Music of the Command & Conquer series

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The cover of The Music of Command & Conquer MusicOfCnC.png
The cover of The Music of Command & Conquer

The music of the Command & Conquer series consists of the soundtracks of the Command & Conquer (C&C or CNC) video games, published in various soundtrack and compilation albums. C&C is a video game franchise, mostly of the real-time strategy style, developed primarily by Westwood Studios and Electronic Arts. [1] Much of the music for the series was composed and produced by Westwood Studios' former sound director and video game music composer Frank Klepacki for the early games, with composition duties being taken on by several others following the liquidation of Westwood Studios in 2003. Klepacki returned to the series in 2008 to assist with the soundtrack for Red Alert 3 .

Contents

Albums

Command & Conquer

The Music of Command & Conquer
Studio album by
Released1995
Genre Video game soundtrack, industrial, industrial metal
Length72:51
Label Westwood Studios
Producer Frank Klepacki

The Music of Command & Conquer is a soundtrack album containing musical tracks from the video game Command & Conquer , composed by Frank Klepacki and produced by Westwood. It was originally released in 1995. The soundtrack spans two discs and 22 tracks with combined duration of approximately 72 minutes. The soundtrack was bundled with some of the game's collector's editions, which feature tracks from both the original Command & Conquer and the expansion. Though it was never released through retail, Westwood Studios sold this official soundtrack by special order through its website and in game catalogues. [2] The album was packaged with a brushed aluminium design and featuring the official Command & Conquer logo. Many songs included in the release of the album include vocals which could previously only be heard on the PlayStation or Sega Saturn versions of the game; these were actually the original versions of the songs. [3] [4] The voice samples in the songs conflicted with the voices in the game, factoring in their removal from the in-game soundtrack. [4] [5]

Some song names differ from the in-game versions. [3] In these cases, the in-game track title is mentioned behind the original title. Also, some track titles differ from the versions on Frank Klepacki's website. In these cases, the website's track titles are mentioned behind the original in-game track title. The first seven in-game tracks are only available with the Covert Operations expansion pack.

The Command & Conquer soundtrack is the first video game produced by Westwood to feature streaming music as opposed to MIDI. [4] The 22k mono tracks were produced using an ASR-10 sampler, a Roland S760 sampler and a Roland JD-990 synth module. [4] Klepacki has credited influences from dozens of artists including Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd and Nine Inch Nails in the production of the soundtrack. [4] Klepacki wrote the songs in batches, each in different musical genres. "In The Line of Fire" was written in an orchestral style while "C&C Thang" was influenced by Hip hop and metal in "Deception". [4] Certain songs such as Hold On, in the style of Laurie Anderson, were cut from the game because they did not fit the style Klepacki was aiming for in the overall soundtrack. [4] With the release of the Covert Operations expansion pack Klepacki composed many of the ambient songs of which he was requested by Westwood for the game. [4]

The track "No Mercy" as well as "Deception" feature quotes of the character Chuck De Nomolos from the film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey . "In Trouble" contains quotes of Maverick from Top Gun and the track "I Remember Now" from the Queensrÿche album Operation: Mindcrime . None of these are actual voice samples from the original sources; they were all re-recorded in their own audio studio. [4]

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

The Music of Command & Conquer
No.TitleLength
1."Act on Instinct"2:54
2."No Mercy"3:21
3."Industrial"2:52
4."Iron Fist"3:29
5."We Will Stop Them (Deception)"3:07
6."Radio"2:59
7."On the Prowl"2:59
8."Recon"4:18
9."Drone"4:31
10."In the Line of Fire"2:02
11."Prepare for Battle"3:27
12."Depth Charge"4:12
13."Rain in the Night"2:34
14."Creeping Upon"3:39
15."Target (Mechanical Man)"2:49
16."Just Do it Up (Just Do It)"2:20
17."C&C Thang"3:10
18."To Be Feared"2:41
19."Drill"4:28
20."Full Stop (Warfare)"3:02
21."In Trouble"3:37
22."Air Strike"3:17

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

The Music of Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Studio album by
Frank Klepacki
Released1996
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length67:44
Label Westwood Studios
Producer Frank Klepacki

The game's original score was composed by Frank Klepacki and was voted the best video game soundtrack of 1996 by PC Gamer and Gameslice magazines. [6] Among his most famous songs from the series is the theme of Red Alert, titled "Hell March", which accents the style of the game with adrenalized riffs of electric guitar, the sounds of marching feet, and synthesizers to a sampled drill command. Originally intended to be the theme for the Brotherhood of Nod faction in the Covert Operations expansion to the 1995 Command & Conquer, [7] the track eventually ended up becoming a staple in the Red Alert series instead.

After C&C came out we wasted no time kicking out Covert Ops. I wrote some more ambient style themes they asked me for, and then I began tinkering with this heavy metal song that I was trying to gear towards Nod for the next big C&C game. Brett Sperry came in my office and said "You got anything I can hear for the new C&C?" I played it for him. He said "What's the name of this one?" I said "Hell March". He said "That's the signature song for our next game". [4]

Frank Klepacki, Senior Composer

Following the success of "Hell March", Klepacki headed the composition of its two variations, each becoming the main theme for Red Alert 2 ("Hell March 2/HM2") and Red Alert 3 ("Hell March 3"), respectively.

When playing the single-player campaign, a limited number of tracks are initially available, and more are unlocked as the player progresses through missions. When playing in a multiplayer or "skirmish" game, however, all tracks are available from the start. More tracks were included in the Red Alert expansion packs: Counterstrike, The Aftermath and Retaliation. The music tracks can be listened to on Frank Klepacki's website.

An official soundtrack was released with unique album art designed by Westwood studios and, like the previous release, featured the official Command & Conquer series logo with the Red Alert series motif below. The album contained fifteen songs from the game, plus a hidden bonus track. Half a minute after the end of track 15 plays an unnamed bonus track. Its melodramatic opening was used in the secret campaign, and the track itself is a tribute to Misirlou, using the rhythm of an earlier Command & Conquer music piece, "No Mercy". In the media player on Frank Klepacki's website, the track is titled "Surf No Mercy".

Two tracks on the disc, "Radio 2" and "Face the Enemy 2", had the numbers at the end removed from the track listing, which could potentially cause confusion, since the original "Radio" track is from the first Command & Conquer game, and "Face The Enemy 1" is a different track in Red Alert. Any tracks with different in-game track titles have the in-game version mentioned behind the original title.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

Command & Conquer: Red Alert Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."Hell March"6:26
2."Radio (Radio 2)"4:07
3."Crush"3:51
4."Roll Out"3:56
5."Mud"4:50
6."Twin Cannon (Twin)"3:57
7."Face the Enemy (Face the Enemy 2)"5:38
8."Run (Run for Your Life)"5:15
9."Terminate"5:22
10."Big Foot"5:17
11."Workmen"4:46
12."Militant Force (Score Theme)"1:52
13."Dense"5:00
14."Vector"4:17
15."Smash"4:35

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Soundtrack
Studio album by
Frank Klepacki and Jarrid Mendelson
Released1999
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length65:58
Label Westwood Studios
Producer Frank Klepacki

The soundtrack of Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun was released in 1999. In addition certain editions of Tiberian Sun came with the soundtrack bundled in, such as in the Platinum Edition and Firepower bundle pack, which also contained the original Tiberian Sun and its expansion pack, Firestorm.

Reception of the soundtrack was mixed as the music departed from the industrial music style of the original Command & Conquer in favor of a slow, moody ambient music reflecting the game's apocalyptic setting in a world being ecologically ravaged by Tiberium. [8] Klepacki had originally started writing the soundtrack in a similar style to the previous titles but, after a meeting with Westwood, it was decided that the soundtrack would be "very dark, moody and not upbeat at all". [8] To help him achieve the desired style Klepacki enlisted the help and "electronic style" of Jarrid Mendelson for the production of songs such as Dusk hour and Flurry before the two split to write the remainder of the songs in their respective studios. [8]

I didn't want to stray too far from the original C&C soundtrack, but it had to be more futuristic and ambient. From there I tried to capture the mood the designers wanted for each mission. I even brought in another composer for some of the in game scores, Jarrid Mendelson, who I knew would compliment my style for this genre of music. Also, you'll notice I put more development into GDI & NOD's signature themes for the movie sequences. [9]

Frank Klepacki, Senior Composer

When the time came to score the music for the Firestorm expansion pack, Klepacki and the producer decided that the music should be more upbeat and a return to the original style of the music of Command & Conquer. [8]

Unlike previous album releases the cover for Tiberian Sun did not feature the classic Command & Conquer series logo but favoured a shadowed style mirroring the ambient musical tone of the album.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki, except where indicated

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Soundtrack
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Timebomb" 2:07
2."Pharotek"Jarrid Mendelson4:41
3."Lone Trooper"Mendelson4:42
4."Scouting"Mendelson4:17
5."Infrared" 4:31
6."Flurry"
  • Klepacki
  • Mendelson
4:15
7."Mutants"
  • Klepacki
  • Mendelson
4:15
8."Gloom"Mendelson4:01
9."Heroism"Mendelson4:03
10."Approach" 4:43
11."Dusk Hour"
  • Klepacki
  • Mendelson
4:18
12."The Defense"Mendelson4:05
13."Mad Rap" 4:33
14."Valves" 4:22
15."What Lurks" 5:17
16."Score" 1:49

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Red Alert 2 Original Soundtrack
Studio album by
Frank Klepacki
Released2001
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length63:19 [10]
Label Westwood Studios
Producer Frank Klepacki

Red Alert 2 Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album containing musical tracks from the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, composed by Frank Klepacki and produced by Westwood. It was originally released in 2001. The soundtrack spans 16 tracks and has a duration of approximately 63:00.

The title track of the album is a rewritten version of the original Hell March from Command & Conquer: Red Alert .

Klepacki defined Red Alert 2's style with heavy metal guitar and fast-paced beats. [11] Klepacki scored the game with a Korg Tr-rack, Novation Nova Desktop, and Roland 5080. [12]

The return to high-energy songs was owed in part to fan criticism of Tiberian Sun. [13] Klepacki maintained the energetic style in Red Alert 2's expansion pack Yuri's Revenge.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

Red Alert 2 Original Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."HM2 (Hell March 2)"3:46
2."Industrofunk"3:14
3."Ready the Army"4:59
4."Grinder"2:29
5."In Deep"3:26
6."Motorized"4:04
7."Power"3:58
8."200 Meters"4:14
9."Destroy"4:40
10."Burn"4:39
11."Probing"4:21
12."Blow It Up"3:13
13."Eagle Hunter"4:18
14."Fortification"4:04
15."Jank"3:48
16."C&C In the House"4:06

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

The Music of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Studio album by
Released2008
Genre Video game soundtrack
Label EA
Producer EA

Composer Frank Klepacki returned to write three tracks for the game. When interviewed regarding the matter, Klepacki indicated a strong desire to contribute more, but admitted that due to the fact that he was no longer being employed by Electronic Arts and currently works for Petroglyph Games, that was contractually impossible. At the RA3 Community Summit in June 2008, Klepacki showed a video to the entire C&C community in which he stated that he had been hired to work on Red Alert 3, and that he was composing Hell March 3, the most recent update of Red Alert's iconic theme. [14] [15]

In November 2008, Crispy Gamer [16] reported that James Hannigan and Timothy Michael Wynn wrote the bulk of the game's remaining 114 minutes of music, with Hannigan composing the "Soviet March" menu theme along with music for the Empire of the Rising Sun Faction, and Wynn the music of the Allies and the remaining Soviet tracks. Music4Games has also covered the game's music score. [17]

The band From First to Last composed several remix versions of Hell March and Hell March 2, also featured on the Red Alert 3 soundtrack shipped with the Premier Edition. [18] The expansion pack, Uprising , scored mostly by James Hannigan and Timothy Michael Wynn, [19] introduced a new track called Yuriko's Theme by Hannigan, featuring two singers: Miriam Stockley and Satomi Morimoto. This theme was later remixed by Menno de Jong into a trance version, and it was later played at many great Trance festivals. [20]

Red Alert 3 Original Soundtrack
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Soviet March (Red Alert 3)"James Hannigan2:47
2."Hell March 3"Frank Klepacki3:33
3."Grinder 2"Klepacki2:56
4."Hell March Remix" From First To Last 3:57
5."Russian Celebration" Timothy Michael Wynn 1:04
6."The Might of the Empire"Hannigan0:53
7."The Motherland"Timothy Michael Wynn2:06
8."The Red Scare"Wynn2:05
9."The Calm Before ..."Wynn1:09
10."The European Storm"Wynn2:17
11."For Mother Russia"Wynn2:03
12."Russian Retreat"Wynn1:08
13."Red Rock"Wynn1:20
14."The Big Apple"Wynn2:04
15."Fortifying Brighton"Wynn1:15
16."The Red Storm Draws Near"Wynn1:02
17."Shock and Awe"Wynn1:52
18."Desertion"Wynn1:24
19."How the West was Won"Wynn1:49
20."Mykonos"Wynn0:41
21."The Battle for Mykonos"Wynn2:05
22."Lying in Wait"Wynn1:09
23."Enter the Shogun Executioner"Hannigan1:36
24."East Moves West"Hannigan1:32
25."The Rising Sun Is Setting"Hannigan1:06
26."For the Emperor!"Hannigan1:09
27."For the Empire Has Risen"Hannigan0:35
28."Eastern Mysteries"Hannigan1:56
29."Sayonara"Hannigan2:39
30."In the Belly of the Dragon"Hannigan2:49
31."The Sleeping Beast"Hannigan1:59
32."The Red Menace"Klepacki1:06
33."American Cowboys"Wynn1:14
34."All Your Base Are Belong to Us"Hannigan1:04
35."The War Machine Heads West"Wynn2:04
36."Crisis in Cuba"Wynn2:08
37."The Floating Monstrosity"Hannigan1:59
38."The Chill of War"Wynn1:02
39."Soviet Winter"Wynn1:41
40."Take 'Em Out, Tanya!"Wynn1:07
41."The Download"Wynn1:05
42."Red Alert 3 Credits"Mikael Sandgren2:27
43."Soviet March (Reprise)"Hannigan2:44
44."Hell March 2 Remix"From First to Last1:14

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection Original Soundtrack

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection Original Soundtrack
Studio album by
Frank Klepacki, Frank Klepacki & The Tiberian Sons
Released2020
Genre Video game soundtrack, industrial, industrial metal
Label EA Music
Producer EA Music

The soundtrack of the Remastered Collection was released as physical CDs in the game's 25th Anniversary Edition physical box, as FLAC and raw WAV files on a tiberium crystal shaped USB flash drive in both the 25th Anniversary Edition and the smaller Special Edition box, and on several digital platforms. It includes all music from Command & Conquer and Red Alert, including all bonus tracks unlockable in the game, as well as a studio album of Frank Klepacki with the fan band The Tiberian Sons. The full collection spans six CDs. [21]

Most of the tracks in C&C1 that have differing names in the original game and in the original soundtrack come pre-labelled with both names in this release. However, for Red Alert, this was only done for one track, while several have modified names.

Command & Conquer

Command & Conquer (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered]
Studio album by
Frank Klepacki
Released2020
Genre Video game soundtrack, industrial, industrial metal
Label EA Music
Producer EA Music

Labelled "DISC_1" and "DISC_2" in the physical edition, these two CDs contain the soundtrack of the original game.

The first Command & Conquer disc contains the remastered music of the base game. These versions are lacking any sound clips featured in the original game's soundtrack disc versions, appearing in the same style as they did in the original game.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

Command & Conquer (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered] Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Tiberian Dawn Map Theme"1:01
2."Act on Instinct"2:46
3."Demolition"3:02
4."Target / Mechanical Man"2:52
5."Warfare / Full Stop"3:01
6."We Will Stop Them / Deception"3:09
7."Industrial"2:53
8."Canyon Chase"2:42
9."No Mercy"3:27
10."On the Prowl"3:02
11."Prepare for Battle"3:29
12."Take 'Em Out"3:02
13."In Trouble / Looks Like Trouble"3:11
14."Radio"3:01
15."Rain in the Night"2:34
16."March To Doom"2:37
17."In the Line of Fire"2:04
18."Just Do It Up"2:21
19."Fight Win Prevail"0:53
20."Untamed Land"3:05
21."To Be Feared"2:45
22."C&C Thang"3:12
23."Great Shot!"0:40
24."Airstrike"3:17

The second Command & Conquer disc is labelled specifically as "Covert Operations & Bonus Tracks" in the physical release. The mentioned bonus tracks include the original soundtrack release versions of tracks already present on the first CD.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki, except where indicated

Command & Conquer (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered] Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Depth Charge" 4:15
2."Creeping Upon" 3:37
3."Drill" 4:27
4."Drone" 4:32
5."Iron Fist" 3:30
6."Recon" 4:22
7."Voice Rhythm" 5:07
8."Act on Instinct (OST version)" 2:52
9."No Mercy (OST version)" 3:21
10."Just Do It Up (OST version)" 2:22
11."In Trouble / Looks Like Trouble (OST version)" 3:32
12."We Will Stop Them / Deception (OST version)" 3:09
13."Nod Map Theme" 0:41
14."C&C 80s Mix" 4:03
15."Die" 2:41
16."Heartbreak" 3:22
17."Reaching Out" 1:59
18."Ride of the Valkyries" Richard Wagner 5:01
19."Nod Score" 0:33
20."Great Shot Extended" 0:56
21."Tank Battle" 3:11
22."C&C Credits Outtakes Theme" 3:05

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Command & Conquer Red Alert (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered]
Studio album by
Frank Klepacki
Released2020
Genre Video game soundtrack, industrial, industrial metal
Label EA Music
Producer EA Music

The Red Alert soundtrack comes on three discs, labelled "DISC_3", "DISC_4" and "DISC_5" in the physical edition.

The first Red Alert disc contains more or less the same tracks as the original soundtrack release.

The tracks "Run" was originally called "Run for Your Life". Likewise, "Twin Cannon" appeared in the original game as "Twin". Both tracks were named differently on the soundtrack CD, and appear in the Remaster soundtrack by their soundtrack name.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

Command & Conquer Red Alert (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered] Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Hell March"6:24
2."Intro Menu"3:30
3."Bigfoot"5:15
4."Crush"3:49
5."Face The Enemy 1"4:38
6."Run"5:13
7."Trenches"5:20
8."Workmen"4:44
9."Mud"4:49
10."Radio 2"4:05
11."Roll Out"3:55
12."Terminate"5:21
13."Dense"5:03
14."Vector"4:18
15."Twin Cannon"3:56
16."Militant Force"1:50

The second Red Alert disc completes the base game's in-game music, and adds bonus tracks and music that was originally exclusive to the PlayStation Retaliation release. One track, "Twin Cannon Remix", is erroneously labelled as "Retaliation Remix", while it only appeared in the PC version, in the Counterstrike expansion pack. The remixed version of "Radio 2" appeared on the original game disc of Counterstrike in Red Book audio format behind the game data, but was not accessible inside the game. The track "Awaiting" was called "Await" in the original game, but was renamed in the Remaster.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

Command & Conquer (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered] Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Red Alert Map Theme"1:05
2."Awaiting"4:25
3."Face The Enemy 2"5:36
4."Fogger"5:08
5."Snake"4:43
6."Smash"4:41
7."Reload Fire"4:52
8."Surf No Mercy"3:12
9."The Truth Is A Lie"3:32
10."Hell March (Retaliation Remix)"3:31
11."Radio 2 (Retaliation Remix)"3:35
12."Mud (Retaliation Remix)"4:47
13."Workmen (Retaliation Remix)"3:25
14."Twin Cannon (Retaliation Remix)"3:47
15."Crush (Retaliation Remix)"3:42
16."No Mercy (Retaliation Remix)"3:32
17."Hell March (Original Demo)"3:38

The third Red Alert disc is labelled "Counterstrike & The Aftermath" in the physical release, and contains tracks of the game's expansion packs, plus another few bonus tracks.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

Command & Conquer (Original Soundtrack) [Remastered] Disc 3
No.TitleLength
1."Bog"3:36
2."Floating"4:41
3."Gloom"4:01
4."Groundwire"3:54
5."Running Through Pipes / Mechanical Man 2"4:41
6."The Search"4:41
7."Traction"4:01
8."Wasteland"4:06
9."Arazoid"4:26
10."Backstab"4:47
11."Chaos"4:17
12."Shut It"4:27
13."The Second Hand"4:35
14."Underlying Thoughts"4:13
15."Voice Rhythm 2"4:19
16."Journey"4:30
17."The Plan"3:16
18."Concrete"3:58

Frank Klepacki & The Tiberian Sons: Celebrating 25 Years of Command & Conquer

Frank Klepacki & The Tiberian Sons: Celebrating 25 Years of Command & Conquer
Studio album by
Frank Klepacki and The Tiberian Sons (Tony Dickinson, Travis Moberg, Connor Engstrom, Max Noel)
Released2020
Genre Video game soundtrack, industrial, industrial metal
Label EA Music
Producer EA Music

Specific for the Remastered Collection is an album of 22 tracks from the included games, Renegade , Tiberian Sun , Red Alert 2 , the expansion Yuri's Revenge , and Red Alert 3 . Made by Klepacki along with the fan band The Tiberian Sons, based on their performance at MAGFest 2019. This disc is labelled "DISC_6" in the physical release.

All tracks are written by Frank Klepacki

Frank Klepacki & The Tiberian Sons: Celebrating 25 Years of Command & Conquer
No.TitleOriginal Game(s)Length
1."Act on Instinct"Tiberian Dawn2:48
2."Industrial"Tiberian Dawn2:54
3."Target / Mechanical Man"Tiberian Dawn3:02
4."Just Do It Up"Tiberian Dawn2:27
5."Prepare For Battle"Tiberian Dawn3:23
6."Rain in the Night"Tiberian Dawn3:44
7."Warfare / Full Stop"Tiberian Dawn3:12
8."Bigfoot"Red Alert5:37
9."Workmen"Red Alert4:24
10."Crush"Red Alert2:58
11."Militant Force"Red Alert2:14
12."Dusk Hour"Tiberian Sun3:54
13."Mad Rap"Tiberian Sun3:38
14."No Mercy"Tiberian Dawn3:19
15."Slave to the System"Tiberian Sun: Firestorm2:44
16."Got a Present For Ya"Renegade2:22
17."Grinder 1 & 2 Medley"Red Alert 2 & 32:53
18."Blow it Up"Red Alert 23:11
19."Brain Freeze"Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge4:17
20."Command & Conquer"Renegade3:03
21."Hell March"Red Alert3:34
22."Hell March 2 & 3 Medley"Red Alert 2 & 34:12

Reception and legacy

Before the release of Command & Conquer, the majority of video games used MIDI files and other similar formats for music as a way to save space. Westwood Studios was one of the first major developers to include actual full digitised audio files for that. Although these recordings were generally of low quality compared to modern mp3s, many credit Westwood for helping to popularize the concept. [5] [22]

Related Research Articles

Westwood Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Brelous Software, but got changed after 2 months into Westwood Associates and was renamed to Westwood Studios when Virgin Games bought the company in 1992. The company was bought by Electronic Arts alongside Virgin Interactive's North American operations in 1998. In January 2003, it was announced that Westwood, alongside Westwood Pacific, would be merged into EA Los Angeles. The main studio location closed in March of that year.

Command & Conquer (C&C) is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise, first developed by Westwood Studios. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself based on Westwood Studios' influential strategy game Dune II and introducing trademarks followed in the rest of the series. This includes full-motion video cutscenes with an ensemble cast to progress the story, as opposed to digitally in-game rendered cutscenes. Westwood Studios was taken over by Electronic Arts in 1998 and closed down in 2003. The studio and some of its members were absorbed into EA Los Angeles, which continued development on the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Klepacki</span> American musician, video game music composer and sound director

Frank Klepacki is an American musician and video game composer, best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series. Having learned to play drums as a child, he joined Westwood Studios as a composer when he was 17 years old. He has scored several games there, including the Lands of Lore series, Westwood Studios' Dune games, The Legend of Kyrandia series, Blade Runner, and the Command & Conquer series. His work in Command & Conquer: Red Alert won two awards.

<i>Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2</i> 2000 video game

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a real-time strategy video game which was released for Microsoft Windows on October 24, 2000 as the follow-up to Command & Conquer: Red Alert. Red Alert 2 picks up at the conclusion of the Allied campaign of the first game. Its expansion pack is Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, released a year later in 2001. Red Alert 2 was principally developed by Westwood Pacific in collaboration with Westwood Studios.

<i>Command & Conquer: Red Alert</i> 1996 video game

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy video game in the Command & Conquer franchise, developed and published by Westwood Studios in 1996. The second game to bear the Command & Conquer title, Red Alert is the prequel to the original Command & Conquer of 1995, and takes place in the alternate early history of Command & Conquer when Allied Forces battle an aggressive Soviet Union for control over the European mainland.

<i>Command & Conquer</i> (1995 video game) 1995 video game

Command & Conquer is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Westwood Studios in 1995. Set in an alternate history, the game tells the story of a world war between two globalized factions: the Global Defense Initiative of the United Nations and a cult-like militant organization called the Brotherhood of Nod, led by the mysterious Kane. The groups compete for control of Tiberium, a mysterious substance that slowly spreads across the world.

<i>Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun</i> 1999 video game

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun is a 1999 real-time strategy video game developed by Westwood Studios, published by Electronic Arts, and released exclusively for Microsoft Windows in August 1999. The game is the sequel to the 1995 game Command & Conquer. It featured new semi-3D graphics, a more futuristic sci-fi setting, and new gameplay features such as vehicles capable of hovering or burrowing. The main story of the game focuses on a second war between the UN-backed Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the cult-like Brotherhood of Nod, both seeking to rule over an Earth which is undergoing rapid ecological collapse.

<i>Dune II</i> 1992 video game

Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty is a real-time strategy Dune video game developed by Westwood Studios and released by Virgin Games in December 1992. It is based upon David Lynch's 1984 film Dune, an adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel of the same name.

<i>Command & Conquer: Renegade</i> 2002 video game

Command & Conquer: Renegade is a first- and third-person shooter video game developed by Westwood Studios and is part of the Command & Conquer series. It is the only Command & Conquer game that uses the first-person view. It was released on February 26, 2002 by EA Games. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph D. Kucan</span> American actor and video game developer

Joseph David Kucan is an American video game developer, director, actor, screenwriter, and casting director for various gaming companies and films. He is a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is well known for his role as Kane from the Command & Conquer series.

<i>Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars</i> 2007 video game

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a 2007 science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007. The game is a direct sequel to the 1999 game Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, and takes place roughly seventeen years after the game's expansion pack Firestorm, in which Tiberium has grown to become a considerable threat to the planet, leading to the world's political borders and territories being remade into zones denoting the level of contamination by the alien substance. The game's story sees the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod engage in a new global conflict, this time as major superpowers, only for the war to attract the attention of a new extraterrestrial faction known as the Scrin, which attacks both sides while harvesting Tiberium for its own purpose.

I Am was an alternative progressive rock band formed in Las Vegas in 1995 and disbanded the same year. The rhythm section of the defunct band Shatterbone created the group and released an album in 1995. The band featured Greg Greer on vocals, Rod Arnett on bass, Dan Ryan on guitar, and video game music composer Frank Klepacki on drums.

<i>Theres a Home</i> 1995 studio album by I Am

There's a Home is the 1995 debut of the Las Vegas alternative, progressive rock band I Am and contains thirteen tracks. The album was the only commercial release of I Am, which disbanded later that year. The album feature Greg Greer on vocals, Rod Arnett on bass, Dan Ryan on guitar, and video game music composer Frank Klepacki on drums. The album is influenced by Tool and Soundgarden, which are thanked in liner notes. The thirteenth song is not listed on the album; on this track, a somber man recites what are apparently self-help instructions and a humorous mantra—"the louder the apartment is, the happier I will be."

<i>Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3</i> 2008 video game

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is a real-time strategy video game developed by EA Los Angeles and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in October 2008 in the United States and Europe for Microsoft Windows. An Xbox 360 version was released on November 11. In addition, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Ultimate Edition, the PlayStation 3 version which contains additional material was released on March 23, 2009, along with the OS X version by TransGaming. The game is a continuation of the Red Alert games within the Command & Conquer series. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising, a stand-alone expansion pack, was released for Microsoft Windows in March 2009. It was offered via digital distribution.

<i>Command & Conquer 3: Kanes Wrath</i> 2008 video game expansion pack

Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is an expansion pack for the 2007 real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Developed by EA Los Angeles studios and BreakAway Games studios, it was released worldwide in March 2008 for Microsoft Windows and in June 2008 for Xbox 360 by publisher Electronic Arts.

Mark Skaggs is an American video game producer and executive. Skaggs is known for leading the team that created the Facebook game FarmVille for Zynga, leading the team that created CityVille. He served as Executive Producer and product lead for the PC real-time strategy games Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Command & Conquer: Generals, and The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth.

<i>Command & Conquer Remastered Collection</i> 2020 video game

Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection is a remaster of the first two titles in the real-time strategy video game series Command & Conquer with rebuilt graphics and sound improvements, and bonus materials. It was developed by Petroglyph Games with Lemon Sky Studios, and published by Electronic Arts. It was released on June 5, 2020, for Origin and Steam. A physical edition intended for collectors was released by Limited Run Games.

References

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