Electronic Arts wants to incorporate the Tiberium and Red Alert settings into the free-to-play Command and Conquer that’s coming out later this year, and it’s putting some work into the single-player side of things too.
There was a time when Command and Conquer was the big dog in the real-time strategy yard, but like so many titles in the EA lineup, its glory faded and passed under the publisher’s ever-more-desperate flogging, until finally, mercifully, it was put down. EA announced late in 2011 that it’s being resurrected, not as a conventional release but as a free-to-play online game, and while that may not inspire confidence in long-time C&C fans (or anyone else, for that matter) the company has some pretty big long-term plans for the game.
“At the outset we’re starting out in the Generals universe, with an initial set of three factions. I think the first things you’ll see come from us will be additional maps, additional game modes and additional generals to help tailor play to your own style,” Tim Morten, the senior development director at developer Victory Games, told VG247. “Longer term we’re looking at revisiting other C&C universes such as Tiberium and Red Alert, and even exploring completely new fictions. The vision is expected to continue for years and even decades down the line.”
Morten also told CVG that despite earlier reports, the game will support single-player action, although not likely to an extent that will give it much appeal to gamers looking for a single-player-only experience. “At launch, players will have the ability to play single player Skirmish against AI. There’ll also be a co-op Onslaught mode against waves of AI,” he said. “Longer term we want to start exploring mini-campaigns, perhaps even more fully-fledged campaigns. We got the message loud and clear that that is something the audience cares about so we don’t want to let them down in any way.”
The game was originally announced as Command and Conquer: Generals 2 but has since been rechristened with the more expansive title. Command and Conquer is currently slated to launch later this year; signups for the closed beta are now being taken at commandandconquer.com.
