Trans-mission
Page about the official Command & Conquer fan club magazine launched by Virgin Interactive in France from 1997 to 1998.
"[...] Trans-mission newsletters, which will bring you all the latest product news, tips and tricks, and upcoming tournaments every quarter. If you’d like to be interviewed or send us your thoughts by post: don’t hesitate! That’s what Trans-mission is here for!”
Thanks to photos from the Dutch collector Wesley “Wes Ley” Boogmans, we know of the existence of three issues (presumably the only ones, given the dates):
Trans-mission No. 1 – October 1997
Published in October 1997, the first issue of Trans-mission, the fanzine of the Command & Conquer™ Headquarter, features gaming news, competitions and fan-club updates.
Red Alert takes centre stage, with its The Aftermath expansion, its PlayStation port and several competitions.
The main news concerns Red Alert: The Aftermath on PC. This official expansion is presented as a renewal of the game’s tactical possibilities, featuring 18 new missions and over 100 multiplayer maps. The magazine highlights the Missile Submarines and Soviet Tesla Tanks, pitted against the Allies’ Stealth Tanks and Demolition Trucks.
The issue also features Sole Survivor, a Westwood title entirely dedicated to online play. Up to 50 players can compete simultaneously, each controlling a single unit. Crates scattered across the battlefield provide bonuses or penalties, whilst tactics and alliances must be used to achieve the objective: to be the last survivor. Its release was announced for later in 1998.
The arrival of Red Alert on PlayStation, scheduled for November 1997, rounds off these announcements. The magazine promises 40 missions, spectacular cutscenes, lighting and shade effects, as well as a wide selection of units, buildings, weapons and vehicles.
The issue’s major competition, ‘Operation Entrax’, plunges readers into a new confrontation between Nod and the GDI. Nod’s engineers are said to be on the verge of completing a chemical weapon capable of securing them world domination. To defuse it, participants must locate four components by solving the puzzles of ‘Brain Soccer’, the Headquarter’s central computer. Four definitions lead to keywords, which in turn lead to clues enabling the collection of four letters.
The competition takes place on 3615 VIRGINGAMES, at the advertised rate of 2.23 francs (including VAT) per minute. The newspaper provides an initial riddle - ‘In times of war, to part with it is to condemn yourself” - and invites participants to take part from 15 November. The first prize is a trip for two to Las Vegas, to the place where Red Alert was conceived and developed. The next four winners will receive a set of C&C clothing and accessories; participants ranked sixth to twentieth will win the Red Alert soundtrack CD.
Preview of issue 01 with the accompanying letter for Nod members
(2 pages and letter viewable in the gallery)
Competitive gaming also plays an important role, with the announcement of a national Red Alert tournament on 22 November 1997. Fourteen gaming centres are listed across thirteen cities: Lyon, Paris, Marseille, Montpellier, Perpignan, Aix-en-Provence, Narbonne, Carcassonne, Pau, Le Havre, Rennes, Valence and Bordeaux. Entries can be made at the participating venues. At each venue, prizes include a full C&C outfit for the winner, copies of The Aftermath, Red Alert audio CDs and mouse mats.
The article ‘C&C Réseau - Opération Martinique’ highlights an initiative by Philippe Soundorom, a network gaming enthusiast working in communications. Following an initial Warcraft II championship organised in 1996, he is repeating the experience with Red Alert. The competition, which began on 4 October, is expected to attract around fifty players and will culminate in a public final on 25 October at the Galleria shopping centre. The first two prizes announced are a Compaq Presario 220 MMX and a Pentium 166 MMX computer. Other prizes are planned: computer hardware, a mobile phone, games, subscriptions to Headquarter and C&C products. The magazine highlights the support from sponsors and the promotion of the event via posters, radio and television, before inviting readers to publicise their own events.
The accompanying letter explains the purpose of Trans-mission. Entitled ‘Headquarter in the Spotlight!’ and addressed, in this issue, to a member of the Nod, it announces the launch of the newsletter. Its purpose is to keep members informed of developments at C&C, provide them with exclusive previews and act as a link between fans of Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert. Readers are invited to share their experiences and initiatives with Headquarter. The letter maintains the club’s military tone right through to its conclusion: ‘End of transmission’.
Promotional inserts and fan-club offers round off the issue:
- The Aftermath at a members’-only price: the expansion pack is available on PC CD-ROM for 99 francs, including postage. The offer highlights its 18 new missions and seven new units;
- Referring new members: the ‘General Call to Nod/GDI’ promises the referrer an exclusive T-shirt designed by Westwood Studios for each new membership, whilst stocks last. The membership fee quoted is 189 francs;
- Command & Conquer™ Shop: products can be ordered by dialling 3615 VIRGINGAMES, via the Virgin Interactive website or by telephone;
- Free ‘3x more noise’ CD: announced in the magazine and in the accompanying letter, it accompanies the launch of this first issue.
Trans-mission No. 2 – January 1998
Dated January 1998, the second issue of Trans-mission adopts a more substantial format and gives centre stage to Sole Survivor and online gaming. News from Westwood features alongside tournament reports, fan initiatives and activities at Headquarter. The accompanying letter, dated 6 February 1998, highlights this expansion of the magazine, which is still presented as a military transmission intended for members of Nod and the GDI.
The main news concerns Command & Conquer™ : Sole Survivor Online, which is due to be released in Europe in March 1998. This action game, set in the C&C universe, allows up to 50 players tobattle it out online via Westwood Chat. Each player controls a single unit and aims to become the last survivor. Crates collected on the battlefield enhance their unit’s capabilities, whilst ruins provide temporary Foxholes. The magazine emphasises the choice of combat unit: reconnaissance vehicle, Mammoth Tank, APC, Grenadier or even a Raptor dinosaur; and on the importance of cunning, speed and tactical acumen.
Preview of issue 02 with the accompanying letter for Nod members
(12 pages and letter viewable in the gallery)
The issue also unveils Command & Conquer™ : Tiberian Sun, then announced for the fourth quarter of 1998. Under the heading ‘The Third Army’, it introduces a third faction composed of mutants irradiated by Tiberium, the ‘Forgotten’ ’. According to information published at the time, this faction was to be entirely computer-controlled, with the option for the GDI to ally with them against Nod. The engine developed by Westwood is described as revolutionary, but the magazine refers readers to the next issue for further details on the story and technical capabilities.
Another project announced for the fourth quarter of 1998, C&C: Commando was set to depict the war between Nod and the GDI from the perspective of commandos. Billed as a real-time 3D game, it involves, amongst other things, destroying missile sites and launching surprise attacks on enemy forces in order to protect GDI territory. The text mentions development for PlayStation and Windows 95 PCs, as well as the use of 3D accelerator cards and Direct3D.
Competition features prominently, with a report on the national Red Alert tournament held on 22 November 1997. Headquarter describes this first event as encouraging: participants enjoyed meeting other enthusiasts, exchanging strategies and making new contacts. In Narbonne, more than a dozen players are said to have taken part in a particularly enthusiastic atmosphere. Several gaming centres are keen to organise similar events again, and the magazine promises further gatherings.
This report is rounded off by an interview with Philippe Brocard, alias ‘RIP’, winner of the tournament held at Crazy Mouse Games, at the Forum des Halles in Paris. Aged 23, he recounts his first time taking part in this sort of event, played on eight PCs fitted with Pentium 166 processors. Having come primarily to share his passion and test himself against other players, he discusses the coalitions formed against him and the importance of withstanding attacks from multiple opponents. He hopes for more frequent events, a larger number of participants and a way to get in touch with other club members.
The magazine also looks back at the C&C events organised at Virgin Megastores on the last two Saturdays in October. Participants had to progress through a mission from Counterstrike, ‘Allies: Occupied Greece 1 - Private War”, which involved escorting Stravos through Athens to an Allied Outpost. The rankings took into account both progress and time taken: simply staying in cover for a long time was therefore not enough to win. Tips were handed out to help less experienced players. The Headquarter singles out Damien Dorier, who clocked a time of nine minutes, compared to an announced average of thirteen to fifteen minutes.
The online feature continues with a profile of Marc-André Dumas, a 17-year-old Canadian living in Gatineau, near Ottawa. A fan of Westwood games ever since discovering Dune, he recounts starting to use the internet in August 1996, before creating his own website a month later. Initially hosted on Sickle, the site later moved to Aim4game and covered Red Alert, Sole Survivor, Tiberian Sun and Commando. It offers news, four support forums and a ranking of French-speaking players on Westwood Chat. The interview also touches on the possibility of organising tournaments between internet users. A selection of four websites accompanies this feature.
Headquarter also announces a paintball day on Saturday 7 March 1998 in the Forest of Fontainebleau. Members are to defend the colours of the Nod or the GDI, under the guidance of the Kings team, described as having finished fourth in the French championship. The departure is scheduled for 8.30 am from the Porte d’Orléans, with a return scheduled for around 7.30 pm. Equipment and refreshments are said to be provided. The entry fee is 100 francs for members and 250 francs for non-members, with registration forms to be returned by 22 February and parental consent required for minors.The ‘Mission Entrax’ continues, with the GDI holding a slight lead over the Nod in the competition’s storyline. To help participants, the magazine has revealed the solution to the first puzzle: the keyword was ‘ARME’, and the instruction to keep only the first letter gave the letter ‘A’. The other three puzzles remain to be discovered via the 3615 VIRGINGAMES service in order to gather the four elements of the Entrax and try to win the trip to Las Vegas. An insert also invites readers to look for the final clue in the January issue of GEN4.
Interaction between members is becoming increasingly important. A ‘Readers’ Corner’ features a letter from a Nod member based near Toulouse, who asks how to find maps, get in touch with other players, take part in meet-ups and earn awards. A staged reply, signed by Kane, directs him towards fan sites, tournaments, paintball and the Entrax competition. The club is also preparing a ‘Contacts’ guide’, designed to enable members to share tips or challenge one another. A form is used to obtain their consent to include the contact details they wish to share. Finally, an ‘SOS Cheat Code’ insert provides mission passwords for Red Alert on PlayStation.
The accompanying letter announces this new, enhanced format, featuring ‘mission reports’ from around the world and sneak previews of upcoming games. It particularly highlights the online battles in Sole Survivor and announces Kane’s personal support, accompanied by a free signed photograph. His postscript reiterates the invitation to take part in paintball.
The photo of Kane(recreated based on photos sent by the collector “Wes Ley”) features the motto “Brotherhood, Peace and Eternity” alongside Kane’s name and the brotherhood’s logo.
Advertisements and fan club offers round off the issue:
- Pre-order for Sole Survivor Online: the PC CD-ROM game is offered to members for 99 francs, including postage, ahead of its announced release in March 1998;
- Tiberian Dawn on PlayStation: a Platinum edition is announced for March 1998 at a price of 169 francs;
- Clothing and accessories shop: Nod or GDI caps at 49 francs, T-shirts at 79 francs, hooded sweatshirts at 139 francs, jackets at 339 francs, watches at 169 francs, CD sets at 39 francs and soundtracks at 29 francs;
- Games and equipment: the shop offers, amongst other things, Counterstrike at 99 francs, The Aftermath at 149 francs, Red Alert for PC at 299 francs and Tiberian Dawn with Survival Operations included for 249 francs. A bundle combining Red Alert for PlayStation and a mouse is available for 449 francs; the mouse on its own costs 119 francs;
- Referral scheme: an exclusive T-shirt designed by Westwood is offered for each new membership referred, whilst stocks last. Membership of Headquarter remains at 189 francs.
Trans-mission No. 3 – MAY 1998
Dated May 1998, the third issue of Trans-mission pays*Dune 2000 and Tiberian Sun, whilst devoting considerable space to life at Headquarter. The magazine looks back at the paintball event in Fontainebleau, presents the winner of the Entrax competition and continues its exchanges with website creators and fan-club members.
Dune 2000 is the main feature of this issue, with a presentation based on explanations from its producer, Lewis Peterson. The French version is announced for June 1998. The team aims to preserve the spirit of Dune II whilst harnessing technical advances to refresh its look and capabilities. The developers explain their attachment to the books and the film, as well as their desire to recreate the nature of the conflicts specific to this universe.
The feature emphasises improvements to the graphics, terrain, units, buildings and special effects. Despite the desert setting, the designers promise varied and richly detailed environments. Two display modes are announced: 256 colours in 8-bit mode, prioritising speed, or approximately 65,000 colours in 16-bit mode, allowing for a more detailed rendering. The aim is to bring the game’s visuals closer to those of the film whilst maintaining the artistic lineage of Dune II and Command & Conquer™. The magazine announces more than 27 missions, as well as multiplayer games via local network and the Internet.
Preview of issue 03
(12 pages available to read in the gallery)
Tiberian Sun features an in-depth look at its storyline and announced new features. The story is set to begin twenty years after Nod’s defeat in Tiberian Dawn. Tiberium has spread across the planet, with devastating consequences for all living things. The GDI has evacuated the majority of its population to its Arctic strongholds, whilst Nod has taken refuge in underground bases. Deprived of Kane, who apparently died when his temple was destroyed, the Brotherhood has split into factions that have become particularly dangerous. The article, however, leaves some doubt as to whether their leader is truly dead.
The magazine also explores the role of the Forgotten, mutants victimised by Tiberium, abandoned by the GDI and persecuted by Nod. As in the previous issue, they are presented as a third faction controlled by the computer, with which the GDI player can ally. On a technical level, the article highlights voxel technology, more realistic movements and 3D explosions. It announces units that gain experience, Harvesters that automatically avoid dangerous areas, destructible scenery and the ability to move nearly a hundred units simultaneously. Larger maps, faster manoeuvres and online play round off these promises. The text also states that building multiple identical structures will no longer speed up unit production.
Club life is dominated by the report on the paintball day held on 7 March 1998 in Fontainebleau. Entitled ‘Sleeper Ambush at Fontainebleau’, it recounts the event in the style of a war correspondent’s adventure, signed ‘Bob the Eagle’. From the participants’ departure from the Porte d’Orléans to the clashes in the woods, the narrative transforms the event into a military operation between Nod and GDI. Photographs of players and a group portrait accompany this dramatisation, in which the journalist ends up being captured before being released thanks to his press passes and his Headquarter membership card.
An interview with Laurent Capron, a member of the Kings, explains how this event was organised. This competitive paintball club, which has been active for five years and has around a dozen members, is presented as a top-flight team affiliated to the Île-de-France. To adapt paintball to C&C, the organisers have replaced the traditional flag with Tiberium: the objective becomes seizing the opposing side’s reserves.
The day unfolded in several stages: internal matches within each camp to establish a ranking, a speed course involving target shooting, followed by matches between Nod and GDI in teams of eight. A general battle brought the event to a close.Nod’s victory is announced on the front page and discussed by Laurent Capron. The feature also features an interview with Valentin, aged 13, the youngest participant, who was playing for the GDI. Thrilled by this first experience, he says his team finished first and hopes to take part again. He specifically mentions Red Alert and The Aftermath among his favourite games.
The ‘Mission Entrax’ competition culminated in the victory of Fred Alexis, a 28-year-old actuary working for an insurance company. In keeping with the magazine’s tone, the article presents him as the hero who saved the world by defusing theweapon. A member of the Headquarter since July 1997 and a supporter of the Nod, he explains that he discovered real-time strategy games with Dune II, before following Westwood’s releases.
In his interview, the winner highlights his appreciation for C&C’s user-friendliness, its atmosphere and the fresh take offered by the missions and expansion packs. He prefers the dark, futuristic world of the first game to that of Red Alert and is eagerly awaiting C&C: Tiberian Sun. His prize will enable him to explore the United States and visit the Westwood Studios in Las Vegas. He even mentions his dream of becoming a beta tester for the studio.
The ‘Readers’ Corner’ features Pascal Martin, aged 26, creator of a website dedicated to Red Alert. Kept busy by programming and a business venture in IT, he explains that he has little time to develop his website. A die-hard C&C fan, he nevertheless criticises the limitations of the artificial intelligence, particularly in skirmish mode, and would like to see better-coordinated attacks as well as more extensive use of naval and air forces. He also describes how he creates animated GIFs from in-game images using RA-MIXer and is considering refocusing his site towards development and single-player missions. A selection of other fan sites accompanies the interview.
The issue continues its practical guides with codes for Red Alert on PlayStation: passwords for Allied and Soviet missions 4 to 6, as well as combinations to enter during the pause menu to achieve certain effects, such as revealing the map. The ‘Combatants’ Directory’ publishes contact details of members wishing to meet other players and provides a form to join the list.
Finally,a survey invites members to give their views on Trans-mission. The questions cover articles, graphics, commercial offers, topics to be covered and the benefits expected from the club. Headquarter also asks what events readers would like to see organised after paintball and at what price. T-T-shirts and caps are advertised as prizes. A list of networked gaming centres rounds off this information.
Promotional inserts and fan-club offers bring the issue to a close:
- Free demo of Dune 2000: readers can request this from Headquarter by telephone or post;
- Club-branded merchandise shop: a water bottle with a cup and a khaki fabric cover is on offer for 129 francs, a ‘Maglight’ torch for 299 francs, a recycled military bag for 129 francs and Vivitar binoculars for 379 francs;
- Ordering: purchases can be made by telephone, via 3615 VIRGINGAMES or using the postal order form;
- Referral scheme: the offer of an exclusive T-shirt designed by Westwood is being extended for every new membership referred, whilst stocks last. The membership fee remains at 189 francs.
Related websites and venues
Listed fan sites
These sites are, of course, no longer active and can only be viewed via the web archive, with the exception of the first one.
| Number | URL | Subject or context |
|---|---|---|
| No. 2 | www.aim4game.com/ar | ‘C&C: the world is a giant network’: interview with Marc-André Dumas on his website dedicated to C&C. Address also featured in ‘The Best Websites’. |
| No. 2 | www.mygale.org/06/apple | Selected for ‘The Best Websites’. |
| No. 2 | www.chez.com/sovxx | Selected for ‘The Best Websites’. |
| No. 2 | village.cyberbrain.com/nicos/ra | Selected for ‘The Best Websites’. |
| No. 3 | perso.wanadoo.fr/feedback.fr | ‘Readers’ Corner - Command & Conquer: websites’: interview with Pascal Martin on his website dedicated to Red Alert. |
| No. 3 | www.mygale.org/06/bluebird | ‘Best Websites’ selection. |
| No. 3 | www.mygale.org/06/nomi | ‘Best Websites’ selection. |
| No. 3 | www.rasc.catalyst.net | ‘Best Websites’ selection. |
Partner shops or gaming centres
Only 2 shops and 1 gaming centre are still open in 2026.
| Centre | Town | Address listed in No. 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defcon 1 | Lyon | 118, Cours Gambetta, 69007 Lyon | closed in 2000 |
| Armageddon | Paris 20th | 52, boulevard de Ménilmontant, 75020 Paris | probably closed |
| Crazy Mouse Games | Paris 1st | 41, rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris | probably closed |
| Magic Café | Marseille 6th | 20, rue du Dr Escat, 13006 Marseille | closed in 2009 |
| Dimention 4 | Montpellier | 11, rue des Balances, 34000 Montpellier | probably closed |
| Next Generation Games | Perpignan | 13, rue de Cerdagne, 66000 Perpignan | probably closed |
| Net Games / Net’Games | Aix-en-Provence | 54, rue de l’Aumone Vieille, 13100 Aix-en-Provence | closed in 2022 |
| Versus | Narbonne | 73, rue Droite, 11100 Narbonne | still open at a different address |
| Red Alert | Carcassonne | 72, rue Aimé Ramond, 11000 Carcassonne | closed |
| Le Petit Troll | Pau | 11, rue Duboué, 64000 Pau | probably closed |
| Solaris | Le Havre | 130, cours de la République, 76600 Le Havre | probably closed |
| Arobace | Rennes | 11, rue Poullain Duparc, 35000 Rennes | still open at the same address |
| Cybermedia | Valence | 3, rue Briffaut, 26000 Valence | probably closed |
| Cyberstation | Bordeaux | 23, cours Pasteur, 33000 Bordeaux | still open at the same address |
