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Modern Warfare 2 enlists 25 million unique players, Bowling says
It's not so surprising, really, that Modern Warfare 2, arguably the world's most popular video game, would recruit such a staggering amount of bodies for its perpetual online war. But, there it is: 25 million unique players, as revealed in a tweet from Infinity Ward's community guy-at-large, Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling. We've contacted Infinity Ward for specific platform numbers, but in the meantime, Bowling offers a bit more to chew on: He confirms the majority of players are taking the fight to Xbox Live, but he says the PS3 comes in at "a close" second. That puts the PC space in third, though it's still enlisted "millions," according to Bowling. But, what about that boycott? Oh, right. Now, it should be noted that Modern Warfare 2's reported 25 million players aren't necessarily all on active duty. Surely, more than a few steadfast soldiers have taken up positions in DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company 2. No rest for the weary, eh?
Law of the Game analyzes ex-IW bosses' suit against Activision
[Maveric2003] When various legal fracases arise from time to time, we turn to Law of the Game's Mark Methenitis, an actual, real lawyer, for thorough analysis. So, Methenitis kindly looked over the full complaint filed against Activision by ex-Infinity Ward heads Jason West and VInce Zampella, and then described to us the importance of the little things: the wording of the contract between the two ex-heads and Activision, the financial implications of the possible loss of the Modern Warfare name (for either side), and the ... shall we say, flamboyant ... language used in the document itself. According to Methenitis, the complaint's colorful phrasing is "for dramatic effect and little more." Methenitis pointed out in an email exchange with Joystiq that "readers shouldn't place too much emphasis on the language in the facts" and that the story told by the claims "sounds like a relatively common 'business deal gone bad' kind of suit." As for this particular case, though, he allowed, "Granted, based on the value of Call of Duty and Modern Warfare, the stakes are high both for the royalties and future creative control of the brand." (Methenitis here is referring to the ex-studio heads' allegation that Activision had handed over creative control of all Modern Warfare-branded games, part of the "Memorandum of Understanding" that was agreed upon between the two parties before the creation of Modern Warfare 2.) The stumbling block for West and Zampella, Methenitis said, could be in the wording of the memorandum. "That [receiving their royalties and retaining control of the Modern Warfare name] may be more problematic if the wording of the Memorandum of Understanding isn't such that it can be enforced as a contract," he said, adding, "Given the context and description in the suit, it seems like the term 'Memorandum of Understanding' in this case is just a fancy title for a contract rather than a less-than-enforceable agreement similar to a Letter of Intent." (Head past the break for Methenitis' full analysis.) While Methenitis wouldn't weigh in on the possible end result of this suit, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter mentioned in his latest report that, "We think that West's and Zampella's claim for creative control over the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare brands has little merit, and we expect Activision to retain control over the brands." One thing's for sure, if a messy lawsuit does get underway (and isn't settled out of court like so many are), we'll assuredly catch wind of more dirty laundry.
Rumor: Modern Warfare 2 DLC 'Stimulus Package' screens
[Source: The Tech Game -- in case you couldn't already tell.] With a pair of Modern Warfare 2 DLC packs set to deploy on the Xbox 360 and PS3 this year, talk around the DMZ has everybody wondering what new stomping grounds will get added. Well, according to The Tech Game, the first pack (due this spring) will be titled "Stimulus Package" and includes five new locales - three brand new and two returning from Call of Duty 4 (Crash and Overgrown). The images and accompanying video (the latter posted past the break) look legitimate enough, though we've sent word to Activision for confirmation. We doubt we'll hear back, considering the company has a lot on its plate right now, but don't say we didn't try!
Alleged Activision memo: Infinity Ward remains central to Call of Duty's future
We've never been great counters, but we'd say there are three studios working on major Call of Duty games now. A recent internal memo (as reported by G4) apparently confirms that Infinity Ward -- despite all of the recent stuff going down there -- will remain "central" to the franchise. So, counting that studio and Treyarch, along with Sledgehammer Games and its own Call of Duty title, that's ... four three! The Count would be so proud of us! This internal memo reportedly comes from CEO of Activision Publishing Mike Griffith, who said, "Infinity Ward remains central to Call of Duty's future" and that Activision would continue to "rely on the combined talent, expertise and leadership of the team there for [Call of Duty's] success."
Metareview: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
While not quite the 94 review average that Modern Warfare 2 eventually ended up with, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is off to a generous start on Metacritic, averaging a 90 as of this writing. The developers at DICE have certainly kicked up some dust in challenging the monolithic multiplayer of MW2, but it remains to be seen what will eventually shake out online. For now, we've got the single-player reviews for you, just below: GamePro (5/5 Stars): "Bad Company 2's unexpected emphasis on survival skills caught me completely off guard ... The radical change in pace forced me to think and react differently to the situation than I normally would, and it made for an incredible experience. Bad Company 2 definitely has the necessary chops to give the current king of, well, modern warfare, a run for its money.." GameDaily (9/10): "Combat is both intense and exhilarating. Nothing beats unloading a few grenades at a house and watching the ammo tear chunks from it while dead bodies sail through the air. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is an immensely entertaining shooter that demands your attention" Official Xbox Magazine UK (8.0/10): "While the likes of Call of Duty and Gears of War lead you into bottlenecks where they can dazzle you with explosions and special effects, Bad Company 2 feels more like a diluted sprawl of ideas across a large canvas. This variety ensures things stay interesting but it makes it a solid rather than spectacular effort. You'll enjoy it, but will find that you struggle to recall any standout moments once the credits finally roll." Totally Video Games: (7/10): "While Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (on previous-gen machines) and the original Bad Company both featured standalone single-player campaigns, both fell well short of the kind of gameplay we've come to expect of the Master Chief or Sergeant 'Soap' MacTavish. Unfortunately, DICE still hasn't turned the corner with its single-player design in Bad Company 2." %Gallery-43916%
Activision: Treyarch's next Call of Duty this fall; pair of Modern Warfare 2 map packs this year
Amid the roar of Call of Duty news today, Activision has confirmed that Treyarch's next entry in the series will be released this fall. Assuming Activision adheres to its thus far rock-solid Call of Duty schedule, a November release seems likely. Whether or not the series will make the rumored move to Vietnam remains unconfirmed. In other unsurprising Call of Duty news, Activision has confirmed that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 DLC will consist of multiplayer map packs. The map packs were more or less outed last year, thanks to some loose-lipped energy drink packaging, but Activision hasn't actually confirmed the exact nature of the DLC until now. The first two map packs -- slated to appear first on Xbox Live -- are in development at Infinity Ward. Assuming initial plans haven't been altered by the executive shuffling, the first pack is scheduled to release this spring, while the second is slated for a (presumably later) 2010 release.
Analysts: No cause for concern over reported unpaid Modern Warfare 2 bonuses
Following the departures of two Infinity Ward executives, a related story has gained significant traction and deserves some attention. BingeGamer reports that the development studio "has yet to be paid a single dime in royalties for Modern Warfare 2," ostensibly to be paid by publisher Activision. As Infinity Ward is a wholly-owned Activision studio, we turned to some leading industry analysts to explain what appears to be a private contractual matter. EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich tells Joystiq, "I couldn't speak to what the royalty agreement between Activision and Infinity Ward is. If royalties haven't been paid out yet, I wouldn't consider that too alarming. The game has only been out for a little over 90 days. Additionally, it is common to see royalty agreements based upon factors such as hitting release date, review scores (a.k.a. 'Metacritic Clauses') or revenue milestones. I think if you just replace the word 'royalties' with 'bonus' it should make some more sense." Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter explains, "I don't know the nature of [Infinity Ward's] contract, but my bonus is paid after year-end (in February), and theirs is likely the same. The idea that they haven't been paid 'yet' is not all that surprising. The year just closed, and the final SEC documents were filed yesterday." He continues, "IW sold itself to Activision back in 2004, Activision owns the [Call of Duty] IP, and the guys leaving were employees under some kind of contract. Activision appears to believe that they have breached this contract, and may or may not be justified in withholding bonuses." Check out Pachter and Divnich's full analyses after the break. [Editor's note: This post has been altered to reflect updates in the Infinity Ward leadership shakeup.]
Activision ousts Infinity Ward studio heads [update]
G4's The Feed, which has been in communication with a source at Infinity Ward, reports that organizational changes may be in effect at the FPS developer's offices. The source claims that a "bunch of 'bouncer-types' just showed up outside of the Infinity Ward offices unannounced. When approached by employees, the non-uniformed 'bouncers' were unwilling to disclose why they were there." In addition, The Feed notes that Infinity Ward's studio heads, Vince Zampella and Jason West, were not seen by fellow staff members after a meeting with Activision on Monday morning. A desk guard at Infinity Ward's offices was unable to confirm any of the events to Joystiq, and calls to community manager Robert Bowling went unanswered at the time of writing. Apparently, on Monday Activision filed a Form 10-K with the SEC, which is basically an overview of the company's financial condition, and includes any information that could possibly affect that condition. This filing states, "In November 2009, the Company released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a game developed by one of the Company's wholly-owned studios, Infinity Ward. As noted above, Modern Warfare 2 was the best selling console title in the U.S. and Europe in 2009. Consistent with past practice, the Company intends to release a Call of Duty game in 2010 developed by another wholly-owned studio. The Company is concluding an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward. This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company." Co-studio head Jason West has reportedly changed both his Facebook status and LinkedIn page to indicate that he is no longer employed. As soon as we get more news, we'll pass it along. Update: Activision has confirmed the departures of Vince Zampella and Jason West. Read here for more details. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Bookie suspects Uncharted 2 has highest odds of success at BAFTAs
British bookmaker Victor Chandler has a strange sense of what things people should be betting on. For instance, we never would have thought that high-stakes wagering would ever find its way into the British Academy of Film and Television Awards. Yet somehow, gambling on the BAFTAs has becoming a thing, leading Chandler to tally up the odds for each of the awards show's categories. Perhaps a bit unsurprisingly, Chandler's calculations place Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in front of the video game category -- the only award chosen by a public poll -- with odds of 6/4. Modern Warfare 2 falls slightly behind that with 9/4 odds. Check out the full breakdown of nominee's odds to take home the prize after the jump. We went ahead and split our life savings evenly among the ten contenders, guaranteeing us a victory when the BAFTAs are distributed March 19. Man, we're so good at gambling.
PlayStation 3 Slim sweeps the 2009 Engadget Awards
Up against the likes of the ... um ... Popcorn Hour C200 and the ... erm ... Asus O!Play (we'd better leave the gadget stuff to the folks who know what they're talking about), Sony's PlayStation 3 Slim has triumphed as the 2009 Engadget Awards winner in both "Game Console of the Year" and "Home Entertainment Device of the Year" categories. In fairness to the other game consoles, the Home Entertainment Device category didn't exactly feature Microsoft and Nintendo devices (the awards are for devices specifically released in 2009, as you might imagine), so the closest competitor (at 9.6 percent) was the HP MediaSmart Home Server -- the PS3 Slim took a commanding 54.3 percent of the vote. In terms of the Game Console of the Year award, the margins were significantly ... slimmer, with the PS3 taking 43.3 percent of the vote, followed close behind by the Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Edition at 31.2 percent. The Slim also made the Editor's Choice top pick for Console of the Year, rounding out the love fest. Also of note, Wii's MotionPlus landed on both lists as well for "Game Accessory of the Year," beating out the Modern Warfare 2 night vision goggles by just 4.7 percent. Your giant golden USB hubs will be mailed out shortly, winners! Congrats!
Swag Sunday: The DICE bag o' swag [update]
Update: This contest has been closed and the winner will be contacted shortly via commenter-based email, so keep your eyes on the inbox! Believe us, dear reader -- there's nothing we'd like more than to have brought you with us to Las Vegas for this year's DICE, but you must understand that the airfare was simply too much to bear. We've got the next best thing though (outside of our weeklong coverage, of course): the full bag of swag handed over to us upon entry! In practice, this means a Modern Warfare 2 throat communicator, a Street Fighter IV fightpad, a seasonally appropriate Rock Band Network hoodie, a Rayman Raving Rabbids-themed Wiimote charger and ... some other stuff! All you have to do is tell us below in the comments what you thought was the most interesting story to come out of DICE 2010. 24 hours starts now! Leave a comment what you thought was the most interesting story to come out of DICE 2010. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, in part because of our feelings on The Quiet Revolution). Limit 1 entry per person per day. This entry period ends at 6:01PM ET on Monday, February 22. At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one Modern Warfare 2 throat communicator (ARV $29.99), one Street Fighter IV fightpad (ARV $39.99), one Rock Band Network hoodie (ARV $10), and one Rayman Raving Rabbids-themed Wiimote charger (ARV $29.99). For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.
Interview: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Senior Producer Patrick Bach
The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 celebrity bracket challenge was a lonely event for us gamers -- while there were lots of TV stars and NFL players around to talk to, we had to really search the club for someone who actually had some insight on the game for us. But there in the back, among the PR organizers and "Athlete Relations" representatives, we found the game's senior producer Patrick Bach (second from right in the picture above). He may never have starred on a network drama or celebrated on the field after a touchdown, but the guy knows how to make first-person shooters, and that's good enough for us. After the break, hear what he thinks of celebrities playing his game, just how ready DICE is for release, and what kinds of secret plans his team has for DLC.
Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed 2 and L4D2 all $40 on Amazon
Are you looking for an addictive multiplayer shooter with a rabid, unimaginably skilled player base that will simply eviscerate you, a first-time player, during your first hundred matches? Good news, masochist: Amazon has discounted Modern Warfare 2 for the Xbox 360 down to a cool $40 (the PS3 version is selling for $50). The zombie apocalypse sim Left 4 Dead 2 has also had its price reduced to a couple of Jacksons, as have both versions of Assassin's Creed 2. Update: You can also score a copy of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 for only $20. Wait! We know you're excited about these delicious deals, but allow us to play the devil's advocate: Would you rather purchase all three, or -- for roughly the same price -- buy the entire series of Miami Vice on DVD? We're sorry to put you this position. We expect your decision by the end of the day.
BAFTA video game award nominees announced
The BAFTA awards represent a rare opportunity to get the thrill of watching your favorite high-profile games rack up more plaudits long after the end of the year. They also represent the opinions of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, but whatever. The nominations for the 2009 awards have been released, with mostly unsurprising games occupying the "Best Game" category -- Batman, Assassin's Creed II, Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Joystiq.com Game of the Year 2009 Uncharted 2 -- and FIFA 2009. In the "people's choice" GAME Awards, all of the Best Game nominees but Left 4 Dead 2 make repeat appearances, joined by The Beatles: Rock Band, GTA Chinatown Wars, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Street Fighter IV, and Wii Sports Resort. "Everyone's" tastes are much more diverse! See more nominations for specific genres and achievements at the BAFTA site. The winners will be revealed in an award ceremony on March 19.
Execs from the big three weigh in on the current console cycle
In the five-ish years since the Xbox 360 launched, ushering in the current console generation, we've heard a whole mess of talk about this console life cycle pushing past the usual five-ish years they tend to span. Given that we're approaching the mark as we speak, MCV talked to execs from the big three and got an update on where each stands in terms of new hardware in the coming year(s). "The benefit of hardware remaining relevant for longer is the fact that it gives more developers a chance to get the very best and most out of current generation systems, rather than the cycle changing just as people have become used to maximizing a console's performance and abilities," says senior product manager at Nintendo UK Rob Lowe. "We strongly believe that there is still huge potential for both Wii and DS to continue to bring in new gamers and change rejecters' perceptions." Watch your back, rejecters! Perhaps unsurprisingly at this point, Sony and Microsoft corroborate Lowe's claims, with VP of Sony Worldwide Studios Michael Denny adding, "Of course new hardware causes a large spike in consumer interest, but so does the launch of new, exciting games ... Modern Warfare 2 didn't need new hardware to break all the records." And with two new motion ... things coming to Sony and Microsoft's consoles -- not to mention the worldwide economy still struggling to recover from a near-meltdown -- we have to imagine that we won't be seeing any new $400 to $600 hardware anytime soon. But hey, there's always 3D to take our money, right?
Modern Warfare 2 patch live on Xbox 360 and PS3
Infinity Ward has released its latest salvo of updates for Modern Warfare 2, dropping a predator missile on the dreaded "infinite care package" glitch and those awful, awful shotguns from 1887 (again). And all those matches you found you were getting negative XP? Yeah, that's a thing of the past. If you want to read up on the patch notes, head on over here. [Thanks, Nick]
BAFTA people's choice GOTY voting now open
Do you live in the UK and dream every night about the possibility of one day voting on a people's choice game of the year award? Right, us neither, but if you're into that kinda thing, UK retailer GAME is holding the second annual GAME British Academy Video Games Awards at the London Hilton on March 19 and you can vote for the awards show's top "honour." Sure, you can't actually buy tickets and attend or anything crazy like that (the event is live-streamed online, in fairness), but you still have just over a month to put in your vote for one of the 10 games in the running -- games that were chosen from a list comprising "the top selling games of the year sold in GAME stores." At the very least, voters will automatically be entered into a contest to win a "Sony Home Entertainment Package," so, if nothing else, there's always the possibility of winning a Sony ... something (or somethings). Click through or glance a few inches up for the people's choice award contestant list.
X10: Modern Warfare 2 first exclusive DLC pack officially coming this Spring
Those of you not into getting your hot gaming scoops from specially branded Modern Warfare 2 energy drinks will be happy to hear that Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 will be officially receiving its first infusion of post-launch DLC this Spring. As Microsoft is keen to point out in its press release announcing the release window, the content will only be available (at least initially) on the Xbox 360. Unfortunately, no other information is given on the first DLC pack (though the energy drink case you see above seems to indicate that it'll be maps), but the announcement does note that this is but the first in a series of "content packs" that will be exclusive to Microsoft's console.
Pachter: Call of Duty to decline $250 million in 2010
With Activision's holiday fiscal report expected to release this week, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter is predicting that the Call of Duty profit machine may not repeat its fantastic 2009 performance this year. As reported by IndustryGamers, Pachter believes the Call of Duty franchise will generate "sharply lower revenue," in 2010, to the tune of a $250 million decline. Not to worry, though, as he notes that Activision is likely to more than make up for that amount thanks to Blizzard's impending releases (hello, StarCraft II). Aside from that, of course, it's important to remember that we're talking about a $250 million decrease on almost a billion dollars, so it's not like Pachter expects Call of Duty to wind up in the toilet. It's worth noting that the previous Call of Duty title, World at War, initially outsold Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, though Modern Warfare remained on top after the dust settled. Unsurprisingly to anyone paying attention, Modern Warfare 2 turned around to outsell the original Modern Warfare. Still, all three remain among the best selling games of all time, so maybe it's okay if the next one is only phenomenally successful.
Modern Warfare 2 'care package' patch submitted to Microsoft certification
Considering the Xbox 360 received the lion's share of Modern Warfare 2 purchases, it comes as a bit of a shock to us that the already released on PS3 and PC "care package patch" is just now being submitted to Microsoft for certification. That said, developer Infinity Ward's community man Robert Bowling tweeted as much to Game Informer's Andrew Reiner approximately 24 hours ago when Reiner asked about a possible release for the much anticipated fixes. As Bowling has pointed out before (and details in this forum post on the subject), the patch is set to remedy the following (you might need a pillow for all of this pure, unbridled excitement: Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized. Fix for "infinite care package" exploit. Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry. Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s. Fixes to prevent various XP hacks. And no, there's no date given for when it's coming out. So stop asking. (Seriously.) %Gallery-77537%[Via Game Informer]
