Campaign to remaster classic LOTR, Harry Potter games hits 15k signatures

Regardless of whether we’re talking about TV, film or gaming, people sure are on a nostalgic kick right now. Reboots, remakes and remasters are all the rage - and I totally get it. There is something quite calming and magical about re-experiencing a favourite of yesteryear.

Just take a look at 2023’s highest-rates games. Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime Remastered, and Dead Space all scratch the nostalgic itch. Which game would you like to see brought back? In recent days, some fans have been clamouring for a Brutal Legends sequel, while others have been arguing that Black should make a comeback. Parasite Eve has also been raised as a potential remake contender. Personally, I’d love to see The Simpsons: Hit & Run remade - and the original creator is on board with the idea. Today though, I’m here to tell you about a campaign created by fans who want to see classic Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter titles remastered.

If you’re yet to dive into Resident Evil 4, take a look at our review below.

Over on change.org, fans have been singing a petition. Chris Rishoi, who set up the petition, wrote, “In the early 2000s, Electronic Arts made deals with AOL Time Warner (now Warner Bros. Discovery) to make and publish video games based on both the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings franchises. However, the LOTR and Harry Potter games that were made under EA cannot be published due to the licences having expired years ago. Therefore, if Warner Bros could work out a possible licensing renewal deal with EA so the latter can publish their old Harry Potter and LOTR games, it would mean a great deal to both Wizarding World and Middle-Earth fans alike.”

“The Battle for Middle Earth real-time strategy games are still very popular, and putting it back on the market to websites such as Steam and/or GOG would be a no-brainer,” they continued. “In addition, The Two Towers and The Return of the King games are some of the best film-to-game adaptations ever made, they are fun hack-and-slash games that let you live the films. Sorcerer's Stone is another classic that I grew up with, it was one of the greatest Harry Potter experiences I remember. Also, Quidditch World Cup did for Harry Potter what Episode I: Racer did for Star Wars by letting you play fictional sports.”

To date, the petition has 15,000 signatures. The goal is to get it to 25,000. The guy has a point. I could see rereleases of these classic titles going down very well indeed.