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Activision: Modern Warfare 2 earned $550 million in first five days

by Justin McElroy { Nov 18th 2009 at 9:45AM }

Activision has announced that, according to its internal estimates, Modern Warfare 2 has racked up $550 million in its first five days on the market. Considering that $310 million of that was in the game's first 24 hours, it means that it took another four days for the game to make another $240 million -- a great example of the big-bang starts enjoyed by many blockbuster games before their sales steadily decline. Still, Infinity Ward's latest managed to squeak by Grand Theft Auto 4's five-day record by $50 million.

If there were any tears to shed about that, Activision could dry them with some other impressive statistics, such as 5.2 million multiplayer hours logged and 11 million achievements unlocked on the game's first day. It could also presumably dry any tears with crisp bajillion dollar bills.

Square Enix chief confident in Modern Warfare 2's success in Japan

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 17th 2009 at 9:15PM }

[SUPERIOR INTERNET CONTENT! X2]

Western-developed games have rarely found success in Japan. However, Square Enix head Yoichi Wada doesn't believe it's because of inherent nationalism. "In the past, Japanese retailers have said that Japanese gamers have their own idiosyncrasies and tastes, and that that is the reason why the audience is not accepting of overseas titles," Wada told Ars Technica. "But I believe that is not the case, it was just a matter of poorly executed marketing."

Microsoft would probably take offense to that claim, considering it has poured considerable effort into the territory with arguably little return. Still, Capcom's success with the Grand Theft Auto franchise shows that Japanese gamers aren't entirely adverse to Western-style games. Square Enix believes it can follow suit with Modern Warfare 2, which launches in Japan in December, given the publisher's "extensive experience with the Japanese market."

We're not exactly sure what Square Enix is doing to increase Modern Warfare's appeal in Japan (the image above is not part of the campaign), but it seems to be working. Taketo Matsuo, a representative of Japanese retailer Tsutaya, has predicted Modern Warfare 2 to be one of Japan's top 10 games this holiday. Considering the rest of the list is made up of new Final Fantasy, Mario and Zelda games, that would be quite an accomplishment.

Modern Warfare 2 headshots XBLA activity

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 17th 2009 at 12:45PM }

Okay, so headshot might be too strong a word here, but Modern Warfare 2 has certainly wounded Xbox Live Arcade activity, as GamerBytes reports that top Arcade titles have seen a massive reduction in leaderboard activity since the release of Infinity Ward's latest blockbuster. Specifically, Trials HD -- long the reigning XBLA champion -- saw its leaderboard numbers drop from 14,890 players on the week of November 2 to 8,942 the week of November 9, about a 40 percent loss. Meanwhile, other titles including South Park, Zombie Apocalypse and Tower Bloxx Deluxe saw their leaderboards almost halved. Castle Crashers, curiously, only saw its numbers drop from 8,395 players to 6,034, a reduction of only 28 percent.

Still, it's pretty clear that Modern Warfare 2 has pulled a lot of gamers away from the more casual fare on XBLA. Either that, or lots of hardcore Call of Duty fans unceremoniously yanked the controllers from their more casually-oriented significant others.

BBC's 'The Big Questions' tackles Modern Warfare 2

by Ben Gilbert { Nov 16th 2009 at 3:30PM }

In case you were wondering yet had no intention of finding out for yourself, Modern Warfare 2 was released specifically to offend you. "The Big Questions" takes on this exact subject in this week's episode, hosting a handful of religious leaders as well as a couple of knowledgeable game industry folks. Though we feel that the game's graphic scenes are somewhat on par with action movies like Heat or Ronin (and are nowhere near as offensive as something like, say, Hostel – or even the 30-year-old Texas Chainsaw Massacre), religious leaders guesting on this week's BBC program took approximately forty seconds before enacting Godwin's Law when speaking about the game, according to an MCV report.

"Joseph Goebbels said his entertainment did more for the German people, in terms of creating the psyche for war and hostility towards others, than the speeches of Adolf Hitler ... the idea this is entertainment is not justification whatsoever, " Fazan Mohammed of the British Muslim Forum told viewers. Thankfully, Future Publishing's James Binns kept a level head among knee-jerk claims (unlike that other gentleman). "We can make all entertainment for children, or we can take proper steps to try and protect children from adult entertainment."

So, whaddya say, folks? Modern Warfare 3 with major battles between adorable stuffed pandas and adorable stuffed kodiaks, and when they get shot (with hearts) they explode candy? Where do we sign up?!

Rumor: MW2 recalled in Russia due to 'No Russian' scene [update]

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 16th 2009 at 12:04PM }

The console version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has allegedly been recalled in Russia due to the controversial "No Russian" scene. Hellforge's translation of a Russian report claims that a censored console version will be released later this month in the region, and that an official patch removing the scene from PC and Steam versions is en route. It would seem that the choice of killing innocent Russian civilians in the scene isn't one that the government would like to leave up to players.

To make sure this report stays as "fair and balanced" as possible, we've contacted Activision and Infinity Ward for comment. Any Russia-based readers that can shed a little bit more light on the situation should feel free to contact us.

Update: Activision confirms

[Via Edge]

Achtung! Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies infests iPhone

by Christopher Grant { Nov 16th 2009 at 11:00AM }

No doubt strategically timed between last week's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launch and this week's Left 4 Dead 2 launch, Activision just announced Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies, a $9.99 iPhone game based on the zombie-themed multiplayer antics of the series' console counterpart. Since the only thing the publishers sent us by way of details was an 8GB iPod Touch and iTunes code for the game (Joyswag, ahoy!) we'll turn to the App Store description.

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies supports up to four players over Wi-Fi, and two players over a local Bluetooth connection. You can use the iPhone's tilt sensors, or the always enjoyable virtual analog thumbsticks, to control the game. With Apple remaining hands-off in the space, the game supports "Achievements" and a "Leaderboard," but they're presumably isolated from other games. The description also promises that the game will "fully support future Downloadable Content, ensuring that the classic survival experience will live on with new maps." Thanks, in-game purchasing!

What's less clear is who is behind the development of Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies. The iTunes Store lists the game under "Vivendi Games Mobile," the presumably outdated name of Vivendi Games' mobile gaming arm, taken over during the 2007 merger. We've put a line into Activision. [Update: The press release just went out over the wires, and it states that Zombies was "developed by Ideaworks Game Studio" who have brought other high-profile cell phone games to market, including Metal Gear Solid Mobile, Project Gotham Racing, and Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode Final Fantasy VII.]

Gallery: Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies (iPhone)

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies –

Infinity Ward talking about spin-off game starring Modern Warfare 2's 'Ghost'

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 15th 2009 at 1:30PM }

Though Modern Warfare 2 is rife with instantly accessible, beloved characters with fascinating names, we all know that one stands out as the franchise's most memorable protagonist: Ghost. You know, Ghost! He's got that skull mask, and there was that one scene where that guy's about to shoot you, and then Ghost shoots him right back. He's already risen to fame somewhat when he received a six-part comic series telling his story -- but if the actor who provides the spectral hero's voice is to be believed, he might just show up in his own video game as well.

Craig Fairbrass, who not only did the voice for Ghost in MW2, but also voiced the equally unfortunately named Gaz in the original Modern Warfare, mentioned, "I'm now voicing a guy called Ghost, who now just got a spin-off comic of his own and they're talking about another little game to go with it." Little game? Based on the number of Michael Bay-esque explosions in the first five minutes of Modern Warfare 2, we're not sure Infinity Ward is capable of making those.

Activision pursuing 'online monetization models' for Call of Duty franchise

by Ben Gilbert { Nov 15th 2009 at 11:30AM }

For quite some time now, Activision execs have been hinting at the idea of MMO monetization being implemented in games other than Blizzard's behemoth World of Warcraft. Speaking at the BMO Capital Markets Conference this past week, another Activision exec – CFO Thomas Tippl – was tasked with the question of whether or not WoW's "successful online business model" (read: monthly subscription fees) would end up in other Activision properties.

"It's definitely an aspiration that we see potential in, particularly as we look at different business models to monetize the online gameplay," Tippl says, according to an IGN report. "I think it's been mutually beneficial, and you should expect us to test and ultimately launch additional online monetization models of some of some of our biggest franchises like Call of Duty." He also notes that "there is demand from the core gamers to pay up for that," which likely means that many of you who got Activision's survey back in June supported this.

Shame on you.

[Via CVG]

How not to boycott Modern Warfare 2

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 13th 2009 at 11:30PM }

Don't worry, guys. We're fairly certain that most of those copies are pirated.

(Click here for the full version of the image, as captured by PC Gamer forum poster Olu446.)

[Via Rock Paper Shotgun]

Funny or Die unlocks 'Spielberg' level in Call of Duty

by David Hinkle { Nov 13th 2009 at 8:00PM }

If there's one thing we don't get to talk about enough here on our vidya game blog, it's film legend Tom Hanks. The man just has a presence about him, one that adds an indefinable trait to anything he breathes on. Luckily, the restraining order he filed against us doesn't extend to the realm of typed-out words on the internet, so when we saw this Funny or Die (NSFW) video that combines a bit of Call of Duty with that gruesome Normandy Invasion scene from Saving Private Ryan, we just knew we had to post it up.

You can check it out past the break, but be warned: Aside from seeing all that gore, you'll hear the cackles of foul-mouthed Brits. Small price to pay for one of the funniest things you'll see, if you ask us.

[Via Go Nintendo]

Continued →

Using only words, man steals nearly $7000 of GameStop merchandise

by Ben Gilbert { Nov 13th 2009 at 2:00PM }

It's totally possible at this point that a strange ploy to keep us writing about Modern Warfare 2 at least four to five times per day exists. WPXI in Pittsburgh today reports that Western Pennsylvanian police are still looking for a man who robbed a Meadville, Pa. GameStop of 100 copies of the game (and "a few other items") last Tuesday evening. According to the report, the man told the store clerks that his friend outside would shoot them if they called the police.

Okay, first things first – how did he carry them out? 100 copies of the game, all by himself?! Those cellophane-covered boxes can get slippery when they're all stacked up! Assuming the games are in a box, that'd still be awfully cumbersome to maneuver out of a store. Second of all, where is this GameStop that has plenty of extra copies of any game on launch day? This whole thing stinks! Stinks, we say!

[Thanks, Yahya]

Metareview: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Reflex

by David Hinkle { Nov 12th 2009 at 7:00PM }

When the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was announced for the Wii, we kinda had to do a double-take on the whole thing. Would one of the current generation's most popular games be done justice on the Wii? Well, according to what few reviews have made their way online, yes ... and no!

Nintendo Dpad (85/100): "Overall, the game is just what you would expect from an HD game like Call of Duty 4 being ported to Wii. Everything is there, from the great multiplayer and single player modes, to Wii specific controls that really trump those found on other consoles. The only real bad part is that the graphics needed a major step down for the port, and we would have liked WiiSpeak support for those who prefer that, though it is not necessary."
ONM UK (80/100): "Given the extra two years Treyarch had to squeeze every last drop of polish from the Wii, this is underwhelming visually. It looks okay for a Wii game - that's the dreaded caveat - but it's not even up there with Metroid Prime: Corruption. Having said that, Modern Warfare is still an excellent shooter packed with options and it should be a big player online so we can welcome it to the Wii family."
IGN (70/100): "Unfortunately, Reflex Edition on Wii just doesn't cut it as a Call of Duty branded game or as a top-tier Wii first-person shooter. The framerate is jumpy, the pointer tracking needs some serious polish, and while most of the elements of COD4 are included, none of them are given enough fine-tuning to truly excel."

Gallery: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Wii)

Fox & Friends gets 'fair and balanced' with Modern Warfare 2 discussion

by Ben Gilbert { Nov 12th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Did you know that there's a murderer in your house ... right now? It's sitting there on your coffee table, in your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC. It's name is Modern Warfare 2, and it lets your eight-year-old child become a terrorist and kill people. Our pals at Fox & Friends got together for a "fair and balanced" discussion about the game's controversial airport scene, with the show's host Steve Doocy inviting Common Sense Media's Jim Steyer and /gamer's Jon Christensen into the fray.

Unsurprisingly, Steyer makes the oft-cited connection between violent games and real-life violence. And when Doocy gives Christensen the final word, he cobbles together an anecdote about his friend the retail manager not selling copies of Modern Warfare 2 to underage consumers, which is met with, "You bring a game into a house, nothing to stop an eight-year-old kid from becoming a terrorist and shooting people" from Doocy. So far, we haven't received any reports of the game sneaking its way into people's homes or making parents blind and unaware of their children's actions, but we'll keep our ears to the ground.

Continued →

Modern Warfare 2 party patch releases a day early

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 12th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Infinity Ward has released the 1.03 patch for Modern Warfare 2 a day earlier than expected. The 15MB download finally fixes the party system, allowing players to properly invite friends for multiplayer sessions. With last night's server fix and today's patch release, we can finally say Modern Warfare 2 is working exactly the way it should have. Sure, it took three days after the game's launch, but better late than never, right?

[Thanks, Jason C.!]

Everyone rush! Multiplayer returns to PS3 Modern Warfare 2 [update]

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 12th 2009 at 12:05AM }

Just as Veteran's Day comes to a close, it appears Infinity Ward has finally been able to get the online infrastructure stable for the PS3 version of Modern Warfare 2. It appears the third party-powered servers simply couldn't handle the overwhelming demand following the game's launch. Makes sense: it did sell close to a zillion copies. "We expect smooth skies ahead," IW's Robert Bowling stated in a recent tweet. That is, unless all of you rush to your PS3s again now that multiplayer is working yet again. Remember, though: this is simply a server-side fix that allows you to play multiplayer. The party system still won't work until a patch, planned for release on Friday.

Like many Joystiq commenters have pointed out, we're hoping this closure means the end of Modern Warfare 2 stories for a while. Hopefully we can keep this tag closed for at least a few days, before people start murmuring about the inevitable DLC to come.

Update: The PS3 patch for party invites has also gone live. More info can be found here.

[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]