Cheats-Area.com

   The one MMORPG to rule them all has finally been unleashed this week, marking the debut of one of the most anticipated massively-multiplayer titles in 2007 - or even the most anticipated, assuming Age of Conan gets delayed again, and not counting World of Warcraft's expansion, The Burning Crusade. After over four years of development (and even more years of speculations stirred by Sierra Online before that), Turbine's latest online offering was released simultaneously in North America by Midway Games, and in Europe by Codemasters Online Gaming.

   The momentous occasion was celebrated with "Midnight Madness" launch events across the United States yesterday night, though without any extravagant prizes: just some puny signed posters, pre-paid game cards and t-shirts (not even the actual full game). So no wonder some of them turned into total disaster. Let's just hope the game itself - which is more than promising - won't have the same fate.

   The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is of course the first MMO game based on the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, and as such it "delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy adventure of all time. From the quaint surroundings of the Shire to Angmar, the vile kingdom of the Witch-king, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before."

   More importantly, though, Midway's communique was also accompanied by the announcement of the first - free - update to LotR Online, called the Shores of Evendim, and scheduled for release this June. It will include "an entirely new landscape region, over 60 additional quests, the Battle for Helegrod raid, nine new monsters and major enhancements to monster play and the music system".

   Curiously, the press release issued by Codemasters bears no mention about Shores of Evendim, so we can only assume it will go online around that same time in Europe as well.