BROTHERS IN ARMS: The Trailer

In 2005 the Online Scrapbook of the Screaming Ducks landed a new Sponsor: Ubisoft Netherlands.
With the release of Brothers in Arms a whole new breed of Videogames had entered the market.
You were not only playing the game, you were Reliving History !

During a private presentation at Ubisoft H.Q. we were blown away by the details both in and around the game 'Brothers in Arms'. Not only are the textures, skin, facial expressions and overall detail of the highest standard, the game took us back to the exact locations in Normandy that we (Screaming Ducks) were so familiar with. Ubisoft/Gearbox have had their people over in the actual dropzone and battleground areas in Normandy ! The buildings, hedgerows and landscape features are all there. On top of that they have been down to the National Archives, researching lots of WW2 pictures (both arial recon pics and after battle pics and reports) to implement the most amazing details.

The gameplay itself was refreshing; a step forward in tactical gameplay mixed with a first person shooter. You can command your guys ! Lay down some covering fire, have your attack squad outflank the enemy and follow everything with your indexfinger on the trigger of your own M1... This game is gonna set the standard for future games.
As Screaming Ducks Living History Association we were proud to have our website sponsored by Ubisoft. These games go beyond the normal 'shoot-m-ups'; mixing History with awareness and some grim action... We supported this game All The Way !

"There's something ultimately very empty about heroism in war. Last night I watched a man I have known since high school give his life for the man next to him. There's something about your friend, your crew member, your brother. To die for him isn't even a thought. It's like breath."
From the journal of Sgt. Matt Baker, 3d Squad, 3d Platoon, Fox Company, 502d PIR, 101st Airborne Division.

The true stories and Historical events you experience on your perilous journey take you through real battlefields...
meticulously recreated from aerial reconnaissance images, US Army Signal Corps photos and eye-witness accounts of war-torn Normandy...

Brothers in Arms. This videogame has an unique qualification: it has been approved by the US Veteran Association !
Brothers in Arms is the first Videogame to receive official endorsement by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Foundation, which seeks to protect the legacy of combat veterans. Scheduled for release this fall for the Xbox and PC, Brothers in Arms will give players a detailed, immersive recreation of WWII's invasion of Normandy. The VFW endorsement speaks to the game's realism, intensity, and careful depiction of the soldier's experience.
"The VFW Foundation believes that Brothers in Arms will help us reach our goal of increasing awareness about the sacrifices of veterans," said VFW Foundation President, John Senk. "Video games are the new medium for storytelling and Brothers in Arms accurately depicts the contributions made by veterans during WWII."

Brothers in Arms follows Sgt. Matt Baker, a reluctant leader and a fictional character inspired by a true Sergeant who served during the war. As a member of 2nd Battalion of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, Baker's dozen have been paradropped behind enemy lines on D-Day to aid the Allied assault on France by taking out enemy guns, reinforcing American soldiers and slowing the advance of the German counterattack. The offensive revolves around the invasion and subsequent holding of Carentan, a French city equidistant from Omaha and Utah Beach, where the Americans landed their troops. Divided, they would be driven into the sea by the German defenses, but if they were to come together, the Allied forces would have a shot at claiming the German-occupied port of Cherbourg and turning the war around. Whether or not Baker's able to deliver the goods is up to the player.

No more bad landscapes: the Road to Carentan & Dead Mans Corner are recreated virtualy from hundreds of pictures !
Say goodbye to the solo run-and-gun gameplay that's so familiar in this genre. Brothers in Arms utilizes real-world tactics taught by the Army, described as the "four Fs": find the enemy, fix the enemy in position, flank the enemy, and finish the enemy off. Baker's men are divided into two fireteams -- an assault element and a fire element. The latter is armed with heavy machineguns and is used to lay down suppressing fire, while the more mobile assault team moves in for the kill. The controls have been designed to intuitively allow the player to command each element with minimal button presses and no need to navigate intrusive menus. A context sensitive cursor lets the player give a wide range of orders to their squad, including taking cover, maintaining suppressive fire, charging a door, or attacking an enemy.

The game is being described as a squad-based combat game with unprecedented realism, and the first game in a series focusing on epic battles during World War II. There have been several games, movies and even TV-series about the Screaming Eagle Troopers. But this time the Screaming Eagles belong to the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment !

A sequel to this game will take the player even further into the Normandy actions of the 502nd PIR; Earned in Blood, retracing the steps of a second squad of the 502nd...
The 3rd game of BIA will focus on The Netherlands; Market Garden. Released for Playstation 3, with Blue Ray Technology; another leap forward in Game Console play; Hooraahhh

"Brothers in Arms places you in the center of D-Day to experience the self-sacrifice and unprecedented bravery of the troops who fought to win the freedoms that we enjoy today." Colonel (U.S. Army retired) John Antal, Gearbox chief of staff and military and historical director.