The Lord of the Rings Online Headed to Japan

Turbine issued a press release earlier this morning announcing an agreement with SAKURA Internet to localize The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar in Japan.

TURBINE EXPANDS GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION FOR THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINEâ„¢

SAKURA Internet Chosen To Distribute Highly Anticipated MMO in Japan

WESTWOOD, MA SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 — Turbine, Inc. and SAKURA Internet today announced a distribution agreement for The Lord of the Rings Onlineâ„¢: Shadows of Angmarâ„¢, Turbine’s highly-anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Turbine, a leading publisher of online games and entertainment, will work with SAKURA to localize The Lord of the Rings Online for the Japanese market. Under the agreement, SAKURA, a leading distributor in the Japanese market, will also market, distribute, and operate the game in Japan. Previously, the two companies successfully launched DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE â„¢ in Japan.

(The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular franchises in the world and we are pleased to work with SAKURA to bring our game to the Japanese market,) said Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. (With nearly 200,000 players already signed up for our upcoming Beta Program, we believe that The Lord of the Rings Online will have massive appeal.)

(We are very excited to be working with Turbine to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to the rapidly growing online gaming community in Japan,) said Ryo Sasada, president and CEO of SAKURA. (We are thrilled to bring this legendary franchise to the MMO players in Japan.)

The Lord of the Rings Online is the first and only massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Players will fight the evil minions of the Dark Lord Sauron, and advance their heroes by adventuring through the vast reaches of Middle-earthâ„¢, the most famous fantasy world of all time.

About Turbine

Turbine, Inc. is a premier developer, publisher and operator of online games and entertainment and is headquartered in Westwood, Massachusetts. The company is one of the largest privately-held online games company in North America. Turbine’s catalogue includes some of the most famous online entertainment brands, including Asheron’s Call®, Dungeons & Dragons Onlineâ„¢: Stormreachâ„¢, and The Lord of the Rings Onlineâ„¢: Shadows of Angmarâ„¢. For more information on Turbine and its services, please visit www.turbine.com.

About Tolkien Enterprises

The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien’s works for almost 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.

About SAKURA Internet Inc.

SAKURA Internet Inc. is a provider of collocation, the Internet telecommunication connectivity, dedicated server service and rental server service and is headquartered in Chuo-ku, Osaka. The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange MOTHERS Market. SAKURA is a premier data communication connection service provider based on 75Gbps high-capacity and high-speed backbone through its independent data centers with technological strength backed by over seven-years of experience of hosting and data center operation.