Amazon's embattled video game division has cancelled an online role-playing game based on the fantasy series The Lord of the Rings, which was first announced in 2019.
The game had been in development at Amazon Games alongside China's Leyou Technologies Holdings Ltd, which was purchased by the conglomerate Tencent in December.
The resulting contract negotiations led to a dispute between Amazon and Tencent that eventually caused the game’s cancellation, said people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorised to speak publicly about the issue.
An Amazon representative confirmed that after Tencent's acquisition of Leyou, "we have been unable to secure terms to proceed with this title at this time".
The Amazon team working on the game will be moved to other projects. "We love The Lord of the Rings IP, and are disappointed that we won't be bringing this game to customers," the representative for the Seattle-headquartered company said.
The Lord of the Rings series of novels was penned by author J R R Tolkien and adapted into a highly successful film trilogy by director Peter Jackson. The tale follows Frodo, a young hobbit, and his band of companions who must make a treacherous journey to destroy a dangerous ring once owned by a dark lord eyeing a return to power.
The cancellation follows a string of bad news for Amazon Games, which has been unable to release a successful video game since launching in 2014. The company has cancelled previous announced games Breakaway and Crucible. Another of its games, New World, has been delayed repeatedly.
Amazon owns the popular streaming service, Twitch, but its video game division has been floundering for years.
Amazon's incoming chief executive Andy Jassy said earlier this year that he was committed to the video game division, which launched under outgoing chief executive and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
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Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
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'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Company%C2%A0profile
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')
Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')
Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Tu%20Jhoothi%20Main%20Makkaar%20
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