The Embracer Group made yet another string of acquisitions in August, and while the bulk of those were new gaming studios like Tripwire Interactive and Limited Run Games, one acquisition in particular took many by surprise. The company announced that it has also acquired Middle-earth Enterprises, which owns and oversees the intellectual property catalog for pretty much everything related to The Lord of the Rings– not just games.
So how exactly does the Embracer Group plan on utilizing the IP? Given the company’s presence in the games industry, we can probably expect new titles down the line, but what does Embracer have planned outside of games?
Speaking in an interview with EDGE magazine (via MP1st), Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors spoke about the same briefly, and said that the company is taking the long-term view with the IP and is thinking “decades ahead” about how to use it to its fullest potential.
“We wouldn’t acquire the brand of Lord of the Rings if we were just thinking to maximise that potential over the coming year,” Wingefors said. “You need to think decades ahead. And that’s how we will continue to think about this.”
Further details aren’t coming just yet, of course, but there’s massive potential in the property (not that it isn’t already massive enough). It should be interesting to see how the Embracer Group uses it, not just in games, but in other media as well.
