Command & Conquer 4

By Robert Purchese Published 12 August, 2009

EA answered your questions.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (33) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • robg #1 3 years ago

    Looks pretty cool :)

  • smelly #2 3 years ago

    Question : will it have her with big boobs from hollyoaks again?

    and will she get them out?

  • Drakron #3 3 years ago

    Question: Since when online connection is not a form of DRM?

  • matrim83 #4 3 years ago

    ^^ Yeah whats the deal with having to be constantly connected to play? Ask them to clarify that.
    Edited by matrim83 at 12/08/09 @ 17:04

  • SeesThroughAll #5 3 years ago

    Thanks. I shall copy it.

    I also deleted the misplaced question.
    Edited by SeesThroughAll at 12/08/09 @ 17:09

  • jiveguy #6 3 years ago

    @SeesThroughAll: I'm sure someone will find a way around it pretty quickly. It's just unfortunate that you'll probably have to download a pirated version to get around such an odd restriction.

  • SeesThroughAll #7 3 years ago

    Of course piracy will sort it out, but I would really prefer that the legit version does it RIGHT to begin with.

  • SeesThroughAll #8 3 years ago

    Well, I wasn't too happy with the response. I certainly understand the advantages of online (as XBL and PSN have showed us) but I am pissed at the ABSENCE of an offline mode.

  • Webboy #9 3 years ago

    dude, calm down that's typical PR-Speak, what have you expected?

  • Webboy #10 3 years ago

    i'm shocked!!!!
    how can they do this to us???
    "If you lose your internet connection then you will have a period of time to re-join before you are dropped from the match. You can certainly play on a laptop but will need an internet connection to do so."
    REJOIN your own singleplayer- campaign???? this is the most ridiculous thing I've heard for years!!

  • matrim83 #11 3 years ago

    "Dropped from the match?" That I am playing all by myself?

    Geez thanks guys but I will pass.

  • Evolution #12 3 years ago

    Sorry to hear they are going to try to do serious cutscenes.

  • Artemus #13 3 years ago

    Wow none of my questions were asked despite hardly anything else coming up. BOO-URNS.

    Too tricky to respond to EA?

  • ChthonicEcho #14 3 years ago

    @Artemus

    Same here, although mine were largely joke questions or unrelated to C&C4 in particular. Pity, I really wanted to know if they wanted to revive Tiberium or do something a similar project.

  • Webboy #15 3 years ago

    @Artemus
    that's more than normal, this is a public media appearance, they need to be very careful with what they are saying, since there are many people here, it won't be difficult to choose those most convenient questions to answer.

  • Bazfrag #16 3 years ago

    "Mike Gloseki: Actually, we decided to bring the RPG elements to C&C 4 before we new about the feature set for DOW II. We really wanted to offer something different for our game."

    Bullshit, and who proof reads this stuff??

  • Sunyavadin #17 3 years ago

    I like how they deftly skipped over the entire question about the DRM issue. Good work lying about the reasons for it. If they wanted what they claim, it'd be a simple enough matter to have the game work offline but not add any unlocks to your profile for multiplayer when played offline.

  • Metalfish #18 3 years ago

    So they're turning it into battle for middle earth then?

  • Seoh #19 3 years ago

    OK, so it has Dawn of wars RPG elements and DoW's resource system (capture buildings to generate income) + grittier movies seriously this isn't command and conquer any more.

  • hahayou #20 3 years ago

    Too late now, but I would have asked: "why are you doing this PR exercise when it's clear you'll end up looking like jerks?"
    Edited by hahayou at 12/08/09 @ 23:15

  • frostcircus #21 3 years ago

    I am holding a mystical sphere

  • smelly #22 3 years ago

    Quote : "SeesThroughAll asks: Are you aware of how displeased consumers are"

    I really wish people wouldnt take their own attitude and the people they talk to on forums and word things like this to say CONSUMERS (as in everyone!). Just because you have a problem with it, just because your internet forum mates have a problem with it.. doesnt mean "ALL CONSUMERS" have a problem with it.

  • SeesThroughAll #23 3 years ago

    @smelly:

    Did I say "all"? If not, people can safely understand this means "some".

    Besides, not everybody minds, but a lot more people cares about online DRM than you might think.
    Edited by SeesThroughAll at 13/08/09 @ 00:58

  • smelly #24 3 years ago

    "a lot more people cares about online DRM" *


    * = on forums.

    Thus the reason why i'll get a lot of negatives, you'll get a lot of positives.. But the game will still sell shit loads because the people who frequent forums account for a small minority of the game buying population.

  • SeesThroughAll #25 3 years ago

    smelly,

    The game will initially sell bucket loads, because the "casual" crowd, who does not use forums, will hear about the DRM issue through word-of-mouth. After some buy the game on day one and measure up the inconveniences of "online single player", people will be informed of this problem either way. So your argument that this issue only bothers forum nerds is moot.

    EA is using a very recognizable brand to test a DRM method which is the most intrusive yet. And incidentally, with the last episode in the story arc: willing to bail out if the long term sales are bad. Which I am sure they will be.
    Edited by SeesThroughAll at 13/08/09 @ 07:37

  • TheTingler #26 3 years ago

    The sales won't be bad, but there's one question I wish I could've asked now I've seen the stupid worrying thing about having to rejoin your own single-player game - will you be able to save?

  • KillerMonkey #27 3 years ago

    I'm gonna miss the camp movies... :(

  • udat #28 3 years ago

    Not needing the disc to play is nice, but you should be able to play offline if you do have the original disc!

  • smelly #29 3 years ago

    Its storing your save file online to prevent you hacking/tampering with it. This is an anti-cheat device as well as a drm (oooh.. evil word!). Anyone who's played games online knows how important it is to make sure that people dont cheat online. What would you rahter, people playing with hacked save files playing against you and twatting you easily - where's the fun in that?

    This is also no different that how the cloud computing system will work if it ever comes into force.

    There is also another large ADVTANGE to the player in that they can install the game as many times as they like in as many different places as they like and play without CD and without needing to copy their save file to work, etc - that's BETTER than most copy protection if you ask me.

    Its rare nowadays for people to not be online - especially gamers. Even if you're using a laptop, nearly every coffee shop/pub/train/cafe has a free wireless connection now anyhows - so that argument is mute.

    Arguing that the pirates will crack it is mute too. As the game stores your save online, i'd like to see the pirates get around that.

    As for the whole "drm is evil" shit. Which has been going on ever since that (cant remember name of software) proved to be hard for pirates to crack so they started a "it broke my pc" campaign against it.. as they are doing with this now. If people didnt pirate games freely then there wouldnt be a need for drm in the first place. Sure you COULD argue that pirates find a way around it - but it stops "casual piracy", where i'm a kid copying it for all my mates at school..

    But it sounds to me this is so much more than a drm system.


    quote: "If they wanted what they claim, it'd be a simple enough matter to have the game work offline but not add any unlocks to your profile for multiplayer when played offline."

    That wouldnt work as someone could still alter their local save file, go online with it to unlock everything. Or alter their local exe to cheat, complete the game with it, and go online with that save file.

  • SeesThroughAll #30 3 years ago

    @smelly: Nice try.

    "Its rare nowadays for people to not be online - especially gamers. Even if you're using a laptop, nearly every coffee shop/pub/train/cafe has a free wireless connection now anyhows - so that argument is mute."

    VERY, VERY WRONG. ONLY IN A FEW WEALTHY COUNTRIES DO PEOPLE HAVE FREE WIRELESS EVERYWHERE. For example, wifi isn't as prolific in my country, Portugal. Don't ignore the rest of the world. With the above statement, you show how completely disconnected from everyday reality you, as well as EA, are.

    "Arguing that the pirates will crack it is mute too. As the game stores your save online, i'd like to see the pirates get around that. "

    You really underestimate the resourcefulness of pirates. I can imagine some enterprising hacker will probably find a way to patch the game into writing the output to a local file (I bet the information is cached anyway), rather than a server, and then skipping the server check. Of course, you'd still lose the multiplayer, but at least people would be able to experience the single player campaign without worrying about being connected (a real concern for real people that you want to ignore).

    "quote: "If they wanted what they claim, it'd be a simple enough matter to have the game work offline but not add any unlocks to your profile for multiplayer when played offline."

    That wouldnt work as someone could still alter their local save file, go online with it to unlock everything. Or alter their local exe to cheat, complete the game with it, and go online with that save file."

    Did even you read what he/she said? Offline is separate from online: while connecting for multiplayer, the game should ignore the offline mode progression. No unlockables means no unlockables!

    It's also funny that you think pirates wouldn't be able to hack the online requirement for single player, but yet still think that they would be able to simply patch an executable in order to cheat online. File or no file, BOTH ACTUALLY ARE POSSIBLE. Neither is easy, but both are possible. Nice contradiction there, smelly.

    "But it sounds to me this is so much more than a drm system."

    Yes, this is so much more than DRM. This is FUCKING RIDICULOUS, BADLY DESIGNED SHIT. It is a CERTIFICATE of CORPORATE STUPIDITY.

    And yes, BADLY DESIGNED DRM, SUCH AS IN THIS CASE, IS VERY EVIL. Not because it stops piracy (because IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T), but because it leads to abuse that UNNECESSARILY IMPAIRS THE EXPERIENCE FOR LEGITIMATE CONSUMERS.

    Allow me to reiterate:
    PIRACY IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR INTRUSIVE AND INCOMPETENT DRM IMPLEMENTATIONS.
    Edited by SeesThroughAll at 13/08/09 @ 18:15

  • smelly #31 3 years ago

    Yes yes yes... DRM killed your babies and all that nonsense.

    quote "It's also funny that you think pirates wouldn't be able to hack the online requirement for single player, but yet still think that they would be able to simply patch an executable in order to cheat online. "


    No. I didnt say that. If you read his quote :


    "your progression through the game is tracked and you can resume your game on any computer in the world as long as you log in. It also allows us to ensure that the game sessions are fair; that everyone has actually earned the items that they are bringing into multiplayer matches."


    i.e. the server stores your LOCAL progression. That means you cant cheat by installing a trainer into your local version or patch your save file locally to show you've obtained items - which you can then bring into online games..

    THATS what i said. I didnt say "hack the executatable to cheat online" i said "download a trainer or a save file to boost your single player score to win items - to then use them online".

    see?


    No you dont see do you? I've had more experience in these things than you.. you're wrong.

  • SeesThroughAll #32 3 years ago

    Yes yes yes... DRM killed your babies and all that nonsense.

    Yes yes yes, reduce my arguments by exaggerating them, and hope people will be stupid enough to buy into it.
    I am criticizing BADLY IMPLEMENTED DRM,not DRM in general.

    Try using real arguments instead of ad hominum attacks, ok?

    i.e. the server stores your LOCAL progression. That means you cant cheat by installing a trainer into your local version or patch your save file locally to show you've obtained items - which you can then bring into online games..

    THATS what i said. I didnt say "hack the executatable to cheat online" i said "download a trainer or a save file to boost your single player score to win items - to then use them online".

    see?

    Yes, I see what you said, and you are NOT even replying to what people REALLY suggested.

    What we, "unexperienced ones" said was that IF the game had an offline mode, your LOCAL progression for SINGLE PLAYER would be stored LOCALLY. Hence the word "local" ;) , and the items earned in offline WOULD NEVER BE USED FOR ONLINE. Or multiplayer, for that matter. Rendering that "clever" cheating method of yours useless.

    Explain to us, with all your "experience", why would this be impossible to implement in this way.

    Oh, and a trainer is almost the same as a patch, btw. Except that it alters a program while loaded in memory as opposed to the executable file. In fact, pirates could either patch the executable OR make a trainer for cheating online, regardless of any kind of offline mode! But you know all that with all that experience of yours, right? ;)

    You're the one who's wrong, and refuse to admit it. Every single one of your arguments was proven wrong, and now you're just looking for straw man arguments.

    But I bow to your experience. You da man!
    Edited by SeesThroughAll at 15/08/09 @ 13:23

  • TexMurphy01 #33 3 years ago

    Since Red Alert 3's god awful 'hilarious' tutorials, the C&C universe is pretty much dead to me. And now you're going to add DRM that nobody wants? Well why don't you just go out and beat up the fans while you're about it? Once I would have cared if this series died, now I welcome it.
    Edited by TexMurphy01 at 16/08/09 @ 12:24