"Command & Conquer to feature faster paced matches, may have starter packs"

[kane_magus]

“We are toying around with starter packs,” Caneghem explained. “Maybe selling them for $30 to $40 and including a half-dozen generals and some currency. That would be for players who don’t want to start from scratch and don’t want to be a totally free player.” By “totally free” he means that everything in the game can be unlocked through play, though you will be able to sign up to a premium service to earn more credits, accrue experience faster and so on. You’ll also be able to purchase generals, perks and the like via microtransactions.

I weep for what Command & Conquer used to be, compared to this travesty.

(EDIT)

Oh, also this, which I somehow missed: "Command & Conquer to get episodic campaign missions for singleplayer and co-op"

A Command & Conquer game with an episodic storyline. What. Well, I guess that's better than it having no single-player campaign at all, as was originally to be the case? *confused shrug*

(/EDIT)

Comments

ugh...

[rabbitucker.livejournal.com]

Stupid Electronic Arts! You should be more like Westwood! You know, the guys you bought... and fired... and whose studio you dismantled... grr...

"Starter Packs." Frickin' "starter packs." The only things you should have "starter packs" for are CCGs and miniature games.

Re: ugh...

[kane-magus.livejournal.com]

Between this, the fiasco that was the new SimCity (http://kane-magus.livejournal.com/tag/simcity) game, and them turning Ultima (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_%28series%29) into a terrible free-to-play mobile phone game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Forever:_Quest_for_the_Avatar)... *weary, defeated sigh*

If the original creators of these franchises were to, say, make Kickstarter projects or something similar for the purpose of raising money to buy their IPs back from the clutches of EA, I would give them all of the money. Even if they never made new games in said series afterward and just sat on them forever, that would still be better than the desecration EA is currently subjecting them to.

[spate.livejournal.com]

If it's a decent storyline with some ludicrous cameos, I'd be interested. I don't think the IP alone could carry it at this point.

I'd say one of the main blockers for folks would be the inevitable Origin account requirement, but after that recent Humble Origin bundle I'd guess everyone has one now..