Not content with just having two development houses – Infinity Ward and Treyarch – on call to churn out Call of Duty games, Activision have apparently signed up a third developer for the rapidly-approaching-critical-mass franchise.
There’s no word on who the developer may be, although fingers are currently pointing at Sledgehammer Games, a new Activision-owned studio comprised of former Visceral Games heads, and leaders of the Dead Space development team.
One the one hand, a third studio could help increase each respective studio’s development time on each game, leading to more polished games; alternatively Activision could keep the cycles the same length, and just churn out more games, possible leading to the same stale aura that now surround the Guitar Hero franchise. That’s if the new studio will be slipping in to development cycle that currently alternates between Infinity Ward and Treyarch, of course.
There’s a pretty good chance they’ve been contracted to develop something new – Like a monetised Call of Duty MMO. Milking the Call of Duty franchise? Activision? Udderly ridiculous!
Source : LA Times
Last Updated: November 19, 2009
Aequitas
November 19, 2009 at 13:34
Activision can release as many CoD games as they want … but I know I’ll only really consider the ones by Infinity Ward *real* Call of Duty games.
SlippyMadFrog
November 19, 2009 at 13:43
So far I have enjoyed each COD game regardless of developer. I don’t understand why everyone has a problem with COD3 and COD5, the reviews were good and I personally enjoyed those games.
Milesh Bhana ZA
November 19, 2009 at 13:44
if it’s not an MMO developer, then they should do what EA did with the NFS franchise, completely different game written with the Wii in mind.
PillsburyDeeBoy
November 19, 2009 at 22:42
If Activision has the business acumen I think they do – hate Bobby Kotick, but he kinda gets it – they will splinter the franchise. So from here on out, Modern Warfare 3 will be called Modern Warfare 3 – No Call of Duty branding whatsoever (you think the understated Call of Duty on the box art was accidental?). Treyarch should run with the World At War moniker, phasing out Call of Duty the way Infinity Ward has, and this new studio can have “Call of Duty” the brand.
Three different identities, three credible brands, money in the bank.
I’ll still only buy Infinity Ward’s efforts, though, and rent the rest.