Call of Duty Elite might not make it to PC
Remember the Call of Duty social network, matchmaking and stat-tracking service, Call of Duty Elite? The one that was available on Xbox and PS3 at Modern Warfare 3′s launch? The one that Activision described as a “necessity” for games? It might not make it to PC.
Beachhead Studio head Chacko Sonny implied that we were getting it a few weeks ago, abeit later than the console kids: “We’re as committed as ever to the PC, but the need to ensure a safe PC environment is greater than ever,” he said. “It’s really extensive. We need more time to get there, so Elite on PC will not launch on Day 1. We’re working our butts off to make it happen, but we won’t release it until we know that PC gamers can enjoy Elite as it’s meant to be.”
It seems the situation has changed. As Eurogamer spotted on the official Call of Duty Elite Twitter feed, we might not be getting the service at all. EVER.
Modern Warfare 3 shifts fewer copies than Black Ops
Modern Warfare 3 publishers Activision have been banging on about how their latest face-shooter has made more money than the GDP of a small country – but it seems it’s shifted fewer units than its predecessor, Call of Duty: Black Ops.
According to Eurogamer, Modern Warfare 3 has sold “just under” two million copies in the UK – 1.6 per cent less than Black Ops sold last year. Despite selling fewer units, Modern Warfare 3 has somehow made more money for Activision, bringing in £83.1 million for the uber publisher – 15 per cent more than Black Ops.
It also seems that these figures only account for PS3 and Xbox 360 copies of the game, so it’s unknown how much Activision have made from PC copies of the game – the majority of which are presumably downloads via Steam. We’re guessing many, many millions more though.
Modern Warfare 3 dev attempts to boost Metacritic score via Twitter
As reported on IGN, Studio head of Sledgehammer Games, Glen Schofield isn’t happy with the way Modern Warfare 3 is getting treated on Metacritic.
It’s currently got a metacritic of 82. That’s a reasonable average, sitting just above our Modern Warfare 3 review score.
Glen was more upset by the user rating (formed by the public, not critics). At the time it was sitting at 1.7. Metacritic’s users were making a statement. Not necessarily a truthful statement, but a statement nonetheless.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Rezurrection review
I remember storming the beaches of Normandy five years ago in one of CoD 2’s most tense and memorable levels. Yesterday in Black Ops I shot a zombie on the moon with a gun that made it vomit blood then explode. What the hell has happened to Call of Duty?
Whatever our memories of the shooter series, the zombie survival mode introduced by Treyarch in World at War has frequently been the best part of the regular Call of Duty: Black Ops packs. It follows, then, that a DLC pack made up of five zombie levels should be the best. It is, but not by much.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 becomes “biggest entertainment launch ever”
Activision have released sales info gathered from North America and UK retail outlets, revealing that Modern Warfare 3 sold in excess of $400 million on day one. An estimated 6.5 million copies were shifted at retail alone. Those numbers beat last year’s record set by Call of Duty: Black Ops, which sold a mere $360 million on day one. Modern Warfare 2 must have barely even been trying when it sold $310 million on its first day back in 2009.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review
Think back. You’re ten years old and in an arcade, playing Time Crisis while a friend watches. You press the pedal to pop out from behind cover, take down some bad guys – soldiers, terrorists, it doesn’t matter – and then duck back down. You think the story has something to do with a Vice President, but you don’t really pay attention during the story parts. “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could walk around, instead of just shooting?” says your friend, idly. That would be cool, you think, but then you die in the next area and, out of money, go home.
What you didn’t know is that, back at the arcade, Dr. Peter Callofduty overheard your conversation, and he’s just had an idea.
While fighting through the streets of New York, Paris, London, Prague, Berlin and more in Modern Warfare 3, I keep coming back to this. If you compare the Call of Duty series to, say, Skyrim, or even Half-Life 2, then it’s a regressive, controlling, anti-gaming experience. Don’t compare it to those games, then. Modern Warfare 3 is an arcade rail shooter, except you can control your legs a bit.
Modern Warfare 3 breaks pre-order records, Black Ops sells 20 million expansion packs
In case we’d forgotten how mind numbingly huge Call of Duty is, last night’s Activision earnings call dropped some massive sales figures to jog our memories. Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg announced that Modern Warfare 3 “drove the largest day one shipments in our history and in the industry’s history.”
That follows the fact that “Pre-orders for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 outpaced pre-orders for Call of Duty: Black Ops by a wide margin, setting a new industry record in making it the most pre-ordered game of all time.”
Modern Warfare 3 is scared of disturbing you
Who’d have thought it? Just like Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3 wants to know how easily offended you are. Very considerate.
This message pops up as you begin the single player campaign. We assume it refers to the controversial scene that we mentioned last week but, seeing as Graham has only just begun the single player campaign, there’s potential for all kinds of upsetting things to be hidden within. Very exciting and, potentially, very disturbing.
Our review of Modern Warfare 3 has been delayed but will be published asap. Until then, why not read Graham’s first impressions of Modern Warfare 3′s multiplayer?
Are you easily disturbed? What was the game to disturb you? Let us know in the comments.
Modern Warfare 3 PC impressions
I’ve been playing Modern Warfare 3′s multiplayer a little bit this morning. First impression? If you sat me down in front of it and told me it was Modern Warfare 2, I wouldn’t know you were lying.
There are differences. The maps are new, and tighter. From my experiences so far, there are fewer courtyards lined with sniper-filled windows. I also know that there are Perk changes, because I’ve read about them.
But the first time I connected to a server, I was instantly killed by a helicopter I had no hope of destroying or avoiding. The game looks visually dated. The sounds and menus are all taken directly from previous games. The similarity isn’t necessarily a criticism. Modern Warfare’s multiplayer has always been a hair short of brilliant. I’ve been having a ton of fun with it so far.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is out. PC Gamer review delayed
UPDATE: Graham has just posted his first impressions of Modern Warfare 3 on PC.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is out, and you’ll see Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 reviews appearing all over the place. We don’t have a review yet because we haven’t had access to the PC version until the game was officially released. We did get a copy this morning, but it was for the Xbox 360. :(
So Graham went and bought a copy this morning. He’s playing it for review right now.
The copy Graham bought this morning is the first we’ve seen of PC code. The PC version hasn’t been shown at any preview events and the videos and screenshots have all come from console versions. The console mags in our building all got early access to console versions of the game, but the PC has been mysteriously absent. The Call of Duty Elite service that console players can use to track stats and stay in touch with friends has been delayed on PC, too.
Still, it’s in shops, unlocked on Steam and we’re getting stuck in right now. We’ll bring you our impressions and our full review once we’ve had a chance to play it properly.
Are you playing Modern Warfare 3? What do you think so far?
Update: Activision’s UK PR team have been in touch and have explained that the Xbox 360 copy was a bit of a mixup. They feel sad and have sent their apologies. Poor sad PR team. Everyone send cuddles.
Thieves hijack truckload of Modern Warfare 3
I’m still expecting someone to reveal this is an elaborate viral marketing stunt, but Eurogamer points out that Agence France Presse have got the story, so apparently it’s true: over the weekend in France, a pair of criminals ambushed and hijacked a van carrying 6,000 copies of Modern Warfare 3.
The van stopped when it was involved in an accident with a car (presumably staged by the thieves). The drivers stepped out of the van, at which point two men attacked them with tear gas before getting into the van and driving away with 400,000 euros worth of on-rails shooter and popular multiplayer.
Modern Warfare 3 creative director explains how to “go about blowing up the world”
VentureBeat have been speaking to Bret Robins – creative director on Modern Warfare 3.
Bret worked on the single player portion of Modern Warfare 3, due for worldwide release on Steam at midnight tonight. When asked how Sledgehammer deal with such a sensitive matter as World War III, he said: “You blow up a lot of cities, is what you do. We’re creating a huge, like a summer blockbuster story and experience. You try to go for the biggest and craziest moments and set-pieces and locations you can come up with. You try to do it in a very believable and authentic way, so it feels like this could actually happen.”
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 trailer makes peace between vets and noobs
The new live action Modern Warfare 3 trailer shows a rare event. A veteran helping out a new player without telling him to GTFO. The prestiged pro makes it through the entire trailer without once saying anything even vaguely unpleasant about the other guy’s mother, showing immense restraint when the noob RPGs a single man five metres away (a very familiar sight for Battlefield 3 players at the moment).
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 scene features London pigeon massacre. Also, child dies
The desperate game of controversy one-upmanship among Call of Duty sequels continues with this latest scene from Modern Warfare 3, in which a small girl is blown up on screen in a chemical attack on London.
There’s nothing fun or exciting about the scene – but we’ll link to it so you can have a quick chuckle at Infinity Ward’s inability to write convincing dialogue or hold your attention without resorting to cheap shocks. We’re told by people with lawyers that “players are given the opportunity to opt out of in-game content which they may find disturbing with no penalty.”
Call of Duty Elite delayed, won’t have a subscription option on PC
The social network, matchmaking and stat-tracking service, Call of Duty Elite will not arrive alongisde Modern Warfare 3 on PC next week as originally planned. VG247 have spotted a blog post from community manager Dan Amirch explaining that the service has been delayed due to security issues.
“We’re as committed as ever to the PC, but the need to ensure a safe PC environment is greater than ever,” said Beachhead Studio head Chacko Sonny. “It’s really extensive. We need more time to get there, so Elite on PC will not launch on Day 1. We’re working our butts off to make it happen, but we won’t release it until we know that PC gamers can enjoy Elite as it’s meant to be.” It doesn’t sound like a small delay either. “It is not going to come out until we’ve done a lot more work” say Beachhead.
