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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.
Impulse holding El Presidente's Day weekend sale
Sure, officially, Impulse is holding a President's Day sale this weekend, featuring some of your favorite strategy and sim titles, but an "El Presidente Day" sale sounds so much more exotic. The highlight of the sale, particularly to anyone who doesn't think democracy is the only way to rule, is the banana republic simulator, Tropico 3, for half-off at $7.50. For those who cling to democracy and letting the unwashed masses have a voice, The Political Machine 2008 is only $3 and Democracy 2 is $11.50. However, if that whole "government" thing sounds messy, and you believe the only reign worth having is one in which you can declare full-scale war, Command and Conquer 4 and Tom Clancy's EndWar are $10 apiece.
Next Command and Conquer in production under Visceral label
Next time out, the Command & Conquer franchise will be more Visceral. Although the game, according to EA's Visceral Games label GM Nick Earl, is still "pretty far out," it will be part of the publisher's strategy to expand the Visceral studio as a brand. Earl detailed the multi-studio Visceral branding in a recent interview with Gamasutra, which would explain why the EA Redwood Shores studio that became Visceral has been working on several projects. The Visceral label is a collaboration of EA in the States, the "art-focused" Shanghai studio, EA Montreal and a team in Melbourne, Australia. Earl said, "We're not outsourcing or insourcing -- we really look at it as collaborative development, where everyone is on equal playing ground." Dead Space 2 will be an indication of the result achieved through this new Visceral process.
Impulse drops prices for the Fourth of July
Not to be outdone by Steam and its dangerously generous sale this week (you do own Torchlight by now, right?), Impluse is running its own 4th of July sale, with 68 different downloadable PC games given prices set to move, some even better than Steam. If you want some quality RTS action, the Company of Heroes pack is a great deal at $29.99, Command and Conquer 4 is $24.99 and the Sins of a Solar Empire expansions are $5 off. Not quite as much variety as the Steam sale, but what's there is well-priced. PC gamers, you have no excuse to bother with any of the "going outside" or fireworks this July 4th weekend -- not when there are all these great cheap games to play!
Command & Conquer 4 shows off 'Night Moves' pre-order bonus mission
If you've hopped on the Command & Conquer 4 bandwagon with a reservation at your local game retailer, you're in for a treat: Pre-orders will get access to an exclusive in-game prequel mission, titled "Night Moves." You can learn about this scenario by watching the trailer above. Basically, you'll be tasked with sneaking some heavy weaponry into a GDI-controlled city without attracting too much attention to yourself. In other words, you'll want to avoid "making some front page drive-in news." For even more information on C&C and "Night Moves," we suggest watching this instructional video we've thrown together. [Via Big Download]
Command & Conquer 4 devs show off what's new in multiplayer
With all of the furor around the StarCraft 2 beta going on this week, you might actually have forgotten that there are actually two major, big-budget RTS sequels due out in 2010. Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight is arriving in just a few weeks on March 16, and, to remind you of that fact, here are a few of the game's developers telling you about how they balanced the multiplayer component. The main feature is the new class choices -- whenever you start up a map, you choose whether you want to play as offense, defense or support, and your teammates can make the same choice, allowing each of you to choose to run your own units entirely, with their own strengths and weaknesses. There's also some information at the end about the co-op campaign, which will also let you use the complimentary classes to split up the fight against enemies and follow objectives that much more quickly with a friend. Sure, your Marines and your Zerglings and your Zealots are fun to play with, but it looks like C&C4 is ordering up some new ways to play one of the older genres in PC gaming. [Via Big Download]
Command & Conquer 4 won't have LAN support or dedicated servers
Based on the precedent set by your reaction to similar news for StarCraft 2 and Modern Warfare 2, we're guessing you're not going to like the information Command & Conquer 4 lead designer Sam Bass recently shared with Destructoid. According to him, the FMV-filled strategy title won't provide any LAN or dedicated server support to its players. These two features were apparently struck from the game in favor of a server-based character progression system. Bass explained "if you go to another machine -- friend's house, Internet café -- whatever, you can login with your profile and all the stuff you've unlocked is accessible to you there. It all lives on a server so you can't really do dedicated servers with that." He also explained that the game's online networking is "a lot more solid," so you won't be left completely high and dry, as far as multiplayer skirmishes are concerned. Still, we're worried about the future of the LAN-friendly strategy game, which appears to be turning into an endangered species. We've contacted Bono to see if he'd lend his musical support to a charity concert event. %Gallery-67669%
See Kane's sparkly globe in this Command & Conquer 4 trailer
No, it's not a bald joke. There are a lot of things worth highlighting in the cinematic trailer for Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, but, for us, it's all about Kane's pretty orb above. We like to imagine it houses the universe and everything in it -- kinda like the one from Men in Black. While you're reading this post (and heading past the break to watch the trailer afterward), some weird space creature is playing a game of marbles with our little blue planet. C'est la vie!
Choose GDI or NOD in this Command & Conquer 4 trailer
There is a lot to digest in the above developer diary for Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. Not only does it show the benefits of each class in the game, but it also reveals the new mission and player progression system. This time around, players will not only unlock things as they go along (utilizing a level-based system), but also given a choice during the campaign early on: stick with GDI or align yourself with series bad boy Kane and his NOD forces. Either way you choose to go, one thing is certain: this is the end of the Tiberium storyline. Bass says that doesn't necessarily mean the door to the universe is shut forever, but that this particular story thread will conclude with C&C4.
Combat abounds in this Command & Conquer 4 trailer
EA's latest salvo of media on Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight presents us with both the GDI and Nod's task-based units' setups: offense; defense and support. Each is comprised of several different units -- an offensive group on the GDI side is comprised of heavy tanks and walkers; the perfect fit for anyone looking to storm a base. On the Nod side, its air support units let players rain hell from above. It's all very appropriate stuff for the Command & Conquer series, really.
EA teases Command & Conquer motion comic
Those of you who guessed "comic book" along with us when the Command & Conquer team hinted that their universe was headed to a "new medium" were still stuck in the past of 2009 -- here in 2010, comics move like video, and they're called "motion comics." Geez, get with the decade! EA's posted a teaser trailer for the C&C "motion comic," created in conjunction with Ape Entertainment, and almost literally, all it says is that Episode 1 is coming soon. There's also a guy in a truck who wants to know the same thing we do: What he's doing here. Oh yeah, and can we know where "here," is, too, and what this has to do with the game? You can head after the break to watch the entire teaser for yourself. Just be sure not to blink. [via Big Download]
Command and Conquer 4 multiplayer beta rolled out today
Electronic Arts launched the Command & Conquer 4 multiplayer beta today for those who want to kick the RTS game's tires -- or tank treads, as the case may be. To gain access, users will need to sign up on the Gamespot beta page. If the site runs out of keys, EA states: "DO NOT WORRY." There will be a "short waitlist" created, if necessary. For those who don't want to bug-test the game (remember when people got paid for that?), Command & Conquer 4 declares full-scale war on its March 16 release. %Gallery-67669% [Via Big Download]
Command and Conquer coming to 'new medium' in 2010
click to embiggen The above image could mean a lot of things: that life is fleeting, that every day brings a new challenge, or that maybe you should cancel those plans to visit the Palace of Westminster next year. But according to the official Command & Conquer 4 website, it only means one thing: the RTS series is coming to a brand new medium in 2010, "never created for the C&C franchise before, until now." The image above is a sneak peek, the site says, but doesn't give us anything more than that. Four color us crazy, but we look at the intricate chiaroscuro, inking, and shading above, and the words "comic book" jump to mind. But maybe that's too obvious. We'll be happy to follow C&C into whatever new medium it has planned, as long as it brings Tricia Helfer along. [Via Blue's News]
Command & Conquer 4 trailer features the art of fetching tiberium
While we chew our nails in quiet desperation for StarCraft II, let's see what's going on in that Command & Conquer: Tiberian Twilight (we love you, Edward!) game, with a new trailer for the fourth installment. In Tiberian Twilight (we love you, Jacob!), which releases March 16, it appears that players will fetch tiberium from landing zones, which they'll turn in for upgrades and vehicles of destruction -- the tiberium, not the landing zones ... turning in LZs would be absurd ... yeah, um ... *tap, tap, tap* Okay, now where's StarCraft II? %Gallery-75428%
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight sets out on March 16
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight will set upon retail on March 16 in North America and March 19 in Europe. The game will conclude the Tiberium storyline started many dusks and dawns ago in what was then Westwood's cherished RTS franchise. Pre-orders will grant access to the multiplayer beta, along with the game's soundtrack and a bonus mission.Meanwhile, if the rumors are accurate, the Command & Conquer team can sadly expect to receive their dismissal papers from Electronic Arts around that time. It must be disturbing to live life like Rell the Cyclops (you know, from Krull!) and know the time of your own termination.
C&C 4: Tiberian Twilight screens shoot more beams than a Pink Floyd Laser Show
While the subtitle could use some work, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight's look is coming along nicely. EA recently deployed some new media from the game, all showing off the ongoing war between the Brotherhood of Nod and the GDI forces. Their conflict is eternal -- kinda like Tom and Jerry, but with way less slapstick and lots moar lazorz.Hit up the gallery below for the new screens, which are oddly devoid of all that XP we saw in the last batch. %Gallery-75428%
Command & Conquer 4 subtitled 'Tiberian Twilight'
Here at Joystiq, we endeavor to have something for everyone. For example, we thought you real-time strategy fans would be interested to hear that the fourth installment of Command and Conquer had been subtitled "Tiberian Twilight," presumably because it supposedly brings the Tiberium story arc to a close. EA says more than 15,000 fans voted to select the name. For you non-strategy fans, we've provided the following zingers on the subtitle. "Tiberium Twilight? That series should have been put to bed years ago." "Tiberium Twilight? Is that because it'll put us right to sleep?" "Tiberium Twilight? As if it wasn't bad enough, now they're adding vampires that sparkle in the sunlight?" "Tiberium Twilight? Wouldn't 'The Newest Command and Conquer Until Around Six Months From Now When We Release Another' have been more accurate?" For you who can't be troubled to feel one way or the other, we put a video of a kid getting hit by a giant slingshot after the break. Don't ever let it be said we're not inclusive.
Command & Conquer 4 screens full of tiny units, XP
Click image for more real-time screens EA has released some new Command & Conquer 4 screens, which, while bearing a passing resemblance to previous titles in the venerable real-time strategy series, do offer a few glimpses at the gameplay changes EA has in store (like persistent player progression). Just try not to be bummed about the severe lack of Kane in today's Command & Conquer 4 post, okay?%Gallery-69870%
Command and Conquer 4 debut trailer features swirly balls
The whole "Tiberium infestation" seems to have gotten a tad worse since we last left the Command and Conquer series. The recently released debut trailer for the fourth installment in the core franchise (posted after the break) features no gameplay, but includes a great deal of the chartreuse crystal that the world can't seem to live with (or without). It also features an appearance by bald-headed Nod leader Kane, a possible alliance between two old enemies, and a glowing, swirly ... ball ... thing.Confused? We're right there with you. Check out the trailer after the break, but brace yourself -- we won't find out what the hell is going on until 2010.
Command and Conquer 4 requires constant internet connection
Writing on the Command and Conquer Den, community manager Aaron "APOC" Kaufman said that those who play the single-player campaign of Command and Conquer 4 will need to constantly be connected to the internet, in much the same way as players of MMOs. "As of right now, you need to be online all the time to play C&C 4," he explains. "This is primarily due to our 'player progression' feature so everything can be tracked. C&C 4 is not an MMO in the sense of World of Warcraft, but conceptually it has similar principles for being online all the time. While some may be taken aback by this, we've been testing this feature internally with all of our world-wide markets."OK, indulge us in a bit of conjecture. What strikes us as weird is that, just last week, What They Play editor John Davison said on 1UP's Listen Up that he wouldn't be surprised for games to adopt a streaming model (read: no physical media) by the time C&C 4 is released. It seemed sort of oddly specific at the time, but now we're wondering if there might be more reasons that your computer has to be connected to play. Just saying.[Via Voodoo Extreme]
