Warner Brothers sold off the MMO side of Turbine but kept Turbine for using with their live service crap they stuck in all their games. Seeing how bad WB games is going right now, we should all thank our stars that they aren't still there. RIP monolith.
I thanked my lucky stars the minute SSG announced that they were taking LOTRO back from WB. Truly was close to quitting because WB was on the warpath to ruin the very heart of this game.
Been here since FFA. Always loved and respected Turbine staff (some number of whom became SSG) and how they treated their customers. The biggest promise kept was that they promised us Lifetime Founders that no matter what happened we would always be VIPs. They have continually been true to that promise, even when they could have abandoned us. And because of that my family and kin have stuck with this game through thick and thin, and dropped loads of cash into it to help, in some small way, to keep it running. This is a "thin" time, and as others have stated, we will weather this storm and laugh (or cry) about it well into the future. That doesn't help right now, but I trust that the solution will be found and all will be well again .. eventually. We, and they, will be bruised but not broken.
As for WB, I will never play any game that they have a hand in. Once burned, twice careful, as the saying goes.