EA Explains Warhammer 40K Tanks in C&C Concept Art

[Andy Chalk]

EA Explains Warhammer 40K Tanks in C&C Concept Art

EA says the release of Warhammer 40K-style C&C: Tiberium concept art was "unintentional."

It came to light earlier this week that a couple of the tank designs for EA's browser-based, free-to-play Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances bore more than a passing similarity to units used in the Warhammer 40,0000 setting. Users on Reddit [http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/s4s7f/tank_in_new_cc_mmo_is_a_baneblade_from_40k/] pointed out that the Forgotten Grinder and Forgotten Bombard tanks are almost identical to the Ork Bonecruncha and Baneblade, both of which have been around since 1995.

But EA says the whole thing was more or less a misunderstanding, that "the IP issues around the artwork in question" have been resolved and that the image was never actually meant for public consumption in the first place.

"The artwork was internal EA concept art that was unintentionally released publicly," an EA rep told Gamespot [http://www.gamespot.com/news/ea-explains-command-and-conquers-warhammer-40k-tanks-6371694]. "No Warhammer 40,000 tanks have ever made an appearance in Command and Conquer: Tiberium Alliances, and never will."

Games Workshop, which produces the Warhammer 40,0000 tabletop wargame and owns the IP, works with EA on the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning MMO and the new free-to-play Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes, which is now in open beta. The rep added that the two companies continue to have a "strong relationship."



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[-Dragmire-]

Eh, makes sense. I thought people were overreacting.

I originally assumed an outsourced artist sent in the designs to EA and the people green lighting the project weren't familiar with 40k.

Still, kind of odd to makes concept art based on 40k. If they're using it as a starting point, I wonder what the final product will look like.

 

[Baresark]

Just as an aside, there are too many zeros at the end of the 40. You tricked yourself up and it is usually displayed as 40000 or 40K. But, interesting story anyway.

 

[LittleMikey]

Just as an aside, there are too many zeros at the end of the 40. You tricked yourself up and it is usually displayed as 40000 or 40K. But, interesting story anyway.

Warhammer 400000 is a much better game.

 

[Leftnt Sharpe]

Well played EA, very well played indeed.

 

[Murmillos]

more much ado about nothing.

But hey, its cool to hate EA. (I hate them too, but I stick to the facts at hand of their evilness, not made up knee-jerk conjecture on bull crap like this.)

 

[UnderGlass]

Aaand another win for the incredibly efficient and symbiotic developer/publisher pipeline.

 

[Frostbite3789]

How does EA know so little about where its own ass is that it could commission concept art for CnC and not realize it was Warhammer 40K until it gets leaked and someone in the community points it out. This is how much EA cares about the CnC franchise, they simply don't give 1/2 a fuck about a core IP simply because it isn't a mega-hit right now.

Seriously, is EA being run by this guy?

So you're saying a company should be fully aware of every single drawing that is meant for a game, even if it isn't even actually to be in the game? Well then.

Edit: The publisher even. Not the developer.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Man, that's some well-polished internal concept art. It's almost like EA is lying through their teeth!

 

[Frostbite3789]

Im saying its indicative of the complete lack of regard EA for its IPs. The shit they pulled with CnC4 was an epic dick-move; They basically told their developer to convert a new version of CnC3 meant for the eastern market into a fully fledged sequel in just 6 months.

It seems at every stage of the process EA is instilling its staff with a "Just don't give a shit" mentality.

So you'd prefer that as the publisher they meddle in every step of the development process and be up the dev's ass every single step of the way through production, examining every little piece of concept art the dev team commissions?

Because I'm pretty sure people hate EA for doing stuff like that.

 

[Murmillos]

I think it was more; EA is making C&C game (with tanks) along with making a War Hammer game (with tanks).

Both development teams have been submitting (or told to submit) "artwork" to marketing - in this case, renders of tanks. Some confused low level art guy was told to grab some tank renders, and slap on the C&C tag. A mix up later, he used the War Hammer tanks instead of C&C tanks. And before anybody had to do a last minute double check, images get released.

Knee-jerking EA haters points to it as evidence of EA's disregard for X Y and Z.

EA isn't one whole magical element that works in total harmony and unison with the common goal of destroying the games you like to play, they are just like any other business. The people who made the choice to change the nature of CnC4 is a completely different department then the people who take collect and view each screen shot and decide which ones are to be released to the public.

 

[Bobic]

It still kinda begs the question as to what kinda lazy concept artist they hired that just went browsing through warhammer lore saying 'that'll do, actual work is hard'.

 

[wooty]

Everything else seems ripped off these days, so why not generic looking futuristic tanks?

 

[Kahunaburger]

It still kinda begs the question as to what kinda lazy concept artist they hired that just went browsing through warhammer lore saying 'that'll do, actual work is hard'.

Maybe the same person who "designed" the Fade?

 

[Something Amyss]

So you're saying a company should be fully aware of every single drawing that is meant for a game, even if it isn't even actually to be in the game? Well then.

Edit: The publisher even. Not the developer.

They should also be aware of every competitor's designs intimately so they can cross-reference all designs, even unused ones.

 

[Monsterfurby]

I still think that a C&C and WH40k cross-over (as in: the GDI fighting Chaos Space Marines/Orcs/Tyranids) would be a MUCH better idea than a straight-up C&C sequel.