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OPINION
Generation COD
Is the Call Of Duty franchise the devil of the video game
industry, or is it just following standard industry practice?
Let’s ask ANTHONY CAPONE.
Three games in, and Call Of Duty
was becoming just another
shooter. Then Modern Warfare
appeared. The critical and commercial
success of Call of Duty 4: Modern
Warfare propelled the brand to the
heights of AAA rivals Grand Theft
Auto and Halo. Several years on, the
financial windfalls continue, but Call
Of Duty has garnered somewhat of
a poor reputation among gamers.
Viewed by many as a money-grabbing
venture and blamed for driving a lack
of innovation, Call Of Duty may have
turned from a top of the line FPS
into the devil of the gaming industry.
However, a closer analysis reveals
that the issues generating the fury of
gamers are nothing new in the context
of the video game industry.
Some might dismiss each
forthcoming instalment of Call Of
Duty as nothing more than the next
Activision money spinner. While there
may be a degree of truth in that, we
need to remember that the goal of
the video games industry is just the
same as any other business; to make
money, and lots of it. Call Of Duty is
Activision’s perpetual cash cow, and
Bobby Kotick will continue to squeeze
every last penny from the franchise.
He isn’t doing it to annoy gamers or
to kill originality, but simply because
he has a duty to shareholders to
generate returns. It may seem an illadvised
practice that will ultimately
spell the series’ doom as it did to
Guitar Hero, but in the end, it’s the
model that keeps the wheels of
business spinning, and not just those
of the video game industry.
One way Activision has sought to
make money from the Call Of Duty
behemoth is with the higher price
of downloadable content. Under the
new model, map packs for Modern
Warfare and Black Ops cost around
$20 a pop. Compared to other
downloadable expansions and other
complete games that cost far less,
it could be seen as a blatant rip-off.
However, as with anything, the inherit
value is entirely subjective.
32 www.pixelhunt.com.au
march 2011