Sometimes you just have to put aside your prejudices and bow down before the audacious brilliance of EA's marketing department. The publisher has just drawn up a deal with Jeep to include the car manufacturer's Willys-Overland model in Medal of Honor Airborne. That's a licensing deal... in a WWII sim. From the press release:
"Jeep played an integral role in the war effort as an indispensable tool in tracking the enemy, exchanging information and moving troops. Over 350,000 Willys Jeep vehicles were built and used during WWII, and at one point the assembly line was pushing out one vehicle every 90 seconds. When driving a Willys Jeep in Medal of Honor Airborne, the player can choose to use it as a mode of transportation, or as a mobile attack platform taking full advantage of a variety of mounted weapons."
But of course, this isn't to do with some noble, if mistaken, quest for authenticity, it's about selling cars. "Video games are quickly becoming the medium of choice for a new generation of consumers and Chrysler Group has been at the forefront of this exciting revolution," said Jay Kuhnie, Director of Jeep Communications. Perhaps he imagines gamers thinking, "Wow, I love the way my Jeep handled during that machine gun skirmish, I must buy one for the school run..." Actually, he's probably got a point.
The madness doesn't end there. Patrick Gilmore, VP and Executive Producer at EALA says, "This is the first time in any Medal of Honor game that a player will have the ability to drive a Willys Jeep, and we're very excited to see this new addition increase the fun and intensity of the gameplay."
Perhaps I'm missing something, but during my countless hours of playing Battlefield, Medal of Honor and Call of Duty I have never at any single moment thought that the experience would be in anyway improved by the addition of licensed motor vehicles. In this context brands just don't matter. Obviously, driving games are much enhanced by the addition of real-life vehicles - the competing specs and aesthetics of the cars is key to the experience, as are our own experiences and preferences. But is there any place for licensing in a WWII title?
Well... there is now...
