Will Call of Duty Get Standalone, Pay-To-Play Online Multiplayer?

[shane]

 

Call of Duty publisher Activision has been talking about new ways to make even more money from its shoot ‘em up cashcow for years. A new report makes it sound like a new way to play Call of Duty online is imminent.

 

The analysts at Wedbush Securities believe that Activision is set to reveal a new “tier” of Call of Duty online multiplayer within the next three months. “Activision remains a top pick, primarily due to the company’s potential to create and monetize a second tier of multiplayer online gaming for its Call of Duty franchise,” Wedbush analysts write in their January 2011 newsletter. “We expect this to occur during the first quarter of 2011.” Yes, that’s pretty soon and, yes, they’re being awfully specific.

 

If accurate, that new way to play Call of Duty in some capacity may represent Activision’s desires to deliver that “high-margin digital online content and further the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models.” That was the company’s plan as of March 2010.

 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops still do big numbers in online multiplayer and big sales of retail copies. But Activision brass has bemoaned the limited number of ways they can sell goods to the Call of Duty-playing masses after they invest in the game, map packs notwithstanding.

 

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has been thinking about “the natural evolution of a property like Call of Duty into a massively-multiplayer environment” for some time, taking cues from World of Warcraft makers Blizzard. The company may also see the ongoing success that developer Valve has had with games like Team Fortress 2, which recently began selling in-game goods to an audience willing to spend, and want some of those dollars.

 

The Call of Duty publisher (and its developers) claim the boxed, retail copies of games in the series will never carry a subscription fee to play their online components. Of course, there are many other options the company can pursue beyond the box.

 

 

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[willywonka159]

Won't pay a dime. But that's just me.

[IRISH BULL]

willywonka159;822486']Won't pay a dime. But that's just me.

 

If DC Universe is a hit, it might open the flood gates to future online games. But I'm with you, I won't pay to play.

 

Buuut, then on the other hand, if this becomes the standard, they will have us by the short hairs.

Edited January 6, 2011 by IRISH BULL

[o-BacklasH-o]

I will pay to play, for the simple fact that dedicated servers are better than free servers. There are a lot less latency issues when you pay to play. If something was offered for Black Ops, I'd jump on it. The way rooms crash and parties are broken, I'd pay just to be able to have full functionality.

[Crusty_Demons]

o-BacklasH-o;822528']I will pay to play' date=' for the simple fact that dedicated servers are better than free servers. There are a lot less latency issues when you pay to play. If something was offered for Black Ops, I'd jump on it. The way rooms crash and parties are broken, I'd pay just to be able to have full functionality.[/quote']

 

I won't just assume that because they might start charging that they will back it up with dedicated servers.. If we were talking about PC sure but this is consoles we are talking about. When I listen to JD2020 and Vahn they talk like most of the problems are gone.. Is that the same kind of service we would get if we were paying? My guess is yes.

[willywonka159]

IRISH BULL;822510']If DC Universe is a hit' date=' it might open the flood gates to future online games. But I'm with you, I won't pay to play.

 

Buuut, then on the other hand, if this becomes the standard, they will have us by the short hairs.[/quote']

 

If it became the standard, I wouldn't buy another Call of Duty game again.

[IRISH BULL]

IRISH BULL;822510']If DC Universe is a hit' date=' it might open the flood gates to future online games. But I'm with you, I won't pay to play.

 

Buuut, then on the other hand, if this becomes the standard, they will have us by the short hairs.[/quote']

 

willywonka159;822536']If it became the standard' date=' I wouldn't buy another Call of Duty game again.[/quote']

 

When I say "the standard", I mean every MP game.

 

What will you do then??

[willywonka159]

I doubt every game is going to be pay per month. I mean, EVERY game? Gran Turismo? Killzone? Heavy Rain-type games? I'll buy those games instead. Like I said, I will never pay per moooonthh!!