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All CoD: World at War map packs $5 until Nov. 1

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 26th 2009 at 7:15PM }

Remember the report that said the average Call of Duty: World at War player has spent $9 on DLC? It looks like that number is about to get just a bit higher, as Major Nelson has announced that all of the World at War map packs have been reduced to 400

($5). That's half of the usual $10 price tag. Taking all three packs together, that's 12 maps for $15, putting them at a buck and a quarter each. Not bad. If you want to snag 'em on the cheap, you have until November 1.

Sure, it's probably just a cash grab before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 makes everyone forget World at War, but hey, it's hard to argue with cheap. Browse the available World at War DLC right here.

Modern Warfare 2 will feature third-person mode for playlists

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 26th 2009 at 4:17PM }

You never want to bring a third person along on a date -- not unless that date happens to be November 10th. Infinity Ward's community manager Robert Bowling (A.K.A. fourzerotwo) has taken control and confirmed that a third-person camera viewpoint will be available in this holiday's monolithic Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, though it'll be limited to specifically labeled online playlists.

"It's not something you can toggle on and off in ANY game," said Bowling. The special mode can only be played in private matches -- toggled on or off just like "Hardcore" settings -- or in playlists that are designated for third-person play. According to Bowling, everyone playing in a third-person playlist will be restricted to the viewpoint. "This is just another cool way to play the game," he said, "you obviously will still have the option to play gametypes normal as well."

Our friend, the internet, has an inscrutable video of some person running around in third person, but you're probably better off waiting for the "awesome trailer" the folks at Infinity Ward have planned.

Infinity Ward's fourzerotwo thinks devs should 'take control' of marketing

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 26th 2009 at 2:18PM }

With the release of the highly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 just over two weeks away, Infinity Ward's Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling has been quite vocal with the press. Speaking with MCV, Bowling unequivocally states his opinion that game developers should retain control of marketing and PR for their own games. "I don't think any developer should not have control of how their game is presented or marketed or communicated," Bowling said. "And they should take control of that a lot, lot more."

Using his own Twitter account as an example, he points out that he has a "direct line to our audience and the press," cutting out the "middleman" of a publisher handling marketing/PR duties. "Not only do we know the game but we know the gamer," he continues. Then he must know about the 160,000 or so people and nearly 600 Diggers upset over his studio's decision to not support dedicated servers on the PC, right? Ahh, the double-edged sword of control: while IW may be the one making vital decisions on its own game, the blame falls squarely on its shoulders when things go wrong.

Gallery: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

PC Modern Warfare 2 gets Steamworks, Steam Cloud, Steam Achievements

by Randy Nelson { Oct 23rd 2009 at 6:15PM }

It'll likely be of no consolation for PC players irked by Infinity Ward's decision to forgo dedicated servers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to learn that the game will connect to Steam's servers for automatic updates. Nor will the fact that, as a result of IW and Valve's team-up, MW2 will include 50 Steam Achievements to unlock, or that it will use the new Steam Cloud functionality so they can access their full profile and settings no matter what PC they're playing on.

Let's face it -- they're just too steamed.

If you're still planning to break the picket line and buy the PC version of MW2 (be careful, scab!), you'd probably like to know that the game is now available for pre-order via Steam. It's a lot safer than going anywhere near a real store given the number of people who sternly oppose your purchase.

GameStop reveals minimum specs for Modern Warfare 2 PC [update]

by David Hinkle { Oct 22nd 2009 at 2:33PM }

Update: We spoke with an Activision rep and they passed along the modern minimum specs needed for Modern Warfare 2 PC. Check it:

OS: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 are unsupported)
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor or better supported
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT or better or ATI Radeon 1600XT or better
DirectX: Microsoft DirectX(R) 9.0c
Hard Drive: 12GB of free hard drive space
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Internet: Broadband connection required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet Connection required for activation

Original post: When you're not busy signing internet petitions about Modern Warfare 2, you're likely fretting over your system's innards and whether or not they have the ability to run Infinity Ward's upcoming shooter. Does it have enough gigglebits? Are the processing cores processy enough? When was the last time you fed the CPU's brain squirrel? It's okay -- we're doing the same thing! Thankfully, GameStop has stepped in to reveal the back of the game's packaging, along with the minimum system requirements for the game:

OS: Windows Vista/XP
Processor: AMD 64 3200+ or Intel Pentium 4 3.0Ghz or better
Memory: 16 GB free hard drive space / 512 MB RAM (XP) / 1 GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card: Shader 3.0 or better 256 MB nVidia Geforce 6600GT / ATI Radeon 1600XT or better

We've contacted Activision for the recommended specs and to confirm that these are indeed the finalized requirements for the game. In the meantime, you can head past the break for the full image (it's a "phenomenon"!).

[Thanks, Jeff!]

Continued →

London's Leicester Square to host Modern Warfare 2 midnight bash

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 21st 2009 at 4:17PM }

Late-night revelers and iron-sight junkies situated near London should note that Activision plans a proper launch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at Leicester Square, on the night before the game's November 10 launch on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Hip square visitors to-be can gape at the shooter's action on the nearby ODEON's cinema screen, purchase it from the HMV Trocadero at the stroke of midnight, and then give Tom Cruise a solid high five on the way home.

There's also talk of a secret VIP party in an underground bunker, set to feature "one of the UK's biggest male artists of 2009." Don't tell anyone, but we heard they'll also have dedicated servers there. They'll bring you whatever drink you want.

Report: Average CoD World at War player has spent $9 on DLC [update]

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 21st 2009 at 3:43PM }

If there were any doubt left in your mind that Call of Duty is a popular franchise, a recent report from Gamasutra should firmly cement the fact in your mind. According to the piece, Call of Duty: World at War's three DLC packs digitally pushed 6.5 million units between March and mid-August of 2009 across the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

As you might imagine, those kind of numbers add up to a lot of extra revenue for the mega-publisher – the piece approximates a cool $45 million. Taking that one step further, the average cost of each box of CoD: WaW sold at retail becomes $65. We're not sure if that number accounts for the chunk taken out by Microsoft and Sony respectively for distribution, but even cut in half that's still a nice chunk of change.

So today, we'd like to officially announce that we're changing the site's name to Call of Duty: Joystiq. Call it a strategic business move – it's all about brand recognition, people!

Update: To be clear, the $45 million number is an approximation by Gamasutra, put together with information from NPD, EEDAR, and Activision PR. It was apparently calculated by taking 65% of 7 million units at $10 a piece, without accounting for giveaways or bundles.

Infinity Ward responds to Modern Warfare 2 dedicated server petition

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 20th 2009 at 4:00PM }

We're going on three days now since the event that some computer gaming enthusiasts are referring to as "Black Saturday," in which it was revealed that the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 wouldn't allow online multiplayer on dedicated servers. These same enthusiasts penned an online petition that has since garnered over 100,000 signatures -- but unfortunately for this rapidly expanding group, comments recently made by Infinity Ward's Jason West and Vince Zampella in a Game Informer interview make it sound like the developer's position won't be reversing any time soon.

"We're just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners," West explained. The duo had received countless complaints from PC Modern Warfare players who were unable to find a match online that wasn't riddled with cheaters, "insular" clans and enormous skill disparities -- problems they hope IWNet will eliminate. When asked why both matchmaking and dedicated servers couldn't both exist, West explained that this practice would "bifurcate the community."

The implementation of IWNet will likely make the game more accessible to casual PC gamers -- however, we worry that Infinity Ward might be ignoring the timeless adage of "make new friends, keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." What do you think, dear readers? Is this a smart move or a brilliant mistake on Infinity Ward's part?

Retailers list Modern Warfare 2 bundle for November 10 [update]

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 18th 2009 at 8:00PM }

Update: A Microsoft representative has contacted us to say that the bundle will be shipping on November 10. As the bundle includes a retail copy of the game, Microsoft is unable to allow these to ship any earlier, meaning those who pre-ordered from the sites mentioned below will likely be waiting a few days before their bundle arrives. Sorry, folks!

We can't say that we were exactly taken aback to find out a couple of online retailers are listing the upcoming Modern Warfare 2-paired 250GB Xbox 360 launch as November 10, the same day the game arrives at retailers nationwide. An eagle-eyed reader at Joystiq sister site Engadget spotted the bundle at both Amazon and Costco (GameStop also has the Nov. 10 ship date listed), where the details re-confirm the bundle's lack of a component cable (for shame!). We've contacted Activision to make sure we're not being led astray, but it'd be hard to expect those willing to shell out the 399 clams for the bundle to have to wait to get their fool-shootin' on.

Source 1 - Amazon
Source 2 - Costco
Source 3 - GameStop

Modern Warfare 2 PC won't support dedicated servers

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 18th 2009 at 12:00PM }

Whatever goodwill may have been garnered by Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling's announcement that the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 wasn't delayed has been stripped away by an interview which surfaced later in the day. On the latest podcast (around the 1:41 mark) of Call of Duty fansite Bash and Slash, Bowling revealed that matchmaking within Modern Warfare 2 would be reliant on proprietary server technology (called IWNet), and wouldn't allow users to host their own dedicated servers.

Even without a doctorate in PC gaming affairs, it's easy to see how this fact would upset someone (or some community) who drops a wad of cash every month on renting a private server. Also preturbed by this news are fans of modded game modes and custom maps -- both of which would be unlikely under the IWNet framework. While Bowling maintained that the new server tech would be a boon for the PC gaming community, most hardcore PC gamers aren't particularly thrilled about MW2's server hosting capabilities being brought into parity with those of the console versions of the game. (That is to say, completely eliminated.)

Modern Warfare 2 PC not delayed, getting Steam support

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 17th 2009 at 3:00PM }

Earlier this month, we received a ton of tips pointing to various stories claiming the release date for the PC version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had been pushed back to November 24. Infinity Ward frontman Robert Bowling recently dispatched a 140-character missive that should soothe the souls of mouse-and-keyboard wielders everywhere: "No delay on PC for Modern Warfare 2," Mr. FourZeroTwo tweeted.

In the same chirp, Bowling added, "you'll also have Prestige Mode in PC as well as lots of Steam support. Hopefully min specs will be soon." Admittedly, that's not a whole lot of detail, but c'mon -- the guy had 140 letters to get his message across. We've contacted Bowling to get lengthier details on what this "support" entails.

Call of Duty Classic Achievements are pretty achievable

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 14th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Xbox360Achievements.org has uncovered the Digital Accomplitrons for Call of Duty Classic, set to to be bundled with special editions of Modern Warfare 2 and to be release on XBLA "eventually." Much like the most recent iterations of the Call of Duty franchise, Classic doesn't have a single multiplayer Achievement, which should hopefully keep everyone focused on actually playing the game. The Achievements that are there offer points for completing campaign levels, completing the game itself, and accomplishing a few more challenging objectives.

We're particularly fond of "Pea Shooter," which tasks players with completing a mission using only the pistol and no melee attacks. That's hardcore, son.

Infinity Ward sets sights on Modern Warfare 2 Avatar items

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 12th 2009 at 12:15PM }

With most street savvy gamers expecting Modern Warfare 2 to be one of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- releases of 2009, it's not too surprising to learn that Infinity Ward has Avatar items in the works. According to IW's fourzerotwo, AKA community guru Robert Bowlling, the company is preparing some items for Xbox 360 Avatars, adding that some of them will "hopefully" be free. On the same subject, Bowling notes that he's "not sure" whether the game will include any unlockable Avatar Awards. That's unfortunate, as we've yet to see a single game use the Avatar Awards feature -- even the those that have been confirmed to support it.

Infinity Ward: Activision didn't want Call of Duty to go Modern

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 7th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Activision's always been a company with a finger squarely placed upon the pulse of the gaming culture. It knows what we need -- and what we need is more World War 2-based first-person shooters. Call of Duty's part-time developer Infinity Ward struggled with that notion for years according to a recent Official PlayStation Magazine interview with Ward's Vince Zampella. If Activision had its way, Zampella explained, Modern Warfare probably never would have happened. Whoa, did anyone else just get a really weird chill down their spine?

Zampella said Activision "thought working on a modern game was risky," and went so far as to conduct "market research" supporting its fears to quell Infinity Ward's desire for modernization. We're not sure which market Activision surveyed, however, as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare moved over 14 million units. We bet the publisher talked to WWII veterans. "Yeah, our war was the coolest! Kids today with their AC-130s. That's not fightin'. That's just flyin' a big, bomb droppin' robot kite."

Activision files trademark for Call of Duty film adaptation

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 6th 2009 at 10:45AM }

Perhaps the reason why video game-to-film adaptations have failed so ubiquitously is because none of them were of a truly epic scale. Perhaps what the ailing genre needs is a massive, Saving Private Ryan-esque cinematic endeavor -- which might just be coming in the form of a movie based on Activision's Call of Duty franchise, as hinted at by a recent trademark filing.

Adding fuel to the speculative fire is Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling (aka FourZeroTwo) who recently tweeted, "grabbing lunch with Xavier Gens, director of the Hitman film while in town. Talking game films." Sure, we would've rather had Bowling meet with Mr. Scorcese to talk Duty movies -- but in the grand scope of video game films, Hitman ranks high on the "not completely abysmal" end of the spectrum.

[Via Trademork]

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