Turbine Cancels LotRO EU Server Move, Ruffles Some Feathers

Jason Winter
By Jason Winter, News Editor Posted:
Share:

LOTRO Rohan

Turbine moved its North American and European Lord of the Rings Online datacenter to New Jersey last month, and things appeared to be going well. The European servers were scheduled to move to Amsterdam, but Turbine decided to nix that move.

As Executive Producer Athena "Vyvyanne" Peters announced in a forum post today, Turbine's still learning how its new system operates with domestic and international ISPs and has seen improvements in latency for all players and thus believes the community, even that part of it that's in Europe, is better served with the datacenter in New Jersey.

Unsurprisingly, this has elicited some strong language in the comments, from EU and non-EU players alike. While some are cautiously giving Turbine the benefit of the doubt, many are calling the company "corrupt" and "incompetent" for promising improvements for EU players before yanking them away. There are also the usual "I'll take my business elsewhere" calls... though, honestly, if you've stuck with LotRO for this long, is this what's going to break the oliphaunt's back?

I can grasp that plans change, even on this kind of short notice, but I'm not going to rush to Turbine's defense here. Even if there is a real, legitimate reason for cancelling this move, it deserves more than a quick forum post, when it was obvious that the anger would be so vitriolic. MMO gamers treat "promises" as sacrosanct, and reneging on them -- even if it's the right choice -- brings out the worst reactions.

Share:
Got a news tip? Contact us directly here!

In this article: Turbine, LOTRO.

About the Author

Jason Winter
Jason Winter, News Editor
Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.

Discussion (2)

rickshaw 7 years ago
I think the devs should learn a lot of stuff needs to remain in the boardroom.
This lets put it out there approach, never works, it always back fires, as the online media/comments etc etc. is so very mixed and outsiders even not evolved can become extremely destructive from the very start.

Gahen 7 years ago
That game is aboard of an incredibly slowly, but unstoppably sinking ship. The whole game system is outdated and no matter how hard they try to renew it, they can't stop the slow decline. It still has many years to go, but when "instant level up" items appear in the store, it signals that a game has clearly stepped on the road of decline.


Read Next

Japanese Strategy Game 'Shooting Girl' Coming West

Japanese Strategy Game 'Shooting Girl' Coming West

Online gaming portal Nutaku.com will be featuring a new Japanese-developed game titled Shooting Girl.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 7 years ago

You May Enjoy

The Elder Scrolls Online Announces Secrets Of The Telvanni Community Event And Releases Updated Roadmap

The Elder Scrolls Online Announces Secrets Of The Telvanni Community Event And Releases Updated Roadmap

Earn rewards by completing daily events as a community.

By Troy Blackburn - 4 days ago
Sony CEO And Head Of PlayStation Jim Ryan Announces Retirement

Sony CEO And Head Of PlayStation Jim Ryan Announces Retirement

After nearly 3 decades, he’s passing the torch.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 2 days ago
Nightingale Developer Update Explains Early Access Delay, Because Even In Early Access You Only Get One Chance To Impress

Nightingale Developer Update Explains Early Access Delay, Because Even In Early Access You Only Get One Chance To Impress

They’re taking the fact that a launch is a launch seriously.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 5 days ago
Embracer Group Addresses Financial Challenges With Three-Step Plan That Will Entail "Difficult Decisions" (AKA: Probably Layoffs)

Embracer Group Addresses Financial Challenges With Three-Step Plan That Will Entail "Difficult Decisions" (AKA: Probably Layoffs)

Embracer Group is confident it will achieve its goals by the end of the fiscal year.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 5 days ago
8 MMORPGs You Can Play On Steam Deck

💣 Feature | 8 MMORPGs You Can Play On Steam Deck

Take these MMORPG Games on the go.

By Troy Blackburn - 12 hours ago
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Release Date Revealed, And It's Pretty Soon

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Release Date Revealed, And It's Pretty Soon

Hopefully this sequel plays better than the original.

By Matthew D'Onofrio - 3 days ago