Something went wrong. Try again later

Giant Bomb News

56 Comments

Two Million Have Signed Up for Call of Duty Elite's Beta Test

by on

But how many people will pay?

As if there was any doubt there would be significant interest in Activision's plans for Call of Duty Elite, Activision social media manager Dan Amrich revealed two million users have signed up.

Call of Duty is company's recently revealed service-level addition to the franchise, which comes in both free and paid subscription forms. It's not been announced what features will cost money--or how much it will cost. The air of ambiguity is what's caused many vocal complaints.

"When the studio head at Beachhead said this would be a live beta," said Amrich, "he was not kidding--your participation really can make a difference in how Elite evolves. And don’t be discouraged by the big number, thinking you shouldn’t bother because they already have enough people--two million volunteers among 30 million Call of Duty players is a small amount. More would be even better."

The service does not make multiplayer pay-to-play, and introduces analytics such as heat maps.

Call of Duty Elite's premiering through Call of Duty: Black Ops, but will also be part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3--and assumedly all Call of Duty games available in the future.

No Caption Provided
Patrick Klepek on Google+
Filed under:
Activision
Call of Duty Elite
Call of Duty

56 Comments

Avatar image for dookysharpgun
Dookysharpgun

622

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 32

User Lists: 0

Edited By Dookysharpgun
@CosmicQueso said:

@JimmyJackJones said:

Who are these people?! "I have no idea what this service is, but it says Call of Duty on it, so sign me up!"

These represent the vast majority of people that buy games. They purchase 1 or 2 a year and play that. COD, maybe Madden, possibly a game for the kids. And that's it. Then they get their buddies and play only this. Then one buddy signs up so they all do. And they're happy, very happy.

And while COD guy is happy and enjoying his games and his friends, games enthusiasts come to enthusiast websites to wring their hands and get all upset that the masses keep buying COD.

In sum, COD guy is having fun, and enthusiasts are angry about that.

Maybe because those 'enthusiasts' want the fucking games industry to cop the fuck on and realize that appealing to the collective ignorance of the mass market they're ringing in might be just a tad unethical, and will inevitably impact, in a negative manner, the gaming industry as a whole. And be aware that before the COD craze, fuck all of these people would touch a console, let alone buy into an entire game series. Happiness is not the same as blissful ignorance, now I don't mind people, like me, who buy a vast number of games, and might play a new COD game, but Activision seem to be exploiting casual gamers, pushing this single game series, and using it to bleed as much money as possible out of people, until one day they realize that they've spent a vast sum of money on the same game every year, for 5 straight years. Now imagine if devs we love started doing that? A new Elder Scrolls every year? Same game, nothing new. Gears of War? Mass Effect? Battlefield? Any other games series that requires more than a year out of a development team? Dragon Age 2 had proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that short dev times for RPGs would prove to be an idea that would come under criticism by more than a minority of gamers.
 
These people want to change the damn industry, make it a place where we can actually play good, innovative new games, and allow the industry to be recognised as a real entertainment medium. COD & Activision are not helping. Not even in the slightest. I don't give a rat's ass whether COD sells 5 million copies on release day, as far as I'm concerned, its exploitation of a majority of people who, through no fault of their own, know nothing about games or game quality, or even about the industry, and have no idea the shitstorm they're helping to release on the rest of the gaming community.
 
I'm sorry, but jesus christ, don't put the decent human beings down, just because they refuse to accept the shit being thrown over something they love. You'd be just as pissed if something you loved for years was sullied by some company who thinks its ok to exploit others for financial gain. I'd love a good COD game, but unfortunately, I'm never going to get one of those ever again.
Avatar image for cosmicqueso
CosmicQueso

582

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 14

Edited By CosmicQueso

@Dookysharpgun said:

@CosmicQueso said:

@JimmyJackJones said:

Who are these people?! "I have no idea what this service is, but it says Call of Duty on it, so sign me up!"

These represent the vast majority of people that buy games. They purchase 1 or 2 a year and play that. COD, maybe Madden, possibly a game for the kids. And that's it. Then they get their buddies and play only this. Then one buddy signs up so they all do. And they're happy, very happy.

And while COD guy is happy and enjoying his games and his friends, games enthusiasts come to enthusiast websites to wring their hands and get all upset that the masses keep buying COD.

In sum, COD guy is having fun, and enthusiasts are angry about that.

Maybe because those 'enthusiasts' want the fucking games industry to cop the fuck on and realize that appealing to the collective ignorance of the mass market they're ringing in might be just a tad unethical, and will inevitably impact, in a negative manner, the gaming industry as a whole. And be aware that before the COD craze, fuck all of these people would touch a console, let alone buy into an entire game series. Happiness is not the same as blissful ignorance, now I don't mind people, like me, who buy a vast number of games, and might play a new COD game, but Activision seem to be exploiting casual gamers, pushing this single game series, and using it to bleed as much money as possible out of people, until one day they realize that they've spent a vast sum of money on the same game every year, for 5 straight years. Now imagine if devs we love started doing that? A new Elder Scrolls every year? Same game, nothing new. Gears of War? Mass Effect? Battlefield? Any other games series that requires more than a year out of a development team? Dragon Age 2 had proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that short dev times for RPGs would prove to be an idea that would come under criticism by more than a minority of gamers. These people want to change the damn industry, make it a place where we can actually play good, innovative new games, and allow the industry to be recognised as a real entertainment medium. COD & Activision are not helping. Not even in the slightest. I don't give a rat's ass whether COD sells 5 million copies on release day, as far as I'm concerned, its exploitation of a majority of people who, through no fault of their own, know nothing about games or game quality, or even about the industry, and have no idea the shitstorm they're helping to release on the rest of the gaming community. I'm sorry, but jesus christ, don't put the decent human beings down, just because they refuse to accept the shit being thrown over something they love. You'd be just as pissed if something you loved for years was sullied by some company who thinks its ok to exploit others for financial gain. I'd love a good COD game, but unfortunately, I'm never going to get one of those ever again.

Jesus dude, how do you really feel?

The industry is a business, and it's in the business of making money. You don't care if it sells 5 million? The industry sure does, cuz they gots bills to pay.

Look dude, if you don't like COD that's cool, don't buy it. There are more alternatives for great gaming experiences now than there have ever been before. There are dozens if not hundreds of good, innovative new games. And it's just getting started. You are not being hurt one bit by the success of COD, so why the anger at it? The "decent human beings" can have just as much fun and enjoyment regardless of what the mindless COD zombie consumer does or doesn't do.

Avatar image for dookysharpgun
Dookysharpgun

622

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 32

User Lists: 0

Edited By Dookysharpgun
@CosmicQueso said:

@Dookysharpgun said:

@CosmicQueso said:

@JimmyJackJones said:

Who are these people?! "I have no idea what this service is, but it says Call of Duty on it, so sign me up!"

These represent the vast majority of people that buy games. They purchase 1 or 2 a year and play that. COD, maybe Madden, possibly a game for the kids. And that's it. Then they get their buddies and play only this. Then one buddy signs up so they all do. And they're happy, very happy.

And while COD guy is happy and enjoying his games and his friends, games enthusiasts come to enthusiast websites to wring their hands and get all upset that the masses keep buying COD.

In sum, COD guy is having fun, and enthusiasts are angry about that.

Maybe because those 'enthusiasts' want the fucking games industry to cop the fuck on and realize that appealing to the collective ignorance of the mass market they're ringing in might be just a tad unethical, and will inevitably impact, in a negative manner, the gaming industry as a whole. And be aware that before the COD craze, fuck all of these people would touch a console, let alone buy into an entire game series. Happiness is not the same as blissful ignorance, now I don't mind people, like me, who buy a vast number of games, and might play a new COD game, but Activision seem to be exploiting casual gamers, pushing this single game series, and using it to bleed as much money as possible out of people, until one day they realize that they've spent a vast sum of money on the same game every year, for 5 straight years. Now imagine if devs we love started doing that? A new Elder Scrolls every year? Same game, nothing new. Gears of War? Mass Effect? Battlefield? Any other games series that requires more than a year out of a development team? Dragon Age 2 had proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that short dev times for RPGs would prove to be an idea that would come under criticism by more than a minority of gamers. These people want to change the damn industry, make it a place where we can actually play good, innovative new games, and allow the industry to be recognised as a real entertainment medium. COD & Activision are not helping. Not even in the slightest. I don't give a rat's ass whether COD sells 5 million copies on release day, as far as I'm concerned, its exploitation of a majority of people who, through no fault of their own, know nothing about games or game quality, or even about the industry, and have no idea the shitstorm they're helping to release on the rest of the gaming community. I'm sorry, but jesus christ, don't put the decent human beings down, just because they refuse to accept the shit being thrown over something they love. You'd be just as pissed if something you loved for years was sullied by some company who thinks its ok to exploit others for financial gain. I'd love a good COD game, but unfortunately, I'm never going to get one of those ever again.

Jesus dude, how do you really feel?

The industry is a business, and it's in the business of making money. You don't care if it sells 5 million? The industry sure does, cuz they gots bills to pay.

Look dude, if you don't like COD that's cool, don't buy it. There are more alternatives for great gaming experiences now than there have ever been before. There are dozens if not hundreds of good, innovative new games. And it's just getting started. You are not being hurt one bit by the success of COD, so why the anger at it? The "decent human beings" can have just as much fun and enjoyment regardless of what the mindless COD zombie consumer does or doesn't do.

I love the fact that you barely even read my post, then tried to work your way so far around the point that you lost the plot. I believe in giving all games a fair chance to impress me, and therefore, I buy them, albeit at a reduced price, months after release, if I don't think it high on my priorities.
 
And while I'm on a roll, you state that the industry is a business, so by that logic, if said industry wants to pay the bills, they'll take on the most, as seen from a financial point-of-view, successful business model in gaming in history. A publisher wants their devs to make a game that sells over 5 million copies? Fine, do a COD on it. Shocking right?
 
To put an end to this once and for all: 1) The 'anger' as you call it, is against Activision, their attitudes towards casual gamers, not, as you called them, "mindless COD zombie consumer(s)" who are not aware of the fact that they are getting royally screwed. Saying that they are blissfully ignorant is not an insult, they simply don't know any better because they aren't into games like the rest of us. 
2) Seriously? Did you read my post at all? The "decent human beings" are bricking it because of the ease at which a series with no depth, reskinned for the purpose of reselling the same product every year, could, and has in some cases, begin seeping into games that they love. You really think that other companies aren't going to look at that business model and say "perhaps we should follow suit, we need the money"? Activision and their greed will cause the downfall of more than a few good and innovative games, because they aren't 'like COD'. 
 
And contrary to popular belief, innovative gaming is not in its hundreds, I'm old enough to have played quite a lot of games, and trust me, innovation has, at best, hit only a handful of games and consoles. And even then, I would use the term 'innovation' lightly.
Don't assume I don't know what I'm talking about, then try to work a reply that attempts to work around the post.
 
You want to know how I really feel? I hate the gaming industry as of late. I hate the spineless yes men that back the pointless route that the industry has taken. And I especially hate people who will openly undermine other individuals who are trying to make a damn difference to something they love, despite the fact that they refuse to back anything and everything that could be seen as controversial. The attitude you've taken is exactly why companies like Activision get away with this crap. If this was any other industry, Activision would be broke around now. I'd love to see COD players getting the full experience they should be getting, I'm sickened they aren't. Then again, you'll probably reply to this with some redundant argument I've heard about a dozen times. 
 
I'm getting the weirdest sense of deja vu...
Avatar image for cosmicqueso
CosmicQueso

582

Forum Posts

2

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 14

Edited By CosmicQueso

@Dookysharpgun: I love your enthusiasm. If you truly want to make a difference then make games, or get into journalism and write about games, or do something. Have you seen the box office lately? You know what movies make money? All those sequels and superhero flicks. Books are the same way. And TV? Wow, don't get me started. Great shows get canceled after 1 year yet we have how many Real Housewives?

The truth is that in any form of entertainment, the masses go for slop, and companies that provide the slop make millions while those who try to make good, meaningful material end up in art house theatres few attend or go broke.

So no, if this was any industry, Activision would be in the same position other leading media companies are in, making millions and giving the masses what they want.

You don't have to get mad at me, I'm not arguing against you, and I did read everything you said. But Activision isn't exploiting anyone... they're not making anyone do anything they don't want to do. So stop with that, because you're wrong there. <3

Avatar image for dookysharpgun
Dookysharpgun

622

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 32

User Lists: 0

Edited By Dookysharpgun
@CosmicQueso:  I do that already, that's why I'm on this site, I don't just comment on forums, I contribute, again, not to take away from people who don't write reviews on this site, I assume their stuff goes up in blog thoughts and the like. Just to point out that most great shows that Fox pick up get cancelled because Fox are one of the most greed driven stations in the USA, hell even the people who work for them take more shots at the network than they should be able to, the difference being that they have the core shows that bring in repeat viewers, and without them, Fox would crumble. Any other awesome show that gets cancelled usually had it coming: Heroes, being the main one. Not all superhero movies are bad, X-Men: First Class was one of the greatest movies I've seen this year, and its because the director took some serious risks creatively, against what everyone thought would be acceptable, and they payed off. Books are a different ballpark entirely, because its not about the content, but how that content is presented, how well it is written, some of the worst books in existence have been re-written and made much better. But again, that's a whole different genre. And just a great job there with the whole: people love shit angle, like that isn't common knowledge.
 
Actually if Activision got into any other form of media, they'd be pretty broke, seeing as they use outdated ideas and never expand on them in any way. At least shows where the bottom-feeding, lower than life forms of humanity are put on camera has the ability to give comedians some material to talk about. And besides, none of the crappy shows have the same content, there are always some 'people' that make things interesting, I'm not saying I support it, but without it, we wouldn't have stupid people to make jokes about.
 
Clearly you don't know all the meanings of exploitation. To exploit someones weakness, lets say, is to use that weakness against them, for some form of gain or advantage. So perhaps I should have used the word 'use', but then again, I assume that everyone and anyone on this site knows the open nature of the term. To put that to this scenario: Activision are using/exploiting the collective ignorance of casual gamers, creating games that appeal to people who know nothing of game quality or the advancements made in mechanics over the last five years, nor the fact that despite the constant release of games, they are not getting value for money, as they are just buying the same game with different packaging, for financial gain. Exploitation takes many forms, and is not very well defined, so I could see how you could get the wrong meaning from what I was saying...or you cherry picked that particular meaning in order to make a now invalid point. If it was an honest mistake, then that's cool.  Otherwise: I believe that you are indeed wrong there. </3

Case. Closed. Away to my next adventure!....Other wrap up one-liners....
Avatar image for nivash
Nivash

249

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Nivash

Signed up for the beta. Hey, it's free - no reason not to see what the fuss is all about.

I still find myself playing CoD BO a lot, although it's rarely my intention when I boot the console. The reason is that I've built up a rather extensive list of friends, both online-only and IRL, around that game. So I boot, see three or for of my friends online playing CoD, so I join them. We play it it mainly to hang out, I guess. Say what you will about CoD - when it comes to laid-back FPS action it's still king.

Because of this I'll probably end up buying both BF3 and MW3 this fall. I now BF3 is a better game and I look forward to it more than MW3, but it's also a different kind of game. Me and my friends are all hard-core gamers - we buy a lot of games from all kinds of genres, but for some reason no other game has so far managed to replicate what CoD does when you play with other people who know what they're doing and your having fun.

I can't put my finger on what, exactly, that is. But it sure is something.