And what a frightful sight!
Several people have been emailing me this story.
According to the Activision CFO, there is a demand from its core fanbase to pay for additional services.
“Our gamers are telling us there’s lots of services and innovation they would like to see that they’re not getting yet. From what we see so far, additional content, as well as all the services Blizzard is offering, is that there is demand from the core gamers to pay up for that,” he said.
Just like there was all that Core Demand for IW.net over dedicated servers!
Meanwhile, look at this:
Activision has revealed that Modern Warfare 2 made USD 310 million on its first day on sale – in the US and UK markets alone.
That’s according to internal estimates at the publisher, and if accurate would make it the biggest entertainment launch of all time – eclipsing the last blockbuster videogame to claim that honour – Grand Theft Auto IV, released last year.
The company added that it believed 4.7 million units were sold in the two countries as thousands of stores there opened at midnight, while in the UK a number of supermarket stores sold out as frenzied discounting reduced the price point from GBP 44.99 to nearer GBP 25.
The Infinity Ward-developed title had been predicted to be the year’s biggest seller, although just prior to launch there was some controversy about a terrorist scene in the game, picked up by mainstream press, while some retailers broke street dates as demand hit fever pitch.
“The Call of Duty franchise has become a cultural phenomenon showing the power of video games as an entertainment medium,” said Mike Griffith, CEO of Activision Publishing. “The shattering of these entertainment records is a testament to the compelling, cinematic and uniquely engaging experience that the Call of Duty brand delivers.
“Modern Warfare 2 has taken interactive experience to unprecedented heights setting a new standard for entertainment,” he added.
But despite the runaway success of the game, investors seem to be unimpressed, as the company’s share price has fallen by 3.8 per cent since Tuesday to USD 11.38
Investors live in the future, not the past. I believe the complaints about the lack of dedicated servers and generally about Activison in general are being heard by them (not saying the drop in share price has anything to do with that).
Investors do look around the Internet and see what gamers are saying.
King Kotick may be ignoring you, but the investors will not.
But Activision is revealing who and what the “Game Industry” is all about. Hardcore was nothing more than a marketing technique to turn you all into tools. I bet soon “game journalists” will write stories on how ‘hardcore’ it is to buy DLC for Modern Warfare 2.
There is another way to get revenue: more customers. But this doesn’t seem to be Activision’s focus. Instead, it is to extract as much revenue from existing customers. Nickel and dime them!
Billions are not enough for Activision. No, they must make Gazillions. And they are pushing too far. Gamers aren’t going to let themselves be treated like that.
While the “Game Industry” is having orgasms over Modern Warfare 2’s launch, I don’t think they have realized the party is over.
All series in gaming has its peak and then it falls. This is Infinity Ward’s peak. They will see only decline from here on out.
How do I know this? Back in 2003, I heard about “Call of Duty”. There were a small group of people who were very passionate about the game. Call of Duty 2 eventually came out, and it became a surprise best seller on the Xbox 360. More and more people were getting into the series and becoming passionate about it. Call of Duty 3 (which did not come out on PC) was a launch title for the PS3 as well as Wii. It was not made by Infinity Ward but by Treyarch. It was received, OK, but the fans were aligned with Infinity Ward.
After moving a tree house, I overheard middle age men together and talk. Most of the time, these guys talk about football or something else with sports. But they were talking Call of Duty. I recall them saying how they didn’t like Call of Duty 3 due to Treyarch and were waiting for whatever Infinity Ward made next. They were, essentially, Infinity Ward fans. Call of Duty 4 was extremely popular especially with the multiplayer. Call of Duty 4, and its change to Modern Warfare and away from World War 2, appeared to attract new fans.
It is no surprise to me that Modern Warfare 2 had such a high amount of pre-orders. But something funny has happened on the way to the future. These same Infinity Ward fans are now cursing the name Infinity Ward. They are cursing how it is nothing more than a conveyor belt for DLC (which is why dedicated servers are gone).
In entertainment, a company’s reputation, in this case the development team’s reputation, is extremely important. Many people buy games by Treasure, Nintendo, Blizzard, and others on day one, no matter what reviews or anyone else says, because they trust the companies and/or developers. Now that trust is gone.
What we are witnessing is the peak of the Call of Duty series. There is no more consumer passion for Infinity Ward anymore or their work. Many consumers feel betrayed or feel they are being used as tools. From here on, the Call of Duty series will decline.
Activision probably thinks they are all geniuses at this moment and doesn’t see what is really happening. What we are witnessing is how some self-seen business genius is literally destroying a fantastic franchise. They won’t realize the damage until sales fall short for the next game (which will be years from now).
The more successful a game franchise is, the faster the “Game Industry” destroys it! Is this not amazing or what?
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