Kane's Wrath: We quiz the developers

How has the experience of working with Xbox 360 influenced the team's approach to RTS development?

We’ve always had a core belief to make our games as accessible as possible, and developing for the Xbox 360 has only furthered our goal in this area.When developing new units and gameplay systems, we also now consider how easy or difficult it will be to control those objects with the console interface.

To that end, we couldn’t be more excited about the radial interface.The new system allows for players to easily control their build queues, powers, and abilities by simply guiding the left-analog stick.Players can now manage unlimited production queues from anywhere on the map, so no more scrolling around the battlefield searching for that second or third War Factory.

You’ll be amazed by the increase in speed and accessibility, and overall it allows players to focus on the battlefield action instead of managing their base.We’re hoping to implement a similar system for Red Alert 3, and we’re looking forward to getting fan feedback from Kane’s Wrath.

What are the benefits of working with a console controller, compared to a PC keyboard?

Our primary goal, on both platforms, is to make the controls as accessible and intuitive as possible.The best part about the console for us is being able to introduce new gamers to the genre.

The green light to us is when a newcomer RTS gamer can sit down and have a great time with the game, without being hampered or frustrated by the controls. We’ve seen this on several occasions during our testing, and we hope every console gamer has the same experience when they play Kane’s Wrath.

How will Command & Conquer's traditional stylestand up to innovative RTS games like EndWar?

Command & Conquer has always been known for fast, fluid and fun gameplay. We continue to translate that feeling to the console, which creates a visceral and action packed experience. Command & Conquer also extends beyond the gameplay with unique live-action storytelling. We’re confident the C&C RTS formula has a home on consoles.

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Ben Richardson is a former Staff Writer for Official PlayStation 2 magazine and a former Content Editor of 12DOVE. In the years since Ben left GR, he has worked as a columnist, communications officer, charity coach, and podcast host – but we still look back to his news stories from time to time, they are a window into a different era of video games.