Next COD won't be modern according to a hint given by Treyarch

If you can't get enough of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, don't expect Treyarch's iteration to quench your thirst; you'll have to wait until November 2011, when Infinity will undoubtedly drop another bombshell. Until then, settle for another Call of Duty game from Treyarch that takes you back to the old war zones.

Accoding to this tweet from OPM UK, a job posting for a level designer, requires those who apply to be able to "Research subject matter for history and look of the level".

As you should know by now, Actvision releases a Call of Duty title every year between Treyarch and Infinity. No surprise there but another shooter that take us back in time is a bit too much of the same don't you think?

Oh well, if that's the case, take me to Korea please.

12/03/09 Ernice Gilbert

EA Boss: I want back the FPS crown from Activision

Medal of Honor is going the modern warfare route and it's no coincidence. In fact according to EA boss John Riccitiello, it's a bid to take back the FPS crown from Activision.

"I'm not saying that's it's going to happen tomorrow, but in the way that Activsion sort of alternates sequels of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty and own the leadership position in FPS [first-person-shooter] between Medal of Honor and Battlefield, I want it back," Riccitiello told Kotaku.

"And we're going to get there with innovation and quality."

Bad Company 2 is now head to head with Infinity Ward's best, and the new Medal of Honor will take place in modern Afghanistan, according to Riccitiello.

"The first [Bad Company] did very well in its first outing. The next one is a heck of a lot better and looks like a worthy competitor to Modern Warfare," he said.

Get a first look of Medal of Honor at the VGAs on December 12th, the game will hit retail sometime next year for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

12/03/09 Ernice Gilbert

Call of Duty DLC could generate up to $140 million according to analyst

According to broadpoint AM Tech analyst Ben Schachter, DLC for Call of Duty could do pretty well next year for Acti and Infinity.

"As with the last two Call of Duty titles, the game itself should maintain its $60 price until the next iteration, but Activision will also benefit significantly from the high-margin DLC enabled by the packaged product's success," he said.

"We estimate that Activision will generate at least $100-$140 million in gross income from Call of Duty in 2010.

"Though the company has not announced anything, we would not be surprised to see the content expand significantly beyond map packs to include new missions, modes of play, and in-game items. The point is that Call of Duty fan base will pay for the additional content, and we expect Infinity Ward to monetize that throughout 2010."

IndustryGamers has more.

11/26/09 Ernice Gilbert

Modern Warfare 2 sells 1.2 million copies in a single day, in a single country

We can only imagine how Activision is laughing on their way to the bank right now. In a single day in the UK, Modern Warfare 2 managed to sell 1.2 million copies. That would be fantastic for a game's monthly sales alone, but in a single day? In one country no less?

Remember when we thought Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto 4 had impressive numbers? For those of who haven't managed to get their hands of the war juggernaut, you're missing out on what million are calling the best shooter yet; but you didn't need us to rob it in right? Sorry.

With sales numbers skyrocketing through the roof, Modern Warfare 3 is not a question of "if", it's now a matter of "when."

11.12.09 Colton West

Kotick says games give "hundreds and hundreds of hours of entertainment value"

Kotick, your main guy showed up on FOX business last Friday, to discuss how the tough economic climate may affect the gaming industry.

Kotick admits that the weak economy makes him nervous, however he believes that gaming presents a high value and gives a good return on investment.

"[Most] of our market is in their 20s and 30s," Kotick said.

Fox News host Charles Payne: That is a pretty hard hit spot right now. This is one of these unusual times when a lot of men, particularly men in that range have lost their jobs. Any chance that might impact your business?

"Well look, I think it is one of the profound challenges we face in our economy today," Kotick told the news host. "I think it is likely to affect every business. One of the nice things about video games is that it does give you the opportunity to escape from some of the difficulties in the day-to-day - in your day-to-day lives as you start to think about those challenges."

"Whether is DJ hero, or Guitar Hero, or Band Hero, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare2, these are all products that give you hundreds and hundreds of entertainment for good value."

I'm not sure 4+ hours of Single player in MWII is hundreds and hundreds of hours Kotick; then again, the game offers way more time in multiplayer, which most people buy the game for anyway.

To see the video go through here.

Thanks Kotaku.

11/11/09 Ernice Gilbert

Modern Warfare 2 launch damaged by barrage of leaks

Almost every single videogames website small and big have had some leaked footage of the impending blockbuster title Modern Warfare 2. It all began with video footage shown at a private event, and then went downhill when the controversial footage that shows civilians being killed was, according to Activision, "illegally released."

The company went in damage control mode making the rounds on gaming websites, big news publications like The New York Times, USA Today amongst others. But that's not all, because now retailers from around the world, including UK retailer GAME, have broken the street date of the game. This makes for a very distasteful launch for Activision and looks very bad on their PR department.

Now the biggest game retailer, Gamestop has decided to go ahead and break the street date in some locations to protect their customer base because some retailers in the same area have broken it, a decision I totally agree with. Will the lousy handling of said situation by Acitvision hurt sales of the game? On the contrary it only adds to the hype, hence making it even more attractive. However, such terrible handling of a game that is hailed to be the biggest entertainment launch of all time, is also having the biggest leak problem of all time, and paints Activision as an incompetent Publisher.

I guess to win some you must lose some right? Buy the game tomorrow, if haven't already.

11/09/09 Ernice Gilbert

MWII-Have we all been duped?

With just 36hrs left until the Midnight release of MWII, the Internet is swarming with reports of early release copies in the US Northeast( link )and yet more controversy surrounding this title. The question here is are we all being duped? If this truly is supposed to be the game everyone is anticipating, then why so much controversy? It seems to me that Activision is going out of its way to keep this game in the news regardless of negativity. There is the old saying "any publicity is good publicity" meaning if you keep it on their minds people will run out and buy it.

So is this all just coincidence or has the Activision marketing juggernaut been behind it all from the beginning, just to create a massive viral marketing campaign at the expense of naive journalist? There has been less news about how good the game is, than the controversy surrounding different aspects of the title. You see everything ranging from petitions disputing the $100+ price in some countries, to controversial Missions (see Colton West's thoughts here on Gamethirst soon), to pirating, and early release copies of the game. Through all this I found when doing a google search on "Modern Warfare 2 Review" you get a bunch of Headers stating review, but no actual reviews. Seems suspicious that one of the biggest releases this year and with just 36hrs to go before launch there are hardly any reviews, yet record pre-order reports from Gamestop and other retailers.

Don't get me wrong, I too thought the original game was great but the lack of reviews for this title makes it seem like we are getting a bunch of the same at a higher price. If I am right in my speculation, than you got to give it to Activision, they sure have managed to make several negatives into a major cash generating positive for their stock holders. Lets just hope that despite the possibly self generated controversy, the guys at IW still manage to give us a great game.

11/08/09 David Allison

Drum Hero appears to be in the works

It must take some pretty hardcore fans to find news stories like this one. It appears that according to a recently registered trademark filed by Activision today, an all new 'Hero' game is in the works. It looks like we'll soon be beating our drums in place of our guitars.

Is it really necessary for this to be made? I know it's going to make a lot of money but we've seen all this before.

Anyways see it for yourself up there, soon millions will become professional drummers compliments Activision.

11/08/09 Colton West

Microsoft to forcefully remove private chat from future Xbox 360 games

For those of you who own a Xbox 360 and enjoy using the "party chat" system, you're in for some disappointment.

The upcoming blockbuster, Modern Warfare 2, will implement a change that forces players to decide whether they want to play the multiplayer match and join the game's chat room, or stay in a private chat which will exit you from the game.

This change is being implemented now because in many popular Xbox 360 games such as Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty: World at War, players would use the private chat to tell fellow players where an enemy's location was upon death, even if they were on a different team.

No more cheating, cheaters.

11/02/09 Colton West

Video Thirst: Walmart's COD4 ad

Although this new ad from Walmart is somewhat funny, uh, we don't know what to make of it. They hardly spoke about the content in the game, just that soon it'll be available and they'll bring it to you with lightning speeds. But that's it.

Is Call of Duty so big now that the retailing giant sees no need to even talk about the actual game? If so, Activision has done a phenomenal job at marketing this juggernaut title.

See the full thing after the jump, and let us know what you think? The game's out on November 10th all over.

11/02/09 Ernice Gilbert

Activision wanted more WWII style games instead of Modern Warfare

In an Interview with the Official Playstation Magazine, Infinity Ward's Boss Vince Zampella said Activision didn't want Call of Duty 4 to be Modern Warfare, and have been holding up on a more "Modern" type of war experiences for a good amount of time. Here's Zampella:

"With Call of Duty 2, we were dead set against it being World War 2," Lampella said. "But Activision really wanted it, the compromise sort of being that we'd get some dev kits for consoles in exchange for doing a world war 2 game. We always wanted to be on consoles and Activision saw us as more of a PC developer."

"And something I'll add to that, Activision did not want Modern Warfare. They thought working on a Modern game was risky [thought], 'oh my god you can't do that it's crazy!' They were doing market research to show us we were wrong the whole time."

Well they were the ones dead wrong weren't they? Modern Warfare has sold over 14 million copies and counting. Some publishers have no clue; Good to see the boys at Infinity Ward stuck to their guns and went on with the development of Modern Warfare. Ah, the spirit of persistence even in the face of opposition, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be available on November 10th, 2009 on the Xbox 360 and PS3 and two weeks later on PC.

Via CVG

10/06/09 Ernice Gilbert

Rumorthirst: Modern Warfare 3 is under development

It's global release will be the biggest blockbuster event ever. Or so says Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision-Blizzard. But as unpleasant as he may be (and he is), His prediction that call of duty: Modern Warfare 2 could be the biggest grossing entertainment of all time is not far fetched. The game has sold over 13million copies worldwide, and even to this day is topping some newly released games on charts in the US and UK.

So when we stumbled upon this piece of evidence, we were blown away by the news! If you look at the image above, and look past the number 2, you'll see half of the number 3, and according to ng4a, infinity ward's public relations manager Robert bowling said that a "working group" is currently developing a third installment of the Modern Warfare Series. Robert also said he does not have any idea or vision for the time being on what will be the new version.

On another note, bowling also said that Activision has acquired Infinity Ward completely, and when this happened, the entire studio and all its staff dedicated every single minute of their time to the development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Interestingly enough, at the end of his speech, Bowling said three months after the release of COD:MDW2, louder words will be uttered. Speak Robert, Speak!

09/21/09 Ernice Gilbert

GamesThirst Reviews Prototype: After Infamous, I’m left unimpressed

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Radical Entertainment
Player (s): 1
Genre: Action
Release Date: May 26, 09
Score: 7.0

It’s kinda hard when you’re huge fan of The Incredible Hulk series watching him roam the streets of New York City, feared by the helpless while being chased by the military, and another game becomes a clone. In many ways you feel kinda…..well….. Disappointed. Prototype, Activision’s new action adventure in many ways is The Incredible Hulk with a brand new character named Alex Mercer.

Go figure, the game was developed by the same guys behind the Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (Radical Entertainment) and follows down twin paths. Both have super natural abilities, both takes place in New York City. Both are open world allowing characters to do almost anything, from climbing atop buildings and doing massive damage without thinking about insurance.

What Quenched my thirst
The freedom of roaming New York City, pushing through crowds, jumping over cars or running on rooftops gives you the feeling that you own the city. Your movement capabilities will be upgraded as you proceed on your journey. Gliding long distances will become child’s play later in the game as you blaze across the skies of New York. Speaking of journey, the sweet juice of Prototype’s story isn’t found on just a run through of the game, you literally have to stop and grab specially marked pedestrians which then triggers flash backs in your mind hence helping you fill in the blanks as you learn what your victims knew about the dangerous plot that made Alex Mercer the way he is. The flashbacks add a deeper intensity to the action and an added incentive for the player to scour the vast city adding more length and replay ability to the game.

Ever wanted to be a super hero? Well Alex’s you guy. His journey begins with powers already not natural to any human being. For example running up buildings and as you proceed you’ll notice that Prototype’s upgrade system will transform Alex Mercer into an astounding monstrosity. There are several power sets to utilize, each with their own unique uses and moves mostly manifested about the super hero’s hand. My favorite is the blade power which turns you arm into a massive edged weapon.

Alex can also take on the look or appearance of any NPC in the game allowing him to blend in seamlessly with the population and in doing so erasing any trace of his whereabouts. You will find yourself using this technique multiple times throughout the game, sometimes to escape and other times to get through enemy strongholds. Also, certain NPCs can be absorbed to learn new skills, example helicopter piloting proficiency.

Another neat aspect of the game is being able to hijack helicopter and tanks, moving towards your objective and laying the smack down on your prey. There’s also a special feature titled: “New Game Plus” Once you’ve completed the game, you can play through again with all the powers and abilities you’ve unlocked. This makes for a good payback because believe me you’re gonna get your butt kicked the first time around.

What left a bitter taste
The game’s difficulty is unbalanced, and that’s extremely irritating. One minute you’re proceeding while kicking some butt, the other you’re dead because they just yanked 3 then 4, plus 1 brand new foes at you, hence finding yourself back at the same check point too many times. The game is not well paced at all, you’re not gradually introduced to new enemies; they just come at you fast and furious. That’s very frustrating.

Apart from the flashbacks that occur when you grab specially marked pedestrians, the story of prototype is bland. No taste at all. The voice acting is so-so and it makes it very difficult to be stoked about what will happen next. You won’t be very intrigued by the characters, especially Alex’s sister; whoever did the voice acting for her character needed to wake up. She’s dry.

The side missions also left me confused. Though some missions synced well with the storyline, some just made no sense at all. What’s destroying a mutant hive has to do with the original plot? I mean, c’mon! I know it’s a side mission but at least make it be relevant in some way to the original plot.

Overall
The game is decent to say the least. While strikingly similar to The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, it’s good to see Radical Entertainment try something new. (most developers are afraid of new IPs). Prototype unleashes a monster’s share of power in your hand and it’ll feel good to scour New York City doing just about anything in order to attain victory. But after playing the master piece that’s Infamous, it’s hard to recommend Prototype as a must buy. Rent first because you might really enjoy playing this one, or you may not. Different strokes, different folks.


07/21/09 Ernice Gilbert