Craig HillCall Of Duty 6 - Permission To Burn Money Granted
September 16th 2008 06:12
Activision have made a healthy business out of yearly updates to their gaming franchises. So the news that the Call Of Duty series, one of it's most successful, is taking a year off would seem like an odd decision. But following it is the news that there will be plenty of DLC to fill the void - all of which, if the current titles are anything to go by, will be thrown away when COD 6 finally lands.
Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith has let it be known that Call Of Duty 6 has been pushed back from the initial 2009 launch date to some time in the 2010 calander year. In the meatime, downloadable content will be made available for Call of Duty: World at War.
“The average Call of Duty player has spent five full 24-hour days playing online,” Griffith proudly proclaimed, “and over time, we’ll find ways to increase the monetization of this opportunity.”
Everybody remember the first time you heard this. The name of the all-new premium form of DLC that will, in the future, change the enjoyment of this past-time for gamers forever. That name? Day 1 Advantage. “What Day 1 Advantage gives you is the ability to accelerate your experience points,” said Griffith at Activision Blizzard’s analyst day in Santa Monica.
This means that not only will players most likely be able to 'power-up' through the purchase of premium weapons and vehicles, but accellerate the speed in which they earn experience, the currency for upgrading and unlocking items. Gameplay balance is firmly in the back seat to the "monetizing" of the franchise.
It may be just that those with the money to throw away and a lack of skill to justify it will use the "advantage", but at least for the opening months of any new Call Of Duty multiplayer games, there will be a huge imbalance. And in the fine tradition of every title before it, the money spent on getting you that edge will dissapear with the players who migrate to the next in the series.
Good luck gamers. Use your heads and not your wallets, this trend is set to decide how much and for how long we pay for the games we play.
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