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Call of Duty 3 bonus map now available
Gears of War is generally the drug of choice around Fanboy Towers (well, that and snorting mustard), but for those of you who prefer war games about real wars, a new map is available* for Call of Duty 3. The map is called "Champs" and takes place in Port Royal de Champs, France. As we reported earlier, the map is well suited for small to medium sized games. The map is free and available now. Go grab it while it's hot.*On a side note, yesterday's prognostications were correct. As such, we're predicting that Halo 3 will launch ... right now! ... Damn it. It was worth a shot.
COD3 map hits Marketplace tomorrow?
A recent series of events leads us to believe that the announced free map for Call of Duty 3 -- entitled "Champs" -- will be made available tomorrow on Xbox Live Marketplace. Karsten of Shizzle Games told us of a post on Major Nelson detailing the new content. Those of you with an RSS reader may have seen it pop up, too. The post is gone now, but a quick search shows the same post, only it's dated for January 11, tomorrow. Major Nelson's clock must be running fast, because Ms. Pac-Man showed up on his site yesterday, even though it wasn't released until this morning. But there you have it, expect a free new map for Call of Duty 3 tomorrow. This could also mean that we'll see the Valor Map pack -- containing 5 maps for 800 points -- release tomorrow as well.
COD3 patched, ready for action
Call of Duty 3 players must have been good this year, because they have been delivered a much needed patch just in time for the holidays. The patch will be applied the next time COD3 players load the game on their 360. This patch should address several issues in the game, but most importantly, it makes ranked matches (both Custom and Quick Match) join lobbies much faster. There are also some minor HUD improvements, and the option to punish team killing medics. Find full details of the patch on Xbox.com. Don't forget that new maps are on the way, too.[Via Joystiq]
Call of Duty 3 patched, new maps inbound
The Call of Duty 3 Multiplayer Team released its Xbox 360 patch today, addressing Ranked and Player Match issues (full details here). The fix-up seems in part to be preparation for a map pack release expected after the holidays. With its multiplayer better intact, Activision hopes to build on the small fortune its amassed selling COD-related premium content to Xbox Live users.Valor Map Pack (800 points) will include five multiplayer maps; Activision will also offer an additional map, "Champs," for free. Set in Port Royal de Champs, France, the bonus map is ideal for small- to mid-sized matches. No announcement has been made about offering the Valor maps or alternative content to PlayStation 3 COD3 players.
COD3 content called to Marketplace soon
DCEmu is reporting that new Call of Duty 3 content has been announced by Activision. There will be two pieces of content available: a free "Bonus Map" and a premium "Valor Map Pack" for 800 points. The bonus map is called "Champs" and sees players facing off in Port Royal de Champs, France. The map should fare well for smaller and mid-sized games. The "Valor Map Pack" will include 5 new maps, all set in France, and promises plenty of close quarters combat. For the moment, the content has no official release date, but we'd say it's a safe bet that it won't arrive before the New Year.
COD3 is best on 360, in more ways than one
If you're a 360 fanboy who's curious about the PS3, there is always one question on your mind: "what's the online like?" If you've been paying attention to Resistance, you'll know that it can be great. However, Call of Duty 3 paints a different picture. Gamespot's review of COD3 for the PS3 cites a couple of noticeable differences between the PS3 version and its 360 cousin. The first difference: the PS3 has a choppy frame rate that makes the game a chore occasionally. We'll chalk that up to Treyarch being unfamiliar with the PS3. The differences in online play, on the other hand, are more fundamental. The PS3 version offers 24 players online, just like the 360 version. Unfortunately, only one person per PS3 can go online versus the 360 version's four. Also, there is no ranked play available, a feature that is standard on 360 thanks to TrueSkill. If Sony continues to put the onus on developers to create online features, we can only assume that online options will always be superior on the 360, at least when it comes to cross-platform titles. What do you think? Does the fact that Sony's service is free outweigh the depth of features available through Xbox Live?
Call of Duty 4 to ditch World War II?
Amped news is reporting that an inside source has confirmed the existence of Call of Duty 4. What is more, the source claims that Call of Duty 4 will forgo the World War II setting in favor of more modern warfare. Many are speculating that Call of Duty will shift its focus to the Middle East, as EA did with its Battlefield series. This would seem to confirm a similar rumor reported by Joystiq way back in March.Development of the 4th installment of Call of Duty will be handed back to its original developer, Infinity Ward. Call of Duty 4 will also mark the series' return to the PC. According to the source, a deal has been made with Activision regarding future titles. Supposedly, Infinity Ward will now handle the development of all even numbered COD games, and Treyarch will develop all odd numbered COD titles. If true, this maneuver was probably executed to decrease the gap between sequels, though it will be interesting to note the future differences between Infinity Ward's and Treyarch's entries. Also worth noting, Call of Duty 4 is reported to have many technical improvements, including 16 critical points mapped to the head of each character. This allows for very detailed hit detection -- for example, shooting at the side of the head will tear off an ear or make a soldier's helmet spin. Finally, multiplayer is rumored to support 54 players.[Via Joystiq]
Activision's CoD3 and THP8 not hitting 720p
Someone call Activision and let 'em know that 720p means 1280x720, please. Games-Aktuell, a German gaming outlet, has discovered that Call of Duty 3 and Tony Hawk's Project 8 are not running at a 720p high-def resolution. When the tests were run, CoD3 was shown to be running at 1040x620 pixels and THP8 at 1040x584 pixels. The pixel drop reflects a resolution drop of 30% and 34%, respectively. The resolution drop could be assumed to help keep framerates up, but THP8 reportedly has framerate problems. So what's up? Activision Germany told Cynamite.de that they weren't aware of the problem and are looking into it. Lower resolution is not something that normally just happens by accident, but given the recent quality assurance problems with CoD3, these resolution problems may just be another woeful mistake. If intentional, why the resolution drop in THP8 when the 360 is clearly powerful enough to handle something like Gears of War just fine? We've included a machine-translated link of the original German post.
Call of Duty reality TV competition tonight
Imagine sixteen gamers getting tossed into a real-life deathmatch. It could happen -- but not tonight.Spike TV's Gamer Head series is airing its Call of Duty 3 promotional competition at 12:30 am ET/PT. It's unclear what the producers have cooked up to simulate the game's experience, but we're guessing the budget didn't include beach landings, mortar shells, and death, lots of death. Still, tossing these virtual wannabes into boot camp training should yield some puke and a pair of soiled drawers. And when has that failed to entertain?[Via The Last Boss]
Metareview - Call of Duty 3
Three. Three's an important number for a franchise. It's a crossroads. Does your game continue to mimic its predecessors? Or does it dare to venture beyond their scope? Call of Duty 3 follows the former path, with few surprises, still no co-op, and an apparently wonky multiplayer experience. But no series does WWII better -- and that counts for something.Peep the word: Game Chronicles (98/100) - "The action is unbelievably intense and the historical material is researched and presented in a way that borders on being educational ... Signing up and going off to war might not be for everybody, but playing this game will certainly make you respect those who did and those who still do." Game Informer (85/100) - "There's little to complain about outside of the lack of innovation. However, it pains me deeply to see this franchise, which has done so much to push the first-person shooter genre forward, moving down the dark path of mediocrity that Medal of Honor has been walking for the last several years." 1UP (65/100) - "Strengthened with vehicles and support for up to 24 players, the online multiplayer comes in strong enough to save face for the series, but that pales as compensation for the disappointing single-player game ... Even for those who wind up enjoying the online component, Call of Duty 3 will long since have been forgotten a year from now." Current overall average: 86/100 (13 reviews)
CoD2 vets have flashbacks in CoD3 multiplayer
It would appear Call of Duty fans are experiencing déjà vu. Back when Call of Duty 2 released for the Xbox 360, the game had serious multiplayer problems; problems that took four months to fix. To the dismay of gamers, Call of Duty 3 has its own set of online problems, despite being made by a different developer than CoD2. Buzz on the official Xbox.com message boards says that CoD3 players are unable to enter into ranked matches or (in some cases) any at all. Some players are unable to find any games, regardless of what skill level is entered into the system. Others join games and find themselves sitting in lobbies indefinitely. A different group find the multiplayer menu locking up on them. One theory suggests that anyone trying to join a ranked game ends up making a new lobby, which would result in thousands of one player online matches. Console games are supposed to be simple plug and play affairs. We might expect these Call of Duty 3 multiplayer issues in a PC version, not a 360 version. Because of unified hardware and online components, console games should always ship (mostly) bug-free. We hope Call of Duty 3 is an isolated affair, but after issues with Dead Rising and Saint's Row, are we beginning to see an ugly trend in console games? The release now, patch later method is unacceptable on the PC, even more so on a game console. [Thanks The Wallbanger]
Call of Duty 3 is cheaper on Eastern front
Those crafty cats at Play-Asia are at it again, this time with a deal on Call of Duty 3. The region free Asian version of the game can be had for a mere $48 if you utilize the cheapest shipping option. This is a concept we've perhaps covered to death, but let's go over it again: many games are released in Asia with absolutely no localization at all. That means that oftentimes Asia gets the exact same English game that the US and UK get (usually, even the manual is still English). Asian versions are often region free, so they can be played on any 360 on the planet. To top it all off, they are often heavily discounted. So there you go, a perfectly good copy of COD3 for $12 less. While you're at it, why not pick up F.E.A.R. too (once it's restocked)? Anybody else found any amazing deals?Past deals from Play-AsiaComplete list of region free 360 games[Via Joystiq]
Call of Duty 3 cheaper to import
Play-Asia's got Call of Duty 3 for $48 (includes shipping -- from Hong Kong). That retailer down the street? Oh, well, they've got it for $59.99. We think the choice is clear. Don't you?[Note: Call of Duty 3 is region-free.][Via 1UP]
Games shipping this week: ignorant edition
Let's see . . . games shipping this week . . . let's have a look. Hmmmm, we've got World Championship Poker: All In. Not bad, not bad. Let's see what else, Viva Piñata, ooh that's a pretty big one. And, oh, there's Call of Duty 3 and Project 8, those are huge games, too. We've got History Channel Civil War and Blitz: the League, those might be pretty good. Anything else? Let's see . . . nope. No, that's it, nothing else. Oh wait, there's another one here at the bottom. Um . . . Gears of . . . what is it, War? Is that it? Is that a game about Richard Gere? If it is, they spelled his name wrong.
CoD3 multiplayer video blows
Mmm....Call of Duty 3 multiplayer blows things up real good. Are you confident that Treyarch can take this series over from Infinity Ward without overlooking multiple bugs that end up necessitating an interminable wait for a patch? Wait a second.
Explode-a-rific Call Of Duty 3 trailer
GameTrailers has posted a new trailer for Call of Duty 3. It's just shy of 2 minutes long, but it's pretty intense all the same. There are plenty of tanks, planes, and explosions to make fans happy. If you can focus enough, you'll see many bits of new gameplay like vehicles, destructible environments, and the improved melee combat. See the trailer after the break.
Be Called to Duty on Nov. 10th
Call of Duty fans mark your calendars, Call of Duty 3 has been dated. CVG lists the 360 version for November 10th, well before any other version (the PS3 version is set for March 07). Curiously absent from Activision's announcement is the date for the Xbox version. CVG speculates that this could mean the Xbox version has been canceled. It seems doubtful, but COD2 is the 360's first million seller. Maybe Activision and Mircrosoft are hoping COD3 will drive sales of the 360. Regardless, 360 owners will be the first to play. We can't help but note that it's going to be impossible to sample all the 360 goodness this holiday. Gears of War, Phantasy Star, Splinter Cell, Viva Piñata, R6 Vegas, the list just keeps going. Who's planning on squeezing Call of Duty 3 in there?[Via Evil Avatar]
Call of Duty 3 to have Online Multiplayer, fo' sho'
Can't wait to get your hands on another version of the gritty, grim, grimy, greasy (?) battles of World War II? Didn't get enough of that insane FPS action in the last Call of Duty or Medal of Honor title? Even so... is the thrill of playing through, arguably, the same battles in a different lens not enough? How about some massive online multiplayer mayhem? Call of Duty 3 has been confirmed to give you just that upon the PS3's launch. Currently, the 24-player matches are running at an estimated 30 frames per second on the PS3, but that's not only 1) a rough estimate by simply seeing the game but also 2) not a finalized system. Still, 30 shouldn't be too bad, should it? Whatever. Commence the useless FPS/FPS flame war.
Joystiq hands-on: Call of Duty 3
Joystiq stormed the doors of Activision lately, and demanded access to the upcoming Call of Duty 3. We waged a vicious and hard-fought campaign against the ruthless receptionist who finally let us into the trenches to get some game on.Controversy strikes! Yes, the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii versions of the game are graphically different. Looking across the field of battle through the field glasses on the 360 looked crisp and sharp. Running through a forest full of hidden Germans looked photorealistic, even with falling leaves that you could zoom in on and see every close-up detail. Running through burned out buildings on the Wii looked ... GameCubish. We pressed the Treyarch to tell us which version they favored, but they resisted our interrogation. Something was amiss, and headquarters didn't want us to know about it. Loose lips sink ships and all that.
Tons of new X06 Marketplace content
Following today's press briefing, there is now a boatload of new trailers on Marketplace. They are, in no particular order:Assassin's CreedBlue DragonLost OdysseyHalo WarsViva PiñataCall of Duty 3Marvel UniverseBanjo-KazooiePGR4Splinter Cell: Double AgentBioshockFIFA 07All this and a bag of DOOM. We have to wonder, though: what the hell will we get next? They've got two more days to fill after all. Any predictions?
