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/Call of Duty 4 maps coming to PC June 5http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/call-of-duty-4-maps-coming-to-pc-june-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/call-of-duty-4-maps-coming-to-pc-june-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/31/call-of-duty-4-maps-coming-to-pc-june-5/#commentsFiled under: ,


Those on active virtual duty in Call of Duty 4 have seen combat in all manner of locales during their tours -- though earlier this year, their theater of operations saw a major expansion with the "Variety" map pack, allowing them to get their war on in four new exotic, terrorist-rich locations. Unfortunately, these lush warzones were only available to those playing the game's console iterations, and devout WASD-ers were left out of the new territories.

Fear not, mousegrabbers, your day has come -- or rather, it is coming on June 5, according to Infinity Ward figurehead fourzerotwo. As expected from a map pack that's been available on other formats for nearly two months, the pack will be free to download on PC thanks to a sponsorship from NVIDIA. Little has changed for the PC versions of the four maps, though we find it regrettable that "Chinatown" is now known as "NVIDIAtown" and the Spetsnaz have been renamed the "GeForce Freedom Fighters".

[Via Evil Avatar]

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]]>activisioncall-of-duty-4CallOfDuty4cod4dlcfourzerotwoinfinitywardmappackmapspcvarietyGriffin McElroy2008-05-31T14:30:00+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 map pack comes to PSN late Aprilhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/call-of-duty-4-map-pack-comes-to-psn-late-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/call-of-duty-4-map-pack-comes-to-psn-late-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/call-of-duty-4-map-pack-comes-to-psn-late-april/#commentsFiled under: ,

Infinity Ward' Fourzerotwo has announced on his blog that the Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack is coming to the PlayStation 3 approximately 21 days after the Xbox Live release. Given the 360 pack is expected April 3 or 4, that puts the PS3 release on or near Thursday, April 24.

PlayStation 3 owners will pay the same $10 price for the four maps: Creek, Broadcast, Chinatown and Killhouse. Fourzerotwo also said they were working out the logistics to bring the maps to the PC. No word on a Call of Duty 4 "Game of the Year" edition for PS3 owners.

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]]>call-of-duty-4callofduty4cod4dlcdownloadmapsRoss Miller2008-03-27T18:55:00+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 gets 'Game of the Year' edition next monthhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/call-of-duty-4-gets-game-of-the-year-edition-next-month/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/call-of-duty-4-gets-game-of-the-year-edition-next-month/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/17/call-of-duty-4-gets-game-of-the-year-edition-next-month/#commentsFiled under: ,


It's a scientific fact that there's no reason you shouldn't have bought Call of Duty 4 yet. What, you don't like shooters? Too bad. Get motion sick while playing FPSs? Take a Dramamine. Don't have a next-gen console or PC? Get a second job. Not only do we think it's one of the year's best, you're possibly the only person who hasn't purchased a copy yet.

Keeping all that in mind, if you haven't bought the game, you may have good reason to hold off, if only for a bit longer. MCV brings word that Activision will release a Game of the Year edition of the game next month. Aside from new packaging, expect a token to allow you to download the forthcoming map pack for the game. Not exactly earth-shattering, but (depending on the price) this sounds like the only version of CoD 4 you latecomers should be looking for.

At the moment, MCV's only reporting on a 360 version of the GOTY edition. Activision tells us that more details should be coming this week, we'll let you know when we hear if PS3 owners will be getting some love.

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]]>activisionbreakingnewscall-of-duty-4callofduty4cod4infinity-wardinfinitywardJustin McElroy2008-03-17T12:15:00+00:00Gamespot gets hands-on with new Call of Duty 4 mapshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/gamespot-gets-hands-on-with-new-call-of-duty-4-maps/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/gamespot-gets-hands-on-with-new-call-of-duty-4-maps/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/gamespot-gets-hands-on-with-new-call-of-duty-4-maps/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling ("fourzerotwo" to you Call of Duty 4 fans) promised us something different from the game's first map pack, and Gamespot recently got a hands-on with two of the maps to put that to the test. The first map is called "Broadcast," set in the TV station from the single-player mission "Charlie Don't Surf." The largely indoor level has been expanded significantly from the single-player campaign though.

Next up is "Creek," a sprawling outdoor map full of natural cover from foliage and (you guessed it) a creek. There will be two more maps in the final pack, "Chinatown" and "Killhouse," which is apparently inspired by the single-player campaign's training level. You can read more about all of them right here.

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]]>activisioncall-of-duty-4callofduty4cod4dlcinfinity-wardJustin McElroy2008-03-13T09:00:00+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+00:00Call of Duty 4 feature patch is now livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/call-of-duty-4-feature-patch-is-now-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/call-of-duty-4-feature-patch-is-now-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/call-of-duty-4-feature-patch-is-now-live/#commentsFiled under: , ,


You may remember last week when we told you about the chock-full feature patch that would be hitting Call of Duty 4 sometime in the near future. Well, friends: The future is now. ... At least, it is for Xbox 360 owners. We're assuming PlayStation 3 players will be getting it soon if they haven't already, we just haven't had a chance to test yet.

In case you missed the post (for shame!) expect host migration (even when a host drops teams stay together), better accuracy for snipers and ACOG scope users, an expanded Kill Cam that includes claymores, airstrikes and grenades, nine new spawn points on each map, quick mute and some other tweaks. ... Well, what are you waiting for? Go play already!

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]]>activisionBreakingNewscall-of-duty-4callofduty4CoD4dlcinfinity-wardpatchespsnxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-02-29T09:00:00+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+00:00Call of Duty 4 dubbed game of the year at Interactive Achievement Awardshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/call-of-duty-4-dubbed-game-of-the-year-at-interactive-achievemen/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/call-of-duty-4-dubbed-game-of-the-year-at-interactive-achievemen/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/call-of-duty-4-dubbed-game-of-the-year-at-interactive-achievemen/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Despite nabbing 12 nominations for the (deep breath) Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, BioShock was bested in the Overall Game of the Year category by cinematic tour de force, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Both games were awarded four, err, awards at this year's event, held alongside D.I.C.E. at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Orange Box's Portal made off with some shiny statuettes, as did fake instrument extravaganza, Rock Band. Super Mario Galaxy was deemed the best "adventure" game in absence of a "platformer" category (a sad commentary in itself), while Assassin's Creed got a hearty stab pat on the back for its fancy animation. The complete list of winners can be found after the break -- a list of whiners is sure to follow shortly.

Read [PDF link]

  • Handheld Game of the Year -- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
  • Family Game of the Year -- Rock Band
  • Outstanding Achievement in Animation -- Assassin's Creed
  • Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction -- BioShock
  • Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering -- Crysis
  • Outstanding Character Performance -- The Orange Box: Portal (GLaDOS)
  • Outstanding Achievement in Story Development -- BioShock
  • Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering -- The Orange Box: Portal
  • Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay -- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Downloadable Game of the Year -- Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
  • Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition -- BioShock
  • Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack -- Rock Band
  • Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design -- BioShock
  • Cellular Game of the Year -- skate.
  • Role-Playing Game of the Year -- Mass Effect
  • Racing Game of the Year -- Motorstorm
  • Outstanding Achievement in Game Design -- The Orange Box: Portal
  • Outstanding Innovation in Gaming -- Rock Band
  • Adventure Game of the Year -- Super Mario Galaxy
  • Sports Game of the Year -- skate.
  • Strategy / Simulation Game of the Year -- Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
  • Action Game of the Year -- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year -- World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
  • Computer Game of the Year -- The Orange Box
  • Console Game of the Year -- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Overall Game of the Year -- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

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]]>AIASBioShockCall-of-Duty-4CallofDuty4DICEDICE-2008Interactive-Achievement-AwardsPortalRock-BandRockBandSuper-Mario-GalaxySuperMarioGalaxyLudwig Kietzmann2008-02-08T10:10:00+00:00Activision Q4 sales up 80% to $1.48 billionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/activision-q4-sales-up-80-to-1-48-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/activision-q4-sales-up-80-to-1-48-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/08/activision-q4-sales-up-80-to-1-48-billion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


One of the nice things about being the top US publisher in a booming game industry is that it affords you the privilege of announcing record holiday sales. Activision's third fiscal quarter, stretching from October to December 2007, saw the publisher's sales increase by 80% over the year prior to $1.48 billion, with profits amounting to $272.2 million. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare are the key titles to praise if you're Activision and blame if you're a consumer wondering where all your hard-earned money went.

Activision anticipates a further $350 million in sales to originate from its fourth fiscal quarter (ending in March), ultimately contributing to a projected $2.65 billion for the entire fiscal year 2008. As long as shootin' and shreddin' remain popular and the upcoming Vivendi merger stays on track, we don't expect to put "bankrupt" and "Activision" in the same sentence for a very long time. Well, not unless one those words is preceded by "creatively."


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]]>ActivisionBreakingNewsCall-of-Duty-4CallofDuty4COD4Financial-ResultsGuitar-HeroGuitarHeroGuitarHeroIIILudwig Kietzmann2008-02-08T05:00:00+00:00Zero Punctuation hears the Call of Dutyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/zero-punctuation-hears-the-call-of-duty/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/zero-punctuation-hears-the-call-of-duty/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/07/zero-punctuation-hears-the-call-of-duty/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


The Call of Duty 4 fans demanded it and this week Zero Punctuation finally reviews one of the best games of 2007. Yahtzee isn't keen on Americans or patriotic "gun wank" games, so it probably speaks to CoD4's amazing design that he actually seemed to care during that scene (watch the review if you want the spoiler). Take heart CoD4 fanboys, Yahtzee seemed to enjoy his time in nameless-sandy-country. The experience didn't bring him Portal levels of elation, but he did enjoy it enough that he forgot to eat dinner.

After the break is where you'll find this week's NSFW review of CoD4.

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]]>call-of-duty-4callofduty4cod4escapisttheescapistyahtzeezero-punctuationzeropunctuationAlexander Sliwinski2008-02-07T03:00:00+00:00New Call of Duty 4 maps 'on the way'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/new-call-of-duty-4-maps-on-the-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/new-call-of-duty-4-maps-on-the-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/04/new-call-of-duty-4-maps-on-the-way/#commentsFiled under: , ,


At last, after more than three years of clumsy existence and thousands upon thousands of tiresome, incompetent instances of waffling, we've managed to condense an entire news story into a remarkably efficient headline. It's quite miraculous, really, and it likely signals our arrival at the pinnacle of our blogging prowess. No longer will hasty readers have to suffer through pompous opening paragraphs and interminable tangents before laying eyes on the actual news!

So anyway, Activision has announced that new downloadable multiplayer maps for its smash-success shooter, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, are "on the way" to the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network. Questions regarding release date, price and quantity went unanswered by the publisher, thus leaving the headline as the only useful sentence in this entire post.

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]]>ActivisionCall-of-Duty-4CallofDuty4COD4DLCFPSMapsModern-WarfarePSNXbox-LiveXboxLiveLudwig Kietzmann2008-02-04T19:25:00+00:00Activision: Call of Duty 4 was best-selling game of 2007http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/activision-call-of-duty-4-best-selling-game-of-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/activision-call-of-duty-4-best-selling-game-of-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/25/activision-call-of-duty-4-best-selling-game-of-2007/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Much like the dim-witted kid you constantly taunted in kindergarten, Activision is having extraordinary difficulty making it past the number "1." Constantly cited in press releases, it appears uno is the only number the publisher cares to count on: #1 US publisher in 2007; a $1 billion dollar franchise in Guitar Hero; and #1 game in last week's Xbox Live Activity. Perhaps you too would be laughing all the way to the bank if you weren't such a mean-spirited brat in your early years.

Activision's latest claim to #1 fame is based on sales figures obtained from The NPD Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group, which label Infinity Ward's critically acclaimed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as the best-selling game for 2007. The frantic first-person shooter is said to have sold in excess of 7 million units worldwide, a particularly impressive victory considering the game's relatively recent November release. Of course, those keen on the shooting of the aliens will recall that Microsoft claimed an 8.1 million sales 'splosion for Halo 3 earlier this month, bringing the title of "Best-selling Game of 2007 OMG" title into minor dispute.

We've contacted both boasters to clarify the figures ... just so we can be sure to stick the air pump into the right ego. Regardless, you'd best take this as a sign to start counting down the months until the inevitable Call of Duty 5 arrives. Let's just hope it's not a #2.

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]]>ActivisionBreakingNewsCall-of-DutyCall-of-Duty-4CallofDuty4COD4Halo3NPDLudwig Kietzmann2008-01-25T19:15:00+00:00Activision was #1 US publisher in 2007http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/18/activision-was-1-us-publisher-in-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/18/activision-was-1-us-publisher-in-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/18/activision-was-1-us-publisher-in-2007/#commentsFiled under:


Activision became king of the hill in 2007 as the number one US publisher. According to NPD data the company's current market share is 17.7%, a 7.2% increase over last year. Of course, Activision utilized the powers it has as a third-party publisher to sell Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,the number one and three titles in sales respectively, across multiple platforms. This is the first time in the company's history that it reached the top spot.

Activision was certainly on a financial and critical acclaim rampage in 2007. COD4 got a spot on our Top 10 list and GHIII was the number one game for our significant others. As successful as last year was, it's now looking like Rock Band is poised to make GHIII yesterday's news, which could be troubling for Activision considering how financially successful the Guitar Hero series has been. Then again, this year we'll start seeing the armed and fully-operational Blizzavision (yeah ... still working on that name).

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardcallofduty4codcod4ghiiiguitarheronpdpublisherAlexander Sliwinski2008-01-18T16:30:00+00:00Joystiq's Top 10 of 2007: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfarehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/01/game-of-the-year-05-call-of-duty-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/01/game-of-the-year-05-call-of-duty-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/01/game-of-the-year-05-call-of-duty-4/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The frustrating thing about trying to write about Call of Duty 4 is that all of the phrases that best describe it have already been applied to and, in turn, drained of their impact by far less deserving games. It's a "non-stop thrill ride," its graphics are "almost photorealistic" and it is, in fact, "so real that you'd almost think you were there." What Call of Duty 4 so authoritatively manages to do is reclaim those action game clichés and, in doing so, infuse them with a new, fresh power.

What Call of Duty 4's single player campaign could best be described as though, is a master's class on making good game design choices. From beginning to end, moments last just as long as they need to, difficulty is perfectly balanced and the action ebbs and flows between full-on chaos and chilling silence. From a pulse-pounding start to the final, desperate ending, it's a meticulously crafted experience. We haven't even made mention of the game's multiplayer yet, which mixes the game's explosive presentation with some RPG fundamentals to predictably addictive results.



Perhaps the most surprising thing about the game is how few actual revolutionary concepts are contained within. It selects existing game design tools, hones them to practical perfection and creates what is, in our opinion, the military shooter against which all others must be judged.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat



Welcome, new-a entry! ->

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]]>activisioncall-of-duty-4callofduty4cod4FPSgame-of-the-yearGOTY-2007infinity-wardJustin McElroy2008-01-01T12:00:00+00:00Activision strums up Q3 financial forecasthttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/activision-strums-up-q3-financial-forecast/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/activision-strums-up-q3-financial-forecast/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/activision-strums-up-q3-financial-forecast/#commentsFiled under:


Activision is loving modern warfare and plastic guitars as it increased quarterly revenue expectations by $180 million. The company was originally expecting revenues at $1.05 billion this quarter, but its revision is now set for $1.23 billion. The company's full year outlook went from $2.07 billion to $2.30 billion. The change was made due to higher than expected sales of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and a little title known as Guitar Hero III.

Activision continues to hold the top US publisher spot, which it took from EA earlier this year. Activision's CEO says the publisher's had 16 years of growth and that this will be its most profitable quarter ever. It's good to own the Guitar Hero -- really good.

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]]>activisioncallofduty4codghiiiguitarheroAlexander Sliwinski2007-11-27T09:30:00+00:00PS3 Firmware 2.01 is most ironic ever [Updated]http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/ps3-firmware-2-01-is-most-ironic-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/ps3-firmware-2-01-is-most-ironic-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/ps3-firmware-2-01-is-most-ironic-ever/#commentsFiled under: ,


PS3 owners may have noticed some new firmware for the PS3, version 2.01, that became available late last night. If you haven't already nabbed it, don't expect any big changes: The .01 just denotes a few bug fixes and solutions for those who said they've been experiencing game freezing errors with 2.00.

Unfortunately, it appears as if the patch may have created problems for Call of Duty 4 players, who took to the official forums (registration required) en masse to complain of critical errors while trying to play the game online now. Many also report getting the same error: "DW update file error 102 - 'BD_EXCEPTION_IN_DB' " when trying to start a new character. Apparently, firmware 2.01 ... is a hippie. Neither Sony nor Activision have responded to the the issue, but we'll let you know when they do. We also don't know if this extends to any other games. Have any of you had similar problems?

[Thanks, Chris]

[Update: Infinity Ward's saying that all of these problems with Call of Duty 4 should be corrected at this point. ]

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]]>call-of-duty-4callofduty4ps3sonyJustin McElroy2007-11-20T09:10:00+00:00Infinity Ward reaches out to EA Chicago devshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/infinity-ward-reaches-out-to-ea-chicago-devs/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/infinity-ward-reaches-out-to-ea-chicago-devs/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/infinity-ward-reaches-out-to-ea-chicago-devs/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


After publishing giant EA shut down its EA Chicago studio amidst profitability concerns, many employees found themselves burdened with the unenviable task of seeking employment elsewhere. 1UP points out that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward may just suffice as a potential "elsewhere."

Over the weekend, a helping hand was extended through the World War Now shooter's "Message of the Day" screen: "EA Chicago: Infinity Ward is hiring. jobs@infinityward.com."

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]]>Call-of-DutyCallofDuty4cod4EAEA-ChicagoInfinity-WardInfinityWardLudwig Kietzmann2007-11-12T20:55:00+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+00:00