NOD & Scrin Subfactions for Kane's Wrath.

Brotherhood of Nod

Subfaction: Black Hand

Specialty: Aggressive Infantry

Background: Kane’s elite guard forgoes stealth in favor of heavily armed –and aggressive--infantry. The result: more powerful Black Hand units, upgraded confessors, and an upgraded Avatar Warmech that starts with flame throwing ability.


Subfaction: The Marked of Kane

Specialty: Stealth Assault

Background: Kane’s “Chosen,” modified through technology and Tiberium to the point that they are barely human. Tiberium troopers (who can damage and slow down targets) replace Black Hand units. They’re not tough, but they rely on stealth and finesse to win the fight.


The Scrin

Subfaction: “Stalker-17”

Specialty: Troop Suppression

Background: Possibly the remnants of the first invasion force, fighting off whomever they can and adapting their tactics to compete on Earth. New units like the Ravager show an emphasis on softening ground troops with hit-and-run strategies.


Subfaction: “Reaver-43”

Specialty: Ground Pounding

Background: This subfaction seems to represent “big gun” support troops sent from the Scrin home world, as evidenced by the new Mechapede, and insectiod biomech unit that starts with only a head (though you can order up as many as eight segments during battle). Spot an incoming air force? Create an AA segment.

Click here for GDI Subfactions!

Kane's Wrath GDI Subfactions Confirmed.

Armed Forces

Carefully doling out intel, EA’s ministers of information only intended to reveal the subfactions for the GDI and Brotherhood of Nod-tough we managed to smuggle out the names (or codenames) for the Scrin subfaction, too. So while the GDI and Nod information here is official. Consider anything regarding the Scrin as pure conjecture. When asked for confirmation, Vessella would only answer with, “Hmm…interesting theory.”


Steel Talons

Specialty: Armored Assault

Background: Favoring Steamroller tactics, the Steel Talons rely on brute force and relatively conventional forces. Coming from the Tiberium Sun era, they don’t have access to sonic technology. That doesn’t stop Commander Michael “Mack” McNeil from getting some solid troops. Upgraded Juggernauts can garrison infantry, allowing for better defense; old favorites such as the Titan and Wolverine are back exclusively for the Talons; vehicles roll out with veterancy. The only downside is that they are less effective with infantry and air units.


ZOCOM (aka Zone Operations Command)

Specialty: Area-of-effect attacks; suppression

Background: ZOCOM are the sci-fi trooper equipped for the red Zones. Based off the C&C3 era and beyond, their advanced sonic technology is a great mob-attack deterrent. Shatterer tanks and ORCAs come armed with more powerful sonic attacks. Zone Troopers upgrade to Zone raiders with and area-of-effect sonic cannon and anti-air defenses, but they are less effective against conventional vehicles.


Source: http://commandandconquer.filefront.com/news/Kanes_Wrath_Subfactions_Confirmed_GDI;36096

Kane's Wrath Developer Interview With Jim Vessella.

GameReplays recently had the chance to have a few questions answered by Jim Vessella, associate producer for Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath.

GameReplays Command and Conquer 3 has been a great success as an e-sports title. Will Kane’s Wrath continue in this vein, and more specifically, will you push to get it into the World Cyber Games?

Jim Vessella It was awesome having Command & Conquer 3 represented in the World Cyber Games this year. The fans have been incredibly supportive of Command & Conquer 3 since its release, and this is the primary reason that C&C 3 has been so successful as an e-sports title. Kane’s Wrath will indeed continue the e-sports momentum, and should become even more exciting thanks to all the new faction content. We certainly hope the World Cyber Games will accept Kane’s Wrath into the tournament lineup.

More...

Kane's Wrath Boxart.

This will be the cover box art for the forthcoming expansion for Command and Conquer - Tiberium Wars we have learned. Check it out!

Natasha Henstridge To Star in Kane's Wrath.

Natasha Henstridge, also known as "the chick from Species" and more importantly to my mind, Ghosts of Mars (check it out) will be joined by Marcus Dixon (alias) and C&C veteran Joe Kucan who reprises his role as Leader of The Brotherhood of Nod Kane.

Smokin'.

EA said that the trio are at the 'epicenter' of the expansion's 20-year storyline which begins with the rebuilding of NOD following the events of the Second Tiberium War. There are is thus far no word on any of C&C other regular cast members.

New Celebs Sign On For CNC3 Expansion.

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath, the expansion pack to the critically-acclaimed and fan favorite, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars, will feature Natasha Henstridge (Species trilogy) and Carl Lumbly (‘Alias’) in its all-new, high-definition, live action video sequences. Henstridge and Lumbly will be joined by veteran Command & Conquer actor Joe Kucan, who originated the role of Kane, the megalomaniacal leader of the Brotherhood of Nod. All three actors are at the epicentre of the Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath story which will span 20 years – from the rebirth of the Brotherhood after the Second Tiberium War through the dramatic events of the Third Tiberium War and beyond.

“Natasha and Carl are a perfect fit for the live-action video sequences that will bring our epic story to life,” said Mike Verdu, General Manager of EALA and Executive Producer on Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath. “We had great success with the cast and story for Command & Conquer 3, and I’m very excited to be working with such talented actors on the expansion pack. We’re doing something really unique with the campaign this time around – and I think fans will be thrilled to see how the story unfolds.”

Live action cinematics have become one of the hallmarks of the Command & Conquer series dating back to the original Command & Conquer in 1995. In addition to the trademark live action videos and multi-decade campaign, Kane’s Wrath introduces six new sub-factions and a wealth of new units, structures, and powers to the armies of the Global Defense Initiative, the Brotherhood of Nod, and the enigmatic alien Scrin.

Source: http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/35124/New-Celebs-Sign-On-For-CNC3-Expansion

Aftermath Episode 2 Tomorrow.

Just a reminder to everyone that Episode 2 of Aftermath will debut tomorrow. It will include more exclusive information on Kane's Wrath, hilarious outtakes, and the latest development from Battlecast Primetime Episode 2. In case you don't know what Aftermath is all about, it is an "aftershow" that provides an analysis of the previous episode of BattleCast Primetime complete with unseen footage, outtakes, and a few other surprises.

Source: Gamespy.

Kane's Wrath Signature Contest.

GameReplays is proud to announce the Kane's Wrath Signature Contest, sponsored by Electronic Arts. What is the signature contest? It's simple: put your best image creation skills to the test and create a Kane themed forum signature. The winner will receive a Kane bobblehead figure and EA game. 2nd place and 3rd place winners will also be awarded a free game from EA.

How to Enter

1. If you have not already done so, register an account on GameReplays. Remember to validate your account by checking your email after registration, and clicking on the link provided.

2. Send your entry in a Personal Message to KW Community Manager DarkMorgulKing. Only two entries per person. Any entry which is found to be a copy of someone else's work will be disqualified.

3. If you are selected as a winner, be prepared to provide us with an email address you can be reached at, and your full name and shipping details for your prize.

Rules and Information

1. Dimensions must be 400 pixels in width and 100 pixels in height.
2. Maximum file size 100 kilobytes
3. Animation is allowed.
4. Only one entry per person.
5. There must a notable reference to Kane or Kane's Wrath.
6. The signature may NOT be personalized: No text on it that relates it to any one single person or group of people (excluding game characters, EA, Kane's Wrath and or Gamereplays.org)
7. The DEADLINE to enter is Monday, October 29th at Midnight GMT. Entries made beyond that point will not be accepted.
8. Rules may be subject to change

Judging

1. The Kane's Wrath staff will pick from the pool of entries based on overall appeal and other similar factors. A selection of the final 3 which will receive recognition (and prizes). One or more runners ups may be chosen.

2. The top 3 signatures will be put into a public poll for voting, after which the winners will be ranked in order of number of votes received.

3. The Kane's Wrath staff reserve the right to disqualify an entry at any point for failure to adhere to the above rules or at their own discretion.

4. All entries are considered the property of GameReplays.org, but are available for public use.

Prizes

First place winner will receive a Kane bobblehead and EA game. AgmLauncher (GameReplays co-owner), MEXICANBROTHER (GameReplays Kane's Wrath Senior Editor), and DarkMorgulKing (GameReplays Kane's Wrath Community Manager) will also wear the signature for a period of one month (30 days), giving credit to the artist.

Second and third place will each receive a game of choice from EA.

Source: http://www.gamereplays.org/KanesWrath/task.php?nameid=kanes_wrath_signature_contest

Kane's Wrath Preview At 1up.com.

Since the Command & Conquer series is so popular in Germany, EA used the Leipzig Games Convention to debut Kane's Wrath, the expansion pack to Command & Conquer 3. And it did so in a big way: Not only did EA offer a live demonstration of some of the game's new features and unit additions, Kane himself (Joe Kucan) made an appearance -- much to the delight of showgoers in Germany, where he's actually somewhat of a celebrity.

As the expansion pack's title suggests, the game focuses primarily on the Brotherhood of Nod, of which Kane is the megalomaniacal leader, from its rebirth after the Second Tiberium War through the Third Tiberium War and then beyond. According to EA, the game's exploring of the past actually came as a result of requests from the fans.

Read the full preview...

Kane's Wrath - Behind Closed Doors on Xbox 360.

Primetime goes behind the scenes at the Leipzig Game Convention to bring us video from the special EA business lounge at the event - "...checking out EA's secret line of programs that they don't tell the public about". Lots of information about the campaign mode and new functions of Kane's Wrath from the producer of the game! Click image for video.

Kane's Wrath On Pre-Order At Play.com.

Play.com has today begun taking pre release orders for the PC version of Command & Conquer Kane's Wrath! The site claims the final release date for the eagerly awaited expansion pack will be 28/03/2008 - a month later than had been expected by other commentators on the web. The listed price of Kane's Wrath on play.com is just £14.99.

There has been no word yet from Electronic Arts or any reseller on the final release date for the Xbox 360 version of the title -a stand alone offering- or it's price. Check back to the Kane's Wrath blog, and we'll publish the information as it becomes available!

Kane's Wrath To Be Seperate Title On Consoles.

Electronic Arts today announced that console owners (Xbox 360) will have the luxury of purchasing the upcoming Kane’s Wrath as a stand alone game title - meaning that a previous purchase of Tiberium Wars will not be needed to play the forthcoming expansion. PC users however will still need the original Command and Conquer Tiberium Wars package to play Kane's Wrath - or so we gather.

The fact that EA are prepared to offer this new title as essentially a whole new game demonstrates the scope of the changes and their confidence in the titles content. Is Kane's Wrath going to be the game we've all wanted since the release of generals? The ultimate CnC title?

We'll know in January!

Kanes Wrath: New Units.

Kane's Wrath: New NOD Units Explored.

The Awakened: Cyborg remnants of CABAL's former army they have risen to assist Kane in the Third Tiberium War. These units have a welded machinegun on their left arm that is excellent for taking down infantry. While mostly used as anti-infantry troopers, the Awakened also come with a welded EMP cannon on their right arm for added tank busting goodness.



Reckoner: This armored personnel carrier is a heavily armored troop carrier used for transporting infantry into defended areas with smaller risk of death. While the Reckoner is moving, units inside can't shoot out of it, but they are equipt with the one time ability to deploy and transform into a bunker (much like the existing GDI bunker function with infantry), gaining an extra garrison slot in the process.



Specter: New stealth artillery that fits well into Nod's style of play. The Specter can tail other units around the battlefield or hide themselves in a corner just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. With the help of the EMP cannon from the Awakened, they can take out a group of enemy armor units easily. They also can fire over longer distances with the help of the new Shadow Infantry ability called Artillery Beacon that sets a target that the artillery can barrage the radius around that beacon from afar. Just what NOD was lacking.


Back to all units.

Kane's Wrath: New GDI Units Explored.

Shatterer: A mobile sonic emitter is a hover tank that has taken the sonic emitter turret from C&C 3 and attached it onto a mobile platform which becomes a very strong siege weapon indeed. These tanks like the structure version of the weapon can hit multiple targets making them a useful weapon when attacking well fortified locations.



Slingshot: This addition to the GDI arsenal fills a much needed deficiency, ie. vulnerability vs. aircraft (especially the scrin). The Slingshots are a fast ground based lightly armored anti-air hovercraft that can destroy air units with relative ease.



Hammerhead: The great thing about this flying unit is that it never needs to reload the twin auto cannons it houses, however, it is still fairly defenseless against anti-air units and can only hit ground targets. Hammerheads also have one garrison slot, which is especially important because whatever infantry unit is garrisoned inside will be able to fire as well.


Back to all units.

Kane's Wrath Preview At Game Spy.

When Khan came back he ended up obliterating himself in the U.S.S. Reliant. Unfortunately for GDI -- but fortunately for us because we get more games -- Kane is proving a bit more resilient. The bald-headed leader of NOD is back once again in Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. We were treated to a demo showcasing many of the new units that will be available to armchair commanders in this upcoming expansion pack and everything we've seen has got us roaring to continue the war over Tiberium.

New Toys for Everyone

Expansion packs are generally about new maps and new units to play with and Kane's Wrath should have plenty. Every new unit we've seen has plenty of potential to turn the gameplay of C&C 3 on its head, but without sacrificing balance.

One area that we were happy to see addressed was GDI's lack of an air unit that could stay in combat for a long time and not have to return to base to be refueled. The solution is the GDI Hammerhead, a heavy helicopter gunship that are armed with machineguns that have unlimited ammo. These guys are great for ground support and can stay in an area and hose down infantry from above; however, they have no anti-aircraft capabilities so are vulnerable to other air units.

Read the full article over at Game Spy!

Kane's Wrath Presentation.

Part One.



Part Two.

New units, sub-factions, interface in C&C3 expansion Kane's Wrath.

As far as RTS games go, Command & Conquer 3 is one of my favorites. The franchise's marquee presentation captured my heart, as I spent countless hours playing and replaying through the section where my beloved Dr. Cameron ordered me around. However, aside from a rather modest map pack and some much needed patching, interest in C&C3 seems to have died down.

Thankfully, fans hungry for more Command & Conquer action have had their cries answered by EA, which announced during the premiere of Command & Conquer TV's Battlecast that an expansion for the title was due out in early 2008. Titled Kane's Wrath, the expansion will feature new units and two new sub-factions for each of the game's three factions, some interface tweaks, and the chronicles of Kane's exploits from the end of C&C2 all the way through to the future following the end of C&C3. There's no word yet on whether or not this expansion will be released as a full retail title or just a downloadable pack, though the expansion is slated to hit both the PC and the Xbox 360.

Click here to read the full article over at arstechnica.com.

Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath First Look from IGN.

Command & Conquer is a huge franchise these days. Even bigger thanks to the welcoming reception that 360 players gave the game upon release. It was no surprise when the first expansion, Kane's Wrath, was announced though it was a bit of a surprise to hear all of the huge changes to the single player campaign and revamped 360 control scheme. EA VP and Executive Producer Mike Verdu and Associate Producer Jim Vessel were on hand to give us the run down of the product including the story, campaign structure, new units, and what to expect from the 360 control scheme in a game that will be released simultaneously for the PC and 360.



Click here to read the full article over at IGN.

Kane's Wrath Trailer.

Kane's Wrath - First Details on the Command And Conquer 3 Expansion Pack.

Last year's excellent real-time strategy sequel Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars was something of a return to the long-lived strategy series' roots. The game went back to the classic struggle between the fictitious GDI and Brotherhood of Nod factions in a brand-new story that took place on a futuristic Earth invaded by ruthless aliens. In addition to building in the kind of fast-moving real-time strategy gameplay that players might expect from a Command & Conquer game, the development team at EALA also went out of its way to craft an in-depth sci-fi story told onscreen by Hollywood talent such as Billy Dee Williams and Michael Ironside, as well as by former writer Joe Kucan, better known as Kane. The game also shipped with community tools to encourage serious competitive play, including real-time spectating tools and the ability to provide commentary on live matches. And now, the game is set to expand both on the PC and the Xbox 360 with Kane's Wrath, a new expansion that will add more gameplay, more units, and a unique new interface for the Xbox 360 version. We sat down with EALA executive producer and vice president Mike Verdu for more details.

Click here to read the full article over at Game Spot.

Kane's Wrath: First Look.

A little more than a week after announcing its existence, EA gave us a first look at Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath, an expansion pack to this year's hit real-time strategy game. Kane's Wrath, which will ship for the Xbox 360 and PC, will tell the story of how the evil Brotherhood of Nod recovers after its defeat in the Second Tiberium War, as seen in 2000's Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun Firestorm. However, the expansion will also cover a 20-year stretch of C&C history, right up to and beyond the events seen in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.

The campaign will focus mainly on the Brotherhood of Nod, and it will come in three acts. The first will cover the aftermath of the Second Tiberium War. The second will cover a parallel story to the events in Command & Conquer 3. The third and final act will extend to the future and involve Kane's "ascension."

Click here to read the full article over at Game Spot.