9 Genre-Defining Video Game Franchises That Died While You Weren't Looking

You'd think, with its near-spotless record for quality and reputation of being a pioneer of the RTS genre, that Command & Conquer would never die. Definitely not in the undignified way that it did.

After dominating the PC market with the genre-defining original game and its follow-up, Red Alert, Westwood Studios caught the eye of EA, who snapped it up without a second thought in 1998. Sequels, spin-offs and re-releases followed in the years following the acquisition, a streak of success that ended in 2010 with the poorly-received Command & Conquer 4.

Westwood had ceased to operate by this point - replaced with EA Los Angeles - but 4's disastrous launch only quickened its successor's demise. All was thought lost until Victory Games announced in 2013 that it was hammering out plans for a quasi-sequel, C&C: Generals 2.

One closed Alpha and rebranding later: EA and Victory confirmed that, following poor early impressions, the reboot was dead. Victory closed its doors for good shortly after, and EA never spoke of the series again in any meaningful capacity.

All that remains of this iconic franchise is the crummy Tiberium Alliances, a hollow shell that only serves to sully the series' name.