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Can you blame EA for wanting a slice of the Modern Warfare pie? The storied Medal of Honor franchise, which practically invented the WWII shooter (I played the crap out of the original game back in college), is set for a major reboot. EA announced today that Medal of Honor, for the first time in the IP’s history, is “leaving the WWII theatre and putting players in war-torn Afghanistan”. Players will take on the role of Tier 1 Operator, “a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle”. Interestingly, development duties have been divided between two separate EA studios: EALA and EA DICE. EALA is working exclusively on designing a “best-in-class” single-player campaign, while EA DICE (of Battlefield fame) is building the multiplayer experience. While we’re interested to see if EA will be able to create a competitive modern military FPS, what we liked the best so far is the cover art. The burly biker-looking dude looks like a lot of fun to control. Press Release: Los Angeles – December 2, 2009 – Medal of Honor™ returns to the front lines, this time in today’s war. For the first time in the franchise’s 10-year history, Medal of Honor is leaving the WWII theatre and putting players in war-torn Afghanistan. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed that in 2010, Medal of Honor, an all-new first-person shooter game, will introduce the Tier 1 Operator: a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle. The development team has been working closely with Tier 1 Operators from the US Special Operations Community since the earliest stages of development to create the most authentic modern war experience. Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor reveals the mission of today’s most elite soldier – his will, his mindset and his uncompromising professionalism. Medal of Honor is being built with a best-in-class single-player campaign. The Medal of Honor development team at EALA has been hand-selected by the studio leadership of General Manager Sean Decker, Executive Producer Greg Goodrich and Senior Creative Director Rich Farrelly. To compliment the single-player experience, EALA has enlisted the multiplayer expertise at EA DICE. This team will develop the multiplayer experience of Medal of Honor. These two studios are coming together to deliver a world-class Medal of Honor that is poised to re-set and re-boot the franchise for a new generation. “When we first set out to reinvent Medal of Honor, we wanted to stay true to its roots of authenticity and respect for the soldier but bring it into today’s war. The Tier 1 Operator is the most disciplined, deliberate and prepared warrior on the battlefield. He is a living, breathing, precision instrument of war.” said Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer, Medal of Honor. “We are honored to have the rare opportunity to work closely with these men to create a game that shares their experience.” “EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames,” said Sean Decker, VP and General Manager of EALA. “We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.” Tune in to Spike TV’s 2009 Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12 at 8pm PST for a world-premier first-look at Medal of Honor. |
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Square Enix.