In a press release on April 20, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced its acquisition of MMO publisher Turbine, "the largest privately-held online gaming studio in North America, further strengthening Warner Bros.’ position as one of the industry’s fastest growing, full-scale games publishers," according to the release. Turbine publishes two of the MMO industry's leading games; Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online. Warner Bros. president Kevin Tsujihara explained:

"Turbine is a leader in online entertainment and a strong strategic fit for Warner Bros. as we continue to broaden our games portfolio and development capabilities,” said Kevin Tsujihara, president, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. “Turbine’s renowned online game development and publishing expertise will help us develop additional online product offerings, while also providing us with new and innovative ways to market and communicate with our consumers."

Turbine CEO Jim Crowley chimes in, describing the mutual benefit of the acquisition. "We have been looking to expand access to our online worlds to more players and more markets," Crowley said in the release. "This acquisition is very exciting because it allows us to expand globally while continuing to focus on creating spectacular online games that our loyal fans and players have come to expect." Read more about the fate of Turbine's MMOs after the jump.