Editing Command & Conquer (section)

==History==
After [[Westwood Studios]] developed the critically acclaimed ''[[Dune II]]'', ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' reported in 1993 that the company would not use the ''Dune'' license for Westwood's next strategy game "mostly because the programmers are tired of sand". The magazine stated that it would have "new terrain and enemies", and that "the design team is serious about doing a multi-player version".<ref name="cgw199311">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=112 | title=Vampires, Video Games, Virtual Reality | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=November 1993 | access-date=March 28, 2016 | pages=120–121}}</ref>

''[[Command & Conquer (1995 video game)|Command & Conquer]]'' was released worldwide by Westwood in 1995. The plot is set sometime in the near future where the Earth becomes contaminated by a mysterious substance known as Tiberium. A global war ensues between the [[United Nations|UN]]-formed Global Defense Initiative to contain it and the cult quasi-state revolutionary Brotherhood of Nod, led by the enigmatic [[Kane (Command & Conquer)|Kane]], which seeks to harness it. Highly successful, it was followed by ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert]]'' in 1996 which is set in an alternate universe where the Soviet Union wages war with the Allies. Developed as the [[prequel]] to the original, the ''Red Alert'' series eventually became a separate, lighthearted and comic series, while the original game and its sequels became known as the "Tiberium" series, retaining its [[science fiction]] and serious tone. The first game is sometimes referred to as ''Tiberian Dawn'' as a result.

The original game was followed by ''[[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun]]'' in 1999 and its expansion pack ''[[Tiberian Sun: Firestorm|Firestorm]]''. In 2002, [[Westwood Studios]] released ''[[Command & Conquer: Renegade]]'', a [[first-person shooter]]. ''Renegade'' was praised for its online features. A spin-off game in 2003, ''[[Command & Conquer: Generals]]'', set in a more realistic near-future and featuring the [[United States]], [[China]] and the Global Liberation Army was followed by an expansion pack, ''[[Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour|Zero Hour]]''. ''[[Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars]]'' was released in 2007 and followed by the expansion pack ''[[Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath|Kane's Wrath]]''. ''[[Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight]]'', released in 2010 as the conclusion to the ''Tiberium'' saga, received mixed reviews because of its deviation from traditional gameplay and story. The ''Red Alert'' series was continued by the 2000 title ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2]]'', its expansion, ''[[Yuri's Revenge]]'' and ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3]]'' in 2008, which introduced a third faction, the Empire of the Rising Sun, which resembles Japan with futuristic robotic technology.

The series is primarily developed for [[personal computer]]s running [[Microsoft Windows]], although some titles have been [[porting|ported]] to various [[video game console]]s and [[Mac (computer)|Apple Mac]]. Other games for platforms such as iOS and web-based have also been developed. As of July 2010, the ''Command & Conquer'' franchise consists of eleven games and eight expansion packs. The first three games of the series have been released as [[freeware]] to promote the successors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.commandandconquer.com/classic |title=Command & Conquer Classics |access-date=April 27, 2010 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214144634/http://www.commandandconquer.com/classic |archive-date=February 14, 2010 }}</ref> A free-to-play game, entitled ''[[Command & Conquer (2013 video game)|Command & Conquer]]'', was in development with the studio [[Victory Games (EA)|Victory Games]]. It was set to be the next game in the series and was expected to be released in 2013. However, after a short alpha period the game was cancelled, and Victory Games disbanded by EA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commandandconquer.com/en/news/1380/a-new-future-for-command-conquer|title=Command and Conquer|date=February 6, 2017 |publisher=commandandconquer.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/29/5043244/ea-cancels-free-to-play-command-and-conquer|title=EA cancels Command & Conquer, closes development studio|first=Michael|last=McWhertor|date=October 29, 2013|publisher=polygon.com}}</ref> The ''Command & Conquer'' series has been a commercial success with over 30 million ''Command & Conquer'' games sold as of 2009.