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Activision wins ruling, regains control of ModernWarfare3.com
The issue of the web domain ModernWarfare3.com, originally spotted thanks to a (presumably unofficial) Battlefield 3 promotion and later outed by DNS service GoDaddy, has been settled. You guessed it: Activision and its lawyers have prevailed. The National Arbitration Forum has decided unanimously in favor of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 publisher, saying that the three criteria necessary for a domain name transfer (that the name is confusing, the holder has no real interest in the domain name, and the name is "being used in bad faith") have all been met. The three-member panel has ordered that the domain name be transferred back to Activision. Currently, the domain name appears to be offline, but we presume it'll redirect right into the official Modern Warfare 3 site as soon as Activision is done. Too bad for Battlefield 3 fan and Florida resident Anthony Abraham, who tried to argue both fair use, and that the term "modern warfare" was generic enough to have a life outside of the video game world. Hopefully he's still got ElderScrolls5.com sitting in his back pocket, just waiting for a competitor to promote.
Modern Warfare 3 limited edition Xbox 360 set ushers in last wave of marketing hype
Call of Duty certainly knows how to wear out its merchandising welcome. After announcing a line of eye strain-reducing glasses and a series of branded headsets, Activision's juggernaut franchise is steamrolling its pre-release hype all over a custom Xbox 360. The limited edition 320GB console comes bundled with two similarly bedecked wireless controllers, a requisite copy of Modern Warfare 3 and even includes franchise-specific boot sounds. You can snag this video gaming swag on November 8th for a cool $399, or grab the headset and controllers separately. It's your call and your paycheck, after all. Official presser awaits you after the break.
OpTic Gaming wins the $400,000 prize in the Call of Duty XP Million Dollar tourney
The prizes have been passed out at the Call of Duty XP Million Dollar Tournament in Los Angeles, and the US' OpTic Gaming has taken home first prize, totalling a whopping $400,000. OpTic picked up the lead early in the round of final matches, capturing flags on the Dome map in the first game, and picking up and holding two out of three points in the two Domination maps on Resistance after that. The UK team Infinity caused some trouble in the Kill Confirmed round (after winning a tiebreaker Team Deathmatch to make the finals), but OpTic dug in for the final rounds in Search and Destroy to win the tourney. "No college debt -- that's how I feel, baby!" said one of OpTic's players right after the match. Infinity is stuck with second prize, which is "only" $200,000. Almost a quarter of a million dollars for playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3? Still not a bad weekend. The other big winner at the conference was Call of Duty fan Brandy Miller, whose picture won a competition on Facebook, and allowed her to take home that brand new Call of Duty edition Jeep Wrangler. Everybody else? They won a few bruises from the paintball court outside. And oh yeah -- everybody who paid the $150 for a ticket (the proceeds of which go to the Call of Duty Endowment) also picks up a Hardened Edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Along, of course, with all the hearing damage of listening to gunfire and explosions all weekend long.
Call of Duty XP attendees: 'It's amazing'
The Call of Duty XP event continues today here in Los Angeles, with Activision showing off Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer and Spec Ops modes, as well as giving fans (who paid $150 each for tickets to the show, the proceeds of which are all headed to the Call of Duty Endowment) a little something back. And the fans appreciate it, apparently. Chris Munoz and Alonzo Contreras, both 19, came just a few miles away from here in Los Angeles, and they say the event exceeded expectations. "The multiplayer reveal was one of the ones that got to me," says Contreras. "I was excited about that." The pair also enjoyed the reveal of the new Find Makarov short film, and their friend, Omar Torres, 20, enjoys one specific change in the new Call of Duty game: "No more Last Stand!"
Call of Duty XP Event: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition priced at $99.99
Activision has confirmed the suggested retail price for the Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition: $99.99, which is $20 more than previous Hardened Editions. The Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition comes with a one-year membership to Call of Duty Elite, bonus in-game content, a Juggernaut XBL avatar skin, a 100-page field journal and new disc art, all in a fancy steel case. So far, Gamestop and Amazon have the Hardened Edition listed at $99.99, while EB Games Australia is charging $158 for the same package. Modern Warfare 3's jump in price may be attributed to the one-year Elite access alone, which is valued at $50 and bumps users up to "Founder status," which includes an in-game emblem, player card, camouflage and an XP boost. Or, it may all go to pay the air-conditioning bill at the Call of Duty XP Event -- we hear it's awfully temperate in that hangar.
Take a walk around Call of Duty XP 2011
Despite an early morning traffic jam that actually delayed the keynote by about 30 minutes, the crowd has settled in to the exhibits here at the Call of Duty XP show in Los Angeles today. There's lots of gaming going on, featuring Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer and Spec Ops Survival mode, as well as Call of Duty: Black Ops' King of the Hill and Zombie modes. Outside, paintballers are playing on real-life replicas of MW2's The Pit and the Scrapyard multiplayer map, and grabbing grub from a full-size replica of a Burgertown franchise. You can see all the action in the gallery below. Later on today, Activision is holding a few panels, talking about both clan support in the new Call of Duty Elite service, as well as voice acting in the series as a whole. The Dropkick Murphys are playing a closing concert this evening, and there's another whole day of activities and sessions going on tomorrow. Stay tuned -- we'll have more coverage from the show on both days (minus, of course, the $150 cover charge). %Gallery-132565%
Modern Warfare 3 'Hardened' Edition contents solidified
In case this week's report regarding the contents of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's "Hardened" Edition weren't proof enough for you, Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling confirmed them during this afternoon's Call of Duty XP opening keynote in Los Angeles. As previously noted, the bundle will contain a one-year CoD Elite membership ($50 value), various in-game content bonuses, and it comes in a fancy metal case. Its cost, however, is still unknown, but previous CoD "Hardened" versions have launched at $79.99. We'll keep an eye on retailer sites for the edition, which is said to be popping up for pre-order any minute.
Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer preview: Killer streaks
Call of Duty XP is currently underway in Los Angeles, CA. Last night, before the big event kicked off, Activision treated the press to a reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer component. We'll jump you right to the bottom line: The core gameplay itself is a whole lot like the rest of the Call of Duty series, in that you grab a couple of weapons, sprint around a map, and try to shoot the bad guys as much as you can. Where Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer differentiates itself, however, is outside of the actual game. In fact, says Infinity Ward's Community Manager-turned Creative Strategist Robert Bowling, the real steps forward in MW3 aren't in the game -- they're in the platform. "We designed it specifically to be that kind of experience," he says. "To basically go from designing a game to designing a platform that allows the widest audience possible to have fun any way they want to have fun. That was a major goal of Modern Warfare 3." There are indeed multiple examples of that in the build playable at CoD XP this weekend. Infinity Ward has tweaked the metagame quite a bit, and made it possible to play the new sequel while chasing more than just a great K/D ratio.
Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 bundle coming [update: Headset sold separately]
You'll have to wait until next year for that Star Wars-themed Xbox console, but there's a custom console for a different "war" coming out this year. At Activision's Call of Duty XP event, the publisher announced a Modern Warfare 3-themed 320GB Xbox, which will include two matching controllers, and custom startup and disc loading sounds (which you can listen to here). Those controllers a will be available separately, for $60, packaged with tokens for exclusive downloads. In addition, Microsoft will launch a new MW3-themed headset, which can be used either on the console or as a Bluetooth headset. It'll also include exclusive downloads, for $70. Oh, and of course the bundle includes a copy of Modern Warfare 3. A month of Live is also thrown in. Check out the hardware in our gallery below, and decide if it's something you want to drop $399 on. Major Nelson reports that it's up for pre-order in "the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and EMEA," and will ship November 8.%Gallery-132538%%Gallery-132557%
Call of Duty Elite premium membership explained, mobile apps incoming
Here's the thing about Call of Duty Elite so far: It's confusing. Even Chacko Sonny, studio head of Beachhead Studios, agrees that the information shared about the service hasn't exactly been clear. "There's been a lot of review internally in the organization in terms of how that message was presented," he told us at Call of Duty XP this weekend. "It's tough to say -- I think people wanted to understand it in its entirety as opposed to in pieces." There's a good reason for the segmented information delivery, according to Activision's Vice President of Digital, Jamie Berger. "The tie to showing everything, including the price, was really tied to doing it in lockstep with Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer," he says. "The only way to explain in the end what you were going to get, truly, was to show it with Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer. ... And yes, that did mean we were going to have to hold back some information until we were able to frankly put it all on the table with the Infinity Ward team. We decided it was better to take the hit that way than on the development side to take the hit by holding back the beta." Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer had its official reveal last night, so Activision can finally talk about what Call of Duty Elite's premium membership entails. The price, we can tell you now, will be $49.99 a year. And what's included in that package is listed right after the break. %Gallery-132556%
The Call of Duty XP event is streaming live right here, right now
The Call of Duty XP event is streaming live, beginning at 10:30 a.m. PST (1:30 p.m. EDT) today (that's right now!), with a keynote scheduled for 11 a.m. PST. There'll be activities and panels running through 7:30 p.m. PST, and it all ends with a live performance from the Dropkick Murphys. Watch the carnage above as California is overrun with Call of Duty fans, and check out the schedule of events for today and tomorrow below: Friday, Sept. 2: 9:30 a.m.: Registration begins 11:00: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer briefing 12-7:30 p.m.: Activities open 2:00: Pros vs. G.I. Joes 4:00: Call of Duty Elite -- Clans and groups panel 5:00: The voices of Call of Duty panel 7:00: Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish film premiere 8:00: Dropkick Murphys perform live Saturday, Sept. 3: 10:00 a.m.: Doors open 11:00: Gameplay launches 11:00: The making of Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer panel 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.: Activities open 12:00 p.m.: Call of Duty: Zombies -- Origins and evolutions panel 2:00: Pros vs. G.I. Joes 6:30: $1 million tournament finals 8:00: Kanye West performs live
Modern Warfare 3 trailer ramps up multiplayer
This Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer trailer gets the Official Zach Snyder Stamp of Approval. It doesn't have a choice in the matter.
Call of Duty action-adventure would have been 'world-class,' died in prototype
When Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey left Dead Space developer Visceral Games at EA, it was rumored that they'd take the Call of Duty experience into the third-person perspective. Then some ... things, happened. Sledgehammer Games went radio-silent and a year later, it was revealed that Schofield and friends were working with Infinity Ward to complete Modern Warfare 3. But what about our dreams of a third-person Call of Duty? What about them? "We came on board to make a third person action adventure game, in the Call of Duty franchise," Schofield said in a video feature on Gamespot, "and we were working on it about six months." Condrey was matter of fact about the reasoning behind Sledgehammer's action-adventure title. "There are a lot of fans out there who enjoy games like Uncharted, so you can imagine that genre meeting a world-class franchise." Condrey decided to rub it in a little more. "We had a prototype together that was pretty compelling, and it looked really good." But the chance to help make Activision's big gun shoot straight has probably killed its would-be offshoot. "The opportunity to work on the biggest thing in the industry with ... Infinity Ward, that's demonstrated that they know how to do exceptional software, was just an opportunity we couldn't (pass up)."
Black Ops sold over 23 million units, over 18 million map packs in first nine months
There are quite a few folks with either an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops. Just over 23 million, in fact, as of numbers tallied following the first nine months of sales by its publisher. Activision revealed as much during an analyst call this afternoon, showing continued sales growth for the Call of Duty franchise versus install base numbers for the two HD consoles combined. If that weren't enough, it looks like a huge chunk of those who purchased BlOps were interested in adding to their multiplayer map variety. Activision's numbers show the latest CoD entry as having moved over 18 million map packs since launch (which, priced at $15 a pop, works out to 270 million dollars in gross earnings), 7 million more than MW2 and 9 million more than WaW. Though the company isn't projecting any map sales yet for the next installment in the CoD franchise, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said on the call, "There's plenty of runway this year, with 20 percent-plus expected growth in the HD console install base alone," referring to the company's expected sales of Modern Warfare 3 this holiday and beyond.
Report: Modern Warfare 3's Hardened Edition contents revealed
Wired has posted an image purportedly taken from the European Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition, which reveals the super special incentives contained therein. The hottest of the bonuses is a one-year premium membership to the Call of Duty Elite social platform, which nets you a "Founder status" designation -- a rank which includes an exclusive in-game emblem, player card, and camouflage, as well as an XP boost for your Elite clan. Other bonuses include a (literally hardened) steel case, new disc art, a PSN-exclusive theme and Xbox 360-exclusive "Special Ops Juggernaut" Avatar outfit and a 100-page "field journal," which contains sketches and notes from the frontline. We've contacted Activision to see if this edition is legit, and whether or not it's coming to America -- though we'd wager it'll be the same in both territories, as it has been in Call of Duties past.
Take a tour of Call of Duty XP with IW director of rapid zooming, Robert Bowling
If you take away anything from this video tour of the upcoming Call of Duty XP event, it'll likely be the promise of how "insane" everything will be. But without a Kanye spotting over the entire two-minute clip, we're reserving that adjective for now.
Modern Warfare 3 will employ Valve's Steamworks
It should come as a shock to no one, but Activision's announced Modern Warfare 3 will employ the tactical suite known as Steamworks. Developed by government contractor Valve in an underground bunker in Washington ... state, this secret technology will be the first line of support for soldiers in the field. It will help them connect with teammates and track down enemies far more efficiently. It will also let you mute Frank because what doesn't he get about this being a Silent Op?! We get it, Frank. Your cats do stuff. As previously noted, dedicated servers are supported -- though we're not really sure how to fit that into our big military analogy here. Finally, gone are the days where you had to carry a Sharpie into the field to mark little dashes on your helmet for each bogey you downed. Now you've got achievements and stat-tracking, for quick and easy comparisons with your friends and the overall military at large. Remember: a good soldier is constantly trying to be a more gooder soldier than the other good soldiers around him. Or something.
Rumor: Modern Warfare 3 will host 32-player matches, new Bomb mode
SFX-360 spotted a YouTube video supposedly posted by someone who snuck into the Call of Duty XP setup on Los Angeles' west side and got a glance at some of the menus for the multiplayer mode. Most intriguing: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 might offer 32-player matches, which would be on a larger scale than the series has yet offered. 13 map names were also listed on the video, and in addition to the standard Team Deathmatch gameplay, there was also a mode simply called "Bomb." Its mechanics are yet unknown. The good news is that we'll know for sure how legit this all is by Friday – that's when Call of Duty XP officially opens up to those who bought the $150 tickets for the show. Didn't get yours? Don't worry – they're still on sale right now. And even if you can't make it, we'll be there in attendance all weekend long to see what Activision has planned.
Call of Duty XP (drop)kicks off with the Dropkick Murphys
While Call of Duty XP attendees are preparing to experience the sheer power of Kanye West's performance on the second night of the event, Boston's own Irish-tinged punk rockers, the Dropkick Murhpys, will warm things up on Friday, September 2. Activision announced it this morning via press release, where CEO Eric Hirshberg noted, "The addition of the Dropkick Murphys just makes XP that much more memorable." And it's true! Listening to blistering-fast working class punk rock, while scarfing a Burger Town combo and running through paintball recreations of Modern Warfare levels, is exactly what we'd call "memorable."
Gunnar Optiks crafts limited edition Modern Warfare 3 specs, keeps the bad guys in clear sight
Serious gaming requires serious gear, and by the looks of this latest Call of Duty marketing tie-in, you should be decked out in your Modern Warfare finest when that third installment hits stores. Publisher Activision and Gunnar Optiks have teamed up to bring the eyewear company's fatigue-reducing i-AMP lens tech to a branded line of limited edition gaming specs. The $99 glasses, designed with "venting details inspired by... military machinery," are set to hit stores worldwide on November 8th, and can be found stateside as a Best Buy exclusive. Sound like your kind of late-night gaming accessory? Then click past the break for a 20/20 look at the official PR.
