Rumor: Infinity Ward giving Call of Duty 6 a sci-fi setting
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Jun 21st 2008 at 11:30AM }
Following the tremendous success of Infinity Ward's well-received Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, fans were generally disappointed to learn that the next installment in the wartime franchise would not only have a different developer, but would also be replacing their M4s with M1s, taking the series back to its World War II roots. If a recently uncovered rumor is credible, we're not entirely sure these same fans would approve of Infinity Ward's plans to throw the bullet-riddled franchise into the DeLorean, gun it to 88, and take it to where they don't need roads.
This rumor (and accompanying clumsy "Back to the Future" reference) finds its origins in a statement from an Infinity Ward insider, who mentioned the company is working on "a sci-fi title", and that further details concerning said title may or may not be made available during E3. It's extremely possible that Infinity Ward would get their hands back on the Call of Duty franchise once Treyarch has had its way with it, but would they really introduce elements of unrealism into such a history-steeped series, or could they be working on an entirely new, space marine-flavored franchise?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
J.Goodwin @ Jun 21st 2008 11:35AM
Wait? Different Publisher?
OMGOMG @ Jun 21st 2008 11:39AM
HALOZZZ 4!!!!!!
NO WAI!!!
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Fosssil @ Jun 21st 2008 11:40AM
Please Infinity Ward... Just make another Modern Warfare one...
OMGOMG @ Jun 21st 2008 11:44AM
Give them credit for trying something different. This medium needs change, however bad that may seem. That's why I'm pumped about Alone in the Dark. However just meh the game is, the developers and publishers took huge risks and really thought outside the box when designing the game, and in today's "sequel" era, it's nice to see developers not take the easy way out when creating a sequel.
/end rant.
Love you, Fossil.
dmg @ Jun 21st 2008 12:09PM
OMGOMG: Woah woah woah. Did you just call a Sci-Fi shooter an ORIGINAL premise? (Not saying WW II is original either) I guess you must have forgotten DOOM, Halo, Gears of War, Haze, Turok, Half Life and countless others. I'm not saying a few of those games aren't good, but it's not that original. You said you don't want to see a developer taking the easy way out, then Sci-Fi would be a step backward, only way it wouldn't would be if they made it in the "Near future" with completely original/prototype guns.
Jakka @ Jun 21st 2008 12:07PM
Considering the amount of backlash Treyarch gets for "trying something different" praising IW would be highly hypocritical.
Jonah Falcon @ Jun 21st 2008 12:08PM
Futuristic shooter = something different?
No.
A game set in Vietnam or Korea = different.
This equals = zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Jun 21st 2008 12:11PM
"Give them credit for trying something different."
I hope you'e not talking about the WW2 game. I think i speak for many a gamer when I say: NO MORE FUCKING WW2 GAMES!
Over-saturation is a Goddamn understatement; too many times have I had to kill nazis, the idea of a future-set shooter sounds awesome, though.
Obie @ Jun 21st 2008 12:16PM
So when I get a 10 kill streak I can get the Death Star to blow up the enemies.....sweet!
I say go for it IW!
Obie @ Jun 21st 2008 12:20PM
After the impressive showing of COD4, I will give IW the benefit of the doubt. They could potentially make a game with the grittiness of "Aliens" and not the cheesiness of "Starship Troopers".
So I will keep my eyes peeled.
Vidikron (FU) @ Jun 21st 2008 12:29PM
"Futuristic shooter = something different?"
Do you realize how broad "sci-fi" is"? It could indeed be something different.
"A game set in Vietnam or Korea = different."
Not really. There were several games with similar settings last gen.
Fosssil @ Jun 21st 2008 1:19PM
OMGOMG: I didn't mean to imply that IW would do a bad job with a sci-fi shooter, or even that the medium isn't in need of a little innovation and change.
I simply meant to say that I think the "Modern Warfare" category is under-utilized outside of Tom Clancy titles, and that I feel IW can produce an equally impressive sequel to CoD4 before completely abandoning the genre.
OMGOMG @ Jun 21st 2008 3:10PM
By the way, if this rumor is true, IW is taking the same path that the BF series did, minus the Vietnam stage.
So, get ready for a game with a hilarious story coming soon!! (and get ready to be gouged up the wazoo with buying weapons)
GreyFox @ Jun 21st 2008 3:46PM
I'd rather see them switch it up personally. A futuristic FPS from those guys might now be bad at all.
xXroflcopterXx @ Jun 21st 2008 7:06PM
ya in my opinion they left call of duty 4 a little wide open like soap and cpt. price if they live or not
HPGR_Thrawn @ Jun 21st 2008 11:43AM
I'd like to see the COD franchise stay in the realm of human against human combat. But I'd also like to see an expansion to COD4.
As long as they don't take the "near-future" route of Battlefield, we should be ok.
Laggy @ Jun 21st 2008 12:11PM
Being sci-fi doesn't necessarily mean aliens, what about the same realistic style of FPS story and gameplay just based in the future? Doesn't even need to be in space, just have it based on earth with warring countries/factions with sci-fi setting an weapon. Remember sci-fi can open a lot of doors because it doesn't have to be based of real subject matter.
knightsray @ Jun 21st 2008 8:37PM
battlefield 2142 was one of the best games for a PC..if they were to follow that formula an throw in their perks an new weapons i'd definitely buy that! I know alot of other people would buy it too!
kingofwale @ Jun 21st 2008 11:44AM
and once again will put CoD games by the "other publisher" to shame.
Infinity Ward is slowly becoming one of the best dev teams out there
commen-cents @ Jun 21st 2008 11:46AM
im in
Neebs @ Jun 21st 2008 11:45AM
God no.
*hits eject button*
William Sun @ Jun 21st 2008 11:49AM
Don't you guys mean different developers not... publishers?
albinogoldfish @ Jun 21st 2008 11:58AM
Well as long a its going backwards maybe they should go waaay back, Dino hunting anyone? I mean I need something to replace the gaping hole in my heart where Turok used to be...
sjs2626 @ Jun 21st 2008 4:45PM
As much as that would be cool, if that happened, it wouldnt be Call of Duty anymore.
Jonah Falcon @ Jun 21st 2008 11:59AM
(sigh)
Don't we have enough space marine shooters? I mean, c'mon.
Laggy @ Jun 21st 2008 12:12PM
Don't we have enough WWII and modern day shooters?
aristokrat @ Jun 21st 2008 12:35PM
Technically, we have enough shooters, period. But that doesn't stop developers from making them or fans from enjoying them. It might be fun to see what IW can bring to the genre.
Jonah Falcon @ Jun 21st 2008 6:06PM
Vietnam, Korea...
Kodros @ Jun 21st 2008 8:15PM
Well, Bush tried to give us new content...
t_m @ Jun 22nd 2008 8:07AM
Jeez, enough with the Historical, Present Day and Sci-fi shooters already! Try something different!
Like, er... ;-)
lee @ Jun 21st 2008 12:02PM
Call of Duty 6: Futureistic Warfare
could work, as long as it doesnt get to silly with spaceships, aliens, lightsabers etc, that would just ruin the cod franchise
Jerk Face @ Jun 22nd 2008 11:30AM
I just hope they spell 'Futuristic' right.
Inect @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:52PM
lmao jerkface
Dave @ Jun 21st 2008 12:01PM
Games like Call of Duty (and Splinter Cell, and more) alternate developers (not publishers) in order to keep a yearly schedule. The next CoD, futuristic or not, is definitely Infinity Ward's.
Eggy @ Jun 21st 2008 12:04PM
Looking forward to it. Hopefully for once a MP game where the two teams aren't carbon copies of eachother.
theturtle363 @ Jun 21st 2008 12:06PM
If they made it starship troopers, i would cream my pants
CW @ Jun 21st 2008 12:13PM
Especially if it includes some topless scenes!
In a tent!
On a battlefield!
theturtle363 @ Jun 21st 2008 12:19PM
NO WAI
Inect @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:59PM
The problem is there is only men in COD and BF.
theturtle363 @ Jun 21st 2008 12:08PM
Actually I'm probably guessing that it will be more like GRAW than Starship troopers if anything. That seems pretty likely to me
Fatass of Rebuttalness @ Jun 21st 2008 12:42PM
"Compared to other games Halo is shallow I mean whats so great about it story wise?"
Well, the novels introduce a lot of humanizing aspects to both the main characters and their opposition, give them backstories, explain the reasoning behind the various Halo conflicts in more detail, etc. It's got a great story going, but heres the thing - you wouldn't know it if your Halo experience is of the games alone.
Fatass of Rebuttalness @ Jun 21st 2008 12:43PM
Wrong reply chain, damnit
Vidikron (FU) @ Jun 21st 2008 12:52PM
I agree. Everyone seems to be assuming the it's going to wind up like Halo when it could something as simple as Advanced Warfighter... no aliens and only a few years into the future. Really, "sci-fi" is broad there's really no way to know at this point what that could mean.
Jakka @ Jun 21st 2008 12:12PM
Yeah...CoD fanboys would still claim that their Space Marine Game is better and deeper than Halo.
tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 21st 2008 12:15PM
Well if it's anything like COD 4 then yes it will be much deeper
Jakka @ Jun 21st 2008 12:23PM
Tmac, I don't think that you really want to compare a Modern War Gun & Run with a clichéd Tom Clancy-ish Story to an Universe with it's own LORE AND NOVELS.
God I hate when people call Halo "shallow".
GuardedMarman @ Jun 21st 2008 12:32PM
Compared to other games Halo is shallow I mean whats so great about it story wise?
Fatass of Rebuttalness @ Jun 21st 2008 12:39PM
"God I hate when people call Halo "shallow"."
But as a game, it's not as deep as some of it's competitors. Sure, its got plenty of lore backing it, but where's the lore in the actual game? You shouldn't NEED separate novels and shit to make a game seem deeper - fuck, you get just as much lore casually scanning throughout the Metroid Prime series than if you play Halo and read the accompanying novels. I think Halo is a fun series and is worth the purchase, but don't try to pass it off as all that deep, 'cuz it's not. Neither is COD4, at least in the story aspect, but they manage to make that up with far deeper gameplay than what I've played in Halo.
tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 21st 2008 12:40PM
It is shallow. It's the very definition of shallow in video games. I shouldn't have to read books to get a VIDEO GAME'S story.
Fatass of Rebuttalness @ Jun 21st 2008 12:43PM
"Compared to other games Halo is shallow I mean whats so great about it story wise?"
Well, the novels introduce a lot of humanizing aspects to both the main characters and their opposition, give them backstories, explain the reasoning behind the various Halo conflicts in more detail, etc. It's got a great story going, but heres the thing - you wouldn't know it if your Halo experience is of the games alone.