Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Command & Conquer hoping to 'wash the stain of C&C 4 away']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/command-and-conquer-hoping-to-wash-the-stain-of-candc-4-away/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/command-and-conquer-hoping-to-wash-the-stain-of-candc-4-away/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/command-and-conquer-hoping-to-wash-the-stain-of-candc-4-away/#comments

Electronic Arts and developer Victory Games really, really want you to know that the upcoming, free-to-play Command & Conquer is a legit game. To get back to the roots of what made C&C the franchise it was, the new game is doing its best to make us forget the last ... five years.

Continue reading Command & Conquer hoping to 'wash the stain of C&C 4 away'

JoystiqCommand & Conquer hoping to 'wash the stain of C&C 4 away' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>command-and-conquer-2013command-and-conquer-generals-2eaelectronic-artsvictory-gamesFri, 10 May 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Navigating the free-to-play landscape in Command & Conquer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/navigating-the-free-to-play-landscape-in-command-and-conquer/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/navigating-the-free-to-play-landscape-in-command-and-conquer/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/25/navigating-the-free-to-play-landscape-in-command-and-conquer/#comments Command & Conquer Punching through routes in EA's freetoplay sequelThe term "free-to-play" carries with it a certain stigma in the video game industry. It invariably causes gamers to flinch, calling to mind social games like FarmVille. However, as more recognizable experiences enter the realm of free-to-play software, the knee-jerk reaction has begun to subside. With the Command & Conquer series launching under the freemium banner later this year, it would appear that EA is banking on tamer attitudes toward free, microtransaction-based titles.

Despite the simplified, non-sequel sounding name, EA's free-to-play Command & Conquer is a continuation of the strategy series. First announced as Command & Conquer: Generals 2 in 2011, developer BioWare Victory plans to launch the game this year with a campaign that continues the Generals lineage, and later refresh the free-to-play game with content set in the Tiberium and Red Alert universes.

There lies a very ambitious development plan in place for this series, with gamers playing a key part of the process. Immediately after launch, Victory says it will begin crunching numbers and plugging into the fan community to see what needs to be fixed, changed, or tweaked. Victory promises changes based on this feedback will be implemented every week. Calling it a "Live Service," Victory anticipates the instant feedback will allow Command & Conquer's new free-to-play focus to improve and expand quickly.

The downsides of shifting to a free-to-play focus are immediate for franchise fans. Though there will be single-player content, Command & Conquer will not include a single-player campaign and Victory has no plans to include cutscenes or cinematics, which is a massive blow to series supporters. Additionally, Command & Conquer is another in EA's growing list of games that require a constant internet connection.

Gallery: Command & Conquer (Screens and Renders: 02/25/13)

Continue reading Navigating the free-to-play landscape in Command & Conquer

JoystiqNavigating the free-to-play landscape in Command & Conquer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>command-and-conquer-2013command-and-conquer-generals-2EAElectronic-ArtsF2Pfree-to-playpcVictory-GamesMon, 25 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Command and Conquer sets aim for beta in first half of 2013]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/05/command-and-conquer-sets-aim-for-beta-in-first-half-of-2013/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/05/command-and-conquer-sets-aim-for-beta-in-first-half-of-2013/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/05/command-and-conquer-sets-aim-for-beta-in-first-half-of-2013/#comments Command and Conquers sets aim for beta in first half of 2013Command and Conquer, EA's upcoming free-to-play iteration, is targeting its beta for the first half of 2013. Community Manager Eric Krause laid down the window in a candid blog post, saying the beta will be the longest ever for a Command and Conquer game.

Krause also used the post to name-check Command and Conquer 4 as "especially far below the expectations and standards a lot of us had for C&C games." It's interesting to see EA openly criticize its previous efforts, but maybe not surprising given the publisher's approach to the new game. There's been much talk of new directions and bringing the franchise back to its roots, so it's clear EA wants fans to know it's trying to win them back.

That includes listening to said fans. EA President Frank Gibeau recently revealed Command and Conquer will have single-player, in response to negative feedback about the decision to can it. By the sounds of it, Victory expects next year to be a slog through many months of further feedback from the beta.

JoystiqCommand and Conquer sets aim for beta in first half of 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabioware-victorycommand-and-conquer-2013command-and-conquer-generals-2EAf2ppcvictory-gamesMon, 05 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Command & Conquer: Generals 2 has no single-player campaign, could be added after launch]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/20/command-and-conquer-generals-2-has-no-single-player-campaign-cou/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/20/command-and-conquer-generals-2-has-no-single-player-campaign-cou/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/20/command-and-conquer-generals-2-has-no-single-player-campaign-cou/#comments Another shift has come to the world of Command & Conquer: Generals 2, with BioWare Victory General Manager John Van Caneghem announcing the free-to-play game will not include a single-player campaign.

Speaking with PC Gamer, Van Caneghem said the focus for BioWare Victory was to develop "co-operative and competitive" skirmishes as the core of the latest game to carry the C&C insignia. More modes - including a single-player campaign - could be added in the future, based on community demand, but the developer has yet to reveal how adding that content will work.

BioWare Victory's aim is to bring Generals 2 "back to the roots of what made Command & Conquer great," letting you build a devastating number of units and kill off the competition in a dedicated online space.

Originally announced as a new retail game during the 2011 Spike VGAs, Generals 2 has since been shifted to one part of EA's effort to create a free-to-play universe surrounding the Command & Conquer license. "We decided to choose Generals as the first set of games we build under the universe, but we'll be expanding after that, like Tiberium and Red Alert as well as some others as well. But Generals 2 was the first one, and it was one of the biggest sellers, as well as the fanbase has been asking for it for some time," Van Caneghem said.

We're not sure that losing a campaign and shifting to a free-to-play model is exactly what C&C Generals fans had in mind when making those requests, though.

JoystiqCommand & Conquer: Generals 2 has no single-player campaign, could be added after launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BioWare-VictoryCommand-and-Conquercommand-and-conquer-2013command-and-conquer-generals-2Free-to-PlaypcMon, 20 Aug 2012 20:30:00 EST