Gearbox Software inspires the History Channel World War II Program "Brothers in Arms"

One of the world's most authentic World War II video games provides backdrop for special airing December 18, 2005 at 8pm ET/PT.

Colonel John Antal, US Army (Ret.) of Gearbox Software helped co-direct the filming of "Brothers in Arms" in Normandy, France to ensure authenticity. The two-hour History Channel Special, "Brothers in Arms," will tell the true story of the June 1944 D-Day operation.

In 1944, Lieutenant Colonel S.L.A. Marshall, the official US Army Historian of the invasion of Normandy, claimed that the 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division, was the outstanding American unit of D-Day. Up until now, the story of the 502d PIR has largely gone untold. That is about to change as a new two-hour special, "Brothers in Arms," will air on the History Channel on December 18, 2005.

Gearbox Software is passionate about making good video games. Known for its unprecedented combination of authenticity, compelling story and squad-based action, the Brothers in Arms franchise established itself as a benchmark for military action games quickly after its initial release in March 2005. Thousands of hours of research, interviews and battlefield visits were required to make Gearbox's "Brothers in Arms" games the most authentic and exciting WWII video game experience available. Now, the "Brothers in Arms" games are being used to make a film for the History Channel.

The two-hour special, "BROTHERS IN ARMS," is produced by Foglight Entertainment and Gearbox Software for The History Channel. This film will include battles depicted by the computer generated graphics from the best selling Brothers in Arms video game.

Gearbox Software and Foglight Entertainment joined forces in Normandy, France to film on the actual D-Day battlefields. This two-hour special will portray true events that occurred during the battle for Normandy that conventional cameras failed to reach. In this photo, reenactors representing the paratroopers of the 2d Battalion, 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, get ready for a scene in the film.

"It is a tribute to the authenticity of our Brothers in Arms games, and the realism of our graphics, that the History Channel selected us to create this two-hour D-Day special." Colonel John Antal, US Army (Ret.), Gearbox Software.

Gearbox Software and Foglight Entertainment interviewed dozens of WWII veterans, employed thirty WWII reenactors and a WWII M5 Stuart Tank, and used hundreds of scenes from Gearbox's mega-selling video game "Brothers in Arms" to create the film. In this photo, Colonel Antal directs an M5 Stuart Tank crew.

The Brothers in Arms video game series depicts the experiences of a squad in the 101st Airborne, 502nd Parachute Infantry during the first days of the Normandy invasion. The 502nd's contributions in June, 1944 featured some of the most significant and harrowing engagements of the European campaign.

"As one of the most authentic World War II video games ever made, Brothers in Arms creates the ideal setting on which to base a program for The History Channel," said Margaret Kim, director of Historical Programming at The History Channel. "The heroic exploits of the 101st and 502nd will receive the attention they deserve in our two-hour special."

"We are very proud of our Brothers in Arms games and how they tell the true story of WWII. I was particularly excited when Randy Pitchford, the President of Gearbox Software, asked me to co-direct this two-hour special for the History Channel. The usual documentary involves talking heads, old film footage and possibly reenacted scenes. We wanted to go a step further and show the action in a new and dramatic way. We traveled to Normandy in October 2005 to film reenactors on the sites of the actual battlefields. We interviewed veterans. We blended game footage into the show to depict the small unit actions that were impossible to film in the chaos of combat. You will see an amazing combination of interviews from WWII Veterans, WWII film footage, reenacted combat scenes and exciting in-game footage from our Brothers in Arms games that will help you visualize the battles that actually occurred in Normandy in June 1944." COL John Antal, US Army (Ret.), Gearbox Software

Colonel Antal places WWII reenactors in position for a new scene for the exciting conclusion of the "Brothers in Arms: The Untold Stories of the 502nd." This two-hour History Channel special will recreate events from the paratrooper drop over Normandy using the in-game engine of Gearbox Software's Brothers in Arms, Road to Hill 30.

The History Channel special "Brothers in Arms" tells the story of the 101st Airborne Division, 502nd Parachute Infantry, from June 6 through June 13, 1944, as it has never been told before. Coupled with the accuracy of the game's environments, the cuttingedge graphics in Brothers in Arms allow for vivid and dynamic battlefield walkthroughs and flythroughs that uniquely convey the conditions and situations of June 1944 Normandy. Through interviews with veterans of the 502nd, firsthand accounts by French citizens and historians; and with reenactments, rare photos, never-before-seen archival footage and cutting-edge CGI* technology, "Brothers in Arms" finally tells the story of this unheralded group of solders: the 5-0-Deuce. Veterans interviews were conducted around the country and at the Auburn, Indiana WWII Victory Museum. The television special, hosted by actor Ron Livingston (Band of Brothers) will premiere on The History Channel on Sunday, December 18th at 8 pm ET/PT.

The full crew that worked on the Brothers in Arms film for the History Channel, minus the M5 Stuart Tank, is shown here. It was quite a team effort! The show will air on the History Channel on Sunday, December 18th at 8pm ET/PT.