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Activision: Fans still love Call of Duty!

2 min read
53

EricHirschberg

This year’s Call of Duty is the first in quite some time to not be heaped with lavish critical praise which suggests to some that the series is running out of steam. Many have bemoaned the copy and paste nature of the annualised games for years, but despite that Call of Duty has had an undeniable quality or some sort of spark – which critics feel is lacking a bit with Ghosts. Doesn’t matter to Activision though.

Call of Duty: Ghosts has scored relatively low with critics around the world.  Speaking to GameInformer, Activision’s Eric Hirschberg responded to the question of whether the annualisation was leading to fatigue.

“Well no, obviously not – and obviously I don’t agree with the critics there. I know that Call of Duty’s a polarising franchise with some of the critics, and it’s clear to me that not all the critics like our strategy of making a game every year, but thankfully our fans do.

“It’s also clear to me that the critical response doesn’t always mirror the fans’ appreciation of a game. We actually do read the critics’ comments and take them into consideration during our creative process, but we just can’t measure ourselves by that yardstick alone.

“Our most important audience is our fans, so we try to stay laser-focused on making games that they love. If you look at the fact that [Ghosts is] the most pre-ordered game of the year, it’s the most pre-ordered next-gen game of the year, it’s already the number one most played on Xbox Live, and that we’re seeing longer average playtimes than ever before, we’re confident that we’re doing well by the criteria that matter most.”

It seems, to the casual observer, that Call of Duty: Ghosts has failed to live up to the financial expectations too. Usually, Activision trumpets on and on about how the new Call of Duty broke the old Call of Duty’s sales records every year, but they’ve been suspiciously quiet this year. Is that because people really are getting sick of Call of Duty?

Activision doesn’t think the Call of Duty brand is anywhere near fatiguing gamers just yet.

“No,” saying, “We’ve been pretty transparent all year that we think, because of the challenges of the console transition year, that that was likely in the short-term. I think it would be a mistake to conflate the challenges of the console transition year with any indications about the health of the franchise.”

It seems to me, and this is of course jus my own opinion, that people really are becoming quite tired of Call of Duty as it stands right now – but Activision is sticking their heads in the sand and blaming the lower sales  on the console transition. Next year’s Call of Duty from Treyarch will be the first real next gen one, and if it fails to impress, Activision may have to sit down and have a good think about the future of the franchise.

Last Updated: December 5, 2013

53 Comments

  1. TiMsTeR1033

    December 5, 2013 at 10:35

    COD needs a new Engine bulit from the ground up, and make things more like they were with COD 2 and Modern Warfare. Start over if they have to, or hell Kill COD franchise and make a new kind of shooter.

    Reply

    • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

      December 5, 2013 at 10:37

      They also need to spice it up a bit… they all feel like the same game 😛

      Reply

      • TiMsTeR1033

        December 5, 2013 at 10:39

        Exactly, I rate they kill the franchise and make a new one.. otherwise too many brats say it doesnt feel like COD.

        Reply

        • Kromas

          December 5, 2013 at 10:39

          I agree. Maybe add something like robots to mix things up … oh wait. 😛

          Reply

          • Kensei Seraph

            December 5, 2013 at 10:49

            Maybe even something like the parkour from Mirror’s Edge…

          • Admiral Chief of Souls

            December 5, 2013 at 10:52

            Slap in some zombies….oh wait

          • Kensei Seraph

            December 5, 2013 at 11:14

            Or maybe some kind of giant bugs?

      • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

        December 5, 2013 at 10:55

        Nah man. COD Black Ops where you were in Russia. No wait. Was that Black Ops? Mmmmm. I think it was Modern Warfare 2. No wait…

        Reply

        • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

          December 5, 2013 at 11:14

          Aren’t you thinking of Stalker or Metro or something along those lines?

          Reply

          • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

            December 5, 2013 at 11:23

            I love Stalker. Don’t you badmouth them!

          • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

            December 5, 2013 at 11:26

            I didn’t badmouth it… sheesh… a bit touchy today JJ? lol

            I can’t badmouth Stalker or Metro… haven’t played either 🙁

          • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

            December 5, 2013 at 11:27

            Haha. Mentioning them in the same comment thread as COD is badmouthing imo.

            Ah man. Stalker has a great modding community, especially Call of Pripyat. Great game. Metro is much like the book, only better.

          • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

            December 5, 2013 at 11:29

            Will have to make a plan to get Stalker at some stage…

          • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

            December 5, 2013 at 11:30

            Just make sure to get the newest mod, at moddb, makes all the difference.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 5, 2013 at 11:42

            You must! The Stalker series is so damn good.

    • Matthew Holliday

      December 5, 2013 at 10:43

      wouldnt be enough, the CoD franchise is stale and theyve lost their core fans.
      ./care about the engine
      ./care about functionality.

      As a core CoD fan, I wanted a better version of what we already had.
      dedicated servers, proper spectating.
      the core CoD fans didnt complain about the old engines or reskinning, it was the haters that complained, we just wanted somethign enjoyable, comfortable and simple.

      Ghosts went the wrong direction, its not improved, its chaned the feel of the game, and I dont like it.

      Reply

    • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

      December 5, 2013 at 10:53

      Tell that to Activision and their financial department

      Reply

      • TiMsTeR1033

        December 5, 2013 at 10:54

        Activision are like macdonalds, they will keep selling you the same tasting shit because people keep buying it. (I dont hate macdonalds)

        Reply

        • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

          December 5, 2013 at 10:56

          Quite. Also, I hate McDonalds. Ice Cream is nice though.

          Reply

          • Matthew Holliday

            December 5, 2013 at 11:18

            their icecream is probably made out of potatoes too.

          • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

            December 5, 2013 at 11:22

            Some nice tasting potatoes though. 🙂

    • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

      December 5, 2013 at 10:56

      They already on it.

      2014 – CoD: Dogs
      2015 – CoD: Fish (with realistic fish-AI!)

      Reply

      • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

        December 5, 2013 at 11:16

        2016 – CoD: Birds (you have a bird of prey with you)

        Reply

        • Matthew Holliday

          December 5, 2013 at 11:17

          Borderlands did that in 2007

          Reply

          • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

            December 5, 2013 at 11:19

            I know that… hence the irony in the comment.

            I happen to have Borderlands on two platforms and have completed it more than once.

          • Matthew Holliday

            December 5, 2013 at 11:41

            didnt mean anything by it, just that it would be typical CoD logic if they did.

        • Kensei Seraph

          December 5, 2013 at 11:18

          It’ll be the a bald eagle because ‘Merica.

          Reply

          • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

            December 5, 2013 at 11:21

            Would be a hard bird to hide

        • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

          December 5, 2013 at 11:43

          If they wanted to really intrigue people they should’ve put a few big dogs in there. Now THAT would be freaking awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

          Reply

          • Kensei Seraph

            December 5, 2013 at 11:49

            Now that is impressive.

            It’s only a matter of time before we get some proper mechs.

          • Shift-Tab John (JJ)

            December 5, 2013 at 11:51

            I will not lose hope for it actualizing in my lifetime.

  2. Matthew Holliday

    December 5, 2013 at 10:40

    “we’re confident that we’re doing well by the criteria that matter most.”
    yeah, theyr right, their bank accounts are where it matters most.
    they lost their core fans and picked up rich spoilt 12 year olds whose mommies buy their playstations.

    Reply

    • Gr8_Balls_o_Fire

      December 5, 2013 at 10:52

      Agree, good intelligent Sir

      Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    December 5, 2013 at 10:43

    You know who else stuck their head in the sand? Capcom

    Reply

  4. Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

    December 5, 2013 at 10:45

    If I wanted to play the next COD game, I’d just keep MW2 installed and play it every year… but I don’t want to play the next COD game, so I sold MW2…

    Reply

    • TiMsTeR1033

      December 5, 2013 at 10:53

      I have yet to actually play MW2, played MW3 lol havent played BO or BO2

      Reply

      • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

        December 5, 2013 at 10:54

        Haven’t played a single COD game since MW2… and before that it was COD1, COD2 and MW… haven’t played any of the others, at all, and won’t

        Reply

        • TiMsTeR1033

          December 5, 2013 at 10:55

          MW3 wasnt tooooo bad. wasnt tooo good either..

          Reply

      • Matthew Holliday

        December 5, 2013 at 11:07

        so all your oppinions are based on having only played 3 of the possible 8 games and other peoples oppinions?

        Reply

        • TiMsTeR1033

          December 5, 2013 at 11:32

          I Played 1 2 3 modern warfare, MW3 seen BO and BO2.. same game and mp is far too easy to get kills..

          Reply

  5. SaintsRowNigri

    December 5, 2013 at 10:47

    I spoke to a friend who’s a Call of Duty nut, and he told me that this years iteration is a bit of a let down.
    I borrowed his copy to play the SP campaign, and in all honesty, it was the most disappointing SP campaign I’ve played from Infinity Ward.

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      December 5, 2013 at 11:03

      the concept is stale.
      badguy shows up, threatens everyone, goodguys send in “the best”, fight your way to badguy befor he can blow up the world with nukes or something, get to final cutscene where you shoot badguy with pistol because he beat you up and you lost your primary.

      havent finished, or started Ghosts SP, but that pretty much describes all the Modern Warfare games stories, just with more “makarov”

      Reply

  6. CodeName Tailgunner

    December 5, 2013 at 10:48

    BOOM! Headshot!

    Reply

  7. Umar Seeker of Truth

    December 5, 2013 at 10:58

    I love CoD as much as I love the ANC

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief of Souls

      December 5, 2013 at 11:00

      To be fair, when using that comparison in my case, I’d rather make sweet sweet love to CoD that compare it to THEM

      Reply

      • Umar Seeker of Truth

        December 5, 2013 at 11:01

        Hmmm true, then I hate CoD as much as I hate the ANC..works both ways

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief of Souls

          December 5, 2013 at 11:15

          Hmmm, you have a point there

          Reply

    • SaintsRowNigri

      December 5, 2013 at 11:06

      That is harsh boet!

      Reply

  8. Willem Swanepoel

    December 5, 2013 at 11:06

    Milky milky milky…

    Milk the sheep… I say give Activision a bells for milking people who blindly just buy a game because of it’s name….

    Reply

  9. Kobus Nel

    December 5, 2013 at 11:34

    BATTLEFIELD! BF4 converted so many CoD fans, it’s crazy. CoD is copy and paste like you said, but BF4 is a major upgrade. Some have said that there is not a lot different from BF4 from BF3, and on some cases I would agree, but it does feel like an upgrade to me. Plus I enjoy it WAY more than CoD tbh.

    Reply

  10. Mark Treloar

    December 5, 2013 at 13:22

    Current PC stats for BF4 vs Ghosts as recorded by Steam and BFstats.com

    COD: 5,269
    BF4: 38,552

    Reply

  11. regretsecret

    December 8, 2013 at 15:15

    Being a long time COD fan, I also expecting more from Ghosts – a “collapsing Eiffel tower” kind of expectation. However, I’m still looking forward to the game’s sequels as I still can’t find the connection between Riley the dog and Lt. Simon “Ghost” Riley.

    I also advise to play it in hard mode and if you’ll need a walkthrough, here’s a good one: http://www.cheatmasters.com/blog/2013/11/05/call-of-duty-ghosts-guide/

    Reply

  12. Emily Davis

    December 12, 2013 at 00:40

    my little brother loves call of duty. he plays airsoft too and found a website that sells airsoft guns that look like replicas of the guns in the game. its pretty cool

    http://www.airsplat.com/

    Reply

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