"", released on August 27, 1999, takes place in the year 2030. While the original "Command & Conquer"s plot was centered around an allegorical world politics setting, "Tiberian Sun" shifted this to a more science fiction-like setting against the apocalyptic background of Tiberium beginning to assimilate vast portions of the Earth's ecosystems. In 1998, Westwood Studios, the developers of "Tiberian Sun", was acquired by Electronic Arts. However, EA had no direct part in the development of the title. Compared to its predecessor, "Tiberian Sun" relies heavily on science fiction technologies and introduces a new isometric game engine featuring varying level terrain to give the impression of a true 3D environment.