New Quests: To Trum Dreng

New Items: Soft Brown Fur ;  Spotted Beak ;  Strange Wing

New Mobs: Istarien ;  Celechest ;  Galadhrim Warden ;  Galadhrim Archer ;  Galadhrim ;  Aecthor ;  Caras Galadhon Warden ;  Lagordal ;  Peregrin Took (Lothlorien) ;  Aragorn (Lothlorien) ;  Parched Elf ;  Bregradel ;  Braith ;  White Hand Warg-tamer ;  Mange-rider ;  Slavering Warg ;  Goronu ;  Hardy Forest-boar ;  Hostile Scout ;  Dun Craban ;  Lhucu ;  Stable-master (Trum Dreng) ;  Half-orc Invader ;  Dragon-clan Betrayer ;  Half-orc Archer ;  Half-orc Grunt ;  Trum Dreng Pack-wolf ;  White Hand Envoy ;  Half-orc Leader ;  Red-eye

New Skills: Men of Dunland - Vendor Discount

New Areas: The Howling Caverns ;  Bloodtusk's Den ;  The Watch-tower ;  The White Hand Outpost ;  The Herd-lands ;  White Hand Encampment ;  Dire Hollow ;  The Peaceful Glade (Dunland)

New Deeds: Goblin-slayer ;  Craban-slayer ;  Half-orc Slayer

New Quests: Book 4, Chapter 9: Return to Galtrev ;  Book 4, Chapter 10: Herdsmen of the Starkmoor

New Items: Tailor's Decorated Scroll Case ;  Jeweller's Decorated Scroll Case ;  Metalworker's Decorated Scroll Case ;  Scholar's Decorated Scroll Case ;  Weaponsmith's Decorated Scroll Case ;  Woodworker's Decorated Scroll Case ;  Cook's Decorated Scroll Case ;  Hydre-axle ;  Dolen-palvais ;  Nestadbellas

New Mobs: Nai ;  Dondhreg ;  Nona 'Wadu's Ghost'

New Skills: Men of Dunland - Travel Discount

New Deeds: Known to the Men of Dunland ;  Friend to the Men of Dunland ;  Ally to the Men of Dunland ;  Kindred to the Men of Dunland ;  Known to Theodred's Riders ;  Friend to Theodred's Riders ;  Ally to Theodred's Riders ;  Kindred to Theodred's Riders

New Titles: Known to the Men of Dunland ;  Friend to the Dunlendings

New Quests: Book 4, Chapter 8: The Messenger of Isengard

New Items: Wood for Burning ;  Bundle of Snap-jaw Traps ;  Lake-side Plant ;  Toad Residue ;  Hooked Claw ;  Viscous Goo ;  Plumed Tail ;  Root Powder ;  Crushed Dye ;  Dreng-fultum ;  Dolen-saviad ;  Angolbellas

New Mobs: Elladan (Tal Methedras)

New Areas: Prison-caves

New Objects: Campfire ;  Lake-side Plant ;  Grinding Stone ;  Partially-finished Armour

New Quests: No Mercy for Traitors ;  Mark of the Falcon ;  Setting Traps ;  Charm of the Huntsman

New Items: Tough Ox Skin ;  Rounded Scale ;  Avanc Jaw ;  Treated Ox Skin ;  Morale Potion (Tier 7a) ;  Power Potion (Tier 7a) ;  Cracked Rhi Helvarch Sigil ;  Dreng-beacen ;  Charm of the Huntsman ;  Dolennod ;  Angoldaith ;  Nestadaith ;  Hydre-beacen

New Mobs: Braigiar (Tal Methedras) ;  Tur Morva Villager ;  Tal Methedras Ox ;  Crawling Avanc ;  Slippery Toad ;  Taf ;  Iwan ;  Halbarad (TM, Wandering) ;  Radanir (Tal Methedras) ;  Cungen

New Objects: Boat ;  Slain Ox ;  Footprints ;  Bucket of Water ;  Stretched Hides ;  Basket of Apples ;  Empty Basket ;  Apple-wood

New Quests:  Rangers Put to Work ;  The Unwelcome Guest ;  Curing the Leather

New Items:  Threadbare Cloak of the Dunland Healer ;  Minstrel's Mace of the Third Age ;  Hoh-dreng ;  Dolen-clog ;  Angolgol

New Mobs:  Wynfor ;  Rhus

Updated Quests:  A Rare Dwarf (Dwarf Only) ;  Tal Methedras Elf Race Quest (Elf Only) ;  Concerned by Hobbits (Hobbit Only)

Updated Items:  Past, Present, and Future ;  Fireside Tales of The Shire

Updated Mobs: Dievlig Wight ;  Dievlig Sentry ;  Dievlig Archer ;  Dievlig Warrior ;  Dievlig Ambusher ;  Dievlig Overseer

New Quests: Preserved for the Journey ;  Stronger Competition

New Items: Superior Bilberry Pie ;  Enhanced XP Supply ;  Snap-jaw Trap ;  Battle Potion of Restoration ;  Cempedge ;  Dolen-cledduf ;  Anglogrist

New Mobs: Idele ;  Golodir (Tal Methedras) ;  Mostun ;  Gaenor

Updated Quests: The Practiced Arm ;  Tidings of Anirin (Man Only)

Updated Items: Scroll of Supreme Warding Lore ;  Scroll of Supreme Battle Lore ;  Decorated Heritage Rune of Legend ;  Four Honour, Duty and Love

Updated Mobs: Lheu Brenin (Instance) ;  Penrod ;  Mair ;  Yevan ;  Wundod ;  Sors ;  Eiviona ;  Owein ;  Lheu Brenin ;  Wenda ;  Olwen (Hobbit Quest) ;  Gwynna

New Items: Fireside Tales of The Shire

New Mobs: Provisioner (Tal Methadras) ;  Maelona ;  Healer (Tal Methadras) ;  Olwen (Hobbit Quest) ;  Gwynna

Updated Quests: Tidings of Anirin (Man Only) ;  Concerned by Hobbits (Hobbit Only)

Updated Items: Dry Rations ;  Hard Rations ;  Rich Rations ;  Simple Rations ;  Tasty Rations ;  Kindling Material ;  Travelling Rations ;  Dunland Conhuith Draught ;  Dunland Healing Draught ;  Dunland Lhinestad Draught ;  Dunland Milkthistle Draught ;  Dunland Conhuith Salve ;  Dunland Healing Salve ;  Dunland Lhinestad Salve ;  Dunland Milkthistle Salve ;  Four Honour, Duty and Love

Updated Mobs: Penrod ;  Olwen (Youthful Fighter) ;  Mair ;  Yevan ;  Wundod ;  Seren

New Quests: Instance: The Will to Stand ;  Book 4, Chapter 7: Aiding Tur Morva ;  The Practiced Arm ;  Tidings of Anirin (Man Only) ;  A Rare Dwarf (Dwarf Only) ;  Tal Methedras Elf Race Quest (Elf Only) ;  Tal Methedras Hobbit Race Quest (Hobbit Only)

New Items: Four Honour, Duty and Love ;  Past, Present, and Future

New Mobs: Halbarad (Tal Methedras) ;  Saeradan (Tal Methedras) ;  Lothrandir (Tal Methedras) ;  Leolin (Instance) ;  Tur Morva Villager ;  Mair (Instance) ;  Penrod (Instance) ;  Lhe Brenin (Instance) ;  Penrod ;  Olwen ;  Mair ;  Yevan ;  Wundod ;  Sors ;  Eiviona ;  Owein ;  Seren ;  Arwell ;  Lhe Brenin ;  Wenda

In the world of online gaming, no issue has divided the populace more cleanly than the concept of virtual goods and their relationship to real world values. To some, virtual goods are little bits of code, tucked away on some distant server, ready to be changed, rebalanced or even made obsolete at the whim of a bored content designer. To others, however, virtual goods can be just as tangible as any other real-world purchase, as the utility and entertainment a virtual purchase might bring in game can be equated to any real world hobby that requires some sort of monetary upkeep.

Regardless of where you or I stand on this issue, it's clear that the online gaming industry is on the move, as evidenced by the big free-to-play microtransaction shift that has swept the North American MMORPG industry, or Blizzard's recent announcement that Diablo III will feature a real money auction house for players to sell items, gold and even character accounts.

With all of these new monetization models being explored in online gaming, discussion on the topic has become more important than ever before, and this is why GDC Online (Oct. 10-13) is hosting a Virtual Items Summit to explore the ways virtual goods can help studios around the world. Recently, I sat down with GDC Advisory Board Member Gordon Walton, who is also a VP and Executive Producer at Playdom (previously the VP and co-general manager at BioWare), to talk about the monetization of social games, virtual goods, and MMORPGs.

New Quests: Book 4, Chapter 6: The Will to Stand

New Items: Wyrmscale Protector's Cloak ;  Wyrmscale Blademaster's Cloak ;  Book of Fiery Truth ;  Singed Sword of Force ;  Singed Sword of Rebuke ;  Ornate Winged Necklace of Power ;  Lumber Axe ;  Bear Helm of Fleetness ;  Numenorean Halberd of Might ;  Hunter's Club of the Third Age

New Mobs: Dai ;  Hulun ;  Common Forest-boar ;  Elder Wood-stalker ;  Hardfang ;  Tamed Crow ;  Common Wood-stalker ;  Rook ;  Dunlending Guard ;  Trained Warg ;  Leolin (Gravenwood)

New Areas: The Fanged Lair ;  Rook's Hut ;  Dragon-clan Settlement ;  The Galtrev Lumber-camp

New Deeds: Exploring Pren Gwydh

New Objects: Torch ;  Lumber Piles