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No Call of Duty XP event planned for 2012
The Call of Duty franchise won't get its own dedicated expo in 2012, Activision confirmed to Joystiq. Last year's Call of Duty XP event was used to celebrate the franchise's huge fan base, while also setting the stage for Activision to reveal the Call of Duty Elite service.Rather than hold the event, an Activision representative said that the company's plan is to put more of an emphasis on Cologne, Germany's Gamescom event this August. Activision didn't rule out the possibility of Call of Duty XP returning in the future.Last year's event was the public, hands-on debut of Modern Warfare 3 from Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. Proceeds from tickets sold to the event went to Activision's Call of Duty Endowment charity.
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.
Treyarch reveals the behind-the-scenes story of Call of Duty: Black Ops
Treyarch's Phil Tasker, Alex Conserva, Dan Bunting, and "Lvl 1 N00b" David Vonderhaar (in costume, with a cardboard nameplate above his head and a full-sized Trollface mask) took the stage at Call of Duty XP this weekend to do a behind-the-scenes talk on Call of Duty: Black Ops' multiplayer game, showing off some work-in-progress and unreleased maps, and answering players' questions about the game. Their well-scripted talk was interesting, though perhaps because most of the show is about the next game in the Call of Duty series, they didn't end up going too in-depth on production secrets. They did, however, explain a little bit about the way multiplayer maps were created for the game. Initially, the developers just sit down with pen and paper to design the map and the flow, and then the map goes through a series of playtesting stages, starting out with temporary art and textures, and then moving on to more tweaks and details as time goes on. The "Summit" map was shown off throughout this process -- it started off as just two buildings on a rooftop, with an open path between them, but over time, the developers tried to open the map up a little more, and really show off to players that they were on a high mountaintop.
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.
Filmmakers share the story behind Find Makarov and Operation Kingfish
Among the festivities this weekend at Call of Duty XP in Los Angeles was the premiere of the second "Find Makarov" short film, subtitled "Operation Kingfish." In case you missed it on the live stream, you can watch the short above -- it's a segment set in between Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2, featuring part of the origin story for soldiers Soap and Price. The filmmakers from digital agency We Can Pretend and visual effects company The Junction sat down with me here at the convention to chat about how Find Makarov originally came about, how Activision contributed to this Operation Kingfish followup, and what's next for these creatives and the Call of Duty brand on film.
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!"
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.
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
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.
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."
Kanye West scheduled to close out Call of Duty XP
Confession time: We really can't play Call of Duty -- or any other shooter franchise, for that matter -- without Kanye West's "Power" playing in the background. We simply can't do it. No other ditty is capable of eliciting so much badass juice from our action glands. Luckily, Activision understands this deep physiological need, and has booked the hip-hop icon for the Call of Duty XP convention on the night of Saturday, September 3. This will be the first time West has performed since the release of his musical collaboration with Jay-Z, "Watch the Throne." We can't wait to see him perform our favorite singles from the LP, including "Keep an Eye On the Seat," and "Hey, Check Out This Totally Fancy Chair."
UK GAMEfest goes hands-on with Modern Warfare 3 this September
Gamers in the UK will have the chance to play Modern Warfare 3 two months before its release at this year's GAMEfest. Hosted by "Europe's leading specialist videogame retailer," GAME, the event will run September 16-18 at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre, and is open to GAME Reward Card holders only. Reward Cards cost £3, while tickets to GAMEfest are £10 for adults and £5 for children. GAMEfest takes place two weeks after the Los Angeles Call of Duty XP event, which will also feature hands-on time with Modern Warfare 3, including multiplayer and the full functionality of Call of Duty Elite.
Call of Duty XP attendees get free 'Hardened' edition of MW3, teaming with We Can Pretend
Beyond chomping (hopefully) real burgers at the faux fast-food establishment, Burgertown, Call of Duty XP attendees get a "special redemption code" for Modern Warfare 3's Hardened Edition, for use "when it becomes available worldwide on November 8." Included in the price of admission is also the chance to run through "a life-size replica" of MW2's "Scrapyard" level, so bring an extra extra pair of running shoes (one of the extra pairs will already have been used after heading through "The Pit"). And tucked away in a variety of details about a new comedy series for Call of Duty Elite members (being put together by Jason Bateman and Will Arnett's production company "dumbdumb" and Ben Silverman's Electus Studio, no less) was news that Activision is collaborating with We Can Pretend on a "Modern Warfare-inspired live-action short." We Can Pretend are the folks who put together the "Find Makarov" campaign back in March, misleading many game news outlets to believe that it was a Modern Warfare 3-based ARG due to its high production value. If the aforementioned amenities weren't enough, Activision is upping the physicality of things with "Juggernaut Sumo" (just what it sounds like) and "a military-style zip-line plunge across the Call of Duty XP compound." Say it with us now: "HOO-AH!"
Reminder: Call of Duty XP tickets on sale at 1pm ET Tuesday
Oil up your trigger finger and jack in your comm, because tickets for Activision's Call of Duty XP con are going on sale Tuesday at 10am PT / 1pm ET. Tickets for the LA event will be sold through a link on the main site, also posted on the event's Facebook wall. Good luck to everyone planning to go!
Call of Duty XP reveals ticket sale timing, event map
We knew tickets for the Call of Duty XP 2011 gathering in L.A. would go on sale July 19th, but for fans who spend hours tweaking which sight works best on their assault rifle, that level of specificity just isn't enough. Activision has announced that the $150 tickets (good for both Sept. 2 and 3) will go on sale at 1 p.m. EDT sharp on the event's official site. The XP homebase has also been updated with some more information about the $1 million on-site CoD tournament and a full map of the event. Do us a favor, though: If you immediately start scanning the floor plan for the best sniping spots and choke points, maybe just, you know, stay home. Just to be safe.
Call of Duty XP 2011, a two-day event for CoD fans, with proceeds going to charity
A smaller portfolio isn't the only thing Activision Publishing is cribbing from its sister company, Blizzard. A major component of supporting massive brands like Call of Duty (and World of Warcraft and StarCraft) is fan service and Activision is ready to take its support of the heretofore nebulous Call of Duty community to the next level with Call of Duty XP 2011, a two-day gathering promising "total Call of Duty immersion" at a "secure 12-acre compound in the urban confines of Los Angeles." Earlier this week, we had a chance to speak with Eric Hirshberg, Activision Publishing CEO, about the announcement. "Call of Duty XP is going to be the ultimate fan experience for Call of Duty fans. A two day, immersive live event for fans of Call of Duty," Hirshberg told Joystiq. "We think it's going to set a new bar for experiential live fan-based events." That experience includes a first look at the multiplayer component of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the "full feature functionality" of the still opaque Call of Duty Elite online service, a $1 million CoD tournament sponsored by Activision and "lead sponsor" Xbox 360, and a handful of other big ticket opportunities. "We are constructing a full-scale replica of one of our multiplayer maps as a paintball stadium for fans," Hirshberg said. "We're reconstructing the legendary level from Modern Warfare 2, The Pit, which fans can actually run." More interested in what you're going to be able to eat at an all-Call of Duty event? "You'll be able to eat at Burger Town from Modern Warfare 2," Hirshberg added, quite seriously.
