Background

The game is a remake of Dune 2, the very first real-time strategy game. Westwood created a brand new engine for Dune 2000 and upgraded the graphics to high resolution, and full motion video cut scenes will drive the story along, to bring the player into the Dune universe. Dune 2000 (like its predecessor) doesn't follow the story of Paul Atreides, but rather describes a conflict set in the Dune universe.

Westwood has taken advantage of the landscape of Dune to create an extremely rich tile set full of unique tiles, and incredible details. They have preserved the same units as Dune 2, so the houses will play basically the same. Each side shares a number of common units; however, there is a slightly more complicated combat model that gave Westwood additional variables to better balance the houses and allow them to each have a different feel.

Multi-player games on the Internet is also possible, allowing Dune players to go head to head for the first time. Westwood allows 4 players battle on Westwood Online, their Internet gaming server. All of the original units make a return, along with some new surprises. Yoy can command the Freman warriors, the Emperor's elite troops, the Sardaukar, Ornithopters, Sonic Tanks, along with two new units; the Thumper Infantry and Engineer.

• You will be able to play three different sides: The Atreides, Ordos, and Harkonnen. You will be able to play as any of the three houses in multiplayer as well.
• The game will have a variety of multiplayer options, like: modem, LAN, and the Internet. Internet play will be free through WCHAT a free component of many Westwood games.
• The game will have a about 45-50 missions. It will have 27 main missions, each House having 9. There will also be different choices for the exact area in which you play like in Red Alert or even the original Dune.
• The game should be released in May of '98 now and is only a remake so the story stays the same.
• Some new updates will include concrete slabs in groups of 6 and engineers will be the added unit not found in Dune 2.
• Dune 2000 will have a engine different from any other game and will have 16-bit graphics which should make the game much more enjoyable. It will also have realtime lighting, translucent smoke trails, particle effect explosions, and translucent shroud effects.
• The game will have FMV cutscenes, unlike Dune 2, with 45 minutes of total FMV footage and 6 actors.

Westwood's CEO Brett Sperry commented on the decision to remake Dune 2:

"Dune 2 is still very popular with our fans," he says. "We decided to update the classic and give Dune fans, for the first time ever, the experience of playing head-to-head. At the same time, we're giving players who are new to the game a chance to experience this fascinating world."

"[Frank Herbert's novel] Dune was an inspiration to me and the design team," Sperry says. "It's an exotic setting full of political intrigue and hidden danger, a fascinating world for a game, and with this new and improved Dune, it's once again a fun place to wage war."