The 1992 video game Wolfenstein 3D was the first “1st-person shooter”—that is, a game where the screen mirrored the character’s field of vision, and the player’s presence is marked by the barrel of a gun in the lower-right hand corner of the frame.
The game itself is simple. B.J. Blaskowicz, a Polish spy, prowls through Nazi dungeons during World War II. In the years since Wolfenstein, the conceit itself has become common—even Call of Duty, the most popular video game on the market, takes place during WWII and features Allied troops storming Nazi bases—but, unlike in films, the idea of Jews fighting in WWII and getting their revenge on Nazis, has never really solidified.
Still, gamers have been making a case for years in favor of Blaskowicz’s Jewishness. He even has a page on JewOrNotJew.com. A recent post on the video game blog Kotaku.com fleshes out the speculation. Wolfenstein‘s lead designer Tom Hall seemed tickled by the reading, though would not confirm speculations: “An interesting angle,” he replied. “[It] deepens the meaning of his actions and struggle!”
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