LotRO: Mines of Moria Named Best MMORPG of 2008

Turbine sent us over a press release this morning announcing that The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria has received the "Best MMORPG" nod in the 1UP 2008 Reader's Choice Awards.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINEâ„¢: MINES OF MORIAâ„¢ NAMED BEST MMORPG OF 2008

WESTWOOD, MA January 22, 2009 - Turbine, Inc. announced today that The Lord of the Rings Onlineâ„¢: Mines of Moriaâ„¢ was named (Best MMORPG) in the 1up.com 2008 Reader's Choice Awards. Mines of Moria, Turbine's latest expansion to the increasingly popular massively multiplayer online game (MMO) The Lord of the Rings Online dominated the results, securing nearly half of all votes in the (Best MMORPG) category over nominees including World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures and Pirates of the Burning Sea. 1up.com is a leading online destination for videogame news, reviews, previews, features and additional content.

(We are honored to receive this award from the 1up.com readers and are delighted they have been enjoying the new classes, levels and quests as well as the groundbreaking addition of Legendary Items where players can forge unique weapons and equipment that grow in power along with their character,) said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. (Mines of Moria was one of many MMO titles released in 2008 and we are pleased that our team's dedication to delivering fresh and innovative content and features has been so broadly recognized by the gaming community. Wait until they see what we have in store for them during 2009!)

Results and additional information about the 1up Reader's Choice Awards can be found at: http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3172295.

The Lord of the Rings Online is the ultimate interactive adventure. Join Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, and many other characters in the war against the Dark Lord Sauron to save Middle-earth. This award-winning MMORPG recently expanded with the critically acclaimed launch of Mines of Moria where players can venture into the largest and most dangerous online underground environment ever created while extending the challenge to new heights with two new classes, ten additional levels and hundreds of new quests including a faceoff with the Watcher, the Balrog and more. The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria is available for purchase across North America and Europe. For more information, please visit www.lotro.com/moria.

About Turbine
Turbine, Inc. is a premier creator, operator and publisher of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities. Turbine is the largest privately-held online gaming studio in North America and was recently chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the OnHollywood 100 Top Private Companies, a power list of the top private emerging technology companies in digital entertainment and media. Turbine has created some of the world's most popular and award-winning online games, including The Lord of the Rings Online™, Dungeons & Dragons Online™: Stormreach™ and Asheron's Call®. For more information on Turbine, its products and services please visit www.turbine.com.

About Tolkien Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture, legitimate stage, merchandising, and other rights in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on Tolkien's works for more than 30 years. Its headquarters are in Berkeley, California, and its website may be found at www.tolkien-ent.com.