Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Reveals Guardians of Middle-earth, an Authentic Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Game for Console Systems

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announces Guardians of Middle-earth, a new multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Monolith Productions, set to debut in fall 2012 exclusively for Xbox LIVE^® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®Network. The game will feature tie-ins to the upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey motion picture, directed by Peter Jackson and a production of New Line Cinema and MGM.

“The MOBA genre is wildly popular with PC players and we are excited to bring it to consoles through the lore of Middle-earth”

Guardians of Middle-earth brings up to 10 players together in five versus five competitive multiplayer battle arenas in the epic setting of Middle-earth. The game offers more than 20 iconic guardians, including Gandalf, Sauron, Gollum, Thráin and many more, for players to control in player versus player (PVP) matches. Gamers will have the ability to connect with other players via an in-game voice communication system, as well as access to a comprehensive online stat and leader board system where they can track friends’ victories and defeats, and more.

“The MOBA genre is wildly popular with PC players and we are excited to bring it to consoles through the lore of Middle-earth,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development at WBIE. “The heroes and villains of Middle-earth are crafted in a way that perfectly intersects with MOBA game features, allowing the development team to create guardians with deep skills and abilities for gamers to master.”

Leading up to and beyond the premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey motion picture, fans can look forward to several new playable guardians releasing in conjunction with the film, to allow gamers to actively participate in Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle-earth.

For more information about Guardians of Middle-earth, please visit the website at www.guardiansofmiddleearth.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GuardiansofMiddleearth or on Twitter @GuardiansMe.

About Monolith Productions

Monolith Productions, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is located in Kirkland, WA. Over the past 15 years, Monolith has risen to critical acclaim through an emphasis on delivering quality products such as F.E.A.R., The Condemned series, Aliens vs. Predator 2, TRON 2.0, the No One Lives Forever franchise and Gotham City Impostors.

About The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Jackson. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Ken Kamins, Toby Emmerich and Zane Weiner, with Boyens serving as co-producer.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is a production of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories, as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released on December 14, 2012, and the second film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” opens on December 13, 2013. Both films will be released in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX. http://www.thehobbit.com

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

GUARDIANS OF MIDDLE-EARTH © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. © 2012 New Line Productions, Inc. © The Saul Zaentz Company. GUARDIANS OF MIDDLE-EARTH, THE HOBBIT, and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

(s12)

Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.