Call of Duty 2, other Activision games on Steam
Just after our keyboards cooled from typing the Psychonauts-on-Steam story, we learned that four Activision titles -- Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty: United Offensive, and Gun -- are on the way to Valve's game download service. Oh, we'll play your game, Activision/Valve PR, and give you another post now. But you're on thin ice.
Despite the PR play, we're interested in a big publisher putting somewhat-recent, top-tier games on Steam. We're not convinced that all games will shift to download-only sales -- brick-and-mortar is still magical to us -- but we expect most games to be offered as a physical/virtual choice. (And we don't think downloading in a physical store is the answer.)
However, we expect to save money downloading a game, and these releases will cost about the same as the ones with glossy boxes and printed manuals. Where's the value? We never have to leave home? Call of Duty 2 will be $39.95, and all of the others will cost $19.95. All four will be 10%-off for their initial two weeks, but Valve couldn't tell us the exact launch schedule other than that it will happen this month. Maybe the company is saving the date for another press release.
See also:
Psychonauts and Valve make steamy, Steam-y love
RoboBlitz hitting Steam
EB-Gamestop launches download service, "largely garbage" declares 1UP
