Being that most games that are considered “role-playing” derived from the mythology of Tolkien’s famous trilogy, it only seems fitting that The Lord of the Rings is finally getting a worthwhile console RPG of its own. Think about it…where would the Dungeons & Dragons franchise be without the influence of Hobbits, Orcs, Uruk-hai, and all the rest of the inhabitants of Middle-earth?

The upcoming RPG, The Third Age, is rather unique to the Xbox; primarily due to the lack of classic turn-based RPGs on the console. Not having a Square Enix to provide a constant supply of high-quality turned-based RPG titles, the Xbox is in dire need of another publisher to step up and satisfy the desires of the hardcore role-playing crowd. Enter publishing juggernaut Electronic Arts with the larger than life intellectual property, The Lord of the Rings.