Developer Interview, Part I

Louis Castle, vice president of Creative Development at Electronic Arts' Los Angeles studio, knows a thing or two about the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, having created the best-sellingCommand & Conquer RTS franchise. Castle's latest project, The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II , is the first game from EA to marry Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning film franchise with J.R.R. Tolkien's classic literary works. It's also the first RTS to migrate to Xbox 360™. Castle took some time to talk with us about the new game.

The first RTS on Xbox 360 merges Tolkien's books and Jackson's films.

Xbox.com: Can you talk about the Xbox 360 game and what this port brings to the table in both a single-player and multiplayer game?

Castle: Well, first of all, in my opinion it is much more than a port. We want to create the same great emotional experiences people have enjoyed in the PC game, while watching the films or reading the epic stories. We are bringing nearly the entire PC product to the Xbox 360 and have even added new features. We have redesigned the interface entirely and approached this project as an adaptation rather than a strict port.

Every game mode and feature has been carefully reviewed and analyzed to ensure it fits with the experience we feel console gamers want in their living room. It is very important to us that this product feels like a native Xbox 360 game from the moment you see the first screens through the dozens of hours of campaigns and indefinitely through the Xbox Live® experience. The redesigned intuitive interface offers immediacy to the action and quickly falls away, allowing the player to feel they are the strategic generals charged with winning the fate of Middle-earth.

"Nearly every character from the films is included. We
have reached deep into the film and literary works to bring
alive the characters that have enchanted so many fans."

Xbox.com: Are there any unique features for the Xbox 360 game?

Castle: Yes. Besides the interface, which offers new ways to control your armies, we also have added exclusive new online game modes. And, for the first time in any full-featured strategy game, players can use their Xbox 360 Headsets to communicate with other players while playing online.

Xbox.com: What new gameplay elements are there in this sequel?

Castle: For Battle for Middle-earth IIfor the Xbox 360, every element is new! In this game, you are able to build your bases anywhere; use tunneling units, navies, and new fantastic creatures from the literary fiction (Dragons, giants, heroes, Dwarves, and more); order units about in formation; give them waypoints for patrols; extend your fortress with custom walls; play new sides in the Elves, Dwarves, and Goblin factions; and much, much more.

Xbox.com: What was the involvement of Hugo Weaving in this game and how does his narration work for the single-player experience?

Castle: We are very happy to have been able to work with Hugo Weaving to create a powerful connection to the films while expanding the product into the areas previously only explored by the fiction. Hugo provided the game's overarching tone by guiding players in and out of each good and evil mission within the single-player campaigns. I believe that strategy games benefit from a strong voice talent as both the narrator and voice of instruction through the game, and Hugo was exactly what we were looking for.

Xbox.com: What other characters from the films do you encounter?

Castle: Nearly every character from the films is included in this game. With huge armies at war and the contribution of heroes being an integral part of the fiction, we have reached deep into the film and literary works to bring alive the characters that have enchanted so many fans.

Even the terraces of Rivendell fall under attack.

Xbox.com: Can you talk about The Battle for Middle-earth II in general terms and what the literary rights and movie rights allowed you to do?

Castle: It is a great chance to really explore Middle-earth with no restrictions. The unified rights have given us the fantastic opportunity to imagine the world of Middle-earth not realized in the spectacular films. Using the films as a visual guide, we can bring the players new settings and dramatic battles through the familiar lens and transport them to their favorite events and places detailed in the literary works. Characters from the books are brought to life in new and familiar settings detailed in the cinematic works.

You'll be able to command vast Elven and Dwarven armies in epic battles in the Northern Lands of Middle-earth—or you can control the dark lord Sauron's forces as they try to dominate the entire world in the War of the Ring. You'll control new heroes like the Elf warrior Glorfindel, the Dwarf leader Gloin, the evil Mouth of Sauron, and 14 others. Your armies will include 40+ new warriors, soldiers, weapons, and creatures ranging from Dwarven Guardians to Elven archers, goblins on spiders, fire-breathing dragons, and huge Giants.

You'll fight in new locations like the Dwarven mountain stronghold of Erebor and Sauron's dark fortress of Dol Guldur on the edge of Mirkwood. At the same time, you can revisit the iconic locations from the movie trilogy, bring the Fellowship into the action, and build up armies using the classic soldiers, creatures, and weapons from Isengard, Gondor, and Mordor.

Sauron's fortress of Dol Guldur under attack.

Xbox.com: What do you think hardcore console gamers will like about the Xbox 360 version?

Castle: I think the ability to finally play a game centered and designed around commanding hundreds of units in epic battles will appeal to hardcore gamers and casual gamers who imagine themselves in control of the vast armies. Hardcore gamers are likely to find the deep control scheme and nearly endless variety of strategies very compelling and use their superior skill to push for a quick and decisive strategic victory.

I also believe gamers will enjoy the online gameplay experience and exclusive Xbox Live features. Additionally, if they are fans of the Lord of Rings trilogy, they will enjoy extensive additional Lord of the Rings content afforded by literary and film rights. These fans will more likely immerse themselves into the fiction, amassing vast armies and building virtually impenetrable fortresses before engaging their enemies.

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Louis Castle has much more to say about the newest Lord of the Rings game. Don't miss Part II of this interview.

Article by John Gaudiosi

• The Battle for Middle-earth II official site.