Younger players may not be very familiar Command & Conquerbut there was a time when IP was practically synonymous with the real-time strategy genre. First Command & Conquer a game that came out in 1995 and predates genre juggernauts like StarCraft and Total warlaunched a dynasty of strategy titles and trend-setting spin-offs, setting the stage for a franchise flooded with iconic releases.
First Command & Conquer it enjoyed great success and was immediately followed Command & Conquer: Red alert spin-off in 1996. Strong commercial and critical performance Red alert led to a bifurcation of the series, with the main games being called the Tiberian games, following the fictional substance at the heart of their multiplayer plot. The series would be prolific throughout the 2000s, receiving several spin-offs and spin-offs, including an FPS Command & Conquer: Renegade. But despite its reach, prestige, and bustling online multiplayer and modding community, Command & Conquer they mostly fell off the face of the earth by the end of the decade, with the last official entry into the main line being Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight at the beginning of 2010.
The golden age of Command & Conquer
Westwood Studios' first big RTS didn't really have anything to do with it Command & Conquer: the Vegas-based studio initially found success with Dune 2 in 1993. Despite the game's warm reception, Westwood decided instead to create a different IP, built on different terrain, lore and technology. So the first one Command & Conquer was born
Command & Conquer is set in the near future after humanity has come into contact with Tiberium, a mysterious substance with an extreme value matched only by its volatility and dangerous effects. A cult society called the Brotherhood of Nodu claims to have predicted the coming of Tiberius and worships him as a kind of sacred manna. This puts the group at odds with the Global Defense Initiative, a multinational counterterrorism organization. The game is split into two different campaigns, one where the player supports the Global Defense Initiative and one where they work for the Brotherhood of Nod.
This near-future sci-fi premise and split campaign structure will define Command & Conquer move forward. The series was effectively divided into two main collections:
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The Tiberian Command & Conquer games follow the story premise established by the former Command & Conquer. It is known to have more serious themes and increasingly prominent science fiction elements.
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The Red alert Command & Conquer the games take place before humanity makes contact with Tiberium. It follows an alternate history premise where the Soviet Union launches a major offensive against the Allied nations. Known for having a lighter tone that grew more prominent with each entry.
The turning point of Command & Conquer
Electronic Arts bought Westwood Studios in 1998, just two years after the first one was released Red alert. EA oversaw Westwood Studios during its development and shipping Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, Red alert 2and RenegadeFPS spin-off. Despite these games being critically well-received, EA figured it out Renegade and Earth and beyonda budding MMO project from Westwood, failed to meet sales expectations. Westwood Studios was officially closed in 2003 and the development Command & Conquer the franchise was transferred to EA Los Angeles.
Several developers from Westwood went on to create Petroglyph Games, known for original projects such as Guardians of Graxia and 8-bit armies.
EA Los Angeles managed to do it justice Command & Conquer heritage for a few records, expedition of well-rated games like Command & Conquer: Generals and Command & Conquer 3: Tiberian Wars. Outfit LA has also proven that it can successfully oscillate between Tiberian and Red alert C&C games. But many longtime fans agreed that EA Los Angeles only improved upon and built upon what Westwood had already created. The Command & Conquer the franchise was running out of new ideas.
These new ideas would come, but not in the way most players wanted. While generals, Tiberian Warsand Red alert 3 were generally well received, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight marked a new critical and commercial low for the series. Critics and players alike claimed that among other issues Tiberian twilight was too different from the original C&C formula, de-emphasizing or removing key mechanisms such as resource gathering.
How Command & Conquer Unraveled
Tiberian twilight it is not without advantages, but it was the beginning of the end for Command & Conquer. The game was by a significant margin the lowest-rated entry in the series, sitting at an alarming 64 on Metacritic. Unfortunately, the future Command & Conquer games would do little to reverse this decline.
EA Los Angeles renamed itself Danger Close Games in 2010 and shifted its focus to Medal of Honor series. Command & Conquer was split between EA Phenomic and EA Redwood Studios, which produced it Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances and Command & Conquer: Rivalsrespectively Tiberium Alliance was quickly met with accusations of plagiarism Warhammer 40,000and while EA put out that fire early on, the end result was still stunning. 2012 MMORTS were mostly written off as a lukewarm, watered down game that had little to do with C&C basics.
Command & Conquer: Rivals it turned out even worse. Released in 2018, this free-to-play mobile game has only a passing connection to the wider world C&C franchise, and despite maintaining a somewhat loyal mobile audience, is widely considered to be one of the worst entries in the series.
Failed reboots and a gap in the market
Command & Conquer remains iconic and beloved by many, not least because of his most recent records. EA tried to revive the series as a result Tiberian twilightnotifying Command & Conquer: Generals 2 in 2011. It could have been promising considering the strong reception of the former generalsbut Generals 2 quickly morphed into a free-to-play mobile game simply titled Command & Conqueroriginally planned for release in 2013. But according to EA, early access player feedback was so negative that it warranted a complete cancellation. Reboot FTP has therefore been canceled and its developer, Victory Games, has been terminated.
Today is perception Command & Conquer the mobile game is somewhat of a mixed bag. Positive sentiment is not uncommon among those who claim to have played the beta, though it's hard to say whether its wider adoption would reflect such optimism. Either way, Command & Conquer the mobile game is the last time EA made an honest and public push to continue the series' foundation. Since then, audiences have only seen remasters and the like Command & Conquer: Rivals.
What would have to happen for Red Alert 4 to exist
EA May try to gauge current interest in Command & Conquer IP before making any serious moves. summers of 2020 Command & Conquer Remastered Collectionwhich includes upgraded versions of the first Command & Conquer and the first Red alertwas well received. This may have prompted EA to release 2024 Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collectionwhich includes everyone C&C game up to Tiberian twilight.
While Command & Conquer it's never really been forgotten, it's been pretty stagnant, and these remaster collections could help spark more interest in the series. If the hype is considered significant enough, the EA may very well deliver C&C rear. A publisher has seen success in rebooting or remaking their legacy IP, such as Dead universe and Skate. New Red alert the game will be next C&Cand it could be just the shot in the arm the IP needs. And with the RTS genre now having something of a minor renaissance, with games like Tempest Rising and Age of Empires 4 marks a new dawn, there's plenty of relevant, high-profile talent for EA to mine.
