Activision

From the Mouths of Babes …

If David Vonderhaar, design director for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, thought shining a light on the rancid Twitter spew coming from the game’s so-called fans would curb those reactions, well, think again. It’s still going strong, and someone’s curating it all. Consider this a to-block list for your own Twitter feed.

Activision Blizzard used to be owned by media giant Vivendi. Not anymore. It’s now a free company, having bought Vivendi’s stake out. You could say it’s gone indie, but that joke’s going to wear pretty thin over the next 24 hours. Fun fact: Activision boss Bobby Kotick and co-chair Brian Kelly paid $100 million of…

Animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series Gets a Game in October

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will get a second game this year, one based on the Nickelodeon TV show, Activision said yesterday. It’s going to be for a younger audience, so that probably means Michelangelo won’t be kicking bad guys in the jewels. Simply called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the game will be released Oct.…

Microtransactions? In World of Warcraft? It Could Happen.

In-game purchases? In World of Warcraft? Could happen, says a Blizzard community manager. Earlier this week, World of Warcraft players on the game’s public test server discovered an item called the Enduring Elixir of Wisdom. The item description: “Experience gained from killing monsters and completing quests increased by 100%.” In other words, it makes grinding…

A Brief Encounter With Destiny, Bungie’s Gorgeous MMOish Sci-Fi Shooter

We started in Old Russia, “many years from now.” A dramatic score swelled in the background. That was from the game. In real life, the bass from a Call of Duty trailer thundered from the other side of the wall. I was seeing Destiny, one of the next Next Big Things. Chris Butcher, a lead…

Deadpool: The Kotaku Review

My initial foray into the world of High Moon Studios’ Deadpool video game culminated in an intimate moment in the eponymous character’s filthy bathroom. Pants around his hideously-scarred ankles, our hero strains. “It’s burns!” he cries, and it does — but it also feels kind of good. Following a phone call from the game’s developer…

Call of Duty: Ghosts Appears on TV, Gives us “Press X To Bark”

Tonight’s featured demo on Late Night’s Video Games Week was a few minutes’ worth of the new Call of Duty’s canine companion demonstrating his abilities of sneaking, silent killing, and… barking. The demo, which takes place in the rather devastated-looking outskirts of San Diego, has the dog, Riley, take down several guards—in fact, the actual…

Usually, Vanity Fair’s features are all about Hollywood movers and shakers, glitzy heiresses, and intrigues at famous fashion houses. But this month, the magazine’s website has a big, in-depth article on the lawsuit between Activision and Jason West and Vince Zampella, the men who re-invigorated the Call of Duty franchise with the first Modern Warfare…

Call of Duty: Ghosts May Or May Not Come To Wii U (Maybe)

Does Call of Duty Dog feel threatened by Nintendogs? Weeks after the official announcement of Call of Duty: Ghosts, it’s still not very clear whether or not the game is coming to Wii U. Activision has been sketchy about the prospect of their next big first-person shooter coming to Nintendo’s console for quite some time…

Producer Hints Call of Duty: Ghosts May Release on Wii U [Corrected]

Through the game’s original announcement and since its next-generation console reveal, Activision has steadfastly refused to say if the game was coming to Wii U. The game’s executive producer, however, indicated that it may. [Correction] An earlier version of this story reported that Rubin confirmed the game’s appearance on Wii U. He only said they…

Thanks For Using My Picture To Sell Your $300 E3 Skylander

As I predicted, the E3 2013 exclusive Skylander is flooding onto eBay, as evidenced by this successful auction featuring the top photo I took for the previous article. Brand new and Sealed. Straight out of E3 Expo 2013. Extremely RARE and a must for Skylander fans and collectors. The following is “Color Shift” Hot Dog…

The E3 2013 Exclusive Skylanders Hot Dog MISB RARE

Say hello to Color Shift Hot Dog, the exclusive E3 2013 Skylanders toy Activision will be giving out at their Skylanders: Swap Force area when the show opens tomorrow. Shortly after that he’ll be on eBay for several hundred dollars. Not this one, mind you. While he does look quite fetching in his packaging… …I…

“Next Gen” Call Of Duty Has Some Old Tricks

This video for Call of Duty: Ghosts is all about hyping the next-gen visuals we’ll be getting on versions of the game for platforms like the Xbox One and PS4. While the videos you saw yesterday show actual gameplay, this pops the hood and shows you some of the tech that differentiates the next-gen editions…

Here’s What Call of Duty: Ghosts Will Look Like on a Next-Gen Console

If you missed the “all-access event” for Call of Duty: Ghosts from earlier today, here is the gameplay footage from two campaign levels shown—”Into the Deep” and “No Man’s Land” featuring Riley Call of Duty Dog. Developer Infinity Ward said the sequences above were taken from the next-generation console version of Ghosts (you can tell…

And Here are Four More Screenshots of Call of Duty: Ghosts

Yes, Riley Call of Duty Dog is in one of them. What’s more, one is entitled “Federation Day Rappel,” (below) a curious little tease of the continuity surrounding the game’s campaign mode. Remember, this game takes place in the future in a wholly separate canon; the events of Modern Warfare 3 have nothing to do…

Watch the Call of Duty: Ghosts Big Pre-E3 Gameplay Showcase Right Here

A pre-E3 “all-access” event for Call of Duty: Ghosts is kicking off moments from now, showing off new gameplay footage from several of the game’s campaign levels. You can watch all of it right here. This 30-minute stream will also include behind-the-scenes details and interviews with Infinity Ward, the studio behind this year’s edition of…

You Can Bark Orders to Call of Duty‘s Happy Scrappy Hero Pup

Though he practically upstaged the Xbox One at its own reveal event, don’t expect Call of Duty Dog to slink off into a corner during E3 week. He’s not going to be eye candy or a prop in Call of Duty: Ghosts‘ singleplayer campaign. If anything, developer Infinity Ward is doubling down on the Dog.…

The Mad Rush For Skylanders: Swap Force Begins October 13

Okay parents, we’ve been through this twice before; this time we get it right. The latest installment of the franchise your children go crazy for is officially launching on October 13 in North America and October 18 in Europe. You should probably be taking notes. Skylanders: Swap Force features 32 completely new characters — 16…

These Patents Video Game Publishers Own May Surprise You. Plus More…

After listening to this week’s episode of This American Life on software patents, I was curious to investigate patents within the gaming sphere. Although we routinely hear about console manufacturers’ patents, patents from publishers are a less frequent source for headlines. Electronic Arts hold patents for things like: a gaming console with a wireless controller,…

Call of Duty: Ghosts Gives You a Dog, Customizable Multiplayer Avatars

You’ll have a dog in the next Call of Duty. You’ll be able to lean. You’ll be able to slide. And in multiplayer, you’ll be able to customize your character’s avatar, switching bodies, heads and more. Call of Duty: Ghosts is making its public debut today as part of the reveal of the new Xbox,…