The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - a missed opportunity because of its timing with Skyrim
Intelligence Summary
- A deep dive into the release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North and the impact of its timing against Skyrim.
In short
- The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was released on November 1, 2011, just 10 days before Skyrim launched on November 11, 2011.
- Its release also landed alongside other major titles like Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, increasing the competition.
- Christian Allen, a former member of Warner Bros. Games' leadership team, criticized the decision to launch War in the North alongside Skyrim, saying it pulled attention away from the game.
GAME-scanner analysis
The release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North on November 1, 2011 is often seen as a missed opportunity, largely because of its unfortunate timing with Skyrim's launch. Christian Allen, who was involved in the game's development, publicly voiced concerns about the decision. He argued that the game did not get the "fairness" it deserved because it was overshadowed by the massive hype around Skyrim. This highlights just how crucial release timing is in the competitive gaming market.
In addition, War in the North launched on the same day as Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and just one week before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. That competition almost certainly affected sales and the game's overall reception. Even though War in the North was a solid co-op RPG, the combination of these factors meant it never got the attention it deserved.
What does this mean for players?
For players interested in Middle-earth, War in the North offers a unique experience that may have been overlooked. The game provides a different take on Tolkien's lore and can now be rediscovered with fresh attention. It may also lead to a broader reappraisal of the game within the franchise, especially as players continue looking for more content set in Middle-earth.
Timeline
November 1, 2011: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is released.
November 11, 2011: Skyrim is released, drawing gamers' attention away.
November 3, 2011: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is released, on the same day as War in the North.
November 8, 2011: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is released, one week after War in the North.
Related GAME-scanner articles
- Relive the magic of Lord of the Rings with new releases: same franchise: same topic: lord, north, rings; shared tags: lord-of-the-rings
Sources
Tweet van @SerellanTweet van @SerellanChristian Allen, who was on the leadership team at Warner Bros. Games when 2011's The Lord of the Rings: War in the North came out, has commented on the recent re-release , saying he's happy the game is coming back because it didn't get a "fair shake" upon its original release. Why's that? He said he "argued vociferously" not to release it at the same time as Bethesda's iconic RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Tweet van @SerellanTweet van @Serellan"15 years ago I argued vociferously not to release this up against Skyrim, as it wouldn't get a fair shake. I got overruled," he said ( via VGC ). "Nice to see it get a proper release."
Tweet van @SerellanTweet van @SerellanWar in the North was originally released on November 1, 2011--just 10 days later, Bethesda released Skyrim. In addition to launching around the same time as Skyrim, War in the North launched on the same day as Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and a week before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Tweet van @SerellanTweet van @SerellanWar in the North was originally released on November 1, 2011--just 10 days later, Bethesda released Skyrim. In addition to launching around the same time as Skyrim, War in the North launched on the same day as Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and a week before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.