"Throughout history, one of the most incredible tests, is the test of a soldier," says Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford. "From shield and spear to tanks and battleships, war and soldiering is one of the most interesting human experiences. Thus, it is one of the strongest human fantasies."
If being a soldier then is what Pitchford calls a "core fantasy" of gamers, what better backdrop for a soldier than World War II?
"World War 2 is the greatest war," maintains Pitchford. "It's arguably the most important and certainly the largest scale war the Earth has ever known." Consequently, a large majority of games involving conflict and soldiering are thereby centered around the Second World War.
moscallout At some point, however, World War II games are sure to become less popular. What shall we do to get our conflict fix then?/mosimage
But the makings of a good conflict aside, World War II backdrops aren't exclusive to gaming. Other forms of entertainment are just as likely to retell the story. "Another reason [why we see so many WWII games] has to do with the popularity of the war, particularly if there are other movies and television shows currently out on the subject," says Sony Computer Entertainment America's Dave Karraker. "Naturally, it also helps if we actually won the war, which is why you probably don't see many Korean War games," he continues.
So how do developers decide on a period for a given game?
"The time period of a game is really dictated by the kind of game the developer wants to create," says Karraker. "If developers want to create a war game, then they will look at the variety of wars that have occurred over the years, from the middle ages to Iraq, and see how that war can, for lack of a better term, 'facilitate' the type of gameplay they want to explore."
That's precisely what Gearbox did when determining a framework for their game. "When Gearbox Software first considered Brothers in Arms, we were interested in being part of a squad of soldiers," says Pitchford. "We studied many wars in many periods and discovered a unit of paratroopers in WW2 that saw a lot of fighting meeting the most significant objectives of the operations they were involved in." If it works, it works.
Ultimately, however, the popularity of WWII-based titles falls squarely on the shoulders of gamers. Publishers wouldn't demand as many similar games from developers assuming consumers didn't buy them. Furthermore, it's a lot easier to market something to gamers that they are already familiar with. World War II games, then, can easily be regarded as "perpetual sequels" of a proven product with each publisher adding their own unique (or not so unique) twist to the experience.
But if the history of modern games starting with Capcom's 1942 is any indication, World War II titles will always be present. "I think World War II will be an interesting backdrop for interactive experiences for a long time," says Pitchford. And that's not necessarily a bad thing for gamers. At some point, however, World War II games are sure to become less popular. What shall we do to get our conflict fix then? How about these period games for starters:
The Civil War (1861–1865). If you must have a war game, how about the bloodiest American war of all-time? Sure the weapons took forever to reload, but we're confident developers could come up with a clever and fun way to play. Activision's recent Civil War: A Nation Divide didn't do the era justice.
The Renaissance (1300-1700). What's fun about art, intellectualism, and religious reform? Not much at first glance. But what better era for a "rebirth" in video games than to cover the historical period of the same name. And having just been familiarized with Alexandre Dumas' excellent Three Musketeers, I can't think of a more adventurous adventure period for gaming.
The Mongolian Empire (1206–1405). The stage: Genghis Khan and one of the largest empires in history second only to the British Empire. The concept: wielding fatty wooden clubs around while trying to take over Asia in just 70 years. Sounds fun
Ancient History (3300 BC BC - 476). Ancient Egypt, Roman Empire gladiators, Alexander the Great and Ancient Greece, King Arthur, the first Olympics, Ancient China's creation of gunpowder, etc. There's a lot we could cover during the early history of mankind. Take your pick.
The Enlightenment (1700-1800). How many American and French Revolution games exists? Not enough. Both successions would serve as excellent backdrops for mainstream gaming. I've always wanted to storm the Bastille with a mob of angry Frenchmen.
· Non-Popular Modern themes (1800-1920) The American Old West, cowboys and Indians, Billy the Kid, etc. This theme has been covered before, but mostly in the minds of 10 and 11 year old boys. You can never have too much lawless anarchy and open street standoffs.
This isn't to say there haven’t been any non-WWII period games. Silicon Knight's critically acclaimed Eternal Darkness and Ubisoft's upcoming Assasin's Creed quickly come to mind. The former served up a brief sampling of 12 specific periods with the latter set in The Holy Land during the Third Crusade. So there's no reason gamers can't enjoy a little interactive world "history" beyond that of the Second World War. If Bill and Ted can do it in movies, why not games?
What historical periods would you like to see more of in video games? Let us know in the comments.