Kotaku: Infinity

Activision Lock Blizzard, Infinity Ward Bosses To Long-Term Deals

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:40:00 MDT

Newly-merged Activision Blizzard are the world's #1 publisher for a reason. Well, four reasons: World of Warcraft, Tony Hawk's, Call of Duty and Guitar Hero. So with the ink only just drying on the Activision/Blizzard merger, it makes sense for the new company to move to secure the talent behind those games. Variety reports that all the "top execs" at Blizzard have been signed to new, five-year deals, company boss Robert Kotick saying "We realized it would be impossible to compete [with 'World of Warcraft'] and so ultimately my only issue was making sure they were committed for at least five years". Smart move. The heads of Infinity Ward and Neversoft have also been signed to new deals, locking in most of the new mega-publishers top talent. Here's to five more uninterrupted years of Guitar Hero and Call of Duty!

Blizzard, Infinity Ward, Neversoft execs sign long term contracts with Activision Blizzard [Variety]

Infinity Ward And Its "Unique New IP"

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:20:00 MDT

You know Infinity Ward for their work on Call of Duty, you love Infinity Ward for their work on Call of Duty. But nobody, not even Infinity Ward, can make Call of Duty games forever. It'd get boring. So it's nice to hear that, fresh off a re-up of its publishing deal with Activision, Infinity Ward has quietly announced that it's not only started on its "future project" (future? Like, sci-fi future?), but that it will also give the company the chance to build a "unique new IP by Infinity Ward, that we’ll have complete control over". Exciting! For Infinity Ward, that is. Sure the words "complete control" don't look quite so good to the "port it to everything!" crowd at Activision HQ.

The Future of Infinity Ward [IW]

Some Infinity Ward Guy, Ladies Man

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:20:00 MDT

It's time to turn down the lights down real low. Set the mood, right. Previously, Microsoft exec and ladies man Aaron Greenberg talked up Bill Gates hot tub habits with two Penthouse Pets. This time it is Robert Bowling from Infinity Ward's turn. Robert Bowling? Yes, ROBERT BOWLING. He talks to the Pets about his part in Call of Duty 4:

Penthouse Lady: You are behind Call of Duty 4, right?
Robert Bowling: Uh, yeah. I'm the Community Manager for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warefare and Infinity Ward, which is the developer.
Penthouse Lady: Right on.

Phew. Good thing that wasn't all awkward. It sure could've been. These clips are from GDC and will never get old. Never.

In Bed With The Pets [Das Gamer via videogaming247]

Rumor: Infinity Ward Working on Sci-Fi Title

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:00:00 MDT

An alleged insider allegedly with Infinity Ward allegedly told TalkPlayStation.com that the Call of Duty 4 developer is "currently working on a new sci-fi title." And then they clam up pretty fast, saying no more info is on the way and, conveniently, we "may or may not announce it at E3."

So there's a 50 percent chance this tip's got legs. As in, they're either making the game, or not. Computerandvideogames.com goes so far as to speculate it's a CoD/SciFi shooter. Granted, CoD is the studio's only title but come on. That's still like saying the guy that brought you "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" is now making an Indiana Jones movie with aliens in it. Oh wait ...

COD4 Developers Making Sci-Fi Title [TalkPlayStation.com via Computerandvideogames.com]

Call of Duty 5 To Feature Co-Op, Eye Ball Burning

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:30:00 MDT

The first details about upcoming Call of Duty 5 hit today. Unlike the modern CoD4, CoD5 will return to WWII. The game will be set in the Pacific Theater. Also unlike CoD4, the game won't be developed by Infinity Ward, but CoD3 dev Treyarch. The upcoming title will feature co-op — a first for the series. Also, multiplayer will feature vehicles and squad-elements as well. The game is truly multi-plat, and the Wii version is being developed by a separate Treyarch team and will support the Wii Zapper. The game is gritty, apparently. How gritty?

The opening scene of the first level we are shown is a Japanese commander stubbing a cigarette out in the eye of a prisoner before slitting his throat - the blood splatters and dribbles down the side of the tent you are being held in. He turns towards you to deal out the same treatment but help arrives just in time. Cue a daring level-long escape.

EWWW, GROSS.
First CoD5 Details [videogaming247 via Strategy Informer]

Call Of Duty 4: Ten Million Served

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:20:00 MDT

We think of games that sold a bagillion copies over the past few years, we think Halo 3. GTA IV. Wii Play. We don't normally think Call of Duty 4 (probably because its marketing didn't beat us to within an inch of our lives), but hey, maybe we should. As of today, Activision are reporting that they've sold ten million copies of Infinity Ward's materpiece. Ten. Million. They wouldn't/couldn't divulge the breakdown by console, but did say it had been "most successful" on 360.

'Call of Duty 4' hits 10 million units sold [Cnet]

Call of Duty 5 To Feature "New Military Theater"

Leigh Alexander — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:20:00 MDT

During the company's call to investors yesterday, Activision publishing CEO Mike Griffith revealed big plans for the next installment in the Call of Duty franchise, which helped drive the company to a record $2.90 billion in revenue on the year.

"We'll bring the intensity of the recent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare title to a new military theater," Griffith said, adding that CoD4's success "doubled" the franchise's user base.

According to GameSpot, Griffith also announced a broad multiplatform vision for the title:

"We'll launch on all four platforms we've participated on in fiscal [year] 2008," Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith referring to Call of Duty 4, which sold over 7 million units worldwide on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Nintendo DS in 2007. Griffiths then re-confirmed that "we'll [also] launch on the PS2 and the Wii," marking the series' return to the PS2 and Wii after a two-year hiatus.

A developer for the title was not announced, however. Rumors had suggested CoD4 developer Infinity Ward might have the exclusive, but a spokesperson for the publisher later said that Treyarch and Infinity Ward would continue to alternate installments on the series. We've heard that this one is in Treyarch's court, and will feature a Pacific WWII setting.

Third-Person Call Of Duty Game Cancelled Because It Was "A Mess"

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:30:00 MDT

So the rumour's been SMASHED. Activision Underground, who were supposedly working on a third-person Call of Duty game, weren't closed down because of a non-existent "exclusivity" deal Infinity Ward signed with Activision. And yet, closed down they were. Why? Maybe for reasons a little less eye-catching. Somebody "close" to Activision Underground has got in touch with us, and let us know that the studio was indeed at work on a third-person action-adventure CoD, which would have been based on special ops forces and would feature "very different kinds of gameplay". Only problem was, the game turned out to be, well, a big ol' pile of crap.

Our source says that its mechanics "were a mess", the story was "terrible" and that "it took every cliché you hated from every other squad-based military shooter and stuffed it into COD". Ouch. Apparently the game was cancelled - and the studio closed down - soon after it was first shown to Infinity Ward & Activision, who "had a fit" at what they'd seen. For what it's worth, fingers are being pointed at the game's creative director, who "hired a team of utter beginners and tossed the project to them without any metrics or direction".

Activision Denies Infinity Ward CoD Exclusivity

Mike Fahey — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:20:00 MDT

What a wonderful world it would be if Infinity Ward became the sole developer of the Call of Duty franchise, as rumors earlier today seemed to indicate, but it's one wonderful world that we won't be seeing anytime soon. Speaking to Eurogamer, Activision has vehemently denied the rumors.

A spokesperson for the publisher told Eurogamer it was a total fabrication, and that Treyarch and Infinity Ward would still alternately create installments in the shooter series.

This also lays to rest rumors that Activision Underground was shut down due to said non-existent exclusivity deal, due to the whole nonexistence of it all. All we can do now is hope that Treyarch can follow Infinity Ward's footsteps and provide us with a emotion-stirring rap anthem at the end of Call of Duty 5.

Activision rubbishes COD negotation talk [Eurogamer]

Infinity Ward To Become Sole Call Of Duty Dev?

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:40:00 MDT

Next-Gen are reporting that, according to an ex-Activision employee, Call of Duty 4 developers Infinity Ward have signed a deal with Activision which ensures that every Call of Duty game will herein by developed by the series' creators. As it stands, development duties are split between Infinity Ward (CoD1, 2 & 4) and Treyarch (CoD3 & 5), but the new deal will mean that only Infinity Ward will be allowed to develop games which carry the Call of Duty name. The agreement will kick in once Treyarch have finished Call of Duty 5, and interestingly, has affected not only the core CoD series, but a rumoured spin-off franchise as well.

The same ex-Activision staffer also claims that Activision Underground, an Acti studio that was closed last week, was shut down due to the agreement. See, Underground were apparently working on a third-person, action-adventure Call of Duty title, that was intended to be the first of an annual series of games, which would have given Activision an excuse to churn out multiple CoD releases in a single year. However, since the rumoured deal now grants IW exclusivity over the IP, Activision shut the spin-off down, and the studio with it.
Source: Infinity Ward Reclaims Call of Duty [Next-Gen]

Call Of Duty 4 Live Fire Weekend

Mike Fahey — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:30:00 MDT

We're smack dab in the middle of the Call of Duty 4 Live Fire weekend, where Xbox 360 COD4 players have a chance to win prizes, play with devs, challenge girls, or maybe even learn a thing or two. Kicking things off are hourly prizes, in which everyone who plays a multiplayer match of COD4 online are entered, meaning your odds pretty much suck. They get worse for the Grand Prize - an Xbox 360 Elite console, VIP Accessories kit, and various bits of Call of Duty 4 merchandise. For those of you not into games of chance, Infinity Ward game devs will be on hand tonight from 6-9 Eastern to challenge all comers. The tomorrow night from 9-11 Eastern you can choose to challenge the girls of the Xbox Gamerchix, or possibly three-time UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver. Finally Sunday is for newbies, with many of the Xbox Ambassadors available to help you learn the ropes, or just suck less. Hit up the link for more info on the Call Of Duty 4 Live Fire Weekend.

Call Of Duty 4 Live Fire Weekend [Xbox.com]

Call Of Duty 4 Sells 9 Million

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:30:00 MDT

Bonus NPD news! Activision & Infinity Ward have taken this month's NPD software sales and done the math on Call of Duty 4's lifetime sales data. According to them, it's sold nine million copies since November. Nine million. For a game that didn't get the marketing of, say, Halo 3, and was only released in November, those are some staggering numbers. Staggering, but for such an extraordinary game, totally deserved. They're also reporting that the 360 map packs have already been downloaded one million times, so I get the feeling some corks will be popped and some backs slapped over at Infinity Ward come Friday afternoon.
CoD4 sells over 9 million copies and breaks DLC Records [IAMfourzerotwo]

PS3 Call Of Duty 4 Maps Inbound

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:30:00 MDT

The long-lost PS3 iterations of Call of Duty 4's first map pack aren't looking so lost these days. Infinity Ward have announced that the PS3 maps are done and have been submitted to Sony for certification. From there, all it'll take from Sony is for them to certify that they're awesome, and you PS3 owners should be good to go. Provided the PSN doesn't make like Xbox Live and crash & burn from the strain, that is.
PS3 DLC In Certification [IAMfourzerotwo]

Call of Duty 4 Map Pack is Live

Brian Crecente — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:00:00 MDT

Hop to it, you can now officially download the Variety Map Pack DLC for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. If you're at work and can't get to playing straight away try passing the time by watching this video of the Infinity Ward folks talking up some of the news maps.

Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack Back On For ...

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:40:42 MDT

Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack Back On For This Week. Good news, map pack fans. Infinity Ward will be doing its damnedest to bring you your Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare map fix this week, not the next, as reported yesterday. The official blog writes that gamers should expect to see the map quartet invade Xbox Live late Thursday or early Friday. Huzzah!

Call of Duty 4 Map Pack Hits Next Week. Infinity ...

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:20:16 MDT

Call of Duty 4 Map Pack Hits Next Week. Infinity Ward's "Variety Map Pack", originally scheduled for April 3 to hit alongside the Game of the Year edition of Call of Duty 4, may now instead be enjoyed a week later. ~~There's no official word on the delay—and it is April 1, sadly—so await confirmation on the matter.~~ According to the media alert, April 10 is the day. Regardless, we're sure that seven days of extra aging will only improve the complex flavor of this quartet of maps.

COD4: 1.3 Million Online A Day

Mike Fahey — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:20:00 MDT

It takes a ton of people playing online to consistently outperform Microsoft's Halo 3 on the Xbox 360, but just how many people is a ton? According to Infinity Ward's Mark Rubin, between 1.2 and 1.3 million players go play COD4 online every single day, Monday through Sunday, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

"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."

1.3 million people playing per day on the Xbox 360 alone? Staggering numbers. to put that in perspective, if every one of those players gave me $1, I would be greatly appreciative.

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

Details On CoD4 Map Packs For PC, PS3

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:20:00 MDT

360 owners keen for Call of Duty 4's upcoming map pack are up to their wahzoos in information. Release dates, pricing, the works. But PS3 and PC owners? They're in the dark. No longer! Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling has posted on his PR blog that the PS3 map pack should be ready "approximately" 21 days after the 360 pack's release (ie April 24). PC users, you'll have to make do with this:

Right now plans for the PC version are unannounced but we are working to bring PC users the same content in the future, however logistics are being worked out on how to make that happen.

Let's hope "logistics" doesn't mean some way of making PC owners pay for it, because that dog just ain't gonna hunt.
Call of Duty 4 DLC Is In Certification [IAMfourzerotwo]

Call of Duty 4 Feature Patch Deployed To Update-Starved PlayStation 3s

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:40:23 MDT

The Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare "feature patch" that hit Xbox 360 gamers last month square in the hard drive has finally been released for folks currently sporting the PlayStation 3 version, says Infinity Ward. It's for US gamers only right now, but don't worry European Union, you're getting it double quick. Like, tomorrow quick. You too, Oceania.

The patch brings new goodies like a kill cam update, improved sniper accuracy and much more. The official word on what's changed can be reviewed here.

PS3 Feature Patch Released [IAMfourzerotwo]

Call Of Duty 4 Sheds No Tears, Holds On To Number One Software Spot

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:20:30 MDT

Infinity Ward continues to take down the competition on the software side, with Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox 360 narrowly outselling Devil May Cry 4 in February. Capcom's decision to go multiplatform for its newest stylish action game was clearly a smart one, with the 360 version outselling its PlayStation 3 sibling by a good 60,000 copies.

The month saw some impressive debuts, including strong sales for Lost Odyssey and Turok. Wii Play and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games continue to be lapped up by the masses, with Guitar Hero III and Rock Band taking the open slots on the top ten. Numbers are after this.

01. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) - 296,200
02. Devil May Cry 4 (Xbox 360) - 295,200
03. Wii Play (Wii) - 289,700
04. Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) - 233,500
05. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) - 222,900
06. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS) - 205,600
07. Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360) - 203,600
08. Turok (Xbox 360) - 197,700
09. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2) - 183,800
10. Rock Band (Xbox 360) - 161,800

Total software sales topped a staggering $668 million, up 47% from last year. Just one more record setting month for the video game industry.

Considering the impressive line up of marquee titles released this month—Super Smash Bros. Brawl, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Condemned 2: Bloodshot, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, to name a few—expect March to outperform February's record-breaking take.

Infinity Ward Just Can't Do WW2 Anymore

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:30:00 MDT

You think you're sick of World War II shooters? Spare a thought for Infinity Ward! They were sick to death of World War II shooters, which - as you could have guessed - is exactly why they went and set Call of Duty 4 in the modern world. From an interview in this month's Developer magazine:

Call of Duty 4 was Infinity Ward's third Call of Duty game, and as such we approached it knowing we needed to do something fresh. We don't want to pigeonhole ourselves any more than we have to, and many members of the team came off Call of Duty 2 promising never to work on another WWII game....We don't agree with some critics who say that WWII as a genre is dead, but we couldn't muster the same passion for the subject that we had in our first three WWII games

Lucky for Activision Treyarch can muster WWII passion at the drop of a hat!
Infinity Ward On Call Of Duty 4 In Game Developer Magazine [Game Developer, via GameSetWatch]

Call Of Duty 4 Is A Bit Patchy

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:20:00 MST

Need an excuse to give to the wife in order to negotiate some Call of Duty 4 playtime this weekend? "But, honey, there's a new patch on Xbox Live! I have to test out the new sniper scope accuracy changes for my clan match on Monday!" That'll totally work, trust me. Or wow her with the new Kill Cams, including ones for grenades and M203 rounds, which you know she'll just love. The full list, including new quick mute options, network speed improvements and new spawn points, is detailed at Infinity Ward's official Call of Duty 4 blog.

For those who aren't interested in reading about things being patched, maybe Will "George 'Gob' Bluth II" Arnett's tale of Call of Duty 4 obsession will keep you entertained. Well? Are you not entertained?!

Call of Duty 4 Xbox 360 Patch is OUT - Here's what's changed! [FourZeroTwo]

Call Of Duty 4 Holds On To Top Spot In US Software Sales

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:20:56 MST

Infinity Ward does it again. After a spectacular November and December in the US of A, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare sees a respectable January, securing the number one position on the software charts. 2007's number two seller, Wii Play, keeps its second place spot, beating out both Rock Band and Guitar Hero III with 298K copies sold.

Despite being a relatively down month for the Wii and Xbox 360 on the hardware side, the two consoles hold the top seven on the software side. Again, no PlayStation 2 info, but we're not sure if that's based on sales or just missing data. The top ten is after this.

01. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) - 330,900
02. Wii Play (Wii) - 298,100
03. Guitar Hero III (Wii) - 239,600
04. Rock Band (Xbox 360) - 183,800
05. Guitar Hero III (Xbox 360) - 182,700
06. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - 172,000
07. Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360) - 144,100
08. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3) - 140,000
09. Mario Party DS (DS) - 138,500
10. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS) - 133,000

Nothing in the way of surprises there, really, though it is interesting to note that both Assassin's Creed and Halo 3, big sellers in December didn't make the top ten.

Total software sales for the month amounted to 610.6 million US dollars. NPD analyst Anita Frazier points out that "Pricing again plays into the great performance of software. The average retail price of games is up 19% from last January and much of that can be attributed to Rock Band and Guitar Hero. In fact, 360 Rock Band was the top-selling game in dollar terms, bringing in $30 million in sales for the month."

Rambo Name Drops Call of Duty 4 To Lure Moviegoers

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:40:53 MST

How do you know when you've made it? When the marketing staffers tasked with pitching Rambo to moviegoing audiences namechecks your game. In this case, it's Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare being honored in a roundabout way by Rambo, which the Arizona Daily Star apparently called "a nasty, Call of Duty 4-style shoot em' up!"

Surely, that's gotta be a first and clear indication that Hollywood execs are looking to get gamers off their couches and into movie theaters. You can read how pleased the Infinity Ward guys are at the team's official blog.

Rambo = "Call of Duty 4 style Shoot em' Up!" [IAMfourzerotwo - thanks, Robert!]

Console COD4 Getting New Maps This Spring

Mark Wilson — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:20:02 MST

To all those who can't get enough Call of Duty 4 multiplayer on the Xbox 360 and PS3, know that new maps are on the way this spring. How many? We don't know. What day will they be here? Not so sure. What will they cost? Wish we could tell you. But one thing's for certain, "the upcoming downloadable content will thrust gamers into a hot zone of added combat across a variety of intense multiplayer locales."

And that's plenty for us.

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

Call Of Duty 4 Heading To Mac

Mike Fahey — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:40:40 MST

Oh dear, it seems that all of my reasons for not buying an Apple system are slowly being whittled away in the course of a few short hours. First EA announces Spore for the Mac, and now Aspyr Media reveals that they are bringing the third installment of Infinity Ward shit - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - to Apple systems this May. As an added bonus, all of the problems with multiplayer that have plagued the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 versions of the game should be pretty much ironed out by then! Hit the jump for the juicy press release details.

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.

Call of Duty 4's Moral Issues

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:00:17 MST

Call of Duty 4 was a break in the series, something different. While previous entries were set in World War II, the latest one is not. CoD4 takes place in the Middle East, and players kill Middle Eastern insurgents. Much more real and hard-hitting compared to the Nazi boogeyman. In games and movies, Nazis do make fantastic bad guys. In a black and white world, it's easy to point to them as pure evil. Over at the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, writer Ralph De La Cruz offers this:

I mean, our family is not into any sort of violence. But who could possibly begrudge a man and his boy from killing a few Nazis? ...And so we went through three Call of Duty titles. That's because it sends you, as British trooper Sgt. John "SOAP" MacTavish, into the teeth of the Iraqi war. Yep. The war that's going on right now. The one I don't believe we should be fighting. The one I vow my son will never take part in.
...And there he is playing it out on his Xbox 360. Offing Iraqis for entertainment's sake, as other Americans sacrifice their lives on real-world battlefield...

"Actually, they're not Iraqis, they're insurgents," consoled a friend with whom I shared my dilemma. "Most of them probably aren't from Iraq." Well, actually, they're not insurgents. They're computer code and graphic animation.

The problem isn't what they are, or are not, but what they represent. What they say about me and my son. What it says about our perception of this war vs. past wars.

...Somehow I found it morally easier to kill Nazis...

Has anyone else faced similar moral issues?
Virtual History Lesson [Sun-Sentinel via GamePolitics]

Call Of Duty 4 Get Christmas Crash

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:40:00 MST

Sure, we may bemoan the lack of fully fledged Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa video games, but the little things that developers do to keep us in the spirit certainly counts for something. Infinity Ward's effort, a wintry version of multiplayer map "Crash" released just yesterday alongside version 1.4 of Call of Duty 4 for the PC, for example, has our cockles as warm as the hearths at Kotaku Towers. This pretty clip of the map revision, courtesy of the lords and lasses at Destructoid, teaches us the true meaning of Christmas. Or something.

COD4 Used "Best Coders" for PS3 Version

Mark Wilson — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:40:38 MST

COD4 has been universally heralded for general awesomeness, but even more impressively, the game pulled off this stunt for both the Xbox 360 and PS3. And while programmers are certainly getting better on Sony's platform, Infinity Ward studio head Vince Zampella explains to PSM3 magazine that they weren't taking any chances:

We had our best programmers on the PS3 [version of Call of Duty] and it shows...

Burn! I wouldn't want to be an Xbox 360 programmer at Infinity Ward at the moment. Because, no matter what Zampella's been telling you behind closed doors, you are not his "favowit wittle progwammer."

Infinity Ward stresses the importance of platform focus [gamesradar]

Call of Duty 4 Busts Out Funny Arabic Mistakes

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:00:25 MST

Sure, we've seen our share of funny in-game English. But what about other languages? Just because we can look at other cultures failed attempts at the English language, does that mean Western developers are free from foreign language fuck ups? Nope. Reader Hatem points to the Arabic in Call of Duty 4. Arabic is read right to left, but many of the in-game Arabic signs have been mirrored right to left so they come out backwards, funny and strange to native speakers. As Hatem points out, almost all the letters in Arabic connect. More often than not, the in-game signs feature Arabic letters that don't connect, changing meaning. Explains Hatem:

at first glance an arab reading person would think : WTF?? ... turns out they read "ضربة قاضية" which means "K.O aka Knock Out" , but here's where it got fucked up , arabic is one of those languages where almost all letters connect, but that didn't happen in this texture heh , and they made the mistake of writing it from left to right <_<;

That's not all. Hit the jump for more COD4 Arabic language mishaps!

another example of fucked up by separating the letters and then writing them from left to right , this one says :
"وحدانية" , i assumed by the fist image that they wanted it to mean "Unity" but the word they used usually means "Solitude" , it shoulda been "وحدوية" or "وحدة"

And, this isn't so much a boo-boo, but a funny:

well .. nothing wrong with this one , i just found it funny that the company name is "Whomever Tourism Co." or "Anyones Tourism Co." hehe

Interesting stuff! Thanks, Hatem!

Infinity Ward Planning COD4 360 Update

fdemarco — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:00:00 MST

Over on the Infinity Ward forums the news is out that an update for the 360 version of Call of Duty 4 is currently in the works. The update will address the oft complained about host selection and matchmaking issues as well as some new features. Community Relations Manager fourzerotwo states that there is no date set for when this update will be implemented, but it is on the way. One commenter asked if this will fix the "Game Lobby Closed" and "Player Kicked" issues some people have been having since launch to which fourzerotwo replied that it would be coming in a separate update.

Make the jump for the full list of added features.

[via: Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Additions / New Features:
Added Kill cam to Airstrike bombs and Claymores

Addition of Host Migration so if Host Leaves auto-chooses next best host

Tweaked the following Oldschool Mode settings based on feedback:
- Added Unlimited Sprint
- Increased Magazine Size
- Added Ragdoll Cam

Addition of New "N0M4D" Control Scheme

Optimizations / Tweaks:

Identify party by background color (in Lobby)

Optimized server selection for first match for better connections

Improved network performance for 18 player games

Optimized 'Chase Cam' when Spectating

Fixed Playlist error when attempting to join from other games

Handle Corrupt Create A Class data instead of kicking player

Infinity Ward Fixing PS3 COD4 Online

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:40:47 MST

While Xbox 360 owners have been enjoying the hell out of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's multiplayer, owners of the PlayStation 3 version like myself have been getting an altogether different definition of deep and hard. Players are reporting long wait times for matches, with connection issues plaguing servers once the matches do start. According to Inifinity Ward, the problem lies with servers getting slammed with far greater traffic than they had anticipated. Fortunately the PS3 server team is on the job.

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.

Hurry up guys, I have embarrassing amounts of dying to do!

Update: PSN Matchmaking [Infinity Ward Forums]

A WOPR Of A Call of Duty 4 Cameo

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:40:00 MST

I love cameos. I even like Cameo. Word up, I often find myself saying, when waxing about code words. So when Infinity Ward throws in a none too subtle nod to the magnificently named super computer from WarGames, the WOPR, into a game like Call of Duty 4 it's like candy. That's another Cameo reference, by the way. Anyway, for those who aren't in their thirties and saw the Cold War thriller starring a young Matthew Broderick in the theater, reader Joseph was nice enough to send along a snap of that, too.

Now I'm hungry! Time to load up the iPod with some Cameo funk classics and head over to my local Burger King. It's a wonderful restaurant!

More nerd references, please!

Infinity Ward - It's Deep And It's Hard, Bitch

Mike Fahey — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:40:53 MST

I finished the single player mode of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare last night on the PS3, and instead of getting up for a celebratory dish of ice cream, I sat through the credits. I'm glad I did, as it introduced me to the Call of Duty 4 rap anthem, Deep and Hard, which contains the line, "This the third installment, Infinity Ward shit, don't soil your drawers cause it's deep and it's hard, bitch." Poetry! I decided to record the event for you folks to enjoy. Before you say it, yes, my camera is shit. We've established this. I need this song on my iPod immediately.

Infinity Ward to EA Chicago: We're Hiring!

geoff — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:00:00 MST

Last night when I turned on my 360 to play Call of Duty 4 there was an interesting message of the day:

EA Chicago: Infinity Ward is hiring. jobs@infinityward.com

You've heard of in-game advertising — but in-game job recruitment? It's certainly no secret that the guys at Infinity Ward aren't huge fans of EA. (They once worked on Medal of Honor and then broke away to build the first Call of Duty). Los Angeles is a long ways from Chicago, but for those EA Chicago employees not looking to relocate, Midway has nearly 30 development positions open in its Chicago office.

Thanks for the screen cap, Jon!

Frankenreview, Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360)

Mark Wilson — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:00:52 MST

While most of us have enjoyed teabagging Hitler throughout the various incarnations of FPSs for some time now, it's refreshing to know that Call of Duty 4 has finally ditched WWII in favor of more "modern warfare." You know, bigger guns, less scrupulous causes and, of course, night vision goggles.

So hit the jump for our Frankenreview of COD4—the only review you'll ever need of the game before deciding, yes, it's a must-play and, no, you're never joining the Armed Forces.

Atomic Gamer
ew games have captured the detail level of a modern-day Middle Eastern city, at least when compared to photos from over there, but Call of Duty 4 does that well. And its depictions of snowy Russian rural areas - including a trip to Pripyat, the city which housed many of the people working at Chernobyl - are very convincing and do a great job to immerse you.
Gamespy
CoD4's mechanics are superb. The sense of aiming down your gun's barrel and unloading a full clip into an enemy feels perfect. The sense of impact behind a well-placed shot or three and the sense of danger as you try to bail out of the blast radius of a frag grenade is amazing.

TotalVideoGames
The inclusion of a time limit to several of the missions introduces a sense of pace and urgency to the proceedings, whilst occasionally a challenge that has no bearing on the success or failure of the mission becomes apparent, such as a split-second chance to save a citizen from execution.
UGO
The online multiplayer mode in Call of Duty 4 is unparalleled thanks to one enormously simple concept: Infinity Ward dangles so many unlockable carrots that you simply have to keep playing to see them all. Leveling up is nothing new for online gaming, but things are taken a step further in Modern Warfare as higher levels unlock access to additional weapons, Perks...and rulesets. In all, there are six basic game modes spread across 13 types of matches and 16 differently-sized maps inspired by the single player campaign's missions.
1UP
Call of Duty is one of those roller coaster-type games, where you sit back and let the game guide you down one hopefully thrilling path. But the trick to pulling off a successful linear shooter is breaking the player away from the rails every so often...Moonlight rescue missions, frontal assaults and panicked extractions, sniper infiltrations and assassinations, ambushes and support roles, small teams and big squads...
The recurring theme throughout the reviews was a constantly varied style of gameplay that kept COD4 from falling into the ho hum FPS trap.

Happy Halloween, Call of Duty Style

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:20:08 MDT

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.

Metal Gear Music Man Makes Modern Warfare

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:40:00 MDT

Harry Gregson-Williams flair for dramatic scores has provided memorable soundtracks to Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and the forthcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, but now he's lending his talents to another series. Infinity Ward has announced that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will feature a main theme and music production from Gregson-Williams whose music you may also recognize from loads of Hollywood fare (Enemy of the State, The Chronicles of Narnia, Team America: World Police). Further, Harry may also be known for his ability to stand near Kiera Knightley.

Steve Barton has been enlisted to write the game's original score alongside producer Gregson-Williams.

Based on what we've seen of the epic levels shown to us at Games Convention, Gregson-Williams stuff sounds like a perfect fit. Dramatic press release right after this.

Harry Gregson-Williams To Product Score Call Of Duty® 4: Modern WarfareTM

Award-Winning Composer Leads Soundtrack to Infinity Ward's Epic Thriller

Santa Monica, CA - October 2, 2007 - Infinity Ward and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) have announced that award-winning Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ will feature an original score by Stephen Barton with the Main Theme & Music Production provided by award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Gregson-Williams' work has been featured in numerous feature films, television series, and videogames with credits including Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, Spy Game , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Team America: World Police. The soundtrack for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was performed and recorded by a full orchestra, largely at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, England.

"Harry Gregson-Williams was the perfect choice to craft an immersive and rich soundtrack that matches the heightened atmosphere and tension of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare," says Grant Collier, Studio Head at Infinity Ward. "Harry's wealth of experience, passion and intensity together with the talents of young composer, Stephen Barton, shine through in the score draws gamers deeper into the epic and cinematic experience that is Call of Duty 4."

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Xbox 360™, Windows® PC and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system will begin deployment on Tuesday, November 5, 2007 and has been rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore. The game will also be available for and Nintendo DS™ and has been rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB for Teen for Blood and Violence.

Players anxious to answer the call can visit www.charlieoscardelta.com for additional information and exclusive updates.

Call Of Duty 4 Dev Ups Accessibility For Disabled Pro Gamer

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:40:18 MDT

A topic that all too rarely sees the discussion that some of us believe it warrants is one of accessible gaming. In general, most of our posts on the subject of making video games more available to those with disabilities simply bemoan the lack of it, pining for an accessible gaming utopia. While that will realistically most likely never happen, a recent development at Infinity Ward going the extra mile to ensure that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is at least playable by one more person has definitely warmed the Kotaku cockles.

UGO's D-Pad posted yesterday about pro gamer Randy "N0M4D" Fitzgerald's request for Infinity Ward to address a control scheme change for the fourth Call of Duty, one that limited his ability to control the game. Fitzgerald, who suffers from restricted movement as a result of Arthrogryposis, wrote to the developer of his issue with the game's beta control set up. Infinity Ward was quick to respond, telling Fitzgerald that they'd address the issue, then going on to solicit feedback about further control changes.

The full write-up, including the e-mail exchange between player and developer, is worth a look. Hopefully, attention to issues like this will make more developers and publishers aware of providing alternate or fully editable control schemes to disabled gamers.

Call of Duty: Modern Thinking [D-Pad]

COD4 Beta Update

Brian Crecente — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:20:24 MDT

The Infinity Ward people dropped me a note to let me know that starting at 1 p.m. Eastern they are going to be increasing the Rank level cap for the Call of Duty 4 beta to Level 16. This will allow gamers access to more weapons, perks and features, including Clan Tags which hit at Level 12.

This is the first of several level increases Infinity Ward will be doing throughout the beta.