Red Alert 1 Released As Freeware 105
Ciaran_H writes "Command & Conquer: Red Alert 1 was released as freeware on C&C's 13th anniversary. The Soviet and Allied CDs are available for download on EA's site. With the freeware release of the original Command & Conquer: Tiberium Dawn having taken place last year for the 12th anniversary, two of the most popular RTS games are now available completely free."
EA is also offering a free download of Red Alert 2 with a pre-order of the upcoming Red Alert 3. The above link has a trailer for the new game, which includes appearances from George Takei, Tim Curry, Jenny McCarthy, and others.
C&C: Total Failure (Score:3, Interesting)
Oh failure, let me count the ways:
1. The Tiberium Dawn link does not render correctly in Webkit. (Read: Google Chrome)
2. The Red Alert download link uses HTTP transfers rather than Bittorrent for 2x500MB files. And it was just posted on Slashdot.
3. I just purchased the C&C Collection Pack, you insensitive clods!
(Checks packaging)
Whew. Never mind. The C&C Collection Pack only has RA2. So thus I avoid the typical Slashdot failure!
Err... other than purchasing a "collection" that's missing the most defining games of the series that is. Hey! It was on sale! (pause) You know what? On second thought, let's just forget about the collection thing, shall we? It will be our little secret, Comrade. Da?
In all seriousness, I'm glad to see EA take this step. Old games are easily lost to the sands of time, the trials of moving, the march of operating systems, and the bateria that eats CDs. Embracing the "abandonware" mentality legally means that the game is preserved both physically and in the hearts and minds of the new generation of players. It also limits the ability of companies to continually repackage old works, thus forcing them to move forward with new titles rather than backward with the old. So kudos to EA!
Re:Command and Conquer is free too (Score:3, Interesting)
My only issue is that they Don't Release the expansions. Tiberian Dawn had 1 expansion an RA had 2. But there is no longer any way to buy those without also buying a copy of these now free games.