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Steven Spielberg’s love for Call of Duty isn’t surprising after he literally inspired the franchise to come into being in the first place.

Steven Spielberg’s love for Call of Duty isn’t surprising after he literally inspired the franchise to come into being in the first place.

Steven Spielberg, the legendary filmmaker behind blockbusters that need no introduction, has a secret passion that might surprise some of his fans: he’s an avid gamer. But not just any gamer – Spielberg is a true PC Master Race loyalist, with a fondness for first-person shooters, especially Call to action.

Legendary American filmmaker Steven Spielberg waves his hand toward the camera during an event at the Berlinale in 2023.
Truly a living legend. | Image credit: Elena Ternovaja/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons

But what many don’t realize is that Spielberg’s connection to the gaming world goes much deeper than just being a fan. Its influence on the industry, especially the wargaming genre, is much more significant than most people realize.

In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that without Spielberg, the FPS gaming landscape as we know it today could look very different.

The legacy of Steven Spielberg’s games

Cover art for Steven Spielberg's first video game, Medal of Honor.
The pioneer of war games as we know them. | Image credit: DreamWorks Interactive/EA

When Spielberg released Saving Private Ryan In 1998, he didn’t just create a cinematic masterpiece – he also spawned an idea that would revolutionize the gaming industry. Continuing the gritty portrayal of World War II, Spielberg, through DreamWorks Interactive, set out to create a game that captured the same intensity and realism.

The result was Medal of Honora game that would set new standards for first-person shooters and war games.

Medal of Honor it was not just a commercial success; it was a game changer (pun intended). Its attention to historical detail, immersive gameplay, and cinematic approach to storytelling raised the bar for what players could expect from a video game.

But perhaps most importantly, it inspired a new generation of game developers – including some who would go on to create one of the biggest game franchises of all time.

THE Call to action Connection

Promotional art for the first Call of Duty game, released in 2003 by Infinity Ward.
Promotional art for the first Call to action (2003). | Image credit: Treyarch

It’s no coincidence that Spielberg is a fan of Call to action. The franchise, which has become a cultural phenomenon, owes a significant debt to Medal of Honor and, by extension, to Spielberg himself.

In fact, Jason West and Vince Zampella, two key figures behind the creation of Call to actioncut their teeth working Medal of Honor: Allied Attackthe third entry in the series and the last that Spielberg had direct participation in writing.

The influence is clear when you compare the first Call to action games with Medal of Honor. The attention to historical accuracy, the intense cinematic settings, and the focus on telling personal stories within the broader context of the war – all of these elements harken back to Spielberg’s original vision for the series.

Today, he remains a dedicated gamer, true to his PC roots. As his son Max Spielberg revealed in a recent interview, the director still prefers keyboard and mouse controls, even if it means missing out on popular titles like Unknown. It’s a quirk that speaks to the legendary filmmaker’s longtime love of gaming and his ties to the industry he helped shape.

While Medal of Honor may have faded from the spotlight, its legacy lives on in the games it inspired. And for Spielberg, who continues to enjoy the fruits of his labor each time he starts a new Call to action campaign, is a reminder of the unexpected ways in which his creative vision has shaped not just cinema, but interactive entertainment as well.

So the next time you’re playing a Call to action campaign, remember: you’re not just playing. You are experiencing a piece of interactive entertainment rooted in the vision of one of Hollywood’s greatest storytellers.

Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see Spielberg return to the world of game development and show us how it’s really done.

What do you think of Spielberg’s influence on the games industry? Are there other filmmakers you’d like to see try their hand at game development? Share your opinion in the comments below!

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