Lord of the Rings Online keeps sweeping everyone off of their feet. Their next victim would be 1UP, where they just got voted number one in the massively multiplayer community! World of Warcraft got a close second place, with 35% of the vote. Regardless, an interesting development. That makes them winners of two large community driven contests so far. We shall see what else they shall reap!

Looking for a challenge and play Lord of the Rings Online? Well, fret not! The official site has just the thing for you if you are looking to level from level 40 to level 60 fast and alone. If you aren't quite there yet, don't sweat it: They have a leveling guide for you, too. Check it out and make some awesome characters, already.

Source: Lord of the Rings Online

Turbine took the competition by storm when they released Lord of the Rings Online and it shows – Not only did it get “Best Overall Game,” but it also received “Best Expansion” and they were voted “Favorite MMO Studio” on MMORPG.com's Reader's Choice Awards, securing their place in MMO history.

"We are honored that our studio has received this special recognition and we want to thank the readers of MMORPG.com," said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "Given the competitive launches that took place this year, we are especially grateful for the awards they extended to The Lord of the Rings Online which has firmly established itself as one of the world’s premium MMOs. While we accomplished a lot in 2008 we have a lot more in store for 2009 that we look forward to sharing with players."

Lord of the Rings, one of everyone's favorite fantasy series, was originally released in paperback in 1954. Ever since Peter Jackson's theatrical release of Lord of the Rings, we have seen nothing but good things come out of that universe, from the textures to the story. Many have played and loved this game, and hopefully, they will keep up the good work and continue to blow our minds with quality and quantiy of releases.

Source: Lord of the Rings Online

Lord of the Rings Online Executive Producer Jeff Steefel recently told videogaming247 that Turbine will announce console MMO products early next year. No, that's not a typo. Turbine plans to release more than one console MMO!

“We’re really not talking about what our console product plans are, but we will be soon,” he said when asked specifically if we’re going to see a console version of LotRO.

“I would guess by early next year’s we’ll be able to be much more specific about what we’re doing with console, what kind of products we’re putting on console.”

Steefel further said that Turbine is in early development work with hardware manufacturers to "understand where they’re heading in the online space, where the connectivity between the console and internet is really headed."

You can read the full article here or below. Let the rumor mill begin as we wonder if we'll be playing LotRO on our consoles in the future.

Are you excited to enter the Mines of Moria ? Well, while you wait you can check out these new screenshots that were released by Turbine today of Redhorn Lodes, a new area in the expansion. The area looks massive, with huge pillars and stairways literally dwarfing (pun intended, sorry) any dwarf or hobbit who enters it.

All of the images can be viewed in our screenshot gallery . Also, don't forget to discuss the expansion in our forum .

Mines of Moria will introduce two new classes, the Rune-keeper and the Warden, as well as Legendary Items. The level cap will also be raised to 60.

New screenshots for Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria , the game’s first expansion, were released today by Turbine , and they showcase a variety of creatures located in the “Foundations of Stone” area that are just waiting to be slaughtered by daring adventurers.

Turbine boasts that the expansion is "the largest and most dangerous online underground environment ever created," and these screenshots seem to attest to that fact. Eyeless beasts, giant spiders and blade-wielding monsters are shown in intricate detail in various caverns, giving a "survival horror" vibe to the area.

Check out all of the screenshots here and discuss them, along with the expansion, in our forums .

Turbine released eight new screenshots from the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expansion pack. These new screenshots depict two new classes that are being added to the game: the Warden and the Rune-Keeper.

Mines of Moria, which is tenitively scheduled to ship around the middle of November -- promises to be every bit as enjoyable as the original content. Check out these new screenshots and let us know what you think in our forums.

Turbine, Inc. Selected by AlwaysOn as an OnHollywood 100 Top Private Company Award Winner

Recognized for leadership in emerging technology for digital entertainment and media

WESTWOOD, MA – June 10, 2008 – Turbine, Inc., a premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds today announced that it has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the OnHollywood 100 Top Private Companies.  The OnHollywood 100 is a power list of the top private emerging technology companies in digital entertainment and media. Turbine was handpicked by the AlwaysOn editorial team based on a set of five criteria--innovation, market potential, customer adoption, media buzz and investor value creation. The OnHollywood 100 was selected from more than 1000 companies, peer-nominated by leading venture capitalists, investment bankers and industry analysts.

With this much financing capital on the way, this can only mean great things in the way of future releases from Turbine.

WESTWOOD, MA -- June 4, 2008 -- Turbine, Inc. today announced that it has raised $40 million in equity financing.  Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) and GGV Capital, a leader in expansion-stage venture capital investments in the U.S. and China, led the investment along with existing investors, Highland Capital Partners, Polaris Venture Partners, Tudor Ventures and Columbia Capital.  The investment will be used to further accelerate Turbine’s growth as a global leader in online entertainment.  

 

“This is truly an exciting time for Turbine.  The addition of Time Warner, one of the world’s largest media companies, and GGV Capital, one of the financial community’s most sophisticated investors, adds a level of access, perspective and experience to Turbine that is singularly unique in the global online entertainment space,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “Turbine has an extraordinary team, incredible technology and a growing portfolio of games based on some of the most popular brands ever created.  With this funding we are uniquely positioned to change the future of online entertainment as we bring new titles to market, expand the platforms we support and introduce new technologies to sustain self-evolving game worlds.”