NEWS RELEASE
DECIPHER TRADING CARD GAME STUDIO
GET READY TO PLAY THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ TRADING
CARD GAME IN AN ALL-NEW WAY... ONLINE!
THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ ONLINE TCG TO GO LIVE ON JANUARY
31ST!
(Norfolk, VA–January 22, 2004) – On January 31st, people from
around the world will be able to turn on their computers, go online and
log on to a truly unique gameplay experience when Decipher's The Lord
of the Rings™ Online Trading Card Game goes live! Just like the
card game, the Online TCG is a turn-based strategy game re-enacting Frodo's
fateful quest from Hobbiton to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, eluding
the evil of Middle-earth along the way. Produced in conjunction with software
developer Worlds Apart Productions, this new online game will unite a community
already known for its profound passion for the literary work, film trilogy,
and trading card game.
The most complete online game of its kind, The Lord of the Rings™
Online TCG is designed with a visually striking interface that is both user-friendly
and easily comprehensible. Offering digital versions of all cards released
for The Lord of the Rings™ TCG, as well as exclusive online
cards, the online TCG allows true fans of the game to compete against others
any time of the day or night.
"We have worked extremely hard with Worlds Apart to create an online trading
card game that is as equally visually stunning as the physical cards while
also maintaining the high integrity of the game," stated Decipher Senior
Game Designer Tom Lischke. "With both cards and gameplay that are exclusive
to the online TCG, as well as first-class trading and collecting tools,
we strongly believe that this product is the best online TCG on the market."
The online game features: a beginner's tutorial; full rules-enforced gameplay;
online-only cards including exclusive new mechanics such as Triumph and
Menace; easy-to-use trading and collecting features; and comprehensive online
tournament support.
"With such an amazing property and a fun and well-designed physical game
as the foundation with which to work, creating The Lord of the Rings™
Online TCG has been a great experience," stated Worlds Apart's President
and Lead Designer Scott Martins. "Fans from all around the world have come
together to enjoy the convenience of getting a customizable gameplay experience
each time they play at all hours of the day or night."
Registration for The LOTR Online TCG opens on January 31st at http://lotronline.decipher.com.
To commemorate the launch of the online version of the game, a physical
and digital promo card of Aragorn, Captain of Gondor will be supplied to
registrants while supplies last.
To get started playing the Online TCG, players can try out the game for
free in one of the guest lobbies using preconfigured starter decks. For
a live account, players must purchase an online registration package that
includes various configurations of starter cards. Online registration packages
are available from $9.95 to $49.95. After registering there are no monthly
subscription fees in order to play. However, digital trading cards and event
passes can be added to an account and are available at the online card store.
The Online TCG will also introduce an optional membership program, The
Fellowship. This membership program will be available for $9.99 per month
and will feature: 20% discount on all card purchases; 5 free event passes
per month; access to special events and prize support; choice of a digital
promotional card or a random digital rare foil each month; access to exclusive
player avatars, icons and tokens; and 10 additional free event passes after
each three consecutive months of membership. For two weeks following the
launch of the game, Fellowship members will have the exclusive opportunity
to buy Fellowship and Tower block digital booster displays for $65 each
(the 20% membership discount is not available on this promotion).
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