Tag: "Activision"
Activision draws up battle plan for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Earlier this month, rumors circulated that the next Call of Duty title would focus on the Ghost character who first appeared in Modern Warafare 2.
While that rumor hasn’t been squashed, it also hasn’t been confirmed by Activision. But what the next title will be based on hasn’t been the focus of blogs and news sites in recent days - which game studio will be developing the game has been the buzz.
The independent Xbox fan site, thisisxbox.com, suggested Infinity Ward would be the game studio creating Modern Warfare 3.
However it’s looking less likely that Infinity Ward will be the only studio involved in its development, as Infinity Ward is still feeling the aftershocks of the studio’s collapse after Jason West (Infinity Ward president) and Vince Zampella (CEO and co-founder of Infinity Ward) were dismissed from the company. Shortly after the departure of West and Zampella, dozens of other Infinity Ward employees followed voluntarily.
The ex-Infinity Ward heads and former employees went on to form Respawn.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Activision is calling in reinforcements from its other studios to develop the next Call of Duty title.
Infinity Ward’s operations apparently have been affected enough that it has called in reinforcements to make the next Call of Duty military game. The studio was able to pull off prior games without aid, as it did with 2008′s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 2006′s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Activision has quietly tapped Sledgehammer Games, a Northern California studio, to help out with the making of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, according to people familiar with the situation. The game has not been officially announced by Activision. But the title is well into production and is expected to come out in November, the same month that the publisher has annually released a new Call of Duty installment, people with knowledge of situation said. Modern Warfare 3 will be the first game Infinity Ward has produced since the departure of of company co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella.
Readers, what are your predictions for the next Call of Duty game title?
Five predictions for next Call of Duty game title in 2011
While Call of Duty: Black Ops continues to dominate video game sales, speculation continues to grow over Call of Duty’s next game title after rumors surfaced that one possibility could be a Modern Warfare prequel centered around the character Ghost who first appeared in Modern Warfare 2.
But that’s not the only possible title.
Domain name registrations made by Activision early last year, generated a lot of buzz over potential games. Based on the names registered, possibilities for titles include: Call of Duty Future Warfare, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty Secret Warfare and Call of Duty Space Warfare.
As I wrote before, Chris Morris a writer with Gamasutra confirmed a “Future Warfare” or “Space Warfare” are likely more than just domain name registrations: “…industry sources say Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty will be set in the future and feature, for lack of a better term, space Marines, a very big step for a franchise that has historically based itself on realism.”
So my five predictions, in order of what I believe their likelihood to be are:
Call of Duty: Future Warfare
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Space Warfare
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Secret Warfare
Do you have predictions for Call of Duty’s next blockbuster game title?
Please share them in the comments.
First Strike Map Pack for Call of Duty Black Ops available Feb. 1, 2011
Four original multiplayer maps and one zombie map are making their way to Call of Duty: Black Ops in 2011 and will be available for download on February 1. An article on IGN’s website has the details.
The pack is called “First Strike” and includes four original multiplayer maps and one zombie map for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) on Feb. 1, 2011.
Here are a few details from Treyarch’s Dan Bunting:
Discovery - Antarctic German research station, abandoned from World War II.
Kowloon – Inspired from the single-player campaign based off of Kowloon city in China. It’s a rooftop map.
Stadium – Hockey rink in northeastern United States.
Berlin Wall – Takes place at Checkpoint Charlie. Is a battle between East and West Berlin.
Ascension – Zombie map.
Read more about the First Strike Map pack and listen to the podcast with Microsoft’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb.
Call of Duty: Black Ops tops $1 billion in sales
The Press Association is reporting that global sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops have topped $1 billion.
To put things in perpsective, Adobe the publishing giant and software maker, reported record fourth quarter revenue of $1.008 billion. Not bad.
However, Call of Duty hit $1 billion in less than six weeks since the first video game went up for sale.
Activision redirects MurderYourMaker.com to Prototype website, after confirming rumors
Recently, we wrote about Activision using the MurderYourMaker.com website as a teaser of an upcoming game that game critics speculated was for Prototype 2. Well, the rumors were confirmed at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, as the company announced the sequel and released a preview trailer.
This week, Activision began re-directing MurderYourMaker.com to PrototypeGame.com which has more details about the game which is scheduled to be released in 2012.
Activision also sent out a press release today with all the details.
Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) confirmed today that PROTOTYPE® 2, the sequel to Radical Entertainment’s original best-selling game of 2009 — PROTOTYPE — is currently in development for 2012. PROTOTYPE 2’s first official trailer was revealed as a world premiere during this past weekend’s Spike TV Video Game Awards 2010 show, where fans of the shape-shifting open-world action franchise got their first glimpse into Sgt. James Heller, and why he is going to destroy PROTOTYPE’s original anti-hero, Alex Mercer. For those that missed it, head over to www.facebook.com/prototype to check out the trailer and be sure to become a fan. Gamers should also be on the lookout for the exclusive, in-depth first look preview of PROTOTYPE 2 in EGM magazine’s April 2011 issue.
“When PROTOTYPE surpassed 2MM units we knew gamers would want a sequel to find out what happens next with Alex Mercer,” said Ken Rosman, Studio Head, Radical Entertainment. “The team here at Radical is sincerely grateful to the fans and we are laser focused on delivering an even bigger and better experience with PROTOTYPE 2!”
For all the details, go to the Prototype website.
Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops tops GFK Chart-Track for fourth week
Activision’s first-person shooter, Call of Duty: Black Ops, developed by Treyarch, has topped the GFK Chart-Track for “All Formats” ranging from the PC to the PS3 for the fourth week.
Here’s a look at the Top 40 entertainment software (All Prices) for the week ending Dec. 11.
| Rank | Title | Developer | Label | Publisher |
| 1 | CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS | TREYARCH | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD |
| 2 | FIFA 11 | EA CANADA | EA SPORTS | ELECTRONIC ARTS |
| 3 | WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CATACLYSM | BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT | BLIZZARD | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD |
| 4 | ASSASSIN’S CREED: BROTHERHOOD | UBISOFT (MONTREAL) | UBISOFT | UBISOFT |
| 5 | GRAN TURISMO 5 | POLYPHONY DIGITAL | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. |
| 6 | JUST DANCE 2 | UBISOFT (FRANCE) | UBISOFT | UBISOFT |
| 7 | NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT | CRITERION GAMES | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS |
| 8 | DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS | RETRO STUDIOS | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 9 | PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE LOST FUTURE | LEVEL 5 | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 10 | WII FIT PLUS | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 11 | MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE | UBISOFT (FRANCE) | UBISOFT | UBISOFT |
| 12 | WII PARTY | ND CUBE | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 13 | MEDAL OF HONOR | DANGER CLOSE/DICE | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS |
| 14 | MARIO KART WII | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 15 | THE SIMS 3 | THE SIMS STUDIO / EDGE OF REALITY | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS |
| 16 | RED DEAD REDEMPTION: UNDEAD NIGHTMARE | ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO | ROCKSTAR | TAKE 2 |
| 17 | KINECT SPORTS | RARE | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT |
| 18 | FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS | OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT | BETHESDA SOFTWORKS | BETHESDA SOFTWORKS |
| 19 | SONIC COLOURS | SONIC TEAM | SEGA | SEGA |
| 20 | TOY STORY 3 | N-SPACE | DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS | DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS |
| 21 | ART ACADEMY | HEADSTRONG GAMES | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 22 | NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 23 | HARRY POTTER: THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 | EA BRIGHT LIGHT | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS |
| 24 | JUST DANCE | UBISOFT (FRANCE) | UBISOFT | UBISOFT |
| 25 | NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 26 | HALO: REACH | BUNGIE | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT |
| 27 | WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2011 | YUKE’S | THQ | THQ |
| 28 | WII SPORTS RESORT | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 29 | LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4 | TRAVELLER’S TALES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE |
| 30 | FOOTBALL MANAGER 2011 | SPORTS INTERACTIVE | SEGA | SEGA |
| 31 | SUPER MARIO ALL-STARS 25TH ANNIVERSARY | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
| 32 | FABLE III | LIONHEAD STUDIOS | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT |
| 33 | GOLDENEYE 007 | EUROCOM ENTERTAINMENT | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD |
| 34 | DANCE CENTRAL | HARMONIX | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT |
| 35 | PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2011 | KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT | KONAMI | KONAMI |
| 36 | THE X FACTOR | HYDRAVISION | DEEP SILVER | KOCH MEDIA |
| 37 | DISNEY EPIC MICKEY | JUNCTION POINT STUDIOS | DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS | DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS |
| 38 | RED DEAD REDEMPTION | ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO | ROCKSTAR | TAKE 2 |
| 39 | 007: BLOOD STONE | BIZARRE CREATIONS | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD |
| 40 | DEAD RISING 2 | BLUE CASTLE GAMES | CAPCOM | CAPCOM |
Prototype 2 video game confirmed at Spike VGAs
It is now confirmed: The “Murder Your Maker” teaser images, video, and web site are for a Prototype 2 video game.
Chriss Raven over at TGN Times, who had been speculating early on that one of the options to “Murder Your Maker” was a sequel to Prototype, was correct. The game is scheduled to be released in 2012.
Murder Your Maker: Military tries to contain virulent plague in Prototype 2
Although it can’t be officially confirmed until the Spike Video Game Awards being held on Dec. 11, a number of vidoegame blogs and news sites are reporting that the “Murder Your Maker” teaser images, video, and web site are for a Prototype 2 video game.
Chriss Raven over at TGN Times was speculating early on that one of the options was a sequel to Prototype, the Activision game that was released in June 2009 and takes place in New York City, where a virulent plague has spread throughout Manhattan.
Those infected are mutated into hideous monsters. The United States Marine Corps, under the command of the black ops organization Blackwatch, is dispatched to contain it. At the center of it is the protagonist, Alex Mercer, a shapeshifter with no memory of his past. Alex has the ability to absorb other individuals, taking on their biomass, memories, experiences, and physical forms. Parallel to the game’s storyline is the ability to play the game as a sandbox-style video game giving the player freedom to roam Manhattan. [Wikipedia]
Yesterday, Chriss Ravven wrote another article pointing to the proof that “Murder Your Maker” is for the new Prototype 2 videogame – which comes from the YouTube trailer on the murderyourmaker.com web site.
I won’t be one to say I told you so, but I kind of did. The whole MURDER YOUR MAKER deal was Prototype 2, and the proof comes via the murderyourmaker.com website, no less. For those of you not following the story, that site was created rather recently, and it only had the large background image and some ominous music. It seems that it will be a much more story driven experience this time, focusing on the plot more than the previous entry in the franchise. And the piece of proof itself is a five second long teaser, that shows imagery from the original Prototype and pieces of teaser artwork from the MURDER YOUR MAKER teasing campaign.
Visit the Murder Your Maker web site.
Electronic Arts ready to dethrone Call of Duty franchise with Battlefield 3?
A battle royal is shaping up in the first person shooter world which is dominated by the best-selling video game of all-time Call of Duty Black Ops.
According to a story that appeared on the video game blog Kotaku entitled “The Plan To Dethrone Call Of Duty”, the EA CEO John Riccitiello told Stephen Totilo that Call of Duty is beatable.
He has a bright view of EA’s shooter line-up for next year, which of course will be up against the next big Call of Duty that surely is coming next fall. “I have great expectations to do a lot better in 2011 than in 2010 on the strength of a couple of products like Bulletstorm and Crysis [2], but most importantly for us, Battlefield 3, which I feel incredibly good about.”
The head of Electronic Arts told Stephen: “What I’ve witnessed a couple of times in the games industry is the way you unseat a market leader is you make a better game a couple of times in a row.”
EA is going to be in for a very tough fight. Activision is rumored to be heading towards a future landscape for its next Call of Duty game title, with Space Marines being potentially mobilized in 2011.
Battlefield 3 Beta
If you own Medal of Honor Limited Edition you will receive an invitation to the Battlefield 3 beta within 12-months following the release of Medal of Honor.
Readers, do you think it’s possible for EA to dethrone Call of Duty?
When it comes to military video game names online, one company stands above the rest
BuyDomains, one of the world’s leading domain marketplaces with a portfolio of over 1,500,000 premium domain names, including 800,000+ of their own exclusive collection, stands above the rest when it comes to “military” video game domain names.
As I’ve written before, if Activision decides to go with Future Warfare or Space Warfare for their next Call of Duty title, BuyDomains owns the two best names: FutureWarfare.com and SpaceWarfare.com.
Warfare Domain Names
Warfare domain names are not BuyDomains primary business, but in addition to Futurewarfare.com and Spacewarfare.com, they own a boatload of other great ‘warfare’ domains.
What else do they own?
Well, if Activision ever releases a “Call of Duty Jungle Warfare” or “Street Warfare”, let’s just say BuyDomains once again will own the best domain names (JungleWarfare.com and StreetWarfare.com).
Here’s a look at the some of the company’s best “warfare” domain holdings:
LandWarfare.com
MilitaryWarfare.com
UrbanWarfare.com
ConventionalWarfare.com
MechanizedWarfare.com
AmphibiousWarfare.com
ExtremeWarfare.com
PsychicWarfare.com
GalacticWarfare.com
TacticalWarfare.com
TribalWarfare.com
SiegeWarfare.com
Why Activision doesn’t snatch these domain names up while they’re cheap is surprising.
Because as history shows, when a game title is released, a large number of people naturally type in names like Blackops.com or ModernWarfare.com instead of long-tailed names like Callofdutyblackops.com.
(Photo source: IGN Entertainment)
