Electronic Arts is calling its announcement of Command & Conquer going free-to-play a "bold step to spearhead the industry’s digital revolution". I may be cynical, but I think that step's been taken by a few publishers and developers well before you.
Regardless, this is interesting news no matter how cynical you are. The previously announced Command & Conquer Generals 2 is been folded into the new free-to-play game, which itself is being touted as a complete, triple-A experience.
“We are thrilled about this opportunity to transform Command and Conquer into a premier online experience,” said Jon Van Caneghem, VP/GM at EA, in today's announcement. “For nearly two decades, this franchise has existed as something you buy; now we are creating a destination where our fans will be able to access the entire Command and Conquer universe, starting with Generals and continuing with Red Alert, Tiberium, and beyond. With Frostbite 2, we are able to keep an emphasis on the AAA quality our consumers expect while staying true to the RTS gameplay they know and love – all available online for free.”
The game will be online next year, and will utilise the Frostbite2 engine - so we can expect some gritty and pretty destructive goodness on a whole new scale. Check out this first gameplay trailer, and head over the official site for more info.
