Command and Conquer Junkie

This post is in no way an attack on our friends at EALA but I feel its something that requires discussion, especially after a recent story I just read at Kotaku about Ubisoft’s new DRM system crashing and locking out paying customers in the process. Ok let face it, despite what EALA have said, Command & Conquer 4’s online requirement, where you need to be connected to the internet at all times to play the game is a form of DRM. You could call it DRM in disguise if you wanted to. Once you have your copy of Command & Conquer 4 installed, every time you start the game it will “dial home” to EA’s servers to check your allowed to play it. Ok this fine, hopefully it fights the pirates, but as the story on Kotaku mentions, servers go down and the game no longer works. But the real part that stings is the fact that Ubisoft’s new DRM system doesn’t work because it has already been cracked, and all it does is inconvenience the gamers who paid for the game, yet the pirates play on happily. When it should be the other way around.

Is this what we have to look forward to? Imagine this after the release of the game. All you want to do is fire up Command & Conquer 4 and play some single player. But sadly EA’s Command & Conquer 4 servers don’t appear to be responding, so sorry you don’t get to the play the game you paid for. I guess we can only hope that EA’s servers are much better than Ubisoft’s. And lets not forget about the public relations and reaction if this happens. It has been nothing but a nightmare for Ubisoft, are EA looking down the same barrel?

Command & Conquer 4’s release is only just over a week away but this whole online requirement/DRM debate is something that will never go away.

Here’s another new wallpaper from Kane Nash. This one features the new and improved Nod Avatar from Command & Conquer 4. Now I become death, the destroyer of worlds.

1280×1024 | 1600×1200 | 1920×1200

This wallpaper is available in range of screen sizes. Pick yours from the links above.

While speaking with Gamasutra as part of a larger interview to be released in the coming weeks, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight designer, Sam Bass praises Blizzard’s long time in development RTS, StarCraft II. Despite it being a competitors product. He feels it will be a positive to Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight and hopefully educate gamers in modern RTS play, and get back online and start playing the games. These are certainly some interesting comments. Here’s more from the article.

Click here to read the full story. This is sure to provide some heated discussion.

The time has come! The Command & Conquer: The Motion Comic is now available for your viewing pleasure.

The latest Command & Conquer 4 unit profile has been posted on the Official C&C Site. This profile features the much talked about (based on its appearance), the Nod Avatar. As always this profile features a short in game video, concept art and extra information. Here is a sample….

Click here for the full Nod Avatar profile.

Just in time for the launch of Command & Conquer 4 on the 16th of March in the USA, 19th of March in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Direct2Drive.com is bringing you an exclusive chat with Command & Conquer 4 Producer Sam Bass! Hosted by IGN.com Editor Eduardo Vasconcellos, you will get to ask the questions. Just post them on the event page at Facebook, or IM them in during the chat, and Sam and Eduardo will try to answer your most burning Command & Conquer 4 questions. The event will take place on Facebook via Direct2Drive’s Vivox Voice Chat Channel on Monday the 8th of March, at 12 PM PST (that’s 8 PM for UK fans). Full details on how to participate in this special chat can be found right here.

Command & Conquer 4 fans in Singapore should take advantage of the great deal being offered by EA Singapore. Pre-order Command & Conquer 4 and you will get the soundtrack and exclusive bonus mission. Plus you will get the following.

• 3D Lenticular Cover Art
• C&C 4 Black T-shirt
• C&C 4 Black Tote Bag

And that’s not all, bring any original C&C game disc to a participating retailer over the next 2 weekends. You will be issued a “$15 off” coupon to be used when you pre-order the game. The full details of this pre-order offer can be found here.

Time is running out in the Command & Conquer 4 Multiplayer Beta, you can still download, install and play it over the weekend. But you will only have until the 8th of March. After that the beta servers will be closed in preparation of the release of the game on the 16th of March in the USA, 19th of March in New Zealand, Australia and Europe.

Click here to join the Command & Conquer 4 Multiplayer Bet

A whole bunch of new Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight concept art work featuring the Nod Crawlers has been posted on Kich Ma’s own blog site. Kich Ma is an artist at EALA. There is even a great close up look at the damage states for the GDI Kodiak and Nod Salamander. Check them out below.

More concept art can be viewed inside our big Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight Concept Art gallery.

German C&C site, CnC-welten.de, has posted a new interview that they had with EALA designer, Jason Bender. It covers a lot about Command & Conquer 4 as well as a few other interesting things. One really notable bit of news from this interview is the fact that sandstorms will appear in some of the maps. Here is a sample from the interview.

Click here for full the interview in English. It can also been read in German.