Xsolla and Turbine team up to create custom in-game storefront for the Lord of the Rings Online

Success Story

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SUCCESS

STORY

The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) was already a massive success, but could still reach more players worldwide who relied on alternative payment methods.

Turbine, Inc. — a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) — already had contracts with payment processors for credit cards and PayPal, their two highest priority payment methods. But as LOTRO’s availability expanded, Warner Bros. WBIE wanted to encourage a continuously healthy conversion rate in newer territories.

In addition, WBIE wanted LOTRO’s vast, diverse, and loyal fan base to enjoy a storefront that was as deep and multi-faceted as the book and film series themselves. Essentials included a unique, branded skin for the UI and a high volume of customizable in-game products — plus continuous access to the development team that managed LOTRO’s backend, so they could edit and improve the store’s functionality and inventory as needed.

Massachusetts-based Turbine, Inc. — gaming industry pioneers and MMORPG powerhouse.

Founded in 1994, Turbine, Inc. is a video game development company that focuses on 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) including Dungeons & Dragons Online and the Asheron’s Call series. In 2007, the team released LOTRO, an immersive MMORPG based on the eponymous series of fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Turbine’s integration with Xsolla was completed in three months, including a fully customized payment interface — a process that normally takes twice as long.

Xsolla’s practice of seamlessly «embedding» with our partner’s team allowed for an accelerated timeline, helping Turbine to get LOTRO up and running with a detailed, branded in-game storefront and expanded functional capabilities in several areas:

UX

Offered clean, intuitive interface for goods display and purchase path.
Customized storefront UI with uniquely skinned look and detailed categorization.
Built custom purchase path, prioritizing specified gateway payment methods.
Listed localized payment methods at checkout, prioritized by regional popularity.
Displayed localized pricing for all in-game goods in all global markets.

CUSTOMIZATION

Enabled rotating inventory of over 10,000 custom in-game goods, developed by partner’s front-end team.
Let players «preview» in-game items on their avatars, pre-purchase.

PAYMENTS

Enabled localized payment methods at checkout, from 700+ available globally.
Let players save payment method data and preferences for future payments.
Added developer account currency («Turbine Points») as valid form of payment.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Enabled partner to create and manage high volume of subscription plans.
Helped partner customize billing and renewal details for each individual plan.
Let players set up subscription auto-renewal using available payment methods.

Despite changes in ownership, our working relationship remains strong.

Since integrating with Xsolla, LOTRO was sold to and is operated by Standing Stone Games. Standing Stone Games also owns and operates Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO), another Xsolla partner.