Job ad hints at LOTRO for consoles
Mentions possibility of redesigned interface.
The case for a console version of Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online MMO is strengthening, if a job the company is advertising is anything to go by.
Turbine is looking for a senior user interface engineer to "bring the user interfaces of our massively multiplayer titles to the next level" and do so "across both PC and console platforms".
Specifically, "this engineer may be refactoring existing user interfaces or implementing completely new user interfaces for systems such as combat, skills, inventory, treasure, and social systems".
The phrase "refactoring existing user interfaces" and mention of consoles suggests that Turbine is working to adapt an existing game - surely Lord of the Rings Online.
Indeed, it sounds as if whoever fills the new position will be working on exactly the problems highlighted by LOTRO producer Jeffrey Steefel when we interviewed him last month.
"Consoles only have a certain number of buttons, so how do you help someone use a console controller to manage inventory and skills and traits and deeds and crafting items and all that stuff in a way that's not just painful?" Steefel said, naming several gameplay elements specific to Lord of the Rings Online.
Turbine has confirmed it is working on a console MMO, but has yet to identify the project.
Meanwhile, LOTRO's first expansion pack, Mines of Moria, has entered beta testing and is due for release before the end of this year. Check out the gamepage for more information.