EA cements Red Alert 3 dates

By Robert Purchese Published 9 October, 2008

PC in October, Xbox 360 just behind.

EA has told Eurogamer that Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 will be arriving first for PC on 31st October and then for Xbox 360 on 14th November.

There's no mention of the PS3 version, which was officially put on hold back in June.

Red Alert 3, unveiled back in February, is nothing if not true to the series' tongue-in-cheek origins, most notably thanks to its live-action cut-scenes starring the likes of Gemma Atkinson, Jenny McCarthy, George Takei, JK Simmons and Jonathan Pryce.

Head over to our Red Alert 3 hands-on preview to see why the game to which they're attached might live up to their admirable daftness.

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.

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

You may also like...

Comments (25) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Shakey_Jake33 #1 3 years ago

    DRM!

    *runs*

  • skillian #2 3 years ago

    Killer dolphins!

    *runs*

  • Evolution #3 3 years ago

    you didn't mention Tim Curry!

  • FooAtari #4 3 years ago

    damn shakey beat me to it ;)

    I'm not sure what the score is with DRM on Red Alert. I'm pretty sure it still has limited installs? If so Iooks I'll be playing through Red Alert 1 and 2 again for my RA fix.

  • skillian #5 3 years ago

    Yes, limited installs. Goes on my "Do Not Buy" list.

  • Artemus #6 3 years ago

    I think EA has been 'kind' and allowed us a whopping FIVE installs this time!

  • space_ace #7 3 years ago

    sick cement comments

  • Byblos1 #8 3 years ago

    Why would you need to install it more than 5 times?

  • skillian #9 3 years ago

    ^ Read the Spore comments.

    Adding too many mods and fucking up your previous install, there's one reason that's particularly pertinent to this type of game.

  • IneptPercy #10 3 years ago

    'Why would you need to install it more than 5 times?'

    I way of justifying piracy....

  • skillian #11 3 years ago

    I way of justifying piracy....

    As has been said before, those who pirate it will be able to install it as many times as they like.

    But that's the last post from me on this, the arguments have been done many times.
    Edited by 1 at 09/10/08 @ 13:04

  • dsmx #12 3 years ago

    any bets as to how long the DRM system will be unbroken for this time? I'm guess 4 days before the release date.

  • Nithron #13 3 years ago

    Yeah, the reinstall limit is a problem for people that mess about with their windows installs a lot. Or mess about with their game installs a lot.

    Or who just have computers go wrong on them(That's everyone, by the way, we're talking about Windows users here).

    Also, previous games have considered any hardware alteration to be a "reinstall", so yeah, five really isn't enough.

    Also, what the hell, it doesn't prevent piracy in the slightest, so what is the point?
    Edited by 1 at 09/10/08 @ 13:45

  • Bitkari #14 3 years ago

    Typical! PC users have to suffer a long wait, as publishers cite piracy and wanting to promot-

    - wait, what? Two weeks earlier?!

    Did someone slip this through the Chronosphere?


    Edited by 1 at 09/10/08 @ 14:36

  • FooAtari #15 3 years ago

    @byblos1
    "Why would you need to install it more than 5 times?"

    Does it matter why? if I'm dropping £30 on a game why should I have any kind of limit. I BOUGHT the game not RENTED it. And to add insult to injury I have to PAY to call EA to ask if they will allow me to install the game again.

    What if the next PS3/360/Wii game you bought got tied to your console only? Wouldnt be too chuffed would you?

    Don't get me wrong I understand their need to protect their game from piracy. But not this way. It does nothing to stop the hardcore pirates and inconveniences the legitimate buyer If they want to stop the casual copying a CD check or something would do the same job.

  • dingo75 #16 3 years ago

    @dsmx

    The crackers know how to handle new SecurROM now so I guess you are right.
    Funny fact: Crysis Warhead used the same / a very similiar way than Bioshock.

    EA - We recycle everything (including copy protections).

  • Bluetooth #17 3 years ago

    Vanessa Branch is in this, right? I love her,

  • Fubdub #18 3 years ago

    It just tells me that EA has no confidence that the game have any longterm playvalue. Just imagine if Starcraft had limited amount of installs.

  • Silvervein #19 3 years ago

    I like this sentence in the article:

    Red Alert 3, unveiled back in February, is nothing if not true to the series' tongue-in-cheek origins, most notably thanks to its live-action cut-scenes

    I suppose that by origins the author means red alert 2, which was done under EA, that saw fit to turn serious tone of red alert into slapstick comedy, which is now changed into slapstick comedy for young viewers (5-9), starring sesame street characters and, for older viewers (10-14), busty half naked girl going by the name gemma. All with bright colours, lots of colorful action, anime (ANIME!! IN RED ALERT, GOD HELP ME) and no brain activity whatsoever required.
    Of course, all that is wrapped nicely in DRM scam scheme.

    Instant buy for your console using younger sibling.
    Edited by 1 at 09/10/08 @ 17:02

  • sneetch #20 3 years ago

    @FooAtari
    "What if the next PS3/360/Wii game you bought got tied to your console only? Wouldnt be too chuffed would you? "

    Meh, I couldn't give a shit.

    Until one day my PS3/360/Wii died and my games didn't work on the replacement console and I had to pay to phone up numerous companies and ask them to please revert the status of my games and explain that honestly the console just died and they treat me with suspicion and make it sound like they're doing me a favour and tell me that next time they won't be so kind as if I have any fucking control over when my console decides to push up daisies and one day they decide to just discontinue the unregistering service and my console dies and I can't play my games at all on the new second hand console (and I technically don't even have the right to play the games that came with that second hand console).

    *Deep breath*

    Actually, I've gone full circle on this whole DRM thing. It doesn't do anything to prevent piracy and annoys and inconveniences paying customers.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #21 3 years ago

    Erm, the first Red Alert was pretty tongue in cheek too. Did you fail to notice the James Bond spy? "Yesh shir! For king and country!" Plus there were dodgy Euro accents all over the shop.

    Admittedly, it was a lot subtler (and funnier) than RA2, but I don't think you can say the game went silly all of a suddent in its second outing.

  • Lexx87 #22 3 years ago

    I think you're all stupid cunts not buying a game because you can only install it five times unless you ask them for another install...I mean for christ sake it'll take you 5 installs to get £26 worth of fucking fun out of it?

  • crozon #23 3 years ago

    hmm hold on the 5 installs is five installs on different machines.

    If you format and reinstall windows then reinstall the game that doesn't get counted. only if you change certain hardware like the motherboard does it count.

    But everyone who bitches about DRM, why don't you bitch about those who pirate the games, and bitch to your friends who pirate the games. do something useful.

    Getting fucking annoyed about this DRM issue, when the issue is piracy.

  • Nithron #24 3 years ago

    crozon: Hang on. I don't know for sure about other games, but that definitely was not the case with Bioshock, Spore, or STALKER: Clear Sky. All of those games considered every install, regardless of machine, as part of your five limited installations.

    Also, if you've reinstalled windows, how would it even know that it is the same machine?

    Also, once the registration servers go down your game wont work any more. Oops.
    And they will go down. Recently Microsoft shut down their mp3 verificaton servers and a bunch of people lost access to their music.
    Edited by 1 at 09/10/08 @ 21:49

  • FooAtari #25 3 years ago

    @Lexx87
    ".I mean for christ sake it'll take you 5 installs to get £26 worth of fucking fun out of it?"

    Cost has nothing to do with it. I still play games I bought ten yeas ago and more.

    Would you buy a TV that automatically burned out after 7 years? what does it matter, you have had your moneys worth. How about a car that stopped running until you called the deaer for a code to reset the engine management?

    It's all down to principle. I paid for the damn game so why should anyone except me contol how and when I play it? Maybe your happy to bend over for a company such as EA, good for you. I'm not. I'd rather make a point and not play the game.
    I'll call you a stupid cunt nexxt time you stand up for your rights.


    @crozon

    i do moan about and at people that pirate games. Point is however that EA's current methods do nothing to stop it, in fact if you look at Spore they may even encourage piracy. They need to find better way to try and prevent copying and encourage people to buy their games.

    Edited by 1 at 09/10/08 @ 22:58