CEO Ray Muzyka: To answer broadly and then specifically, I’ll start with the broad discussion of what Bioware means as a label. It means a couple of things: there’s the philosophy of Bioware and our vision of creating, delivering, and evolving the most emotionally-engaging games in the world. And there’s a large overlap between real-time strategy fans and RPG fans and MMO fans. So, we’re excited about the opportunity get into a universe that I enjoyed - I enjoyed Command and Conquer a lot and a lot of the people on the rest of the Bioware label enjoyed it a lot. So partnering with Bioware-Victory allows us to pursue that vision in the RTS space.

It doesn’t mean we’re going to implement story in the way that you’ve seen in Bioware games previously, it doesn’t mean won’t implement story either. What it means is we’re going to implement story and emotionally-engaging content in a way that’s appropriate for that genre. And delivering that Bioware quality is another aspect of that vision - creating, delivering, and evolving really high-quality games that emotionally compel and engage.

There’s another aspect of the Bioware label [and] that’s how we do things, the process by which we do things. Sharing knowledge between team members, enabling technology and moving back and forth between different genres and enabling different genre groups to pursue excellence in their own respective fields. We have a business unit dedicated to social games, a business unit devoted to RPGs - the Mass Effects and Dragon Ages and other future products - a business unit dedicated to MMOs. These are all examples of how we’re pursuing excellence in different areas that are extending our brand but definitely not diluting it. They’re enhancing and adding. It’s a very careful, thoughtful evolution and growth and it’s all in ways that [are] consistent with our core values around quality and emotionally-engaging content.

The more specific answer is that we have some awesome people that we’ve partnered with at Bioware-Victory and we’re really excited about that, you know, John Van Caneghem [General Manager of Victory Games] and others who a lot of experience and passion for the space. And I think we’re going to do some amazing work. You know, Generals is a really interesting IP, it’s one of the most compelling, and it’s certainly the one that fans have been clamoring for a sequel for the most. So bringing the Bioware fundamental vision of the most engaging content and really high-quality gameplay, combining that with appropriately-woven story that also lets you experience this amazing, kick-ass action, what RTS fans expect, and all of the features that real-time strategy fans demand, and 'giving the team the time and space to build something that’s completely awesome.' That’s what we’re really doing here.

Command and Conquer Tiberium Alliances brings the battle to your browser in this epic strategy MMO. Compete or ally with your friends in a worldwide war for precious resources. Based in the Command and Conquer Tiberium story world, C&C Tiberium Alliances allows players to experience C&C in a brand new way. Using HTML 5 technology, players are able to access their game from any web accessible browser making this one of the first truly portable mmo strategy titles to hit the market.

I can’t express how happy I am to announce the next installment in the Command and Conquer franchise, Generals 2. It’s been great to see the enthusiasm and activity within the community over the past year while you waited for more information, and I thank you all for your patience. Since the announcement of this studio in February, we’ve been listening to your feedback and are excited to bring back the beloved, action-packed game-play you remember from C&C Generals, modernized for a new era, and built on industry leading technology. What you see today is a tiny taste and just the beginning; we can’t wait to show you more.

Additionally, I am excited to announce that Victory Games has joined the new BioWare label within EA. We are all huge fans of BioWare, especially of the uncompromised quality that comes along with every product. Our mission here does not change—we’re still committed to making best-in-class strategy games—and joining the BioWare family will give us the tools we need in order to succeed. This has been a seamless transition, as we share the same core values and passion for making games as BioWare, in order to deliver immersive, high-quality experiences for our fans.

More information will be coming in the near future, so sign up for the newsletter and check back in at www.CommandandConquer.com for the latest!

Thank you,
Jon Van Caneghem

"The Red Alert is based directly off the seminal Red Alert's art and gameplay. Not aiming to model realism, the mod instead endeavors to recreate the essence of the original title. The Red Alert will bring the addictive heart-pounding gameplay of this C&C classic to a world-class 3D engine, complete with all the original units, including those from the Aftermath expansion."

"Huge changes are incorporated in the patch, most notably the anti-cheat bits, the map downloader, the auto-updater, but also loads of bugfixes and other improvements, such as a fix for blue hell."

GameReplays: Name, age, location please.

Cypher: Mark "Cypher" Kotlyar, 28, Israel.

GameReplays: Some background if you will.

Cypher: Well, I'm married with two amazing kids. I've served in the Israeli Navy, on a fast patrol boat and then as a Logistics Officer in the Naval HQ. I retired with the rank of Lieutenant and moved to Home Front Command and am serving as an XO of the HQ Company of a Rescue Regiment, with the rank of Captain. My wife, by the way, is also a Captain in the Army.

My involvement with C&C began when I bought a "collection" CD which included cool games like Sonic, Panzer Dragoon, Epic Megagames and EA's Firefight, and two cool games without movies or music - C&C Red Alert and C&C 95. I actually first played RA, cause I couldn't get C&C to work. And even then, not even all the levels, cause it was buggy. It was actually after Tiberian Sun came out that I got... well, fanatic about C&C. I got the World Wide Warfare pack and replayed everything. With all the movies, music and the works.

That's when I got involved with PlanetCNC, as a features and news writer. And involved with so many arguments about the plots of the various games, and not being bale to stand inaccuracies and basic misunderstandings of logical extrapolations, I started compiling the C&C Encyclopedia.

CNC Saga: You are now Global Community Manager of EA, respectively Command and Conquer. A very difficult task, if you behold the person afore: APOC. Which feelings cause this and how does your new task feel?

EA_CIRE: There is one thing in which I’ve already beaten APOC – I am taller! But seriously, I know what footsteps he left behind and I have to try my best to fill them. It is a great feeling and a huge honor to be APOC’s successor. It also feels good to work with this great team to form the future of C&C. Everybody saw how disappointed the community was with C&C4, and that makes me even more anxious to see the reaction of the C&C community once we reveal the new project we’re working on.

CNC Saga: What can you tell us about Victory Games, the new EA studio and about the new Command and Conquer?

EA_CIRE: The new studio is great. We have these three offices around the world and everyone is specialized on a specific aspect of the game. That sets the base for delivering a AAA C&C game. Also it is great to know that there are still people on the team who’ve worked on C&C for a long time. Many people known by the community left in the past, but we still have some people here on the team who’ve worked on every single C&C since Red Alert 1!

CNC Saga: What do you think about the future of Command and Conquer?

EA_CIRE: To look into the future is always hard. But I think that C&C can be at a similar point as it was in the 90’s.

Eric - AKA: CIRE...

I finally got the GO to lift my dark haze, so I can now announce my new job position here at Victory Games, located within EA Los Angeles. What is my new job? You - the Command & Conquer Community - are my new dedicated full time job. Every actively involved community needs a strong voice at the studio to represent their opinions! And that will be the focus of my new job. I already know many of the hardcore leaders around the C&C world, but most of them don’t know me, so let me tell you a bit about myself.

Who am I?
My name is Eric, I am 23 years old and I live in Germany, well at least for now, because the sun and warmth of Los Angeles is already calling my name. I have been part of the C&C Community since the release of Generals in 2003. As the years passed by, I worked on different projects and community sites like CnC-Inside. It was in early 2007 when I started to see the community from another side - the EA side. The EA Community Team, which takes care of different EA franchises like Battlefield, Need for Speed and C&C for local European areas, asked me to join their team. I had some really great years collecting a lot of experience working with the community and contributing to projects like CommandCOM with our local Community Managers and APOC. Now, I find myself in the hot seat as your new global Community Manager for C&C, which is quite an honor for me.

Eric: I am here with Jon Van Caneghem, the GM of Victory Games. Today you announced the name of your new studio as Victory Games - can you talk about what that means?

JVC: Sure. Victory Games was created to be the focal point for the creation of strategy games for the Games Label at EA. Our current focus is making a AAA Command & Conquer game, which I am very excited to be working on. I’ve always been a big Command & Conquer fan.

Eric: A new Command & Conquer game? What can you tell me about it?

JVC: I can tell you it’s a Command & Conquer game for the PC, but we’re not yet at a stage where I can go into any details - we’ll be prepared to make a more formal announcement laer in the year. We’re not just working on a game, though. Our general focus is on the future of Command & Conquer. That means updating a lot of the core technology to create a stable base for future development, and leveraging that work on this first game.

Eric: Sounds like you’re very busy, and I’m looking forward to that announcement. Back to the studio, why “Victory Games?”

JVC: The initial idea came from the obvious parallel of winning in a strategy game, where the word “Victory” often ends up on your screen. The reason I think it fits so well is when you look at how to be successful in strategy games: it’s the ability to anticipate, plan, and react. This is no different when it comes to the gaming industry – you must anticipate the direction of the genre and marketplace, plan for what the consumers are looking for, and stay nimble enough to react to environmental changes.

Eric: Where is Victory Games located?

JVC: We have offices in Los Angeles, CA; Austin, TX; and Shanghai, China. It almost feels like one location though, as we have video conferencing systems setup 24/7 which offers us a stronger and more personal level of communication between offices.

Eric: You re-launched the Command & Conquer website today - can you talk about that?

JVC: Yes, you will notice a few key upgrades on www.commandandconquer.com today. We’ve got a new look and feel, new and improved forums, and a much cleaner interface. Luckily we’ve hired a talented new community manager to help support all of these initiatives.

Eric: Why thank you! What else can you tell us about the people behind Victory Games?

JVC: We’ve put together a team made up of some of the best talent from previous Command & Conquer games along with a great mix of quality industry veterans. Everyone that we’ve brought on board is very passionate about making strategy games.

This happened all of sudden, and quietly. EA stealth-rebooted its Command & Conquer website, announcing in quick sucession a new community manager, a whole new studio and a brand new, mystery C&C game.

We thought it was all over. (C’mon, we didn’t think it was all over for even a second). It isn’t now. Sounds like they’re really going for it this time. Commandingly, they sound like they want to conquer strategy again.

Edit – Voodoo Extreme report the site has reverted to its pre-OMG NEW GAME status, which suggests a cat was let out of the bag by mistake.


Very, very few details to go on as yet, but the new studio is based in three locations (LA, Texas, Shanghai), is called Victory Games and will head up EA’s entire strategy portfolio (somewhat hobbled by the closure of EA LA last year). Was there really not a Victory Games before? It is a fine name. They should be proud of it.

The telltale line, so far, comes from the aforementioned new studio’s boss Jon Van Caneghem, who says in an interview with his own site that “Our current focus is making a AAA Command & Conquer game, which I am very excited to be working on…”

Thankfully, AAA for once doesn’t mean ‘console.’ He continues, “I can tell you it’s a Command & Conquer game for the PC, but we’re not yet at a stage where I can go into any details— we’ll be prepared to make a more formal announcement later in the year. We’re not just working on a game, though. Our general focus is on the future of Command & Conquer. That means updating a lot of the core technology to create a stable base for future development, and leveraging that work on this first game.”

Knock Knock - I got a present for ya!

Hello my beloved C&C Community. Yes, your thoughts are right as there is a new Community Manager here at the Studio to fight for your needs. I can’t tell you much about me right now, but I want to make sure that you all know that I am one of yours - I grew up with the whole C&C franchise and have been a dedicated part of this awesome Community for over 7 years now. But now the time has come where we need to get over the mistakes we’ve made in the past and use the lessons learned to prepare for the new C&C era.

I will tell you who I am with our first BOOM we’re preparing - you will love it! So stay patient, my army of commanders. We’ll need you on the future battlefields!

And trust me, I don't want to walk around with a paper bag on my head forever!!!

Voting will take place online, www.artofvideogames.org, from Feb. 14 through April 7, 2011. A valid e-mail address is the only requirement to vote. The website will offer participants a chance to vote for 80 games from a pool of 240 proposed choices in various categories, divided by era, game type and platform. The winning games will be displayed in the exhibition as screen shots and short video clips. The website will include an online forum where gaming enthusiasts can campaign for particular games and voice their opinions about the selections. The games on the voting site were selected for their graphic excellence, artistic intent and innovative game design. Results will be available online in May.

Anyone else get that feeling when playing any of the recent mainstream RTS games? It was novel at first. But now, it is work. When you are playing anything but "no rush 5 minutes, n00b game"s, be it single player missions or multi player matches, you are building the base because you have to. Because it is your only way to build up an army. And, for the most part, you do it in a time constraint, fearing the coming onslaught of Red Helmeted Fanatic Zerglings under strict orders from Saruman to wipe you off the face of Middle Tib Sara.

The Stealth Tank is a stalwart of the Tiberium universe, being part of the arsenal of the Brotherhood of Nod in every Tiberium game since the release of Tiberian Dawn. In each game it has appeared in, it has had the same role: a medium anti-air unit.

"A Command & Conquer game is in the 'earliest stages of development' by a team located in Los Angeles," a rep told GameSpot. "Though not part of Visceral, this RTS team reports to Nick Earl, General Manager of EA’s Action/RTS group. Command & Conquer is a long-running, wholly-owned EA franchise that we continue to invest in."