Posted on 12/02/2005 6:29:16 PM PST by BurbankKarl
Sixty years after Leonard Lomell sprinted through machine-gun fire on D-Day to destroy hidden Nazi artillery, he received a visit from four men who wanted to hear all the details of his wartime exploits. But the men who showed up at his New Jersey home this summer weren't curating a museum exhibit or making a documentary -- they were developers for a videogame company collecting material for a new World War II-themed title, Call of Duty 2.
In an effort to broaden their market beyond younger players, videogame makers are going to unusual lengths to add historical authenticity to their new crop of WWII releases. One company, Electronic Arts, dispatched developers to the Ardennes region of France, where they gathered footage of pillboxes and trenches that bear scars from the Battle of the Bulge. Infinity Ward, the company that made Call of Duty 2, videotaped a retired Army colonel, Thompson submachine gun in hand, as he executed the drops, rolls and pivots of a soldier in action. Other makers have come up with additional tactics. To tout the historical accuracy of its new game, Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood, creators Ubisoft and Gearbox Software produced a two-hour documentary for the History Channel that weaves real footage from D-Day with scenes from the game.
The authenticity offensive is part of the videogame industry's attempt to capitalize on the public's continued hunger for WWII stories. A full seven years after Steven Spielberg's box-office hit "Saving Private Ryan," chronicles of the conflict continue to hit TV screens and book stores. At least a dozen books related to the war, including veteran Richard Hough's "The Battle of Britain," are hitting shelves in time for the holiday season.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I'll be sticking with Metal Gear. And my ever-growing collection of emulated games.
If you have not played Call of Duty 2, you are a real loser.
It is by far the best game of the genre. It should sweep every gaming award next year.
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