call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3
Latest
Somebody bid $1,725 for Modern Warfare 3 on eBay
Those Kmart copies of Modern Warfare 3 that slipped off store shelves have been doing big business on eBay, but none bigger than this copy which sold -- four days before its retail release -- for $1,725. Though the buyer's identity is a mystery, considering their abundance of free time, love of the franchise and inability to judge the value of everyday objects, we have to assume it's the either a prankster with too much time on their hands, or the World's Richest Juggalo. Speaking of record-setters, did you know that the final bidding price technically makes this copy of Modern Warfare 3 the most valuable thing ever sold at Kmart? It's true! Look it up! [Thanks, Prince.]
Tour Call of Duty Elite's virtual world through the eyes of Modern Warfare 3
Worried about Mom on Facebook infiltrating your super elite squad of Modern Warfare 3 multiplayers? It looks like that won't be an issue with Call of Duty Elite's Facebok integration into MW3, though that guy from high school you don't wanna talk to might end up bugging you constantly. The good with the bad, folks.
Kmart sold Modern Warfare 3 early, copies wind up on eBay [update 2: pre-release probably OK?]
Rumors have been circulating today that Kmart stores have been selling copies of Modern Warfare 3 prior to its official debut next week. It's clear that a handful of copies were definitely sold, as several eBay listings for the game have been popping up (and taken down) all day. At least one listing that is still active does indeed include a picture of a Kmart receipt. It seems the company got wise to the error, as all the locations we called reported the November 8 release. We suppose if you really want MW3 five days early, you might be able to snag one. Of course, that's assuming you're willing to pay upwards of $100 and the listing survives underneath eBay's watchful gaze. Incidentally, if you find yourself with a legitimate retail Xbox copy, don't worry about playing it early. Stephen Toulouse, Microsoft's Xbox Live guru, has given the all-clear on Twitter. Update: Stephen Toulouse has posted a new update on Twitter, stating that Activision has not authorized pre-release play of Modern Warfare 3. According to Toulouse, "Playing early may impact your account!" Seems a bit unfair to anyone who may have legitimately purchased the game from a retailer, but there you go. Update 2: Now Both Infinity Ward Community Dude Robert Bowling and Mr. Toulouse have clarified that players with early copies of Modern Warfare 3 will not be banned or otherwise punished for playing the game online. We think. Who can tell at this point? [Thanks, Mike]
Walmart hosting Modern Warfare 3 tournaments prior to midnight release
You can go ahead and cancel that intricate, Ocean's Eleven-style Gamestop heist you've been planning -- we've discovered a sure-fire way to get your hands on Modern Warfare 3 before its release. Just roll on up to your nearest (participating) Walmart at 8 p.m. on November 7, and you'll get to participate in a Modern Warfare 3 tournament, the winner of which will get a free copy of the game. The losers? They'll probably get those Walmart smiley face stickers. It's win-win! Sure, that just gives you four hours with the game before you can play it indefinitely in the comfort of your own gaming cave. Still, have you played competitive Call of Duty at launch before? Four hours of extra insight is enough to turn the tide of any given match. Like the Joes say, knowing is half the battle, and the other half is having ninja-like reflexes and an unending pool of tolerance for having slurs hurled at you by sixth graders.
Modern Warfare 3 blows past Deathmatch in latest multiplayer trailer
When Modern Warfare 3 deploys to retail in a few weeks, multiplayer-centric CoD fans are gonna have much more than Deathmatch to enjoy. Project co-lead Michael Condrey is happy to explain those very modes in the latest dev diary, as seen above.
The grizzled guns and leaping explosives of Modern Warfare 3
In the latest dev diary showcasing upcoming FPS blockbuster Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, project leads Mark Rubin and Michael Condrey drill into the game's weapon leveling system. But while it's thrilling to learn about the game's customization updates, we're most excited by that jumping explosive. Jumping explosives!
Modern Warfare 3's dedicated PC servers are unranked, unlocks controlled by admin
Modern Warfare 3's dedicated PC servers will be unranked and admins will have complete control over what's unlocked, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling said in a PC FAQ. Public PC servers will be ranked and feature a standard unlock system, while consoles will strictly use P2P, with no option for dedicated servers, ranked, unranked or with randomly assigned unicorn mounts. That's right -- no unicorns. Bowling defended the decision on his Twitter, saying the admin control of dedicated PC servers will be "Nothing like COD4. That's why we built in all the new backend control / security, so we don't have that problem again." Bowling also said that no one on PC is forced to play P2P servers; it all depends on what you want to get out of the game: "Public is about progression, private is about control."
This is the official Modern Warfare 3 launch trailer
You know all those Modern Warfare 3 videos we'd previously uploaded? Ignore them. They mean nothing to you anymore; they done you wrong, you need to get them out of your life and make room for the official Modern Warfare 3 launch trailer, right here. Embrace your new life. You deserve it.
Call of Duty Elite trailer gets competitive
The latest Call of Duty Elite trailer covers the "compete" section of the website, where players compete for fabulous prizes and bragging rights. "Fabulous" is probably too fancy a word to use. Bro-wsome? Dude-tastic?
Modern Warfare 3 trailer announces 'Strike Package' classes
A new behind-the-scenes video for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has revealed a new system which should dramatically shake up the game's tried-and-true multiplayer component: Strike Packages. These break the player base down into three classes: Assault, which earns the standard set of offensive killstreaks; Support, which unlocks less offensive killstreaks (like UAVs and turrets), but doesn't have their streak reset upon death; and Specialist, which earns no killstreaks, but unlocks additional Perks every two consecutive kills. Players can also extend their streaks by not only killing other players, but by capturing objectives or, with the use of a special Perk, providing their teammates with assists. Check out the trailer above to see how this system's being refined for the series' next installment.
Logitech release MW3 gaming mouse and keyboard, for people who can't get enough Soap
If the thought of spending $160 on Modern Warfare 3-branded peripherals appeals then twitch your trigger fingers at Logitech's new Gaming Keyboard G105 and Laser Mouse G9X. Both are slathered in MW3 logos (so you don't forget what you've consigned yourself to for the next year) and come with some essential FPS features. The keyboard has "night-vision green" LED backlit keys, six programmable "G" keys to record macros and a game/desktop mode switch for those rare moments when you're really not meant to be MacTavish. Meanwhile, the mouse has on-the-fly adjustable DPI, up to five different player profiles, a color display and 28g (one ounce) of extra weight to adjust the mouse balance against your hand. They're both available from the Logitech website and will set you back $80 each.
Entire world explodes in Modern Warfare 3 single-player trailer
The latest trailer for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 single-player campaign features plenty of familia–Oh my god everything just exploded.
Here's eight rounds of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Spec Ops Survival mode
Video of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Spec Ops Survival mode (first played way back at E3) has appeared on the Interwebs, and you can watch it in action above. This segment is on the Paris map, and as you can see, players are tasked with killing incoming waves of terrorists, attack dogs and even Juggernauts, while being rewarded with funds used for extra ammo, weapons, and accessories. In other words, it's Horde mode, done Call of Duty style. Part 2 of the video shows more of the same, including a helicopter wave, and some missile-from-above action. Spec Ops is of course all part of the game, along with singleplayer and multiplayer, when it comes out on November 8.
Nielsen taps most anticipated games, Modern Warfare 3 on top
The Nielsen firm has compiled a list of the top twenty most anticipated games this holiday season. The survey ranks games based on the percentage of players that ranked them in their top five choices for the holiday. Unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was at the top of the list, with fully 27 percent of those surveyed placing it in their top five. Rounding out the top five, Gears of War 3 and Madden NFL 12 both pulled 19 percent, Assassin's Creed Revelations made 17 percent and Batman: Arkham City reached 15 percent. The holiday's major Wii exclusive, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword made the sixth slot with 14 percent. Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3's major competition, reached number seven at 12 percent. Also worth noting: Dead Island, at 7 percent, marks the only game on the entire list that isn't part of an established franchise. The survey also includes a fascinating peek into the psyche of various players, making note of the online conversations surrounding each title. For example, Modern Warfare 3 fans are looking forward to launch parties, and Skyward Sword devotees are hoping to rekindle that old Ocarina of Time feeling. Madden armchair quarterbacks, meanwhile, are planning to call in sick in order to squeeze in a few more touchdowns.
Dig into the Modern Warfare 3 cheevos
We don't want to spoil Modern Warfare 3, even though the idea that you're desperate to see how the narrative evolves is a touch ... naive on our part. Still, we're going to be very vague about the list of achievements for the game that just popped up on Xbox360Achievements.org. So, all we can say is that during Modern Warfare 3 you'll "escape" three things and "destroy" four things. Oh, and six cheevos require "killing" things, so we know there will be some killing, in the Call of Duty game. Also? Two require "aesthetically-flawless cake frosting." No, no, that's not true. But there is killing.
Call of Duty Elite beta finally available on PlayStation 3
The Xbox 360 Call of Duty head start doesn't just apply to DLC, where the platform enjoys a limited period of exclusivity; it also applies to the forthcoming suite of services known as Call of Duty Elite. Or, rather, applied. The Xbox 360 beta program kicked off over two months ago but today, Activision has announced that the beta is also available for PlayStation 3. "Beta testers can take their current Call of Duty multiplayer experience to the next level by jumping into the Beta version of the Call of Duty Elite service, as beta access will start to be activated in stages, with limited invitations rolling out effective today," the press release reads. The beta is of course limited to Call of Duty: Black Ops, with the full feature set locked until Modern Warfare 3 hits retail on November 8. While many of Elite's most popular services will be free, a $50/year premium subscription will also be available, which notably includes a year's worth of DLC for the game. Whether premium -paying PS3 players will still have to suffer through Xbox exclusivity is unclear; we've asked Activision to clarify. Until then, if you want in on the beta, head to www.callofduty.com/elite and enlist!
TGS serious screen 'splosion: BF3, MW3, Uncharted 3, Binary Domain
Tokyo Game Show isn't all fun and games -- some of this stuff is serious business. The following screens, for example, are very serious, and nothing at all like the pictures of happy Sackboys we showed you earlier. The galleries below are the exact opposite of happy Sackboys: They're angry sieve-men. With guns. Serious guns. Binary Domain %Gallery-134129%
No Prestige Edition for Modern Warfare 3
Modern Warfare 3 will not come in a Prestige Edition, Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling tweeted. The Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition is priced at $99.99, $20 more than previous Hardened Editions, and includes a one-year membership to Call of Duty Elite as its major selling point. Perhaps without the distraction of making augmented-reality scuba goggles or one-size-fits-all MW3-branded combat boots, Infinity Ward and Activision were able to focus on making the actual game as great as it can be. Perhaps.
Activision claims CoD XP was second most-watched livestream ever
Activision used online broadcasting to reach beyond the crowds of attendees during its weekend-long celebration of all things Call of Duty with Call of Duty XP. "We had some pretty amazing metrics," Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg told IndustryGamers. "Livestream, the company that broadcast the event for us, indicated that it's the second most viewed event in history." The first was apparently live coverage of the Royal Wedding (not to be confused with the Canadian Royal Wedding), while the third was a speech given by President Obama. So there you have it: Call of Duty is almost as important as noble marriage and more important than the president. Now if only someone could figure out how to make a game where the Royal couple saves the US President from Makarov and stream it online then -- nevermind. Forget that. It'd probably break the world.
Over 500 developers working on Call of Duty franchise
There are more than 500 people, across four or five studios, keeping the Call of Duty franchise running on a yearly schedule. It appears that keeping the franchise annualized isn't as simple as one studio takes the helm every year, with the ball previously bouncing between Treyarch and Infinity Ward. This year's installment, Modern Warfare 3, required cross-studio assistance, following the implosion of developer Infinity Ward. Although some may not be fond of mega teams, Activision has a good friend in super-sized development clusters with Ubisoft. Over 400 folks were needed for Assassin's Creed 2 and that number hasn't violently shifted as the franchise annualized, delivering the stellar Brotherhood the following year and Revelations this fall.
