Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor 1999
Medal of Honor is a 1999 first-person shooter video game, developed by DreamWorks Interactive and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation. It is the first installment in the Medal of Honor video game series. The gameplay features the combined arms warfare of World War II, as the player completes various missions for the Office of Strategic Services.
Medal of Honor’s concept, production and story were created by American film director and producer Steven Spielberg, who had a deep interest in World War II and found further inspiration from watching his son play GoldenEye 007. While in development, the game experienced controversy due to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, and was criticized by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for turning a serious topic into a video game. Game producer Peter Hirschmann convinced Medal of Honor Society president Paul Bucha that the project was made with serious and honorable intentions, saving the project from cancellation, and earning Bucha’s endorsement.
Medal of Honor was released to universal acclaim, and has been credited with popularizing the trend of World War II shooters. The game was followed by Medal of Honor: Underground, leading to a widely successful series.