Warner Bros. taps Wikia for Middle-earth video game community

Warner Bros.’s video gaming division has partnered with Wikia, an online social network for pop culture and entertainment enthusiasts, to connect with Middle-earth aficionados.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has teamed with Wikia to create the official interactive community site and a companion iPad application for its upcoming action game “Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor,” which takes place between the narratives of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.”

Launching in January, the iPad app -- dubbed “Palantir” after the seeing stones from the fantasy saga -- will give players up-to-date information, insights and fan-created content, including walk-throughs and game guides.

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“Lord of the Rings” devotees are nothing if not impassioned, so the game makers also brought some of Wikia’s Middle-earth experts into the fold to contribute their knowledge of the geography, characters and continuity of Tolkien’s world.

“What we’ve done with Warner Bros. is really a glimpse into the future,” said Jennifer Betka, Wikia’s senior vice president of marketing. “The game they’re launching is very innovative and complex, and they really thought about how to tap into the expertise of the fans.”

Wikia, founded in 2006, is based in San Francisco, draws more than 100 million unique visitors a month and hosts 300,000 communities for various entertainment and video game niches.

The game will come out next year for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 and Windows PC, though an official release date has not been announced.

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