The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Award

Turbine sent over a press release late yesterday announcing that their The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expansion pack has taken top honors in the gaming category at the 2009 MITX awards.

TURBINE’S® THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINEâ„¢: MINES OF MORIAâ„¢ WINS BEST GAME AT 2009 MITX AWARDS

Latest Expansion to The Lord of the Rings Online Recognized as One of New England’s Best in Gaming

WESTWOOD, MA June 18, 2009 Turbine, Inc., the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities, today announced that The Lord of the Rings Onlineâ„¢: Mines of Moriaâ„¢ has been named the winner in the (Gaming) category for the 2009 Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) Awards. The MITX annual awards program recognizes achievements in the development and implementation of innovative technologies. The Lord of the Rings Online, the award-winning massively multiplayer online game, expanded in the fall of 2008 with the launch of the critically acclaimed Mines of Moria, taking players into one of the largest and most dangerous online underground environments ever created.

(We are honored to be named among the best in New England technology by the MITX organization,) said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine. (It has been an exciting year for Turbine and this recognition is yet another validation of our vision for being the best in online entertainment.)

(This year’s award winners represent some of the most innovative thinkers in the world of technology. These companies and individuals help solve real-world challenges and help push the use and adoption of technology,) said Kiki Mills, executive director of MITX. (MITX is proud to be the foundation for New England’s vibrant digital community and to recognize and help our local talent receive the recognition they deserve, being at the forefront of innovation.)

The Lord of the Rings Online is the ultimate interactive adventure. Join Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, and many other characters to save Middle-earth in the war against the Dark Lord Sauron! This award-winning MMORPG expands with the launch of the critically acclaimed Mines of Moria, where players can adventure into one of the largest and most dangerous online underground environments ever created while extending the challenge to new heights with two new classes, ten additional levels, and hundreds of new quests including a face-off with the Watcher, the Balrog and more! The Lord of the Rings Onlineâ„¢: Mines of Moriaâ„¢ is available for purchase across North America, Europe, South Korea and Russia. For more information or to download a free trial, please visit www.lotro.com.

Winners were announced at a sold out ceremony attended by more than 350 industry professionals held on June 16th. The MITX Technology Awards program is sponsored through the generous support of: Atom Group, DLA Piper, LEWIS PR, Mad*Pow, Microsoft New England Research & Development Center, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Technology Review. Creative partners also included: Cramer, LVI Print Optimization and massAV.

For the complete list of winners and other information please visit the MITX Awards Web site.

About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities. Turbine has grown to become the largest privately-held online gaming studio in North America. Turbine has created some of the world’s most popular and award-winning online games, including The Lord of the Rings Onlineâ„¢, Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Stormreachâ„¢, and Asheron’s Call®. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com.

About MITX
Established in 1996, The Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) is the region’s premier professional organization for the Internet business & marketing industry. Reaching more than 7,000 professionals in New England, MITX is the community for thought leadership, building business relationships and professional training and development. Members of the MITX community take advantage of events, sponsorships, speaking opportunities and networking to make business connections and exchange ideas. With more than 70 events annually, MITX provides its members with the opportunity to promote their companies to targeted audiences and provides a valuable forum for networking to source potential business leads, partnerships, ideas, funding and other likeminded peers in the industry. MITX is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more information please go to mitx.org.

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 more than 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.