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Deleted member 48991

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 24, 2018
753
As part of the acquisition of Leyou by Tencent (pending shareholder approval) a bunch of legal documents were released for inspection (you can find all of them here) including Leyou's original Game License Agreement for the Lord of the Rings game with Middle-earth Enterprises (and an amendment) and the co-development and co-operation agreement with Amazon. There's some interesting stuff in there, like their production schedule (exhibit B of the amendment). It seems like the MMO won't be launching any time soon (open beta scheduled for September 2022) and will be PC only at first. You can also find content guidelines for LotR games in exhibit C of the original Game License Agreement.

Similar documents were released for Leyou's Transformers MMO here. This game is being developed by Certain Affinity (originally) and Splash Damage (since this year). The original Digital License Agreement contains a pitch deck for the game, stating "Transformers: Impact combines the intense cooperative gameplay of Warframe with the shared world of Destiny to create a best-of-genre, free-to-play shooter set in the Transformers Universe."

There's a bunch of other stuff you can look at if you are interested in the legalities behind game development and licensing. One particularly interesting thing was a list of documents mentioned in the "Irrevocable Undertaking" document (from page 73). While those documents themselves have not been released, some of the titles seem revealing. For example Digital Extremes has a publishing agreement with Airship Syndicate Entertainment, Zynga is apparently working on a game with Leyou, Digital Extremes is working on something called "Project Wayfinder", Leyou was working with Hellbent Games on a game called "The Evil Never Dies" (which seems to be cancelled according to another report), Leyou seems to have a license agreement with Warner Brothers for Fables, and a bunch of other stuff.
 

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
93,042
Warframe inspired Transformers?

if they use the same production model that would be brilliant.
 

Uzupedro

Banned
May 16, 2020
12,234
Rio de Janeiro
"Transformers: Impact combines the intense cooperative gameplay of Warframe with the shared world of Destiny to create a best-of-genre, free-to-play shooter set in the Transformers Universe."
tenor.gif
 

s y

Member
Nov 8, 2017
10,430
MMOs are such monumental productions, hard to imagine either of these gets released.
 

Slayven

Never read a comic in his life
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
93,042
I can't imagine the work that would have to go into designing stages around vehicle modes, especially if there are flyers and poor Beachcomber
 
Feb 29, 2020
401
I don't know if today LOTR would get such attention like it did back in 2000s, because most of the fans have their 30+ years now...Young ppl won't play it, that's for sure.
 

Dongs Macabre

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,284
I think that slide deck for Transformers: Impact is the most information we've seen about this game yet, although I'm sure a ton has changed since then.

Linking in case people missed it (starts at page 33)
 
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Sargerus

▲ Legend ▲
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
20,830
Transformers: Impact combines the intense cooperative gameplay of Warframe with the shared world of Destiny to create a best-of-genre, free-to-play shooter set in the Transformers Universe

gXWbavP.gif
 

Dongs Macabre

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,284

tobascodagama

Member
Aug 21, 2020
1,358
The Content Guidelines exhibit for the LOTR MMO is really interesting. The Lord of the Rings Online has had a deal with SZC/MEE for over a decade now, with what has always been implied to be a pretty strict set of content guidelines, but I don't think we've ever been privy to the details. I can't imagine they made many substantial changes, since the LOTRO relationship seems to have worked out for all parties, so this is probably very similar to the content guidelines LOTRO is being developed under.
 
May 19, 2020
4,828
Considering practically no one else has cracked the Destiny/Warframe nut I find it funny they are even bothering.
 

Toth

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,995
Considering practically no one else has cracked the Destiny/Warframe nut I find it funny they are even bothering.

Wow, FFXIV, FFXI (subs have actually gone UP), and several others are still doing very well so the market is there but I doubt there is anything that could ever replicate their successes anymore.
 
May 19, 2020
4,828
Wow, FFXIV, FFXI (subs have actually gone UP), and several others are still doing very well so the market is there but I doubt there is anything that could ever replicate their successes anymore.
Warframe and Destiny are basically Coke and Pepsi for looter shooters. Leyou wants to be their Transformers game to be a very expensive RC Cola I guess?
 

Toth

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,995
Ah, my mistake. Yeah looter shooters are very hit and miss now. Anthem anyone?
 

Chippewa Barr

Member
Aug 8, 2020
3,959
MMOs are very tricky to get right, and I'd argue there's been more misses than hits...BUT...imagine if even one of these ends up being a huge hit...

A booming Tencent/Amazon MMO would immediately change the landscape.
 

Zoon

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,397
I hope the LOTR game goes for a diablo-style approach rather than another WoW clone.
 

danmaku

Member
Nov 5, 2017
3,232
Isn't Amazon already working on an MMO? New World something? Now they have another one?
 

Deleted member 10737

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
49,774
Isn't Amazon already working on an MMO? New World something? Now they have another one?
new world is amazon game studio's MMO developed by amazon game studios orange county (formerly double helix)
the lotr MMO is being developed under leyou (EDIT: i was wrong, see 3 posts below), and will be published by amazon in the west and leyou in asia.
 
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antispin

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,780
My son's going to be over the moon if that Transformers game ever sees the light of day.
 

Alexious

Executive Editor for Games at Wccftech
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
909
new world is amazon game studio's MMO developed by amazon game studios orange county (formerly double helix)
the lotr MMO is being developed under leyou (i think), and will be published by amazon in the west and leyou in asia.

No, it is being developed at AGS offices across Seattle, Irvine, and San Diego, per the original press release.
 

Rodney McKay

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,186
Damn, if that Transformers was even half as good as Warframe I'd be excited to give it a try.

That sounds like a perfect idea for that series, it just needs a good game to support it.
 

Scottoest

Member
Feb 4, 2020
11,328
I don't know if today LOTR would get such attention like it did back in 2000s, because most of the fans have their 30+ years now...Young ppl won't play it, that's for sure.

Just means you can't sell it on nostalgia alone. "High fantasy RPG" is still a popular genre, and the LOTR name itself still has massive brand recognition.
 

Alexious

Executive Editor for Games at Wccftech
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
909
ah, i stand corrected. so leyou is only the publisher in asia?

Leyou originally licensed LOTR from The Saul Zaentz Company back in 2018. Then they picked up Amazon as the 'partner developer' in 2019.

And yes, Leyou will market, publish, and operate the game in China; Amazon will do it elsewhere in the world.
 

Mukrab

Member
Apr 19, 2020
7,487
Before i can get interested in any MMO i need ONE question answered. Is it gonna be full of participation trophies like most modern MMO's?