Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
EA Shuts Down In-Development Command & Conquer, Victory Studios Closed
Later today, EA will be holding a financial earnings call. One topic is likely to be the cancelation of the in-development, free-to-play Command & Conquer title.
A notice posted on the game’s website confirms the cancelation and assures that refunds will be issued to any players that spent money during the alpha phase. “Your feedback from the alpha trial is clear: We are not making the game you want to play,” Victory Studios writes. “That is why, after much difficult deliberation, we have decided to cease production of this version of the game.”
We contacted EA for comment. "This does mean that the Victory Games team will be disbanded," a representative told us. " Wherever possible, we are working to help these talented people find other opportunities with EA."
[Source: Command & Conquer via Polygon]
Our Take
EA’s decision to shut the development down likely has more to do with monetization projections than written player feedback. I’m not a fan of players being asked to spend money during an alpha phase, especially since it seems to be a way to gauge earning potential. It’s unfortunate that the studio and those who work for it could be in jeopardy as a result of shoehorning a free-to-play model into a genre and series that isn’t a great fit for the strategy.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
