Command & Conquer 4 Announced (For Reals)

OK, after all the shenanigans yesterday, I was thinking we'd have to wait until Friday for an official confirmation. But Command & Conquer 4 is real, it's been officially announced, and it's coming to the PC in 2010.

The release claims that the game will retain the "core compulsions" that people have come to love about the series while adding plenty of new features, including class-based gameplay, objective-based multiplayer modes, persistent player progression that weaves its way through all of the game's modes, and an "all-in-one mobile base." That objective-based multiplayer is a five-on-five mode that focuses on cooperation and teamwork.

There's also a bit on the game's story. From El Press Releaso Grande:

The story of Command & Conquer 4 takes place after the events of the critically acclaimed Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars™. The year is 2062 and humanity is at the brink of extinction. With only six years left until the mysterious crystalline structure Tiberium renders the earth entirely uninhabitable, the two opposing factions – Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod – inevitably find themselves in desperation for the same cause: to stop Tiberium from extinguishing mankind. The unthinkable becomes reality and Nod’s enigmatic leader Kane takes off for GDI headquarters. What is Kane planning in the heart of his enemies’ base? Command & Conquer 4 draws the epic conclusion to the beloved Tiberium universe, where fans will learn the fate of Earth, Nod, Tiberium, GDI and most importantly, Kane’s motivations behind his decade-long plan.

So this is supposed to wrap up the existing story line, which is interesting because I've never really felt like there was some kind of huge, overarching story to these games. Really, the only truly memorable character that's made it through multiple games is Joe Kucan's Kane. They talk about revealing Kane's motivations, but this also makes it sound like GDI and Nod will, at some point, find themselves working together. Perhaps they'll be fending off attacks from the Scrin while finding a way to either get rid of all the Tiberium or get the hell off of Earth? Perhaps Kane wants death for all and the remaining Nod forces will be forced to turn on him to save their own skin?