This could have been The Elder Scrolls in the Lord of the Rings world. The White Council was set to have an open world

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The Redwood Shores studio by EA has garnered the faith of Lord of the Rings enthusiasts through the acclaimed Return of the King and the inventive, successful Third Age, which melded the realm of The Lord of the Rings with elements common in Japanese role-playing games. Following the launch of the former, they were given a unique assignment by their corporate parent, Electronic Arts: to create a project as a counterpart to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, transporting players into Middle-earth. This is how The Lord of the Rings: The White Council was conceived.

Open Middle-earth

The formation of EA Redwood Shores, a project of exceptional scale for this team, was undertaken under the secret name “Project Gray Company“. The standout aspect and unique selling point of this Middle-earth game was its open-world design. The developers aimed to offer us an expansive landscape for uninhibited exploration.

In this new game, the developers intend to establish the narrative prior to the Lord of the Rings saga, providing players with the opportunity to assume roles as humans, dwarves, elves, or hobbits. No matter your chosen race, the main character was intended to serve as an agent for the White Council, a formidable alliance comprising the Istari and the strongest elves, who unite in their struggle against Sauron.

The expansive world of the game in question is challenging to foresee its exact geographical extent. However, based on the preliminary designs shared by the developers, it seems we would have encountered a diverse array of settings, similar to those featured in Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy. These environments would include human settlements, elven realms, and dwarven strongholds, along with the ominous landscapes of Mordor.

Living Middle-earth

Additionally, it’s still unclear how gameplay in “The Lord of the Rings: The White Council” will unfold, as EA Redwood Shores has only recently given us a peek at some of the hidden cards they’ve been holding.

So, it is understood that the developers intended to address the idea of a “dynamic” world, where AI would control its residents, utilizing strategies developed for The Sims 3.

Beyond that, the developers shared a significant detail: just like in The Elder Scrolls series, the main story quests will guide their project. However, they emphasized that they might choose to bypass these quests entirely and pursue side missions instead, or even opt for an open-ended exploration of Middle-earth, creating their own unique adventures within this beloved world.

Absolutely, this game setting offers ample chances for picking up a weapon too. With the title, we can assume roles like a warrior, ranger, or even a wizard. The profession you opt for will shape your character’s fighting style and preferred weapon. The combat system is designed to blend strategic skills from the Third Age era with thrilling real-time battles, much like in The Return of the King.

The concept for “The White Council” was intended to draw from both the movie trilogy and J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, as Electronic Arts also held rights to these works. Regrettably, we didn’t get a glimpse of what the developers had planned using this extensive source material.

Early end of the project

In July 2006, news about The Lord of the Rings: The White Council was made public. The creators shared tidbits about their work and showcased concept art along with production materials behind the scenes. Regrettably, in February 2007 it was revealed that the project had been postponed indefinitely due to “management issues.” Since Electronic Arts has relinquished the rights to the Lord of the Rings brand, there’s minimal chance for this project to be revived again.

What happened next?

In the EA (Electronic Arts) inventory, the game titled “The Lord of the Rings: The White Council” was swapped out with “The Lord of the Rings: Conquest”, a new title altogether that bore more resemblance to games like Battlefield or Star Wars: Battlefront, focusing primarily on multiplayer action.

An idea of how an RPG in the world of Lord of the Rings could look was hinted by the action RPG game, titled Lord of the Rings: War in the North, released in 2011. However, it fell short of being similar to “Oblivion” set in Middle-earth.

Redwood Shores, which was under Electronic Arts (EA), managed to avoid any damage during this turbulent period (for now at least). Later on in 2009, the studio was rebranded as Visceral Games. However, its future developments are another tale altogether…

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2025-02-12 11:09