Electronic Arts has made a surprising move by open-sourcing four classic Command & Conquer games: Red Alert, Tiberian Dawn, Renegade, and Generals Zero Hour. This unexpected decision has sparked excitement throughout the gaming community, particularly among long-time fans of these influential real-time strategy titles.
The release provides source code access under the GPL v3 license, though with some limitations. According to the repository information, the code for Red Alert doesn't fully compile in its current state and requires replacements for several dependencies including DirectX 5 SDK, DirectX Media 5.1 SDK, Greenleaf Communications Library, and Human Machine Interface Sound Operating System. The original build environment used Watcom C/C++ and Borland Turbo Assembler.
Open-Sourced Command & Conquer Games:
- Command & Conquer: Red Alert
- Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn
- Command & Conquer: Renegade
- Command & Conquer: Generals Zero Hour
Required Dependencies (for Red Alert):
- DirectX 5 SDK
- DirectX Media 5.1 SDK
- Greenleaf Communications Library (GCL)
- Human Machine Interface (HMI) "Sound Operating System" (SOS)
Original Build Environment:
- Watcom C/C++ (v10.6) for C/C++ source files
- Borland Turbo Assembler (TASM v4.0) for assembly files
License: GPL v3 with additional terms
Community Reaction and Significance
The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude toward EA for preserving these gaming classics. Several commenters noted the difficulty of getting such initiatives approved in large corporations, suggesting this release represents significant internal advocacy.
Whoever pushed for this at EA - my deepest respect is with you! Original C&C was rewritten from scratch long ago, but open source version of Zero Hour is such an amazing gift.
The release is particularly significant for Generals Zero Hour, which many didn't expect to see open-sourced before other titles in the series. Some users expressed surprise that Red Alert 2 and Tiberian Sun weren't included, with discussions revealing that the source code for these games may have been lost over the years.
Code Quality and Developer Humor
Developers examining the codebase have found it surprisingly well-structured for its era. The Red Alert code contains detailed comments and good documentation practices, countering the stereotype that successful games typically have poor code quality. Users have also discovered amusing developer comments embedded throughout the code, providing a glimpse into the personal and sometimes frustrating experiences of game development in the 1990s.
Some highlighted examples include colorful variable names like poo and silly, along with frustrated comments about Windows APIs and debugging challenges. These artifacts offer a fascinating historical record of software development practices from that period.
Modding and Future Potential
The open-sourcing aligns well with existing community efforts like OpenRA, a project that has already reimplemented these classic games. Many commenters expressed hope that this official release will further enhance modding possibilities and preservation efforts.
For those wanting to use the code with game assets, EA notes that users must own the game. Conveniently, the complete C&C bundle with all open-sourced games is currently available on Steam for approximately $6 USD, providing an affordable way to acquire the necessary assets.
The community is already discussing potential improvements, including 4K rendering, raytracing, native Linux builds, and WebAssembly ports for browser play. While the code requires some work to compile, the release provides a foundation for these enhancements.
This move by EA follows in the footsteps of companies like id Software, which pioneered the practice of open-sourcing older game engines. For game preservation enthusiasts and developers interested in studying classic game architecture, this release represents a valuable contribution to gaming history and culture.
Reference: Command & Conquer Red Alert Source Code