In the upcoming shooter Battlefield 1, there were some internal debates about the game’s setting.
What are the cool kids of today concerned about? Their smartphones? Fashion? The latest games? In this list, something as “old-fashioned” as history probably isn’t at the top of the list.
Such thoughts were also shared by the responsible people at Battlefield 1, according to EA’s Chief Financial Officer, Blake Jorgensen. Apparently, there were concerns within the company that younger players might not even know that World War I actually took place. Therefore, there were “some debates” within EA about whether this was the right choice for an FPS shooter in 2016.
The setting of Battlefield 1 was in jeopardy
But it wasn’t just concerns about the possible knowledge gaps of young gamers that led to internal discussions: There were also early thoughts that monotonous trench battles might not be fun. However, the “World War I” setting offers much more than that. When the developers presented their ideas to Electronic Arts, the project received the green light.
Jorgensen said:
I think what people don’t know about World War I is the technological change during the war. People started the war on horseback and ended it with airplanes and tanks and warships and submarines. And that is a huge opportunity for us to make a video game out of it.
Additionally, Jorgensen emphasizes the enormous geographical possibilities for the “Battlefield 1” content: After all, World War I took place not only all over Europe, but there were also theaters of conflict in North America, Asia, and even the Pacific.
Apparently, EA’s early concerns were unnecessary: The reveal trailer suddenly became the best trailer on YouTube ever. The interest of FPS fans seems to be enormous regarding the “World War I” setting.
Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 are released within 3 weeks
One thing that EA, according to Jorgensen, is not worried about at all: That their FPS shooters Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 could interfere with each other and spoil each other’s sales figures. Both shooters will be released this year, and it has now been revealed that they will be very close together:
The games from EA are both supposed to be released within 3 weeks. Since we already know that BF1 will be released on October 21, we can expect Titanfall 2 between September 30 and November 11.
At the upcoming E3, there should be announcements and official information about both games. There will be a large multiplayer livestream event for Battlefield 1.
