Turbine Signs Chinese Distribution Deal For Lord Of The Rings Online News

Turbine has today confirmed that a deal has been struck that will see their forthcoming MMO Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar distributed throughout China.

Commenting on the deal with CDC Games, Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. said, "CDC Games is a proven leader in the online gaming market and we are very excited about working with them to bring The Lord of the Rings Online into China...CDC Game's experience in operating successful titles coupled with the massive growth of the Chinese market represent an outstanding opportunity for this title."

"The Lord of the Rings is a phenomenal franchise, and the literary work has spawned a tremendous following the world over, achieving over US$2.9 billion in global box office receipts for the 3 films based on the books", said Fred Wang, Chairman of CDC Games and independent director of CDC Corporation. "Many games have been inspired by the characters and stories set out by Tolkien, and we expect a tremendous response from loyal fans and gamers in China."

"We are committed to delivering the best online gaming experience to our players," said Dr. Xiaowei Chen, CEO of CDC Games. "With that commitment in mind, we are very excited to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to China, not only because it represents a major global franchise, but also because Turbine has developed a truly beautiful and engaging game, in which players will feel like they are part of Tolkien's world. Our partnership with Turbine underscores the tremendous success, attention to detail, and transparency that our operations bring to the best game developers in the world as they seek to enter the massive China market."

News of the deal comes a month after the game entered pre-Beta and Beta stages in Europe and North America respectively. Codemasters Online Gaming will be publishing the title in the UK.

We'll have more news shortly...