Infinity Ward: 1.3 million gamers play CoD4 daily [update]
by Dustin Burg 
{ Mar 31st 2008 at 10:45AM }
The Xbox Live supremacy mud-slinging gets taken to a new level today with Infinity Ward comparing how many Xbox Live gamers log in to play
Speaking to Eurogamer, Infinity Ward producer Mark Rubin revealed that nearly 1.3 million gamers
You hear that Halo 3 fanboys? You better start logging more games, gathering up your friends and relatives or claim Xbox Live defeat to your CoD4 conquerors. CoD4 has been high atop the Live leaderboards for the past few months now and has been getting cocky. And rightfully so.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 10:54AM
I still think Halo's more fun. The one thing I can't stand about COD4 is that you choose your starting weapon. I like it better when everyone starts out equal and you have to earn the better weapon.
tan @ Apr 4th 2008 6:17AM
i do like halo more:)
i love call of duty! just i like halo more, i think its more fun:)
but thats just me:)
Kevin @ Mar 31st 2008 10:58AM
Watch the revolution once the MLG playlist is unleashed.
JBurton90 @ Mar 31st 2008 10:58AM
Not to mention that a game of CTF or Assault forces you to play 4, 4 minute rounds.
DiscoGhost @ Mar 31st 2008 11:11AM
F cod, smash.
Dick @ Mar 31st 2008 11:14AM
Yeah, Ghost, though;
Smash
Halo
Army of Two
Atari
Caleco Vision
Caka Dookie 4 multiplayer
(in my mind anyways)
Neuromancer @ Mar 31st 2008 11:14AM
Both games have worn out their welcome with me, I like co-op games much better than competive games.
" I like it better when everyone starts out equal and you have to earn the better weapon."
Right just like in real life, weapons are just sitting around waiting to be picked up.
pwnd @ Jun 28th 2008 1:51AM
Yeah your gunned should get jammed with sand and shit, that would be fun and realistic, right? Both games are entirely different, so cut the crap?
bnun @ Mar 31st 2008 11:16AM
I love both games, but I think comparing the number of total games played can be really misleading. Different game types require different time lengths. Maybe a better comparison would be total time spent in-game over Xbox Live (not counting waiting in the lobby).
Swede33 @ Mar 31st 2008 11:18AM
Really, more people are playing COD4 than Halo 3? I guess I better switch. Seriously, I could care less if COD4 has more players. Halo 3 is still tons-o-fun, and until it stops being such, I have no reason to buy COD4.
joey @ Mar 31st 2008 11:22AM
Josh,
How the hell do you earn weapons in halo3?
You meant pick up weapons from the maps.
Call of Duty has it, old school mode.
You know what game let you actually earn weapons?
That's right Call of Duty 4.
AnOffday @ Mar 31st 2008 11:26AM
I'm a fan of both. But with the two new map packs, I'll just be buying the COD4 pack just because they will know how to implement them better than Halo does. Buying map packs for Halo is a waste of money. They only give you like one playlist, it's not ranked, and it's only the new maps. I feel like the people who wait for them to become free are rewarded, while the people who actually paid for them are cheated.
miniboss @ Mar 31st 2008 11:33AM
It's cool if you still play Halo. It's like you are an independent thinker. And thats a good thing.
But do you notice that when someone has a gamertag ( and is playing COD4 ) that goes something along the sort of 'halofan' or 'master chief' or something - that that player is some smurf sounding something little kid.
Intentless @ Mar 31st 2008 11:32AM
AnOffDay, and how will COD4 implement them? Can only play if you have them? In which case you are going to see a lot of people dropping off COD4... The way bungie implemented it was great. They were available in all playlists and if everyone matched together had them it would be the map. The DLC dedicated one was for people that only wanted to play the new ones... Just saying...
miniboss @ Mar 31st 2008 1:03PM
there will probably not be a drop off in quality COD4 games on live because only people who will not buy the maps will fall off. and they are ussually the halo fans. one less idiot to pick off - no big deal. plus you'll get a load of band jumpers picking the game of year adding more gamers to the network.
everyone wins - and even the halo fans playing cod4 can stick with each other if they dont buy the new maps
mattclarkie @ Mar 31st 2008 11:47AM
I'm too busy playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2. I have nearly got my officer and 500 Kills achievements.
Somehow people have got to Elite, I can't see how.
PerfectStrategy @ Mar 31st 2008 11:57AM
http://www.bungie.net/
Halo 3 is well over 2 million games played in the past day. So suck on it, Infinity Ward.
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 12:12PM
only 1 million games in 1 day, I beg to differ that, more like 2 million a day, (check Bungie.net) but of course Infinity Ward isn't that good at keeping up with current events (remember the e-mail that was sent out a week after CoD became top on live and Halo went back to number 1. So, Dustin, can you please update this news with the actual number of Halo 3 games played everyday so that the facts are right.
Right Now on bungie.net
#Matches Logged (Last 24 Hours):
2,380,138
Yeah, 2 million looks like 1 million to Infinity Ward. I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant but these are the facts.
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Mar 31st 2008 12:24PM
@ Joey @ Neuromancer
Do know which game allows you to magically spawn(Hey I though I've already spammed my 3x frag!?) a grenade out of your ass after a headshot? Or surviving a headshot from Barreta 50 cal?
Unless you are some Operation Flashpoint veteran, don't give me any shit about realism in CoD4 as there's even less than in Halo.
Even though I miss some MP action, I began to hate it due to the fact that it is a lot easier than Halo.Campers on Halo are pathetic as even two noobs can take them on...a single pro if good enough.
But here on CoD with almost instant kills, a single camper can hold out with a shotgun/P90 against the entire team.That's one of the games that really encourage those tactics that are thrown upon in other games.Do a simple experiment:
-Find the top three players and follow them.Notice what perks they are using aswell as what weapons.I guarantee you that they're either sniping or camping and I'm certain they have martyrdom.
I will not believe anybody unless provided with some proof that,as an open-fighter, you can have a 25/5 KD.I could hardly keep my K/D up in the open fighting and the only times when it rocketed high was when I took some high/hidden spots and waited for my prey to come across.
Conclusion: It's not better, it's easier which makes it even more casual than Halo 3(Yes I know it appears to be teh hardcorez but think about all they kiddies playing it...yes that's the target audience).And casual = popular
miniboss @ Mar 31st 2008 12:39PM
lets keep the hardcore players on halo 3- we'll use that as quality control to not get halo fans who play the easier gamer to not mouth off as much. nothing is worse then chatter that does not help the team win. do you ever hear that guy complaining 'i shot him first'? thats the halo player (sucker).
Conclusion: It's not better, it's easier which makes it even more casual than Halo 3(Yes I know it appears to be teh hardcorez but think about all they kiddies playing it...yes that's the target audience).And casual = popular
Milly @ Mar 31st 2008 12:48PM
I had some thoughts on the reasoning of these stats but I think #17 captured it perfectly.
I played alot of COD 2, tried to play some COD 3 and play alot of Halo 3 (first halo game i've owned). And I will say that Halo 3 is a true challenge, both in respect to the competition/skill level and ranking system. You really need to earn it.
As someone who plays alot of team slayer/team oriented games, there is no consequences of losing a team match in COD4 and if you play long enough any sh_t player can reach the highest rank. There is no urgency or accountability like there is in H3 matches. And I think that does appeal to alot of people. You get realized results with as much effort as you want to put in to it (little or alot).
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 12:58PM
I care to win in Halo, it makes people work in teams and coordinate attacks to get the experience (you don't get anything for losing). CoD 4 on the other hand is different, even though people use teamwork sometimes, most people go off alone because it doesn't matter as much when you die, you just respawn fast (for most gametypes) and go try and kill people. Team work isn't really a key because most of the points you get in a game usually (not all the time come from kills and not objectives). I feel that there is just more communication in Halo than CoD because it means more to win in Halo than it does for CoD 4.
miniboss @ Mar 31st 2008 1:01PM
its cool if you want more difficulty. go ahead and paly halo. i can respect that.
but - i just can get into the sci fi weapon set that halo has to offer. id rather weild a m14 or m4 rather some laser blater with crystals. I might take a pulse rifle or a light saber though - but thats only for that upcoming 'aliens' and 'force unleashed' games. until then its cod4
Milly @ Mar 31st 2008 1:06PM
yeah that makes sense
erivera3 @ Mar 31st 2008 1:11PM
I just think it's funny they are trying to brag, Bungie never brags about their accomplishments.
Halo 3 owns all.
dartendaspartan @ Mar 31st 2008 2:29PM
I prefer Halo and after checking Bungie.net, WTF? It says 2.2 million games were played in the last 24 hours so ha!
Pyrobi @ Mar 31st 2008 2:40PM
Anyone know if this figure beats Halo 2's, or Halo 3's perhaps, back in it's prime?
Pyrobi @ Mar 31st 2008 2:46PM
Those are individual games 'dartendaspartan', whereas this figure in the story is about unique players.
Yeah, just checked bungie net and they have 850k-ish players online in the last 24 hours.
Ghostbuddy @ Mar 31st 2008 2:54PM
COD is boring...
I have had it since it first came out. Got into it, never thought I would play Halo. Luckly one of my better friends back from Halo 2 got on, and didn't have COD. He sent me an invite to go play Halo 3, I hated it, untill I got back into it. I have barely played COD since.
The biggest thing COD has going for it is the reward system. The gameplay its self is bland. It didn't take long for me to realize without prestige mode, almost no one would be playing it beyond the first week.
Halo has more tactics, team work, variety, skill. The MM makes for more competition then COD if thats what your looking for. With Custom games theres all sorts of things you can do if you like to casually play MP games.
Crazy fast zombies on Sandtrap. Rocket Race. Griff ball. Ninjanaunt. Pirate sharks. Pirate territories. Zombie survivior maps on Foundry. Mongoose tracks on Foundry. So many possibilities.
At the end of the day, COD is played because it is deceptive.
It fools you into thinking the gameplay is fun. But you eventually realize its bland after theres nothing to unlock. Then you prestige like a sheep. It fools you into thinking it takes more skill and tactics then Halo. But at a closer glance it clearly does not. It fools you into thinking it is a crazy good looking game. When it is, infact has the worst textures on the 360. Its actually pretty funny.
Also, Halo 3 has over 2 million games played. More then COD on the 360. Infinity Ward boasted the first week they over came Halo 3, the following Halo 3 over came COD, and Bungie was silent. Bungie never spoke an arrogant word with Halo 2, and it was king for two years. COD was king for one week and they were already bragging. They are doing it again now.
I hope Halo 3 over comes COD this week. As a result of:
- Free heroic maps last week
- MLG playlist out today.
- new COD maps hurting the experience for people without the new maps.
- Some of the COD player base moving over to Rainbow Six Vegas 2.
Would serve them right.
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 3:20PM
@ ghostbuddy
You took the words right out of my mouth, except I play CoD 4 off and on and never really got fully obsessed with it.
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 3:23PM
Stupid no edit button.
@Pyrobi
read this from the post
"Speaking to Eurogamer, Infinity Ward producer Mark Rubin revealed that nearly 1.3 million GAMES of CoD4 are logged each and every day via Xbox Live alone. That gigantic number eclipses Halo 3's GAMES played which hovers around the 1 million mark every day. Rubin also wanted to make sure that we understood that the 1.3 million number was just GAMES played on the 360 and that "there's even more on the other platforms [PS3 and PC], but we just don't have the same numbering system. Overall, even without the other consoles, we are beating the competition.""
as you can see, it is talking about games played, unique users is a whole other topic. This doesn't even mention people just games played.
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 3:24PM
Scratch that, this article says games but the Eurogamer one says players.
ryan @ Mar 31st 2008 4:09PM
"new COD maps hurting the experience for people without the new maps"
how?
if based on fun factor and gameplay, CoD 4 wins hands down. it may be easier, but it's simply a joy to play. i'm tired of depleting a full clip into someone only for them to smack me dead.
if halo 3 had a run button instead of dual weapons, then i may reconsider. i guess i'm just addicted to good controls and great graphics--
it's not the textures IW uses but the environments they have modeled. MUCH more interesting than bland sci fi corridors and wide open spaces. you just can't Cat and Mouse on a H3 map.
and i didn't even mention my hate for H3's Magnum. *pew pew*
rinks @ Mar 31st 2008 4:25PM
The article linked to is actually 1.3 million GAMERS, not games. That's okay Joystiq, it's not like that's the headline or anything.
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 4:55PM
@ Ryan
"if halo 3 had a run button instead of dual weapons, then i may reconsider."
I stopped reading after that. So if I throw a run button on the worst game invented, you'll play it? A run button is something that is used to move people faster to an objective, dual weapons allow you to double your fire power or mix and match combinations to best fit your situation, I would gladly take duel weapons over running any day. Halo doesn't have it because it is not necessary. I would also like to say the Halo's graphics aren't bland, there probably one of the most interesting to look at with the lighting and shadows. It has color like in the real world instead of shades of grey and black.
xX FearHAVOK Xx @ Mar 31st 2008 8:09PM
you know the ooooooonly reason cod 4 is at the top is because they arnt counting guests in halo 3.
there are so many guests out there, and none of them are counted towrds this number, meaning that there is actually wayyyy more people playing halo then cod 4
John @ Mar 31st 2008 6:31PM
I doubt they will be able to tout that number for long. Halo will be the champ again.... SOON!!
ryan @ Mar 31st 2008 5:44PM
sprinting heightens the feel of combat which is to me a better experience than wielding 2 guns while giving up the option to grenade. unfortunately for Halo 3, dual wielding isn't as effective as it once was in Halo 2.
it's not that CoD4 doesn't have as much color as Halo 3, but it's intricacy of it's environments is what i find appealing. Halo 3 is more cleaner and barren while CoD4 is more used and realistic.
ryan @ Mar 31st 2008 5:51PM
so i guess what i'm trying to say concerning running in CoD4 is i'd rather be a ninja than a tank. :D
ryan @ Mar 31st 2008 5:57PM
i'd also like to add that knifing with the right stick will always feel much much more satisfying than melee with the B button. i dunno...there's something about Halo 3's melee that just seems unintuitive to me.
Josh @ Mar 31st 2008 7:55PM
I'm not a big fan of the knife as the right stick, I feel since the right stick is for movement, let it be used as crouch (movement) and the b button as a melee. I see they did that so you can keep moving and melee as you usually don't need to crouch and move at the same time in that game. Halo you need to sneak by radar and stuff. You are right however that duel wielding has been tone down but its one of the most underrated parts of Halo 3 as I've used duel wielding to gain the upper hand on enemies when they go around with only on duel wieldable weapon. I also wouldn't say Halo is barren, because the levels are very populated with debris and objects that pertain to the level. CoD 4 is very populated because most of the game is in confined areas that aren't very big in terms of scale compared to other games.
Matt @ Mar 31st 2008 11:36PM
Hey Ghostbuddy, you're living in a dream world. COD 4 has owned Halo 3 atop the Xbox Live most played charts every week since the beginning of the year. New maps, playlists, double XP, etc, hasn't changed anything. Sure it's great for the people that play Halo 3, but it ain't bringing people back from COD4.
I guess COD4 has done pretty well at "fooling" all those people into thinking it's fun. I guess we're all brainwashed.
How are the new COD maps going to hurt people without them? IW is adding new Playlists specifically for the new maps.
As for your theory on people moving over to Rainbow, sorry, didn't happen. Rainbow has already come and gone for most and look at Major Nelson's XBL ranking for the week it came out. It was still lagging behind GHIII! Haha
tommy @ Apr 1st 2008 7:06AM
truthfully; i stopped playing call of duty last december... i always just found it to be to random and not requiring much skill... dont get me wrong its still a fun game; its just not competative enough for me.
ryan @ Apr 1st 2008 12:19PM
"I feel since the right stick is for movement, let it be used as crouch (movement) and the b button as a melee"
right stick is aiming not movement. having to release your thumb for an attack, be it shooting or melee, is not intuitive whatsoever.
have you seen the new Creek map for CoD4? Huge, realistic, debris everywhere and very pretty. i'm loving it.
and as you've seen in the MLG game type topic recently they've made it faster for Halo 3. so somebody wishes Halo 3 were faster. I still say i'd like to have a sprint button as do many others.
Marz @ Apr 10th 2008 6:10PM
I stopped playin Halo when Halo 3 came out... Halo 2 is way better then Halo 3, I tried COD4.. Shies That Game is Sick man... Been camping on it ever since it came out... One other thing, I Like the Weapons on COD4 better.. its more realistic. Love the Sniper especially the 50 Cal, It got Five different Sniper Riffles, .. By the way COD 1 .2 . 3 Is no Match Then COD4. I was a Halo Freak But right now.. Ima Stick to COD4... Sorry HALO 3 & COD 1,2,3 Fans.. Imma HALO2 & COD4 Fan.. HALO2 & COD4 Rules
Peace OUT