The fact that "Call of Duty" branding was conspicuously absent from Modern Warfare 2's debut trailer and all subsequent promotional materials about the game seemed to declare clearly enough that the title had left the franchise's well-fortified nest. A fact that Activision seemed to acknowledge by telling us it "has taken on such a life of its own." So, imagine our surprise when the game's box art materializes ... with "Call of Duty" in the title.

Was this a reaction to the fact that consumers weren't really aware of the game without the familiar branding, as made clear by a Google Trends chart tweeted by Destructoid's Nick Chester? (Or recent analyst comments saying as much.) When asked about the apparent change of heart (and art), Activision replied, "Infinity Ward, the original creators of the Call of Duty franchise, has said from the beginning Modern Warfare 2 resides in the Call of Duty universe. This is reflected in the title's package."

The company also said that, "Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We have focused our attention on Modern Warfare in order to most effectively communicate the fact that this is the first true sequel in the Call of Duty series." We agree: letting people know it's a Call of Duty game is probably a good thing.

Though we all believed that Modern Warfare 2 had completely dropped the "Call of Duty" moniker, that's not exactly the case, judging by some new box art just posted by Infinity Ward spokesman Robert Bowling on his Twitter account.

We're not sure if this is a new official name for the game, but we'll do our best to find out. In the meanwhile, check out the full box art after the break.

You may find this hard to believe, but removing the Call of Duty from Modern Warfare 2's title -- it's confusing some people. In fact, according to a survey conducted by GamePlan Insights -- a game tracking service offered by OTX -- and reported by Gamasutra, 50% fewer people knew about the game.

"In other words, the Call of Duty brand association essentially doubles the awareness for the game," GamePlan head Nick Williams told the site. "That is quite a remarkable statistic." Williams went on to state his revalatory belief that the massive marketing push Activision has lined up for the game (on the scale of "biggest entertainment launch of all time") should quash any consumer confusion.

Wait -- "Activision?" We've heard of an "Activision Blizzard;" are they the same company? We're only half convinced.

Dearest Lorraine,

Microsoft's Major Nelson has brought us another annual status report on enemy movements throughout Xbox Live, and it's not pretty. Conflict has surrounded us, as the enemy, Call of Duty: World at War, has spread like wildfire, becoming the most-played game last week. We tried to flank it with our platoons of Halo 3 and Gears of War 2, but, alas, the enemy had reinforcements in Call of Duty 4. Hope has diminished, and one only needs walk by the injured tent to feel the full force of the enemy's cruelty.

Lorraine, I know not if I will return home. I have managed to live longer than most, but, I feel there's that one bullet out there with my name on it, relentlessly pursuing its new home. Please, take care of my Gamertag when I am gone (I think my Gold subscription ends next month, so look into that), and be sure to earn as many Achievements for me as you can. I suggest you start with Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Yours Truly,
Gus

Why can't every developer be Infinity Ward? When asked by Videogamer.com why Modern Warfare 2's co-op was limited to two players, spokesman Robert Bowling said, "Two player seemed to be the magic number for co-op. That's when it stayed really fun and intense without becoming a clusterf**k of things."

Bowling also said that the whole game won't be playable in co-op because the developer is "crafting a very specific experience" and doesn't want to "ruin that by cramming co-op into it." While it's nice to see a company stick to its guns like that, we figure developers who sell a hojillion copies of a game can pretty much write their own menus.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford wants Bungie and Infinity Ward to leave behind the Halo and Call of Duty/Modern Warfare brands and create something new. While he prefaced his comments by showering both devs with celestial praise, Pitchford said he is eagerly anticipating new intellectual properties from each team.

"I keep waiting to hear what Bungie is going to do that's not Halo," Pitchford told VideoGamer at E3. "Same with Infinity Ward. It's like, dude I'm totally psyched to get my Call of Duty fix every year, but you guys are amazing! What else have you got? Can you give me something I haven't seen before?"

Pitchford does admit it's difficult to walk away from established brands when the risk of creating a new IP is so high, but says innovators need to be rewarded so that teams "making big bets can take that risk."

Gearbox Software itself is no stranger to established brands. After porting Halo: Combat Evolved to PC in 2003, Gearbox developed the Brothers in Arms series, which has seen 10 titles released across 11 platforms since its debut in 2005. Gearbox is currently developing the new IP Borderlands, which is set to hit the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this fall.

Activision has announced that Call of Duty: World at War's second DLC offering has deployed over one million downloads in its first weekend of battle, selling as much in two days as the first DLC pack sold in a week. The one million figure spans both PSN and Xbox Live from June 11 to June 14, and suggests the second DLC offering will easily trump the two million milestone of the first DLC pack. Who's taking bets?

With rumors pointing to a Call of Duty subscription service under consideration at Activision Blizzard, developer Infinity Ward hopes to remove itself from the idea as much as possible. The company's community manager, Robert Bowling, noted on the developer's forum, "This rumor has absolutely nothing to do with Infinity Ward or our games, including Modern Warfare 2. We would never introduce such a system for Modern Warfare 2 so don't worry. Multiplayer will always be equal and free for everyone as always."

The survey, allegedly sent out by Activision, asked "how likely" players would be to purchase or subscribe to a system that provides "new in-game content like map packs and betas," and "team-management services." It appears Infinity Ward's statement doesn't overrule the rumors completely -- Bowling appears to be addressing pay-to-play multiplayer more than anything -- but it's good to see such rapid response to a concerned community.

So, what's the other Call of Duty developer, Treyarch, up to?

Treyarch's Call of Duty: World at War has been quite the retail success for Activision, as Edge has revealed the game has sold a ridiculous 11 million copies across all platforms. And Activision is mighty proud, as the company's strategy of alternating development on the franchise has paid off. Add the success of the game's DLC, and you've got yourself one nice money-printing machine.

Way back in March of ought eight, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick wondered aloud during a conference, "[What] would be the natural evolution of a property like Call of Duty into a massively multiplayer environment -- how do you monetize that?" And it seems as though the company is working on that very question, if a survey spotted by Destructoid holds any truth to it.

Referring to a handful of features (such as "new in-game content like map packs and betas," and "team-management services," among others), the survey asks participants "How likely are you to purchase or subscribe to this online service when the next Call of Duty game comes out?" The survey goes into much gorier detail but, from what we can tell, it smells like Activision is testing the waters for that MMO-esque monetization that Kotick spoke of so long ago.

Yeah, we're still work-shopping the name. Anyway, Activision sent a bunch over for the 360, and we thought we'd pass them along to you, our trusted friends. So here's the deal: We've got seven codes, and we've hidden them in other Call of Duty-related posts from the past (just to make things interesting). If you find one and use it, let us know in the comments (and give us the number, if you don't mind). We've got seven to give away, so hopefully everyone will get a shot.

So, what are you waiting for? Get clicking! We'll make the first one easy!

[Update: OK gang, it looks like all of them were found. Congrats to those who got all up on it.]

After its stellar E3 demonstration, it's had for us to find room in our heart that's not being occupied by Modern Warfare 2. But those of your with bigger hearts than ours (yeah, that's most of you) will be able to welcome a second chunk of DLC for Call of Duty: World at War into your home tomorrow.

For $9.99, you'll get Banzai, Corrosion, Sub Pens and a new zombie battling map, Shi No Numa. If you still haven't made your purchasing decision, you can see a trailer for the pack after the break..

[Thanks, Krishna!]

According to the most recent data, Call of Duty 4 has sold nearly 3 hojillion units since its 2007 release, and Activision says that a fifth of Call of Duty: World at War players were new to the franchise. By its math, that means Modern Warfare 2 is poised to become the biggest-selling Call of Duty game ever.

We don't want to be jerks about this, and we know it's not really the point but at what point does this stop being a Call of Duty game? Like, is the absence of the words "call," "of," and "duty" from the title not enough to separate it from the franchise? At what point to restraining orders need to be involved?

Activision, as the bastion of original IP development, announced a number of megaton titles in development for 2010. Names dropped at its investor's call include new additions to its venerable lineup of franchises: 007, Tony Hawk, Spider-man, Transformers and Shrek.

Those hungry for innovation will be able to look forward to a new original action IP from the company. In addition, Activision plans on expanding the Call of Duty franchise to new genres. Call of Duty Kart? Call of Duty Party? Call of Duty Hero: Metallica? We're psyched.

Well folks, it's Sunday night. And as promised, the second trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has hit the internet with lightning speed. And hey, there's an exploding castle in it!

A full two minutes of gameplay, ready to satiate even the most jaded and impatient of gamers (ya know, us). Growly-voiced Eastern Europeans speaking of revenge? Check! Varied environments featuring new types of gameplay? Check check! A freakin' exploding castle! You better believe it! Wait, why are you still reading this? Just watch the trailer above!