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'The Making of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' hits DirecTV tomorrow night
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 won't be blowing up living rooms until Tuesday, but an explosive methadone comes to DirecTV tomorrow night in the form of The Making of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.Premiering at 7 p.m. Eastern on the satellite carrier's Audience Network (channel 239), the documentary features interviews with the development team, voice actors, outside consultants and professional gamers that all contributed in some way to the CoDBlOps 2's production. Reruns are scheduled for Monday night at 10 p.m. Eastern and Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern, but by then we're sure you'll already have reached the highest pinnacle of multiplayer progression.
Wii U games pre-ordered from Amazon begin shipping
Okay so, we've got some good news and some bad news for people who pre-ordered their Wii U games from Amazon. The good news, as you've probably guessed, is that some games are already making their way to players' homes, as is made evident by ultra-cool Joystiq reader Jerry's copy of Black Ops 2, seen above. Technically, this game isn't supposed to be out until Tuesday, and that's for consoles that exist.The bad news, unfortunately, is that the actual Wii U itself remains locked away in an Amazon distribution center somewhere until November 18. So, while it's awesome that your game arrived before everyone else has the chance to buy it at retail, there's not a whole lot you can actually do with it. Smell the manual, I guess?[Thanks, Jerry!]
Black Ops 2 built-in live streaming is tied to YouTube, on Xbox, PS3 [Update: PC, too!]
Black Ops 2 features YouTube live streaming on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Activision and Treyarch announced today. The game's built-in live streaming was revealed earlier this year, but we know now it's tied to YouTube. Today's announcement only confirmed built-in live streaming for PS3 and Xbox 360, with Wii U and PC versions not included.The launch feature lets players stream multiplayer League Play games direct from their consoles to YouTube user channels and the Call of Duty Elite service. Webcam and audio commentary feeds can also be included in the stream, while Elite integration lets viewers see the player card of whoever's streaming, as well as additional data like class loadouts and career stats.Update: Activision has confirmed that live streaming is also available in the PC version of Black Ops 2 without the use of third-party software.
Black Ops 2 welcomes you to Nuketown 2025
Did you know you could time travel? Sure, all you have to do is watch this trailer for Black Ops 2's Nuketown 2025 map – available to all those who pre-order – and you'll be transported directly into the future. Ain't technology grand?
Black Ops 2's live-action TV ad is by Guy Ritchie, stars Tony Stark
This live-action trailer for Black Ops 2 is nothing if not fun. First up, you have Robert Downey Jr bringing a jet to a gunfight, and when we say Downey Jr we of course mean Tony Stark, all conceited and glib and impossible-to-dislike.And if you're going to do that, you may as well throw in Kyle Myers AKA YouTube weapons dude FPSRussia, and among many other ridiculous things a horse. It supposedly ties in to the Nuketown 2025 multiplayer map which comes with pre-orders, but we reckon Ritchie just decided to have a laugh.
Wii U voice chat sounds pretty complicated
Nintendo is approaching voice chat on Wii U from a very ... odd angle. Select games will support voice chat via third-party, officially licensed headsets plugged into the WiiPad's headphone jack, but voice chat will not be standard across all games or even the system itself. Even though the WiiPad has a built-in microphone, it can't be used for voice chat.Things get a bit more complicated when you enter the Pro Controller into the mix. The Pro Controller doesn't even have a headphone jack, so for a game like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, players will need to plug their headset into the WiiPad and set it next to them while they play with the Pro Controller.So far the only games listed to support in-game voice chat are Assassin's Creed 3, Mass Effect 3 and Black Ops 2. Nintendo has yet to announce voice chat support for any further games, never mind detailed plans of the Wii U's online suite.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 launch trailer is all gunfire and gadgets, that one AC/DC song
Activision's final pre-launch video barrage for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has arrived, giving us an ample look at the techno-gadgets and many, many explosions sure to pervade the campaign. Plus there's that one song that just seems to make all explosions a bit more explodey, so that's nice.
All of Call of Duty Elite free for Black Ops 2, DLC season pass announced [Update: Activision 'working' to get DLC on Wii U]
All Call of Duty Elite services for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will be free, Activision has announced. Previously, a premium Elite subscription offered an extra tier of services and guaranteed early access to downloadable map packs. This time around, it appears that early access to DLC is no longer available, though Xbox 360 players will be able to purchase a season pass for $50. The season pass will include access to four map packs throughout 2013. With each map pack normally priced at $15, season pass holders will save a total of $10.No season pass has been announced for PS3, Wii U or PC and, in fact, the press release notes that "season pass and DLC map packs may not be available on all gaming platforms." It seems unlikely that Activision would neglect to offer such lucrative DLC on every possible platform, though the language is worth noting.The decision to make Elite free is an interesting one, especially given how (very) successful the program has been. After debuting to 6.5 million units sold, Modern Warfare 3 moved over 600,000 Elite subscriptions in a single week. Then again, given that the season pass will sell for the same $50 price, the difference may be negligible. Also, apart from a few extra perks, the premium version of Elite was essentially a season pass to begin with, so not much has changed.Update: We asked Activision to clarify the statement regarding the DLC on other platforms. The publisher noted that it is "working with Nintendo" to bring both the DLC and the season pass to the Wii U version of Black Ops 2. It made no mention of the PS3 and PC versions though, again, we doubt Activision would ignored two major platforms.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 'Zombies' terrorize an open world, 8-player 'Grief' mode introduced
Treyarch's bonus zombie mode was meant as a special, throwaway time destroyer when it was injected into Call of Duty: World at War. "It's born out of the passion of the team," Treyarch boss Mark Lamia says at a recent preview event showcasing more multiplayer content and teasing the co-operative zombie killing mode.Though its popularity has grown with each Call of Duty release tasked to Treyarch – the team behind this fall's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – the developer has never attempted to attach a fiction to the mode. As Lamia tells us, the fervent zombie mode fan community has taken on that job for itself."The story is kind of crowd-sourced. It's this phenomenon. It was amazing, when we put it out, people wanted to attach a story to it and you saw them start to do it." Fans began to link elements from the zombies mode, Lamia notes – including everything from textures used in the mode to weapons strewn about – in order to connect it to the franchise's established narrative.With its most aggressive fans busy thrusting themselves into the role of fan fiction auteur, Treyarch continues to expand the zombie play space. So much has its concept for the mode grown, it's hard to imagine we won't one day see zombies as its own standalone game in the future. Until then, the latest iteration of the zombies mode is peppered with the same ambition we've seen scattered throughout the rest of Black Ops 2.%Gallery-166597%
Black Ops 2 features optional texture pack installation on PS3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will feature the option to install textures to the hard drive, an Activision rep has confirmed.Word of the optional install first came from the official Black Ops 2 forums, where a development team member – who we have confirmed was indeed Game Design Director David Vonderhaar, as listed – announced the option.As explained to Joystiq by Activision representatives, the install option is reserved for the PlayStation 3 and is intended to reduce strain on the PS3's Blu-ray drive during extended gameplay sessions. Unlike the option to install a texture pack in EA's multiplayer shooter Battlefield 3, the Black Ops 2 install will not alter the quality of the upcoming game's graphics.According to Vonderhaar's forum post, the feature was implemented because of fan demand. "When we explained to PS3 folks that installing to the HDD wouldn't neccessarily [sic] give us any significant performance gains, they explained back that the issue is they play so much it puts constant stress on the Blu-ray drive and wears them out."Vonderhaar adds that the install is "a non-trivial amount" of HDD space, but wouldn't give an exact number because "anything can, and does change."Joystiq is still waiting on word about how the install will affect load times along with a few other details; this post will be updated when Activision offers a response to those additional questions.
Black Ops takes down Mac on September 27
Call of Duty: Black Ops is set to invade Mac on September 27 through Steam and a host of other digital retailers, port wizard Aspyr announced.Black Ops will run $50, including the First Strike Content Pack. The Rezurrection Content Pack will hit digital shelves at the same time, sold separately for $15, and Escalation and Annihilation will be available later on as a bundle.The Steam version will not include SteamPlay. Black Ops will be available via the Mac App Store "shortly after" the September 27 launch.
The Black Ops 2 zombies bus pulls into town
Next week we get the full reveal of zombies mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, but it looks like a bus will play into the mode somehow. A zombie bus?
Double-take: Black Ops 2's Vonderhaar walks us through the multiplayer trailer
Had a hard time catching all of the new multiplayer stuff revealed in the first Black Ops 2 multiplayer trailer? Treyarch game design director David Vonderhaar takes us on an extended tour of that trailer and clues us in on the new tech and firepower coming in November's sequel.
Black Ops 2's PC specifications herald end of Windows XP support
If you're excited to get Black Ops 2 for your Windows XP PC, prepare for disappointment. The FAQ page for the game's PC specifications reveals it's the first Call of Duty to not support the aged operating system.Black Ops 2 is by no means the first major PC game not to support XP. Sleeping Dogs, which was released last month, is a recent example of another game to spurn the OS. Most high-profile games, however, do still support Windows XP, mainly because a significant number of gamers still use it. Steam's August Hardware and Software Survey reveals 13% of its audience ran their games on Windows XP, although that's compared to the 71% who used Windows 7.The Black Ops 2 news coincides with Windows 7 narrowly overtaking XP as the most used desktop OS, according to NetMarketShare (not forgetting, of course, the launch of Windows 8 next month). XP is just coming up to its 11th birthday, but the overall picture suggests the venerable OS may be on its last legs, at least when it comes to gaming.
Treyarch game design director David Vonderhaar talks Black Ops 2
We interrogated Treyarch design director David Vonderhaar, bringing some secrets of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 into the light.In our video interview, Vonderhaar provides some new information about Black Ops 2's "wager matches." "In Black Ops 2," he explains, "wager matches are now party games and they're part of the core experience. Combat training was separate, and now it's integrated."He also discusses the crazy new shoutcasting capability – especially crazy on consoles – and how that will make the game more eSports-suitable and more fun to share. Watch the full interview for more!
Zombies to take over Nuketown in Black Ops 2
The infection is spreading – it appears that Nuketown, the idyllic small map from Black Ops, will be overrun with zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. The Call of Duty Twitter account shared the above image with the tagline, "There goes the neighborhood."Funny, but we thought the nuke would have taken care of that whole "neighborhood" problem.There's no word yet on if the zombies will be available to those who obtain the Nuketown 2025 map via pre-order or DLC purchase, or if the undead are a separate piece of DLC. We've contacted Activision for clarification.
Rumor: Black Ops 2 heading to Wii U, according to QA tester's resume
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 could be coming to Wii U, according to the LinkedIn resume of a Treyarch QA tester recently spotted by IGN. According to the description of the duties of said QA tester, Randall Herman performed "QA testing on PS3 and Wii U, multiplayer testing while collaborating with team, ad hoc testing, and regression."Black Ops 2 is set to release November 13 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, the only platforms it is officially announced for. We have reached out to Activision for comment on the rumored inclusion of the Wii U on that list.
Black Ops 2 in-game 'Shoutcasting' video tour
When Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 launches on November 13, it will feature built-in tools that allow players on any platform to livestream their multiplayer sessions to the web. No capture boxes or special software required.For competitive video game commentators – or anyone who wants to shoutcast a match of Call of Duty – Black Ops 2 also features a slew of in-game options to control the action as it happens live or from watching a replay. You can adjust items on the HUD, add scoreboards and user name cards, jump to the map showing all users, listen in on team mics to hear their strategies, and more.If you're worried the tools could help opponents get the upper hand, Treyarch has thought about it. Players in the middle of a game won't hear the shoutcasters do their thing and the online time delay is such that it wouldn't make a difference if someone you were playing against was watching the same match. There's also the ability to turn off streaming for certain kinds of matches – like a tournament you've organized.The tools both embrace the growing world of eSports and advance the possibilities of gaming. In-game streaming and shoutcasting tools have made it to the top of our "every game should have this feature" list. And you don't need a pair of commentators explaining the on-screen action in order to make use of the new feature, you could just stream it worldwide at any time for any reason.Joystiq had a chance to play with the feature and discuss its tools with Treyarch advisor (and pro shoutcaster) Mike Rufail as a group of journalists battled it out in a multi-team deathmatch on the Yemen map in Black Ops 2. Watch the mayhem (and why I shouldn't quit my day job) above.
Black Ops 2 features in-game livestreaming and 'Shoutcasting'
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is looking to leave a mark on the future with its feature list, bringing livestreaming options into the series for the first time in its history. Developer Treyarch has revealed that Black Ops 2 will include the ability to stream and Shoutcast directly from the game on all platforms when it launches on November 13.In the mode, two players can serve as Shoutcasters – otherwise known as commentators – for a multiplayer match. Though inspired by the eSports crowd, the mode is available to all. Players can shoutcast games live as they are taking place or add commentary to games saved in the Theater mode of Black Ops 2.Delayed livestreams can be activated from the menu at any time, feeding the game to a web browser for anyone on a PC, Mac, or mobile device to watch.In my experience Shoutcasting a match during a recent Black Ops 2 event I learned two things: I'm honestly terrible at it and Treyarch has just vaulted Black Ops 2 to a new level in the competitive gaming scene.Stay tuned for a video of Joystiq shoutcasting tomorrow.
Black Ops 2 customization and 'League Play' brings Call of Duty to the future
The most important shift for the Call of Duty franchise was when developer Infinity Ward transformed the World War II series into a modern era military shooter. Infinity Ward changed what it meant to be a Call of Duty game: it became a game focused on action and not the war itself. Treyarch, the developer that brought the series to the Vietnam war in 2010, pushed beyond the timeline boundary set by the original developer and rests much of its next game – Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – firmly within the year of 2025.For its multiplayer experience, Black Ops 2 takes place exclusively in this near-future time period.Despite going to "the future," the setting of Treyarch's latest effort isn't as drastic a change as it was when Infinity Ward made the period shift in 2007, but many of the features found in Black Ops 2 are just as crucial as the franchise's modern era setting change. Based on these new features, Treyarch – once thought of as the series "B" team – may be the studio dictating the future of Activison's annualized Call of Duty franchise going forward. And the new position suits them.%Gallery-162318%
