Red Alert 3 announced

[Funkula]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=1127

I am cautiously optimistic. The hints of new stuff (armored bears, Imperial Japan faction with transforming tanks) sound like they know what Red Alert is about: awesomely insane superscience. On the other hand, C&C3 was a flaming pile of dogshit, so there's that. I'm really hoping for something in the vein of RA2, which basically delivered exactly what I want from an RTS (loads of personality, lack of fiddly micromanagement, war zeppelins with shark faces).

[Wholly Schmidt]

You had me at armored bears, but had you not, you would have had me immediately after at transforming tanks.

Tanks Arthur!

[TomChick]

Then I don't need a jacket!

I couldn't care less what franchise it is, assuming this is the next step for the fellas who did Battle for Middle Earth II and C&C3. The EALA devs doing their RTSs are doing great work. Just keep throwing money at them and let them go!

-Tom

[schurem]

You actually liked C&C3 didn't you? I agree with the OP on that game, but i do have high hopes for RA3.

[TomChick]

Yep, I liked C&C3 quite a bit. It was a great example of an action RTS.

-Tom

[Rock8man]

The "regular" C&C games never clicked with me, but the Red Alert games (and C&C Generals) always win me over with their over-the-top units and just general wackiness. Like the mission in Red Alert 2 where you have to take down an entire Russian base with Tanya and a few spies. Or the Soviet campaign in Yuri's Revenge where you do a whole mission with nothing but psychic soldiers that take over enemy units and make them do their bidding.

C&C Generals had that same flavor with the over-the-top terrorist faction and the way the Chinese "hackers" earned money by having little dudes with laptops sit around earning money by hacking. Stuff like that adds so much flavor and humor to the games. I love it.

[Thierry Nguyen]

A minor elaboration from someone I know on the team:

parachuting armored bears.

[Dave Long]

Command & Conquer 3 is number four on my 2007 top ten. It's easily one of my favorite games from the past year or two.

Very happy they're doing Red Alert 3... and Kane's back in March!

[ciparis]

A minor elaboration from someone I know on the team:

parachuting armored bears.

Sold.

[Wholly Schmidt]

A minor elaboration from someone I know on the team:

parachuting armored bears.
Now I'm buying two copies.

[AndrewM]

Now I'm buying two copies.

One for me, and one for my armored bear!

[DragonPup]

What's more deadly than a godless killing machine? An armored godless killing machine. Sold.

[Brinstil]

This news makes my pants tight. Red Alert 2 was such a goofy, awesome fun game. And now with armored bears? I think I have the vapors!

[Aeon221]

Are these bears... pandas?

[RightWrong]

Are these bears... pandas?

Quick, some one at EALA hire this man.

[wildpokerman]

Also on PS3? Somehow I can't imagine playing a red alert game on a console but if they can make it fun I'm there.

[Wheelkick]

Also on PS3? Somehow I can't imagine playing a red alert game on a console but if they can make it fun I'm there.

I think they failed at making C&C3 fun on the 360, but people have reported that BfME2 was ok with a gamepad.
Then again, the PS3 supports a keyboard so whatever...

[KieronGillen]

Armoured... bears? Which parachute? What a wonderful world we live in.

KG

[Kareem]

Between parachuting armored bears and jetpack brontosauruses, I think I can conclude that I like the direction PC gaming is taking.

Also, can't wait for Red Alert 3, I always hoped they would be working on that instead of the Tiberium series with C&C3. Hopefully we'll see a lot of the characters from RA2 make it into the game - Tanya, Yuri, etc.

[Kid Socrates]

Parachuting armored bears? They really don't have to add anything else, now. I'm ready. They sold me.

[tromik]

I was always more of a fan of the RA games, but my buddy always looked like he was having more fun with the C&C games. Calling in giant space ion lasers is pretty cool.

EB has C&C3 pretty cheap, but they see the C&C Mega Collection for $40 which includes EVVVVVVERRRRRRYTHING. How do those (updated?) older games run in Vista?

[Luke M]

Did anyone see this:

http://pnmedia.gamespy.com/screenshots/pcnc/89300007.jpg

and get excited at the propects of a game that finally brings the visual style of Team Fortress 2 or Jet Grind Radio to the RTS genre? And then see, say, this:

http://pnmedia.gamespy.com/screenshots/pcnc/78675833.jpg

and think, "What a nice looking C&C 3 mod."

Oh, and regarding the public beta test: I bet EALA is finally dumping Gamespy. They were hiring some network programmers with "experience in matchmaking service development" last year. And Red Alert 3 will be their first RTS to have a public beta test. Wouldn't want to unleash a new gaming service to the masses without insuring that it's solid, right?

Ironically, EALA was the one RTS company that managed to consistently wrangle Gamespy into something usable.

[Tankero]

They fear the specter of Starcraft 2.

[RightWrong]

What about the visual style of Jet Grind Radio or Team Fortress 2 would you want imported into the Red Alert series? It's grown into a disdain for the realistic but that doesn't convince me that cartoony makes a perfect fit. I'm no artist either, but I feel that besides unit differentiation, there's not a lot of artistic techniques directly translatable from those games. 99% of the time, you're viewing those buildings and units from the highest altitude available. Aside from the voxels, the design of the units was one of my favorite aspects of Red Alert 2, and it appeared a lot more creative.

[Mike O'Malley]

That woman's uniform is...odd.

[Funkula]

Yeah, not many military uniforms seem designed to accentuate the hoo-ha in quite the way that one does.

[Shadari]

Now if only they'd add sharks with laser guns mounted on their heads, I'd be completely sold on this.

[Lokust]

Now if only they'd add sharks with laser guns mounted on their heads, I'd be completely sold on this.
You forget - this is the Red Alert universe. It would need to be sharks with tesla coils mounted on their heads.

[André Costa]

What i want are some ...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/Corpseraper/Nextwave-AgentsofHATEpage16.jpg

[Aeon221]

They should make Peter Sellers a hero in the game. He would damage everything within a 15 mile radius while screaming in a bad French accent!

Oh man, Panda versus Panther!

[Tankero]

Will this game german-accented, de-nazified rocket troopers? ParaBears vs Panzerfausts.

[Kunikos]

Woah, am I late to learning that RA3 will support CO-OP campaign play?!

New gameplay video: http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/52751

[JetLagger]

Also on PS3? Somehow I can't imagine playing a red alert game on a console but if they can make it fun I'm there.

Looks like the rumors were true, the ps3 version is "on hold". Whatever that means in polite business PR speak?

From Strategy Informer: Jonathan Goddard, PR Manager for EA said; “We can confirm that the development of Red Alert 3 for PS3 has been put on hold. EALA is focusing resources on development for PC and Xbox 360 which will ship simultaneously this autumn.”

Link: http://www.strategyinformer.com/news/1269/confirmed-red-alert-3-put-on-hold-for-playstation-3

Pc gaming is do0med...

-Tim

[Kareem]

The last gameplay video they released was interesting. For one thing, you can build almost entire bases in the water, which should make for interesting map dynamics.

Also, they are adding quirks like enemies on higher elevation being invisible to units on a lower elevation.

Finally, most of the units are amphibious in the sense that they transform into a naval transport counterpart when you move them towards water. I think this feature was in Rise of Nations or Rise of Legends first.

[Aeon221]

The last gameplay video they released was interesting. For one thing, you can build almost entire bases in the water, which should make for interesting map dynamics.

Cool.


Also, they are adding quirks like enemies on higher elevation being invisible to units on a lower elevation.

Starcraft (and it was annoying there too!)


Finally, most of the units are amphibious in the sense that they transform into a naval transport counterpart when you move them towards water. I think this feature was in Rise of Nations or Rise of Legends first.

Rise of Nations. I didn't like it, because it meant that water served as an invasion gateway rather than a barrier. You absolutely had to spam light boats just in case they sent in teh transports.

[wildpokerman]

Anyone know if Klepacki is doing the music? If so this is a total buy for me!

[JD]

Anyone know if Klepacki is doing the music? If so this is a total buy for me!
Hmmmmmm hmmmmm (http://www.ea.com/redalert/news-detail.jsp?id=13).

-Julian

[Naeblis]

Hmmmmmm hmmmmm (http://www.ea.com/redalert/news-detail.jsp?id=13).

-Julian

Can i dream with more varied music like in the first C&C? I want classical music, and rock, and funk, and industrial, and techno and...

[Ranulf]

polka!

[Naeblis]

polka!

I am a mechanical, i am a mechanical, i am a mechanical man!
/dances polka.

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=V-nNchLkej0

[André Costa]

More Hell March please!

[roguefrog]

lol wut (http://www.ea.com/redalert/factions-empire.jsp?id=YurikoOmega)

http://images.ea.com/games/redalert3/Units/Yuriko/RA3_Yuriko1sm.jpg

[intruder]

I'd hit it.

[Thierry Nguyen]

She's Gogo Yubari crossed with "TETSUOOOOOOOO!!111"

[unbongwah]

Russian war bears and Japanese psychic schoolgirls?

SOLD

It's too bad I suck so bad at all C&C games, but that's almost beside the point.

[Ridah]

I think they failed at making C&C3 fun on the 360, but people have reported that BfME2 was ok with a gamepad.
Then again, the PS3 supports a keyboard so whatever...

What are you talking about? C&C3 360 was an improvement over BfME2 360 as far as control and performance...

[Tankero]

Hey! The copy of Kane's Wrath I just bought came with a beta key! Maybe I'll get to give feedback on such matters as armored bears, their different uses, and the proper dimensions, and fitting instructions of hotpants!