LOTR: War in the North begins November 1

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings fantasy franchise have to wait until 2012 to get their eyes on the first part of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. However, series fans won't have to wait that long to play the next big Lord of the Rings video game. Today, developer Snowblind Studios announced that Lord of the Rings: War in the North will ship for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on November 1, 2011.

When the game arrives this fall, it will be available in a standard $60 edition, as well as a $130 collector's iteration that comes in a large quiver case. War in the North will ship in Australia on November 2 and in Europe on November 4.

Currently in development at Snowblind Studios, Lord of the Rings: War in the North will feature "unseen lands, story elements, and characters from Middle-earth, as well as elements familiar from past feature films." It will offer upgradeable weapons and special abilities that develop along with the game's characters, which can be customized by players.

For more on Snowblind's forthcoming action role-playing title, check out GameSpot's latest hands-on preview of Lord of the Rings: War in the North.