The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II is the next PC installment to EA’s blockbuster The Lord of the Rings series of video games. The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Real-time Strategy (RTS) game from EA Los Angeles, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth. The newest The Lord of the Rings PC title will introduce players to depths of the fiction never before explored by EA, in accordance with an agreement with The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises that grants EA the rights to develop games based on the books, in addition to a separate agreement that allows for games based on the New Line films. Expanding on The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth, the new RTS game will allow players to engage in heated battles with Elven and Dwarven armies plus heroes and creatures that have never been seen in a The Lord of the Rings film.

Features:

• Fight the epic, sweeping battles from the Academy Award-winning The Lord of the Rings fi lm trilogy from a whole new perspective—as commander of hundreds of soldiers and creatures.
  
• Control massive armies and interactive battlefields across the vast world of Middle-earth.
  
• Lead the forces of good or evil by controlling one of four unique groups, from the Riders of Rohan to the forces of Sauron, each with its own playing style, resource management, and base-building techniques.
  
• Take command of strategic territories across a highly detailed, 3D map of Middle-earth and turn the tide in the battle to control The One Ring.
  
• Watch your armies come to life as they express emotion—from anger to fear to triumph—when reacting to events and their surroundings.
  
• Make smarter and faster decisions in the heat of battle with an all-new intuitive, streamlined interface that gives you contextual control of your forces and structures.
  
• Challenge fellow rulers online in massive multiplayer battles.

Command the epic battles of Middle-earthTM from your living room couch in The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360. The highly anticipated PC game will make its exclusive console debut when it ships in Summer 2006! To add to the intensity of the experience, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 is the first game in The Lord of the RingsTM series that will be playable over Xbox LIVE*. Challenge friends online and engage in intense, action-packed real-time battles. Based on the PC version of the same name, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 will bring players into the heart of Middle-earth to live the battles seen in the blockbuster New Line Cinema films and classic J.R.R. Tolkien literary fiction. The game boasts a new and intuitive console-specific control scheme that will allow novice players to enjoy the game's signature strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth. Features:

• The Middle-earth you have never seen brought to life on the Xbox 360! The unification of the book and film rights have unlocked a world of Middle-earth – new races, places, heroes, and battles from the books and films are yours to command.
• Command the most epic battles of Middle-earth from your living room couch. Directly control and manage hundreds of units and engage in intense, action-packed real-time battles.
• Challenge friends online and battle it out via Xbox LIVE. The game features exclusive new multiplayer games including King of the Hill, Capture and Hold, and Hero versus Hero.
• First The Lord of the Rings strategy game for any console system and first game in The Lord of the Rings series for the Xbox 360.
• New and intuitive console-specific control scheme that makes it possible to experience and enjoy the strategy genre on the Xbox 360.
• Customize fortresses or choose to build anywhere! Craft your own landmark castle and create signature units including naval ships or Elven and Dwarven heroes.
• Hugo Weaving reprises his role as Lord Elrond lending his voice and likeness to the game. Weaving offers the game's overarching tone by guiding players in and out of each good and evil mission within the single player campaigns.