Prior to joining Turbine, Linda was an independent design and project management consultant, and Creative Director at Create Studios, Inc. She was at while at Blue Fang Games, and was Design Manager of the design department. She worked as a Producer of Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania, and was Lead Designer on Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species and Senior Game Designer on the best-seller Zoo Tycoon: 2. Before that she was Executive Producer for Strategy First, and before that… well, you get the idea…30 years is a long time!

Linda was co-founder of the former Sirtech Canada. While at Sirtech she was the Project Lead on the award-winning RPG Wizardry 8 and Co-designer of the Jagged Alliance strategy role-playing series.

Linda Currie is an industry veteran dating back to the early 1980’s, holds a B. Sc. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business and has extensive experience creating and working within teams of various sizes and functions.

Geek Woman: As a gaming industry veteran what changes have you seen affecting the role of women in game design since the eighties?

Linda Currie: There is little doubt that women are holding a wider variety of roles, including very influential roles in some of the largest gaming companies that exist and that there are more of them. Is that because there are simply more roles due to a growth in the overall industry, or is it due to an increase in the proportion of women in the industry? Alas, that’d be a good question that I’m totally ill-equipped to answer as I’ve had the pleasure of working with other women on almost every project I’ve worked on…. even in the 80s!

It seems like there are more women gravitating to art and design in gaming than there was before, are you seeing this change at all on a daily basis?

I see more and more women in every sort of role, not just art and design. As far as noting change on a daily basis?  Nope, can’t say I’ve observed change at quite that level of granularity.

If you were starting over today, attempting to break into the gaming industry, how would you do it?

These days there are more and more options for getting a foot in the door of the gaming industry but the most commonly used is through QA.  Of course with there are 1000x as many people looking to get a foot in the door so some other things to consider are:

There are an increasing number of game development programs being offered at schools throughout the country. When I first saw game development appear as academic course offerings (many years ago), I was skeptical. Since then I have seen the knowledge they bring to their students and having met and hired many great candidates graduating from these courses, I can attest first-hand to their value.  So getting into one of those programs won’t hurt and the opportunity to intern somewhere or simply make a personal connection to someone working in the industry is just the boost you need.

There are numerous other things you can (and should) be doing. Visit the wealth of game development related websites. Consider internships, paid or even unpaid if you can afford it. (Large companies often have official internship programs but your role may be small… small companies on the other hand often rely on developers wearing many hats and may expose you to a lot more variety.) Become a game guru on a given game and get yourself recognized by the devs. Read job postings to see what different roles are looking for… and develop those skills. Read books to help you understand the concepts of game design and the process behind it.

But ultimately, when you’re in a crowd of a 1000 people, whether you’ve gone to “game school”, have read every game development book known to man or have expertly mastered game X, you need to do things to get yourself noticed. Create things yourself. Teach yourself tools. Compile a portfolio of work. And make sure you make it’s easy for a prospective employer to see, read or experience your stuff. Do this and show off skill and initiative at the same time!

What challenges are there in working on design in a game that has so much source material to consider?

A couple challenges come immediately to mind. We know that our particular source material is incredibly iconic and very much loved by such a huge audience. This puts great responsibility on us to ensure we handle it with care and respect.  Then there is the incredible detail that exists in Middle-earth. It’s a lot to keep track of. Fortunately we have amazing (and much loved) Middle-earth experts on our LOTRO team and they are an essential ingredient in our ability to deliver such a rich and authentic experience to our players.

On a long running game like LOTRO, what projects are there for you to work on?

An endless variety actually! For every project we could possibly undertake, I typically put a colored sticky note on my wall. My office is now a mosaic of colored pieces of paper! We have so many things we’d like to do that there is never any doubt that we’ll run out. Our biggest dilemma is which to pursue next! And while I wish I could share some specifics (and I bet you’d like to hear ‘em), I’m afraid I have to leave you in the dark as to what those projects are for now J

Can you tell us what being a Design Director means for those who don’t know?

For me it means planting creative seeds and watching them hopefully grow into huge plants. It means providing guidance, giving feedback, sharing and shaping ideas, and acting as a liaison between design and other departments. It means problem solving. It means planning, planning and more planning. Planting more seeds. More problem solving. More planning. Rinse and repeat.

What types of tasks do you have to perform in your job?

My days are really never the same and the things I do each day are constantly changing. But there are some constants… lots of meetings, lots of email, and lots of conversations. I do little to no actual game design. I know, sounds weird huh? The reality is that I work with a team of excellent designers and they do the hands-on game design.  I get to plant seeds J

Were you a fan of LOTR prior to working at Turbine?

Yes, absolutely. I was first introduced to Middle-earth from the books… geesh, I can’t even remember how many years ago that was (either that or I refuse to count that high!) That triggered a great love of fantasy worlds and fiction.  And perhaps with that early exposure to the quintessential party-based adventuring story, it’s no wonder that my introduction to Wizardry with its party-based game play so successfully pulled me into this industry forever.

Are you playing LOTRO yourself?

Yup! I’m especially fond of my Lore-master J.

What are some of your all time favorite games, or game art?

Now that’s a hard question. There are so many games that gave me such great experiences that a favorites list would be really long… and it would go back a really, really long time.  Without doubt though, the two franchises that have had the biggest and most far-reaching impact on me were Wizardry and Jagged Alliance… without those experiences, who knows whether I’d even be here completing this interview for you today!

Forsaken World launches two weeks ahead of schedule

Perfect World Entertainment’s new title Forsaken World laumched 2 weeks ahead of schedule on March 9^th. Six servers were available at launch, three of which are strict PvE. “Forsaken World has been our most highly anticipated game, which is evident in the fact that this has been our largest and longest closed beta to date,” said Clifton Chu, Product Manager for Forsaken World. “We would like to thank all of our beta testers in making Forsaken World the most polished and best game possible, which is one of the reasons why we are able to launch two weeks ahead of schedule.”

Would you like some social networking with your MMO?

Ever wanted to combine social networking with MMOs? Well Gamania Digital Entertainment has partnered with GamerDating.com that they will be working on a “revolutionary experience for gamers everywhere.” The new “dating” MMORPG Lucent Heart along with GamerDating.com  will be combining forces in order to help players meet new friends and build relationships. “Lucent Heart offers a low-pressure outlet for couples to go on fun, lighthearted dates together and GamerDating.com offers an essential portal for them to continue interacting which includes profiles, email, blogs – things that players can’t easily and safely exchange within the game.” Sounds a bit creepy to me personally but it may fit with some others.

Tera: now with Big Ass Monsters and Achievements

Tera, the new MMO from En Masse Entertainment, has already gained many players since it’s launch. And now they can all start earning Achievements as well as beat down on Big Ass Monsters (BAMs)! The new BAMs are huge, stronger and “meaner than a dentist with a grudge.” Each BAM will have different phases that it will go through, like a boss fight, as players whittle them down. On top of new monsters, players can now work on earning achievements in every aspect of the game which can earn you some new titles as well as bragging rights.

Pandora Saga gets third-tier jobs, a new level cap and mounted combat

If you’ve been waiting for some new Pandora Saga updates, you’re in luck! As of March 15^th, Atlus Online announced that the level cap is now 50, you can fight while mounted, and there is a new tier for jobs! The third-tier jobs give players the chance to play a total of 28 different classes. But to me the most interesting part is the Mounted combat. Players at level 40 and above may undertake the necessary quest to begin making warhorses. They will also be able to manage their horses by leveling them up and increasing their parameters to best fit their combat needs.

Major update for LOTRO Players

Volume III Book 3: “Echoes of the Dead” was released in March as well and expands upon the main epic storyline. Along with this continuation are five new instances, the Spring Festival (March 22 – April 12) and new skirmishes:

New Instance Clusters

Northcotton Farm – 3-player instance featuring two tiers of difficulty with an optional Challenge Mode quest

The Town of Stoneheight – 3-player instance featuring two tiers of difficulty with an optional Challenge Mode quest

The Lost Temple – 6-player instance featuring two tiers of difficulty with an optional Challenge Mode quest

Glacier Fortress – 6-player instance featuring 2 tiers of difficulty with an optional Challenge Mode quest

Ost Dunhoth – 12-player raid featuring 2 tiers of difficulty with an optional Challenge Mode quest6, two 6-mans and a 12-man raid

• Celebrate the Spring Festival! – The Spring Festival returns to Middle-earth from March 22^nd through April 12^th.  The world will come together in celebration as the free people of Middle-earth enjoy the season with special decorations, festive costumes and special quests including the return of the Hedge Maze!
• New Skirmishes – Three new skirmishes erupt from the depths of Moria! Beyond the barriers of the 21^st Hall, in the knighted gulf of the Deepway, and along the Way of the Smiths, defend the brave dwarves of the Iron Garrison from the hordes of Mazog.

Age of Conan partners with NVIDIA for a graphics boost

NVIDIA and Age of Conan developer Funcom have announced that Funcom’s proprietary Dreamworld 2.5, a leading game engine for massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), is the first game to incorporate server-side NVIDIA® PhysX®. This unique implementation into the Dreamworld engine  results in more than a doubling in the speed-of in-game physics processing vs. traditional client-side PhysX technology, delivering realistic collision effects within the online gaming environments.

“We are proud to have launched  a fully rewritten render engine for ‘Age of Conan’, yielding major performance increase on high-end systems and enabling several new visual features for lower end machines”, said Casias. “We have been collaborating closely with NVIDIA in continuously improving the quality of the Dreamworld Render engine, resulting in fully new effects such as shader-based anti-aliasing techniques now being implemented in‘Age of Conan’. The launch of the new engine is a major milestone towards the high requirements for visual performance in virtual adventures required for ‘The Secret World’.”

Rise of Immortals by Petroglyph begins closed beta on April 5^th

Petroglyph recently announced that closed beta testing for their new free to play online game Rise of Immortals would begin on April 5^th. Rise of Immortals, an online, free-to-play PC game that expands on the hit MOBA genre with new, innovative features, is currently in a friends-and-family beta test after a successful showing at the 2011 Game Developers Conference in early March. With the closed beta test beginning April 5, Petroglyph will expand the player base to an estimated ten thousand new testers. Anyone interested in participating in the closed beta test can register to be a participant at http://www.riseofimmortals.com.

“We had a phenomenal showing at the Game Developers Conference earlier this month,” said Steve Wetherill, executive producer of Rise of Immortals for Petroglyph. “The positive reaction to Rise of Immortals by both press and industry leaders proved to us that there is great deal of interest in new MOBA-style games, particularly those that can expand the market beyond hard-core players. We look forward to the start of the closed beta test, and to using the feedback from players to further enhance the game as we move toward launch.”

In addition, Petroglyph also announced today that all participants in the closed beta test will receive the exclusive “Metal God” skin for the Immortal “Lazarus.” The skin, which includes a new model and textures, will be available exclusively for closed beta testers to enjoy both during beta, and as a complementary add-on to their account at release.

Rift upgraded to 1.1

The first major content update launched in Rift which comes with new loot as well as a 20-player raid instance: River of Souls. But to unlock this raid instance, players will first have to defeat a dynamic worldwide event. Alsbeth the Discordant has seized control of the Soulstream and will soon stalk across Telara, raising her undead warriors and setting off worldwide Death Invasions on an unprecedented scale. Ascended of any level can participate in this conflict for a chance to loot hundreds of new items, including exclusive loot like an undead disguise or even a spectral steed. Once players have driven back the Bride of Regulos and her minions, the River of Souls 20-player raid opens its doors to players willing to take the fight to the Endless Court.

Dungeons & Dragons Online goes global

Turbine announced on April 5^th that DDO would now have service for German and French languages. “We’ve successfully migrated players from the former European service and we are very excited to begin welcoming thousands more to DDO Unlimited,” said Fernando Paiz, Executive Producer of DDO Unlimited.  “This is going to be another outstanding year for the game as we continue to roll out new content and features for our growing legions of players.  We’re very excited to begin engaging directly with German and French speaking players and look forward to introducing them to a truly premium free to play MMORPG.” Bonne chance mes amis/ Viel Glück Freunde!

Ragnarok Online goes free to play

Gravity Interactive recently announced that Ragnarok Online would be going free to play, with an option for a VIP Package that would offer improved experience rates, monster drops, larger storage capacity and access to special NPCs and areas.  Yggdrasil (once a Monthly Subscription based server) and Valkyrie (a free to play server) will both become completely open to account and character creation for players that want to give Ragnarok Online a test drive; with Yggdrasil being the newest server (launched October 2010).  Yggdrasil has the youngest characters and newest economy which makes it the ideal
³fresh-start² server.  You can still purchase a VIP package and play on these servers as well.

Global Agenda: Free Agent also going free to play

Seems we have an outbreak of MMOs going free to play here. Hi-Rez Studios also announced recently that their game Global Agenda: Free Agent will be going free to play. The version 1.4 Free Agent update, expected to go live in mid-April, will support free play across all character classes through level 50.  This update also introduces a new Dome Defense Raid as high-level player content, a CTF- style Mercenary PvP game-mode with pilotable robots, revised skill-trees across all four character classes, and other changes and content.

“Global Agenda has never required a monthly subscription to play and, for a while now, we have offered a generous free trial for the game.” said Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO.  ”Our experience with the limited free trial has demonstrated to us the great demand among free-to-play gamers for a AAA-quality Shooter MMO like Global Agenda. We believe this latest change will further broaden the game’s popularity and appeal.”

For an optional one-time purchase of $19.99 USD (£13.99 GBP, €15.99 EUR), players may upgrade to Elite Agent status, which will accelerate the rate of earning character levels, gear, and currency and also grant access to premium features such as the login priority, auction house and in-game mail. All players that have previously purchased Global Agenda will be automatically upgraded to Elite Agent status.

Want a summary of the differences between the two accounts? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered:

Free-to-Play

• No Level Restriction
• Ability to earn all of the game’s current items without spending real money.
• Access to all of the game’s current playable content, including:
  • Sonoran Desert Open Zone
  • Special Ops PvE (1- to 4-person Co-Op)
  • 10v10 Mercenary PvP
  • 4v4 Arena PvP
  • Double Agent PvPE
  • 10-person Defense Raids (including the new Dome Defense Mission coming in version 1.4).
  • Agency vs Agency Gameplay (AvA)

Elite Agent – One-time purchase of $19.99 (£13.99 GBP, €15.99 EUR)

• Earn End-of-Mission XP at twice the rate of a Free-to-Play user
• Earn End-of-Mission Credits and Tokens at twice the rate of a Free-Play user
• Earn End-of-Mission Elite Loot upon winning an instanced PvE or PvP match
• Choose which PvP game types you would like to play when queuing for Mercenary PvP.
• Access the Auction House
• Access In-Game Mail
• Less restrictive chat capabilities
• No ads for in-game voice
• Ability to create Agencies
• Higher Login priority

Both Free-to-Play and Elite Agent players can optionally purchase Boosters within the Global Agenda webstore.  For a timed period, Boosters will:

• Double XP, Tokens and Credits earned in Game
• Provide 2,000 tokens a day for free
• Provide an extra end-of-mission Boost Loot drop

Black Prophecy launches in EU, goes into closed beta in NA

The latest title from Reakktor and gamigo games, Black Prophecy recently went live in Europe and also went into closed beta for North America. The game itself features massive space environments, highly customizable characters and some great space battles.

“With the launch of Black Prophecy, the most comprehensive, exciting and ambitious project in the long history of our team is going live. All this is the result of the hard work of an extremely dedicated and talented group of people. The launch of this high-quality free-to-play game proves that we have met the high expectations set for Black Prophecy. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of players in the game and to hearing the feedback from community members that have been with us for years as well as from new fans. We hope players will enjoy the game as much as our team does.” said Kirk Lenke, CEO of Reakktor Media.

I haven’t yet had a chance to play it but from all of the trailers I’ve seen it looks amazing, and I signed up for the beta. Not sure if you want to play? Well check out this trailer they released:

“After our first joint effort with PAX in 2010, IGDA members told us how much they liked attending development sessions while being able to enjoy PAX at the same time, so we decided to take things up to 11 and create a full program for PAX East,” Gordon Bellamy, executive director, IGDA, said. “Nothing will make us happier than to see each session filled with gamers ready to create the next Halo.”
The sessions keynote will be given by Turbine Executive Producer Fernando Paiz. His talk, “The Game Monetization Revolution: Embracing new business models that are good for both players and developers”  will take place Saturday.  Paiz oversees Dungeons & Dragons Online and joined Turbine in 2004 as Director of Game Technology.

Breaking In! sessions, sessions for people interested in a career making games, will happen both Friday and Sunday.

“PAX is really the only place where fans of gaming have the chance to meet with the people behind the worlds and characters they love so much,” Robert Khoo, Penny Arcade, said.  “Everyone loved the ‘peek behind the curtain’ of game development that IGDA speakers brought last year so it was natural to expand their involvement.”
Developer sessions for IGDA PAX East were coordinated by Mike Worth, founder, VGI Philly and North East Regional Director, IGDA.

Breaking In! sessions were organized by Jeannie Novak, vice president of IGDA-Los Angeles and lead author/series editor of the Game Development Essentials textbook series.

You can find out more about the sessions as well as the full schedule for both Developer and Breaking In! sessions on the IDGA site here: http://www.igda.org/paxeast2011

And don’t forget to let us know if you’re going to be at PAX East!  Several of the GamingAngels will be in attendance!

In game residents of Winter-home will be inviting you to celebrate the season with them during this year’s Yule Festival. Of course this year’s LOTRO Yule Festival is no different promising to be a virtual winter wonderland of activities. The town of Winter-home has a beautiful new Winter Festival region complete with new quests, a snowball arena, an eating contest, a theatre event, and a festival square.

New Quests: Help the residents of Winter-home with the final touches for the celebration. Snowball Fight arena, Theatre Events at the the local playhouse for seasonal shows. LOTRO’s advanced musical crafting allows savvy musicians to use the interface to play music with their avatars too. Eating Contests of pie, eggs, mushrooms and more in the Winter-home eating contest. Festival Square marketplace. And there will naturally be exclusive LOTRO Store Items: Check out the special Festival store items begining Thursday, December 16th.

Hey guys! Xalaga here with the news!  This week we are going to do a little bit of everything ¬_¬.  So sit tight and let’s get this party started!!

It’s never too late, Subotai!

For a limited time, ending on December 20th 2010, you can get some nice deals!

• Buy one month of game time:
  Get the Hyborian Adventures client for FREE!
• Buy three months of game time:
  Get the Rise of the Godslayer upgrade for FREE!
• Buy six months of game time:
  Get all the above, the Warlord’s Cache (a large collection of consumable potions) AND the fabled level 80 White Tiger Mount!

Lord of the Rings Online November update:

The folks at Turbine just announced the release of the newest content update for LOTR, bringing improvements, more  quest, contact and adventure than before!

• More Free Content! Players can now play the epic story in Moria, Lothlórien and Mirkwood all the way to level 65
• Improved Skills & Traits for the Lore-master & Rune-keeper
• Updated Elf & Dwarf starter regions
• Updates to the Crafting System and Vault UI
• A completely new Yule Festival set in Winter-home that will go live in December.

Rift Beta is now live!

The upcoming MMORPG RIF beta started on December 3rd, allowing you to play trough the first 20 level of gameplay!

If you haven’t signed up for the RIFT beta, go here  http://www.RiftGame.com , and let us know what you think .

Asheron’s Call:

Asheron’s call, is adding a new race, playable Olthoi, a new school of magic, a new hunting area, quests and more!  Don’t judge a game by its graphic, give them a go. They might surprise you

Loong: The Power of the Dragon going into Open Beta!!

One of the most anticipated games in China, is finally making its way to us. Bringing an intricately designed version of ancient China, Loong will change how you play MMORPGs. In Loong you are not bound to a specific class or character, instead you are free to choose your own path and can learn every skill.  Highly detailed 3D graphics, more than 100 pets (for those of us that love the company of the little critters), PvP battles, guild warfare and much more!

Pirates of the Burning Sea:

Flying LAb Software has announced that Pirates of the Burning sea has gone Free-to-Play!

Set against the backdrop of the New World of the 18th century, players can choose one of three nations — England, France or Spain — or choose the role of a Pirate to battle it out for power and prestige.  Premium content is available for purchase at the in-game store, Treasure Aisle, or through a Captain’s Club membership.

Captain’s Club memberships are available for US $14.99 per month (plus applicable taxes), and offer exciting benefits. Captain’s Club members receive more character slots, a 20% discount from the Treasure Aisle, automatic access to premium content, 10% bonus to experience and loot, automatic ship insurance, plus a variety of other exciting account perks.

New content available for purchase in the Treasure Aisle store include:

· Lieutenant Commissions – NPC allies that can accompany you on your missions and fight by your side!

· Pets – Animal companions that follow your on your adventures. These include a monkey, a pig, a scorpion, and a chicken!

· Treasure Hunts – Can you follow the map to find the buried treasure? X marks the spot!

· Account upgrades, buffs, clothing, and more!

100,000 Turbine Point Giveaway!

In other news, Turbine its giving away point…100,000 points! to use with Dungeons & Dragons Online or Lord of the Ring Online.

• One 1^st place winner will receive 100,000 Turbine Points to use within DDO or LOTRO.
• Two 2^nd prize winners will receive a lifetime subscription to either game.
• And five 3^rd place winners will receive 1,000 Turbine Points.

All you have to do is visit  https://trial.turbine.com/ and register for a free account. If you have one already, just login to entered! That simple! The contest runs till December 31st.  Hurry!

Dragon Saga: the MMO formally known as Dragonica:

Gravity Interactive has accurate the license of the game and has renamed it to Dragon Saga.  The game still the same, just a different name.

Vindict you, Vindict me, VindictUS!

Sorry, I can’t stop been cheesy about the name [¬_¬].  Vindictus has two exciting new dungeons(Prairie Entrance and Ruins of Sanctity) . In addition to the new dungeons and Fomors to fight, players will face off against boss monsters such as Goliath, Dim Gray, Warchief Black Scar and the Giant Spider. Players who’ve mastered their skills thus far will be able to attack with several new skills such as Berserk, Lightning Fury and Large Shield Mastery. And if that wasn’t enough, they have also raised the cap to level 44! More stuff, more gaming, more fun!

All other MMO’s but not RPG:

Audition Online  is one of the most successful online rhythm and dancing games in the world with over 300 million registered accounts.  You sync your avatar’s move to the beat of the music.   In the spirit of the holyday season, any one that log on will receive a special “5 secret shopper” items, special bonus for returning players, and anyone that play more than 15 days will receive two more “mystery shopper” items.

Fate of the world:

“Fate of the World is a dramatic global strategy game that puts all our futures in your hands. The game features a dramatic set of scenarios based on the latest science covering the next 200 years. You must manage a balancing act of protecting the Earth’s resources and climate versus the needs of an ever-growing world population, who are demanding ever more food, power, and living space. Will you help the whole planet or will you be an agent of destruction?”gamin

And don’t forget! Maple Story’s BIG BANG is today!  And with that, I leave you for another two weeks, where will keep bringing you the news on all other MMORPGS !

The DDO Store will have some cute seasonal items such as hot cocoa, and ice skates. They are featuring Winter Bonus Days, when you’ll get 10% XP bonus, 10% Guild Renown bonus, and +1 Loot Boost bonus, at the DDO store from December 20th through January 1st. A Diamond Necklace, a Box of Chocolates, or a Bouquet of Flowers are new items for you to get by checking the DDO Store’s Advent Calendar each day as new items are unlocked. You can get up to 50 percent off the regular price of some deals December 1st through December 31st.

The upcoming update will be The continuing saga of the siege on Lordsmarch Palace in Stormreach. This chapter continues as the plot is expanding to include a new character, a powerful green Hag. She is a primary leader from Droaam, the kingdom of monsters. Four players will launch from the Lordsmarch plaza go under Stormreach and eventually lead down into the an ancient giants ruins. Winter is a fun time to go back to Dungeons and Dragons or to get started with this no monthly fee MMO.

The update also expands the game’s story and world by adding the new region of Enedwaith.

This is Turbine’s second free-to-play pricing model. The first, found last year in Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, was successful to the tune of two million new registrations. With at least some of those people buying content, that probably adds up to a lot of cashflow for them.

Here are the highlights for the latest update, followed by a commercial that will debut this Sunday during Family Guy on the FOX network.

Ø  Volume III, Book 2: The Ride of the Grey Company — Having sworn to protect the heirs of Isildur, the Dúnedain responded with all haste to the urgent message from Elrond.  Players will join the newly-formed Grey Company in Rivendell as they depart on their journey far from the relative safety of that hidden valley into the new region of Enedwaith.  Book 2 consists of fifteen solo-able chapters full of exploration, exciting combat and a healthy dose of mystery.

Ø  The LOTRO Store is Now Open for Business! – The LOTRO Store is loaded with thousands of convenience items as well as expansion packs, premium content, additional character slots, potions, character customization and more. The LOTRO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience, using Turbine Points which can be purchased in the Store or earned through gameplay.

Ø  The Return of the Harvest Festival — When the days shorten and the nights begin to cool, it’s time to celebrate the bounty of the harvest. All the races of Middle-earth celebrate this time and gather at the Bree festival grounds for the Harvestmath events that include bobbing for apples, pumpkin picking and much more.  This year’s festival features a brand new event located in the new Haunted Burrow, a haunted hobbit Fun-house!

Ø  And Much More! – This latest update also introduces the Wardrobe,  a new storage system for cosmetic items that’s available for free to VIP players or can be purchased a la carte from the LOTRO Store, an updated character creation system, a revamped new player experience, the update and addition of “classic” instances featuring repeatable, scalable content, and much more!

Turbine’s pricing model will allow players to download and play the game for free, but expansions, quest packs, items and account services will all be provided à la carte. If you want all of that content included in your game, you can join the VIP program for unlimited access to all of the game’s content for one price.

This new model directly mimics the one used by popular Facebook games, which allow players to buy items they think they need. No word yet on whether or not players who have already pre-paid a few months in advance will be automatically enrolled in the VIP program, but one would definitely hope so.

If you want a sneak peek of the new version, you can sign up for a beta test of the new version at http://www.lotro.com. The beta starts on June 16.

Here are the details of the free-to-play update, straight from a press release this morning:

Free means Free! – Players will download LOTRO by visiting www.lotro.com and join with millions of other adventurers as they explore the most complete and authentic recreation of Middle-earth ever created and participate in LOTRO’s award-winning epic story up to level 50 for free.

Visit the new LOTRO Store! – The LOTRO Store is loaded with thousands of convenience items as well as expansion packs, premium content, additional character slots, potions, character customization and more! The LOTRO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience using points which can be purchased in the store or earned through gameplay.

Be a LOTRO VIP! – Players who elect to become a LOTRO VIP will have unlimited access to all premium content, receive priority server access, 5 character slots, a shared bank slot, and a monthly allotment of points to spend in the new LOTRO Store.

If you are a subscriber to the game, will you continue to pay for access for the VIP perks?

“Today we unveil LOTRO’s second major expansion and let players enter the legendary forest of Mirkwood and experience the climax and conclusion to Volume II of our epic story,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Online.  “The response from our players and the press has been nothing short of outstanding and serve as a real validation of LOTRO’s position as one of  the world’s premium online games.”

This looks to be a great conclusion to Volume II for LOTRO, and seems like many players will enjoy the game. For more information on all of the new features as well as the latest news, you can visit the official site here. Also check out the launch trailer for Siege of Mirkwood below!