War in the North Announces a Release Date - 11.1.11

Official Press Release: 

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Snowblind Studios today announce The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, the anticipated new video game based on the revered The Lord of the Rings novels and films, will launch in North America on November 1, 2011 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows. The game’s Collector’s Edition, featuring behind-the-scenes looks at the game development, a specially crafted art book, digital download content and more, will launch the same day.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, rated “M” for Mature, transports players to unknown lands, as yet unexplored in film, as they journey to the Northern lands of Middle-earth. Intertwining the characters and storyline of the novel and films,  the game takes place in parallel with the well-known Ring Bearer’s quest, but in the equally harsh and contested lands to the North, as the battle for Middle-earth’s survival rages.

Developed by Snowblind Studios, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is an Action RPG featuring a unique 3-player co-op system. Gamers must battle, explore and journey together, balancing their strengths and weakness as a cohesive Fellowship of Human, Elf and Dwarf, or falter and perish in their journey. In every aspect of the game – combat, exploration, healing, even loot gathering – the Fellowship plays a vital role.

Pre-order War in the North Here.

Follow War in the North on Facebook and Twitter.

Confirmed Voice Actors for War In The North

When War in The North (WITN) started looking for Voice Actors for the lead roles they knew there was some big shoes to fill, Ian Mckellen was great as Gandalf with a stern yet soothing, wise voice and they need something similar for the WITN Game so they looked to Tom Kane (left) better known for his take on Yoda in the animated series Star Wars - The Clone Wars where he did a great job, he is also known for his work with Marvel on various Animated ventures and a part in the massive Call of Duty - Black Ops.

You may also recognize Nolan North's voice from the Uncharted Series where he voiced Nathan Drake, in WITN he will bring life to the Human Ranger Eradan that makes up one third of the New Fellowship. Nolan also has many credits with Marvel playing Dead Pool and Game experience playing parts in Black Ops and Assassin's Creed.

Another confirmed Voice Actor is Yuri Lowenthal (right) playing Frodo Baggins. Somewhat of a Game Voice Veteran with many Games under his belt including Dragon Age 2, Fallout - New Vegas and the Prince of Persia which he has voiced the lead in seven outings. Yuri also has links to Anime with parts including the well known Afro Samurai, surprisingly he plays Ben Tennyson in the ever popular Ben Ten cartoons.

With such Voice Talent involved and the already visually stunning Graphics shown, mixed in with some stunning Music we at Middle Earth News think WITN will be sure fire hit.

EXCLUSIVE: Middle-earth Net and The Tolkien Professor Launch Mythgard Institute

That's right Tolkien fans! This is big news. Huge News! Thanks to Corey Olsen (The Tolkien Professor) and Middle-earth Network, anyone from around the world can have a chance to study Tolkien, his life, novels, and the effect they've had on us.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

Mythgard Institite: Offering Tolkien Studies

Starting this fall, Tolkien fans will have an exciting new opportunity to learn more about the works that they love at the Mythgard Institute.

Mythgard is a new center for Tolkien studies, offering fully interactive courses online with world-class professors. The Institute is founded by Professor Corey Olsen, host of the celebrated Tolkien Professor podcast, in partnership with founders of Middle-Earth Network. Mythgard will be offering classes on Tolkien, the Inklings, and other fantasy authors which students can either audit or take for credit towards an MA in English. 

This Fall 2011, Mythgard is offering its first class: Tolkien and the Epic.  Readings will include Beowulf, the Volsungasaga, The Children of Hurin, and the Lord of the Rings.  The course will be taught by Professor Olsen with very special guest lectures by Tom Shippey, Verlyn Flieger, and Michael Drout.

Be sure to listen in to Middle-earth Network Radio this Tuesday, July 19th at 10pm EST for the official live radio announcement of the Mythgard Institute with Dr. Corey Olsen and founders from Middle-earth Network. You can also access MEnet Radio through the Tune-in application for mobile devices.


Follow Mythgard Institute on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest information on class schedules.

Sideshow Collectibles Reveals War in the North Snow Troll

Hey Guys more War in the North goodies coming our way with a nice piece head lining the Fearsome Snow Troll. Not much is mentioned in Tolkien Lore about these Savage Brutes, though there is in Merp Lore (Middle Earth Role Playing) referred to as Ice Trolls mainly. Located in the Northern Wastes these Trolls bigger then their Kin and much Nastier (If possible) they do not turn into stone when daylight comes but huge slags of ice instead, so wary Travellers resting and using these seemingly innocent blocks of Ice for shelter may wake in the night to find a hungry Troll looming over them. It does look great with what looks like a Dwarf in a tricky position with the Troll grasping him by the waist.

Sideshow Collectibles are doing a full range mainly of the Fellowship but also including one of the Snow Trolls from War in the North, different looks of Arwen after her encounter with the Ring Wraiths and a celebrating Borromir just after the regaining of Osgiliath, seen in the Extended versions of the film, Borromir has a movable arm from downward into a victory pose, Gimli also looks impressive leaping over a Rock with Axe in hand.

From what we at Middle Earth News have seen the pieces are very well done, great attention to detail they are also a nice size adding a fantastic center piece to any Lord of the Rings fanatics collection. With many more pieces available including busts of the Balrog of Moria other Troll breeds and other well known characters from the series its well worth a look for yourself Here is a link to Sideshow's site so you can check out the Video yourself.

A Look at War in the North's Collectors Edition

Well with still no official release date rumour has it that Lord of the Rings (LOTR) War in the North (WITN) will be released around Fall pushed back from the rumoured Summer release we were all hoping for. All that said there is a silver lining with a Special Collectors Edition, which would be a great addition to any Tolkienites Collection.

Priced at around $120 (£75) it really does look great value for money, in addition to your copy of WITN you will recieve a Ranger of the North Quiver Case, WITN Art Work of all the games Characters and Enviroments, some Music from the game consisting of 3 Tracks and Interviews with Inon Zur at the Abbey Road Studios, there is also Digital content with a Ranger in the North Avatar for X-Box users and a Theme Pack for PS3 users.

With High expectations various outlets are offering free goodies when you Pre-Order from them, here is a list of what they are offering, so you can pick the one that suits you.

Wal-Mart: A Dwarven adventure awaits you when you Pre-Order at Wal-Mart, the Dwarf Theme Pack has an exclusive Dwarven Sword, Armor and Helm.

Target: Discover the beautiful sounds of Middle-earth with three exclusive tracks from the WITN soundtrack.

Amazon: Only available on Amazon, pre-order WITN and get early access to the second part of WITN Digital Comic written by Brian Wood, illustrated by Simon Coleby and produced by Super Hero Giants DC Entertainment. The Comic Book consists of the back story leading up to LOTR WITN. Gamers will also be bestowed with the Orc Champion sword (in-game use).

GameStop: Marvel at the Citadel of the Stars and the Tower of Stone with the Human Theme Pack consisting of an exclusive human sword, Armor and Battle gear of the Human Ranger, you also get access to the Osgiliath Challenge Map.

Best Buy: Take off on an Elven adventure with the Elven Theme Pack, consisting of a mystical Elven sword, armor and helm, you also get access to the Lothlorien Challenge Map.

Toys ‘R’ Us: Receive a rare imited edition, signed WITN poster by Jim Lee, and special access to download parts one and two of the WITN Digital Comic.

Don't you just wish Autumn would get here sooner.

The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebooks Updated and Better Than Ever!

Photographer Ian Brodie has just announced a revised/updated version of his MEGA popular books from HarperCollins:

THE LORD OF THE RINGS LOCATION GUIDEBOOK
Ian Brodie | RRP $27.99 | new edition to be published early August 2011

THE LORD OF THE RINGS LOCATION GUIDEBOOK EXTENDED EDITION
Ian Brodie | RRP $44.99 | new edition to be published early August 2011

Ian's Guidebooks have been a "must have" for Lord of the Rings fans for almost 10 years now. The first one was published in 2002 and these revised and updated books offer:

• new maps and location directions;
• location notes by Alan Lee;
• GPS references;
• helpful internet URLs;
• updated information on accommodation and restaurants near the sites;
• quotes from cast and crew members;
• foreward by Peter Jackson; and
• background information and anecdotes about the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

You will find more information in the press release below. For more information on Ian Brodie, please check out his website, as well as Twitter and Facebook. You can also read our Q&A with him.

Press Release

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10 years on and New Zealand is still ‘Middle-earth’ to   thousands of moviegoers and Tolkien fans . . .

It’s no secret that since the first screening of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, New Zealand has become the embodiment of Middle-earth to millions of movie-goers and JRR Tolkien readers the world over.


Ten years on, the interest in the Lord of the Rings movie locations shows no signs of decline. Ian Brodie, Media and Communications Manager for the Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, reports that over 200,000 visitors have been through Hobbiton alone since its opening and close to 45,000 people are expected to visit this year.


Ian Brodie is also the author of The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, first published in 2002 and the beautifully produced keepsake, The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook Extended Edition, published in 2004. Sales across both titles now exceed a staggering 357,000 copies, placing them amongst the biggest-selling official Lord of the Rings movie tie-ins. ‘The visitor numbers for Hobbiton and the sales for these two books prove the longevity The Lord of the Rings,’ says Brodie. ‘These figures alone cement in place that New Zealand is now well and truly Middle-earth.’


Both editions of the guide have now been completely revised and updated, and include more of Ian Brodie’s stunning on-site photography for a new generation of Lord of the Rings tourists and collectors.


The guides showcase the principal movie-set locations around New Zealand as seen in the movie trilogy. The two books share valuable background information and exclusive anecdotes about the filming of the trilogy, new maps and location directions, GPS references, useful Internet addresses and up-to-date information on accommodation and restaurants handy to the sites. Included in both guides are quotes from the cast and crew, a foreword by Peter Jackson and location notes by Alan Lee.
There are also explanatory notes on geographical and historical features of ‘Middle-earth’ that will help the novice who has not read The Lord of the Rings trilogy to understand events in the film more fully.
What research did Ian Brodie do for all this? Here are the facts and figures:

• He’s read the Lord of the Rings trilogy 39 times over the past 30 years.
• He’s watched the three movies at least 40 times (at the cinema and on DVD).
• He’s talked to local tourist organizations.
• He’s travelled New Zealand visiting all the locations sites (and he revisited many sites for the new editions).
• He’s visited New Line Cinema in Los Angeles to obtain extra film images.
• He’s spent time with the film crew in Wellington reading scripts and call-sheets.
• He appeared as an extra in The Return of the King.

Ian Brodie is also the author of a number of other photographic and film-related titles, including Cameras in Narnia, which was a finalist in the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards and runner-up for the Children’s Choice Award.  Ian loves travel and for many years worked in the travel industry. In 1992 he took the post of inaugural Director for the NZ Fighter Pilots Museum in Wanaka, which he held until moving to Matamata and Hobbiton in 2009.
W: www.ianbrodiephoto.net  |  W: www.ianbrodie.net  |  F: www.facebook.com/IBrodiePhoto


THE LORD OF THE RINGS LOCATION GUIDEBOOK
Ian Brodie | RRP $27.99 | new edition to be published early August 2011


THE LORD OF THE RINGS LOCATION GUIDEBOOK EXTENDED EDITION
Ian Brodie | RRP $44.99 | new edition to be published early August 2011
Harper Collins

Extensive Coverage of Midnight Middle-earth Madness

Middle-earth News will be posting images straight from the event as they happen! All this is thanks to our amazing friends at Angry Koala Gear who will be attending the event. Check back all this afternoon and into the night for our extensive coverage. Be sure to check out Angry Koala’s website, Twitter feed, and Facebook page and thank them for this incredible opportunity!


Latest News:
- FIRST PLACE WINNER: Nicole Roberts "The Balrog Showgirl"
- 10 Contestants have been chosen
- The LOTR Stars have arrived!
- Costume Contest is now underway
- Costume Contest entry time HAS BEEN extended beyond 7 pm -ends soon
- First 150 in line receive a gold bracelet (see photo below) for LOTR cast to sign
- John Noble (Denethor), Brad Dorif (Wormtongue), and Sala Baker (Sauron) will be making an appearance at the event later today!
- Fireworks and laser light show around 11:45 PM tonight
- Official Twitter hash tag: #MEmadness
- "Goblin Ball" game announced where fans can knock the heads off Goblins for fun.


Photos (newest at top):

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

1st Place winner, Nicole Robterts with John Noble and Sala Baker Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Richard Taylor judges contestants Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

The LOTR Stars are here! Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

The LOTR Stars are here! Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Official Facebook Page)

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy Angry Koala Gear

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Courtesy TheOneRing.net

Read below for the official Midnight Middle-earth Madness Press Release:

Cast Signing
The first 150 fans to line up at Noon on Monday, June 27 at the West Los Angeles Best Buy store will receive a wristband for the opportunity to get an autograph from cast members from Lord of the Rings films at the event.* The signing begins at 12:30am on Tuesday, June 28.

Costume Contest
Sign up for the costume contest starting at NOON on Monday, June 27 at the West Los Angeles Best Buy store. Costume contest entrants will be judged by TheOneRing.net and finalists will be personally selected by four time Academy Award®-winning Sir Richard Taylor, co-owner and lead creative at WETA Workshop. Entrants could win incredible prizes. The grand prize winner and a guest will receive a trip to New Zealand.**Judging begins at 7pm.

Can't make it to the event?
Purchase your copy of The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy Extended Edition Blu-Ray in all Best Buy stores starting on Tuesday, June 28 or preorder it now at www.BestBuy.com/LordOfTheRings.


For more information and official rules click here.

Halfling Clothing Co. Releases First Limited Tee Series

Meet Tom Miller, owner and designer behind the newest apparel company to hit Middle-earth, Halfling Clothing Co. Whether you want to strut your Shire pride with their “The Brew for the Brave and True” tee or support the worlds most famousest of wizards with their “Architect of Plans” tee, they design it all. In this Q&A learn what inspired the company, their designs, and what’s in store for the future.


M-ENews- What was it that inspired you to start Halfling Clothing Co.?
   
Tom- I've always had a love for graphic design, from a young age I've loved drawing things out or expressing ideas on paper. But unlike most kids who began doing this at a young age... my pictures still look like I am 5 yrs old. I have a horrible time using any kind of normal art medium. This is why I love graphic design. I'm able to take what I see in my head and finally create it using a tablet or mouse. My artistic ability seems to work best on a computer I'm afraid.

My love for Lord of the Rings I guess is the biggest part of this though. I love Tolkien Literature to a point that I even went as far as basing relationships around it. So when I decided one day "I'd like to try making a T-Shirt", it was natural that my designs would be inspired by fantasy literature in a strong way.

M-ENews-  What's the story behind the company's logo?
   
Tom- The story is fairly simple. I knew I wanted to do something that was easy to relate to for fantasy literature fans. The "Halfling's Frontdoor" is a great way to do this for us. It symbolizes the sense of close to home environment our company uses, but also shows that all adventures begin with stepping outside your front door.

Our design "Of Good and Evil" was adapted from this original logo to the design we now have. It shows the green good earth and happy lands we all would love, and the dark sadness and terror we all face during our lives. But - as in all things that we hope and dream, good always ends up on top!


M-ENews- Who creates the t-shirt art?

Tom- Although the art is all designed by myself (Tom), I can't take credit for the ideas we come up with. Many are ideas that are bounced around the loft (our home base of Ops) as well ideas from around the community. Its really a chance for me to take small jokes or ideas and turn them into something more visual in the form of a shirt design.


M-ENews- Why are your tees sold in limited series?

Tom- The limited series is our way of both keeping the company in a controllable size and making sure that those who buy our shirts have something unique. You can't buy our shirts at any Walmart, or shopping mall. Its something that was created for those who appreciate the ideas and inspiration it conveys.

M-ENews- Do you only make t-shirts/ will you expand to create accessories?

Tom- You know, this is something we've been getting a lot of interest in. We're working on a line of Sweatshirts as well. That is where we are currently at, but I don't think we are limited to only apparel. We have a few surprises up our sleeves still. And I can't wait to show them to our customers and friends.

M-ENews- Where would you like to see the company in 5 years?

Tom- I can't really say. I'd like to see the company expand into something really special. A place where people can look for the kind of shirts we design. I'm not sure what to expect. We love what we do, and we will do it even if its only for a few people out there! Something we have looked at is expanding to sell through some select websites like Jinx and ThinkGeek, but that is something we want to happen when the time is right. We are just enjoying what we do, one day at a time.

Follow Halfling Clothing Co. on Twitter and Facebook and check out their full line of apparel here.

Table Top Role Play, Getting Started.

Table Top Role Playing does not cost the Earth to play. All you need is a Players Handbook a few figures two ten sided dice and an imaginative GM (Games Master). The players handbook contains all valid information for rules, character creation, races, skills, weapons etc.... Figures are needed but only a few to begin with. So with this one Book and a few figures and dice it is possible to start a game then you build your collection, Modules, Figures and other extras to make your game more realistic and enjoyable. Do not forget to invite some friends along.

I personally believe ICE (Iron Crown Enterprises) published the finest works with the second edition being the most well rounded and complete, unfortunately due to the Tolkien Estate revoking rights due to pay hike ICE decided to call it a day and went bankrupt and no longer publish, though Modules are easily found at Game Shops or Online sellers such as E-Bay. The source books are amazingly in-depth with Maps and Towns to further your sight into Tolkiens world, how deep you go and delve is entirely up to you.

The important thing to remember is the possibilities are endless, you can visit anywhere from Moria's Deep's to the beauty of Rivendell, from the Gray Haven's to the dark of Mirkwood. With there being lots of material available, Source Books, Maps, Treasures, Monsters, History all your unanswered questions are answered, how powerful was the Balrog ? How big was Smaug ? What powers did the One Ring hold ? Anything you can think of is included in MERP Lore.

The rules system of the game is a more user friendly version of ICE's generic fantasy RPG (Role Playing Game) Rolemaster. The Basis is stats of 0 - 100, two ten sided dice are used to determine a result these are added or taken from bonus skill ranks such as weapons or spells, the result is taken from the opponents Defense Bonus and a strike is counted on a Critical Table. The only tricky part is calculating experience although there is software in development to eradicate pen and paper (More Info To Follow). I hope this helps and if you have any queries don't hesitate to contact me.

New Company Creates Middle-earth Inspired Make-up

Lord of the Rings has inspired artists, writers, movie producers and video games. But how often has the works of J.R.R. Tolkien inspired make-up? Independent beauty company Cinnamon Candies is probably one of the first people to create a collection of eye shadow completely inspired by one of her favorite places in Middle-earth.

The Cinnamon Candies "Countryside Collection" is inspired by The Shire. Shades with names like Lobelia, Party Tree and Green Dragon are easy to figure out references for Tolkien fans.

The entire collection is five eye shadows, each of them created by company owner Candace McCarty. While reading Candace's name along with make-up may be a surprise, the co-founder of Middle-earth Network is a former Make-up Artist, Esthetician and owns a beauty and lifestyle website. Make-up and beauty is no stranger to this Tolkien fan and owning a beauty company has been a dream of hers for years.

"I can't think of any other way to launch my first eye shadow collection and make the company public." Candace says "I love Lord of the Rings. I love Tolkien's books. How could I not take that inspiration and create colors based on them? Sure, it's a little unconventional for Tolkien fans. I'll bet a lot of people are thinking 'Make-up?', but I'm not the only person who loves Tolkien in this business. Tolkien fans are everywhere and in every industry."

The Cinnamon Candies Countryside Collection is currently in a special pre-order event. You can order the entire collection for $10.00 until June 14th, 2011 at the Cinnamon Candies online store.