Lord of the Rings inspired MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game Guardians of Middle-earth is now being packed up for a retail release alongside the digital launch on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. Technically, it’s still a digital download game though as the boxed version won’t ship with the game on a disc you can physically touch and insert into your console of choice.
The digital version for PSN and XBLA will sell for $14.99/1200 MS Points while the retail edition will bump up to $29.99. Why the difference? Well, Warner Bros. and Monolith are planning all sorts of downloadable content, so for the boxed version pre-paid vouchers will be included to give you download access to the full game in addition to a Season Pass for all the post-launch DLC. Those who buy it direct from their console’s digital storefront will need to pay for any DLC individually (if they want it) or pony up the difference for the Season Pass (again, if they want it).
Post-launch DLC will include additional maps and characters, plus one more game mode. Specifics haven’t been given yet, but some of the new characters will be pulled from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey motion picture.
Speaking of The Hobbit, Guardians of Middle-earth is being timed up to release amidst the theatrical hype, now officially slated to launch on December 4th, a little more than a week ahead of the movie’s December 14th premiere. Actually, that December 4th release date currently only covers the PS3 version as the game’s Xbox 360 edition, for some reason, remains dateless beyond a vague fall release target. WB sure is making this game’s schedule confusing.
Back to the game itself for just a moment, the latest battle profile trailers introduce the abilities of playable guardians Nori, Wulfrun, Beregond, and Felgrom. Check those out to gain a better understanding of the game’s console-adapted MOBA action.
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Matt landed his first gig in the video game review business writing for the now-defunct website BonusStage.com. After the sad and untimely close of BonusStage, the former staff went on to found VGBlogger.com. After a short stint as US Site Manager for AceGamez, Matt assumed full ownership over VGBlogger, and to this day he is dedicated to making it one of the top video game blogs in all the blogosphere.
Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary! 
