EA Announces New Rings Deal News

EA has today announced that it has been granted the licence to produce videogames based on the literary works of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien with the first two titles also announced as Battle for Middle-Earth II for PC and The Lord of the Rings: Tactics on PSP.

TVG previously reported that US retailer Gamestop had listed a PSP title called LOTR: Tactics at the end of June, but the game hadnâ??t been announced by EA at that time. Described as a â??tactical strategyâ?? game, Tactics allows players to take charge of the either the Fellowship or the forces of Shadow to determine the future of Middle-Earth. The game also features a Wi-Fi mode for up to five players to battle it out in turn-based gameplay.

Battle for Middle-Earth II is the sequel to last yearâ??s Battle for Middle-Earth, and pits players in scenarios not shown in the movies with armies of Elfs and Dwarves, amongst other creatures, fighting it out across Middle-Earth.

Mike Verdu, Senior Producer of The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-Earth at EA said, "The new rights have unlocked the world of Middle-earth for The Lord of the Rings and strategy game fans alike. We're building a deeper, richer, bigger game based on the #1 RTS from the previous holiday season in North America with new fantasy races, places, heroes, and battles from both the books and films."

"Now that we are expanding our Lord of the Rings universe to encompass Tolkien's books, we'll be able to combine the visual impact of the films with those complex stories," said Steve Gray, Executive Producer of The Lord of the Rings Tactics at EA. "The RPG genre, in particular, is a great medium for story telling. We are delving into unexplored depths of Tolkien's works to deliver new, compelling and immersive experiences. The Lord of the Rings Tactics gives RPG fans a first look at how we will do this."

Previously, the rights to produce videogames based on the literary works of Tolkien were held by Vivendi-Universal Games, who published titles based on Fellowship of the Ring and the The Hobbit. The company transferred the rights to produce an MMORPG on the books to Turbine earlier in the year.

Weâ??ll have more news on both Rings titles shortlyâ?¦