command and conquer
Latest
GC 2008: Red Alert 3 cast not likely to be taken seriously
The thing about camp, i.e. the utter failure of seriousness, is that it's often difficult to judge whether it's intentional or not. The live-action cutscenes populating EA's (and Westwood's before that) Command & Conquer games have always had an aura of sincere goofiness about them, the source of which can be traced to somewhat respected actors playing all-too-silly roles all too seriously. But is this done on purpose, or did the director read about "tongue-in-cheek storytelling" in a review somewhere and just decide to go with that? Either way, we're more than happy to see EA unveil a "star studded" cast (complete list after the break) for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, which includes George Takei, Tim Curry and J.K. Simmons, who plays the "anti-communist U.S. President." Simmons, who doesn't give a wooden nickel about your legacy, thinks video games "are one of the new frontiers for actors" and thought of the role as a "great opportunity for a character actor like me to have some fun." Also allowed to open her mouth in the press release: Jenny McCarthy, who plays Allied commando Tanya. "What I realized is Red Alert 3 is not just a video game, it's absolutely an interactive movie. This is where the people at home get to move the story forward, and where seeing the plot thicken is a reward for a job well done." In case you weren't aware, "that's really cool."Red Alert 3 is out on Xbox 360 and PC this fall in both regular and Premier editions.
EA's Tiberium gets smacked with the delay stick
The primped and preened EA executives had to pass along some not so enjoyable video game delay news during the EA Q1 conference call last night and, with a heavy heart and misty eyes, we must tell you that Tiberium will be seeing a delay. Sniffle, sniffle. According to the EA execs, the Command & Conquer based FPS Tiberium (initially thought to release later this Fall) will now hit retail shelves sometime in EA's fiscal 2010. Meaning that Tiberium will release sometime after March 31st, 2009. Odd too, because we thought the gameplay footage they released back in January looked pretty polished. Bleh.
Red Alert 3 skipping PS3 due to 'exotic and tough' development
Apparently, developing games for the PlayStation 3 is roughly comparable to that one time we pushed a wheelbarrow full of lovely, scantily clad ladies up and down the beach -- "exotic and tough." Speaking to VideoGamer.com, EALA producer Amer Ajami used those words to elaborate on the decision to halt PS3 development of the Hitler-free real-time strategy romp, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. "We actually announced a PS3 version early on but that was when we were still doing a lot of technical exploration of the architecture," explained Ajami. "PS3 is a very powerful system but as you guys know it's very exotic and tough to develop for and our engine really at the time wasn't designed for PS3." Couch commanders need not give up all hope, though, as Ajami notes EA "might go back and do something with the PS3 later on." Also just like that time we pushed a wheelbarrow full of lovely, scantily clad ladies up and down the beach.**We went back to apologize. Gallery: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer FPS Tiberium delayed to fiscal 2010
During its quarterly earnings conference call, EA announced that its first-person romp through the popular Command & Conquer universe would not be released until the company's fiscal year 2010. Converting that information into a format your calendar will better understand: Don't expect Tiberium to arrive before April 2009. We expect this delay from the game's previous Fall 2008 release date will better allow the designers to craft exciting weapons, insert formidable enemies and carefully remove any elements which could remind us of the last time someone tried to make a C&C FPS.
New Red Alert 3 trailer shows off Rising Sun troops
Electronic Arts has released a new trailer for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 that shows off units from The Empire of the Rising Sun faction. Expect lots of flashy planes, Gundam-esque mechs and the arguably non-alliterative Tsunami Tank. The embed isn't working, so head to Gamespot to watch it. Red Alert 3 will be out this Fall for PC and Xbox 360. Gallery: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Feel Kane's Wrath all weekend long
Next weekend will officially be a Command and Conquer: Kane's Wrath Live weekend, only because the Xbox.com folks say so. (What can we say, they do they want.) Celebrating the release of Kane's Wrath, next weekend you can expect to participate in a Play and Win giveaway where hourly prizes will be awarded, a Game with Fame session with the voice of Kane Mr. Joseph D. Kucan on Saturday, July 12th and even a Game With Developers event on Friday, June 11th with nine members of the Kane's Wrath dev team. Yup, it'll be a busy weekend full of commanding, conquering, Kane and wrath. Good times will be had.
Fanswag: Kane's Wrath bobbleheads and more
Fanswag returns this week with something pretty unique. In honor of Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath, EA hooked us up with three prize packs, each including a talking Kane bobblehead. That's right, you could have C&C's perennial villain sitting on your desk, being all evil and bouncing like a school girl. We've got three of 'em along with some additional swag for three prize packs total. If you'd like to get your hands on a bobblin' Kane, simply do the following. The game is called Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath. Leave a comment on this post telling us what Kane is so angry about. Only one comment per person will be accepted. Posters of multiple comments will be disqualified. We'll accept entries until 6:00PM Eastern time today, June 23, 2008. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. This giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec). Later today, we'll pick 3 winners via a random drawing Three winners will each receive a Kane bobblehead and two randomly chosen pieces of Kane's Wrath merchandise (hat, keychain, mug, etc) Complete giveaway rules can be found here.
Global Conquest mode removed from Kane's Wrath
CVG recently confirmed with EA producer Jim Vessella that the stand alone Xbox 360 release of Command and Conquer: Kane's Wrath will not ship with the touted Global Conquest mode. The decision to remove Global Conquest, a mode that has been quite popular among PC Kane's Wrath gamers, was made after EA discovered that it wasn't a favorite among focus testers. "We found that it was a bit more niche type of gameplay" Vessella told CVG, "the turn-based gameplay wasn't gelling as much with the 360 fan base."But fear not fellow C&C fanboys, the 360 version of Kane's Wrath will still include the exclusive Kane's Challenge modes as well as exclusive Kane video content. And, of course, you can always look forward to unlocking more achievements!
Command and Conquer team 'very interested' in PS3
Miss the PS3 version of Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3? Wish it were here? How about Kane's Wrath? Electronic Arts and the C&C devs reassures PS3 owners they plan to commit to the platform and will give it the "attention it deserves" relatively soon. They said "we are very interested in the PS3. We're big fans of the console. We're definitely moving forward on that front for hopefully our future titles," but also said not to look for Kane's Wrath on the PS3 yet. Any games they move onto the PS3 will have their hearts and souls put into them so they are not a simple port -- but of course, there's no timeframe on any of this. We're glad they're interested, but actions speak louder than words, so until we get more information, we'll give them a slight nod and await more information.
C&C Kane's Wrath brings the wrath June 23rd
EA recently announced that Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath, a game that is too awesome and cool on the 360 to be a boring digitally distributed download (here's looking at you PC), will be hitting retailers as a stand alone retail release on June 23rd for $39.99. And yes, that is nearly three months after our expansion pack accepting friends on the PC have been experiencing Kane's Wrath. Oh well, at least C&C fanboys on the 360 will have an additional 1000 Gamerscore to look forward to and get a Kane bobblehead as well. Take that! Ha!
Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath unleashes June 23 on Xbox 360
Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath for Xbox 360 will hit retail with a vengeance on June 23. ShackNews reports the game, which was an "expansion pack" for the PC version of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, will not require Xbox 360 owners to own the original game.Kane's Wrath on Xbox 360 will cost $40 and contains an "exclusive challenge mode." EA also released a video about the achievements available in the game, which we've placed after the break.%Gallery-2994%
C&C: Red Alert will be 360 console exclusive [update]
Update: For clarity's sake (she's a demanding girl), Eurogamer specifically says that EA has "halted work" on the PS3 version of Red Alert 3 and that development on it "has most definitely been paused." So, reeling back our fanboy speculation a touch, this means that the status of the project is still up in the air as EA hasn't officially canceled it. We cool now?Interesting news out of the EA camp today as it was just announced that the Playstation 3 version of the upcoming Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 has been canceled halted with no reason given. Eurogamer is reporting that EA has stopped production on the PS3 version leaving its development at a question mark status and will focus their developing efforts on the Xbox 360 and PC versions. Also, it's good to know that the cancellation "on pause " status of Red Alert 3 for the PS3 will not affect the game's scheduled Fall release on other platforms. So, the only place to get your console RTS fun this Fall will be Red Alert 3 on the 360 ... or Halo Wars on the 360. That is if Ensemble can get it out the door sometime this year.
EA discontinues work on Red Alert 3 for PS3
EA has confirmed to Eurogamer that production on Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 has halted for the PS3. The publisher gave no explanation for the full-stop and didn't allude to any time when development may start up again.The Xbox 360 and PC versions of Red Alert 3 will apparently benefit from the refocusing of the PS3 resources and are still expected to launch this fall. Gallery: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
DS Daily: Strategic desire
It's only natural we'd follow up yesterday's morning topic with a similar one today, in light of the recent news. So, let's switch focus to strategy titles. Which franchises, no matter what system they reside on, would you like to see make it on DS? It can be a straight port or a valid DS entry, built from the ground up.Want to see Command & Conquer on your DS? The prospect of Starcraft on your DS still lingering around your brain? Let's hear it!
C&C3: Kane's Wrath - Command Stick Trailer
As real-time strategy games have their moment in the sun on the Xbox 360, the question of control always lingers. Can a controller simulate a mouse and keyboard properly to play an RTS?The answer is no. It can't. That's why developers are rethinking the way RTS games handle on consoles and so far they've been pretty successful. Now the question is based on speed. Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath introduces a new scheme to the mix hoping to correct that problem with the new Command Stick. Promising to reduce the amount of clicking required to complete simple tasks like building your base and training new units, the Command Stick is expected to speed up the overall experience of the console RTS.The video is embedded in low quality above, but for those purists who need to see it in HD jump over to Big Download and download the full trailer in its high-resolution hotness.
New Red Alert screens are very very wet
Click for high resolution image. These new Red Alert 3 screens really show off the new focus on naval combat. Take a long hard look at the pics. Do you see the underwater wreckage there? That's a pretty neat visual effect. At first we were thinking they were underwater facilities. Imagine that. Now that would've been even cooler.%Gallery-16114%
EA spills further details on Red Alert 3
IGN sat down with EA Los Angeles executive producer Chris Corry to discuss the upcoming multi-platform RTS, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. Several new info regarding the previously revealed new faction, revamped naval combat, and co-op campaign mode have surfaced.One of the most delightful changes in RA3 is how there is a stronger emphasis on naval combat. Corry talks about how battle maps will now contain more water bodies, and that there will be amphibious units that can go on both land and sea. The biggest shocker about this focus on aquatics is that players can now build their home base out at sea. Corry says this will add a huge amount of strategical value to the game as there's more of a reason to evenly build and command navy, air, and land unit.Another big item, is the co-op campaign. The game is designed around gameplay for two people and is all about "coordinated assaults." Even if there isn't a buddy around online to play with, there will be a selection of unlockable AI generals to help you out. Each general will have a unique personality and strategic style. Moving things onto the new Empire of the Sun, Corry reveals they'll be the most technologically advanced out of all the factions. Corry doesn't confirm there will be super giant robots though, but he does confirm that "transformation plays a significant role in [the Japanese] faction." Sweet. Will we be seeing vehicles combine too?
C&C3 Kane's Wrath: Details, Release Window
Commander and Conquer 3 has had downloadable content in the past, but this summer EA LA will release the first (and so far only) single-player expansion to the popular RTS. As previously reported, the expansion will include radial menus, as well as new units, upgrades, abilities and a new game mode, Global Domination. The new single-player content consists of 13 new missions that are then broken into three separate chapters, each telling a bit of a different story. The expansion will use a feature called Sub-Factions to tweak the army choices, offering more specific choices for those who want a specific army, as well as new abilities for the units in those armies. In addition the game now has a "Skirmish Mode" that is similar to the War Room from the earlier Advance Wars games. With all this new content that has a large effect on the core gameplay this single-player expansion really does seem to be worth it, however long we've waited.
Red Alert 3 going to consoles too
Click for high-resolution image. Perhaps you've already heard about the unveiling of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 through the cover of PC Gamer's upcoming April issue. But perhaps you haven't heard that this latest installment in the Command & Conquer franchise is making its way to consoles. That's right, EA has announced that Red Alert 3 will be going multi-platform on both the PS3 and the Xbox 360. A big theme in the Red Alert series is time travel, and if there was any lesson that the series could teach us, it would be that it's never a good idea to try and alter the past. In Red Alert 3, history as we know it is warped by time traveling Soviets who end up doing more harm to themselves than good; instead of saving their precious "Mother Russia," they rekindle a sleeping dragon in the east, "The Empire of the Rising Sun." With a new faction vying for power, there will be tons of new units like armored bears mixing in with the more familiar likes of war blimps, tesla tanks, and intelligence dolphins. But with the Japanese Empire thrown into the mix, can we expect to see some super giant robots? We certainly hope so. On another note, Red Alert 3 features a co-operative campaign mode, which is designed to let players team up with a friend during the main campaign. Naval combat is hinted to undergo a rather large change according to EA Los Angeles executive producer Chris Corry who said that they've taken it "into the heart of the game design." So we'll probably be seeing a lot more oceanic battles in this Red Alert. Along with the announcement of World in Conflict going to the PS3, this bit of news is a double score for RTS fans. %Gallery-16114%
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 unveiled
EA is clearly no longer interested in keeping the development of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 a secret, what with the forthcoming title appearing rather prominently on the cover of PC Gamer's April 2008 issue. Though details are currently scarce, Red Alert 3 is likely to provide another strategic romp through an alternate history that began when a time-traveling Albert Einstein erased Hitler from the history books. The unfortunate side-effect, of course, was the rise of Soviet power and stylized, AK-wielding ladies (pictured). The game's intended platforms have yet to be revealed, though our keen journalistic sense tells us that the PC Gamer cover hints at an appearance on the ... Gizmondo? No, that can't be right. If only EA would quit Stalin and give us some more info![Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
