Command-and-Conquer-3-Tiberium-Wars
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50 EA games going offline due to GameSpy shutdown
EA's efforts to transition its GameSpy-based games have been in vain, after the publisher revealed 50 of its titles are going offline once the matchmaking service shuts down. Not only is it a big list of games, but it includes casualties like Battlefield 2142 for PC and Mac, and Star Wars: Battlefront on PC and PS2. Other games on the list include Battlefield 2 (PC), Command and Conquer 3 (PC and Mac), C&C Generals (PC and Mac), Red Alert 3 (PC and Mac), Crysis (PC), Crysis: Wars (PC), Crysis 2 (PC), Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (PC and Mac), Neverwinter Nights (PC, Mac and Linux) Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC and Mac), and Star Wars Battlefront 2 (PC and PS2). EA's service site has the full list of affected games, all of which lose their online services on June 30. "Unfortunately, due to technical challenges and concerns about the player experience, we do not have a solution at this time," EA said on its service page. The company noted some of the games retain sizable audiences, and it's "investigating community-supported options" in a bid to retain online functionality. However: "Significant technical hurdles remain, and at this time we don't have anything to announce." If EA doesn't come through, users may turn to services like GameRanger, which provides server support for some of the games in question. However, for many games it'll likely be so long and thanks for all the online fun soon after GameSpy's services go dark on May 31. [Image: EA]
Command & Conquer games 75% off on Steam this weekend
Now that Victory Games and a new Command and Conquer are official, it's time to be reminded of the series' decline over the years. Good thing Steam is there with deep discounts this weekend on the freefalling franchise. If you're looking for "serious" RTSing, check out Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars ($7.50). If you'd prefer something a little bit more quirky, go for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 ($5). What about Command & Conquer 4? No such thing exists, sorry. But if it did, it would cost $5 right now. Just saying.
Massive fan-made Command and Conquer game released
When devoted fans of a video game franchise have a story to tell within the confines of the franchise's universe, they usually turn to written fanfic. The team at CNCLabs had a different idea: Why not turn their story, inspired by a group of soldiers encountered in Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun Firestorm -- then never heard from again -- into a fully realized video game? After three years in development, their lofty goal was met, resulting in the release of Command and Conquer 3: The Forgotten. Our personal favorite aspect of the fan-made expansion? True to the series, it's got live-action cutscenes. Sure, they might lack appearances by old, old, old wrestlers, but we'll be damned if they don't have heart. You can check out a trailer for the fan game after the jump, or download it on The Forgotten's official site.
Command & Conquer series discounted this weekend on EA Store
Are you one of the three PC strategy game enthusiasts who refrained from picking up StarCraft 2 earlier this week due to a lack of cash-on-hand? EA's offering a way to console yourself with some retail therapy: It's reduced the price of a handful of Command and Conquer titles on its online store.
Command & Conquer 3 expanding with Kane's Wrath
EA debuted its "Command & Conquer TV: Battlecast" today, and they helped to make up for its unsettling hosts and production values with a fairly important announcement for Tiberium fiends: The first expansion to Command & Conquer 3 will be called Kane's Wrath, and will appear in early 2008. The campaign will follow Kane's rise back to power after the second Tiberium War, played partially through a "Global Domination" meta-game, described as "Risk on steroids." New units, upgrades and powers for each of the factions are also included. The expansion will launch simultaneously on Xbox 360 and PC, but console owners will also be receiving a new radial interface in the expansion (as seen above). Those are the highlights, but feel free to click through to the Battlecast if you'd like to watch a C&C 3 match with the most excruciating play-by-play ever recorded. [Thanks, Burbank]
Sneak a peek at C&C3 map pack 1 on XBLM
Perhaps you find yourself in the unenviable position of wanting the new Command & Conquer 3 maps but not knowing if they're worth the money. Lucky for you, EA has released a free video on Xbox Live Marketplace detailing all of the new maps. The video is narrated by one of C&C3's developers, who gives you the scoop on each map, noting where the tiberium is and where most of the action will take place. Each map gets a fairly thorough overview, so the video should serve as a decent way to gauge whether or not the maps are worth 500 MS points.Have you downloaded the maps yet? What do you think?
Win Command & Conquer 3 from Gamertag Radio
In celebration of their upcoming 100th episode, Gamertag Radio is giving away 5 copies of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Command & Conquer 3 is already a decent RTS game, and we imagine it's even better when it's free. For your chance to win, head over to Gamertag Radio and read the rules for entry (hint: it's super easy). While you're at it, you might as well enter into their mystery giveaway as well. What are they giving away? How the hell should we know? It's a mystery, silly!
Rumor: Command & Conquer 3 for PS3, Wii
Could Electronic Arts' Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars invade the PlayStation 3 and Wii? Senior Producer Mike Glosecki hinted as much in a recent discussion with Gameplayer. "We haven't officially confirmed anything, but I don't see why it's not feasible [to bring C&C3 to the PS3]," he said. "The controls are practically the same." Concerning the Wii, Glosecki said that while it wouldn't graphically look as good, "as far as control goes, I don't see why it can't be done." He also said that Wii's sales make it difficult to ignore and worth investigating. We have an idea how Tiberium Wars would work on the PS3, but a Wii version is intriguing. To what extent would the controls be similar to the PC version? How well would a strategy title translate with the Wii remote? We'd suspect pretty well, but there are few examples out there (Battalion Wars comes to mind). Glosecki also said that new maps for the Xbox 360 version will be made available through Xbox Live in the coming months and, though Microsoft made suggestions, the decision of price was left up to the developers. [Via PS3 Fanboy and CVG]
New games this week: Command and Conquer 3 edition
Although PC players have been rocking it for a while now, 360 owners will finally be able to get their hands on Command and Conquer 3 this week. Also finally answering someone's prayers: Dream Day Wedding! The wait is over! More new games after the break ... %Gallery-2994%
IGN Hands on with Command & Conquer 3
IGN recently posted some fresh hands-on impressions of the Xbox 360 version of Command & Conquer 3. We dissected the demo ourselves not long ago, but IGN gives out fresh details concerning the campaign mode. In particular, IGN notes that the computer AI becomes very difficult in later levels. Part of the reason for this is that computers don't have to contend with C&C3's complex control scheme. In other words, AI can manage, build, and direct units much more efficiently than a human. Adding insult to injury, the game lacks a simple restart option for campaign missions. So, if you find yourself without hope of victory, the only way to restart is to exit the game entirely and reload your most recent save. As IGN notes, it's not a deal breaker, but it can become tedious after multiple losses.Thankfully, multiplayer removes many of these issues, as human opponents must overcome the same control scheme. In the end, IGN walked away impressed with Command & Conquer 3. So far, they've enjoyed the campaign -- difficult though it may be -- and the numerous online options (including more game types than the PC version). Hit the "read" link for IGN's full impressions.Command & Conquer 3 finally arrives next week. Will it live up to its promise? We'll have to wait and see.
C&C 3: Tiberium Wars novel due out May 29
Electronic Arts and book publisher Del Rey will be releasing a novelization of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. The novel is written by science fiction writer Keith R. A. DeCandido, whose prolific career includes novels set in the Star Trek, Resident Evil, Serenity and World of Warcraft universes. The book, aptly titled Tiberium Wars, is set for release May 29. The impression we get from the press release is that the novel will be a direct translation of the game's plot, and to what extent DeCandido will deviate from the game's story is unknown. Tiberium Wars is out now on PC (to fairly positive reviews) and May 10 for Xbox 360.
C&C3 demo commands attention
We fired up our trusty 360 this morning, as we are required to do under contract, and were pleased to see that the Command & Conquer 3 demo has gone live. Originally promised to arrive yesterday, we were left with nothing. Thankfully, the demo has cleared whatever hurdle that stood before it and is now just waiting to be downloaded. Tantalizingly sized at 1GB exactly, it just dares you grab it. So, what are you waiting for? Go get it. We'll post our impressions of the demo later today.Anybody manage to get any play time already?[Thanks to everyone that tipped us off]
C&C 3 demo commands/conquers Xbox Live
We're torn this morning. Sure, we'd love to order all of you to go out and download the hulking behemoth that is the Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars demo from Xbox Live. We'd like to, but we just can't until we get some questions answered. Well, one question, really: How much Billy Dee Williams does the demo contain? Sure, we're happy that, as previously announced, we're finally seeing how the RTS's controls translate to the 360. And don't get us wrong, we dig the Brotherhood of Nod, Kane, all that jazz. But what we really love, what keeps us coming back is GDI Director Redmond Boyle, BDW himself. The official description of the demo is of little help, heck, it doesn't even mention if the demo is single or multiplayer. The demo is 1GB though, so maybe the extra space was needed to store all of Mr. Williams' supercool, Colt 45-induced swagger. So, we're downloading now, as we're sure you are too, but without the presence of BDW, you can rest assured we'll be on that delete button faster than Lando Calrissian in the Millennium Falcon. (We're joking, of course -- nothing is that fast.) [Thanks, kritz]
Fanboys am cry: no C&C3 demo in sight
Despite yesterday's reports that a Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars demo was set to drop today, it remains unseen. The demo was unofficially announced via a forum post by an Electronic Arts employee. Either the employee was misinformed or the demo is still clearing certification hurdles at Microsoft. Of course, there are still many hours left in the day for the demo to drop, but as most demos hit in the morning, we're less than optimistic.Rest assured, we'll let you know when it's live.
Command & Conquer 3 demo on XBLM tomorrow?
Command & Conquer 3 Community Manager EA Apoc said in a forum post today that a demo for the anticipated Xbox 360 strategy game, currently out on PC, will be available on Xbox Live tomorrow. No word from the Major Nelson yet; a C&C3 theme pack and HD trailer was released yesterday. Apoc's forum post announcement is not an official confirmation, and there could be technical delays outside of publisher Electronic Arts' control (i.e. on Microsoft's side). Command & Conquer 3 will come out on Xbox 360 on May 10; it was released on PC late last month to positive reviews. The development team, EA Los Angeles, was also responsible for the Xbox 360 strategy title Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II, whose controls were surprisingly well done for a genre that typically does not map well to consoles. Should it prove true, we're sure to be one of the first to download the demo. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
C&C3 conquers XBLM tomorrow
According to a moderator post on the Command & Conquer 3 forums, the anticipated demo of the game will arrive on Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow. Finally, RTS fans will have a chance to test out the revised console control scheme originally developed for Battle for Middle Earth II. Only this time, instead of pitting orcs against elves, it will be NOD versus GDI. There are also gamer pics, 2 new trailers, and themes available for download right now. Get 'em while they're hot. Should you enjoy the demo, the retail version of C&C 3 hits store shelves May 10th.[Thanks, lord hobo]
C&C3 conquers retail May 10th, demo soon
Having already enjoyed its PC debut, Command & Conqer 3: Tiberium Wars finally has a release date on the Xbox 360. C&C3 will arrive for the Xbox 360 on May 10th (not May 8th). Even better, Electronic Arts will release a demo of the game on Marketplace in the coming weeks. In celebration, EA has released a handful of new screen shots as well as the official box art for the game.Command & Conquer 3 represents EA's second attempt to bring an authentic RTS experience to a home console. Naturally, this is a somewhat difficult process without the aid of a mouse and keyboard. EA's first attempt, Battle for Middle Earth II was decent, though not perfect. Here's hoping that Command & Conquer 3 finally delivers the ultimate RTS experience to console players. Hit the "read" link for new screens.Anyone plan on picking this up?[Thanks, lord hobo]
Tiberium Wars 'commands' UK charts, 'conquers' PS3 Resistance
Back in August 1999 Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun dominated the UK's All Formats Chart for a 4-week stretch. Today the EA-owned RTS series is back on top, as Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars debuts at #1 (for the week ending March 31) -- and there can be only one, #1. Indeed, just as PlayStation 3 hardware sales have quickly cooled, so have sales of the console's top software titles, Resistance and Motorstorm, both dropping more than 60% in sales from two weeks ago (when the titles commanded the top spots) to last week, when they slipped, however slightly in the rankings to #2 and #3. Coincidentally, this isn't the first time that C&C and PlayStation have done the bump n' grind on UK sales charts. During the final week of September 1995, both Westwood Studios' original Command & Conquer (Tiberian Dawn) and Sony's first PlayStation system made their UK retail debuts.
C&C3 footage: nothin' but gameplay
We've had a lot of Command & Conquer 3 coverage lately, but so far we haven't seen many videos of pure, unbroken gameplay. Fear not fanboys, for GameVideos has risen to the challenge, delivering over three minutes of unadulterated destruction. Watch as the forces of the GDI, the Brotherhood of NOD, and the Scrin go head to head. With so much happening on screen at once, we can only hope that the 360 version manages to run without a hitch, especially during Live matches. Check out the video and tell us what you think.See Also:Video: Command & Conquer 3 Vision Gameplay
C&C3 altered for German consumption
We love it when a violent game is making its way to Germany. Why? Because we inevitably get to type out the name of Germany's ratings board: Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK). Say that three times fast. According to CVG, EA will be altering Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars so that it is suitable for Germany's impressionable youth. It seems the game's suicide bombers will no longer actually commit suicide. Instead, these more risk averse almost-suicide bombers will remove their deadly explosive payload and run away. EA notes that this is only an animation change and that it will not affect the game balance in any way.This isn't the first game to fall under the USK's ratings hammer. Other 360 titles, including Dead Rising and Gears of War, have been banned from the country outright. Of course, smart gamers know that they can pick up an Austrian copy. At any rate, Command & Conquer 3 for the PC debuts this month, with the 360 version following soon after.
