The release of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II is still weeks away, yet Electronic Arts has already announced a surprise for LOTR fans. Last week the developer revealed that they have actually developed two versions of the real-time strategy game. EA will be released both a standard version of the game and a special edition version that has been kept under wraps until now.

The special edition game, referred to as the Collector’s Edition by Electronic Arts, will feature a number of enhancements and add-on bonuses not included in the standard version of the game. The Collector’s Edition will be mastered in high definition for console gamers who have HDTV and PC gamers with HD setups. It will also feature a number of bonus videos and added musical tracks. A number of promotional materials will be included in the game box, such as an exclusive color Lord of the Rings: the Battle for Middle-earth II wall poster and a discount coupon for a new Nvidia graphics card. Of most interest to gamers, though, will be the addition of exclusive in-game content to the Collector’s Edition. Players will be able to explore new skirmish maps, enhanced online graphics, and a new fire-breathing dragon battle unit that is only playable by gamers who purchase the special edition version of the game.

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II is the sequel to the popular real-time strategy game released in 2004. As an officially licensed Lord of the Rings game, Electronic Arts can leverage both author J.R.R. Tolkien’s expansive writings and film director Peter Jackson’s award-winning movies to fully develop a storyline that mixes traditional LOTR lore with exciting new battles and characters not featured in the films.

Electronic Art’s executive game producer, Mike Verdu, revealed some of the new content that will be included in the Collector’s Edition. The new dragon battle unit, he notes, “is only available to Collector’s Edition players–its model, texture, and animations are unique. This dragon is an original design… he will appear in-game with one of five different skin texture variants ranging from black to mottled gray to gold.â€� The specific skin choice is randomized each time the dragon is summoned. Other new game features include new maps of Weathertop and Argonath, and a unique icon for gamers’ created heroes when the game is played online. Verdu also comments that “there are some goodies in the Collector’s Edition that we haven’t told anyone about yet–including stunning white Eagles for Elves and Men of the West, a Black Mumakil for Mordor players, and other special art and effectsâ€�.

Based on the information released so far and all f the extra content promises, it sounds like The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II may be one of the few special edition games actually worth purchasing. Both the standard and the Collector’s Edition of the game are set for a February release: the standard version is expected to retail for $49.99 while the Collector’s Edition will set you back $59.99.

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