Battlefield Blog: 10th Anniversary: Battlefield 1942 Retrospective

The Battlefield series has turned 10 years! To celebrate, we are showcasing classic trailers from the series, kicking off with the game that started it all: Battlefield 1942 from 2002. Below is the first public trailer produced for Battlefield 1942, created by DICE Senior Video Editor Roland Smedberg.

Roland remembers the making of this trailer: “This is the most classic of all Battlefield 1942 trailers. If I remember correctly, it was meant to promote the multiplayer demo that featured the now legendary Wake Island map. At this point in time in the gaming industry, 99 percent of developers used pre-rendered graphics only in their trailers. Since we were one of very few showing actual in-game footage, we made sure to make a point of that in the intro. I still remember the comments from viewers back then who couldn’t believe this was in-game.”

“This is the most classicof all Battlefield 1942 trailers”

Battlefield 1942 Retrospective (Text originally published at www.dice.se)

Battlefield 1942 is the first game in the Battlefield series. Arguably one of the most pivotal multiplayer games, Battlefield 1942 was a defining moment for DICE. Armed with the knowledge and experience from the spiritual predecessor Codename Eagle, the studio set out to create the game of their dreams.

http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BF1942-300x224.pngSometimes it feels like only yesterday.

Building upon and vastly refining the ideas from Codename Eagle, Battlefield 1942 let players engage in infantry combat and get behind the wheel of a variety of vehicles from submarines to battleships and bombers. The game introduced the signature Battlefield rock-paper-scissors gameplay, as well as the exciting “Battlefield Moments†people refer to when talking about their unique and unscripted experiences within the multiplayer game.

The game also introduced mainstay Battlefield concepts such as the tactical game mode Conquest and team play functionality. Actions like spotting enemies and repairing damaged vehicles are essential Battlefield elements that have been part of the series ever since. The fact that team play was highly rewarded was a break from current norms, and no doubt played a huge part in its success.

Battlefield 1942 propelled DICE to global acclaim and gave them a multi-million fan base. The game sold over four million copies and has won a number of awards, including the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ Game of the Year, Most Innovative Game of the Year, and Online Gameplay of the Year. Most recently, it was dubbed “Game of the Decade†at the Swedish Video Game Awards in 2010. Perhaps more importantly, though, it is the game that started one of the world’s most loved and played gaming series.

Follow us on the Battlefield Blog as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Battlefield with classic trailers, game retrospectives, classic concept art, and more. Every post celebrating the anniversary will be tagged “10th Anniversary”. If you played Battlefield 1942 back then, let us know what your favorite map was in the poll below! Also, make sure you pick up the celebratory Battlefield 1942 wallpapers and anniversary logo from our previous blog post.

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