Tag Archives: Activision
Call of Duty: Ghosts Teaser Trailer Reveals Nothing
There is a Call of Duty: Ghosts teaser trailer out and it shows nothing. In a move that should surprise no one, Call of Duty: Ghosts is confirmed by Activision Blizzard for a Nov. 5 release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It has also been confirmed to be released on next-gen platforms, though the Wii U is conspicuously absent from the list of platforms. Activision Blizzard will also apparently offer a first look at the actual game being developed by Infinity Ward at Microsoft’s Next Xbox reveal event on May 21.
Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. stated in a press release:
“Infinity Ward set the gold standard for first-person action for a generation, and they’re going to do it again with Call of Duty: Ghosts.”
“Ghosts delivers an all-new story, all-new characters, an all-new Call of Duty world, all powered by a next generation Call of Duty engine, which is a leap forward for the franchise. Infinity Ward is going all-in to create the next generation of Call of Duty worthy of the world’s greatest fans.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Review: Let This Call Go To Voicemail
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 (Version Played)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Treyarch
Genre: Modern Warfare FPS… Again
Release Date: November 13, 2012
ESRB Rating: Mature
The Call of Duty franchise practically prints money for Activision shareholders. It is for this reason that an annual release in November is as certain as Thanksgiving. 2012 marked Treyarch’s turn in the development driver seat and they are looking to show that they aren’t just the Call of Duty “B-Team.” Unfortunately, Call of Duty: Black Ops II falls short of the lofty expectations set forth by the stellar World at War and the original Black Ops.
Many gamers will jump right into multiplayer first. Why not start with arguably the most important feature of Call of Duty? I’m not even sure disappointment is the right descriptor to use. Underwhelming seems fitting. It is mostly the same basic multiplayer and Treyarch really didn’t do much to innovate or move this mode forward like they tried to do with the campaign in any way, which I’ll get to in a moment. For those okay with forking out dollars for status quo, you’ll likely feel right at home and can live with the incremental changes that plague every release of Call of Duty going back to the first Modern Warfare. I can’t live with status quo when it comes to this billion dollar franchise. It always feels like I’ve been there and done that.
The multiplayer game modes are mostly unchanged with a minor addition called Hardpoint, a King of the Hill-style mode. Everything else is present and accounted for. You can choose to play in a new League Play option, but I found every match I participated in to be full of lag. I can only assume that is because there are less people playing those modes and the game is going to match you up with anyone it can find in the appropriate division you are in. My biggest complaint when it comes to game modes is the lack of hardcore. The game should ship with a version of hardcore for all game modes. Yet, like previous releases, the hardcore modes are limited. These kinds of things should be included when the game ships.
What seems to bother me the most about multiplayer is a subtle change that has occurred I admit is nothing short of conspiracy theory. I’m not a big conspiracy theorist but, the multiplayer in BO2 feels as if it has been designed to restrict the intangibles that appeal to the hardcore CoD gamer, thereby making the game more accessible to the average gamer, thereby giving everyone an even playing field. What happened to honing skills to become competitive? What happened to learning to adapt and improvise based on things like connectivity, other gamers’ skills, and loadouts? The multiplayer now reeks of rewarding mediocrity and bad connections like handing out participation awards in sports. It isn’t about winning or losing anymore. It is about making sure that even the weakest of links are satisfied enough with their experience enough that they’ll keep coming back.
You can read the rest of this review at Warp Zoned.
Gamescom: Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified Trailer; Vita Bundle Announced
It’s that time of the year again. I’m mainly speaking of the inevitable Call of Duty hype train, but Gamescom’s taking place right now, too. Pair the two, and you guessed it, there’s lots of Call of Duty news on the way, for console and mobile.
At the end of Sony’s media briefing, they wrapped things up with the debut trailer of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, the first installment of the FPS behemoth on the PlayStation Vita. The PlayStation Blog was kind enough to post the trailer online (along with a bevy of information regarding the multiplayer and the developer, Nihilistic Software, the folks behind that other FPS, Resistance: Burning Skies, which we should warn you wasn’t very good). View that below.
Sony Europe President Jim Ryan also took to the stage to confirm that there will be a special Black Ops Declassified Vita system bundle coming out later this year. The bundle will include a Vita, a copy of Black Ops Declassified and a pouch. No word on a release date or pricing, but if anything is going to sell more Vitas, this is it.
First Look at Call of Duty: Black Ops II’s Multiplayer
Our first look at Call of Duty: Black Ops II’s multiplayer is right here, in this trailer, which is surprisingly not dominated by over-editing. There’s plenty of meat on them bones, plenty of information to draw from analyzing, and I imagine trailer breackdowns for this one are going to be quite interesting.
The battles seem to be taking place in the near-future setting of 2025, and while a lot of the Call of Duty vets, like myself, want the primary focus to be on the use of weapons (guns, to be specific), the spotlight seems to be on futuristic gadgets and doodads. There are mechs, EMP tomahawks, remote controlled drones, and even something that appears to be the ADS (Active Denial System) or heat wave, a device that heats the surface of targets so that they feel extreme levels of discomfort, which I learned about on the Military channel.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Is Treyarch Fulfilling My Needs?
The veil has been lifted on Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The hype machine is revving towards E3 and will chug along until November 13 2012. I recently outlined five things Black Ops II needs, if I had my way. Based on what we do know, we can take a look at how closely Treyarch may come to meeting my needs for Black Ops II.
1. Engaging Campaigns
Taking the Call of Duty games as a whole, I firmly believe Treyarch has done a better job creating interesting campaigns since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Nothing tops Call of Duty 4, but World at War and Black Ops had the luxury of different time periods and various exotic locales. There seemed to be more care in creating interesting characters, especially with Reznov who appears in both World at War and Black Ops. The twist ending in Black Ops wasn’t the most surprising thing, but I thought it was good that they tried something a little different.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II is moving towards the future, 2025 to be exact. My first instinct was a groan. We already have a Call of Duty series in the near future in Modern Warfare. Their respective timeframes are only about eight years apart from the end of Modern Warfare 3 to Black Ops II. How much can change in eight years? Apparently a hell of a lot as the technology has taken a massive leap. As is customary with Treyarch’s Call of Duty line, we will get a glimpse of the past, this time the 80s.
Will it be engaging? I’m positive it will be entertaining. I obviously can’t predict the future, so it is hard to say how engaging the campaign will be, but out of what has been revealed, there is hope.
Family Guy to Hit Video Game Consoles
Activision Blizzard, in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, announced this morning that fans of the long-running animated sitcom Family Guy can expect a video game adaptation to be released this fall. The apparently multiplatform game, titled Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse, will “offer gamers an interactive Family Guy experience inspired by one of the most popular and notable episodes in the series’ history.” This likely means that players will find themselves in the skin of one of their favorite characters while playing through these hilarious adventures.
Executive Vice President at Activision, David Oxford, says, “Fans of Family Guy will love that we’ve taken some of the series’ most iconic and memorable moments and built them into an impressive and uncensored video game. Anyone who watches the show will appreciate how much we have adhered to its rich and twisted universe and characters.”
Giggity?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Revealed with First Trailer
After several leaks, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been officially revealed and with it comes the first trailer.
In the trailer, we see Sgt. James Woods (returning from Black Ops) as an old man in the year 2025 – now long retired from duty. He’s wearing a hospital gown, and he’s handcuffed. “Beside for the fact that I’m still alive,” he begins, “none of this surprises me.” (Don’t worry, we weren’t surprised by this announcement or the release date either, Mr. Woods.)
Apparently, this next installment in the Call of Duty franchise will take place in the future! A future wherein a legion of our own unmanned drones and tanks are hijacked and turned against us. Oh yeah, and there’s the usual gravelly narration and Michael Bay-esque action you’d expect from a trailer like this, too.
Activison Mum About Next Call of Duty Hitting Wii U
Activison’s lips are sealed in regards to whether or not their megaton hit franchise will arrive on Nintendo’s upcoming platform, the Wii U. When the company was approached with the possibility of the next Call of Duty coming to the Wii U, Activision was quick to respond with a ‘No comment’. Next week teaser footage of the game is expected to air; hopefully we will receive a much more detailed answer from the company at that time.
There isn’t a doubt in my mind that the Call of Duty franchise will grace the Wii U. The console’s library is expected to see releases of Darksiders 2 and Batman: Arkham City this Fall. It’s only a matter of time before Call of Duty joins the party.
Source: The Official Nintendo Magazine
Treyarch Begins the Countdown to the Call of Duty Reveal May 1 2012
The good news is, we only have to wait 729,188 seconds and counting for the new Call of Duty reveal. That’s May 1, 2012 if you’re keeping track. The bad news is, you’ll have to watch the NBA Playoffs to see it first. I’m from Seattle. No. I haven’t gotten over it.
The announcement is surely to be a new Call of Duty: Black Ops. Not much has leaked about the campaign and whether it will serve as a sequel to the all-time best selling game in the series or if it will feature a completely new setting. I’ve already discussed what I would do if I had my way with Black Ops 2. Let us know what you’d like to see in the next Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Only 728,565 seconds to go.
Source: callofduty.com
Diablo III Open Beta To All On Battle.net This Weekend
Blizzard Activision wants to stress test servers this weekend. Therefore, Diablo III’s beta is open to all with Battle.net accounts starting April 20, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT. The test will run through Monday, April 23, 2012 at 10:oo AM PDT. You can download the client now though.
What the hell are you waiting for? Go download it!
You will be able to play the five different classes up to level 13. Not very high, but I’m sure many will be chomping at the bit just to get a taste. More to come as we get our own hands-on test drive this weekend.
Will you be on? If so, let us know what you think of the game. You can download the client here.
Diablo III will release on May 15, 2012.
Source: Battle.net
