It's competing with Frosthaven for my shelf space and dollars,  but looks good, so far.

It's competing with Frosthaven for my shelf space and dollars,  but looks good, so far.

I'm just wondering whether my Millennium Falcon will fit on those space locations...

I'm just wondering whether my Millennium Falcon will fit on those space locations...

I'm just wondering whether my Millennium Falcon will fit on those space locations...

I have 4-5 months to hone my argument that having Journeys in Middle-earth counts as a basic need. 😈

Boardgame apps are here to stay, and Journeys in Middle Earth won't be the last title to require one. While there's nothing wrong with not liking apps, any serious arguments that games shouldn't include them are now dead.
As for this game, after watching the live play through, I suspect that its app may be the best boardgame app ever, above "Mansions of Madness". 
 

Gloomhaven has no dice, and it flopped all the way to Number 1 on Boardgamegeek. Perhaps it was a Fosbury flop.

Gloomhaven has no dice, and it flopped all the way to Number 1 on Boardgamegeek. Perhaps it was a Fosbury flop.

Gloomhaven has no dice, and it flopped all the way to Number 1 on Boardgamegeek. Perhaps it was a Fosbury flop.

For what it's worth, FFG seem to have become the standard bearer for app-driven games. They've provided them for Descent & Imperial Assault, and Mansions of Madness 2 has a profile that's head and shoulders above any other app-driven game out there. Which means, in my opinion, that for games like Mansions and the upcoming Journeys, FFG's job is not to provide alternatives for those who dislike apps. It's to wow those who are prepared to play app-driven boardgames - to not put them off, in other words - and FFG can do this by putting their energies into making the best darned apps that they can.
So I want to see the Journeys app be the best one that's ever been created for an FFG boardgame - or for any boardgame, really. A big ask, but I think it can be done if FFG are properly focused on it.
 

If I need extra dice, I can just go raid the X-Wing box. So it's a plus, for me.

I'm just wondering whether my Millennium Falcon will fit on those space locations...

It's probably some form of Automa (card stack acting as a player), as is regularly seen in Stonemaier's games.

If I need extra dice, I can just go raid the X-Wing box. So it's a plus, for me.

Without Sorastro, my minis would look they'd been squirted by the rainbow hose. I'd also have more money from not buying so much paint, but that's OK.
He is aware of the new LotR game, and has a poll on his Facebook page asking whether he should paint it. (Who are these 24% saying 'No' ... heathens)
 

I'd be surprised to see single mini packs for Journeys, as it won't be a "grid-and-tactics" game like IA. The format is likely to be similar to MoM2, with themed expansion packs and DLCs. 
As soon as it shows up locally, I'm clicking the button and awaiting the courier.
 

Without Sorastro, my minis would look they'd been squirted by the rainbow hose. I'd also have more money from not buying so much paint, but that's OK.
He is aware of the new LotR game, and has a poll on his Facebook page asking whether he should paint it. (Who are these 24% saying 'No' ... heathens)
 

It's actually hard for me to think of a game that shipped with a central app and an analogue alternative, out of the box. The closest example I can think of is Alchemists, which uses an app but allows for one player to answer potion formulae questions instead. Which isn't very satisfying for most people because that player can't participate normally.
I think it's no coincidence that the appearance of board gaming apps has coincided with tablets becoming ubiquitous. In most cases, a tablet is the most convenient device. I can understand feeling that you have to buy one to play a boardgame would be irksome, but I've found my own tablet's useful enough that it would be worth having even if I never used it for boardgaming.  For some people, borrowing a friend's device will be a viable option, as the app won't take up much room.
As for people interacting more with their phones to the detriment of interpersonal relations, that's clearly a bad habit of the times. I also think there's a reason for app makers to gravitate towards apps that engage the whole group, rather than only one member. For example, providing a map for everyone to look at.

All we've been told so far is "second quarter".
So expect June, hope for May, but prepare for July.
 

I have 4-5 months to hone my argument that having Journeys in Middle-earth counts as a basic need. 😈

I have 4-5 months to hone my argument that having Journeys in Middle-earth counts as a basic need. 😈

I have 4-5 months to hone my argument that having Journeys in Middle-earth counts as a basic need. 😈

I have whatever the opposite of fatigue is.

I have whatever the opposite of fatigue is.