Amazon is co-developing a ‘Lord of the Rings’ game

Lord of the Rings fans have been patiently waiting for the long-promised Amazon series. While we still don't know when the show will debut or who will star in it, Amazon has more Lord of the Rings news. Today, Amazon Game Studios announced that it's...

Gollum is the star of Daedalic’s new ‘Lord of the Rings’ game

The Lord of the Rings universe just keeps on expanding. Even though the original blockbuster trilogy finished up 16 years ago, and the subsequent Hobbit films sort of bombed, entertainment giants think there's still mileage in the franchise. Amazon h...

LEGO Pinball Machine Gets You From the Shire to Mordor

LEGO Lord of the Rings Pingball Machine

Master builder Jonas’ latest creation is the epitome of geekiness, as it brings together Lord of the Rings and LEGO, in the form of a fully functional pinball machine.

Jonas, who isn’t exactly at his first LEGO build, has put a lot of thought into creating this pinball machine. Over the course of 12 hours, he used more than 2,000 LEGO pieces to put together this Lord of the Rings-themed contraption that not only looks great, but it can also help you pass the time.

“Odd-mashups are way more interesting than mashups you would expect. But the real reason for the mix with Lord of the Rings was simply that I hadn’t built something from my favorite movies for ages,” explained Jonas in an interview with Jennifer from The Brothers Brick, when asked why did he choose Lord of the Rings as this pinball machine’s theme. “Furthermore I planned the pinball machine in a pretty large scale, so I had to watch out to have the right amount of bricks in the right colors available. After collecting bricks for Middle Earth creations over the last few years, choosing to use that color palate would be a safe bet.”

Included in this arcade masterpiece are some of the most iconic locations from Middle Earth: Hobbiton (the ball shooter lane), Helms Deep, Ortanc, Weathertop (one of the bumpers), Fangorn, Minas Tirith, and even the Black Gates of Mordor that have taken the role of flippers.

In fact, Jonas pointed out that getting the flippers right didn’t actually present a challenge to him, but the pin turned out to be problematic. The play features, while difficult to implement, are now Jonas’ favorite part of the final creation:

“I mostly tend to build creations that focus highly on the aesthetics, colors and details. To push me out of that comfort zone I decided to build something that had to have real working features. A pinball machine seemed to be something that could be fun to build and fun to play with later.”

Since he has tackled various themes in his builds, ranging from Star Wars and Star Trek to District 9 and Deadpool, I must admit that I would like to see more such geeky pinball machines. The LoTR LEGO arcade was created specifically for the Iron Builder contest on Flickr, but I don’t think that such a talented builder needs incentives like this one all the time to produce remarkable contraptions.

It’s really amazing what some people can do in such a short amount of time with so many LEGO pieces. The project must have been thought out beforehand, but it’s still very impressive that Jonas has managed to put together a complex arcade machine in just 12 hours. This should really be seen as a proof of determination, as I think that Jonas’ pinball machine exemplifies more than just his creativity.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the LEGO Discworld characters, or the LEGO Doctor Who set that went on sale in December.

[via The Brothers Brick]

LEGO Pinball Machine Gets You From the Shire to Mordor

LEGO Lord of the Rings Pingball Machine

Master builder Jonas’ latest creation is the epitome of geekiness, as it brings together Lord of the Rings and LEGO, in the form of a fully functional pinball machine.

Jonas, who isn’t exactly at his first LEGO build, has put a lot of thought into creating this pinball machine. Over the course of 12 hours, he used more than 2,000 LEGO pieces to put together this Lord of the Rings-themed contraption that not only looks great, but it can also help you pass the time.

“Odd-mashups are way more interesting than mashups you would expect. But the real reason for the mix with Lord of the Rings was simply that I hadn’t built something from my favorite movies for ages,” explained Jonas in an interview with Jennifer from The Brothers Brick, when asked why did he choose Lord of the Rings as this pinball machine’s theme. “Furthermore I planned the pinball machine in a pretty large scale, so I had to watch out to have the right amount of bricks in the right colors available. After collecting bricks for Middle Earth creations over the last few years, choosing to use that color palate would be a safe bet.”

Included in this arcade masterpiece are some of the most iconic locations from Middle Earth: Hobbiton (the ball shooter lane), Helms Deep, Ortanc, Weathertop (one of the bumpers), Fangorn, Minas Tirith, and even the Black Gates of Mordor that have taken the role of flippers.

In fact, Jonas pointed out that getting the flippers right didn’t actually present a challenge to him, but the pin turned out to be problematic. The play features, while difficult to implement, are now Jonas’ favorite part of the final creation:

“I mostly tend to build creations that focus highly on the aesthetics, colors and details. To push me out of that comfort zone I decided to build something that had to have real working features. A pinball machine seemed to be something that could be fun to build and fun to play with later.”

Since he has tackled various themes in his builds, ranging from Star Wars and Star Trek to District 9 and Deadpool, I must admit that I would like to see more such geeky pinball machines. The LoTR LEGO arcade was created specifically for the Iron Builder contest on Flickr, but I don’t think that such a talented builder needs incentives like this one all the time to produce remarkable contraptions.

It’s really amazing what some people can do in such a short amount of time with so many LEGO pieces. The project must have been thought out beforehand, but it’s still very impressive that Jonas has managed to put together a complex arcade machine in just 12 hours. This should really be seen as a proof of determination, as I think that Jonas’ pinball machine exemplifies more than just his creativity.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the LEGO Discworld characters, or the LEGO Doctor Who set that went on sale in December.

[via The Brothers Brick]

Officially Licensed Hobbit Beers Coming Soon, Will Be Your Precious

Bev-Link and Fish Brewing have teamed up to make beer for nerds who like Hobbits and wizards with long beards. This series of 10% ABV Hobbit themed beers is just what you need to quench your thirst while watching a ten-hour marathon of Peter Jackson movies.
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The beer will come in three varieties:

Gollum Precious Pils: A strong Imperial Pils, with flavors as smooth and crafty as Gollum himself. Like the ring which Gollum pursued for the rest of his life, his “precious” pils, if your quest leads you to it, could extend your life too! (at least we’d like to think so) It will, at a minimum, make your journey a little more enjoyable!

Bolg Belgian Tripel: An Orc chieftain who ruled for 150 years, Bolg would drink his grog of choice and no one would tell him otherwise – a flavorful strong Belgian Tripel. Some said it refined an otherwise gruesome character.

Smaug Stout: Styled after a classic Russian Imperial Stout, but with a subtle hint of Habanero chilis to remind you of the fire and danger awaiting you in your journey to The Lonely Mountain. Pronounced notes of Coffee and Chocolate balanced with Northwest Hops and a touch of heat produce an exceptional imperial stout, a worthy reward for your hard-fought journey.

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They will put hair on your feet and if you drink enough, you will swear you are living in a Hobbit hole and fighting dragons in a room full of gold. At least until you wake up to find that that gold is just empty bottles covering your floor and the dragon is just your cat swimming through the refuse. Your feet on the other hand, will be hairy as a real Hobbit’s.

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Initially, the beers will be available on the West Coast, but the hope is that they’ll get more broadly distributed in time.

[BeerPulse and Thrillist via Geekologie]

Awesome Reversible Scarf Tells The Story of ‘The Hobbit’ On Both Sides

Hobbit Scarf

 

So The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug still reigns supreme in the box office. Whether you’re going to watch it for the first, second, or nth time, why don’t you show a bit of support and lots of love for the franchise by wrapping this Hobbit-inspired scarf around your neck? The images on the scarf might seem random at first. But if you look closely, then you’ll notice that it’s actually a graphic retelling of The Hobbit.

The imagery on the scarf begins with Bilbo Baggins’ journey from the Shire and back again. Get your knitting needles out and start knitting this as if Smaug were after you.

The pattern is available at Ravelry for $5.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ io9 ]

Gandalf Replica Staff is a Cosplay Prop You Shall Not Pass

If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, or if you are just like bearded wizards and staffs, have I got a product for you. ThinkGeek has unveiled a new full-size replica staff just like the one Gandalf uses in the latest film.

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The staff is a licensed replica from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The staff weighs in at a hefty six pounds and measures 73-inches tall. It’s 1.5-inches in diameter where you grip it and 3.5-inches in diameter at the top. At its tip, it has a glowing “stone” set in knurled faux wood.

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The staff ships in three pieces that have to be assembled, though it does include wood grained screw hole covers to keep the real wood look going. It’s made from a polyresin material and has LED lights, powered by three AAA batteries. The staff is available now for $159.99(USD).

It would be perfect for a teacher. They could stand at the front of their classroom, smack the staff on the ground and yell “You Shall Not Pass!”

Lord of the Rings Tarot Cards: LOTReading

I’m not a big fan of Tarot cards, but these Lord of the Rings tarot cards might just make me interested in a reading. They come from Deviant Artist Sceith Ailm who is working on a Major Arcana for her tarot series.
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As of now she has 16 cards and we hope she completes more. If I saw a deck of these for sale I would definitely buy them and I know that other LOTR fans would as well.

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The artwork is really top notch. I have no idea how to read tarot cards, but these would be fun just to have in your hand and look at on a daily basis. Head on over DeviantArt for more of SceithAilm’s awesome images.

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[Tumblr via The Mary Sue]

Hilarious: Improv Everywhere Recreates ‘You Shall Not Pass!’ Scene from LOTR

Remember that epic moment from the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie where Gandalf stands in front of the Balrog and delivers the forceful line that was eventually turned into a meme: “You shall not pass!” It was powerful moment and it changed the course of the events to come.

This being one of the most easily recognizable scenes from the series, Improv Everywhere set out to make people experience it in real life by recreating it in one episdode of their “Movies in Real Life” series. The result is pretty hilarious.

VIA [ Laughing Squid ]