The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II [X360]

Yahoo! Video Games: For various reasons, the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) genre has had a hard time transitioning to console systems. What's changed that EA is trying to bring the Battle for Middle-earth franchise to the Xbox 360?

Louis Castle: For the first time ever, a console system has been capable of running the complex real-time simulation and computer player intelligence while having enough power left to display high quality representations of the battlefield. I also feel that the past approaches to bringing RTS games to consoles have been fundamentally flawed. As an industry we have treated this category of games opportunistically when the core compulsions that make a great strategy game should not be limited to PC players.

For these reasons, and due to EA's commitment to bring more games and game types to the next-gen systems, my team and I have been on a quest to create an emotional entertainment experience similar to playing your first PC LAN Real-time strategy game, but designed specifically for the Xbox 360 and that consumer. I'm convinced that if the interface is easy to pick up and play, yet deep and sophisticated enough to offer complex strategic commands in real-time, we will have console consumers as hooked on strategy games as PC players have been for the last decade.

YVG: Is the same development team doing the Xbox 360 version, or is there a separate team creating it or porting it?

LC: There is a separate, full team working exclusively on the Xbox 360 product. We work very closely with the PC team to ensure that we capture the most important elements of the PC game, but we have made a substantial commitment of man power and talent to ensure a great Xbox 360 experience.

YVG: What things from the PC version will not make it into the Xbox 360 version? For instance, will the War of the Ring mode be included? What about skirmish games vs. the AI? Will multiplayer Live games also allow AI opponents in addition to human opponents?

LC: We have been and continue to be in the process of focus testing features and new interface screens to ensure the proper look and feel of the product and these evolutions may require rethinking of some of the PC features. At this point, I can't say specifically if something from the PC version may not translate to the Xbox 360 version, but if we were to remove anything, it would be because we did not feel it fit properly into the product framework that is best for the Xbox 360 consumer. Regardless of this, we are adding a few features that specifically enhance play over the Xbox LIVE service.

YVG: Will the same maps be included in the PC version and the Xbox 360 version? Are there different limitations for what kinds of maps will work on either platform?

LC: Yes, the Xbox 360 version will have every map from the PC version. We may make small changes to existing maps and missions and potentially offer additional maps for the Xbox 360 but again, these decisions are being very carefully weighed. The PC team has been working for months on balancing the gameplay and has involved the fan sites and community in an unprecedented way. We are very respectful of that time and attention.