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'Call of Duty: Black Ops III' second DLC arrives April 19
Treyarch announced on Thursday that the second DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops III, dubbed Eclipse, will be released on April 19th. The new content, which will initially be available only on the PlayStation 4, features four new maps as well as a new Zombies storyline set on a remote, WWII-era island somewhere in the Pacific.
'Black Ops 3' is $15 on Steam in a multiplayer-only edition
So, you haven't played Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 but you don't want to throw down $60 for an online shooter that you might not enjoy. Activision has you covered with the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Multiplayer Starter Pack -- it's $15 on Steam and includes access to public ranked multiplayer matches, the Weapon Paint Shop, Gunsmith customization system, Black Market trading post, and Arena, Free Run and Theater modes. The pack is available from February 16th to the 29th.
'Grand Theft Auto 5' outsold almost every game in January
Rockstar Games is reaping the rewards of keeping GTA Online fresh with things like heist missions and holiday-themed events for these past few years. Grand Theft Auto 5 was the number two selling game last month amid slowing console hardware sales, a bizarre fact considering it debuted almost two-and-a-half years ago. September 2013, to be exact. Of course, that evergreen gateway to GTA Online's multiplayer has also benefitted from a staggered release starting on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, later coming to PC and then PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Regardless, how crazy this is wasn't lost on the NPD Group's David Riley:
Last-gen systems aren't getting new 'Call of Duty' maps
If you're still feeling salty over Activision nixing Call of Duty: Black Ops III's campaign mode on last-gen systems the next bit of news won't do much to make the situation any better. In an announcement about the latest set of downloadable content, the "Awakening" pack which includes a quartet of adversarial multiplayer maps and the first episode of a new "zombies" tale, the company writes that the DLC will launch next February 2nd on PlayStation 4 first with "other next-gen platforms to follow."
Amazon to deliver 'Call of Duty' at midnight on release day in 20 cities
Grabbing a physical copy of a new game on day one usually means either braving an in-store midnight event or waiting through the day for a package delivery. In the case of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Amazon has an alternative: midnight delivery straight to your door, at no extra charge. In 20 metropolitan areas (Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Manhattan, Miami, Minneapolis, Orange County, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle) it promises to drop the game off -- along with any snacks you might order -- within a two hour window on November 6th through its Prime Now same day delivery service.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3' nixes campaign on last-gen consoles
If you're still rockin' a PS3 or Xbox 360 and are looking forward to the next Call of Duty release, Activision dropped a bit of bad news. The studio announced that Black Ops 3 won't feature a campaign mode on those last-gen consoles. Why? "The ambitious scope of the 1-4 player co-op Campaign design of the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions could not be faithfully recreated on old generation hardware," the company explains. Due to the fact that the game will only offer multiplayer and Zombie modes, Activision is setting the price at $50. As you might expect, other features that take advantage of the power of the Xbox One, PS4 and PC -- like eSports tools and the Weapons Paint Shop -- won't be available either. The game arrives on November 6th, and if you were really looking forward to that co-op campaign, there's the 1TB PS4 bundle.
1TB PS4 lands in the US, but it's in an ugly 'Black Ops 3' bundle
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but orange and grey is so last season, every season. The 1TB PlayStation 4 officially arrives in North America on November 6th in a specially designed Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 bundle that includes the game, Nuk3town bonus map, console and matching controller. It costs $450 in the US and CAD$550 in Canada, and pre-orders are available today. Seriously though, we won't judge anyone for snagging this thing -- 1TB is a lot of storage, after all.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3' looks like 'Dota 2' with new features
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is banking big on eSports with a handful of new, updated and returning features that make the professional game stand out from everyday matches. Arena, for example, replaces Black Ops 2's League Play as an online ranking system where players compete to reach the top division. CODcaster Mode returns, allowing spectators to commentate over the top of live matches and control some of the visual cues of the game. That's all fine and dandy, but Black Ops 3's real eSports meat comes in the form of Specialist Draft and the "Ban and Protect" systems, which serve to make the professional game play out more like massively successful pro games League of Legends or Dota 2.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3' multiplayer beta starts August 19th
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 doesn't drop until November, but you won't have to wait nearly so long to find out whether or not its online play lives up to the hype. Activision and Treyarch have revealed that the sci-fi shooter's multiplayer beta kicks off August 19th if you've pre-ordered the PlayStation 4 version, and August 26th on Xbox One. You'll only have five days to play in either case, but it should give you a feel for the player classes and new gameplay mechanics (such as momentum-based movement) before you get your full copy. It's not certain just which maps and game modes will find their way into the beta, but you'll likely find out before the test starts.
This is the new Zombies mode in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3'
It was known Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 would have a Zombies mode, but Treyarch hadn't revealed any more details beyond that -- up until now, at least. Today, as part of the San Diego Comic-Con festivities, the game developer introduced Shadows of Evil, a survival co-op experience that will be in Black Ops 3. What's more, Treyarch managed to cast some celebrities for the project, such as Jeff Goldblum (Independence Day, Jurassic Park), Heather Graham, Neal McDonough, Ron Perlman and Robert Picardo. The latest edition of the Call of Duty franchise is set to be released on November 6th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. But while you wait for it to come out, here's the Zombies Shadows of Evil trailer for your viewing pleasure.
Recommended Reading: NFL player turns mercenary in 'Call of Duty'
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. 'The Whole Game is Beast Mode' by Sam Alipour ESPN The Magazine Kevin Spacey temporarily shelved his presidential persona to play a private military contractor in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. For this year's title, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch hung up his cleats to play a mercenary in Call of Duty: Black Ops III. ESPN The Magazine has a behind-the-scenes look at the process, from motion capture to facial scans required to construct the digital version of the NFL player.
'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3' is fast, frantic and adds a co-op campaign
Developer Treyarch has a good record of keeping things fresh in Call of Duty. The company started working on the franchise back in 2005. With World at War it added zombies; Black Ops went to Vietnam; Black Ops 2 traversed time and added branching narratives. For its next installment, Treyarch is, once again, trying something new. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (set to arrive November 6th on PC, Xbox One and PS4) brings campaign co-op back to the franchise. The entire campaign will be playable co-operatively by up to four players online (or two players locally). The addition of up to three campaign players meant building bigger combat arenas, better AI and adding social features for showing off medals and achievements.
The new 'Call of Duty Black Ops 3' trailer looks... familiar
The latest teaser trailer for Call of Duty Black Ops 3 -- this year's installment from Black Ops creator Treyarch -- depicts a future ruptured by the onset of technologically enhanced and weaponized humans. There are riots in the streets and ominous news reports on the screens, plus a whistleblower who claims that the government is turning humans into death machines. Black Ops generally deals with futuristic combat, but the new transhumanist angle is oddly reminiscent of another AAA franchise, Deus Ex. And that's not just us saying so: The official Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Twitter account responded to the Black Ops 3 trailer with a picture of a confused (and adorable) cat, and Deus Ex executive art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletete jokingly welcomed Treyarch to the bandwagon. "We lied guyz. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided actually takes place on the Eastern Front during World War 2. We felt inspired," he tweeted. Watch the teaser below and judge our technological future for yourself.
Buckle up for 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3'
This year's Call of Duty is likely to be Black Ops 3, as hinted at in a fresh teaser trailer titled "#backinblack." Well, either it hints at Black Ops 3 or Activision is trying really, really hard to throw the entire world off its scent. Treyarch, the studio that created the Black Ops franchise within Call of Duty, is in charge of the 2015 game, so it was already likely that we'd see a third this year. Activision plans to reveal the new Call of Duty on April 26, and you bet we'll have all of the juicy details then. Watch the new teaser below.