KABAM AND WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT PARTNER TO BRING GAMES INSPIRED BY THE HOBBIT MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY TO MOBILE DEVICES AND THE WEB
Free-to-Play Games The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age
and The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth to Debut this Fall
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, September 25, 2012 — Kabam, a leader in massively multiplayer games for connected devices, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have partnered to co-publish games for mobile devices and the Web inspired by Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit Trilogy, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM).
Under the deal, Kabam will develop and operate two multiplayer strategy games, The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth for mobile devices and The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age for web browsers, both launching in fall 2012. Starting Sept. 25, players can sign up to take part in the upcoming beta for The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age at https://www.kabam.com/the-hobbit-armies.
“The Hobbit films are among the most anticipated entertainment launches of all time,” said Kevin Chou, CEO, Kabam. “Kabam’s unique ability to blend the art of game design and the science of free-to-play distribution makes us a natural fit to partner with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to deliver thrilling games via the Web and mobile devices for The Hobbit film fans around the world.”
“We are very pleased to work with Kabam in creating immersive free-to-play online games on massive scales across multiple platforms,” said Greg Ballard, Senior Vice President, Digital Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Kabam’s Armies of the Third Age and Kingdoms of Middle-earth will be an excellent way for The Hobbit film fans around the world to delve more into the iconic story and interact with the characters in the universe.”
The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth is a game for mobile devices that challenges players to build and manage their own kingdom in Middle-earth, joining with other players to explore and engage in epic war.The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age is a browser-based game that puts gamers at the helm of an army of Elves, Dwarves or Orcs, controlling heroes including Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, in fast-paced strategic combat, with the fate of Middle-earth hanging in the balance. Both games are free to play and will feature iconic locations and characters from The Hobbit Trilogy.
About Kabam
Kabam, a leader in massively multiplayer games for connected devices, is transforming the traditional gaming industry. The company’s studios focus on combining the best elements of traditional and social gaming to appeal to a growing audience of gamers looking for highly immersive social games on PC, mobile, and tablet platforms. Recent Kabam titles include The Godfather™: Five Families™, Dragons of Atlantis™, Edgeworld™, the award-winning Kingdoms of Camelot® and the company’s first mobile gameKingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North™. Kabam games are currently available for play on Google+, Facebook, iOS and an ever growing number of global social networks and online channels, as well as mobile and tablet. Founded in 2006 with headquarters in San Francisco, CA, Kabam has built a team of game industry professionals committed to creating deeply engaging games that delight our players. More information about Kabam can be found at www.kabam.com.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
About The Hobbit Trilogy
A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is the first of three films from filmmaker Peter Jackson, the Academy Award-winning director of “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy. The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and the second and third films of the trilogy are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” releasing December 13, 2013, and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” slated for July 18, 2014.
THE HOBBIT: KINGDOMS OF MIDDLE-EARTH, THE HOBBIT: ARMIES OF THE THIRD AGE software © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Kabam, Inc. Developed by Kabam, Inc. © 2012 New Line Productions, Inc. © The Saul Zaentz Company. MIDDLE-EARTH, THE HOBBIT and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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