Command & Conquer

Better media attachment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4VbOHvaPRc

Ra2 install revealed lots of plot stuff, none of which Generals really has.

Everything RA2 instalator told about RA1 story was "Einstein erased Hitler from time, the Soviets under Stalin almost conquered Europe, but the Allies counterattacked and won the war". One sentence.

Here is one sentence for Generals: "USA was fighting a war against an international organisation known as GLA; GLA even menaged to reign terror over Europe thanks to hijacked US equipment, including their orbital laser satellite system, but ultimately China's help was the deciding factor in defeating GLA, with US retreating all their forces to their homeland".

That's quite a reasonable backstory for Generals 2. It can be expanded in interesting ways. You can add lots of political and social stuff here that supposedly happened due to Gens 1 story but were never mentioned there. Even more chance for a backstory.

you could also use some sort of intro movie for the installation. Something like in Act of War, on which the intallation was covered by this:

While the reporter actress is rather poor at acting, the rest of discussion is rather well written, played and directed.

I start to get sad I never played this game.

This is a very interesting and financialy effective way to show the story and get the player involved in it. I'm all for it.

As long as that's not the main expository medium.