The Lord of the Rings Online Website Launched

Turbine has launched a brand new site dedicated to The Lord of the Rings Online, which was recently renamed from Middle-Earth Online. In addition to the website relaunch, executive producer Jeffrey Steefel posted a brief letter to the site that addresses the game’s name change and some other pending community questions. Here’s a taste:

Q: Have you abandoned the idea of living and exploring in Middle-earth in favor of “participating” in the story of LOTR?

A: Not at all. The recent discussions about some of the earlier design goals of creating a Middle-earth “sandbox” are really pointing to our efforts to make certain that while players are exploring and living within an authentic Middle-earth, they are also being guided and challenged by a compelling story arc and meaningful, fun gameplay. We still believe the world of Middle-earth is a place players will want to exist in and explore for a long time to come; however, we also want to make sure there is always solid, meaningful gameplay helping to drive that experience.

Looks like there are also several new screenshots and some concept art available on the new site!