EA Discusses Command & Conquer's New Digital Model

[Sonic 293]

Following up on the EA job cuts from last week, the news has come through that confirms the closure of Los Angeles based Pandemic Studios, so more changes with EA. Also mentioned in this news is something that affects the future of the Command & Conquer franchise and EA's "New Digital Model" for it. Part of this new direction includes the hiring of Jon Van Caneghem, formerly of Trion World Network. He will be the man to revitalise the Command & Conquer franchise. Here's part of the story courtesy of Kotaku.

 

In a memo to employees today, Nick Earl, EA Games Label senior VP, confirmed the closure of Pandemic Studios LA. He also touched on a new direction for two of its key franchises, Command & Conquer and Medal of Honor.

 

Last week, we reported that the core Command & Conquer team would be let go following the release of Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. While Earl didn't touch on those rumored changes, he confirms that Jon Van Caneghem, formerly of Trion World Network "has recently joined EA to transform Command and Conquer with a new digital model that is going to re-ignite the fan base for this franchise."

Click here for the full story. A similar news item can be found at Gamasutra.

[Nmenth 289]

a new digital model that is going to re-ignite the fan base for this franchise.

Wonder what that means...

[Sonic 293]

No idea, because its to early to tell. The positive part of this news is the fact that C&C still has a future and EA aren't that stupid to let the name die.

[mirza044 4]

"has recently joined EA to transform Command and Conquer with a new digital model that is going to re-ignite the fan base for this franchise."

Sounds interesting, and perhaps promising, but time will tell.

[Gben 20]

I thought this was a post about digital only downloads, then I wondered if they are talking about MMOG...

 

quotes from Kotaku article...

 

What the hell is a "digital model"?

 

@badasscat: It could mean a number of business models but the basic tie-in between all of them is the internet.

 

So, it could mean ...

1. Free-to-play and supported by microtransactions.

2. An MMO or similar "always-online" game.

3. Heavily tied into DLC expansions packs and general content.

And so on.

I think C&C is going to head in the direction of that second option. A persistent online 'world' that has players choosing factions that influence how and where you can fight.

However, I am not sure how to monetize that beyond a subscription fee. Would consumers want that? Perhaps a combination of one and two could work?

(Did C&C3 do something like this? Perhaps I am thinking of another game, but I could have sworn it did ...)

 

@GohanGVO: I was making a point, and you illustrated it, which is that nobody knows what the hell this jargon-esque term "digital model" means. "It has something to do with the internet!" is not a business model.

 

@badasscat: Xbox Live is a digital model.

A WoW subscription is a digital model.

Maple Story is a digital model.

There are many "digital models," including the ones I outlined. C&C will, apparently, make use of one, many, all or a new form in order to extend the life of the new product.

Or perhaps I am completely wrong.

[Nmenth 289]

C&C still has a future and EA aren't that stupid to let the name die.

...yet.

[[NE]Fobby[GEN] 10]

Man, they're really playing hot potato with this franchise.

[Malevolence 6]

I'm not sure if this is going to be a good thing, but at least the franchise may be alive for a long time, then again I'm also skeptical to see if it'll be in good hands.

[Troopzor 5]

Right now I'm thinking some sort of MMO. Which could be cool. Especially if they just made a Renegade MMO with a persistant, and HUGE, world.

[Nmenth 289]

If there's a monthly fee, for whatever it is, then I'm out. That is the one and only thing I absolutely will not accept from any game, in any franchise, made by any company; paying for it more than once.

[sith_wampa 6]

EA Games label president Frank Gibeau said something similar in an investor call, saying that EA plans to focus on more of its "core IP" and proven "blockbusters."

 

Does this mean C&C has a bright future?

[Luk3us 63]

No, that means that from now on, instead of releasing one Fifa/Basketball/Sport game per year, they will release TWO! :P

[Mighty BOB! 4]

Jon Van Caneghem, formerly of Trion World Network.

Am I supposed to know who this is?

 

a new digital model that is going to re-ignite the fan base for this franchise.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[Saracen 16]

Former Trion eh? Well he did get together with the former EA online vice president to create Trion.

 

For those not in the know, Trion is an MMO server base founded back in 2006. It has yet to run any games on its servers, yet will eventually have the MMORPG Heroes of Telara and Petroglyph's yet unannounced MMORTS as part of its infrastructure.

 

By pure speculation then, since Jon Van Caneghem (who was inducted into Gaming's hall of fame for masterminding the Heroes of Might & Magic Franchise) has experience in the MMO & RPG sectors. That C&C will soon become an online only MMORTS with a persistent world on EA MMO servers.

 

Unfortunately therefore you cannot call this "Digital Model" any other way. If this is indeed the case, you'll probably be looking at the final game in the Franchise for some time yet. There may be a possibility that there will be a Red Alert variant. But from what I can gather from the news and such recently. The franchise may be a name worth keeping, but it's obviously not drawing in enough sales to be considered profitable enough.

 

So in turn, if they can set the model up with a pay-to-play format similar to World of Warcrack, then they'd be looking at a C&C MMORTS loss-leader. In turn which will stimulate a fully online only business model for EA to recoup their losses. Should this risky strategy work out, then in all possibility, EA may look at developing C&C titles as we've known them in the past. However, if it falls flat.... Then the franchise would be considered more in question than ever, and it potentially could be shelved forever (like so many great franchises that EA own).

 

If that's the case, I wouldn't expect any other publisher to buy the franchise outright. EA wouldn't want it unless the license could be bought at an extremely high price. Which too is unlikely. I hate to say this, but after the C&C MMORTS is out, you'll have to draw questions over the future of this Franchise. Obviously Apoc will be here for some time yet to support the next 2 titles which will undoubtably be released. But from there , it's anyone's guess.

 

At the end of the day, it'll be the community that will be relied on to keep this franchise alive. Since an MMORTS is more than likely. You're gonna have to dig deep to protect this franchise from failure.

[mirza044 4]

Former Trion eh? Well he did get together with the former EA online vice president to create Trion.

 

For those not in the know, Trion is an MMO server base founded back in 2006. It has yet to run any games on its servers, yet will eventually have the MMORPG Heroes of Telara and Petroglyph's yet unannounced MMORTS as part of its infrastructure.

 

By pure speculation then, since Jon Van Caneghem (who was inducted into Gaming's hall of fame for masterminding the Heroes of Might & Magic Franchise) has experience in the MMO & RPG sectors. That C&C will soon become an online only MMORTS with a persistent world on EA MMO servers.

 

Unfortunately therefore you cannot call this "Digital Model" any other way. If this is indeed the case, you'll probably be looking at the final game in the Franchise for some time yet. There may be a possibility that there will be a Red Alert variant. But from what I can gather from the news and such recently. The franchise may be a name worth keeping, but it's obviously not drawing in enough sales to be considered profitable enough.

 

So in turn, if they can set the model up with a pay-to-play format similar to World of Warcrack, then they'd be looking at a C&C MMORTS loss-leader. In turn which will stimulate a fully online only business model for EA to recoup their losses. Should this risky strategy work out, then in all possibility, EA may look at developing C&C titles as we've known them in the past. However, if it falls flat.... Then the franchise would be considered more in question than ever, and it potentially could be shelved forever (like so many great franchises that EA own).

 

If that's the case, I wouldn't expect any other publisher to buy the franchise outright. EA wouldn't want it unless the license could be bought at an extremely high price. Which too is unlikely. I hate to say this, but after the C&C MMORTS is out, you'll have to draw questions over the future of this Franchise. Obviously Apoc will be here for some time yet to support the next 2 titles which will undoubtably be released. But from there , it's anyone's guess.

 

At the end of the day, it'll be the community that will be relied on to keep this franchise alive. Since an MMORTS is more than likely. You're gonna have to dig deep to protect this franchise from failure.

I agree.

 

[Sonic 293]

I'll throw another idea out there. Perhaps there are plans to resurrect Westwood's old C&C Continuum concepts. Here's a quote from Adam Isgreen (formally of Petroglyph), this was part of interview series we did back in 2005 for C&C's anniversary (I really should put that section back online).

 

Continuum was a MMORPG for people that didn't like MMORPGs (i.e. stand there and swing).

• "C&C meets Zelda meets Counterstrike" - that was the pitch line I always used. C&C universe, Zelda-like controls, Counterstrike style tactical combat.
• Had instanced "crisis zones" in it (this was EQ1 era, remember), hubbed flight routes, scripted boss battles, and a lot of other ideas that have shown up in all the MMORPG since. I guess they were good ideas!
• Set in the Tiberian future, with GDI, Nod, Mutants and CABAL. Scrin to be added later. We had Los Angeles half underwater, Area 51, Dino island, Newark airport a mutant city, etc.
• Combat was much more fluid and movement-oriented than most MMORPGs. Range was important for weapons use, and there were layers of counters for the weapon types.
• Creatures had many console-game-boss sensibilities, in that you could expose weaknesses on them and then hit those for extra damage.

Of course the whole GDI/Nod/Scrin ideas will be dropped.

 

Whatever the future holds for C&C it probably going to be a new IP all together. New story, basically new **** all round.

[Malevolence 6]

Gee, this sounds like a MMO. If that's the case, sorry I will not be part of it.

[Sonic 293]

Its just speculation and guess work Malevolence. Don't be so hasty to condemn a product that has never been announced.

[recover 2]

So we guys need re-igniting, huh?

[BioBen 3]

Geh... Change... MMO's... New management... Geh...

[Sonic 293]

Seriously speaking guys, C&C needs to be changed. Yeah the changes in C&C 4 are different but after all these years do you really want another version of same game? And now with this new direction or the "New Digital Model" as EA call it, C&C has a chance to be reinvented.

 

Firstly sit back and say "Holy ****, C&C has a future!" then think about the exciting and interesting times that await us. On other words, try to be more optimistic. The sad part is for these changes to take place real people at EALA will be out of job.

 

The future of C&C - bring it on bitch!

[Hannibal 0]

For some reason, the more I learn about CNC 4, the more I'm scared that they'll mess it up hugely. "Conclusion of Tiberian saga" + huge load of completely reinvented and potentially un-CNC-like stuff = worrisome. I don't want my conclusion to the Tiberian saga to be plagued with a bunch of lame features that mess up the core CNC game. I'd much rather they experiment all this new stuff with a CNC game that ISN'T the conclusion to our beloved franchises' story. Then, if it works, keep it in CNC 4.

 

 

Don't fail me, Tiberian Twilight, don't fail me.

Edited November 19, 2009 by Hannibal

[Sonic 293]

This news thread is actually dealing with what's happening after C&C 4 Hannibal.

[Hannibal 0]

Haha, wow, brain fail or something. Least I don't have to worry about CNC 4 becoming an MMO or some other atrocity. Point still stands about other changes being made to CNC 4, but that's not relevant here.

 

I was thinking, man, it's kind of weird to be discussing new digital models for CNC 4 considering it's already in beta and all...

 

Let's forget that happened.

 

 

ANYWAY, the news that CNC is surviving is good, especially considering that CNC 4 will end the Tiberian storyline. I'm wondering what they're meaning by "Command and Conquer" though. Generals Online? World of Red Alert? A completely new universe? A prequel to the Tiberian storyline?

 

I really have no idea.

 

 

Maybe they mean in the next game, no more live actors, and just digital models! Or... something.

[Mighty BOB! 4]

C&C Arena?