Games Convention 06

Having learnt that the Command and Conquer 3 team would be attending the Leipzig Game Convention from 22 to 27 August 2006, I decided to do everything I could to get there. After numerous difficulties, I finally managed to get my ticket for the Game Convention – the easiest part: 24 euros online – my train tickets (already more difficult because, according to Deutsche Bahn, everything was fully booked… luckily, DB France managed to find me a seat on those very same trains – I’m not even going to try to make sense of it) and, finally, a bed in the youth hostel booked entirely by the EA Community Team (thank goodness, as all the hotels were full).

So, at 10.45 pm on Wednesday 22 August, I was able to board the ‘Strasbourg–Karlsruhe–Leipzig’ train with peace of mind.

After a nine-hour train journey, I finally arrived in Leipzig, which had become the ‘video game’ capital for those few days. So I headed to the hotel – roughly 8 minutes’ walk from the station – to drop off my bag and then rushed straight to the convention (a 20–25-minute tram ride on line 16, which runs from the station to the Messe, the convention venue).

I arrived at around 8.45 am. At the entrance, Coca-Cola were handing out their new “Coca Zero” – or rather “Cola Zero”. I swap my e-ticket for a pass and head towards the entrance to Hall 4, thinking that’s where the stand was. A security guard was blocking the entrance as the halls didn’t open to the public until 9.00 am. That’s when I spotted Aaron Kaufman walking past; he’d forgotten his press pass and was being stopped too. He phoned Peter Larsen to ask him to bring his pass round, and I took the opportunity whilst he was waiting to introduce myself. He then explained that the EA stand was in Hall 3 and gave me the programme for the day’s CnC events.

I then headed towards Hall 3 (50 metres away) and went straight to the EA stand as soon as the doors opened. The new trailer for EA’s games was playing on a loop on the 360° screen.

At 9.45 am, I meet up with Aaron in front of the two switched-off CnC3 computers. Aaron and Jim Vessella (associate producer) finally start a multiplayer game, which they repeat exactly the same way three times in a row, with new visitors each time (except for me, who stays).

The game unfolds as follows:

Aaron plays as Nod, Jim as GDI. They each deploy their VCMs to a partially constructed base. Jim then builds a Tiberium Refinery, followed by a second Barracks. He immediately demonstrates the option in the command bar that allows you to switch between barracks and thus command several barracks at the same time. Meanwhile, Aaron builds a Tiberium Refinery and a drop zone (Nod War Factory).

Jim then produces Minigunner and Rocket Pod infantry units – the infantry units arrive in squads of six – and sends them near a ruined building in the city. The units then take up defensive positions behind the building. He also moves the two Engineers he has built to the other side of his base.

Aaron then arrives with infantry units and Scorpion tanks to attack the GDI Soldiers. They prevail and continue towards the base, where Jim stops them by deploying a WatchTower (GDI defence).

Construction continues on both sides, with a Weapons Factory, Radar and Tech Center for the GDI, and a hangar (for aircraft) and Obelisk of Light for Nod.

Aaron then attacks a GDI Power Plant with two Stealth Tanks, which quickly vanish thanks to their Camouflage (a very impressive effect as they disappear). Jim then builds a second Power Plant and adds turbines to the first (GDI upgrade).

Jim sends soldiers south, who are killed by two flamethrower tanks, which are themselves destroyed by two Predator tanks, which are in turn destroyed by two ‘Vertigo’ stealth bomber aircraft.

Jim then moves four Mammoth Tanks close to the Nod base and uses the function available to all GDI infantry, which allows him to call in a V-35 Hawk aircraft to transport the units. He then moves the two Engineers to the north of the Nod base.

Aaron attacks the GDI Power Plants again with his two Stealth Tanks, which are then detected by the ‘scan pulse’ function of the GDI Orcas and destroyed.

Jim sends four Predator tanks towards the Obelisk of Light, but it is too powerful. He therefore uses the two engineers to capture the hangar and a Hand of Nod outpost to the north of the base. With the two Vertigo Bombers, he destroys two Power Plants, allowing the Mammoths to attack the deactivated obelisk without fear and then destroy the entire base and its units.

GDI wins!

The morning draws to a close; I leave Aaron to go for lunch. When I return half an hour later, I get a ‘Command and Conquer’ paint tattoo at the EA stand. I meet up with Aaron and Jim again, this time accompanied by Amer Ajami (producer). The video of Kane’s return is shown on the 360° screen, followed by the same multiplayer match with commentary from Amer – whilst Jim and Aaron are playing on the computers. The EA presenter asks a few questions, and then the presentation comes to an end.

All three of them head off with me to the GIGA TV set for another presentation (the first live broadcast during the game). Then off to Hall 4 for a final presentation and to answer questions with Peter Larsen and Mike Verdu (executive producer) at the GC Forum.

Aaron collects my six copies of “10 Years of CnCSaga”, shows them to Mike Verdu and takes them with him (he’d suggested just before that I get them signed by the whole game team in Los Angeles and have them sent back to me).

I then went back to the station to pick up Raphaël from TimeofWar, but he’d slipped away; however, FAS from TimeofWar caught up with me. We went back to the hotel together, where we met up with Raphaël. I collected the room keys, the bed linen, an EA Community Team T-shirt, the programme, discount vouchers for food at the GC and an invitation to the party the following evening.

Given the rain falling on Leipzig that evening, our tiredness and a few communication issues, we decided to go to bed and not go to the karaoke night.

The next day, the three of us went back to the GC. The day unfolded in much the same way for the CnC events, and I made the most of the breaks between presentations to visit the other halls. A chap from CnC Reborn had dressed up as a Nod Soldier; he made quite an impression: all the girls were stopping him to have their photo taken with him.

In the evening, we headed to the address given for the EA Community Team party. It was being held in a bar that had been closed off for the occasion, and entry was by invitation only. Inside, it’s an open bar. After waiting inside for two hours, chatting amongst ourselves and having a drink, the EALA team arrived (Aaron, Jim, Mike, Amer and Louis Castle). I took the opportunity to get Mike Verdu to sign my BFME2 Collector’s Edition box and the Nod card (he even signed the BFME2 DVD), and to get Louis Castle to sign my copy of The First Decade; he was very pleased to meet me.

We also saw Aaron’s wife, Louis Castle’s wife and his son during the evening.

I gave Peter Larsen and his wife two bottles of cider (she’s from Brittany) and Aaron a bottle of champagne (he couldn’t believe it). We left the party at 1 am.

On Saturday morning, we went to pick up Renardin from the CnC Reborn mod team at the station, then went with him to the GC. Whilst Raphaël and FAS head off to the business centre to interview Peter Larsen, I watch Renardin set up and play his mod at the CT stand. We’re joined by the EALA team, to whom Renardin spends 45 minutes promoting his mod. Aaron, Amer and Jim played whilst Mike Verdu watched with interest. The charm offensive seemed to be working a treat: they said they’d look into helping the mod.

The day drew to a close and I set off back to Strasbourg at 10.10 pm. This trip has been absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait to see FAS, Raphaël and Renardin again!