Alpha? Just Alpha?! You have got to be kidding me, Turbine! Months after opening up the Beta registrations for their preciousss MMORPG, Turbine announced today that The Lord of the Rings Online has barely entered the Alpha phase of development, much to the disappointment of over 125,000 players who already registered for the upcoming Beta program. Which is obviously still some time away...

The only good news is that, in response to increasing demand, Turbine is expanding the Beta Program to let more players participate. They will be inviting tens of thousands of people into the Beta Program over the coming months. Players who wish to be invited should sign-up for a chance to be selected for the Beta Program by visiting www.lotro.com/betasignup.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar invites players to join in an epic adventure - exploring a massive online world while defending the lands of Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Players of all levels will explore incredibly detailed realms and join familiar characters in an evolving and persistent re-creation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved world. They will face the dangers Frodo and the Fellowship left behind when they began their epic journey to destroy the One Ring. Gamers can adventure solo or choose from thousands of players online to forge their own fellowships, as they face the hideous monsters and minions of evil, fight epic battles to defend Middle-earth, and immerse themselves in the greatest adventure of our time.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)