In 2007, we released World in Conflict, which instantly became a classic in the Real Time Strategy genre. Blending strategic action with a gripping story and solid multiplayer, the game still resonates with people to this day, 13 years later.
Digging through our vast archives, we recently found old Behind the Scenes footage from that era in Massive Entertainment’s history. We are happy that we can share the full series – covering everything from game design and art to cinematics and Spetsnaz – with you. We took the opportunity to talk to a few of the people that worked on World in Conflict, people that are still at Massive to this day and show up in the videos.
“What I first fell in love with in World of Conflict was the fantasy of war in Suburbia”, Petter Sydow, Vice President of Development of the game, said when asked what got him excited to work on it.
”The first trailer with the fight in the mall, and our first map with the small town (that got named “Hometown” in the final game). The level of detail that went into both with the joyful recreation of 80s America really excited me.”
The level of detail that went into both with the joyful recreation of 80s America really excited me.
How come World in Conflict stuck with players for all these years?
“I think that the passion of the team radiates from all parts of the game”, Magnus “Soundboy” Jansén, Lead Game Designer on World in Conflict, explains.
”World in Conflict radiates our passion for the time period and its related fiction, the passion for the hardware and strategies of the two superpowers. I think you can feel our love for cutting edge PC graphics, tech and smooth online gaming – to name just a few areas. “
“The characters were amazing, and the entire thing unfolded in a way that made you care about them,” Ola Strand, Composer and lead audio engineer on World in Conflict, adds.
For us at Massive, watching these videos is a long trip down memory lane. It reminds us about where we were, but also how much we’ve grown and how much change we’ve seen over the years.
When asked about some of his favorite memories from those days, Magnus remembers a fun meeting during a playtest for the game. World in Conflict was very different from other games in the genre, which means some players didn’t know what to expect.
“The game build was pretty rough, and it wasn’t like the RTS games they were used to, so they kept shouting some fairly rude comments about the game out loud in German while playing. I don’t think they knew that I could understand German, because in the debrief afterwards they were very polite and kind.”
Petter Sydow thinks back to conventions such as E3 and Gamescom.
“That was when we went public with the game and started to share it with the world and get our first fans. It was amazing to get the feedback and incorporate it into the development of the game, we toured the world with that build. Plus just seeing how people really understood the game and had fun playing it.”
Simon, who is now Audio Director on The Division, recorded placeholder voices for every single line in the game.
“Simon, who is now Audio Director on The Division, recorded placeholder voices for every single line in the game”, Ola recounts. “There are thousands upon thousands of voice lines in World in Conflict. He was locked up in a small room for months, recording his own voice for all the characters. Trial of a lifetime!”
“There are so many memorable moments in the game”, Ola finishes. “When I go back and listen to the music, I can almost hear Bannon crying with frustration or the reassuring voice of Sawyer.”
Haven’t experienced World in Conflict yet? It’s available on both Uplay and GOG!
