Last week, following the disappointing June NPD results, analyst Michael Pachter said a large part of the decline is attributable to gamers playing online titles more and therefore purchasing less in the way of new software. Chief among the online titles is Call of Duty, and Pachter said that publisher Activision must lead the way in instituting a monetization plan for all the online play. Gamers across the web got into a furor when they heard that Pachter's insisting that Activision charge for online play, but today the publisher said it's not going to happen.
An official statement to IGN reads, "Reports of a subscription membership in Modern Warfare 2 are not true. Activision has no plans to charge gamers to play Call of Duty multiplayer." And Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling noted, "To be clear: There is not, and will never be, additional fees required to subscribe and play Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer."
Treyarch's upcoming Black Ops won't have any charges either, according to community manager Josh Olin: "No, you will not have to 'Pay to Play' multiplayer either. Rumor -> Squashed."
That's all well and good, but Activision boss Bobby Kotick has repeatedly said that he'd love to see the Call of Duty franchise be transformed into a subscription business. And Bobby gets what Bobby wants. It may not happen overnight or with Black Ops, but the industry is shifting more and more into digital/online and Activision will find a way to charge for Call of Duty at some point down the line; we just don't know how or when yet.
7 Comments
July 20, 2010
I'm not sure where Michael received data on MW2 lifecycle, but I have seen data on my end about the speed at which games enter the secondary market. MW2 was a very fast moving title to enter into the used game marketplace. Same is true for Bioshock 2 and its multiplayer aspect. What game has been very slow to get into the used market? Super Mario Galaxy 2.
July 20, 2010
Keeping the consumers and avid gamers happy is a good idea, they don't like change! especially when it costs them extra $$$
July 20, 2010
Yes and Other OS will not be removed for Original PS3's.
The only way a subscription service will not exist is if when it finally shows up gamers refuse to buy any game with one and let whatever company who tries it know that was the reason they didn't.
July 20, 2010
I thought that Activision was going to attempt to start charging for online play with Black Ops this fall. Luckily I don't play the Treyarch COD games. I was curious to see how sales would have been with that added cost.
July 22, 2010
As bad as the hacking is on COD MW2, you would have to pay ME to play it !
July 23, 2010
The big publisher just don't get content/service provider transission from single to multiplayer. Or don't want to. And then wonder why the people with the most hardware/manpower get the money. The people demand a service (low ping, high download rate, customer support) and companies like Valve or Blizzard deliver. They have the servers, the networks, the support all grown in the last 10 years. I mean, EA/ATVI talk so proud about their advertising force all over the world. But what does that for the gamers?
Good multiplayer needs serverpower. For matchmaking AND gaming AND downloading. Who's gonna deliver that? The developers themselfs? Don't think so. The Publisher's? They don't seem to want to. Third party's? GfWL and GameSpy suck so... Oh the players, forgot the players, what about them? Not allowed to do so anymore...
PC gamer out ...
December 23, 2010
HI