Sledgehammer Games has talked about how Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s technology was designed with future technologies in mind. But what about the PMC angle? According to studio co-founder Michael Condrey in conversation with The Guardian, the studio took help from a Department of Defense scenario planner, who works in the Pentagon, and Mark Bohl who wrote The Hurt Locker and Kill Bin Laden.
“Three years ago, right after we finished Modern Warfare 3, we started thinking about how to change Call of Duty. We brought in a lot of outside help–military advisers, futurologists–we got together with a scenario planner from the Department of Defense, who is active in the Pentagon. His job is to think about future threats and prepare ‘what if’ scenarios for the US government. So we asked him, what do you think will be the conflict of tomorrow?”
It was the Pentagon scenario planner who believed that the United States faced a bigger threat from the likes of private military companies than anything else. “We thought that was fascinating and provocative,. What happens when an organization that’s built for profit has access to all the latest weapons and technology – an organization that can operate outside of the Geneva Convention, that can be purchased by the highest bidder? What if that got out of control?
“Often, we are able to extend our network through existing relationships within the Call of Duty franchise. For example, we worked with Mark Bohl, writer of Hurt Locker, and were put in contact with his retired Navy Seal Team 6 adviser through shared contacts. Other times, we research experts in the field and reach out directly. Retired Delta Commander, Dalton Fury, is an example. We read his book, Kill Bin Laden, and made an inquiry on his interest and availability.”
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare releases on November 4th for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4 and PC.