call of duty
Latest
Rumor: Infinity Ward to be sole Call of Duty dev [update]
We know this runs the risk of sounding like a bad game of Telephone, but here it goes: We heard from Next Gen that they heard from an ex-Activision employee (who was formerly part of Underground) that they heard that Call of Duty 4 developers Infinity Ward recently renegotiated its contract with parent company Activision. Aside from finally getting casual Fridays and that margarita machine that Debbie in accounts receivable has been asking about, IW also reportedly got the right to be the exclusive developer of all things Call of Duty.If true, that would edge out Treyarch (which made the 3rd numbered game in the series) after they complete work on the CoD game that they're unofficially working on. With as much love as IW put into the excellent CoD 4, we can totally understand why they don't want Uncle Treyarch to babysit the series every other weekend. But, as we've pointed out, this is just hearsay at the moment. We'll let you know if we hear something official.Update: Activision has responded, describing the rumor as "erroneous information regarding the CoD franchise."
Real-time Call of Duty card game coming in Fall '08
Here at Joystiq, we've always felt that the intense, highly realistic military action of the Call of Duty games would be better captured by a card game. Thankfully, someone at Upper Deck had the same idea, because the company announced the Call of Duty Real-time Card Game at this weekend's New York Comic Con.MTV's Stephen Totilo got an early demo of the game, which comes off as a mix between the Pokémon TCG and the traditional card game Spit. Players lay down soldiers, protective cover and weapon cards as fast as possible, until someone plays a "freeze" card and all the damage and effects get tallied up. The game will be based on the non-modern Call of Duty games (sorry, COD4 fans) and could possibly include special cards that unlock in-game content for Call of Duty 5 (much like similar cards in the World of Warcraft card game) -- though this feature isn't yet confirmed. Look for it in stores this Fall.Read - MTV playtest impressionsVisit - Official Upper Deck game site
Take a video tour of the Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack
Looking for a good way to plan Call of Duty 4 strategies while you're away from your Xbox 360? Our sister site Xbox 360 Fanboy has put together a 5 1/2-minute walkthrough of the new Variety Map Pack, which includes Broadcast, Chinatown, Creek and Killhouse.As for the future of the Variety Map Pack, Infinity Ward blogger extraordinaire Fourzerotwo has commented on his blog that the dev is now focusing on bringing the maps to the PlayStation 3 and PC. No specifics for the PC version, but the PS3 maps are due out at the end of April.%Gallery-19521%
COD4 double XP extended an extra day
Many Xbox Live users trying to get their mitts on the new Variety Map Pack for Call of Duty 4 last Friday ran into some trouble. Some reported problems downloading the maps. Others apparently had problems even playing games on Xbox Live as a result of so many people attempting to download the maps at the same time. Understandably, this irked many gamers that were looking forward to earning double experience points over the weekend during COD4's double XP weekend. Good news then, as Infinity Ward's community guru fourzerotwo has made it known that the double XP weekend has been extended for another 24 hours. While concrete times aren't mentioned, he notes that the weekend has been extended to "Tuesday morning."[Thanks, ZEBRA NINER]
Video: COD4 Variety Map Pack montage
With the Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack seemingly only moments away, we thought it prudent to post this video montage of the new maps from GameTrailers. Strangely absent from the footage is Chinatown and Killhouse, which represent the two biggest departures from the maps already available with Call of Duty 4. We still get plenty of footage from Broadcast and Creek, though. We particularly like the look of Broadcast, which looks like a big violent mess (in a good way). Enjoy the video, and remember that all this fun can be yours in time for the weekend (at the cost of 800 MS Points anyway).
Call of Duty 4 multiplayer boasts 'monstrously huge' numbers
When Infinity Ward producer, Mark Rubin, told Eurogamer that the number of online users for the PS3 version of Call of Duty 4 was "monstrously huge," we can only assume he was referring to a beast of significant size and infinite terror -- which pretty much rules out those Pokemon things. Indeed, the multiplayer monster appears to be of the house-trampling, child-eating variety, with Rubin having declared, "No other game has come close, either online current, or total unique users in a day."The battle between Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 for Xbox Live supremacy was also mentioned, with the former shooter's "between 1.2 and 1.3 million users every day" trumping Bungie's slightly more spartan servers. As for the percentage of total game owners (over seven million at last count) that have taken their tactics online, Rubin describes the number as "startling." Who knew statistics could be so scary?
Shipping this week: COD4 again edition
It says something when the best game being released this week is a re-release of a game that originally launched last November. Then again, it's not like it's that surprising. After all, the game in question is Call of Duty 4 and there is only one other game releasing this week. That game, if you just have to know, is Smash Court Tennis 3. No offense to Smash Court Tennis 3, but it's frickin' Call of Duty 4, right? Actually, to be more precise, it's Call of Duty 4 Game of the Year Edition. Not only do you get COD4 goodness, but also a token to download the Variety Map Pack free of charge. Heck of a deal, no?[Via Joystiq]
COD4 GOTY and DLC arrive April 3
A page on Xbox.com has popped out of nowhere to announce that both the Call of Duty 4 Game of the Year Edition and the (heretofore unnamed) Variety Map Pack will arrive on April 3, a mere two weeks away. The new map pack will be available for 800 MS Points and includes the maps Creek, Broadcast, Chinatown and Killhouse. Also, don't forget that the game of the year edition of COD4 will include a token for a free download of the Variety Map Pack, so if you haven't picked up COD4 yet, you'll probably want to wait another two weeks. [Via Joystiq]
A look at Call of Duty 4 DLC: Chinatown
The PS3 Fanboy GOTY, Call of Duty 4, is set to expand its multiplayer offerings later this year through its first DLC. Chinatown is one of the first revealed maps, and GT TV is proud to present an exclusive first look at the new map. CoD2 vets may recognize the map, but expect it to have a completely different feel in CoD4. It's still one of our most played online games, so we're glad to see how well the new content is shaping up.[Thanks, DanyDanman!]
New COD4 maps detailed by GameSpot
The folks at GameSpot got their meat hooks on two of the four downloadable maps coming to Call of Duty 4. First and foremost, players will be happy to know that some of the new maps will not be set in the Middle East or Russia. GameSpot got to look at Broadcast and Creek, the first of which being set in the television station seen during the campaign mission "Charlie Don't Surf." The environment from the campaign is faithfully replicated with some design changes made to suit multiplayer. Creek, on the other hand, is set somewhere entirely new, complete with lush greenery, cliffs, a cave and, yes, a creek. The map is "massive" according to GameSpot with lots of places to go. The final two maps are "Chinatown" and "Killhouse." The first is fairly obvious, while the second map was apparently inspired by the training course from the first mission of the game. The price for the DLC remains a mystery as does its release date (though it was originally billed as a "spring" release). Hit the "read" link for GameSpot's full impressions.
A clandestine interview with The Agency's Kevin O'Hara
MMO Gamer recently got a chance to sit down with Kevin O'Hara, designer for the hotly anticipated SOE spy-thriller The Agency. Among the things O'Hara touches on during the interview are his thoughts on what subscription model they'll use (it's completely up in the air at this point), the wisdom behind directing the game at consoles (O'Hara believes the shooter gameplay will endear it to that audience), and how bosses in a spy game might be slightly atypical (you may travel to their volcano lair and win the day with a hand of poker instead of fighting).One thing I found particularly interesting was the way they're trying to balance fast action with the fun and sense of place that comes from existing in a persistent world. The Agency as he describes it will have a "hub-and-spoke feel to it" where most of the mission-based content will necessarily be instanced. He also mentioned how PvP will be accessible at the touch of a button, tossing you right into the middle of a multiplayer map. In this respect I almost feel like they're paying too much homage to the game's shooter roots. If I wanted to jump into multiplayer deathmatch utterly lacking in context, I'd put in Call of Duty 4. I'm hoping they give slightly more of an incentive to make it akin to traditional MMO PvP. Just, ya know, with guns and spy gadgets.
Potential Call of Duty MMO symbolizes 'natural evolution' of Activision Blizzard
Soon-to-be CEO of merged mega-publisher Activision Blizzard, Activision head Bobby Kotick mused on latent cash cows at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in Dana Point, California. Kotick clearly senses the possibility of transforming his million-dollar franchises into billion-dollar franchises. MMOrph them! "[What] would be the natural evolution of a property like Call of Duty into a massively multiplayer environment -- how do you monetize that?" wondered Kotick. That is the question, Bobby. Lucky for you, you can just sit back and let the WoW think tank (a.k.a. your $1b investment) do the answering ... *fingers crossed*.
Activision exec discusses Call of Duty MMO
In a discussion with investors yesterday, Actvision CEO Bobby Kotick mentioned how the soon-to-be-formalized merger with Vivendi Universal would give the new company the ability to leverage their properties in ways that were never before possible. Specifically, he mentioned how Activision could conceivably tap into the technical and creative expertise of Blizzard in developing the Call of Duty franchise into an MMO. This follows on the heels of another recent comment he made in public recently about Activision's research into the MMO space, and their perception of the considerably monetary barriers to entry.While nothing about Kotick's comments seemed to indicate that a Call of Duty MMO was actually in development, it's still an interesting prospect to think about. Call of Duty 4, which is currently the most actively played game on Xbox Live, actually contains a number of gameplay elements reminiscent of an online RPG. There are classes, various skills and challenges to grind, and a persistent experience gain. It really wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine Call of Duty in an MMO context, or at the very least, containing even more elements from the genre to grab players and keep them coming back. But the very prospect of a collaboration between Infinity Ward and Blizzard is almost simply too much for my geek brain to handle, so for my sanity I'm just going to have to assume this was all executive-speak, and such a game will never happen.
Will Arnett, fighting the good fight with Call of Duty
Actor-comedian Will Arnett was recently a guest on the Late Show Late Night with Conan O'Brien and described to Conan one of his favorite pastimes. "Call of Duty isn't going to play itself," Arnett told Conan explained as he tried to describe why he wouldn't want to die real life (who knows how that came up).The short clip ends with a funny Xbox Live story that will ring as familiar for anyone who uses the online gaming service. Give it a watch. As for dying, we're with Arnett in thinking we'd rather not at this point, not at least until we find the respawn button for life.[Thanks, zizzy. Via Megatonik]
Activision plans Wii sequels for its franchises
Wii owners can expect some new Activision games to hit their consoles in the not-so-distant future. To state the obvious first, a new Guitar Hero game (possibly two) will find its way to the Wii and other consoles by the end of Activision's next fiscal year (which ends in April 2009).You may be even more excited to know, however, that the next Call of Duty installment will also end up on the Wii (among other platforms). This is good news, since Call of Duty 4 skipped over the little white console. Don't get too excited, though -- this doesn't necessarily mean that the next game will be Call of Duty 5.We also wouldn't be surprised if Activision's other two sequels (one for Tony Hawk and one for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance) hit Wiis. The company promises innovation with it's next Tony Hawk game, which piques our interest for the title a bit. Does this mean the game will make use of the Wii Balance Board, or does Activision have another trick up its sleeve?
Activision: 08 brings Bond, Guitar Hero, Spider-Man
Activision's recent conference call had about as many surprises in it as a holiday gift from Grandma. After setting record sales in 2007, both confusing and otherwise, Activision revealed plans for new entries into the Guitar Hero, Spider-Man and Tony Hawk franchises in 2008 as well as their first attempt at the James Bond license, with an adaptation of the latest Bond film, Quantum of Solace, in the pipeline.According to a report in Variety, gamers should mark their calendars for up to three Guitar Hero releases, two add-ons and Guitar Hero IV in the fall, two game adaptations of the Dreamworks film Kung Fu Panda and one for the upcoming Madagascar 2, and new sequels to Tony Hawk, Call of Duty, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Spider-Man and the aforementioned Bond game. In fact, we recommend you keep your 2007 calendars and simply change the 7's to 8's. It would just be easier.[via Joystiq]
Call of Duty 4 overtakes Halo 3 again, tops Xbox Live Activity
Master Chief is yet again on the bottom position of the proverbial seesaw as Call of Duty 4 reclaims the top spot on the Xbox Live Activity list. The game initially overtook Halo 3 two weeks ago, before the Bungie shooter saw a resurgence in Gravity Hammer usage last week.Usual contenders Gears of War, Rock Band and Guitar Hero III rounded out the top five. Two demos -- Devil May Cry 4 and Turok -- claimed the sixth and eighth spots, respectively. Will Halo 3 yet again heed the call and try to overthrow its duty-bound nemesis? We're expecting an enormous rise in Bomberman Live to settle this feud once and for all.
Yahtzee showers praise on Call of Duty 4
As a general rule of thumb, it's usually a bad thing when Zero Punctuation reviews a game you like. The reason for this is quite simple: chances are that Yahtzee (ZP's fast talking, wisecracking host) is going to tear your favorite game a new one. If you happen to be a fan of Call of Duty 4, your wait is over. Call of Duty fans should have no fear, however, because Yahtzee has nary a bad thing to say about it all. As a matter of fact, he apparently loves it. We're currently fortifying the walls of Fanboy Towers for the oncoming flame war. You see, Yahtzee wasn't quite so kind to Halo 3. You may watch the extremely not safe for work review of Call of Duty 4 after the break.
Call of Duty 4 to get downloadable maps
What do you do when you make a Game of the Year-winning title? You make more of it. Call of Duty 4 is getting DLC later this Spring, adding brand new maps for the popular online shooter.According to the press release, "We've demonstrated our commitment to delivering the best multiplayer experience in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and that continues with our plans for new downloadable content," explains Infinity Ward's Community Manager, Robert Bowling. "We're excited about the new maps, and the added gameplay variety, and we can't wait to wrap things up and get online with everyone."Considering CoD4 is the best selling game of last year, we're pretty sure the fine folks at Activision are going to have to build another pool of money to swim in once the DLC gets released.
COD4 email pimps no. 1 Live spot a week late
The Call of Duty 4 versus Halo 3 drama took an interesting turn this week via an email sent out to CharlieOscarDelta.com subscribers yesterday (we got ours this morning). The email proudly proclaims "COD4:MW SOARS TO THE NUMBER ONE SPOT!!!" Obviously, the email is referring to Major Nelson's listing of the top Live games for the week of January 14, in which Call of Duty 4 managed to knock Halo 3 off the number one spot. What's funny is that the same list for the week of January 21, released two days ago, revealed that Halo 3 has once again claimed the top spot. We'd suggest that Activision put a little grease on the PR machine's gears the next time one of their games snags the number one Live spot.[Thanks to everyone that sent this in]
