video game: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 - International Edition

The Command & Conquer franchise is credited with defining and popularizing the real-time strategy (RTS) genre of video games. Publisher Virgin Interactive and developer Westwood Studios released the first game in the Command & Conquer series in 1995. Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn places players in the middle of a global conflict between the criminal organization Brotherhood of Nod (NOD) and the Global Defense Initiative (GDI), a UN task force. The two factions are involved in an intense battle over a powerful alien resource called Tiberium and the future of the world hangs in the balance. Commanding either the NOD or GDI, players take charge of troop units, air strikes, base installations, production facilities, and ground vehicles. Gameplay focuses on base creation, resource management, and combat. The story is told through cutting-edge live-action cutscenes and mission reports, a feature that became standard in future titles. Command & Conquer injected fast-paced action into a genre previously defined by slower, turn-based gameplay. This attracted a wide audience and set the stage for the development of the modern RTS genre. Command & Conquer received critical acclaim for its innovative interface. The groundbreaking feature allows for unit groupings that are easily called and deployed, a style that was emulated by countless RTS titles including the Total War series. In addition to single player campaigns the game supports a multiplayer option which allows up to four players to battle against each other. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 was one of the first RTS games to feature an online cooperative campaign. The Command & Conquer franchise enjoyed huge commercial success. The franchise includes eleven titles and eight expansion packs with additional titles currently in production. For its role in pioneering the modern RTS genre the Command & Conquer franchise holds an important place in the history of electronic games.