Activision has discussed a subscription service around Call of Duty for years, but it's finally coming together this year with Call of Duty Elite. The initial response wasn't great, to say the least. People, perhaps rightfully, feared Activision would lock formerly free content behind a paywall.
Activision kept saying that wouldn't happen. This weekend at Call of Duty XP, a massive fan event held in Los Angeles, the publisher seemed to to have mostly made good on that promise.
Call of Duty Elite will set you back $49.99 a year, $10 less than a (new) Xbox Live Gold subscription. Purchasing all of the DLC for Call of Duty: Black Ops--four map packs at $15 each--would have cost you $60. In that sense, Activision's offering players a cheaper deal, they just need to pay up front. This is being called the "premium membership."
The free version of Call of Duty Elite features stat tracking ala Bungie.net, integration with Facebook, clan support and applications for your mobile devices.
The company said the DLC "season" for Modern Warfare 3 will be nine months long, with monthly DLC made available for premium members. Additionally, premium members gain access to daily competitions for both in-game and real-world prizes, a round-the-clock competition calendar, up to 24 minutes of recordable HD video and access to Call of Duty TV.
Call of Duty TV will feature original video content related to--you guessed it--Call of Duty. Ridley Scott Associates (yes, that Ridley Scott) is working on Friday Night Fights, where rivals fight it out, while actors Will Arnett and Jason Bateman collaborate for a program called n00b Tube. There's another one slated, Cocked Hammers, that we don't have any details about yet.
I don't usually end stories with a question, but are you going to signing up?
It's OK, I guess, if you're buying all the DLC. I'm not.
That does sound like mind of a a deal.
@jonesrm said:
My thoughts exactly.
It sounds like a pretty decent deal since I end up buying the map packs anyway - people complain, but I give them credit for trying to make the offering appealing rather than just another way to be restrictive about DLC.
"I don't usually end stories with a question, but are you going to signing up?"
The BE's are vanishing! This is proof, people!
You're mind of a a deal.
I keep having trouble moving on from that typo, I'm sorry.
Hey, the M key is very close to the K you guys.
I like Call of Duty probably more than the average person but I still don't feel like paying a subscription for it.
Co-cops and mind deals. Having a bad day, Patrick?
This fucking age of endless DLC needs to end. Sweet deal my ass.
Just keep some of the maps out of the final release, churn out a helmet or jacket for your character every month, and somehow, Activision manages to squeeze 110$ out of everyone for a single game, only to pull the exact same shit next year.
This is getting out of hand.
@Frenden said:
LMAO. Looks like Patric didn't have his coffee today.
Seems like a a great deal for someone who is really into these games. Even though I'm looking forward to it I probably won't ever be *that* in to it and still likely stop playing long before the final map packs come out. But for the dudes still spending a ton of time playing Black Ops right now, they should really get in on this.
No because why should I? I don't play Call of Duty
Yes, how dare Activision forcefully squeeze all that money out of people. It's not like they're buying it willingly or anything. Nope, Activision is surely forcing it upon them. Shame, Activision. SHAME.