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This year's 'Call of Duty' is coming to everything but the Wii U
If you were looking forward to playing Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare on the Wii U this fall, well, we have some bad news. It turns out that publisher Activision has made the decision that Nintendo's latest console won't see the futuristic shooter at all. On Twitter, a fan recently asked co-founder of Sledgehammer Games, CoD:AW's developer, if the title was coming to the Wii U and Condry replied that that wasn't happening, and that his team is focused on launching for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. "That was an Activision decision," he wrote. This is despite the fact that CoD has appeared on the Wii U for the past two years and that a version of Advanced Warfare is coming to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, which are similar in horsepower to Nintendo's HD console.
Activision wants its own movie studio to turn games into big-screen blockbusters
Activision games like the Call of Duty series are practically movies between their big-name actors and Michael Bay-like action scenes, so this begs a question: why doesn't the company actually make movies? Apparently, it may do just that. The Information hears from sources that the developer is tentatively planning to launch a studio that would produce movies and TV shows based on its brands. The new outfit would theoretically be a Marvel-style hit factory that produces exactly the titles it wants to see on the big screen, rather than licensing out to third parties that historically botch the job. That certainly makes sense -- for every successful adaptation like Resident Evil, there's a dozen Wing Commanders that tarnish an otherwise fine legacy.
'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' is getting a custom Xbox One with 1TB of storage
The long-running relationship between Microsoft's Xbox consoles and the Call of Duty brand is expanding into hardware: a custom Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Xbox One is in the works for this holiday. Better yet, it comes ready for all that downloadable content you're going to buy, packing a one terabyte hard drive internally. And what about Kinect? No Kinect, sadly. We say "sadly" because the bundle costs $500. Which is to say, "It costs the same amount as an Xbox One with a 500GB hard drive and a Kinect." Sure, you get Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and you get a custom Xbox One with a larger HDD, but will $500 still be too much for mainstream folks who haven't picked up an Xbox One just yet? We'll see when it arrives on November 4th.
'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' proves that games are better with jetpacks and lasers
It's easy to get cynical about game franchises that release every year, but from the looks of it, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is shaking things up quite a bit. For starters, developer Sledgehammer Games' first effort brings jetpacks and frickin' lasers to the online battlefield. Joystiq recently got some hands-on time with the title's multiplayer suite, and, based on the video below, came away pretty impressed. One of editor-in-chief Ludwig Kietzmann's biggest takeaways is that the aforementioned jetpack, specifically, makes it a little easier to live longer and thus dole out more pain. And no, don't worry, you're forgiven if you come away thinking that Advanced Warfare looks more than a little like Titanfall. Well, without the titans, that is -- there's a sort of Volcano / Dante's Peak thing going on here.
Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega is suing Activision for putting him in Call of Duty
The studios behind the Call of Duty series may have garnered some extra sales by putting real people into their over-the-top shooters, but it looks like that strategy could land them in court. Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega has sued the games' publisher, Activision, for using his likeness in Call of Duty: Black Ops II without his permission. He argues that he's entitled to damages because his presence both violated his publicity rights and helped "heighten realism," leading to added profits that should have been his.
Don't call it laser tag: this is a real-life version of 'Left 4 Dead'
Every year we get another Call of Duty, but if you've given up hope waiting for a new Left 4 Dead, a Georgia-based company might have something a bit well, realer, to help tide you over. Blood, Guts 'n Glory [sic] is looking to take the aforementioned games off of your TV and put them in the real world with the help of slick Hollywood-style production and some high-tech weaponry this October. In Apocalyptic Infested Horror, teams battle against hordes of zombies played by actors or Kickstarter backers, while War-torn Fallujah Battlefield has you facing off against "insurgents." In terms of firepower, real weapons like the M4 assault rifle have been outfitted with infrared tech along the lines of what the military uses for training purposes, and the armaments apparently still sound like the real deal, have muzzle flash and require reloading. Authenticity above all, naturally. And thanks to a force feedback belt, you'll feel each attack you've sustained too.
'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' trailer teases future of combat: jetpacks and robots
Miss that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer Microsoft teased at its big E3 press event? No you didn't: We have it right here. The well-rehearsed teaser follows a player through the streets of Seoul, South Korea, taking every opportunity to show off the new gameplay elements afforded by the title's imagined-future tech. This includes a jetpack-assisted fall, a peek at a powered armor suit and a small arsenal of far-flung weaponry. Oh, and it wouldn't be a Call of Duty trailer without some cinematic trauma thrown in there, too -- skip on past the break to see the full video in all its glory. Looking for some color commentary? Revisit our Xbox E3 2014 liveblog here; we've got it in spades.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is this year's entry, starring Kevin Spacey
With Call of Duty being one of the most successful game franchises out there, you know there's always going to be a next one. Well, the first trailer for that game has dropped, revealing its full title of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Kevin Spacey. The House of Cards actor appears to be cast in the role of a powerful, politically driven antihero (how original), but what we're more interested in is the little hints of new and changing gameplay elements. Just as CoD 4: Modern Warfare brought the series out of the WWII era, Advanced Warfare will send us further into the future, as the presence of spider tanks, hover bikes, the 'copters from Avatar and weaponized exoskeletons suggests.
Call of Duty moves to a three-studio rotation to keep up the quality
Many gamers are frustrated with publishers that like to release franchise sequels every one to two years, regardless of the quality -- just ask the Battlefield 4 players still grappling with bugs. Activision is clearly aware of the problem, however. It just announced that Modern Warfare 3 creator Sledgehammer Games will become the third studio regularly producing Call of Duty titles, joining Infinity Ward and Treyarch. The new rotation gives each developer three years to finish a COD game instead of two; they'll have "more time to polish" without interrupting the yearly release cycle, according to publishing chief Eric Hirshberg. The addition won't please those who'd rather see more original games, but it's good news for fans worried that Activision might cut corners to ship its first-person shooters on time.
Gaming deals of the week: 2.5.14
For those folks out to nab up a bit of fun this week, we've compiled a few gaming deals that will certainly lend a hand. From the latest Call of Duty installment to a 17-inch gaming laptop, we've got a variety of picks to suit a range of gamer sensibilities. Browse the options we've selected just past the break. Just window shopping? No worries. Join us and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your Want list; every time there's a price cut in the future, you'll get an email alert!
Daily iPad App: Get a change of perspective in Call of Duty: Strike Team
To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting much from Call of Duty: Strike Team. It's not that Call of Duty titles on iOS are notoriously bad -- in fact, most of them have been quite good -- but the fact that we had heard practically nothing about the game prior to it popping up in the App Store made me think it wasn't a particularly rich experience. I am pleased to say I was wrong. The plot of Strike Team is fragmented and presented as multiple conflicts that dot the globe. You can pick and choose which missions to play (or replay), and each will have you performing familiar tasks such as eliminating enemy forces, collecting key items or surviving an onslaught of attackers. As the "team" moniker suggests, squad play is a major part of the game, and you'll almost always need to control multiple soldiers at a time. This is less cumbersome than it may sound, and as you maneuver through each mission, there's always an on-screen button that forces your teammates to gather on you. Strike Team doesn't try to completely replicate the traditionally twitchy first-person Call of Duty experience on iOS, but instead takes a more tactical approach. Most missions allow you to switch seamlessly between a first-person perspective and a top-down view that lets you control all your squad members independently. You can drag them to new positions and control even the tiniest aspects of your approach, which is something never before offered in a Call of Duty game. The on-screen controls work well for an iOS shooter, and in first-person mode it's still rather easy to make accurate head shots and dart from cover to cover. The environments are similarly excellent for a mobile title, though the ultra-smooth framerate comes with some relatively ugly textures if you happen to get up close to an object or flat surface. Completing missions earns you experience points that helps you level up, as well as in-game currency which you can use to unlock additional weapons, perks and other goodies. You can also take a shortcut and use the in-app purchase option to get an edge, but even the earliest missions are so enjoyable that there's really no reason to want to skip them. The game costs US$6.99, which is more than you might be used to paying for an iOS game, but it's certainly worth the premium. There's a lot of content here, and online leaderboards can keep groups of friends busy trying to best each other for a long, long time.
Call of Duty: Strike Team hits iOS exclusively
Activision has released Call of Duty: Strike Team, the latest mobile take on the company's wildly popular military shooter, exclusively for iOS devices. Strike Team features a different take on the normal first-person shooter cliches by switching players between first- and third-person perspectives as the game goes on. The third-person levels have a top-down view for increased tactical decision-making. For US$6.99, players get a full campaign set in 2020 and a survival mode that features online leaderboards. Kotaku has a 12-minute gameplay video for those who are currently on the fence about enlisting in this latest expansion of the (fake) military industrial complex. We, on the other hand have the launch video, included below, which is only two minutes and 34 seconds long. Use your time wisely. Head over to iTunes to lay down your dollars and pick up your arms. If you're still rocking an iPhone 4 or lower, you're sadly out of luck. This battle has moved on beyond your primitive tools. For those of you with a 4S or better, enjoy the horrors of war.
Call of Duty: Ghosts head Mark Rubin on creating six different versions of the same game (video)
Call of Duty: Ghosts executive producer Mark Rubin has a lot on his plate. In just two months, he's heading up the launch of one of the (if not the) biggest titles on two next-gen game consoles, not to mention the four other platforms it's landing on. He's got his team at Infinity Ward to manage, as well as the teams at several other studios that are assisting in the development process. And on top of all that, the two big next-gen versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts are headed to hardware that "literally just started showing up" at his company's offices. Rubin explained as much to Engadget in an interview this past week at Gamescom 2013. "Trying to design for something that you theoretically know about but don't physically have is an amazing challenge," he said. Beyond the stress and manpower required to produce so many versions of a single game, it's expensive. "It's required us to bring in a lot more resources than we had planned on in the beginning," Rubin added. And that's money that Infinity Ward's parent company, Activision, won't make up until the next year's Call of Duty game, when the "transition" period between console generations crests and enough gamers move to new game systems. Head past the break for the full extent of what that means for Ghosts and the Call of Duty franchise moving forward, and why Rubin's "hopeful" for the rarely spoken about Wii U version.
Call of Duty: Ghosts PS4 upgrades will run $10, says Activision
During its Gamescon 2013 event, Sony said that upgrades for Playstation 4 games would come at a "significantly discounted price," though it didn't offer any details or actual numbers. Now, Activision has said that Call of Duty: Ghosts will cost $10 to upgrade from the PS3 to the PS4, mirroring a similar deal from retailer GameStop for the Xbox One. Based on Sony's statement, such discounts might be coming for other lynchpin titles for the new console for a limited time period, as well. Meanwhile, if you can't wait the ten days between the game's November 5th PS3 launch and the Playstation 4's November 15th US release, hit the PR after the break.
Call of Duty: Ghosts Prestige Edition will include a 1080p action camera
Activision and Infinity Ward have bundled expensive gadgets with the last few Call of Duty special editions, and they're keeping up this recent tradition with Call of Duty: Ghosts. Buy the Prestige Edition of the game on November 5th and you'll get a 1080p, water-resistant "tactical camera" with a 4GB memory card. While it's not clear which company makes the wearable cam, Activision claimed during its Ghosts multiplayer unveiling that the device should hold up against counterparts sold in stores. The Prestige Edition is appropriately expensive at $199, although you're getting a lot for your money -- besides the camera and game, the box also includes a carrying case, a Season Pass for downloads and a paracord strap. If you've ever wished you could record your adventures beyond your game console, this is certainly the bundle for you.
Turtle Beach outs Xbox One headsets, Call of Duty: Ghosts- and Marvel-branded cans
In May, Turtle Beach shouted from the hilltops that it snagged Microsoft's blessing to craft Xbox One headsets, and now it's ready to show off the actual hardware. Based on the outfit's Seven Series, the pair of XO Ear Force cans will be available at the console's launch and feature 3.5mm jacks, detachable boom mics and deliver surround sound through wired connections to controller adapters. At $149, the XO Seven boasts a "premium finish," on-ear cups with noise-isolating memory foam cushions, interchangeable speaker plates and a breakaway cable with an in-line mic for use with mobile devices. Liberating $99 from your wallet, however, will net you the more budget-friendly XO Four, which can also be used with devices outfitted with 3.5mm ports. Bringing other platforms into the mix, Turtle Beach unveiled a trio of Call of Duty: Ghosts-branded headsets, but remained mum on pricing. The wireless Ear Force Phantom boasts dual-band WiFi, rechargeable batteries and compatibility with the Xbox 360, PS3 and mobile devices. The wired Spectre and Shadow are presumably less pricey, and play nice with PC and Mac as well. Sure, E3 may be a video game bonanza, but comic fans are getting some love with an Ear Force Seven headset embellished with Marvel branding, a red accent and swappable speaker covers with different characters.
Call of Duty: Ghosts pre-E3 preview shows off more next-gen FPS action (video)
Call of Duty: Ghosts debuts this fall as the latest entry in a popular series, but our most in-depth look at it so far comes today. On the eve of E3 2013 press conferences Activision and Infinity Ward are giving a preview of what it will be like on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, and even on the 122-ft wide screen they'll have in their booth. This is our best look at the game since a brief teaser trailer and word that its DLC will arrive first on the Xbox One. Other than a look at more next-gen gameplay, it also highlighted new elements like a dog named Riley that will accompany you in single player and can take commands via headset and broadcast video back to the player's character. Video of the preview event and the new gameplay footage are ready to view after the break. Check out a few new screenshots below before you click through. %Gallery-190766%
Call of Duty: Ghosts is this year's CoD entry, headed to 360, PS3, PC and 'next-gen consoles' on November 5 (video)
Like Punxsutawney Phil's shadowgazing, we can rightfully expect a new Call of Duty game to be announced annually and available at the holidays. Also like our groundhog friend, the only annual questions we must ask are in the details -- what is this year's Call of Duty about, and who's making it? It turns out that this year's Duty development, unsurprisingly, falls on Infinity Ward's shoulders -- the folks who created the much lauded Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- and it's named "Call of Duty: Ghosts." The first-person shooter is arriving on a whole mess of platforms this November 5th, including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, but also PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox -- given that we don't know release dates for the PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox, it stands to reason that Ghosts will arrive on a different date for those platforms. It's also likely we'll see a handheld version on Nintendo's 3DS made by someone other than Infinity Ward, but we've got no direct word on that just yet. More ambiguous, Nintendo's Wii U isn't listed, but it stands to reason it'll head that way as well (the last series entry, Black Ops 2, got a Wii U version). The "Ghosts" in the title references ... well, we're not entirely sure. Previous CoD games featured a character named "Ghost" fairly prominently, though the plurality indicates a game about more than one individual. Infinity Ward head Mark Rubin calls Ghosts "a new sub-brand" in the CoD franchise, and it's getting a new (unnamed) game engine to boot -- another indicator that previous characters aren't involved. We're holding out hope that the often overserious, dramatic tone of previous CoD games is being completely thrown out in favor of a goofy game about hunting ghosts. The bullets pass right through their ethereal form! Run for your life! We'll hear more about Call of Duty: Ghosts at Microsoft's big next-gen console unveiling on May 21st, so hold tight. The first teaser video is just below the jump.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 adds live Twitch streaming for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 (update: timing)
Shooter fans who've wanted to show their skills (or endure peer judgment) in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 through a live broadcast have usually had to go the YouTube route. That's fine for many, but some gamers will want to serve their own kind above all -- so it's with some relief that Treyarch is adding built-in streaming to the more game-focused Twitch video service. The new option will send both live audio and video from Black Ops 2 as long as there's an active Twitch account, as well as share word of exploits through Facebook or Twitter. Anyone committed enough to have a Call of Duty Elite subscription can also get a peek at a player's stats. Neither Treyarch nor Twitch has said exactly how soon they'll flick the livestreaming switch, although Wii U owners are once again left high and dry when Twitch support is limited to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 3 owners. Update: The company tells us that Twitch should be available as of noon Eastern.
Must See HDTV (November 12th - 18th)
While the fall TV premiere season may have cooled off (who's excited for the season premiere of Whitney? No one? Ok.) there's a slew of videogames and movies arriving for our home viewing pleasure. That includes several blockbuster titles, plus hits from the archives as varied as Lawrence of Arabia and Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Call of Duty: Black Ops II It's fall, there's a new Call of Duty game. Killstreaks, multiplayer, elite, etc. A new tweak this time around is the ability to live stream matches via Youtube and other platforms, but we suspect you've already decided whether or not this year's update is a must-buy for you. Joystiq's review should be live soon of course, if you need a final go-ahead. ($59.99 on Amazon) Friends: the Complete Series Fans of the series can finally get every single episode in high definition (it was recorded on film and has been airing in HD in syndication for a while, so you should have some idea of the quality) this week. The better news is that while Friends: The Complete Series carries a $300 MSRP, the actual price for all 296 episodes is down to $149 if you're willing to dive in. ($149.99 on Amazon) Doctor Who: Series Seven, Part 1 While what could be* the final go-round of Matt Smith as the Doctor has not yet concluded, you can get the first half of the season on Blu-ray this week. Companions Amy and Rory are still along for the ride which includes encounters with (of course) the Daleks, and more. At five episodes, it may be worth holding off for the season to finish, but at least it's pretty cheap. (Update: Despite hinting at plans to leave the role, there is not yet confirmation about Matt Smith's Who plans past this season.) ($19.99 on Amazon)
