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Joystiq's Top 10 of 2009: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
It seemed like half of the posts we wrote this year were about Modern Warfare 2 -- interestingly enough, the closer we got to the game's release, the more inflammatory the subject matter of these stories became. From leaked footage to dedicated servers to petitions and boycotts to news backlash over that one scene, it seemed like public opinion on the game had turned ugly. Then it came out, and everyone bought it. That sales success was predicated upon the strength of the first Modern Warfare game, and a trust in Infinity Ward to deliver a stronger single-player and multiplayer experience in the sequel. Our trust wasn't misplaced -- the already compelling and entertaining multiplayer component from the first game has been expanded and improved, and though you may have qualms with the campaign's straight-up nonsensical storyline, you can't deny that it contained more than a few holy crap moments. The game's main time sink is, of course, the multiplayer mode. Modern Warfare 2's got more perks, weapons and equipment to unlock, not to mention the titles and emblems you can earn by completing challenges. These little incentives are constantly getting unlocked, forming an unrelenting, iron-clad grasp on the player. I can't count the number of nights I accidentally stayed up until dawn, in constant pursuit of that next level. And then the one after that. And then the next one. While we still would've preferred a cohesive co-operative campaign, the new Spec Ops mode provided a few additional jollies. Some of the later missions were a little too tedious and aggravating for our tastes, but the chance to recreate some of the game's more intense combat encounters with two players was much appreciated. Of course, the game wasn't completely without fault. As mentioned above, the story was nigh-incomprehensible (Terrorists! Bombs! EMPs! Invasions! Bigger bombs! What a tweeest!), and the online multiplayer was riddled with bugs and exploits that have only recently been remedied. Thanks to this one game, the word "Javelin" will hold sinister implications in the mind of every gaming enthusiast across the world. Still, these issues don't do much to detract from Modern Warfare 2's overall experience. The explosive single-player campaign, innovative Spec Ops missions and infinitely addictive online multiplayer offerings combine to form one of the most compelling, jaw-dropping first-person shooters we've played in a good, long time. << Back(7) | Comment | 5. peRHAPS yoU'VE heARD of it >>
Modern Warfare 2 reigns over UK charts for seventh week
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may have only sold 2,000 more units than FIFA 10 during the week ending December 26 in the UK, but it was enough for Infinity Ward's unstoppable shooter to hold the top spot for a seventh week. Meanwhile, with no high-profile releases following the solstice, the rest of the chart appears to be a dance of all the other titles moving up and down a couple notches. Assassin's Creed 2 climbs back up two spots to third, with the next four spots occupied by Wii titles. Wii Sports Resort, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros Wii hold spots four through seven, respectively. The only real mover is James Cameron's Avatar, which used those long blue legs to reach eighth place. %Gallery-77537% Source -- Call of Duty is in 7th heaven [Chart Track] Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]
Report: Modern Warfare 2 was the most pirated game of 2009
Last year, TorrentFreak awarded Spore the dubious title of Most Pirated Game of 2008 -- this year, the victor (by an overwhelming margin) is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. According to the torrent news site's calculations, the PC version of Infinity Ward's shooter was unscrupulously downloaded 4.1 million times. When combined with the 360 version of the game, that number tops five million. Looks like boycotts do work! And by "boycotts," we of course mean, "mankind's overwhelming desire to get things for free through easily accessible, barely regulated channels." [Via IGN]
Xbox Live Top Ten: Call of Duty holds 3 of top 5 slots
You know what we want for Christmas? A more interesting Xbox Live Activity top ten to write about. Just as it did the week of Nov. 9, the Call of Duty franchise has held up three of the top five slots this week, with Halo 3 in second place and Grand Theft Auto IV taking the spot formerly held by the Left 4 Dead 2 demo. As hard as we might wish for a shakeup in the new year, we're not sure what title's going to be the one to do it. Surely we won't see four CoD games in the top five in 2010. Surely.
Modern Warfare 2 patched on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC
For the last week or so, the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer experience has been plagued by a number of issues, across all platforms. Those issues have been targeted by a new patch, which Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling states has gone live on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Among the issues addressed are those nasty infinity ammo and Public "private" match issues on the Xbox 360 version, the Prestige hack on PS3 and the texture hack on PC. Also, the 1887 has been balanced on all platforms -- now, you might actually stand a chance against an opponent wielding two of those. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Modern Warfare 2 spends sixth week atop UK sales chart
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been entrenched at the top spot of the UK sales chart for six weeks now. FIFA 10's expected pre-holiday sales surge happened and the game rebounded from fifth to second place, but it still wasn't enough to suppress the firepower of Activision's FPS (it seems the only thing more powerful than Call of Duty is Waldo). While stuffing themselves with Turkish delight, Chart-Track has declared this the "Official Christmas Chart" of 2009. Nintendo has Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus at the third and fourth spots, respectively. Despite serious competition during the holiday week from more family-friendly fare, Assassin's Creed 2 maintains a respectable foothold, slipping only two spots down to fifth place. Thanks to the movie release, James Cameron's Avatar got its blue butt on some big bird-lizard things and flew up 17 spots (129%) to reach 12th place. %Gallery-77537% Source -- Modern Warfare 2 captures Christmas No1 [Chart Track] Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]
Microsoft's Greenberg depicts theoretical November without MW2 as 'very different'
It's no secret that the Xbox 360 received the lion's share of Modern Warfare 2 purchases during last month's retail blitz and Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg certainly knows it, telling us not too long ago that it was the "best November ever" for the console. So when G4TV recently asked Greenberg how a theoretical November 2009 without Modern Warfare 2 launching would have looked for the company in terms of console sales, we weren't shocked to see the Xbox exec say, "November without Modern Warfare 2 would have looked very different." Besides the MW2-branded Xbox 360's effect on overall console sales ("hundreds of thousands," he claims), Greenberg guesses "we would have probably sold less consoles ... to be honest." In his eyes, MW2's launch was "an event" that convinced consumers to purchase the game over not just other games, but also over "buying an iPod or instead of going to a movie." Considering the game got its own branded drink -- though not the branded drink -- we think it's clear that the game has nearly reached Independence Day status.
Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters: Explosive hydrants uncovered
Though the Modern Warfare 2 community is uncovering some unsavory hidden aspects of the game for their own benefit, the kind folks from Defend The House have labored to uncover some of the game's harmless (but awesome) unadvertised features. For instance, did you know throwing knives are still lethal after bouncing? Also, you can survive a forty-foot fall with the help of a few well-placed mattresses. That's news to us! Check out all these revelations in the first episode of Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters, which we've posted after the jump. Oh, one last thing -- we will not rest until we kill someone by blowing up a nearby fire hydrant. Do you hear us? It is our life's new purpose.
Modern Warfare 2 PC mod tool news 'coming in the future'
After a string of disappointments, fans of Modern Warfare 2 on PC may be down, but a ray of hope has emerged on the horizon. Responding to a fan asking about mod tools for the game via his Twitter account, Infinity Ward spokesman Robert Bowling said, "there may be some Mod Tools news coming in the future, I'll pass it along once I have it." We suppose this news could be something like, "We're never ever going to release mod tools ever, so please stop sending us hate mail smeared with Cheeto dust fingerprints," but that would be mean -- even for a company that lets us blow away civilians. [Via Escapist]
Petition asks for colorblind options in Modern Warfare 2
With plenty of actual controversy surrounding Modern Warfare 2, the issues of colorblind gamers seem a relatively innocent (and common) oversight. An ongoing petition and Facebook group is requesting a patch for the game. According to the petition, those with a particular type of red/green color blindness "cannot tell friend from foe in the online matches, as their names appear in these colors, and the radar uses the colors too." Infinity Ward's community manager has acknowledged that he will bring up the concern to the team. Our very own red/green color blind Ben Gilbert, who doesn't have a particular issue with MW2's spectrum decisions, noted, "I can think of about 20 other games that need a solution for this before MW2. How about every puzzle game ever made that depends on color matching -- I'm looking at you especially, Super Puzzle Fighter, you heart breaker." Considering color blindness is relatively common, especially among males, it's surprising that it isn't tested for more regularly. Any QA folks who can give better insight into whether color blindness is tested for (and how) should feel free to drop a note in the comments. [Via Escapist, Evil Avatar]
Modern Warfare 2 spends fifth week atop UK sales charts
War. What is it good for? Super successful games! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may be undergoing a gradual sales slide, dropping another 11 percent this past week, but since the title has maintained the top position on the UK sales chart for a fifth week, it must be sliding down on a pretty fluffy cushion. Call of Duty: World at War held the high ground for five weeks last year before FIFA took it during Christmas week. Speaking of FIFA, the latest installment dropped from second to fifth this week. Assassin's Creed 2 couldn't find the next grip location and holds its position in third. Nintendo has Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii at spots two, four and six, respectively. As for premieres, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks rolled in at 12th place and James Cameron's Avatar: The Game entered at number 29. Now let's see how Avatar: The Movie That Inspired The Game does. If it's a hit, that should help sales of the game. Source -- Modern Warfare 2 Claims 5th Week at No1 [Chart Track] Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track] %Gallery-77537%
Modern Warfare 2 patch available now, Javelin glitch tossed out
Huzzah! No more of your intense Headquarters Pro matches will be interrupted by gargantuan, killer shockwaves expelled by morally dubious combatants. That is to say, Modern Warfare 2's Javelin glitch, which enabled a dirty, cheating player to instantly detonate upon death, was fixed earlier this morning by a patch for the Xbox 360 version of the game. According to a recent tweet from Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling, the PS3 version of the game has already received the patch. In addition to removing the Javelin's unadvertised self-immolation feature, the patch also fixes the equally insidious "unlimited care packages" glitch, and fixes a few areas where players could exploit gaps in the game's geography. In a perfect world, Infinity Ward would have also sent parcels to the houses of anyone who leveraged these exploits -- parcels full of bees. The bad kind. The kind you see on the Discovery Channel. The ones that can kill a full-grown elephant with a surprisingly small swarm.
TIME declares Modern Warfare 2 top game of 2009
Opening its rationalization with the arguable statement that Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 has "something intelligent to say about contemporary military conflicts," Time Magazine's "Top 10 Games" of 2009 list recently declared the title its "Game of the Year." MW2 was closely followed by Batman: Arkham Asylum and DJ Hero, while the recent Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 landed on the bottom of the list. The seemingly annual Flash/iPhone game choice this year turned out to be Geo Defense Swarm, while Link's latest adventure sat out the ubiquitous DS spot -- a spot filled by Scribblenauts, it would seem. As always, Joystiq will have our own Game of the Year awards going live just after the new year, so be sure to keep it locked!
Analysts: Modern Warfare 2 composed over 22 percent of November game sales
In one day, the NPD Group will release its game sales report for the month of November, which should reveal the (near) exact number of units Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has sold in the US thus far. In the meantime, Gamespot reported on two analysts who have predicted the portion of November software sales that were made up of Warfare purchases. Industry analyst superstar Michael Pachter says the game accounts for 23 percent of total game sales. However, Pacific Crest analyst Evan Wilson has it pegged at 25 percent of total November sales. Wilson added that this feat is made especially impressive due to his firm's prediction that "this November's sales will match the month's highest historical total on record." In related news, news stories dealing with Modern Warfare 2 composed 67.2 percent of all news stories over the past month. Oh, wait -- now it's 67.5 percent!
Modern Warfare 2 update 1.06 fixes Javelin glitch, infinite care packages, geography exploits
If amazingly fast and explosive men have been the bane of your existence in Modern Warfare 2 as of late, then know that Activision's go-to guy, Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling, has got the hot scoops on a patch in the works to address the despised Javelin glitch. Version 1.06 of the game will not only do away with that awful bit of frustration, but will also address two other notable exploits in the multiplayer experience: Fixes the Javelin glitch (thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster!) Fixes unlimited care packages glitch Fixes areas where players could exploit geography (e.g. hide inside rocks in Afghan) Bowling says the patch is currently in the hands of Microsoft for certification on Xbox 360 and presumably in Sony's for PS3 certification. We've contacted Bowling for more info and will update the post when we hear back. Source - 1.06 in Microsoft cert Source - 1.06 patch notes
Pachter: Modern Warfare 2 sold 6m units in Nov.; PS3 hardware sales skyrocketed
Though the November NPD sales report won't be released until later this week, gaming industry analyst (and possible soothsayer) Michael Pachter has predicted November's biggest players in the gaming hardware and software markets. Unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the highlighted title in his report -- not only does the report claim the game sold around 6 million units last month in the U.S. (for about $350 million), it credits the game with pulling the industry out of a downward spiral that it's followed for seven of the past eight months. The report also awards a large gold-star sticker to the PlayStation 3, which is predicted to have sold 700,000 units in November, an 85-percent year-over-year sales increase. Despite the two upswings, Pachter's report ends on a decidedly dour note, stating, "as 2009 draws to an end, it is clear that it will end as a horrible year for video game publishers." Pachter suggests that sales will drop off once more in December. Happy holidays, gaming industry professionals!
Modern Warfare 2 maintains top position on UK charts for fourth week
There's "No Russian" Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 off the top spot on the UK sales charts. Infinity Ward's mega-hit is killin' terrorists, civilians and retail at a solid tick, despite the seven percent sales drop from the prior week. The FPS has held the high ground for four weeks now, repelling solid competition from the footie fantasies of FIFA 10 and the hidden blades of Assassin's Creed 2. Call of Duty: World at War maintained the number one position on the charts last year for five weeks, before FIFA 09 rushed the goal and scored the top spot during Christmas week. Thanks to retail promotions, game of the year candidate Batman: Arkham Asylum sales surged 122 percent, bringing the Dark Knight back onto the chart in the twenty spot. Source -- Call of Duty still in command at No1 [Chart Track] Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]
8 million played Modern Warfare 2 in its first week
There's not really much more to say, is there? Publisher Activision notes that the 8 million folks dabbled in Modern Warfare 2 during its first week of release, which outnumbers basically every major organized army on the planet, Activision gloats. Obviously, the publisher forgot to factor in Antarctica's Grand Army of the Penguins' Republic, currently numbering in the tens of millions but, in the interest of celebration, we're willing to overlook this oversight. On a side note, this is good news for Electronic Arts, because there's obviously a market for these newfangled war games.
EA aims to reclaim FPS dominance with Medal of Honor, Battlefield
"I'm not saying it's going to happen tomorrow, but in the way that Activision sort of alternates sequels of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty and owns the leadership position in FPS [first-person-shooter], between Medal of Honor and Battlefield, I want it back," EA CEO John Riccitiello declared in an interview with Kotaku. This means war. With the Call of Duty franchise growing into a $3-billion juggernaut, it's no surprise to see EA looking to topple Activision's bulging beast and reap the significant rewards. According to Riccitiello, the newly rebooted Medal of Honor and March's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 represent a strategy of "innovation and quality," one he suspects is bolstered by DICE's multiplayer expertise. "We think we've got an advantage over Modern Warfare 2 with our multiplayer," he suggested. "The guys at DICE do that really, really well." So, you think the console wars are intense? Just wait until you see the war ... wars.
Xbox Live moderators getting serious about Modern Warfare 2's Javelin glitch
Oh, you think it's funny, making your virtual soldier explode with the force of a small supernova every time he gets killed? Yeah, we suppose it is. Know what else is funny? Getting banned from Xbox Live. Oh, wait, did we say funny? We meant really unpleasant. However, according to Xbox Live's Director of Policy and Enforcement, Stephen Toulouse, using Modern Warfare 2's Javelin glitch (an unsavory practice demoed in this video) is cheating, as defined by the service's Terms of Use. According to Toulouse, anyone caught self-detonating will be banned for 24 hours, or if caught repeatedly, two weeks. For us honest folk, it seems the wait for a patch, which will cull the kamikaze epidemic, will be short. Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling tweeted yesterday that a fix is currently being tested, and, "once it's cleared, we'll be urging it through Microsoft & Sony certification as fast as possible." Keep the fire, troops. We can make it through this thing together.
