While the trailer for "Battlefield 1" has garnered praise and mustered anticipation for the game, a report from Gamespot reveals that the developers from DICE and EA were unsure of using the World War I setting. According to the developers, they were not even sure if people were aware of World War I.
"World War 1, we were worried that many of the younger consumers out there didn't know that there was a World War II or Vietnam, so World War I..." explained EA CFO Blake Jorgensen.
Many fans of the franchise speculate that this may be due to the fact that a large proportion of the target audience are below the age of 20. Teenagers and younger may not be completely aware of the events that took place during World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War, particularly since most FPS games these days focus on the modern-day war with terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan or sci-fi settings such as the one seen in the "Halo" franchise.
Jorgensen also expressed his early doubts about the setting, claiming that World War I was mostly fought in the trenches and this may not be a very big opportunity for a fun video game. He was later won over when the developers from DICE presented a demo of their idea, showcasing how broad and creative the setting could be for a game.
"I think what people don't understand about World War I is the technology shift that went on during the war," Jorgensen explained. "People started the war on horseback and ended the war with airplanes and tanks and battleships and submarines. And that's a huge opportunity for us to be able to do a video game around."
"Battlefield 1" officially launches for the PC, Xbox One and PS4 on Oct. 21 but those with an EA or Origins Access account will be able to start playing as early as Oct. 18.
