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Modern Warfare 2: Prestige Edition includes working night vision goggles, original Call of Duty for PSN/XBLA [update]
What on Earth? Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling has made a YouTube video of himself unboxing the absolutely epic "prestige edition" of Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. When we say "epic," we're talking "it includes working night vision goggles" epic. Also in the box is a voucher code for downloading the previously rumored PSN/XBLA version of the original Call of Duty. This plus a steel game case, art book and a custom molded plastic head for displaying your working night vision goggles on. (But of course!)There's no mention of a retail price for the set, but we can't imagine it'll be anything less than stupid crazy expensive. The whole bundle is getting a suggested retail price of $149.99, a full $20 bump up from the $129.99 we dropped to give our cat a helmet two years ago. We're also working to find out if and when Activision intends to distribute the downloadable remake of the CoD that started it all. Check out the unboxing after the break -- but only after ensuring that your socks are safely and securely pinned to your pants.[Thanks, Morey!]
Modern Warfare 2's Prestige Edition includes fully functioning night vision goggles
Now this is how you do a special edition. Activision and Infinity Ward look to be going all out for its Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 "Prestige Edition," with not only the usual accoutrements like a special casing and an art book, but also what is described by Community Manager Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling as a "fully functioning NVGs -- night vision goggles." No idea how well they work, but it's got alternating modes and MW2 branding. That's pretty awesome, but we gotta imagine it's gonna demand a pretty penny -- this is definitely more than that $80 "collector's edition" for $80 GameStop is currently listing. You won't be able to get your actual hands on the game until November at the earliest, so in the meantime, hit up the read link to get a glimpse of the "official" unboxing.Update: Joystiq's reporting it's gonna cost $149.99 for the prestige bundle.[Thanks, Joey]
Activision: Modern Warfare 2 was always ready for the 'Call of Duty'
The fact that "Call of Duty" branding was conspicuously absent from Modern Warfare 2's debut trailer and all subsequent promotional materials about the game seemed to declare clearly enough that the title had left the franchise's well-fortified nest. A fact that Activision seemed to acknowledge by telling us it "has taken on such a life of its own." So, imagine our surprise when the game's box art materializes ... with "Call of Duty" in the title.Was this a reaction to the fact that consumers weren't really aware of the game without the familiar branding, as made clear by a Google Trends chart tweeted by Destructoid's Nick Chester? (Or recent analyst comments saying as much.) When asked about the apparent change of heart (and art), Activision replied, "Infinity Ward, the original creators of the Call of Duty franchise, has said from the beginning Modern Warfare 2 resides in the Call of Duty universe. This is reflected in the title's package." The company also said that, "Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We have focused our attention on Modern Warfare in order to most effectively communicate the fact that this is the first true sequel in the Call of Duty series." We agree: letting people know it's a Call of Duty game is probably a good thing.
Modern Warfare 2 box art includes 'Call of Duty'
Though we all believed that Modern Warfare 2 had completely dropped the "Call of Duty" moniker, that's not exactly the case, judging by some new box art just posted by Infinity Ward spokesman Robert Bowling on his Twitter account.We're not sure if this is a new official name for the game, but we'll do our best to find out. In the meanwhile, check out the full box art after the break.
Glu developing Modern Warfare 2 for mobile phones
It's true that we haven't played a "video game" on a cellular device (at least, one that wasn't an iPhone) since our lengthy Snake sessions back in 1999 -- though we imagine there's a contingency of folks out there who get excited for mobile adaptations of console games. For instance, you may find yourself thrilled about Glu's next mobile project -- a version of Modern Warfare 2 that's coming to Androids, Blackberrys, BREWs, J2MEs and Windows Mobile phones in Q4 of this year.The only piece of media we have for the game is shown above -- really tantalizing stuff there, Glu -- though we imagine the gameplay will resemble that of the World at War port the studio developed last year, only with a tad less flame throwing.
Survey says: Without 'Call of Duty,' Modern Warfare 2 is less recognizable brand
You may find this hard to believe, but removing the Call of Duty from Modern Warfare 2's title -- it's confusing some people. In fact, according to a survey conducted by GamePlan Insights -- a game tracking service offered by OTX -- and reported by Gamasutra, 50% fewer people knew about the game. "In other words, the Call of Duty brand association essentially doubles the awareness for the game," GamePlan head Nick Williams told the site. "That is quite a remarkable statistic." Williams went on to state his revalatory belief that the massive marketing push Activision has lined up for the game (on the scale of "biggest entertainment launch of all time") should quash any consumer confusion.Wait -- "Activision?" We've heard of an "Activision Blizzard;" are they the same company? We're only half convinced.
Infinity Ward says 2 is the magic number for Modern Warfare co-op
Why can't every developer be Infinity Ward? When asked by Videogamer.com why Modern Warfare 2's co-op was limited to two players, spokesman Robert Bowling said, "Two player seemed to be the magic number for co-op. That's when it stayed really fun and intense without becoming a clusterf**k of things."Bowling also said that the whole game won't be playable in co-op because the developer is "crafting a very specific experience" and doesn't want to "ruin that by cramming co-op into it." While it's nice to see a company stick to its guns like that, we figure developers who sell a hojillion copies of a game can pretty much write their own menus.
Gearbox CEO wants Bungie & Infinity Ward to move beyond established brands
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford wants Bungie and Infinity Ward to leave behind the Halo and Call of Duty/Modern Warfare brands and create something new. While he prefaced his comments by showering both devs with celestial praise, Pitchford said he is eagerly anticipating new intellectual properties from each team."I keep waiting to hear what Bungie is going to do that's not Halo," Pitchford told VideoGamer at E3. "Same with Infinity Ward. It's like, dude I'm totally psyched to get my Call of Duty fix every year, but you guys are amazing! What else have you got? Can you give me something I haven't seen before?"Pitchford does admit it's difficult to walk away from established brands when the risk of creating a new IP is so high, but says innovators need to be rewarded so that teams "making big bets can take that risk."Gearbox Software itself is no stranger to established brands. After porting Halo: Combat Evolved to PC in 2003, Gearbox developed the Brothers in Arms series, which has seen 10 titles released across 11 platforms since its debut in 2005. Gearbox is currently developing the new IP Borderlands, which is set to hit the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this fall. [Photo Credit]
Modern Warfare 2 launch aims to eclipse Halo 3, GTA IV
Activision already has great expectations for Modern Warfare 2, but outselling all previous Call of Duty titles is just the beginning. The publisher has hired marketing firm TWBA/Chiat/Day and given it marching orders to deliver the "biggest entertainment launch of all time."In order to accomplish this, MW2 will need to surpass some established launch sales triumphs. The first is Halo 3, with 1.7 million copies moved on day one in fall 2007. More recently, Grand Theft Auto IV took the title of "biggest launch" thanks to first day sales of 3.6 million units. At this point, we think Activision needs to be less concerned with its game being huge -- it will be -- and more focused on ensuring PSN and Xbox Live don't utterly die when it hits stores November 10.[Via GI.biz]
Retailers list DJ Hero for $120, handful of other Activision titles detailed
Pegging the release date of DJ Hero as October 27, GameStop is listing the game with a $120 price tag across all consoles -- turntable peripheral in-tow. While we are, at very best, suspicious of any release dates or price tags attached to retailer listings, both GameStop and Amazon have details on not just DJ Hero, but also Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero and, strangely, Modern Warfare 2 (in Collector's Edition form, priced at $80). Those with a keen eye and a nose for all things "exploitable" will note that these titles all come from mega-publisher Activision, making us wonder if the company has simply released the information to retail before anyone else.Considering the price for Tony Hawk Ride (and its living room-destroying peripheral of $120), a precedent for unproven peripheral pricing has certainly been set. We've asked for comment from Activision regarding the release dates and pricing, though had yet to hear back as of publishing.
Infinity Ward backs away from Call of Duty subscription rumors
With rumors pointing to a Call of Duty subscription service under consideration at Activision Blizzard, developer Infinity Ward hopes to remove itself from the idea as much as possible. The company's community manager, Robert Bowling, noted on the developer's forum, "This rumor has absolutely nothing to do with Infinity Ward or our games, including Modern Warfare 2. We would never introduce such a system for Modern Warfare 2 so don't worry. Multiplayer will always be equal and free for everyone as always." The survey, allegedly sent out by Activision, asked "how likely" players would be to purchase or subscribe to a system that provides "new in-game content like map packs and betas," and "team-management services." It appears Infinity Ward's statement doesn't overrule the rumors completely -- Bowling appears to be addressing pay-to-play multiplayer more than anything -- but it's good to see such rapid response to a concerned community. So, what's the other Call of Duty developer, Treyarch, up to?
Modern Warfare 2 receiving collector's edition (and that's all we know!)
Headline kind of says it all. Yes, there's a Modern Warfare 2 Collector's Edition in the works. No, we haven't a clue what's in it. The retail listing on Gamestop claims the goodie box will cost $80, but that can always change.We contacted Infinity Ward's community guy Robert Bowling (aka Fourzerotwo), who told us he's waiting to have the first physical copy of the collector's edition sent for a quality check, after which he'll make an unboxing video for the community. At that point, the company will have promotional pictures and update online retailers.[Via Big Download]
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
Ten things WoW players should know from E3
Blizzard, as you probably already know, was not at E3 this year (officially, anyway -- they did have at least a few folks wandering the exhibit halls). But that doesn't mean there wasn't anything for you WoW fans: both Elizabeth Harper and I were there from WoW.com working with our sister sites Joystiq and Massively, and as WoW fans, we saw plenty of awesome games and demos that you should know about.So even if you haven't been paying attention to E3 information on other sites, here's a quick wrapup of ten different things you should know from last week's big convention if you're a WoW player. There were no big expansion announcements or hints at future Blizzard releases -- they're saving all of that for BlizzCon this year. But there were a few games to watch, a few booths to marvel at, and a few trends to notice that you'll want to be aware of even if you're spending most or all of your gaming time in Azeroth. Hit the break for the first four.
Activision: Modern Warfare 2 set to eclipse previous Call of Duty games
According to the most recent data, Call of Duty 4 has sold nearly 3 hojillion units since its 2007 release, and Activision says that a fifth of Call of Duty: World at War players were new to the franchise. By its math, that means Modern Warfare 2 is poised to become the biggest-selling Call of Duty game ever.We don't want to be jerks about this, and we know it's not really the point but at what point does this stop being a Call of Duty game? Like, is the absence of the words "call," "of," and "duty" from the title not enough to separate it from the franchise? At what point to restraining orders need to be involved?
E3 2009, as told by Jason Sudeikis
While Joystiq sends bloggers to E3 for teh newz, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon sends Jason Sudeikis for teh lawls, as the latest episode of the late-night program shows. Available to watch right now on Hulu, highlights include Jason's brief stop by the Bayonetta area at Sega's booth, and a rather hilarious exchange with Infinity Ward about Modern Warfare 2. It's quality entertainment, and Sudeikis does a good job of making lighthearted fun of a show that we worked so hard to cover super seriously this week. Enjoy.[Thanks, Wesley!]
Modern Warfare 2 gameplay excites, even in its barely visible state
Yesterday, during Microsoft's Pre-E3 press briefing, Infinity Ward took to the stage to show off Modern Warfare 2 in action. Strangely, the action packed demo began with a section of gameplay that seemed to encourage players to ignore adversaries using the (barely visible) world around them as cover. However, as expected, all hell breaks loose and waves of enemies flood the snowcapped landscape. The live stage demo was enough to send the crowd into a hysterical panic of excitement and people actually cheered for downloadable content. Cheering future DLC for a game that isn't hitting stores for months? Yeah, that happened.
Modern Warfare 2 map packs hitting Xbox Live first
Modern Warfare 2 has officially joined the somewhat exclusive Microsoft DLC club. Infinity Ward's relentless first-person shooter will offer downloadable map packs (duh!), the first two of which will launch first on Xbox Live. The news came via Microsoft's E3 press, where Microsoft's John Schappert was keen to emphasize that the Xbox 360 version would lead the way in Modern Warfare 2's online component.Which, with any luck, will be heavy on the snowmobile combat. Snowmobile combat!
Call of Duty 4 reaches 13 million players on Xbox Live
With the release of the recent full-length trailer for Modern Warfare 2, the gaming populous' attention has been turned away from the original Modern Warfare (considering the game's getting a follow-up, we think its Modern-ness could be disputed by this point, but we digress). However, Infinity Ward community commissar Robert Bowling (a.k.a. fourzerotwo) recently stopped by Major Nelson's podcast to explain why CoD4 shouldn't be ignored quite yet -- it just hit the remarkable 13 million player mark on Xbox Live.This number is impressive for two reasons: First, it's two million more players than the last Xbox Live total we heard for Modern Warfare back in March. The second reason has been mentioned by a few gaming blogs already -- it's surpassed the total number of World of Warcraft players. Impressive? Well, yes -- though nobody is forced to subscribe to Call of Duty 4. As far as pure, lucrative retention is concerned, we think WoW still takes the cake.
Second Modern Warfare 2 trailer arrives, exploding castles and all
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Second_Modern_Warfare_2_arrives_exploding_castles_and_all'; Well folks, it's Sunday night. And as promised, the second trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has hit the internet with lightning speed. And hey, there's an exploding castle in it!A full two minutes of gameplay, ready to satiate even the most jaded and impatient of gamers (ya know, us). Growly-voiced Eastern Europeans speaking of revenge? Check! Varied environments featuring new types of gameplay? Check check! A freakin' exploding castle! You better believe it! Wait, why are you still reading this? Just watch the trailer above!%Gallery-64077%
