Universal Interactive to adapt Tolkien books for Xbox and GBA

[emplynx]

Universal Interactive has announced plans to publish games based on the Lord of the Rings series of books. This is a separate license from the one that covers the recently released movie, which EA holds the game rights for.
The first games in the series are The Fellowship of the Ring for the Xbox and The Lord of the Rings, Part I for the Game Boy Advance. The Fellowship of the Ring is a third-person action game developed by WXP. In it, players will take on the roles of Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf in a quest to destroy the One Ring of Power.

The Lord of the Rings, Part I for the Game Boy Advance covers the first two books in the series, taking players through the events of The Fellowship of the Ring and some of the events in The Two Towers. The game is described by Universal as an RPG-style game that is viewed from an isometric perspective.

Both games are scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2002.

What do you all think about that!?! If it gets good reviews I will definitely get it for GBA!
Click here for aScreen Shot (http://gamespot.com/gamespot/filters/products/screens/0,11105,546322-1,00.html)

[Tessar]

: rolls eyes upward to thank God:

finaly, a good reason to get a GBA. thank you.

[gdl96]

If you check out Isengard at Tolkien Trail, there's a preview I wrote based on the preview from xbox.ign.com that you might want to check out. Also at IGN they have a really awsome movie preview for the game.

You might also want to know that Electronic Arts has the lisence for the movie and plan to release games for XBox, PS2, and Gamecube (I'm not sure, but probably GBA as well). I plan on renting it for my Gamecube when it comes out.

***Edit***

I knew I saw this somewhere. This comes from an article at gamespot...although I remember seeing somewhere some specific platforms being named.

Electronic Arts announced today that it has signed an exclusive deal with New Line Cinema to produce video games based on the upcoming Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies. The deal gives Electronic Arts the exclusive rights to publish games based on The Lord of the Rings films on all next-generation video games consoles and handhelds. Scheduled for release in fall 2002, the first game will be based upon The Fellowship of the Ring and will be released alongside the second movie in the trilogy, The Two Towers. The remaining games and which platforms they will appear on will be announced at a later date.

[HOBBIT]

It was pretty obvious from before the movie came out that there would be games based on lotr. It was also pretty obvious that one of them would be GBA. I've been planning on getting this months before the movie even came out. I'll get it the first day it comes out and write a review for TT.

[ryan]

xbox graphics are stinky. wonder if this game will be any better than the half-completed game i have for the atari.. in which you walk, straight forward, for hours, until you get to rivendell from hobbiton, and every so often you can press "s" to kill one of an infinite number of black riders that pop out of the sides of the road. Ive never actually got to rivendell, it took me an hour to get halfway there, so i quit. Well, lets hope this ones better :)

[Comic Book Guy]

Cool Balrog Model (http://www.games-workshop.com/lotr/balrog.htm)

[Wayfarer]

ho, no, no, no!
nuh-uh

Not gonna comment.... Not gonna comment!

I WOULDN'T TOUCH THIS ONE WITH A TEN FOOT POLE!

Er, um, that is... well...

MEO! *SOB*

*/breaks into tears.

[fedos]

So no plans for a PC version then? Figures, we're always left out even though every game that I've ever played that was developed for both a console system and a PC always looked better on the PC.

[gdl96]

There was a time when that was true, but now all the next generation consoles are extremely powerful and can be made to look better than PC.

[AngieBaggins]

Hi,
So there is gonna be one for a PS2?? cause if there isn't i'm going to be really really sad! :(

[Comic Book Guy]

No, like the Title says, X-box and GBA.

[gdl96]

The one based on the books will only be X-Box and GBA, but the ones on the movies will be multiconsole, including PS2 and Gamecube.