Call of Duty 3 announced; leak confirmed [update 1]

Call of Duty 3's just been confirmed, and it looks like we were right on the money with our early leak of the WWII-related game.
Back in early March, we printed the following information (and a whole lot more) on the focus of an upcoming sequel: "'CoD 3' ... is being produced by Big Red One dev Treyarch. ... The next Call of Duty World War II-based title will return gamers to the battlefields of Normandy as the Allies take on Nazi Germany to drive them out of France once and for all. This time around, American and British forces are joined by Canadian troops, Polish tanks, and French freedom fighters in a reenactment of the bloody Normandy Breakout campaign spearheaded during the summer of 1944. In the push to Paris, you'll get to choose how you approach each mission, free of menu screens and jarring non-interactive cut-scenes."
Here's what IGN quoted from Activision for the announcement yesterday: "Through the eyes of four Allied soldiers, Call of Duty 3 brings players closer to the fury of combat as they fight through the Normandy Breakout, the harrowing offensive that liberated Paris and changed the fate of the world. Developed by Treyarch, Call of Duty 3 is the follow up to the #1 next-generation game and is scheduled for a 2006 release." Fingering the developer and the setting? Not too shabby -- while Joystiq pats itself on the back.
Check out the IGN trailer below for a first-person look somewhat reminiscent of the FPS sequence in the Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer from TGS. At the end of the "official E3 teaser" trailer, a number of platforms are listed, with the major manufacturers (including a small "Nintendo Revolution" in text) and publisher/developer combo listed. We suspect that versions for the PC and possibly the current-gen consoles will be covered with ports as well. Now all we have to do is wait for the word on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. (Infinity Ward, we're looking at you!) More info obviously hitting at E3.
[Thanks, icemorebutts, jason, & Hiro Protagonist]
[Update 1: Had to fix a verb. Thanks, Hiro Protagonist, John Q, & Jiiiiihad!]
See also:










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason C, @ May 6th 2006 10:38AM
This game is gonna be amazing. I bet the Wii version will have a different engine. Lesser graphics, use of Wii remote
RMF @ May 6th 2006 10:41AM
God, not another one. I've had my fill of WWII related games. Even though I mostly enjoyed both Call of Duty 1 and 2 I feel that I've had enough. I'll probably give this one a miss.
MegaWatts @ May 6th 2006 10:42AM
COD3 is console only? Cool. Does that mean they will improve the Multiplayr from 8 players to 9 players? WooHoo! Talk about MMOFPSs!! ;)
bunkhouse @ May 6th 2006 10:43AM
This game and the Wii remote will rock!
Keef @ May 6th 2006 10:45AM
I REALLY loved the other CoD games and am not going to give this one a miss.
cant wait for its release!!!
Hiro Protagonist @ May 6th 2006 10:45AM
I hope that this one is better than the second (which was a fantastic game).
Can't wait to shoot some with the Wiimote.
CoD2 was certainly fantastic for the PC.
don_sf @ May 6th 2006 10:47AM
no this game on the ps3 wil rock because sony are looking into changing their controler to detect movement.
and before u say, sony patented this al ready 2 years ago while they were making i-toy.
and the fact that on the ps3 u will have better graphics, better explosions, more things happening on the screen. but gameplay wise, who knows huh?
Sagan @ May 6th 2006 10:52AM
@6: Sony doesn't get why Nintendo made the controller able to detect movement. They are most likely going to have a classical controller, which will MAYBE be able to detect movement. And even with that the gameplay of almost all games will mostly be the classical experience.
Btw I love the trailer, because it is so obvious that the trailer is fake and you are pretty much 100% never going to play like that in the game.
Eliytres @ May 6th 2006 10:59AM
X360 and PS3 are sure to have better graphics and stuff, but what Wii loses in visuals it takes back in gameplay by 100x. I mean FPS games played with pad controllers? Oh dear god no. Last good controls in console FPS were in Goldeneye on N64. After that? Well, IMO Halo 1&2 were ok but it took some time to learn.
Mouse + keyboard is simply the best control maneuver in FPS games, but I'm very eager to see how Wiimote handles. Only couple more days to go until E3...
thatguy @ May 6th 2006 11:02AM
Sweet a WWII videogame. Someone should have thought of this years ago!!!
jason @ May 6th 2006 11:07AM
i agree, nintendos got so much working for them.
Hiro Protagonist @ May 6th 2006 11:10AM
Its waaay too obvious that this is Pre-Rendered.
@ don_sf: Even if Sony did patent some kind of motion sensing and put it into their controller, it still wouldnt be the same thing due to the shape of it and how you handle/hold it.
Im betting that this game will be great on the PS3 due to the amazing graphics it has, but I'll still get it for Wii (its most likely affordable). I certainly hope it fares well, so we can see another one.
Cheers.
Armin @ May 6th 2006 11:13AM
The video doesn?t show much of CoD3, just some pre-rendered ?in-game? footage. The rest is made up of ads of other Call of Duty games.
Darth Pixel @ May 6th 2006 11:26AM
Hell will freeze over before I play another Call of Duty game.
Those WWII shooters have been re-hashed to the point of staleness.
Chris @ May 6th 2006 11:28AM
OMG another one!? Why not make something creative a new, this stuff is getting boring
Simon @ May 6th 2006 11:32AM
Wow, I'm really looking forward to this, specifically on the Wii. It'll be interesting to see how the control scheme is handled; throwing grendades and melee attacks could be so, so much fun with the Wii controller.
Jiiiiihad! @ May 6th 2006 11:35AM
"a number of platforms IS listed". A number of platforms IS listed? How about, a number of platforms ARE listed. For shame, for shame. = )
student @ May 6th 2006 11:42AM
... didn't Call of Duty reenact Normandy? Aren't people getting tired of fighting the same battles in different first person shooters, let alone the SAME series?
Will @ May 6th 2006 11:58AM
Yay, yet another WWII shooter
Brandon @ May 6th 2006 12:05PM
People said the same thing for COD2 "pre-rendered". Then the game looked just like it. So this mostlikely will too, it was just a scripted event using the in game engine. Looking forward to it, as I enjoyed 2.
boots (former bd (former b)) @ May 6th 2006 12:10PM
I didn't know that World War 2 had 2 sequels... Oh wait, is this the one where you get to fight in Vietnam?!?!
Alex @ May 6th 2006 12:34PM
I usually hate playing FPS games with console controllers, you just don't get the same accuracy and control as with a mouse + keyboard.
However, I do think the Wii has the capacity to change all that. The controller will give even more control and accuracy than the mouse.
Pretty Obvious @ May 6th 2006 1:10PM
Though this trailer is fake, if the 360 and PS3 versions look even remotely similiar to this then the hell with the Wii version of this.
Eliytres @ May 6th 2006 1:23PM
@22:
So in your opinion visual appearance >>> gameplay? I really can't stop wondering but well, it's your opinion and I have mine.
Halfblood @ May 6th 2006 1:30PM
finally, Canadian solders will be in a war game.
Amir @ May 6th 2006 1:37PM
Hmmmm, trailer looks EXACTLY like the pre-rendered footage for COD2.
MartinG. @ May 6th 2006 1:40PM
Don't get your hopes up on this one. I read somewhere that Infinity Ward was not developing this one since it will not be on PC's. Instead,it's being developed by either spark or treyarch, the folks that did the crappy console spinoffs. The only good console Call of Duty was Call of Duty 2 and that was because it was just a port of the PC version.
generaldane @ May 6th 2006 1:49PM
@22
I have been reading joystiq for a long time and realize that you never post anything positive about the revolution/wii why is that are you a fanboy who is afraid that nintendo is going to steal sony's dominance you seriously crack me up.
and for people who are crazy about hd if you are a pc gamer like i am you wilkl realize that this is for from anything new just another day in the pc gamer life neither the xbnox 360 and ps3 are offering anything thats new to me because i have been a pc gamer for a long time and if i was to follow your logic i probably will never play a console game since they usually looks like crap compare the superior pc versions but when i play dmc3 or Zelda windwaker i could care less about how carzy the visiuals are the gameplay character and story is what really gets me involve. so before comment you might want to consider that graphics are not really as important as you think.
Before i go though i would like you to ask yourslef one questions what is the generation of the coming one gonna be like are they gonna continue to increase graphics after graphics if thats the case i am going to stick to pc games only if it wasnt for nintendo i probably would have been doing that a long time ago.
Anyway peace
Grant @ May 6th 2006 1:52PM
"'a number of platforms IS listed'. A number of platforms IS listed? How about, a number of platforms ARE listed. For shame, for shame."
No, he was right. "A number" is a singular noun. If he had said, for example, "many consoles", then it would have to be "are." But "is" refers to "number", which is singular.
Angus @ May 6th 2006 1:53PM
I can't wait for this for two reasons, it's gonna be on the Wii, which is gonna be my first console eva, (could always just plug gamepads into my PC and get better visuals) and I've only ever played two WWII shooters, Wolfenstein 3D and Call Of Duty 2. So this is gonna be killer!
Aaron @ May 6th 2006 1:57PM
Hahaha, ok this is not relavant, but again I'm not sure how to contact Joystiq. Watch this video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3505951782174966240
John Q. @ May 6th 2006 2:14PM
I don't want to be a pedent here, but I think that Grant and the post are wrong. When you use "a number" in that way, it takes on the plural form, like "several." You wouldn't say "A number of people is coming to the party," because the subject is "people," not "number."
John Q. @ May 6th 2006 2:16PM
Oh yes, and I'm excited for the Wii implementation of this game and any FPS, pending confirmation that what Game Informer and others have said is true and it is an excellent way to control them.
Hiro Protagonist @ May 6th 2006 2:32PM
John Q. is right, platforms is the subject in that sentence. So it should be 'are'.
Saying 'are' sounds better than saying 'is' in that sentence.
It would be different if it said THE number of platforms is listed.
dsub @ May 6th 2006 3:26PM
do yourself a favor, don't get excited about this game. Why? It's not being developed by Infinity Ward. Ininity Ward is responsible for Call of Duty 2, and the original Call of Duty. Treyarch developed Big Red One for consoles, and it sucked. Every GOOD Call of Duty game has been done by Infinity Ward. Every bad one hasn't.
Einhanderkiller @ May 6th 2006 3:32PM
Anybody notice the resemblance to the Brothers in Arms 3: Hell's Highway trailer?
iomatic @ May 6th 2006 4:35PM
Hold on a sec., my Advanced English skills are in remission: The number is the subject, not platforms, though technically the entire phrase "the number of platforms" is really the subject? Wait, now I'm confused; were we talking about a video game? Funny how the topic of grammar comes up at a comments section of a gaming blog. :P
benjamin @ May 6th 2006 4:53PM
Aaron: you contact Joystiq with the blue "Contact Us" link about a screen highth down in the middle column under "Resources". You send in tips with the "Send us news tips" link in the same location.
My question, however, is why on earth would Joystiq, or you, want us to watch some stupid daytime TV commercial for a junior college? Am I missing some humor in it?
When I first started it I immediately recognized it and thought to myself, "oh, a PARODY of that STUPID commercial- this should be good."
But no... it WASN'T a parody. It really was just that STUPID commercial. Honestly, WTF?
Bobill @ May 6th 2006 5:12PM
Oh great another WWII FPS...well you know what DON'T BUY IT. Though I thought I'd get to see some gameplay footage or some really pretty footage of the game. I'm treated to this waste of time.
IMO I think graphics doesn't matter in most games, if a console can sell their system with poor gameplay and uber graphics then everyone would be doing it. But since you can' why bring it up?
A PC isn't a gaming system, it's a super computer with capabilities to play games, don't compare the two as their are very different. Consoles are much cheaper then PC's which has to be constantly upgraded. PC fanboys are just worried consoles are getting up to par with them.
C. Grant @ May 6th 2006 5:54PM
Thanks, benjamin, for educating folks ... thought I'd point out that we already wasted our readers time with that video couple months back. *winces*
http://xbox360.joystiq.com/2006/01/11/cheesy-game-designers-tighten-up-the-graphics/
As for CoDIII footage, I call BS. Didn't Activision already get in trouble for advertising its games with pre-rendered footage?
funkonaut @ May 6th 2006 5:59PM
"French freedom fighters"
Yeah, all 3 of them.
ScottE @ May 6th 2006 6:17PM
Console only eh? That's quite insulting. If it's not done by IW then I don't want any part of it anyway.
Razor @ May 6th 2006 6:31PM
I really hope this game is as good as CoD2 was. I'm very disappointed to hear that IW are not doing it but rather TreyArch who should be asshamed of themselves for the horrible Call Of Duty: Big Red One on the XBOX1, that was an insult to anyone who played CoD2 on the 360. This franchise will hit the toilet if CoD3 turns out anything like Big Red One. But I am encouraged by the Trailer, I engine looks to be similar to CoD2, so even though it is probably pre-rendered Im sure they are using the engine and that's what the game will look like. It was the same thing when CoD2 was first introduced, everyone yelled pre-rendered, but it turns out the gameplay looked just like it.
The1 @ May 6th 2006 6:37PM
How many times are they going to fight this war? Why don't they move the combat up to another war?
bv @ May 6th 2006 7:03PM
lol at the killzone-esque trailer. I wasn't that impressed by the graphics, they look too similar to cod2. Plus, who wants to play another WWII game in the exact same setting (crumbling buildings, beaches, deserts). Blah.
Lone Starr @ May 6th 2006 8:26PM
#16,
"A number of platforms IS listed? How about, a number of platforms ARE listed. For shame, for shame."
I really, really hope you is joking.
Master X 24 @ May 6th 2006 10:49PM
Why does everyone want to shoot with their DVD remotes wiimote is gay sorry but i dont see the fun of shooting with a dvd look a like remote and a updated light gun and it wii flop like the gamecube almost did
wii is more overhyped than the ps3
Dan Choi @ May 6th 2006 11:01PM
"'a number of platforms IS listed'. A number of platforms IS listed? How about, a number of platforms ARE listed. For shame, for shame. = )"
"I don't want to be a pedent here, but I think that Grant and the post are wrong. When you use 'a number' in that way, it takes on the plural form, like 'several.' You wouldn't say 'A number of people is coming to the party,' because the subject is 'people,' not 'number.'"
Thanks for the kind notes, Jiiiiihad! and John Q. I was a bit rushed in getting this post out this morning, so I mentally slipped with the grammar there (I only thought about the form for a few seconds, unfortunately.) John Q., you hit the problem right on the head as the collective noun "number" takes on a plural verb when preceded by the indefinite article "a"; at the same time, it takes a singular verb when preceded by the definite article "the," so the form depends on the preceding article used, which in this case is "a." In short, I should've used "are" instead of "is" as the verb for the subject, which of course is "number."
Reference: The American Heritage Dictionary (via Dictionary.com)
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=number
I appreciate the support, though, Lone Starr and Grant. We can take comfort in the fact that the singular form of "number" is supported when the definite article ("the") is used. =) Hiro Protagonist, you were also mostly right -- except for "platforms" being the subject of the sentence (it's the object of the preposition for "number"; thanks for recognizing the subject, iomatic) -- but I give you props for recognizing the "the" distinction as well. I'll get on that grammatical error right away, as I'm kinda anal like that, too. ;)
Finally, thanks go out to benjamin for covering the contact info for Joystiq and to C. Grant for reminding us how much we all esteem Westwood College here on the site. :) Cheers, and have a great night!
Hiro Protagonist @ May 6th 2006 11:01PM
Sure, the Revo probably is extremely overhyped.
But at least it will resemble its hype more that PS3 and won't be a major disapointment like PS2 was.
Not saying the PS2 is bad, but it isn't what it was cracked up to be. (Emotion Engine FTW?)
Cheers.
C. Grant @ May 6th 2006 11:15PM
Dan, ever so thorough! :)