The second map pack for the blockbuster Modern Warfare 2 will be released in the second half of 2010, an Activision executive confirmed today. That will be the first fresh dose of Modern Warfare since the recently-issued Stimulus Pack.
During a company financial earnings call, Activision's Thomas Tippl said that the back half of the calendar year will include both the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops as well as a new Modern Warfare 2 expansion. Black Ops is in development by Activision's Treyarch team. The second map pack, Tippl said, is being made by Infinity Ward.
No further details about the map pack were offered.
When asked about the $15 price of the first Modern Warfare map pack, the Stimulus Package and whether it will stick, Tippl said: "The $15 price point has still provided a fantastic value to gamers.. we think that has worked."
DISCUSSION
I have to admit, the amount of DLC people are willing to swallow these days is blowing my mind. The $15 map pack seems bad enough, but $25 for the equivalent of Horse Armor in World of Warcraft= sold a stupid amount. "Additional Costumes' for Street Fighter, sold well enough to further encourage this behavior. Honestly, the few times I've ever even bought DLC to see what the fuss is about, the *ONLY* time I felt like I was getting my money's worth was Borderlands—and pretty much only with General Knoxx. Add to that amusing little schemes—such as 'if you buy the DLC, matchmaking doesn't work for certain modes (oh hai Halo) and you get downright screwed up models—but people buy it.
I know it's all fun to point at Actvision and scream 'evil'—but people are buying it. People are putting up with it. So, who can blame them?
And the sheer amount of people 'drinking the kool-aid' for MW2 is staggering. I rented it on a lark and was struck. It doesn't take much change for me to feel like I'm approaching a novel experience, but nothing changed at all, yet it was heralded as a second coming. So, who can blame them if they wanna rehash content yearly and reap the rewards, honestly?