EA Rewrites History in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

Business Wire, Feb 14, 2008

Be Among the First to Return to Red Alert with the Exclusive Beta Invite in Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath or the Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- After a seven-year hiatus, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced the return of Red Alert, one of the most beloved and best-selling real time strategy (RTS) series of all time. Command & Conquer([TM]): Red Alert[TM] 3, for the PC, Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION[R]3 computer entertainment system, takes players on an epic adventure to a breathtaking alternate future spawned by time travel run amok. Developed by EA Los Angeles, Red Alert 3 breaks new ground in the RTS genre, featuring a fully co-operative campaign while bringing back the series' light-hearted style and classic, action-oriented gameplay.

"The Red Alert games are known for challenging hardcore strategy gamers with depth, variety, and innovative gameplay. But they also belong to that rare breed of games that can draw in more casual players with their over-the-top stories, instantly accessible mechanics, and straight-to-the-fun design," said Mike Verdu, General Manager of EALA. "With Red Alert 3, our team is continuing that proud tradition by introducing genre-first features like co-operative campaign play, which rewards veterans and casual players alike. In Red Alert 3, friends and family can always have your back!"

"It's been too long," said Chris Corry, Executive Producer at EALA. "Fans have been waiting for a new Red Alert game for seven years, and we're working hard to ensure its well worth the wait. The team is staying true to the series' roots while adding new elements like a co-operatively played story-driven campaign, an astounding new faction that will shake-up the Red Alert universe as we know it, and units that will help make Red Alert 3 everything our fans have been waiting for. And by bringing naval combat into the heart of the game design, we're transporting that fast, fun and fluid C&C gameplay to the high-seas in ways that you've never seen before."

In Red Alert 3, the desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.

Red Alert 3 asks the question "What If?" What if every bizarre research project and technology experiment for the last 70 years had actually borne fruit? What if the Philadelphia Experiment, time travel theory, teleportation, invisibility, Tesla technology, and a hundred other intriguing research projects had all paid off and gone mainstream? What if the Soviet Union survived and thrived; what would it look like 10 years in the future? What if the Japanese Empire had never fallen and instead became the ultimate high-tech military superpower? The end result is an imaginative and playful vision of an alternate future filled with possibility.

Command & Conquer fans eager to experience Red Alert 3 before anyone else can get early access to the beta1 by picking up a copy of Command & Conquer[TM] 3: Kane's Wrath or the Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection later this year.

For fans of Red Alert and Command & Conquer, EA hosts a dedicated online Web cast that goes beyond the game and brings players all the latest series news, tips and strategies. The flagship show, BattleCast(TM )Primetime, is a unique program that offers a sportscast look and feel for featured fan multiplayer matches, including expert commentary. Command & Conquer, BattleCast Primetime can be seen on the official Command & Conquer website http://www.commandandconquer.com/.> This product is not yet rated by the ESRB, PEGI or USK. For more information about Red Alert 3 or the Command & Conquer series, please visit www.RedAlert3.com.

1Beta program is available for the PC only. An announcement about the Red Alert 3 beta dates will be made this summer.

About Command & Conquer

The groundbreaking Command & Conquer franchise was one of the first to introduce players to the modern RTS genre, has spawned over a dozen PC titles, and ranks in the top 5 best-selling PC franchises of all-time according to the NPD Group. Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars(TM) was the number #1 selling PC RTS of 2007 and recently won the "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year" award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Additionally, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer Generals were the number one best-selling* PC RTS titles in 2000 and 2003 respectively. Collectively, the series has sold over 25 million units worldwide to date. The franchise boasts one of the largest and most active fan communities in the world. For more information on Command & Conquer series, please visit www.CommandAndConquer.EA.com.