OK I can't take credit for finding these articles, but the link to this one is buried in another thread.

Here's one of the author's conclusions, following an interview with Turbine's CEO, Jim Crowley:

Turbine also wants to fund the expansion of properties like Dungeons & Dragons Online, which on its own isn’t generating enough revenue to fund expansion.
Here's Mr. Crowley talking specifically about DDO:

The Dungeons & Dragons Online is not the size of a world as Lord of the Rings Online. But there is a tremendous amount of activity and growth curve and we have interesting news to come out with. I suspect there is a very long and enjoyable and most importantly fun-filled future for everything around Dungeons & Dragons Online.


Now, they're not publicly traded, so he's got alot of leeway, but still. These are public comments on the heels of Turbine obtaining $40 MILLION in new funding.

To put that in perspective, from Feb. 2005 to this round, Turbine had only obtained $50 MILLION. Those funds were used to launch not 1 (DDO - Feb. 2006) but 2 (LOTRO - Apr. 2007) games.

Now they're getting $40 million more ....

Sure, lots of it is for market expansion of LOTRO overseas but man ..... we could be in for some fun times here folks.