Ep.109 – Most Prefer To Conquer: The Vision That Let Westwood Command & Conquer Strategy Itself
Command and Conquer (1995)
A Trip Down Memory Card Lane · David Kassin and Robert Kassin
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Show Notes
In 1995, Westwood Studios released Command & Conquer, the real-time strategy game that defined a genre. We trace Brett Sperry and Louis Castle’s journey from Eye of the Beholder and Dune II to creating a modern warfare epic of asymmetric conflict and Tiberium-fueled power struggles. Inspired by the Gulf War and 1950s sci-fi, the game pitted the Global Defense Initiative against the Brotherhood of Nod under the sinister Kane. The episode explores full-motion video storytelling, multiplayer innovation, and critic reviews praising its polish and intensity. Our conversation highlights the series’ expansion through Red Alert, Generals, and Tiberian Sun, the fall of Westwood under EA, and the studio’s rebirth as Petroglyph. Join us as we harvest, build, and conquer through Command & Conquer on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.