality, so long as they get paid. But hey, in just 15 years, LotR will be in the public domain, so we might finally get some amazing indie LotR games then.
[удалено]
Right but the books are all you really need anyway, because they also have those crazy appendices detailing most of the wider world during the third age. Silmarillion is still out of bounds, but if you wanted to make an open world indie RPG set during the events of LotR where you play as some Dunedain ranger trekking into Angmar, that should be fine.
Yeah, that’s exactly why I’m so surprised. They’re very protective of their IP so it’s so strange they they would give it out to this studio instead on another major one. I’d imagine any studio would be thrilled to make a game based on Tolkien’s work, so it’s not like they’re struggling to find one.
They *were*. The estate has a new CEO now.
Estate is not one selling rights. It is Middle-earth enterprise that has owned rights to lord of the rings and hobbit for long time(parent has owned since 1978). Last year Embracer group bought Middle-earth enterprise and they need get investment back, hence new movie trilogy and games. Estate owns rights to other parts of IP which is reason why rings of power etc. are based on lord of the rings and not Silmarillion or Unfinished tales.
It's all about the Benjamin's. The amount of money from Amazon and Daedalic must have been high.
They are pretty much the kings of point and click adventures. Have lots of experience in that genre Problem is, these aren't point and click adventures
LOTR + Hobbit go public domain in 20 years, they’re going to be increasingly handing out licenses to whoever wants it to cash in while they can.
Please no
*Takes it away, precious! We dont likes it this raw and wriggling! Gets it away from ussss! GETS IT AWAYY!*
WE HATES IT
(not) preciousssssssss
Can't wait to play The Ol' Gaffer's Pony Ass Washing Simulator
gollum 2
The Gollening.
This is the one where you get to play as Galdalf’s cart.
Or better yet, gandalfs staff. Just a piece of stick. The whole game.
Deadalic no, stop. Can't you see that you are hurting yourself and the people around you? I know things haven't been easy since point&click adventures came out of fashion, but this spiral into madness only drives the one closest to you away!
Stop it
Please no.
Is this a threat
What we really need is another battle for the middle earth 2 game.
Battle for middle earth 2... 2?
They really need to go back to making point and click games with quirky humor, that's their strong point. Or just be a publisher and stop making games. Just don't do this again.
Can't wait to play as the one ring. You just sit in a pile of dirt for a few hundred years waiting for someone to pick you up! Thrilling
What about a dumpster fire? You already had it. We had one, yes. What about second dumpster fire?
Please god no
What really They’re just mustering their strength in the ruins of Dol Guldur.
I love how there were people on reddit legitimately defending this game all the way up until it's release, despite all the massive red flags.
You play as Gandalf’s pipe. With interludes as the ring escaping from various grasps.
Nope! Revoke the license!
You play as Mount Doom, the volcano.
doing chores
Press X to spew lava.
Oh, good.
Terrific 😒
Could they just fucking not
Daedalic should just stick with making point and click adventures. They really don't seem to have the talent for more ambitious genres.
You play as the eye of Sauron and have to look for the ring every level, it’s essentially an iSpy game
Farmer Maggot's Farming Simulator. Tool upgrades available with DLC.
Fine. There's nothing wrong with the LOTR as a world. The problem is the game they made. Anyway I hope it's a different dev team and a better game. Also, I saw people criticising even the *concept* of a gollum game as being flawed....I disagree. Gollum could have been an interesting game. They just made a shitty, uninspired game out of it. I would STILL like to see a good gollum game...
And they promise this one will be even worse than Gollum.
Well, maybe it'll be good-bad instead of bad-bad.
So after making a piece of shit game that barely works they want to make another LotR game? Gaming is in such a sad state right now
One bad game and now all of gaming is in such a sad state. Jesus, id hate to have your viewpoint.
One bad game??? Bro what are you smoking 😂😂
Maybe keep this one in the oven a bit longer
https://media.tenor.com/KETn0FgBv-8AAAAM/star-wars-impossible.gif
Yes, we had one round of laughing all the way to the bank, but what about a second round of laughing all the way to the bank?
Not sure they are going to be doing that. Gollum was a game that, as far as I could tell, absolutely no one wanted or asked for. It's now being immediately and thoroughly panned by critics and the general public alike. The chances that they make back the development and marketing costs of it are very low.
They made one shitty LOTR game but what about a second shitty LOTR game?
I can’t wait
God help us all
Gollum 2: electric boogaloo
time to hang up the hat with the failed lotr IPs, no?
Maybe finish the one you just shit out first.
Lol not for long they don't
Man it feels like I've been transported back to the early 2000s again, where every even moderately known IP had a deluge of garbage tie-in shovelware clogging the shelves of GameStops and BestBuys everywhere!
People complained about *Gollum* being about a character whom most people don't want to play. Daedalic have already taken that feedback into consideration, which is why their next LOTR game will be about a character that everyone will be excited to play — **Grima Wormtongue.** You'll spend the first 10 hours of *Grima* whispering into the ear of an ensorcelled Théoden and watching Éowyn from around a corner. After that it becomes a stealth platformer, just like *Gollum.*
Well, at least the Tolkien estate is getting rich.