Looks like COD fans will be paying for more then just map packs .....As Gordon Gecko said, "Greed is Good". Bobby Kostick is proving that. Here is the article.
Fans of Call fo Duty (COD) can count the last game released in the series as a turning point. Until now you could buy the game, take it home, and play it online and offline to your heart’s content without spending another dollar while experiencing the full game (map packs excluded, of course). With the next game in the series, that is no longer going to be the case.
During a Q1 earnings call held yesterday, Activision confirmed that the next COD release will come with premium online features. That means buying the game will not be the end of your spending in order to experience all that COD has to offer in terms of multiplayer features.
Activision has not revealed specifics about what premium features means other than to say it will be “further online monetization.” That translates to gamers paying for more than just map packs this time round, and could even see them having to sign-up for a subscription.
The next COD game is set to be revealed within the coming weeks and is expected to put a much bigger emphasis on online features and social interaction. The developer behind the game is called Beachhead and has been working on the title under a veil of mystery alongside a new Activision business unit put in place to push these new premium features.
Importantly, Bobby Kotick has stated that everything seen in previous COD games will be there when you buy the boxed copy. Premium services will be in addition to those features which ties in to the mentioned new emphasis for online.
Rumors of premium features for the series first appeared in January when Wedbush Securities made Activision stock a top pick due to potential for it to “monetize a second tier of multiplayer online gaming ” in COD. Now we know it is going to happen, but if Kotick is true to his word, not to the detriment of the core gaming experience.
Read more at MCV and Seeking Alpha
Matthew’s Opinion
I can’t help but wonder how Activision has decided to walk that fine line between genuine premium features and pure greed.
The COD series is by far the most profitable on the market and earns Activision millions of dollars with every release. Introducing premium online features will be accepted by some players if they see the benefit of them. Players who just want the online experience they had in previous releases must get that too just by purchasing the game. If some of those features move to the premium list then Activision cannot in good faith sell the game at the same high price point.
This is where Kotick’s assurance comes in. He has stated for the record that the core COD experience will remain part of the boxed copy you buy. Premium will be brand new features only. If that’s the case no one can really complain and gamers can choose to invest further if they wish
