Movie and gaming rights for J.R.R. Tolkien's properties are up for auction -- and that means we might be getting new The Lord of the Rings games.
The Lord of the Rings is one of the modern classics in Western literature, beloved by many -- and ripe for adaptation. While we can look forward to the upcoming release of a Gollum-centric game, there have been failures, too, such as when Amazon canceled a planned game based on the franchise. (And, of course, there is no shortage of tabletop games coming out, either.)
However, we don't know about much in the way of new The Lord of the Rings games under development with the exception of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. It looks like all of that could change due to an auction for the rights that is currently being put together.
As Variety reports, Saul Zaentz co. is selling the rights to make movies, games, merchandising, and live events based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Unsurprisingly, the sale was announced just 8 months before a new Amazon show based on The Lord of the Rings is set to premiere -- a fact that will surely drive up the value of these properties.
When Could We Get New The Lord of the Rings Games?
With Saul Zaentz Co.'s upcoming auction of its J.R.R. Tolkien rights, we could soon see one or more new The Lord of the Rings games. That said, it doesn't mean that a new product will be right around the corner.
In terms of the fastest possible release, a developer could take an existing game in development and give it a makeover to fit a license for The Lord of the Rings. For example, a real-time strategy game could change the art assets for units and buildings to make them look like something more appropriate for a Tolkien property.
While a developer could adapt a game currently in development to the new setting, it's much more likely that a new game would be created from scratch. That means we would probably have to wait three years or longer to play it -- and that's the best-case scenario.
Either way, this licensing shakeup opens the door for new The Lord of the Rings games in the future. Only time will tell who actually gets to use these licenses -- and what kind of games they'll make with them.
What kind of game would you want to play in The Lord of the Rings universe? What's your favorite game based on J.R.R. Tolkien's works? Let us know in the comments below!
