Turbine eyes Japanese market for LotRO distribution

In a bid to expand global distribution of their upcoming MMORPG, Turbine, Inc. has just inked a deal with leading Japanese game distributor SAKURA Internet. Turbine will work with SAKURA to localize the upcoming The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar for the Japanese market. According to the agreement, SAKURA will also market, distribute, and operate the game in Japan.

“We are very excited to be working with Turbine to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to the rapidly growing online gaming community in Japan,” said Ryo Sasada, president and CEO of SAKURA. “We are thrilled to bring this legendary franchise to the MMO players in Japan.”

Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc., expressed similar sentiments: “The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular franchises in the world and we are pleased to work with SAKURA to bring our game to the Japanese market.”

Previously, both companies successfully launched Dungeons and Dragons Online in Japan, and they are obviously going to go all out to come up with another hit. With nearly 200,000 players already signed up for The Lord of the Rings Online‘s Beta Program and the benefit of a high-profile franchise name, the future looks good for both companies.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is the first and only massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The game’s Japanese release date has not been disclosed as of yet as well as the US release date. European release has been set for November 3.

In a bid to expand global distribution of their upcoming MMORPG, Turbine, Inc. has just inked a deal with leading Japanese game distributor SAKURA Internet. Turbine will work with SAKURA to localize the upcoming The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar for the Japanese market. According to the agreement, SAKURA will also market, distribute, and operate the game in Japan.

“We are very excited to be working with Turbine to bring The Lord of the Rings Online to the rapidly growing online gaming community in Japan,” said Ryo Sasada, president and CEO of SAKURA. “We are thrilled to bring this legendary franchise to the MMO players in Japan.”

Jeffrey Anderson, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc., expressed similar sentiments: “The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular franchises in the world and we are pleased to work with SAKURA to bring our game to the Japanese market.”

Previously, both companies successfully launched Dungeons and Dragons Online in Japan, and they are obviously going to go all out to come up with another hit. With nearly 200,000 players already signed up for The Lord of the Rings Online‘s Beta Program and the benefit of a high-profile franchise name, the future looks good for both companies.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is the first and only massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The game’s Japanese release date has not been disclosed as of yet as well as the US release date. European release has been set for November 3.