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With Activision's holiday fiscal report expected to release this week, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter is predicting that the Call of Duty profit machine may not repeat its fantastic 2009 performance this year. As reported by IndustryGamers, Pachter believes the Call of Duty franchise will generate "sharply lower revenue," in 2010, to the tune of a $250 million decline. Not to worry, though, as he notes that Activision is likely to more than make up for that amount thanks to Blizzard's impending releases (hello, StarCraft II). Aside from that, of course, it's important to remember that we're talking about a $250 million decrease on almost a billion dollars, so it's not like Pachter expects Call of Duty to wind up in the toilet.

It's worth noting that the previous Call of Duty title, World at War, initially outsold Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, though Modern Warfare remained on top after the dust settled. Unsurprisingly to anyone paying attention, Modern Warfare 2 turned around to outsell the original Modern Warfare. Still, all three remain among the best selling games of all time, so maybe it's okay if the next one is only phenomenally successful.

A new Modern Warfare 2 patch will be releasing tonight for the PS3 version. Once again, a number of exploits will be addressed, including:

• Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized
• Fix for "infinite care package" exploit
• Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry
• Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s
• Improved player collision removing cases of getting into geometry and "elevators"
• Fixes to prevent various XP hacks

Unfortunately, the patch went live earlier in Europe, and broke a key feature of the game: being able to play online. Since then, the patch has been pulled, and is awaiting yet another fix. Once SCEA certification clears the patch, it will go live in both territories. An Xbox 360 version of the patch is also in the works, but there is currently "no ETA" on when it will go live.

[Thanks Kurby!]

If there's a statistic measuring how well a game sold, you're likely to find Wii Play lingering in it somewhere. It's not only been the best-selling game of 2009, but also just recently made itself known as the top seller for the last decade. Now, according to NPD data (via GameSpot), the software-hardware hybrid has claimed another throne: top-selling non-PC US game ever.

It's a pretty prestigious list and while no exact figures are listed (save for the bundle's October performance, selling a whopping 11.1 million units in that month alone), the other games listed should give you an indication of just how many homes Wii Play has invaded. Taking second place is Guitar Hero III, the first game to earn $1 billion in revenue, followed by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The others in the top ten are generally expected, including Activision's other $1 billion earner, Modern Warfare 2 (notable because, damn, that was fast!), along with a pair of other Call of Duty games. Head over to GameSpot for the full list.

Apparently, Peter Jackson happily contributed to Modern Warfare 2's gigantic pile of cash, as a recent interview with Ain't It Cool News shows. He goes on at great length discussing his time with the game, most notably his campaign and Spec-Ops progress. More interesting, however, are his thoughts on gaming in general and his eagerness to undertake an original gaming project of his own at Wingnut Interactive.

Sure, he's no stranger to gaming (he had a hand in the game adaptation of King Kong, after all), has a TinTin thing in the works and also something based on the upcoming The Hobbit movie, but he's got a few, more original ideas banging around the old noggin. Not only is he considering doing a video game -- a medium he describes is "getting more and more interesting" -- but he's also considering a movie and spin-off game approach. Really, he's at the concept stage right now.

With his film The Lovely Bones finally out in theaters, he's now free to initiate his next move. That is when he's not playing Spec-Ops, of course.

[Via Gamasutra]

A patch for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 is now available for download from Steam, which nips the negative XP and "running man" issues in the bud. PC gamers should find the game more or less back to normal, but there are still plenty of problems for console gamers, so we we contacted Infinity Ward's Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling to find out about an update.

Bowling told us a console patch is "currently in test for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions." Unfortunately, he didn't have any word as to when the patch would go live for Xbox 360 and PS3 users. Hang in there soldiers!

Many Modern Warfare 2 players still debate the game's best piece of weaponry. Fortunately, hackers have settled this timeless dispute once and for all: It is, of course, the gun that hurtles your opponent back in time, back to the days when he or she was a lowly, classless Private. Okay, there's apparently a new homebrewed glitch which accomplishes this feat, not a gun -- but it would be awesome if there was. We're envisioning the Infanto Ray which Borf used in Space Ace to turn awesome-Dexter into pantywaist-Dexter.

Yes, according to a few incensed forum posters, hackers have allegedly found a way to augment the amount of experience rewarded for killing them. Instead of the usual 50- or 100-point increments we usually see, these dubious players can punish their murderers with negative five million points, dropping their hard-earned rank back to level 1. Check out a NSFW video after the break to see this horrific new exercise (which appears to only be happening on Xbox Live) in motion. We've contacted the folks at Infinity Ward to find out what they're doing to crack down on these total Borfs.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

For nine straight weeks, the UK's gamer populace has been mesmerized by the siren's song of Modern Warfare 2. Today, that's all changed, with the latest Chart-Track data showing a new entry usurping Modern Warfare 2's top spot: Just Dance. Ubisoft's quirky dance title for the Wii has enjoyed a level of success there we would never have thought possible. Can its performance be attributed to good advertising or simply the United Kingdom's unrestrained love of Kevin Bacon?

And MW2 wasn't even in the second spot, either. Wii Fit Plus managed to grab the silver, while Infinity Ward's shooter was bumped down to a respectable bronze. Newcomers Bayonetta and Darksiders also managed to stay on the list, along with Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed 2, which stealthily secured the tenth spot.

Well folks, we've been here twice before -- it's that very special time of year when the Writers Guild of America announces nominations in the category of "Videogame Writing." As has been the standard for the past two years, the list of games is a dubious mix. We'd certainly point to Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2 (our 2009 Game of the Year, lest you forget) and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed 2 as worthy of the title, but ... well, nearly everything else on the list strikes us as either unworthy or straight up misplaced. It reads as follows:

• Assassin's Creed 2
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Wet
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine

We're just as flummoxed as you are that titles like Wolverine and Modern Warfare 2 showed up -- especially while a litany of other great writing falls by the wayside (we're looking at you, Dragon Age and Professor Layton 2) -- but that might have something to do with the WGA membership requirement for consideration in the nominations. Regardless, we'll find out who's going to take the golden manuscript home when the show takes place simultaneously in both Los Angeles and New York City on February 20.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Fun fact: We like to describe the pacing of a game's action on a scale composed of Brass-centric Americana music standards. For example, the speed of Modern Warfare 2 is moderate, yet fairly steady. In other words, it's normally set to "Spanish Flea," by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Unfortunately, wily hackers have gotten their hands on the game once again, cranking that speed up a few dozen notches to Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax." Check out the video after the jump to see the hyperspeed gunfighting in action.

We managed to get into one of these hacked games during a Headquarters match last night on Xbox Live, and while it may look like fun, it feels a lot like you're speed skating the entire time. As you might imagine, that makes shooting near-impossible -- but it makes the ever-whimsical "Sax" all the more appropriate.

[Via Xbox 360 Digest]

Once more, we must throw another rumor into the gurgling vat of faint indications that Infinity Ward is planning a subscription-based MMO. This time 'round, Destructoid cites the wise council of anonymous "industry sources" that reportedly suggests that Infinity Ward is hiring developers from Sony Online Entertainment (and borrowing a few human resources from Blizzard) to work on the new project.

Now, if these reports are accurate, there's no earthly way of knowing for certain if the project is an MMO, or whether or not it will even be based on the Call of Duty franchise. Then again, considering our current kill rank in Modern Warfare 2 is like 5,314,592, doesn't that mean Infinity Ward's already made an MMO? Food for thought, folks. Food for thought.

Sure, Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer mode has already sucked you in, but just imagine what would happen if you added an invigorating soundtrack to all those bullet-soaked moments? Well, guess what: The game's soundtrack composer, Hans Zimmer, recently indicated in a Facebook note that the "soundtrack album is in the works."

That's right -- soon you'll be able to take the orchestrated drama from the single-player campaign and import it into a looping death march beat. But hey, at least your folks will be glad you're listening to classical music, right?

It seemed like half of the posts we wrote this year were about Modern Warfare 2 -- interestingly enough, the closer we got to the game's release, the more inflammatory the subject matter of these stories became. From leaked footage to dedicated servers to petitions and boycotts to news backlash over that one scene, it seemed like public opinion on the game had turned ugly. Then it came out, and everyone bought it.

That sales success was predicated upon the strength of the first Modern Warfare game, and a trust in Infinity Ward to deliver a stronger single-player and multiplayer experience in the sequel. Our trust wasn't misplaced -- the already compelling and entertaining multiplayer component from the first game has been expanded and improved, and though you may have qualms with the campaign's straight-up nonsensical storyline, you can't deny that it contained more than a few holy crap moments.

The game's main time sink is, of course, the multiplayer mode. Modern Warfare 2's got more perks, weapons and equipment to unlock, not to mention the titles and emblems you can earn by completing challenges. These little incentives are constantly getting unlocked, forming an unrelenting, iron-clad grasp on the player. I can't count the number of nights I accidentally stayed up until dawn, in constant pursuit of that next level. And then the one after that. And then the next one.

While we still would've preferred a cohesive co-operative campaign, the new Spec Ops mode provided a few additional jollies. Some of the later missions were a little too tedious and aggravating for our tastes, but the chance to recreate some of the game's more intense combat encounters with two players was much appreciated.

Of course, the game wasn't completely without fault. As mentioned above, the story was nigh-incomprehensible (Terrorists! Bombs! EMPs! Invasions! Bigger bombs! What a tweeest!), and the online multiplayer was riddled with bugs and exploits that have only recently been remedied. Thanks to this one game, the word "Javelin" will hold sinister implications in the mind of every gaming enthusiast across the world.

Still, these issues don't do much to detract from Modern Warfare 2's overall experience. The explosive single-player campaign, innovative Spec Ops missions and infinitely addictive online multiplayer offerings combine to form one of the most compelling, jaw-dropping first-person shooters we've played in a good, long time.

You know what we want for Christmas? A more interesting Xbox Live Activity top ten to write about. Just as it did the week of Nov. 9, the Call of Duty franchise has held up three of the top five slots this week, with Halo 3 in second place and Grand Theft Auto IV taking the spot formerly held by the Left 4 Dead 2 demo.

As hard as we might wish for a shakeup in the new year, we're not sure what title's going to be the one to do it. Surely we won't see four CoD games in the top five in 2010. Surely.

Here, on the eve of the eve of Video Game Gift Giving and Receiving Day (known in some cultures as "Christmas" or "Festivus") comes a heartfelt plea by the fine men and women of the Christian Civic League of Maine, who join us under a common banner of misusing semicolons to bring us this message; "All decent people should denounce the video game 'Modern Warfare 2;' and join in opposing the sale and use of such games."

Yes, Modern Warfare 2's controversial "No Russian" mission -- erroneously titled the "Massacre Level" here -- has once again brought the full weight of the nation's outrage (represented here by the Christian Civic League of Maine). The group reminds us of the "well-established cause and effect relationship between video games and school shootings" and cautions that "the ready availability of drugs, violent video games, and outrageous rock music is a witch's brew which will eventually lead to tragedy here in Maine." Speaking of witches, GamePolitics points out that the group has outed the owner of a local book store as a witch (and a Democrat!) and claims she "cast a spell" on the Administrator of the League.

Merry Christmas!

[Via GamePolitics]

For the last week or so, the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer experience has been plagued by a number of issues, across all platforms. Those issues have been targeted by a new patch, which Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling states has gone live on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Among the issues addressed are those nasty infinity ammo and Public "private" match issues on the Xbox 360 version, the Prestige hack on PS3 and the texture hack on PC. Also, the 1887 has been balanced on all platforms -- now, you might actually stand a chance against an opponent wielding two of those.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]