Well, someone in Sony's software certification lair is having a blast. Infinity Ward community manager "fourzerotwo" has noted on his blog that the $10 Variety Map Pack for Call of Duty 4, which hit Xbox 360 last week, has entered the certification process for PlayStation 3. Unless it's discovered that the downloadable content melts console innards, the "monstrously huge" number of PS3 players shouldn't have to wait much longer before getting shot at in the four new environments.

Though further details should become apparent later this week, expect the map pack to arrive alongside the PS3 version of Call of Duty 4: Game of the Year Edition.

Those who played through Call of Duty 4's somewhat punishing campaign will probably recognize the locale featured in the newest downloadable multiplayer map, "Broadcast", as the theater of operations for the single-player level "Charlie Don't Surf". While we wonder how the stage's apparent indoor focus will affect the usefulness of helicopters and airstrikes, we definitely dig the idea of having a stage dedicated to more intense close-quarters encounters.

If you haven't played the game, and all this photorealistic gunplay bothers you, just imagine that the bullet-riddled station featured in Broadcast has a programming schedule composed only of "The Nanny" reruns and the few episodes of the short-lived prime time trainwreck, "Viva Laughlin". It makes all the violence a tad more justifiable.

A new site just sprung up on Xbox.com announcing the Call of Duty 4 variety map pack will arrive Thursday, April 3 for 800 MS points (US$10). The pack includes four new maps: Creek, Broadcast, Chinatown and Killhouse. The page also confirmed that Call of Duty 4 Game of the Year Edition is also coming April 3. No word yet on the equivalent PS3 release, for either GOTY or the map pack. We'll update when we find out.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]




Call of Duty 4 landed in the top ten in our 2007 Game of the Year Awards, but who filled the other nine spots? We've got Halo 3, Portal, Rock Band, Peggle (yeah Peggle), and more. Take a look.

If the annual shame parade known as the Spike TV Video Game Awards have taught us anything, it's this -- famous people love video games. Take, for example, "Arrested Development" star Will Arnett and "SNL" funnyman Jason Sudeikis, both of whom outed themselves as FPSophiles last week on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien".

While we were amused by Arnett's endorsement of Call of Duty 4 and his tales of domestic disrespect, we think Sudeikis pulled away with a higher chuckle per joke ratio. You can watch his entire interview after the break -- jump to 4:17 for his gaming testimonial, or to 5:48 to watch a grown man demonstrate Halo 3 teabagging in front of a live studio audience.

[Thanks, Colin.]

Eric Hall, a 24-year-old Floridian and retired Marine, has now been missing for a week. His friends say that shortly after playing Call of Duty (4, we assume), Hall "just got up and said that he had to go." He was last seen departing his home on a motorcycle, which was later found on the side of a road. The local sheriff's office claims that the man was suffering from hallucinations and flashbacks to his time spent serving in Iraq, where he was injured during a patrol by an exploding bomb, which did tremendous damage to the left side of his body, and reportedly decapitated Hall's best friend in front of his eyes.

It's not exactly confirmed that Call of Duty was behind Hall's disappearance -- after all, we found the story on Fox News, who has a less than objective view of video gaming as a whole. Regardless, we wish Hall's family the best of luck in locating him, though, as Hall's father pointed out, it's tough to find a Marine that doesn't want to be found.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Spare a thought for Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4 server team, which has been tweaking PlayStation 3 server performance all weekend -- and we're fairly sure that's just as exciting as it sounds. The developer's world-famous community relations manager, Mr. "fourzerotwo" has posted an update on the Infinity Ward forums regarding some stability issues encountered by the incoming glut of players. "The server team has been working on this all weekend, and will be working through the night," it reads. "They're upgrading all server hardware as well as dedicated an individual database to each functionality to improve performance and handle the traffic hitting the servers. (i.e. Database for Matchmaking, Database for Leaderboards, etc.)."

The end result should be better speed and stability -- at least when it comes to matchmaking. They can't help you if you're still dropping grenades on your toes.

If you're not keen to engage in the sort of modern warfare that comes from navigating shopping aisles during the holiday months, you now have the option of downloading Infinity Ward's latest thrill-a-minute first-person shooter, Call of Duty 4, from Steam. It amounts to roughly 360 thrills, excluding any thrills experienced during hectic multiplayer shootouts!

Modern Warfare is already available for pre-purchase at $49.95 before its digitally distributed November 12 launch.

While Modern Warfare finally brings the Call of Duty series into the present day, "the story itself ... isn't exactly cutting edge." (2) "The story unfolds from an unapologetic 'us versus them, and they are wrong' perspective, with little time spent on the larger philosophy of war." (4) "The story fails to provide many twists. There's not much of a guessing game taking place here." (3) "The story flies by so fast," (1) but at the same time, "there are a few too many shell-shocked slow-mo moments that seem to drag." (2)

There are "no massive renovations in the AI department. ... they're pretty much the clever-clogs Nazis we've shot before." (9) "The enemies aren't the smartest lot, as they are formidable thanks more to their numbers than their IQ." (3) "There are going to be moments when enemies get stuck in dumb routines or stand in the open waiting to be mowed down." (2) "However, some of them have definitely missed their calling as an NFL quarterback -- tossing grenades 100 yards, dropping them right at your feet time and again." (3)

Your squad mates are no better. "It is a little annoying when you figure out that your highly trained and specialized team is totally dependant on you in every situation." (8) "There were several moments when it would've helped for my friends to be a little more proactive. Once, when we were flanked by enemies from both sides, Captain Price just sat there, kneeling, waiting for me to make a miracle happen. If he would have popped a few shots at one of the guys so that I could go after the other, that would have helped a lot--not to mention make the game more realistic." (1)

The PC-and-console version of Call of Duty 4 rocks as much as expected. But at a recent hands-on session, the DS take also impressed. The 3D graphics look surprisingly good; after a few minutes of settling in, I stopped scrutinizing textures and focused on the gameplay. And that gameplay carries the title.

COD4 switches between FPS sequences, helicopter-gunner modes, bomb-disarming moments, and AC-130 gunship sections. The DS version feels full of care and craft, from thought put into controls, to the segmented sessions that play well on a handheld.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, literally rocks with action. In an early stage, a freight ship that you siege pitches and rolls, like a giant movie set-piece. While playing a close-to-shipping version of the title, I felt like the action game used these special-effect focal points to drive its frenzied pace and huge scope.

Because of the "modern" setting, I had assumed I'd be plodding slowly with a squad of soldiers, tactically (and tactfully) knocking on doors to root out bad guys. And while there are sometimes AI-teammate elements, I never felt like I had to slow down and proceed with caution. Instead, I often had to speed up and dive for cover; depending on the situation, snipers, RPGs, and essentially armies of enemies are firing at you at the same time.

In what has become a fairly formulaic move for high-profile titles, Activision has announced that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will deploy on November 5th in both standard and suspiciously shiny collector's editions -- at least it will on the Xbox 360 and PC. Curiously, the PlayStation 3 has been snubbed from the proceedings, left in the cold with just one of this year's most anticipated games. Is Activision trying to say Sony's system doesn't have enough... collectors?

Should you own one of the more fortunate platforms, parting with an extra ten dollars will net you a hardcover art book, which we're told features never-before-seen concept, development and final in-game artwork. In addition, the PC version ($60) will provide access to a digital strategy guide while the Xbox 360 package ($70) will house a bonus DVD filled with interviews and other making-of mutterings. Expect those to mention the word "visceral" a lot.

Move over Major Nelson, thy reign has come to an end. According to Xbox.com, the most popular gamertag honor has been transferred to fourzerotwo, a lowly developer working on a little-known-game entitled Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

How did this underdog best the Voice of Microsoft's console? We expect a full-on popularity assault by The Major (real name Larry Hyrb). This fight isn't over, you can bet your gamerscore on it.

Moving past account shenanigans, developer Infinity Ward today raised the Rank level cap in the Call of Duty 4 beta to 16. Additionally, at level 12 the option for clan tags becomes available, so that your comrades know just who you are really fighting for.

The e-mail sent out to beta players by Infinity Ward also said that this is the "first of several level increases" in the Rank level. We suspect the next level cap increase will give us the option to wear matching frilly costumes onto the battlefield.

Citing an "internal Microsoft source," Xbox-Scene reports that 23,000 eager Xbox Live users have been banned from the service for 24 hours following the use of a Call of Duty 4 beta exploit. It seems some of the 100,000 valid participants in the online warfare trial were able to sign in with their accounts on a different system (likely belonging to a friend, colleague or mistress) and download the beta again. The second console would then be able to partake in the beta, even when using an alternate gamertag.

The source claims that Microsoft has since resolved the issue and temporarily booted those who answered the Call of Duty, even when it didn't ask for them specifically. Though the goal of a beta is to test networking and gameplay amongst a large number of players, allowing thousands of uninvited guests would likely have a deleterious effect on a controlled environment. The remarkably worthless advice we have to offer those who just can't wait to join the World War Now fray is to, well, wait. But just until November 5th.

Update: Major Nelson says Microsoft didn't ban any users, but notes that partaking in beta account shenanigans "could very well" violate Xbox Live's terms of service and result in a ban.

Activision has officially announced that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be launching a worldwide attack aimed at wallets and societal productivity on November 5th. Waving goodbye to the digital dregs of World War II, developer Infinity Ward has moved its first-person shooting into more topical climes. Yes, topical. You'll be wanting that guy in the special suit if you fancy tropical environments.

No, not that guy in the special suit. The other guy, you know? Actually, that's a woman. The other other guy then. No! There's no crowbars or time traveling. It's not him either! For god's sake, we meant Crysis! How many first-person shooters featuring characters in cybersuits could there possibly be this holiday?

(Note: Call of Duty 4 does not feature cybersuits of any kind. Probably.)