LOTRO - Rise of Isengard - Draigoch Revealed.

Well people its time to get excited about the Lord of the rings Online Expansion Pack with Draigoch the Dragon revealed as the 24 man Raid Boss. I must say the Screenshots look great, visually pleasing and the size of the Beast is impressive to with would be slayers being able to only fight his head due to his immense size.

Draigoch the Great.

Some people have condemned use of the Dragon arguing that after the Slaying of Smaug by Bard all the Dragons are extinct, this is not true there were just no Dragons mentioned after Smaug. Gandalf hiself said that there were no Dragons left with breath hot enough to destroy the One Ring implying there were some still in perhaps the Withered Heath slumbering waiting to be woken to erupt on another killing and pillaging spree.

I believe it is silly to read so deeply into Tolkiens Lore especially where Games are concerened at the end of the day Games are for fun and not to be judged like the Books or Movies, remember Lord of the Rings Movie was changed in vast amounts a lot being left out and characters changed and look how that did.

Draigoch spewing Flame from Mouth.

We at Middle earth News are defiantley optomistic about the release and think it will do well. Just enjoy it

The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild

This week Cubicle 7 announced they are now excepting pre-orders for their newest table-top role-playing game The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild. This officially liesenced game releases in early August. Featuring new and classic artwork by such famous Tolkien artists as John Howe and John Hodgson. It was written and designed by veteran game designer Francesco Nepitello, this latest incarnation of Middle-Earth table-top gaming will allow players to take on the role of their own original heroes in the lands surrounding Dale, Mirkwood, and the rest of the Wild in the aftermath of the Battle of Five Armies.

It is being released as a slip-cover set featuring a Player's Guide, a Loremaster's Guide, several maps, dice and a Loremaster's Screen. Priority pre-orders will be featured at $69.99, while standard pre-orders will be available for $59.99. Both pre-orders feature the same product, but the priority pre-orders will ship about a month earlier than standard. That is, priority orders are scheduled for an early August shipping date, while standard orders are scheduled for a mid-September release date.

Bilbo Baggins: A Character Synopsis

(R to L: Martin Freeman as younger Bilbo Baggins and Ian Holm as older Bilbo Baggins

Bilbo Baggins-

Bilbo Baggins is Uncle to Frodo Baggins (destroyer of The One Ring in The Lord of the Rings) and the resident of Bag End, located in the Shire. It is from Bilbo’s perspective that J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was written. Bilbo is content with his solitary life having no spouse or children of his own. One morning Gandalf the wizard pays the Hobbit a visit and deliberately entangles Bilbo into a very unexpected adventure. From that moment on his life is thrown out of routine as fate sends Bilbo, Gandalf, and 13 Dwarves on a journey across Middle-earth to reclaim a lost treasure, guarded by the dragon Smaug.

Martin Freeman-

Martin Freeman, playing Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit films, was born on September 8th, 1971 in Aldershot, England. He is well known for his roles in Love Actually (John), The Office (Tim), Sean of the Dead (Declan), Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Arthur Dent), Sherlock (Watson), and more. This past year Freeman won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Watson in the TV series Sherlock. Freeman is due back in New Zealand come October 2011 when filming for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again continues after a brief hiatus to allow Freeman to film Sherlock’s second season.

Ian Holm-
Ian Holm Cuthbert was born on September 12, 1931 in Goodmayes, England. It was seeing the play 'Les Miserables' that first inspired his interest in acting and in 1950 he graduated from the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has won 16 acting awards, nominated for 13, and was knighted for his acting career back in 1998. Some of his best known films include Chariots of Fire (Sam Mussabini), Hamlet (Polonius), Frankenstein (Baron Frankenstein), The Madness of King George (Dr. Willis), The Fifth Element (Father Vito Cornelius), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Bilbo Baggins), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Bilbo Baggins).

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is scheduled for release on December 14, 2012, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.

Enter to Win Sideshow Collectibles' Comic Con LOTR Contest Giveaway

Starting today, July 8th though July 15th, you can enter Sideshow Collectibles' LOTR Contest giveaway where two randomly selected winners will walk away with a 'Lord of the Rings' Film Frame Collectible. Sideshow's flawless attention to design and detail make this contest a must for any LOTR fan, so be sure to enter! Click here for an official list of terms and conditions.

Contest Details

Start Date:

Jul 08, 2011 7:00am PT

End Date:

Jul 15, 2011 10:00am PT

Current:

Jul 8, 2011 8:02am PT

Winners:

TWO (2) randomly selected winners who enter this giveaway before the cut-off time will walk away with a 'The Lord of the Rings' Film Frame Collectible!

The names of the winners will be posted here after the contest closes. The potential winners will be contacted by email with confirmation instructions, so watch your inbox!

Don't forget to check out Sideshow Collectibles' first image of their up-and-coming Arwen statue as well as their newly released Boromir statue (also available in Exclusive Edition). Be sure to add SC to your Comic Con itinerary and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

LOTRO VIP Offer.

Lord of the Rings Online are doing a special offer at the moment for a limited time only for a Twelve Month Subscription is $99.99 with a monthly Subscription being $14.99 you can save a grand total of $59.88 over the Year which is a valid saving. VIP access grants you entry to all Races, Quest Packs and Classes during the run time of your subscription. Also you will get the jump early to New Content, a Monthly Turbine point grant, Extra Character Slots and much more ....

It's easy to become a VIP Member just go to https://myaccount.turbine.com/ and create an Account, Log in and Subscribe, this will guarantee you FREE Monthly Turbine Points. You can also go to http://www.lotro.com/free.php? for information about VIP Perks. If you are already gaming on LOTRO and are a current VIP, but want to be a part of the saving, Simply go to https://myaccount.turbine.com/, Log in to your current account, Change Billing Option and pick the 12 Month VIP plan for $99.99. Hope this was helpful, Happy Gaming.

Middle-earth Network’s Art Contest Has Been Extended

Since the announcement of our Middle-earth Network Art Contest, many fans have written in conveying their disappointment because they would be unable to participate due to summer vacations and previous plans. Our hope and wish is that this contest would be available for all artists, whether art is your profession or hobby, and we wouldn’t want a summer vacation to come between you and your chance to have Jef Murray and Ted Nasmith judge and critique your art, nor your chances at winning one of our Ringer’s dream prize packages slip by! Therefore, we have decided to extend the contest.

The new dates are as follows:

-From now until 12 PM EST Wednesday, August 10, 2011 we are taking submissions.
-On Monday, August 15, 2011 5 submissions (in both categories) that have been hand picked by our judges, Jef Murry and Ted Nasmith, will be posted on My Middle-earth for ALL members to vote on.
-Polls will close at 12 PM EST Friday, August 19, 2011.
-At 9:30 PM EST Friday, August 19, 2011 the winners will be announced LIVE on Middle-earth Network radio.

Submission Requirements:

The subject of the art will be a Middle-earth spin on Uncle Sam’s classic line, “I want you for the U.S. Army”. Submitted art should hold the text,  “Middle-earth wants you!” with the body of the art entirely up to each individual artist. However, submissions must not contain any nudity or pornographic material. Judges reserve the right to refuse any art submitted that they deem inappropriate. In order to submit your work, you must be a member of My Middle-earth Social Network and join the “My Middle-earth Art” group. Submissions can be entered under one of the two categories: amateur artist (i.e. I am not regularly paid for my work) and professional artist (i.e. I am a regularly paid artist).

To submit:

Post a photo of your entry onto “My Middle-earth Art” group’s wall with the following information by 12 PM EST Wednesday, August 10, 2011:

-Specify: “My Middle-earth Art Contest Submission”

-Name

-Specify amateur (not paid) or professional (paid)

-Title of submitted piece

-Brief description of your artwork (2-5 lines)

Casual Stroll to Mordor Interviews ‘The Fellows Hip’ Cast on Middle-earth Network Radio

Tune in to Middle-earth Network Radio this Saturday, June 25th at 9:30 PM EST to hear Casual Stroll to Mordor (CSTM) conduct a live interview with the cast of ‘The Fellows Hip: Rise of the Gamers’. This latest film from Opening Act Productions promises to be “Full of Tolkien-references and good-hearted parody, ‘The Fellows Hip’ will appeal to Tolkien-fans and gamers alike, as well as anyone who's never been part of the in-crowd.”  See the full synopses below:

“Randall Dooley is a geek. His three best friends are geeks too. He works in a game shop, he spends all his free time playing online games, his older brother bullies him unmercifully, his widowed mom doesn't understand him, and he's hopelessly in love with the prettiest cheerleader in high school. In short, he's a loser. All of that changes when he hears of the Lord of the Rings gaming competition in Orlando, Florida. Finally! Meaning in life! ‘The Fellows Hip’ is a buddy-comedy written in honor of online gamers and ‘The Lord of the Rings’.”

Among those to be interviewed are Ron Newcomb (co-writer, Producer, Director, co-founder of Opening Act Productions), Justin Moe (Actor) “Randall”, Jayme Bell (Actor) “Squirrelly”, Cole Matson (Actor) “Nate”, and Emma Earnest (actor) “Stacey”. CSTM will be accepting questions for the crew during the interview and listeners can pose their questions for the guests in CSTM’s chat room.

Official Trailer:

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition Watch and Chat with War in the North!

For all of you Ringer fans out there who are unable to catch The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions in theaters this month, here’s your chance! War in the North has announced their “Watch and Chat” event where fans can join in and watch The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition while getting the opportunity to chat with some special guests from the War in the North development team. The film starts rolling tomorrow, June 17th, and runs from 2 PM to 6 PM PDT. See the office press release below:

If you are as excited as us, please send us a note of thanks to the awesome guys over at War in the North and we'll be sure to pass it along.

Follow War in the North on Twitter and Facebook.

Take a Walk on the Tolkien Side

Penkridge Library

Mark your calendars, UK Tolkien fans! Penkridge Library, located in Staffordshire, is offering fans a  chance to see where the esteemed author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy once lived. The Staffordshire Newsletter reports,

“Literary lovers can join a guided walk from Penkridge Library across the Teddesley Estate, passing through Gipsy Green where Tolkien’s cottage still stands. Tolkien, who wrote ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’, spent a short period of his early life living at the army training camps on Cannock Chase and in a cottage in Great Haywood with his wife Edith. In 1918 he moved briefly to the the Teddesley Park Estate, which later featured as Fladweth Amrod or Nomad’s Green in his writings for ‘The Silmarillion’.”

The walk start at 10.45 AM on June 30, will be under 8 miles in length and take around 4 hours to complete. The cost is £3.50 and only £2.50 for members of the library. On your return to Penkridge Library, refreshments will be provided.

To book a place call Penkridge Library on 01785 712916.

Boromir Stabbed While Defending Damsel In Distress

Actor Sean Bean, famous for his role as Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, was stabbed with a broken beer bottle out side a London pub. Bean's attacker happened to be his girl friend’s ex, who met the couple outside the pub and began slandering her. In defense, Sean told him off, only to have the ex come back, punch him in the face and stab him in the arm. Bean’s response was epic, and I dare say, exactly what Boromir would have done: he refused medical attention and ordered another drink. Epic indeed.

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with ALEP II Tolkien Convention Masterminds

Tune into Middle-earth Network Radio tonight, Wednesday, June 8th at 8 PM EST, for an  interview with the five talented minds behind ALEP II “There and Back Again”. The Tolkien themed convention will run from September 28th, 2011 to October 2nd, 2011. Held in Kentucky’s very Shire-like Shaker Village, the convention will host an array of party business festivities such as archery tournaments, plays, hiking, food, dancing, and even an Elven choir.

If you miss tonight’s interview, you can tune in on Friday, June 10th at 6 AM EST and 6 PM EST, and on Saturday, June 11th at 10 AM and 10 PM EST.