Former Call Of Duty Boss Says Players 'Don’t Realise How Much Work' Goes Into The Series

Game development is hard work - we don't think anyone is disputing that. It's perhaps something some people in the community easily overlook, but when games release half finished and buggy, it clearly causes a divide and frustration. Former Sledgehammer Games boss Glen Schofield has weighed in on his experience working with Call of Duty, suggesting players "don't realise how much work" goes into making the series.

Schofield, who has worked on past games such as Call of Duty: WWII and Advance Warfare, recently spoke to Edge magazine about his experience in the industry over the past 30 years (many thanks to VGC for the transcript).

Through his own experiences, he attempted to address the common complaint that the Call of Duty series consistently churns out a new game each year, by expanding on what work goes behind each entry.

“People nowadays [think] a Call of Duty is… you know, just put it through the grinder and another one will come out. They don’t realise how much work goes into making a Call of Duty game. There’s just a ton of research. You’re working with experts – I studied World War Two for three years. I worked with historians. I spent eight days in a van in Europe going to all the places that were going to be in the game. I shot different old weapons. All of these things that you have to do when you’re working on a Call of Duty game."

He even highlighted his days working on Call of Duty: Advance Warfare, recalling times he worked alongside "Navy SEALS and Delta Force people to learn [the] tactics and techniques and get them into the game."

"And, you know, to become an expert – we worked with Navy SEALS and Delta Force people to learn [the] tactics and techniques and get them into the game, right? You had to learn about the Special Forces from different countries like England and France and Spain and Italy and all that, because they were all in the game. So, a lot of learning, constantly reading, constantly watching videos and constantly working with experts."

With this year's entry it appears to be all hands on deck, as Activision has shifted a ton of its developers to work on the yet-to-be-announced game. This even includes Toys for Bob, the team behind the recent Crash Bandicoot and Spyro titles.

This year's instalment is reportedly known as Vanguard, but we're still awaiting official confirmation. What we do know from reports is that it's claimed to be set during World War II. In the meantime, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is having a free-to-play week coming up, so if you're eager to get in on the action, be sure to check it out!

Do you agree with Schofield's comments about the development of Call of Duty? Let us know in the comments below.

[source videogameschronicle.com]