Command and Conquer 4

[R3APR]

Yes... that's right.... Kane is BACK!!! *sigh* Again?!

EALA sent out a press release officially announcing Command & Conquer 4, saying the PC-exclusive RTS sequel will ship next year:

Guildford, UK., July 9, 2009 - behold disciples of Nod, the end is soon upon us. Electronic arts inc. (nasdaq: Erts) today announced that, after almost 15 years and 30 million games sold, eala is bringing the award-winning tiberium series to an epic conclusion with Command & Conquer 4. Shipping in 2010, Command & Conquer 4 will introduce a multitude of innovations to the classic fast and fluid command & conquer gameplay while retaining the core compulsions that fans have come to love over the series’ history. Introducing new class-based gameplay, mobile bases and persistent player progression throughout all game modes, command & conquer 4 offers players new, innovative and compelling strategic depth.

"Command & Conquer is a powerful franchise with an amazing 15-year legacy. We are thrilled to bring the dramatic tiberium saga to a conclusion in Command & Conquer 4. This game is designed to give fans all the answers they've been looking for," said Mike Glosecki, lead producer of command & conquer 4 at EA Los Angeles. "With its objective-based multiplayer mode, persistent player progression and all-in-one mobile base, players will experience command & conquer like never before."

The story of Command & Conquer 4 takes place after the events of the critically acclaimed Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium wars. The year is 2062 and humanity is at the brink of extinction. With only six years left until the mysterious crystalline structure tiberium renders the earth entirely uninhabitable, the two opposing factions - global defense initiative (GDI) and the brotherhood of Nod - inevitably find themselves in desperation for the same cause: To stop tiberium from extinguishing mankind. The unthinkable becomes reality and Nod's enigmatic leader Kane takes off for GDI headquarters. What is kane planning in the heart of his enemies' base? Command & Conquer 4 draws the epic conclusion to the beloved tiberium universe, where fans will learn the fate of earth, nod, tiberium, gdi and most importantly, kane’s motivations behind his decade-long plan.

In addition to the two campaigns on the epic battles of gdi and nod, which players will get to conquer alone or in a cooperative mode, Command & Conquer 4 will also feature a new 5v5 objective-based multiplayer mode, promoting teamwork and cooperation and delivering a social real-time-strategy experience never seen before in a Command & Conquer game.

Command & Conquer 4 is being developed at EA Los Angeles and will ship to retailers in 2010 for the PC. The game has not yet been rated by the esrb or pegi. For more information about the game, please visit www.commandandconquer.com or follow the community and development team on twitter at http://twitter.com/ea_apoc. The July 24th episode of Battlecast Primetime will give fans the latest news and exclusive information on Command & Conquer 4. Additionally, Gametrailers TV will exclusively reveal the fist cinematic trailer for Command & Conquer 4 in its July 23rd episode on Spike TV.

In related news, Gamespot interviewed designer Samuel Bass to get some of the details of C&C4. Here's a snip:

GameSpot: We're pleased to be the first to officially reveal Command & Conquer 4 to the world. Give us an overview of the game...we understand there will be many changes and new additions.

Samuel Bass: Command & Conquer 4 is pretty different from anything we've done before. While we're staying true to the core of real-time strategy play, we've also dug deep into what makes Command & Conquer the series it is and come up with a game we're really excited to finally reveal [to] the world. The most immediately impactful piece of information is that with Command & Conquer 4, we're finally taking the story arc that began with Tiberian Dawn to its dramatic conclusion. After years of enigmatic references to "Kane's plan" and "ascension," we felt it was high time we pulled back the curtain and really explored the what, why, and how of this universe we love so much. However, that's just the story. There's a ton more that's new to C&C4 besides--notably our class system, our RPG-like elements and persistent player profiles, our massively revised multiplayer backend, and a hundred other things worth talking about.

GS: We understand, for instance, that the game will be "class-based." Can you explain how this system will work? For instance, will there be specialized "hero" characters that you can choose to play as?

SB: We've subdivided each of our factions into three upgradable classes. Each class--outside of a few standard units, such as the engineer--consists of an entirely distinct set of units, structures, powers, and upgrades; the equivalent of a full RTS faction.
Our "offense class" is your classic RTS faction, tank-oriented and focused on frontline combat. With the "defense class," however, the emphasis is on infantry, bunkers, and turrets, which lets you build complex defensive grids and really hold down a section of the battlefield. Lastly, we come to the "support class," which is based around utilizing a selection of aircraft and custom vehicles to traverse the environment. Once engaged in combat, support players can fight directly or assist their teammates with a variety of powers and [healing abilities].
It should be noted that while each class has a specialized focus, we are designing all three to be entirely competent as a direct combatant. Whatever class you're playing--offense, defense or support--will be more than capable of taking out your enemies on the battlefield.