Date of Mob of the Dead 1941-1963

[SageSmile]

Exactly SageSmile

I see it as being a similar opening scenario as Call of the Dead ... filming away, when suddenly they and their team get ambushed by the zombies.

Only thing is is when is it set?

This is a tricky one. However i believe it is set in the same time frame as GREEN RUN and NOT in the Prohibition era like everyone thinks.

The 4 characters ALL play mafia/gangsters, they are filming a 1930s style film yet they are not in the 1930s!

As to the colour of the eyes, my guess is Maxis takes over. Seen as Sams zombie eyes were orange, Richtofens were Blue ... it seems only logical that the only person left that can control them is Maxis. (Seen as Sam is not in control, and Richtofen's only rival is Maxis).

Again just thoughts and ideas but it makes sense ... no?

It does make a lot of sense, how they are all the actors.

I hope it's actually in the 1930s/40s though.

[MPG123]

It wont be set in the 1930s era ... but remember they are filming so there will be certain features etc that will make it seem like it is that era.

For example, Treyarch's choice to place the classic round drum Tommy Gun and possibly other classic weapons.

Maybe some of the zombies will be dressed in 1930s attire, as presumably they too would have been filming and in 'character' when they were attacked.

[bobane]

It's a game, not EVERYTHING has to be real.

i think it's 1938.

Haha, so just pulling dates out of nowhere are we?

No, PINNAZ posted the exact model of the Thompson used in the trailer and it was made/used/gained the most popularity in 1938. lol

It's like saying there's the LSAT in the map, so it happens in 2010

[Ourobos]

NO.. The m1911 was developed in 1911, so that has to be the year... LOL

Get over it, I'm going with Pinnaz.

[FatedTitan]

At the end of the day, yes, this is just a game. BUT the devs go to great lengths to hide little things in these maps. Things are there for a reason. I have seen over analyzing on this site and I can assure you that this is the farthest thing from over analyzing. This is what the devs wants. Discussion and theorizing.

[Electric Jesus]

Hello everyone! With a new map comes a new discussion on the possible date, so I'd like to get that discussion going right now.

Now I know what you're thinking. Treyarch told us Shooter! It's prohibition era, which means it takes place sometime between 1920-1933. But let's look closer...

"Alcatraz has had so many different incarnations. We can start playing with the history there. So you got like the 1920's going into the 1930's, and the Prohibition Era going in there. That then breeds certain characters in that time period." - Jason Blundell. Executive Producer.

That time period. These mobsters we play as were a part of the prohibition/bootlegging period going on from 1920-1933, but that is not when our map is dated to. This sentence was referring to what the characters in the map are based off of. Need more proof?

"The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz was acquired by the United States Department of Justice on October 12, 1933, and the island became a Federal Bureau of Prisons federal prison in August 1934. Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons.[22] At 9:40 am in the morning of August 11, 1934, the first batch of 137 prisoners arrived at Alcatraz"

Alcatraz was not made into a federal prison until 1934. And how do we know Alcatraz was a US prison during Mob of the Dead. Simple.

UNITED STATES PENITENTARY

So there we have it, we're narrowing down the date. So it's PAST 1934.

But there's more...

Take a close look. What you'll notice on the right hand side is a Water Tower and a lighthouse. Let's narrow down that date more.

"As Alcatraz had no water supply of its own, it had to import it from the mainland, brought by tug and barge.[4] During the island's military years, there were in-ground water tanks and water tanks were situated on the roof of the citadel. The water tower was built in 1940–41 by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, after the island received a government renovations grant to supply the majority of the island's fresh water.

There we have it. So far, we can narrow down MotD's date to sometime PAST 1941.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_I ... ary_prison

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Water_Tower

Let's keep digging people.

Shooter

Finally! Someone agrees!

I honestly think this will be set in modern era, following the CotD filming idea. That would account for future guns AND the Uzi, which is a "Modern" gun, as it is in MW, which takes place around the present. (hence the fact that it is modern.)

Let's see...

There are some striking similarities between call of the dead and mob of the dead. Firstly the name is an obvious reference to the former.

Secondly are the real life people. All are centered around a main topic. (horror actors / mobsters.)

They are both tangential maps, breaking off on a different direction which is still relevant.

Bearing in mind how similar these two maps are, and bearing in mind that CotD took place during the present (relative to the time it was released) is say this map will likely take place in 2013. We might see another clue that tells the time setting, like the director take thingy on CotD.

Bearing THAT in mind, we can assume that green run is decades before present day. Much time has passed. It is likely that in the time elapsed, the 3rd tower has been completed, the system is finished, and Edward is ejected from his seat in the aether to be replaced by.... Someone.

It could be maxis. Like I said we've never physically encountered anyone with red eyes so it could be a character who is yet to be introduced. However like I said a while ago, if red is just the default eye color and NOBODY is in control, then it may be following along my Stalemate Associates Theory, which you can read HERE If you're interested. I honestly feel like it could actually happen like this. It might be involved with the Easter egg for MotD.

[SageSmile]

@LSAT

The box is non cannon, meaning that it doesn't matter what's in it next to the time period.

E.g. Der Riese on Black Ops 1 has the more modern guns in it, and in call of the dead it has outdated guns (For 2010)

So it could still be in the 1930s, with cannon guns on the wall.

[Shooter]

There is some great discussion going on here people! But before we continue, I feel I should address a few things.

1. Please refrain from discussing how the guns can be used to determine the date. If you want to discuss how the guns are canon to the story, do it on another thread. Anyone that dealt with the story during BO knows not to use the weapons to base your theory. I don't mean to be rude, but it is something I simply will not take into consideration. Wonder Weapons and special Grenades can be crucial to the story, the other guns however do not. Futuristic weapons have appeared in zombies because the rest of the game is based in the future. Simple as that.

2. Many of you have reached the conclusion that MotD will be much like CotD, in that the actors are playing themselves in the map, as they film a movie at Alcatraz. These seems quite plausible considering the similarities. Now, if this is indeed true and the actors are playing themselves, this MUST mean the map is set somewhere in AT LEAST the 1980's based on Ray Liotta's age, if not much closer to the present day. Hell, Liotta wasn't even born until 1954.

As of right now, we aren't sure if they are indeed playing themselves, but if they are, we are looking at a much later date than 1941. I'm not gonna jump to any conclusions though until we recover more info.

[Shooter]

@LSAT

The box is non cannon, meaning that it doesn't matter what's in it next to the time period.

E.g. Der Riese on Black Ops 1 has the more modern guns in it, and in call of the dead it has outdated guns (For 2010)

So it could still be in the 1930s, with cannon guns on the wall.

The Water Tower on Alcatraz Island was built in 1941. It's not the 1930's.

[MysteryMachineX]

What in the world are you guys doing? The playable characters given to us are people that are currently alive. They weren't even alive back then.

[InfestLithium]

Thank you Shooter for for emphasizing more on weapons being non-canon. That prevented a lot of steam from building up.

2. Many of you have reached the conclusion that MotD will be much like CotD, in that the actors are playing themselves in the map, as they film a movie at Alcatraz. These seems quite plausible considering the similarities. Now, if this is indeed true and the actors are playing themselves, this MUST mean the map is set somewhere in AT LEAST the 1980's based on Ray Liotta's age, if not much closer to the present day. Hell, Liotta wasn't even born until 1954.

As of right now, we aren't sure if they are indeed playing themselves, but if they are, we are looking at a much later date than 1941. I'm not gonna jump to any conclusions though until we recover more info.

We've always presumed that they are playing as themselves like we've had thus far with all our guest crews, correct? If it applied in FIVE and Call of the Dead, I'm quite certain that the same is also applicable for our new guest cast. The fact that he wasn't born until 1954 would seem like a surefire way of making us think more forward in the timeline.

[Shooter]

What in the world are you guys doing? The playable characters given to us are people that are currently alive. They weren't even alive back then.

Lol, like I just said above.

[Undead]

Another thing to consider for the timeline here is the eye color. Which, I immediately assumed them to be natural and uncontrolled. Which means, pre-griffin station and such so anytime before 1939 or right before then. Or, someone ELSE is in control, which puts it at pretty much whenever we are before this lol. XD

If someone else is in control, which since basically day one, the more yellowish eyes have been lead by Samantha, blue eyes = Richtofen. So, perhaps with Maxis involved since Moon, has he made a breakthough?

[CptArel716]

Hello everyone, this is my first post but I have been reading this forum for a little over 6 months now.

Here is what I think about the red eyes. They could be red because 3arc does not know which towers we have completed whether it is maxis or Edward, so if you have stayed to one side they might be the color of that person. IDK, I don’t feel that the red eyes mean maxis due to the fact that maxis towers have been orange. I also feel it would take a lot away from the current story to change it up that much.

Also when I heard NTG say it’s in the 1930s I was like, come on you better than that dude.

Just putting an idea out there :)

[InfestLithium]

Hello everyone, this is my first post but I have been reading this forum for a little over 6 months now.

Here is what I think about the red eyes. They could be red because 3arc does not know which towers we have completed whether it is maxis or Edward, so if you have stayed to one side they might be the color of that person. IDK, I don’t feel that the red eyes mean maxis due to the fact that maxis towers have been orange. I also feel it would take a lot away from the current story to change it up that much.

Also when I heard NTG say it’s in the 1930s I was like, come on you better than that dude.

Just putting an idea out there

Welcome to the community officially, friendo!

That would probably hold true if this were to be post-modern or sometime after the events in Green Run/Great Leap Forward. But considering that not only the eyes are a different color, but the Mystery Box lights as well, it would give a good implication that they're being controlled in a "normal" manner from a different power in the Aether. This, of course, is assuming that the events in Griffin Station (when Samantha took power) did not occur yet.

[Flammenwerfer]

They aren't playing "themselves," however.

Billy Handsome (Liotta), Al "The Weasel" Arlington (Pantoliano), Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca (Palmentiri), and Michael "Finn" O'Leary (Madsen) serving time in Alcatraz Prison, only to discover that being behind bars is the least of their problems.

They're simply providing voices for the new characters. This isn't like CotD where they ARE the real characters.

[InfestLithium]

What's interesting is that if you try and research their names, you'll only find hundreds of posts regarding the new DLC announcement. That being said, are these characters who supposedly play historical characters even real?

[M1ND F1ELD]

Why do people keep ignoring the fact that we are playing as modern day actors. It probably takes place somewhere between now and 2025. They are also playing as fake mobsters for a movie according to the map description. So it's probably just going to be like Call of the Dead where they are making a movie and then shit goes crazy.

As for using the map as some sort of indication of the time period, well you have to remember that a zombie apocalypse has been going on since the 1940's. Most likely the majority of earth is frozen in time from when zombies first showed up there. That is unless...... 3arc is going to throw in trans-dimensional travel like they did with time travel and confuse the already pretty convoluted back story even more.

[Flammenwerfer]

They aren't recording a movie. Just because they're actors doesn't mean they were also recording a movie. Treyarch said in the map description that they are four mobsters who were trying to break out of Alcatraz when the zombies happened. There was no mention of any movie.

[SageSmile]

I've gone off of the idea of a movie due to the horror theme of the map. Actors=more goofy.

[TheBSZombie]

i think that it is a movie and that the "warden" is just a part of the beginning cutscene.

[Beebop17]

IF, as some are suggesting, they are filming a movie a la COTD it surely cant be happening at the same time as green run and die rise. Highly unlikely that they would be filming a movie in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. If its after then it would have to be waaaay after maxis (if some red eye theories are correct) takes control for the same reason. Maybe mid 40's if they are just voicing characters. I do hope theres a continuity to it as thats my favorite part of zombies!

[Stop Mocking Me0]

IF, as some are suggesting, they are filming a movie a la COTD it surely cant be happening at the same time as green run and die rise. Highly unlikely that they would be filming a movie in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. If its after then it would have to be waaaay after maxis (if some red eye theories are correct) takes control for the same reason. Maybe mid 40's if they are just voicing characters. I do hope theres a continuity to it as thats my favorite part of zombies!

UNLESS! The movie production BEGAN in the time before the nukes, and part way through either the charracters were teleported forwards into the heart/aftermath of the apocalypse! Meaning by some form of teleportation or preservation they didnt get the memo that the world had ended...

OR

The movie production took place durring the nukes, a select few, including the four, survived, and have been either unconscious sense, or have been holding up here for a while... Only now to have to deal with a MAJOR outbreak of zombies (Possibly caused by a boss zombie's appearance).... But the few are stuck here through the rest of their zombie filled lives... Staying in charracter either because they've lost their minds or because it's entertaining...

OR

Purhaps this entire version of alcatraz is actually not apart of earth or our world and time, but is in a parrell zone, such as purgatory, where Alcatraz survived along with the people seen here... Once THIS spire is activated it connects to the REAL world where the spires are activated... And the spire from inside the movie corrupts not only richtofen's plans but maxis'es as well... As a 3rd character's role comes to play... From beyond our time and our universe...

So this IS a movie about mobsters in the older times, but it's cannon because it links the REAL world with this Warped-Zone, turning a normal film into a dark and threatening reality... Where it's spire connects with the REAL spire...

I like the last idea the best! VERY complicated to understand!

[MysteryMachineX]

IF, as some are suggesting, they are filming a movie a la COTD it surely cant be happening at the same time as green run and die rise. Highly unlikely that they would be filming a movie in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. If its after then it would have to be waaaay after maxis (if some red eye theories are correct) takes control for the same reason. Maybe mid 40's if they are just voicing characters. I do hope theres a continuity to it as thats my favorite part of zombies!

UNLESS! The movie production BEGAN in the time before the nukes, and part way through either the charracters were teleported forwards into the heart/aftermath of the apocalypse! Meaning by some form of teleportation or preservation they didnt get the memo that the world had ended...

OR

The movie production took place durring the nukes, a select few, including the four, survived, and have been either unconscious sense, or have been holding up here for a while... Only now to have to deal with a MAJOR outbreak of zombies (Possibly caused by a boss zombie's appearance).... But the few are stuck here through the rest of their zombie filled lives... Staying in charracter either because they've lost their minds or because it's entertaining...

OR

Purhaps this entire version of alcatraz is actually not apart of earth or our world and time, but is in a parrell zone, such as purgatory, where Alcatraz survived along with the people seen here... Once THIS spire is activated it connects to the REAL world where the spires are activated... And the spire from inside the movie corrupts not only richtofen's plans but maxis'es as well... As a 3rd character's role comes to play... From beyond our time and our universe...

So this IS a movie about mobsters in the older times, but it's cannon because it links the REAL world with this Warped-Zone, turning a normal film into a dark and threatening reality... Where it's spire connects with the REAL spire...

I like the last idea the best! VERY complicated to understand!

Possibilities like these are why I think it is POINTLESS to try to predict a future map.

[Stop Mocking Me0]

Oh, but that's what makes it so fun! Endless possibilitys!