Tag: infinity ward

Random Encounters III

Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag

Time for another edition of Random Encounters, where I share my thoughts on a variety of subjects that are currently on my mind:

1. I have no proof and only baseless Internet speculation, but I can’t help but wonder if Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag was originally a side-story like the Ezio trilogy and was rebranded as a numbered sequel in order to take people’s mind off the bitter disappointment that was Assassin’s Creed 3. It just seems odd that the AC 4 is in roughly the same time period and is a prequel, which means it might not even forward the Desmond story set in the future. We will have to wait and see, but if that is the case, it’s kind of disgusting, akin to Square Enix allegedly releasing Final Fantasy Versus XIII as Final Fantasy XV. Continue reading Random Encounters III

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Looks Kind of Fun

If broshooters are your thing, you can’t really get much more bang for you buck than Call of Duty. Even with a new title releasing every year, there’s enough ranking and unlocking packed into the games to keep you busy for a while.

While the Call of Duty series has been waning in the eyes of the gaming public for while (to those of us “in the know”, at any rate), I’ve always appreciated Treyarch’s willingness to stick their necks out and deviate from the formula set up by Infinity Ward. Things like zombies, crazy Cold War conspiracies and now trips to the future are all helping to keep the series somewhat fresh while Modern Warfare approaches stagnation. The new multiplayer trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 shows you how you’ll be fighting in the future of 2025. If you thought that Call of Duty needed more ridiculous kill-streak rewards, then you’re in for a treat.

Walking tanks and helicopter drones and suicidal UAVs, oh my! The only thing missing from this trailer is the crazy customization that Treyarch packed into the original Black Ops, but I’m sure all of that will be revealed in another trailer closer to the release date.

So, what do you think? Does the multiplayer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 do it for you? Is it worth going black to the future?

Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Modern Warfare 3

After the well-publicized falling out of Infinity Ward and Activision, the Modern Warfare franchise returns with (presumably) the final chapter in the world-devastating saga. There is no question that this game would sell a ton of copies, but the real question is can the remnants of Infinity Ward, along with a little help from their friends at Sledgehammer, maintain the quality that the fans demand? Continue reading Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Infinity Ward Gets Help With Modern Warfare 3

call of duty modern warfare 3

We all know two things are certain every year: A Call of Duty game will come out in November and it will be the biggest game of the year. Well, you can rest easy because it looks like all is right with the world, as the L.A. Times is reporting that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be released this November, as expected. Please be aware this isn’t confirmed by Activision yet.

What’s interesting about this is that the article states that Sledgehammer is working closely with Infinity Ward to get the title ready and Raven Software is helping out with the online multiplayer aspect. If true, this would destroy all the predictions that were made about Sledgehammer and Raven working on a separate Call of Duty title. I am rather glad to hear this, actually. I want Modern Warfare 3 before any other kind of Call of Duty series starts up.

What do you think? Would Activision go to such lengths to protect their cash cow? I think so. Are you excited about this or has the backlash still tainted you? Speak!

Source: L.A. Times

Treyarch Hears The Call Of Duty

Well, bad news for fans of Treyarch’s Spider-Man games, all four of you: the developer recently revealed in an interview with CVG that they are all about the Duty now. Call of Duty, that is.

That’s right, everyone’s favorite B-team in the CoD bullpen has forsaken all others to focus exclusively on Activision’s Call of Duty franchise. They claim this has been the case for sometime and is not a result of the hoopla involving Infinity Ward that you might have heard of. I can’t really blame Activision for such a decision, as despite my pre-release hating, World At War was actually really good. Treyarch even has a whole team dedicated to just multiplayer, which can’t be a bad thing. Right?

How do you guys feel about this sudden change in focus for Treyarch?

Source: 1UP

Analyst Predicts Closure of Infinity Ward

closedI honestly can’t remember the last time that we’ve videogame industry drama on the scale that we have been seeing lately with Activision and Infinity Ward. If you’ve somehow missed out on all the craziness: several weeks ago, studio heads Zampella and West of Infinity Ward were Order 66’d. Some crazy allegations launched out from both Activision and Zampella and West, who went on to start Respawn, which was then bought up by EA.

In the wake of this insanity, many employees of IW have been jumping ship, with some of them going to join Respawn with their former bosses. In addition to that, some employees have filed a lawsuit against Activision, claiming that hundreds of millions in royalties were owed. Add to that the fact that yesterday, Activision Publishing President and CEO Mike Griffith is stepping down from his post, and you have quite the poostorm going on.

Naturally, this has lead to some concerns about the future of Infinity Ward in the hands of Activision, and now industry analyst Mike Hickey is predicting that the studio will close after the next map pack is released. According to big Mike:

We expect Infinity Ward studio will be essentially closed after their next map pack release, with development work on Modern Warfare 3 spread between two studios not historically tied to the franchise.

And there you have it. While this is just an analyst’s prediction, and to be taken with a grain of salt, it definitely rings true with what some have no doubt thought about. So what do you guys think of this whole drama? Even though I’m sure that there is much wrong on both sides of the camp, all of this stuff really makes Activision look pretty bad, and like they squandered their golden goose.

Source- Gamasutra

Modern Warfare 2 Fan Video is Too Good Not to Share

I already know what you’re saying: “Two Modern Warfare 2 videos in a row, Mitch? WTF, you crazy Canuck!” Well, slow your roll, dude, because this film is a little different than your average bear. Freddie Wong, the man behind the Bike Hero video and the real life Portal Gun is back, but this time he’s dishing up some MW2-flavored action. Filmed for the budget price of $209.42, this fan film pays a wonderful tribute to Modern Warfare 2. Take a look:

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Despite having a production cost of two hundred dollars, Freddie Wong and his crew did pretty well. What do you guys think of the video?

Today’s WTF: From Zero to Nuke in 30 Seconds

I’m sure that, by this point, most of us have ventured into Modern Warfare 2’s online arena and have seen some crazy shenanigans go down. From the Javelin glitch and speed skating to ridiculously accurate knife tosses, Infinity Ward’s leviathan continues to provide quality entertainment at other people’s expense. Just take a look at the following video where some lucky dude grabs a early multi-kill and proceeds to dominate everyone:

Too wild, eh? What do you guys think? Is this legit, or is the user engaged in some shady activity?

Modern Warfare 2 DLC Trailer is Stimulating

As we are all well aware, Infinity Ward is still giving us a map pack for their immensely popular online shooter on March 30 despite their current trouble with parent company Activision. Featuring five maps, two of them remakes of the popular Call of Duty 4 maps, Crash and Overgrown, this add-on will cost an astounding fifteen dollars. Take a look at the newly released trailer for the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package:

How do you guys feel about this? I’ve moved on to Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and I don’t think I’ll go back to Modern Warfare 2. The game was really addictive for a while, but the land-slide of bugs and glitches killed my enthusiasm. Who here is still playing this game, and are you going to pick up this up?

DICE Takes Another Shot at Infinity Ward

Do you guys remember back in November of last year when the hype for Modern Warfare 2 was really reaching a fever pitch? Well, during that time, Infinity Ward released a less than acceptable viral video promoting their game. The video was titled Fight Against Grenade Spam, or F.A.G.S. when shortened into an acronym. Obviously, this didn’t go over well with the majority of its viewers, and ended up causing IW a lot more grief than they needed right before MW2 launched. DICE, not one to let the comparisons between their game and Infinity Ward’s go unnoticed, has taken another pass at making fun of IW’s missteps, this time by spoofing F.A.G.S with a video of their own: F.R.A.G.S. Take a look.

So, what do you think? A little too overt of a jest by DICE? Do you think it’s justified?

Review: Modern Warfare 2

mw2Ok, I won’t write a cheesy intro paragraph about Modern Warfare 2. You know what this game is. I won’t even make a statement about how you have to have been hiding under a rock to not know. I think it’s safe to say that we’re all familiar with this game, its controversies, and some of its more publicized info leading up to the epic launch this week. This is without a doubt the biggest title to drop this year. So, with all of the hype, how did it stack up?

Continue reading Review: Modern Warfare 2

Rumor: Modern Warfare 2 With a Third-Person Perspective?

Okay, I am thoroughly confused by this one. I’m a big supporter of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” game design method, so I’m a little puzzled as to why Infinity Ward thought that their upcoming blockbuster needed a third-person multi-player mode. The following video was taken off a live stream of someone in France (the big source for all leaks, apparently) showing off the supposed alternate view point for Modern Warfare 2. It certainly looks legit, but I’d wait until an official comment comes from Infinity Ward before going too crazy. I mean, those poor guys have enough problems as it is.

The video is of questionable quality, which is a natural consequence of recording off a live stream. It shows the action well enough, and it does look like MW2. The third-person modes in question appear to be Team Death Match and Cage Match, so I wouldn’t expect to see this camera option appear in the campaign or SpecOps. What do you guys think? True or fake, and is this a weird move for the series?

Edit: So, it looks like this is true. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling confirmed the existence of a couple third-person playlists, citing it as “another way to play”.

Source: Destructoid

GameCop Vs LameCop Vs PsychoCop

In the past, GameCop vs. LameCop has been a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, playing the role of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. However, with the addition of a new GamerSushi team member, we’ve added another more absurd character to the bunch: Psycho Cop.

If you’re unfamiliar with this feature, we discuss gaming issues and we switch roles each time. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: kind of a lamewad. Meanwhile, PsychoCop is a crazed, rabid forum troll that rants like a complete lunatic.

In this week’s edition, we not-so-calmly debate Day 1 DLC and Modern Warfare 2’s erasure of dedicated servers.

Continue reading GameCop Vs LameCop Vs PsychoCop

Modern Warfare 2: Infamy Trailer

There is no question that Modern Warfare 2 is the most anticipated title of the year, with a hype level that has been snowballing as of late. As if that wasn’t enough, the folks over at Infinity Ward have released a brand new trailer for the game, moving me from excited to a near fever pitch. One of the wildest parts of the trailer? Images of what looks to be Washington, DC under attack. Why isn’t it November yet?

Modern Warfare 2 Continues to Look Hot

Infinity Ward has released another Modern Warfare 2 multi-player footage video, and I can’t believe how amazing this game looks. The user interface has been completely changed, and the new blood splatter effect that replaces the traditional pulsing red screen when you’re wounded is pretty slick. The guns also look a lot more detailed, and the player models have gotten a complete over-haul. With a good engine in place from CoD 4, it looks like Infinity Ward went a little wild, and we all get to reap the benefits.

Just like the last multiplayer video IW released, this preview is chock-a-block full of little hidden clues as to what you can expect when the game launches November 10th. Keep your eyes peeled after the video “ends” for a nice little surprise.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4PMRFkx07g[/youtube]

Here’s something I’m wondering, though. With Modern Warfare being released on three platforms (360, PC and PS3), will it outperform Halo 3:ODST on sales, or will the power of Halo continue to shine through?

Sneak Peak: Modern Warfare 2 Gameplay

Christmas has come early for you Modern Warfare fans, as some considerate soul has put up a minute and a half of juicy single-player footage. It’s off-screen, unfortunately, and the music is placeholder, (it’s actually the track Scorponok from the Transformers film), but it’s a good indication of the changes from Call of Duty 4. Take a look:

Modern Warfare 2 Interview

So far, Modern Warfare 2 is one of the more impressive titles I’ve seen at E3. The cliffhanger demo from the Microsoft presser was a joy to watch, particularly the snowmobile ride as well as the sneaking gameplay. Here’s a video interview with the community director at Infinity Ward, with some neat details about the gameplay as well as the story. Who else is even more pumped for this game after E3?

Finally, a Proper Modern Warfare 2 Trailer

In case you weren’t watching the Eastern Conference Finals tonight on TNT, you may have missed the epic reveal trailer for Modern Warfare 2, full of explosions, intrigue, accents and lots of sweet action. In particular, I’m a fan of the rope sequence ascending through the flames. It pretty much made me pee a little. Anywho, watch it and leave your comments! Who else is excited to play this game in November?

Yet Another Modern Warfare 2 Tease

More teasers? I get that Infinity Ward wants to hype their game, but come on. Oh well, I guess I can’t complain too much when I gobble up every bit of info that they throw at me, ravenously looking for more.

While the world premiere of Modern Warfare 2 is still just a couple of days away, it seems that a new teaser is out tonight exclusively on GameTrailers. So, kick back, relax and enjoy the 28 seconds of teasing, 10 of which we’ve already seen.