'There and Back Again: A History of The Lord of the Rings in Video Games'
The Tolkien Estate still firmly holds the score of books and snippets that fill out the world of Arda beyond The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit — called Tolkien’s legendarium — close to its chest. Christopher Tolkien upholds his position as keeper of the keys to Middle-earth; the IP remains split; and The Silmarillion is still locked away, out of reach from those who might adapt Tolkien’s deeper mythology.
But after more than 30 years of video game adaptations, things don’t seem to be slowing for developers like Turbine and Monolith Productions. With The Lord of the Rings Online still bringing in players and Shadow of Mordor poised up against other major franchises like Dragon Age and Assassin’s Creed, it looks like the industry will still be talking Tolkien for years to come.
A fascinating dive into The Tolkien Estate. Tremendous piece by Corriea.