Activision

Activision Donates $1M on Game’s Launch Day To Help Vets

Activision plans to unveil a $1 million backed non-profit corporation tomorrow designed to help soldiers transition to civilian careers tomorrow. The Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) unveiling comes on Veterans Day and the official launch day for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The morning press conference will take place at the Newseum in Washington…

Modern Warfare 2, 360 vs PS3 [Update]

Modern Warfare 2 is the year’s biggest game, and it’s a multiplatform title to boot. And those kind of games always beg the question: which one looks better? Those sensible types, the ones after a comprehensive run-down of the game across PS3 and 360, cataloguing stuff framerate, lighting and motion, will have to wait for…

GameStop Responds; MW2 Broken Street Date a Corporate Decision

GameStop’s top spokesman contacted Kotaku on Sunday evening to confirm that certain of its stores broke Modern Warfare 2’s Nov. 10 street date and began selling the game this weekend. GameStop corporate authorized the sales, he said. The statement, from Chris Olivera, vice president for corporate communications at GameStop’s Grapevine, Texas headquarters: This past weekend,…

Activision Files Trademark for ‘Drum Hero’ — Didn’t This Happen Already?

I know, I know. I could have sworn “Drum Hero” was filed ages ago, with “Guitar Villain” and other sassy trademarks. But apparently, Activision got around to applying for the mark on Oct. 30. The application’s just been filed; it hasn’t been assigned to an examiner yet. Standard trademark filing, covering “Drum Hero” for use…

Our Modern Warfare 2 Open Thread Also Breaks the Street Date

For whatever reasons, several GameStops in the northeastern U.S. broke Modern Warfare 2’s Nov. 10 street date and began selling it early this weekend. So that gives a head-start to matchmaking, braggin’ rights and raving about the game. So if you’ve managed to get a copy of the game early – we doubt GameStop or…

Northeast U.S. GameStops Selling Modern Warfare 2 Early – Updated

GameStops in Northeastern states such as New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 early, with one store claiming special dispensation from Activision due to street-breaking mom-and-pop stores. Here in Atlanta we still have to wait until Monday’s midnight launch to pick up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but…

Fils-Aime: New Super Mario Bros. Wii Will Outsell MW2 — with One Stipulation

That stipulation is, it’ll beat either the 360 or the PS3 versions of the game, but not both, the Nintendo boss Reggie FIls-Aime told Gametrailers TV. Still, that’s a hell of a Pepsi challenge. Granted, New Super Mario Bros. Wii only releases on a single platform. Modern Warfare 2 is still expected to be an…

Band Hero Track Edits Are Ridiculous

If you are planning on picking up Band Hero because it contains some of your favorite songs, be warned that some of the tunes have been butchered edited beyond enjoyment. I picked up the game for the 360 the other day so my girlfriend and I could play through “Angels of the Silences” from Counting…

To Catch A Modern Warfare 2 Cyber-Thief

Modern Warfare 2 is already making an appearance at torrent sites all over the internet, but it could have been worse. Dean Takahashi reports on how IPCybercrime stopped one pirate from making his big score. It all started with a Craigslist post, as many seedy stories these days do. Last Thursday a listing popped up…

2010 Will Bring Us More Call Of Duty, More Guitar Hero

During an earnings Q&A earlier today, Activision spoke a little of their 2010 product line-up. A line-up that you may be stunned to hear includes new Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Spider Man games. You can no doubt imagine the kind of shambling corpse that’ll be trotted out as Guitar Hero 6 (or whatever…

Activision: Improvement In Consumer Experience Will Outweigh Modern Warfare 2 PC Complaints

On an earnings call today, Activision president Mike Griffith said his company is “not overly concerned” about gamer complaints regarding the lack of support for dedicated servers in the PC version of Modern Warfare 2. “We’re, of course, watching this very carefully and paying attention to it,” he said in response to a financial analyst…

Guitar Hero, WoW & World At War Give Activision Better Than Expected Q3

Things are lookin’ up for old Activision Blizzard. The publisher announced today that business is good, better than expected, even, resulting in a $755 million quarter for the company. Activision Blizzard had kind words for the Guitar Hero and Call of Duty franchises, which apparently many of you bought over the last three months, helping…

Ultimate Alliance 2 DLC Magnetically Released

Master of Magnetism Magneto joins the lineup of five new heroes as Activision releases a new downloadable content pack for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. The new DLC adds five new heroes to the Ultimate Alliance 2 roster, along with four new challenge missions for those craving a…

Sliding Like Tom Cruise Is “Not Easy”

No, you haven’t stumbled onto Gawker.com. Fall Out Boy emo rocker Pete Wentz described the Risky Business-esque floor sliding for Band Hero as “not easy”. “I have a new appreciation for everyone that’s done that slide,” Wentz told MTV. “It’s hard to slide into once place and kinda try to look cool and do it…

New Modern Warfare 2 Trailer: Spoilers, Space & Slim Shady

Still sensitive about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 spoilers? Then this explosive new trailer for the game might not be for you. But if you like explosions cued to Eminem songs, you’re gonna love it regardless. Seriously, there are video snippets of just about every major event in the game here, if not every…

No Doubt Sues Activision Over Band Hero Likeness [Update]

Activision is catching legal heat from band No Doubt over the group’s appearance in the recently released Band Hero. No Doubt is suing Activision, seeking damages for turning the act into “virtual karaoke players.” Sound familiar? No Doubt says in a statement that the band “agreed to place avatars containing their name and likeness performing…

Modern Warfare 2 PC Multiplayer Capped At 9v9

PC gamers may find one more reason to grumble about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as Infinity Ward has confirmed that the maximum number of players in the game’s multiplayer mode has taken a hit from 32 to 18. A max of 18 players has been the norm for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox…

Infinity Ward: Wii Can’t Deliver Our Multi-Platform Experience

The first Modern Warfare was truly a multi-platform release, appearing on the Xbox 360, PS3, PC/Mac and a Nintendo Wii port. Its sequel, Modern Warfare 2, isn’t getting a Wii port just yet. Whether Activision has a studio like Treyarch do a Wii port of Modern Warfare 2 remains to be seen, but developer Infinity…

Modern Warfare 2 Breaks Pre-Order Records

The game that has sent the competition scurrying into 2010 looks set to break all kinds of sales records when it’s released next week, with Modern Warfare 2 setting a new mark for pre-orders at GameStop. Speaking with USA Today, the chain’s executive vice president for merchandising and marketing, Tony Bartel, has revealed “As of…

One Last Hurrah For Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack

Microsoft is dropping the price of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack for the last week it will be even remotely relevant. Modern Warfare 2 comes out next week, which means there will be a lot less people playing the original game on Xbox Live once it drops. Until then, why…