The publisher said that more than 30 million sessions of the game, totalling 32 million hours of gameplay, were logged from April 4 to April 12. Sheesh, you guys really do live your COD.

"Infinity Ward is extremely grateful for support from our loyal Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare community around the world," said Robert Bowling, community relations manager, Infinity Ward. "From the beginning, we were committed to do our best and that continues now with the Variety Map Pack. We can't wait to get back online with everyone."

Hit the jump for the full release.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack Sets Xbox LIVE Marketplace Record
Surpasses One Million Paid Downloads in First Nine Days

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Apr 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) announced today that the Call of Duty 4(R): Modern Warfare(TM) Variety Map Pack, developed by Infinity Ward, has set a new record for the number of paid downloads on Xbox LIVE(R) Marketplace for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, surpassing one million downloads in the first nine days since its release. Additionally, from April 4 to April 12, Xbox LIVE members played more than 30 million sessions and logged more than 32 million hours of gameplay. Available exclusively for download via Xbox LIVE online entertainment network now through April 24, the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack expands the experience of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the worldwide best-selling game in units of 2007, according to The NPD Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group. Since its release, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has sold in excess of nine million units worldwide.

The Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack includes four new multiplayer maps featuring a variety of locations, while supporting split-screen and system link play for 800 Microsoft Points. The Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack will be available for download via the PlayStation Network beginning April 24 for $9.99.

"Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare delivers one of the best online multiplayer experiences ever," said Will Kassoy, senior vice president, global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. "We are excited to be able to expand that experience and deliver to fans a new variety of locations and environments which have all of the intensity they have come to expect with Call of Duty."

"Infinity Ward is extremely grateful for support from our loyal Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare community around the world," said Robert Bowling, community relations manager, Infinity Ward. "From the beginning, we were committed to do our best and that continues now with the Variety Map Pack. We can't wait to get back online with everyone."

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

"That's just 360. There's even more on the other platforms [PS3 and PC], but we just don't have the same numbering system. Overall, even without the other consoles, we are beating the competition. PS3 numbers are monstrously huge. No other game has come close, either online current, or total unique users in a day."

Nearly 1.3m play COD4 "every day" [Eurogamer]

GameStop's Call of Duty 4 Event Page [GameStop via The Mercury News]

Winners are determined by GameFly members, who according to the GameFly press release are the "... most discerning community of online video game renters." Unfortunately I'm not terribly discerning as I can be easily distracted by bright colors and flashing lights.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare took the Q awards triumvirate, winning "Game of the Year," "Xbox 360 Game of the Year," and "PlayStation 3 Game of the Year."

Hit the jump to read about the other winners.

The recipients of the GameFly Fifth Annual Q Awards are as follows:

GAME OF THE YEAR
(1st) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
(2nd) BioShock
(3rd) Halo 3

PS3 GAME OF THE YEAR
(1st) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
(2nd) Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
(3rd) Assassin's Creed

PS2 GAME OF THE YEAR
(1st) God of War II
(2nd) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
(3rd) Madden NFL '08

PSP GAME OF THE YEAR
(1st) Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters
(2nd) Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
(3rd) Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicle

XBOX 360 GAME OF THE YEAR
(1st) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
(2nd) Halo 3
(3rd) BioShock

Wii GAME OF THE YEAR
(1st) Super Mario Galaxy
(2nd) Resident Evil 4
(3rd) Mario Party 8

NINTENDO DS GAME OF THE YEAR
(1st) The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
(2nd) Pokemon Diamond
(3rd) Mario Party DS

Zero Punctuation [The Escapist]

And that's plenty for us.

New CoD4: Modern Warfare Maps (X360) [Gamespy]

MTV's Stephen Totilo decided to eschew the annual Game of the Year chestnut for a much more fun to pronounce and acronymize Game of the Game of the Year or GOTGOTY. Actually he didn't really eschew anything, seeing that he did his own GOTYs not too long ago, but this is still a fun idea. Totilo created a sort of MetaGOTY if you can imagine that (Personally, mine is a billy goat in a Robocop suit) by rounding up all of the GOTYs and tallying them to see which game was selected the most.

Included in the list are such gems as ours, Destructoid's, Joystiq's, The LA Times, The Rocky's and even Yahoo's. The final result? BioShock, it seems was selected the most as GOTY (nine times), while Super Mario Galaxy was selected six times and Call of Duty 4 an appropriate four times.

Forget 'Game Of The Year' — Introducing The 2007 'GOTGOTY' [MTV]

"We're very excited about this achievement especially given so many competitive titles this year," said Will Kassoy, senior vice president, global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Consumer and critics agree that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the best games ever created and further establishes Call of Duty as one of the premier brands in the industry."

Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ Ranks #1 Title in Units Worldwide for Calendar 2007

Game Sells in Excess of Seven Million Units According to The NPD Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Call of Duty 4®: Modern Warfare™ was the #1 title in units worldwide for calendar 2007, according to The NPD Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group. Developed by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty 4®: Modern Warfare™ has sold in excess of seven million units worldwide since its launch in November.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has garnered critical acclaim, securing more than 18 perfect score reviews and over 40 combined Editors' Choice and Game of the Year awards in the U.S. alone. The game has been nominated for 10 prestigious Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences awards, including Game of the Year. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare also currently is the #1 Xbox 360™ title on Xbox Live, based on unique users, according to www.majornelson.com.

"We're very excited about this achievement especially given so many competitive titles this year," said Will Kassoy, senior vice president, global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Consumer and critics agree that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the best games ever created and further establishes Call of Duty as one of the premier brands in the industry. This ground-breaking game and franchise continue to establish new standards by which all other action games will be judged."

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

First a thing about the name: I didn't pick it. I think it's hilarious, but I'd never name an award after myself, it's obnoxious... and quite funny. Which is what I think the Rocky was going for. There are quite a few closet smart-asses over there. :)

So my annual pick for best video game ran in the Rocky Mountain News today and I picked Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as the overall winner. The game beat out The Orange Box, Bioshock, Super Mario Galaxy and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

Here's why I decided to pick a war-time first-person shooter sequel over the splendor of a dystopian society, amazing character interaction of Uncharted and innovative design of Galaxy and Orange Box:

This solid first-person shooter for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 may not be as innovative as The Orange Box and Super Mario Galaxy. It may not deliver an awe-inspiring glimpse at an eschewed philosophy like BioShock or create the sort of sizzling character interaction found in Uncharted, but, hands down, it is the most thoroughly entertaining video game of the past year.

The single-player story is captivating, set in a present-day Middle East and parts of Russia and comes at the player in a mix of sweeping cinematic set pieces and smart pacing that can easily glue the audience to the game for the entire six- to eight-hour experience.

It's a game that has the sorts of moments usually found only in film, hiding these startling revelations in gamers' blind spots. People you come to care about die. You die, and not in the sort of plastic, ephemeral death found in video games. These deaths are permanent and, at times, evocative.

A deep, seemingly limitless online multiplayer experience also adds quite a bit of life to the title. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare may seem like more of the same, but this title is the realization of a rewarding franchise meeting its complete potential.

Hit the link to check out my winners for the rest of the categories, including a selection of "hot flashes" I managed to sneak into the awards. Feel free to bash me here for not choosing (your selection here) for best (your category here).

Ps. I didn't write the awards' intro, that's one of those smart-asses I was talking about.
Game Gold

LIVE Activity for week of 1/14 [Xbox Live's Major Nelson - Thanks WhiskeyJak!]

Activision, perhaps a bit more cautious than their first-party counterpart, shot out an email this morning to point out that they are still the number one U.S. console and handheld publisher for 2007. In fact their market share went up an astounding 7.2 percent to a record 17.7 percent. That astounding jump can be attributed to, mostly, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock which was the number one title across all platforms in December, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which was number three.

Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc., commented, "For the first time in our history, we were the #1 U.S. publisher for the calendar year. We are well on our way to delivering sixteen years of record revenue growth and by far our most profitable year ever."

I wonder who they're going to buy next?

If I hadn't just played through Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360 last night in one sitting, I'd probably be more impressed with this video. Sure it's got dinosaurs and heaps of neat weapons, but where's the story, the personality... the, dare I say it, tear-jerker ending. I've got to go, I can't talk about this anymore.

CALL OF DUTY® 4: MODERN WARFARE™ COMING TO MAC

AUSTIN, TX - January 15, 2008 - Aspyr Media, Inc. announced today they will publish Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ for Mac, a gripping modern-day action-thriller that deploys players into heart-stopping battles across the world's most treacherous hotspots. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare delivers unprecedented high-definition graphics, piercing 5.1 surround sound and a dynamic community-oriented multiplayer experience. Developed by Infinity Ward and licensed by Activision, the game is expected to be available for Mac in May 2008.

Featuring a tense storyline, filled with plot twists, the title thrusts players into battle like never before. With amazing special effects, including rim-lighting, depth of field, texture streaming and character self-shadowing, players are enlisted into one of the most photo-realistic gaming experiences imaginable.

The community-oriented Call of Duty 4 multiplayer gameplay features a robust leveling system, variety of unlockable perks, hot-join and matchmaking, as well as create a class and party capabilities to ensure that players of all skill levels can join in the fun. Additionally over 100 challenges and a host of new game environments and modes deliver unlimited possibilities. Infinity Ward has also included Kill-Cam, a fan favorite feature that they created in Call of Duty 2 which allows for spectator instant replays.

Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ will soon be available for preorder through Aspyr's website for only $49.99. For more information, fans can also visit the official Website, http://www.callofduty.com/.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language and Blood and Gore.

Amazon is just giddy with excitement. The holidays are over and they are bursting at the seams with money spent on presents. Their annual "We made a shitton of money during the holidays" press release went out this morning and in it the the Wii as their top selling console and Call of Duty 4 as their top game.

While they don't release any specific numbers for their video game sales, they do say that Amazon sold Wii system "at approximately 17 per second when they were in stock."

Here's the top ten current lists of video game and hardware sales on Amazon:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox 360
Super Mario Galaxy
Wii Nunchuk control
Wii Play with Remote
Wii Remote
Wii Charging Station
Wii
Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360
Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training
Playstation 3 Wireless Sixaxis Controller

The PSP 2K, in the number 12 spot, was the next best-selling platform after the Wii

Amazon.Com Best Sellers [Amazon]

"We continue to see strong consumer response to our wholly owned and internally developed titles — Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," said Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc. "We are well positioned to continue our leadership position through the remainder of the year and are on track to delivering another record year of revenue growth and the most profitable year in our history."

Activision Ranks #1 U.S. Console and Handheld Publisher January - November 2007, According to NPD

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) was the #1 U.S. console and handheld publisher for the first eleven months of calendar 2007, according to The NPD Group. The company increased its market share for the eleven month period to a record 16.8%, a 7.9% increase over the same period last year.

For the month of November, Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4™: Modern Warfare™ were the #1 and #2 best-selling titles respectively in dollars across all platforms, according to The NPD Group. Activision also had five of the top-10 best-selling games in dollars, including Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the Wii™ home video game system. Additionally, Guitar Hero has remained the #1 best-selling franchise in the U.S. since January, according to The NPD Group.

"We continue to see strong consumer response to our wholly owned and internally developed titles — Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," said Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc. "We are well positioned to continue our leadership position through the remainder of the year and are on track to delivering another record year of revenue growth and the most profitable year in our history."

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
3. The Orange Box
4. BioShock
5.God of War II
6. Super Mario Galaxy
7. The Darkness
8. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
9. John Woo's Stranglehold
10. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition

We'll be tabulating the LOLs, ROFLs, ROFLMAOs, WTFs and GTFOs as soon as possible and plan to provide nice pie charts.

Best of 2007: Video Games [Maxim]

The server team has been working on this all weekend, and will be working through the night. They're upgrading all server hardware as well as dedicated an individual database to each functionality to improve performance and handle the traffic hitting the servers.

Update: PSN Matchmaking [Infinity Ward Forums]

COD4 is sold out at numerous retailers (already moving 3 million units), has scored highly with reviewers and is on four times the systems as Halo 3. So yeah, COD4 should sell more units on whole. But we're interested in seeing how it competes on the 360 alone.

And chances are, critically acclaimed or not, COD4 isn't worthy to clean the shoes of Halo 3 or the 4 million games it's moved on the 360 alone. Then again, Gears of War has supposedly moved around 4 million units as well, so it's not impossible for other games to reach such high plateaus (just maybe not now that Halo 3 is out). It'll be interesting to see how the numbers end up when the dust/snow/small particles in the air settle after Christmas.

Analyst Predicts Call of Duty 4 To Outsell Halo 3 [theescapist]

Silent Hill: Origins (PSP)
Take a prequel visit to creepy Silent Hill and see how it got so creepy.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (X360, PC, PS3, DS)
World War II is finally over.

Empire Earth III (PC)
take your empire from humble beginnings to outer space.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (WII)
A dubious pairing. But who will win?

Gears of War (PC)
Marcus Fenix and his scarred legions arrive on the PC.

The Simpsons Game (PSP)
D'oh! Just a week behind.

Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War (X360, PS3)
Think Dynasty Warriors in medieval Europe.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (WII, X360, PS3, DS)
Relive Star Wars through the blocky world of Legos.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (WII)
Charge of the Dawn Brigade.

F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate (PC)
I fear another expansion is in the works.

F.E.A.R. Files (X360)
Both F.E.A.R expansion packs in one fancy package

Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance (PC)
If the original wasn't enough for you.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (DS)
Hunt for monsters and make them do your bidding.

Bee Movie Game (WII)
Ok, let's be honest. Does anyone really care?

You will play as a member of SAS and US Marine forces who must figure out the source of an ultra-nationalist uprising in the Middle East. Use authentic weapons such as rocket launchers and assault rifles to help your squad achieve success. Chaos and destruction will pave your path!

If you want to try before you buy, a free demo version is available on developer Glu Mobile's website.

Call of Duty 4 Mobile [Glu.com]

I'm a sucker for anything holiday related in video games, whether it's along the lines of unique releases Christmas NiGHTS, specially themed events in World of Warcraft or Phantasy Star Online, or even jack o' lantern headed special forces units in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Thank you, Infinity Ward. I realize you're releasing it a bit late, but I hope you've seen fit to put this in the final version of the game.

Ten GameStop's around the country will be hosting a Call of Duty 4 first to play event Wednesday night. The first 100 people to show up at the participating stories at 9 p.m. will get a chance to check out the single player version of the game and win some swag and prizes.

I was bummed to see that the cities don't include Denver. Instead they include: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Phiadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Minneapolis.

COD4 First to Play [Gamestop]

Call of Duty 4 Demo [Yahoo! - Thanks Phil!]

CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE COLLECTOR'S EDITION CALLED INTO BATTLE

Santa Monica, CA - Sept. 11, 2007 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that a Limited Collector's Edition of Infinity Ward's Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows® PC will begin deployment on November 5 as part of the worldwide launch of the most intense and cinematic action game ever. Each Limited Collector's Edition includes a special hardcover book featuring exclusive concepts, never-before-seen imagery and final artwork from the award-winning team that details the breath-taking action from the soldier to the satellite.

The Xbox 360 edition also takes gamers behind-the-scenes with a bonus DVD containing more than four hours of interviews and features, an exclusive documentary exploring the British S.A.S from World War II to modern day, and a series of "making of" vignettes highlighting Infinity Ward's research, technology and story development for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. For Windows PC fans, in addition to the hardcover art book, the Limited Collector's Edition for PC will include a digital copy of the BradyGAMES Official Strategy Guide. The strategy guide provides players with a detailed single-player walkthrough, top-down maps, multiplayer strategies, weapon load-outs, and numerous other tips for the hardcore soldier.

Due to overwhelming interest in the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Multiplayer Beta, we will no longer be accepting entry into the program on a first come, first serve basis. To ensure everyone has a fair shot at getting in, the Beta Registration System has been reopened, and will remain open for the next 24 hours. Click "BETA" to enter Beta HQ and select "ENTER NOW." We will collect names until 7pm PST tomorrow, Tuesday August 28th, after which we will randomly select names for entry into the Beta.

"Although Charlie Oscar Delta's Token Codes have been reserved, there will be many more opportunities to get into the Beta! Check back into SITREP often, as we'll be updating the site with information as soon as it's finalized.

In the United States and Canada, we are working with GameSpot and GameStop on two new ways to reserve a spot in the Beta. Our International users will be excited to learn that plans to get into the Beta are moving along quickly, and we'll have updates for all the countries listed in the FAQ soon!"

CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE MULTIPLAYER BETA FAST-ROPES TO XBOX LIVE

Santa Monica, CA - August 24, 2007 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ multiplayer beta will launch via Xbox LIVE™ on Monday, August 27 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Users can visit Charlie Oscar Delta (www.CharlieOscarDelta.com) at noon for their chance to receive a Token and experience some of the maps and modes available in multiplayer before the game hits store shelves the week of November 5th.

The beta will enable players to experience the most advanced and powerful arsenal of modern day firepower in customizable multiplayer battles from the world's most treacherous hotspots. Players will be able to customize their experiences by utilizing new features including create-a-class, player-ranking and the new perk system. Gamers will also be able to ease seamlessly into multiplayer matchmaking with the party system or even join games in-progress. New recruits will enlist for battle across a series of action-packed maps and dynamic game modes to test their mettle in the ultimate multiplayer gameplay arena.

"From day one we've set out to make Call of Duty 4 the best multiplayer experience ever," said Grant Collier, Studio Head, Infinity Ward. "We're excited to bring to our fans around the world this early look at Call of Duty 4 multiplayer. The gameplay possibilities are limitless from leveling-up and utilizing perks, to creating-your-own class and matchmaking. We're only days away, so get ready!"

Aspiring soldiers can go to www.charlieoscardelta.com for the latest information about the worldwide beta including how to become a part of it, specifics on perks as well as the eventual end date of the beta. Entry to the beta and availability will vary by territory. U.S. residents will able to log on for a chance to receive a token on a first come basis. Updates for International soldiers will become available on Charlie Oscar Delta, where details will be shared about the International rollout of the multiplayer beta. International players will be able to take part in various promotions in the following countries:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

# # #

On Monday, August 27th at 12pm Pacific Daylight Time, tokens to download the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Xbox 360 Multiplayer Beta will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. While Charlie Oscar Delta's tokens are linked to United States Xbox Live accounts only, we will be rolling the COD4:MW MP BETA out to additional select countries in early September. We will be posting the information here, at BETA HQ, so please check back for updates for your country.

ACTIVISION ROCKS GERMAN GAMES CONVENTION

Company Reveals Worldwide Release Dates for Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, International Track List for Guitar Hero™ III: Legends of Rock, and New Details on Highly Anticipated James Bond™ Title

Leipzig, Germany - August 22, 2007 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) kicked off German Games Convention 2007 today with the announcement of the worldwide release date for Infinity Ward's Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, a preview of the international song list for Guitar Hero™ III: Legends of Rock and new details on Activision's James Bond franchise.

Listen up soldiers, on Monday, November 5 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will begin deployment to retailers worldwide. Armed with more than 40 awards and honors from this year's annual E3 Business and Media Summit including "Best Action Game" from the Game Critics Awards, Infinity Ward's epic title is set to enlist gamers into the most intense, thrilling action experience ever. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be available on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Windows® PC. A Nintendo DS™ version will also deliver the signature Call of Duty chaos of battle to handheld gamers.

Additionally, Activision revealed today an international track list for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. As a testament to the widespread anticipation of the hit franchise and global phenomenon, Activision's newest music sensation will include a diverse assortment of hit songs from across the globe, that include all master tracks from the following original artists:

§ Minus Celsius (by Backyard Babies)

§ Hier Kommt Alex (by Die Toten Hosen)

§ In the Belly of a Shark (by Gallows)

§ I'm in the Band (by The Hellacopters)

§ Avalancha (by Heroes Del Silencio)

§ Take This Life (by In Flames)

§ Ruby (by Kaiser Chiefs)

§ Closer (by Lacuna Coil)

§ Generation Rock (by Revolverheld)

§ Mauvais Garcon (by NAAST)

§ Radio Song (by Superbus)

Activision also confirmed that the company's newest blockbuster franchise, James Bond, featuring the world-renowned top secret agent 007 is in development by powerhouse studios Treyarch, Beenox and Vicarious Visions for next-generation consoles, Windows PC and hand-held platforms.

The demo, which mixed cut-scenes with some actual gameplay, left me feeling more than a little shaken and jonesing to get my hands on the game. The most important thing you need to keep in mind about this game is that Infinity Ward is developing it. So, it's gonna kick ass.

The game seems to do several things very right. It updates the graphics and the look of the game, doing an excellent job of capturing what I suspect the feel of modern combat is. It also keeps that addictive pacing that made the first two Call of Duty games so very much fun to play and hard to put down.

The game will feature to main story lines both of which center around a Russian warlord of some sort. More importantly, the game seems to mix up the action quite a bit. Instead of forcing you to stay on the ground, grunting it through the levels, you get to do things like take to a Cobra Gunship as a gunner, take on covert missions, even board planes to remotely take down targets from quite a distance.

The development teams say they've been working on multiplayer for the game since day one because they realize just how important it is to the game's longevity. One of the cool features built into the multiplayer mode is that you can unlock aspects of the game (like weapons or character classes) by playing online. The online mode will also feature create-a-class so you can create the exact type of character you want to play online and save it.

The game also brings back the killcam, letting you watch the 15 seconds that led up to your death, after you get taken out.

I can't wait to get my hands on this game. I can tell it's going to be the sort of title I'll have to set time limits for myself before I play.

I wish I could say something about these new Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare screens, but I am under an embargo for this game too. Instead I'll just remind you that the game is being developed by Infinity Ward and point you to the images above. Brian Crecente

How fancy is this screenshot? It's all 3Dey and stuff. This one image seems to show off some pretty robust graphics. I especially like the smoke from the... missiles? Brian Crecente

Rumor has it that the ESPN won't be the first place you'll be saying video of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I've heard that the game will also get some face time on this Friday's Game Head.

If you interested in checking it out, or watching their special on Miyamoto, check out the show at 1 a.m. Brian Crecente

The name Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare doesn't just inspire the jaded eye-rolling of yet another military FPS. It causes Croal (and presumably countless others) to yawn with boredom and type angrily "enough is enough." With a name that smacks too closely of EA's Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and is nearly indistinguishable from Medal of Honor, Band of Brothers, Company of Heroes, and Hour of Victory, something's gotta give. This is probably the easiest part of game development, so why do these names suck?

Honestly, I can hardly tell any of these games apart anymore. When THQ announced Frontlines: Fuel of War, I was sure someone was joking. The answer isn't more colons and ofs, guys, it's fewer.

Can anyone out there come up with anything original anymore? Are publishers writing scripts to generate these dull brands? One thing's for sure, don't hire N'Gai to come up with your title. While it would certainly be interesting, there's no way in hell it's fitting on the box. Michael McWhertor

Critical Hit: Day of Disgust, or, Why Can't Publishers Come Up With More Original Titles for Their Videogames? [N'Gai Croal's Level Up]