Modern Warfare 2 Blog

Infinity Ward: You’re likely to see a pretty limited Prestige Edition

The original plan of the developer was to include nothing but phony flash bangs or dogtags.

The giant Microsoft undertook fresh retail ground in 2007. That was the time it had released the famous Halo 3 Legendary Edition. However that edition included the currently celebrated Master Chief cat helmet.

So as to that edition of Halo 3 retailed for around $130. But as just 2 years afterward, the massive box created by Bungie Games is still available on game store shelves.

Even the listing of Amazon is as a minimum $3 cheaper compared to the usual Limited edition. You can find that for around 50% of its initial price. It is pretty clear that, gamers were hardly interested in spending an additional $70 to get ‘more plastic’.

So forgive us for the skepticism as Infinity Ward revealed plans to launch a yet more expensive or bizarre version for the Modern Warfare 2, which is called the ‘Prestige Edition’.

Buyers paying up $150 are getting, among additional things, a decent pair of useful, real night-vision goggles. But to what extent is the version “limited”? And what logics encourage Activision to release such a thing in the middle of an economic recession?

Regarding the rational of the developer on launching such a product, IGN had a discussion with Robert Bowling, the Community Manager of Infinity Ward. IGN was inquiring on Infinity’s thoughts/ideas for producing the Prestige Edition. IGN was reassured time and again that this edition is in no way anything that gamers will find in stores for many months following the release.

“Our retailers have already requested to gear up the production volume. This is a clear sign of solid demands. But according to our predefined plans, we readily denied,” Bowling added.

“We have clear cut planning right from the start. And our original and current plan is to provide a limited number of this product to those hardcore fans, along with early adopters,” he said.

Map Packs are vital aspect in Modern Warfare 2

You will buy these maps. There’s no way round to it!

Recently, periodical financial of Activision was chocked with loads of news – mostly because of the franchise of Call of Duty.

There was Mike Griffith, the President-CEO of Activision Publishing. While giving investors a complete look at Activision’s future plans for the outspoken Modern Warfare 2, he described the kind of online materials currently in development phase.

“Our plan is to launch 2 different map packs under this title,” he said. “Quality map packs can turn out to be really helpful in extending your franchise’s shelf life, as evident by the solid catalog sales, along with premium pricing we maintained even after 18 moths following the launch.”

Surely, Mike Griffith has a good point to make there. Sometimes cheap pricing won’t win you the results you wanted. It’s not always the ‘cheapest’ things consumers are always after. Rather, consumers try to buy something on the basis of value proposition and comparison.

To illustrate, buyers will try to asses the value of a product by weighing its fun, benefit and appeal against the cost of acquiring it. That is how they get the perception of value for a product.

If they’re satisfied with the answer, they won’t mind buying the product with the added cost – even after many months! And that is how the franchise of Call of Duty has turned out to be a success.

“Thus far, we’ve enjoyed solid success with our map packs – especially on this particular franchise. We’ve sold over 8 million units of the packs for Xbox 360 as well as Playstation 3, together” he added.

With unit sales as high as 8 million, it’s natural that companies adore DLC.

Modern Warfare 2: Getting 50 Cent to rap!

Rapper creates ‘casual cameo’ for the running year’s largest game.

How does it feel when you hear that 50 Cent will be there for making a great appearance as a guest in the ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’ of Infinity Ward. ‘So how does all that happen’ says an enthused gamer. But when you have the rapper contributing with his vocals, expect great excitement within the already thrill-filled biggest game of this year.

Let’s see how Robert Bowling puts the whole thing. “He’s one of the rare casual cameos the game is going to have,” says the community manager of Infinity Ward. He was keen to clarify the role play of 50 Cent in the forthcoming game.

This rapper is no stranger in gaming universe after his astonishing role in Blood on the Sand. With a grand show down like that, it was natural that the rapper will be contributing among the several multiplayer voices you hear in this game.

And voice does matter! You heard of great performers lending a part of their genius into animated films. You saw how Jim Carry or Nichole Kidman lent their vocal genius to timeless animated movies. And there’s a charisma in legendary voices, it adds sheer thrill and amusement for the audience or gamers.

Sometimes, the voice is nothing too special. But voices have different power to influence minds. Just imagine Jonny Depp putting his voice in a western gun-fighting game! Or imagine Jon Bon Jovi putting in his hard rock vocal in a commando game! Infinity is just using that idea with the 50 Cent rapper.

The remaining ‘casual cameos’ are yet to be labeled – although selecting celebrity voiceovers has every chance of providing interesting diversions in the middle of those hectic multiplayer as the hits the market this November.

Community helps shape maps for Modern Warfare 2

Infinity Ward is looking forward to the endeavors of it’s fan community for shaping upcoming DLC maps. The news to feel exited about is Infinity Ward now looks forward to your assistance for crafting multiplayer improved map packs.

The maker of the forthcoming fever, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, is planning to hold up the game even following its shipping. The developer plans to do this by releasing as a minimum 2 map packs that are ready to download. However there might be even more to arrive in near future.
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Robert Bowling is the Community Manager and was frankly saying that the team would be depending on this game’s community for getting clear ideas on the future shape of any upcoming DLC map packs when the major 2 are offered.

“And the whole idea of calling to community for getting the future design was not cheap publicity” said Robert Bowling. “Our game communities are our assets. Actually they’re the reason we exist today. And there’s no point imposing a design they do not feel okay with” Robert said.

And we simply repel the idea of making something that our consumers don’t want. We’re here to put the game community on the driving seat” Robert couldn’t help expressing the sheer dedication of developers in giving the community’s opinion the first priority.

And there are a few facts that are fully confirmed. First, as morning shows the day, it would be a reasonable expectation to believe that the developers’ quest for community’s involvement won’t be limited to just 2 map packs.

You can expect more harmony between the game’s developer and the fan club/community in moldings the blueprint of DLC for the full version of the game, and especially the initial 2 DLC map packs. At least that’s how he put the whole story in an interview with MTV.

Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Range Controller finally hits the market

Finally the company makes its partnership public. It recently allied with Activision to avail itself of some particular controllers and game accessories.

By the end of July, the Twitter post from Robert Bowling (serving Infinity Ward as community manager) set the World Wide Web on fire. A lot of people felt moved after reading the post. Actually, the note was all about injecting urgency among the enthused.

It was about the controller for ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.’ Robert Bowling wanted to know whether fans desired dished stick grips on analog architecture or whether they liked a convex one.

But there were things beyond that. Regardless of the final design of the product, people came to know that a whole new kind of controller was in course of development. And there was another post a while later, where Bowling confirmed that this much discussed controller was under the design and manufacturing process of a 3rd-party manufacturer.

So, Activision was finally starting to outsource a thing or two. Following that, the Twitter community came to know that the licensee (holding the right to craft accessories for a complete line of Modern Warfare 2) was none other than Mad Catz. You bet Mad Catz would feel privileged to work on the specialized controllers.

Mad Catz has recently announced their partnership with Activision as well as Infinity Ward for developing a wide range of specialized controllers & accessories. Their press release was bold about announcing that this company was on its way to develop accessories for every platform that are now announced for that title (that includes Xbox 360, PC, as well as PlayStation 3 systems).

“Mad Catz’s novelty and new approach from the very first day calls for appreciation” held Vince Zampella, Infinity Ward’s CEO.