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The evil Vivendi strikes again....

ArikArik Galen's Apprentice
in Babylon 5
So, if Vivendi (owner of Sierra) is releasing the Lord of the Rings games, does it mean that those who are boycotting Sierra must not purchase any of the games? Weird... on one hand, I'd love to support Lord of the Rings, on the other, I don't want to give any money to Vivendi... what to do, what to do....

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Vivendi-Universal Publishing has announced that one of its studios, Universal Interactive will be publishing games based on The Lord of the Rings.


The deal with Tolkien Enterprises involves exclusive rights to develop interactive entertainment based on selected literary works of J.R.R.Tolkien, including games for next-generation and PC platforms. The works in particular are the three novels: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.

"I am delighted that Universal Interactive will be bringing the enchanting and timeless world of Middle-Earth to life in its upcoming games," said Laurie Battle, director of licensing of Tolkien Enterprises. "Universal Interactive's expertise in creating and developing well-known, best-selling products rich with character and story make them a welcome addition to our family of licensees. These games will draw on the depth and complexity of Tolkien lore to create a world compelling to long-time fans of the books and enticing to those just being introduced to this magical realm."

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P.S. Not sure if this belongs in this forum or in Zocalo, but posting it here since it has to do with Vivendi...

admins: please feel free to move this thread to the appropriate forum.


[This message has been edited by Arik (edited 12-12-2001).]

Comments

  • angered1angered1 Ranger
    A game or series of games based upon Middle Earth was also axe by Sierra at the same time as ITF. Now that the Lord of the Rings is going to be on the bigscreen, Vivendi has decided to reap as much profit as possible from the movie. Heh, maybe they will revive ITF when there is a B5 bigscreen movie [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
  • Alec MAlec M Award Winning Poster
    I would be extremely surprised if these games end up being any good. Games based on movies almost always suck. I hope they're good, but I have serious doubts.

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    [url="http://slade__tek.tripod.com/"]Alec McClymont, 3D Artist[/url]
    3D Artist - GVFX

    We live for the one. We die for the one.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Do any of the First Ones or Vorlons here remember Middle Earth? B5:ITF wasn't the only casualty that day.

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • MarcMarc Zathras in Training
    Remember Middle Earth? Of course, I do. They were in Oakhurst as well and we all lived and worked together, and moved together to Bellvue. We all got canned together.

    They made the same mistake we did -they tried to make a truly great game. They were making a game that the marketing guys couldn't get their feeble minds around.

    Pioneers take all the arrows as our old GM used to say (he never told us we'd end up dead though).

    Marc
  • samuelksamuelk The Unstoppable Mr. 'K'
    There were other games axed, too... a really good flight sime that used (oddly enough) the Tribes engine, and a Navy Seals game.

    [quote]Vivendi has decided to reap as much profit as possible from the movie. Heh, maybe they will revive ITF when there is a B5 bigscreen movie.[/quote]

    That will never happen. Sierra screwed up their handling of the B5 license so badly, I doubt WB would ever consider giving them another shot at it.
  • RickRick Sector 14 Studios
    [quote]Originally posted by Marc:
    [b]Pioneers take all the arrows as our old GM used to say (he never told us we'd end up dead though).

    Marc[/b][/quote]

    That's the sad truth about arrows -- they tend to do that :/

    -R.

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    [i]"...Never start a fight...but [b]always[/b] finish it."[/i]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    MiddleEarth had such huge potential as an MMORPG. But no, the marketing guys didn't understand it. So (for those of you who weren't around then), they pulled everyone off the project and restarted the game from scratch with a new team. Of course, Middle Earth was never seen again. I suspect the entire project was canned not much later. But they still hold the liscense.

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Warlord IIWarlord II Earthforce Officer
    The most interesting thing is that EA has rights to make Lord of the Rings games based on the movies. And Vivendi makes games based on the books. So we have 2 games/book. Which one to choose?
  • RandyRandy Master Storyteller
    Who can find me something on Universal Interactive? They dont' seem to have a Website.

    I could put contact information to good use. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]

    [This message has been edited by Randy (edited 12-13-2001).]
  • MarcMarc Zathras in Training
    Randy,

    Here's their home page -in French: [url="http://www.vivendi-universal-interactive.fr/"]http://www.vivendi-universal-interactive.fr/[/url]

    If you choose the english option, it jumps you to the Knowldege Adventure page -you know, the other company that HFS bought at the same time they grabbed Sierra.

    Marc
  • RandyRandy Master Storyteller
    Thanks, Marc.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    What are you planning?

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Shuup NickShuup Nick Ranger
    [quote]Originally posted by Arik:
    [b]I'd love to support Lord of the Rings, on the other, I don't want to give any money to Vivendi... what to do, what to do....

    [/b][/quote]


    I have a similar problem with large companies i.e. the 'Virgin Group'.
    You don't want to give any money to Vivendi, and I applaud that, so all you need to do is get some relatives to give gift vouchers from a shop that sells the game, and use them. Thatway, none of your money goes into the system.
    On the otherhand you could just get someone to give it to you a present.
    %0

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    I AM AWAKE AT 4AM TO THE TERRIFYING UNDENIABLE TRUTH THAT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP THE MONSTER

    [This message has been edited by Shuup Nick (edited 12-14-2001).]
  • Warlord IIWarlord II Earthforce Officer
    If you don't want to give money to Sierra you can wait EA version of game and buy that.
  • ArikArik Galen's Apprentice
    But even if someone else buys the game, it would still be money going to Vivendi. So the question becomes -- do I not want to contribute my money to Vivendi, or do I not want it to get any money?

    Not sure yet... besides, the chance of any of these games being any good is very low.
  • RandyRandy Master Storyteller
    [quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
    [b]What are you planning?

    [/b][/quote]

    Wish I could say - can't. Don't lose any sleep over it. Just another of many shots in the dark. This time having nothing whatsoever to do with ITF.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    You people don't seriously believe they'll actually [b]finish[/b] the game, do you?

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • WORFWORF The Burninator
    Biggles is right.

    And Iv heard that EA's LOTR game will be a 3d action/adventure, not an RPG.

    Worf

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    Captain Gideon: I thought you said you dont hold a grudge?
    Galen: I dont, I have no surviving enemies...at all

    Ave Primo-Populi (Hail the Firstones)
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    In other words, something along the lines of Drakan. Woo.

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    [quote]Originally posted by Randy:
    [b] Wish I could say - can't. Don't lose any sleep over it. Just another of many shots in the dark. This time having nothing whatsoever to do with ITF.[/b][/quote]

    Sounds reasonable. Wait a second...is that a winking smiley?!

    He's trying to deceive us! [b]GET HIM![/b] [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    And torture his plans out of him while you're at it.

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • RandyRandy Master Storyteller
    Now they want to buy the Sci-Fi Channel here in the States. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/mad.gif[/img]

    [This message has been edited by Randy (edited 12-16-2001).]
  • JackNJackN <font color=#99FF99>Lightwave Alien</font>
    Are you serious Randy?!?

    :/
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    If I didn't know better, I'd be thinking they have a master plan to destroy Babylon 5. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/tongue.gif[/img]
  • RandyRandy Master Storyteller
    [quote]Originally posted by JackN:
    [b]Are you serious Randy?!?

    :/[/b][/quote]

    Unfortunately, yes.
  • PJHPJH The Lovely Thing
    This must be a bad nightmare.

    [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/mad.gif[/img]

    - PJH
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Oh God, I hope they don't! Then Scifi would end up like a scifi version of TNT!

    ------------------
    [b][url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Required reading[/url][/b]
    Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
    The Balance provides. The Balance protects.

    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • Venom06Venom06 Earthforce Officer
    Vivendi bought USA Studios, who owns the Sci-Fi channel. The good news, if there can be good news, is that the USA Studios chief was made the top man.

    I think it's more than a coincidence though. It's a terrible plot against Babylon 5.
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    [quote]Originally posted by PJH:
    [b]This must be a bad nightmare.

    [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/mad.gif[/img]

    - PJH[/b][/quote]

    From which we will never wake up....

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    [url="http://www.mdstudios.f2s.com/index.html"]Material Defender Studios[/url]
    [i]Fan Artwork[/i]
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