Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Rumor: Infinity Ward giving Call of Duty 6 a sci-fi settinghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/rumor-infinity-ward-giving-call-of-duty-6-a-sci-fi-setting/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/rumor-infinity-ward-giving-call-of-duty-6-a-sci-fi-setting/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/rumor-infinity-ward-giving-call-of-duty-6-a-sci-fi-setting/#commentsFiled under:


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?

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]]>activisioncall-of-dutycall-of-duty-6CallOfDutyfpsfutureinfinity-wardrumorsci-fiGriffin McElroy2008-06-21T11:30:00+00:00Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack enters PS3 certificationhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/call-of-duty-4-variety-map-pack-enters-ps3-certification/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/call-of-duty-4-variety-map-pack-enters-ps3-certification/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/call-of-duty-4-variety-map-pack-enters-ps3-certification/#commentsFiled under: ,


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.

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]]>AcitivisionCall-of-Duty-4CallofDutycod4DLCInfinity-WardPSNVariety-Map-PackLudwig Kietzmann2008-04-08T08:30:00+00:00Frontline footage from Call of Duty 4's new Broadcast maphttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/30/get-your-first-look-at-call-of-duty-4s-new-broadcast-map/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/30/get-your-first-look-at-call-of-duty-4s-new-broadcast-map/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/30/get-your-first-look-at-call-of-duty-4s-new-broadcast-map/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


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.

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]]>activisionbroadcastcallofdutycallofduty4callofduty4modernwarfarecod4dlcmapnannyvivalaughlinGriffin McElroy2008-03-30T18:30:00+00:00Call of Duty 4 GOTY edition, map pack DLC coming April 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/call-of-duty-4-map-pack-hits-xbox-live-on-april-3-for-800-ms-poi/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/call-of-duty-4-map-pack-hits-xbox-live-on-april-3-for-800-ms-poi/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/call-of-duty-4-map-pack-hits-xbox-live-on-april-3-for-800-ms-poi/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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!]

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Variety Map Pack


Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Collector's Edition


Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat



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.

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]]>activisionbreakingnewscall-of-duty-4callofdutycallofduty4dlcinfinity-wardinfinitywardmapsRoss Miller2008-03-19T16:58:00+00:00Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 get celebrity love on Conan O' Brienhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/call-of-duty-4-and-halo-3-get-celebrity-love-on-conan-o-brien/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/call-of-duty-4-and-halo-3-get-celebrity-love-on-conan-o-brien/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/01/call-of-duty-4-and-halo-3-get-celebrity-love-on-conan-o-brien/#commentsFiled under: , ,


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.]

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]]>callofdutycallofduty4conanconanobrienfpshalohalo3jasonsudeikiswillarnettGriffin McElroy2008-03-01T12:30:00+00:00Ex-Marine goes missing supposedly after Call of Duty triggered flashbackshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/ex-marine-goes-missing-after-call-of-duty-triggered-flashbacks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/ex-marine-goes-missing-after-call-of-duty-triggered-flashbacks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/10/ex-marine-goes-missing-after-call-of-duty-triggered-flashbacks/#commentsFiled under:


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!]

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]]>callofdutycallofduty4codcod4foxfpsiraqmarinewarGriffin McElroy2008-02-10T17:30:00+00:00Infinity Ward addressing Call of Duty 4 PS3 matchmaking issueshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/infinity-ward-addressing-call-of-duty-4-ps3-matchmaking-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/infinity-ward-addressing-call-of-duty-4-ps3-matchmaking-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/infinity-ward-addressing-call-of-duty-4-ps3-matchmaking-issues/#commentsFiled under: , ,


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.

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]]>ActivisionCall-of-DutyCallofDutyCallofDuty4CoD4FPSInfinity-WardInfinityWardLudwig Kietzmann2007-11-12T15:55:00+00:00Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare deploys on Steam Nov. 12http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-deploys-on-steam-nov-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-deploys-on-steam-nov-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/07/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-deploys-on-steam-nov-12/#commentsFiled under: ,


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.

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]]>ActivisionCall-of-DutyCallofDutyCOD4InfinityWardSteamValveLudwig Kietzmann2007-11-07T09:30:00+00:00Nega-review: Call of Duty 4http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/nega-review-call-of-duty-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/nega-review-call-of-duty-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/06/nega-review-call-of-duty-4/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

COD4
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)

COD4
"Friendly fire is an unfortunate part of war, but it doesn't need to be a part of a videogame." (2) "There are moments where it is really difficult to tell whether the person in your sights is a friend or foe." (5) "Enemies in some levels have the same color scheme as your own mates. Frankly, in the fray, it gets tough to tell friend from foe." (2) "Night vision goggles segments can be really conducive to friendly fire." (5) "Real is real, but there is a point where you have to say this is a game and you should more easily know good guys from bad guys." (2)


The difficulty never feels just right. "Like Halo 3, the Normal level is just a bit too easy, and most players will be able to get through it COD4without too much trouble." (6) But, "thanks to the more powerful enemies and less powerful armor, Hardened is ... frequently a repetitive frustration." (4) "Some of the levels are just downright hard" (7) and "there are certain 'brick wall' areas that overwhelm you with punishing enemy fire and little recourse." (4) "It can also be a bit counter productive when you have to restart several minutes back from the place you died. And in a few missions near the end, this irritated me to point where I wanted to scream." (8)

"Considering you spend almost the entire campaign with the same squadmates, the hope (and even expectation) for online co-op is not unwarranted." (2) "Call of Duty 4 is the perfect game to experience with another player ... but the developers seemed to forget this. ... Something that Rainbow Six: Vegas, Halo 3, and Gears of War did to perfection, COD4 did not attempt at all." (7)

"There have been a lot of people questioning how long Call of Duty 4 is." (6) "As some rumors on the internet have stated the single player campaign is not the longest thing ever created." (7) "On Regular difficulty, you can probably beat COD4 in 5 - 6 hours. ... it's a very brief experience." (2) "The single-player campaign in Call of Duty 4 is a little on the short side." (3) "It is short." (5)


COD4
Even at its abridged length, "the game hits a brick wall of mediocrity and you'll find yourself trudging unenthusiastically through the final hours of the game. A mixture of bad checkpoint placement, bizarre difficulty spikes, lazy design and blatant enemy spawn points suck the fun right out of proceedings. ... If I had a virtual highlighter pen I could mark out a distinct fraction of the game that's simply, inexcusably rubbish."(9)


Welcome back to the Joystiq Nega-review... your source for all those middling negatives from a variety of glowing reviews that, when strung together, make a great game seem awful. We do this not because we hate games that are obviously excellent, but to highlight the fact that even the best game has its problems and no game is perfect.

It should be said that a lot of the negatives in this particular Nega-review were points of major disagreement among reviewers. While the reviewers quoted above were upset with the enemy and allied AI, other reviewers singled it out as being excellent. Also, while everyone agreed that the game was short, many saw this a a positive in this busy day and age.

Sources
(1) GameTap
(2) IGN
(3) GameTrailers
(4) 1UP
(5) CheatCC
(6) TeamXbox
(7) PlanetXbox360
(8) ActionTrip
(9) CVG

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]]>activisioncallofdutycodcod4negareviewKyle Orland2007-11-06T16:57:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (DS)http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/10/joystiq-hands-on-call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/10/joystiq-hands-on-call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/10/joystiq-hands-on-call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-ds/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat (DS)

The COD4 FPS levels follow tangentially alongside the PC/console story. You'll be thrust into similar locations with missions that loosely relate to that game. But other than those references, the DS objectives stand alone.

The FPS controls felt good in my session. The touchscreen shows a map of the area, including highlighted friends and foes. Gun and grenade icons on the left side change the weapon, and stylus movement looks and aims. I quickly got used to it all, running with the D-pad while shooting enemies with L.

A few extra combinations -- two D-pad taps crouch or sprint -- add more depth. As I trotted through dusty streets, I even double-tapped the stylus to sight down the gun and tapped the weapon icon to reload. These controls worked well, and lefties can use AB/XY for movement.

Between FPS levels, different heavy-gun modes break up monotony. While I tried gunning from a helicopter -- it feels like a decent on-rails shooter -- I was most impressed with AC-130 sequences. In these, you watch through the plane's overhead, thermal-imaging camera as an allied team scurries through enemy areas. You blast a few different guns to clear the route for the squad, keeping foes away. I initially frowned at the thought of an escort mission. But while that's the basic idea, I had fun firing three big guns from the sky to protect my soldiers.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the DS has been designed with care; surprisingly, it doesn't feel like a port shoveled onto a handheld. Extensive voice recordings even order players through the game. Four-player games are also supported, making good use of ad-hoc networking. (Two maps work with a single copy of the game, while the full seven require one game per player.) Most of all, the Call of Duty's variety and many points to start and stop make it ideal for a handheld. Along with the PC and console games, the DS title launches November 5.

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]]>actionactivisioncall-of-dutycall-of-duty-4callofdutycallofduty4dsfpshands-onimpressionsmodern-warfaremodernwarfaren-spacenintendoZack Stern2007-10-10T12:29:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: Call of Duty 4 single-player (360, PC, PS3)http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/10/joystiq-hands-on-call-of-duty-4-single-player-360-pc-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/10/joystiq-hands-on-call-of-duty-4-single-player-360-pc-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/10/joystiq-hands-on-call-of-duty-4-single-player-360-pc-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat


While the graphics and sound are well detailed, and the guns are modeled after real-world weapons, I wouldn't call the game "realistic." This is no Tom Clancy adventure. Instead, COD4 plays like a blockbuster. The health meter is just a ring that fills up while you're being shot; take cover for a moment, and your health fully regenerates.

You'll quickly drop in and out of situations -- sometimes gratuitous -- that require flipping on night-vision goggles. You'll command a powerful arsenal that knocks down waves of enemies. And the story... well, I couldn't focus on the story with the constant explosions surrounding me.

Many of you have ventured into the multiplayer beta, which sounds like it gives a rich, almost RPG-style of character customization. I focused on the single-player game instead, but look forward to 16-player games with its release.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare feels like an overwhelming action game. Its epic sense of scale alone makes it highly anticipated by FPS fans. The 360, DS, PC, and PS3 game will be out November 5.

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]]>actionactivisioncall-of-dutycall-of-duty4callofdutycallofduty4codcod4fpsinfinity-wardinfinitywardZack Stern2007-10-10T12:00:00+00:00Headline = Call of Duty 4 + Collector's Edition - PS3http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/12/headline-call-of-duty-4-collectors-edition-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/12/headline-call-of-duty-4-collectors-edition-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/12/headline-call-of-duty-4-collectors-edition-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Collector's Edition

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]]>Call-of-DutyCall-of-Duty-4CallofDutyCoD4Ludwig Kietzmann2007-09-12T19:15:00+00:00COD4 dev becomes most popular gamertaghttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/11/cod4-dev-becomes-most-popular-gamertag/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/11/cod4-dev-becomes-most-popular-gamertag/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/11/cod4-dev-becomes-most-popular-gamertag/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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.

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]]>callofdutycod4fourzerotwogamertaginfinitywardmajornelsonmodernwarfarexblxboxliveRoss Miller2007-09-11T03:55:00+00:00Call of Duty 4 beta enlists clan supporthttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/07/call-of-duty-4-beta-enlists-clan-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/07/call-of-duty-4-beta-enlists-clan-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/07/call-of-duty-4-beta-enlists-clan-support/#commentsFiled under: ,

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.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat

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]]>betacallofdutycallofduty4codcod4infinitywardmodernwarfareRoss Miller2007-09-07T11:00:00+00:00Rumor: Xbox Live users barred for using CoD4 exploit [update]http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/06/rumor-23-000-xbox-live-users-barred-for-using-cod4-exploit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/06/rumor-23-000-xbox-live-users-barred-for-using-cod4-exploit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/06/rumor-23-000-xbox-live-users-barred-for-using-cod4-exploit/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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.

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]]>ActivisionCallofDutyCallofDuty4CoD4FPSInfinityWardLudwig Kietzmann2007-09-06T12:57:00+00:00Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare deploys worldwide Nov. 5http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/22/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-deploys-worldwide-nov-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/22/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-deploys-worldwide-nov-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/22/call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-deploys-worldwide-nov-5/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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.)

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat

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]]>ActivisionBreakingNewsCallofDutyCallofDuty4CoD4FPSInfinityWardLudwig Kietzmann2007-08-22T12:49:00+00:00Call of Duty 4 beta registration starts todayhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/21/call-of-duty-4-beta-registration-starts-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/21/call-of-duty-4-beta-registration-starts-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/21/call-of-duty-4-beta-registration-starts-today/#commentsFiled under: ,


Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is about to start its public beta test on Xbox Live, an engagement that has Xbox 360 owners volunteering their gamertags and repeatedly running into a hail of online bullets for the sake of research. According to an Infinity Ward posting on the official forum (registration required), information on the sign-up process will be posted on the Charlie Oscar Delta site today at 5PM PST.

The message notes that the program will roll out in several waves -- the first to be drafted could be playing the World War Now shooter as early as tonight. Read our impressions of the game's multiplayer aspects if you're not convinced this CoD is worth reeling in.

[Via X3F]

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat

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]]>ActivisionCallofDutyCallofDuty4CoDCoD4FPSInfinityWardLudwig Kietzmann2007-08-21T17:00:00+00:00Call of Duty 4 Xbox 360 box art features 'Storage Required' sticker [Update]http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/23/call-of-duty-4-xbox-360-box-art-features-storage-required-stic/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/23/call-of-duty-4-xbox-360-box-art-features-storage-required-stic/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/23/call-of-duty-4-xbox-360-box-art-features-storage-required-stic/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Developer Infinity Ward is asking community members (registration required) to pick from one of five box arts for the impending Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare launch. The artwork is fairly similar for each of the selections, including a curious sticker next to the ESRB tag that says "storage required" under what appears to be an Xbox 360 disk drive and a memory unit.

If just a memory unit is required, the financial burden on those without disk drives won't be so hard ... but honestly, is anyone using their Xbox 360 without some storage method? We've contacted publisher Activision (and Jamie Kennedy, of course) for more information.

Update: Infinity Ward community relations manager Robert Bowling told MyGamerCard that the icon should be disregarded. "The game can still be played by users with and without Storage devices (HDD / Memory Card)," he said, adding that you won't be able to save without some storage. We're still awaiting word from Activision.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat


[Via X3F]

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]]>activisioncallofdutycallofduty4cod4infinitywardmicrosoftmodernwarfareRoss Miller2007-07-23T14:30:00+00:00Rumor: Possible release dates for Call of Duty 4 [update]http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/21/possible-release-dates-for-call-of-duty-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/21/possible-release-dates-for-call-of-duty-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/21/possible-release-dates-for-call-of-duty-4/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


According to French gaming site Xboxygen (which doesn't cite a verifiable source), Activision has "announced" release dates for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. North America gets its taste on October 30, while Europe has to wait ten more days for November 9. CoD 4 ditches the World War II-theme for modern combat (hence the cryptic title). It also drops the familiar campaign system to unfold the gameplay like an "action novel of a television series". Check out our early look at CoD 4 from this year's E3 for more in-depth information.

We're still waiting to hear back from Activision.

Activision confirms that no announcements have been made: "The COD4: MF release date is Fall 2007-we haven't given out specific dates at this time."

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]]>activisioncallofdutycallofduty4cod4John Bardinelli2007-07-21T14:30:00+00:00Call of Duty 4 to do the public beta thing on Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/call-of-duty-4-to-do-the-public-beta-thing-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/call-of-duty-4-to-do-the-public-beta-thing-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/11/call-of-duty-4-to-do-the-public-beta-thing-on-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Developer Infinity Ward was on hand at Microsoft's E3 2007 keynote to show off their shiny new Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on the Xbox 360. More than just a simple demonstration of the game's graphics, Infinity Ward was present to announce a public multiplayer beta for Call of Duty 4, exclusive to the Xbox 360.

Like some other game we won't mention, the beta will be distributed over Xbox Live. Though no date for the beta was given, the audience was encouraged to check CharlieOscarDelta.com for more details (in case you're confused, that'd be 'C' 'O' 'D' in army lingo).

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]]>callofdutycallofduty4e3e307infinitywardmicrosoftxbox360Scott Jon Siegel2007-07-11T01:37:00+00:00