The Lord of the Rings Online Interview

WarCry was able to corner Turbine CEO Jeff Anderson at this year’s Austin Game Developers Conference for a Q&A about the future of The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

An expansion pack is not far behind; Anderson hopes the team can launch their first retail upgrade in the next 12 months. It’s far too soon to guess what might be in it, except that it is safe to assume that the geography of the game will expand, just as it did in the books.

As mentioned, Anderson saw Book 10 as the completion of what was already out. He believes elements like session play – where players can complete quests as a chicken – add a level of personality to the game that too many competitors overlook. He told us his development team is instructed to trust their instincts and make sure whatever they work on is most importantly fun.