In The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, the sequel to the critically acclaimed RTS game The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth you now have the chance to experience all that Middle-earth was meant to be.

Given a new 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 Cinema films The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II will introduce players to depths of the fiction never before explored by EA.

With all new content from J.R.R. Tolkien's original fiction, delve deeper than ever before and engage in new battles that go beyond the award-winning movie trilogy. Wage war in the North and assume command of the most storied civilizations in all of Middle-earth history - the Elven and Dwarven armies - or fight on the side of Evil with heroes and creatures that have never been seen in The Lord of the Rings films. Defend or overtake never before seen lands such as Dol Guldur, The Misty Mountains, and Mirkwood as you unleash powerful new weapons and abilities - summon dragons, cause volcanoes to erupt, or bring down a cataclysmic lightning strike.

But beware, with greater power comes greater adversity. Your enemies, commanded by a powerful new AI system, possess a greater tactical edge and more powerful spells. Will your armies have the fortitude to persevere and to withstand the power of the darkness?

Here are some key features of "Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II SDK":

· New races, places, heroes, and battles from books & films
· Command all the races of Middle-earth with 3 all new factions including Elves, Dwarves, and Goblins.
· Win the war in the North single-player campaign with all-new story that takes you to places and battles of Middle-earth previously unseen.
· Customization, Command, & Control
· Build your own landmark castle with fully customizable and upgradeable fortresses and walls.
· Create your own hero with all new customized RTS units that are your avatars in-game.
· Control battles with all-new enemy AI, melee combat, and flanking, adding unprecedented tactical fidelity
· Core RTS Depth of Strategy
· Master next-gen unit control with smart formations, battle lines, and planning mode.
· "Build anywhere" brings creativity and strategy to base building and battlefield dominance.
· Control the entire war with a high level "Risk" style meta-game on the Living World Map with all new strategic AI .
· Extend your battlefield with larger than life navy battles at sea