After seven years, the wait is almost over.  The return to the over-the-top, time-altered universe of Red Alert – where parachuting armored bears, George Takei, war dolphins and psionic Japanese school girls can co-exist without question – is almost here! EA Los Angeles is announcing today that Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 has gone gold for the PC and will ship to retail stores on October 28^th, 2008.

Red Alert 3 brings back everything fans enjoy about the series, from the fast, fluid and fun gameplay, to the humorous tone and distinct art style, while adding new innovations for the entire genre including three separate campaigns designed for fully co-operative play and an unprecedented emphasis on naval gameplay.  And it would not be a Red Alert game without live-action cinematics featuring the largest cast in the history of video games, starring in over an hour’s worth of high-definition movies, including the likes of Gemma Atkinson, Gina Carano, Randy Couture, Tim Curry, Kelly Hu, Jenny McCarthy, Jonathan Pryce, Autumn Reeser, J.K. Simmons, Peter Stormare, George Takei and more.

Aside from the standard edition of Red Alert 3, EA is also offering die-hard Red Alert and Command & Conquer fans the Red Alert 3 Premier Edition – a limited edition package that includes a bonus DVD with over an hour of exclusive content, including interviews with the cast and a behind the scenes look at the shooting of the game’s cinematic sequences. The Premier Edition is also packed full of additional Red Alert 3 goodness, including exclusive multiplayer maps, strategy tips from the development team, the official soundtrack and an exclusive beta key to a future Command & Conquer game.  For fans of the series who want to reserve their version of the Premier Edition or regular edition now, EA is also offering the following special pre-order package*:

• Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 – One of the most beloved RTS games of all time for FREE!
• From Fighter to Assassin – A featurette on EliteXC superstar, Gina Carano.
• Red Alert Retrospective – A look back at Command & Conquer Red Alert, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer: Yuri’s Revenge
• Premier Edition Sneak Peek – Exclusive previews of Raising of the Iron Curtain, From Pens to Pixels, Command School, and BattleCast Primetime
• Exclusive multiplayer/skirmish map for Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 when the game ships 
• Exclusive Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 desktop wallpapers

And as an additional bonus, everyone who purchases either the Premier Edition or regular version of Red Alert 3 will receive a “Women of Red Alert 3” poster and a redemption code for the Kossar’s Helm, an exclusive in-game item for EA and Mythic Entertainment’s critical hit Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.  Using this traditional Soviet hat turns your character into a bear – you don’t want to be seen rampaging through WAR’s capital cities without it!

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 is also shipping for the Xbox 360 on November 11^th, 2008.  Stay tuned for more details coming soon.

For more information, please visit www.RedAlert3.com.

*Pre-order packages are available at most retailers now, though offers vary by retailer and territory.