Posts Tagged ‘Call of Duty’
Friday, March 4th, 2011
Why choose when you could have both in this day in age? Wouldn’t it be amazing to control a remote UAV with an Xbox or PS3 controller? Well it is already happening; throughout the years video games have been adapting controllers and interfaces off of military equipment whether it be the Duck Hunt pistol or shotgun set ups during the early evolution of gaming or the joystick controllers of Atari. Gaming evolution has been simulating military equipment and warfare in general with the massive amount of games out there like Call of Duty, Socom, Tom Clancy, etc. for years now; so why wouldn’t the military look into using video games for their own use.
One of the bigger companies that has been implanting video games into their training has been the company Raytheon. The development in Raytheon Tactical Intelligence Systems has been open to exploring the trend of video games for awhile now. Raytheon actually uses Xbox controllers as an interface for their unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs for those CoD players out there. Xbox controllers aren’t just for playing Call of Duty anymore, they will actually be flying the devices so many video games out there are trying to simulate themselves.
Raytheon has also been experimenting with Wii controllers to explore the possibilities for training simulators and other applications that require physical movement. Just imagine a training simulation that one can have on any TV in their house, military provided, of course. (more…)
Tags: Call of Duty, Cody Schmittinger, military, military game training, Video Games
Posted in Cody Schmittinger, Editorial, Video Games | No Comments »
Monday, February 28th, 2011
Guitar Hero is dead.
Is this breaking news? No it’s not; in fact many, if not most of you probably heard this weeks ago, but why is it dead?
It seems to me that the answer is fairly simple: sequel fatigue. If you’ll look at all the Guitar Hero music games that have come out over the last few years you’ll be amazed at the sheer volume that Activision shoved down our throats, with the simple fact being that no single one of their new creations was really anything special or dramatically different than the previously released games. The developers saw that the games were popular and decided to bleed the franchise to death over the course of a few years, and now one of gaming’s biggest franchises is dead.
Now I don’t want to knock the sequel; I love sequels, if they’re done right. My favorite movies include Spiderman 2 and The Dark Knight, both of which are sequels that utilize the potential of the sequel to improve themselves over their original in pretty much every considerable way. And, in as many ways as videogames are different from movies, they are also similar. The sequel for a videogame has the basic philosophy driving it as a sequel for a film: the creators want to make more money, and it’s easier to get people to invest in a presold idea than in an original concept. It’s just the way the world works; it’s not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it necessarily a good thing . So I wanted to basically write this article to really say one thing: When creating a sequel to a successful game, or movie, or anything, take your damn time.
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Tags: Call of Duty, call of duty black ops, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Guitar Hero, pokemon, Pokemon Black, Pokemon Black and White, Pokemon White
Posted in Editorial, Quinn Anderson, Video Games | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Plenty of games have been called “the best of all timeâ€. Obviously, such a title is completely subjective, as opinions from person to person will vary greatly. But maybe there is some kind of quantifiable statistic that would show us which game deserves the credit as the greatest influence on the modern gaming industry. After all, the film industry had such an example, in the form of Orson Welles’ 1941 classic Citizen Kane. Or it is also possible that video games haven’t had its masterpiece released yet? You’ve made it this far, but I implore you to read the first part of this two-piece article here to get caught up to speed.
I really, really wanted to use this image.
Is the revenue generated on a game’s release an indicator of massive influence? In recent years, several different titles have been making absurd amounts of money, and all sorts of records are being broken every year. And not just video game sales records—even records set by blockbuster films have been shattered by titles like Halo 3 and Modern Warfare 2. Call of Duty: Black Ops is the most recent record-breaker: in the first 24 hours alone, the game was reported to have made around $360 million, beating out immensely popular movies like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Avatar. But its sales aren’t so much a testament to the game’s originality so much as it is a testament to Activision’s profuse advertising, a campaign that even shelled out enough money to get Jimmy Kimmel and Kobe Bryant to play small roles in the game’s “There’s A Soldier In All Of Us” commercial. Seriously, check it out here. And video games do sell for about six times the amount of a movie ticket, so it makes sense that game sales would be higher.
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Tags: Avatar, black ops, Call of Duty, Citizen Kane, Deathly Hallows, Evan Kluesener, Halo 3, Harry Potter, Modern Warfare 2, Oblivion
Posted in Editorial, Video Games | No Comments »
Sunday, November 14th, 2010
Upon the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops, multiple records were shattered. No, it wasn’t the amount of controllers I’ve broken or deaths in a match. The sales estimate in the United States and UK is around $360 million. This broke the sale for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which had an opening day estimate of $310 million. The retail support of the game also had a huge day. There were over ten thousand midnight releases of the game. Treyarch’s game obviously worked from the success of Modern Warfare, but also adds a new unique style to the franchise. Opening day successes such as these are built over a long period of time. The sales are founded on consumer trust, as long as the game promises to deliver what made it a hit before. Consumers look for the same functionality and smoothness in previous titles, but also look for a more riveting campaign and more multiplayer options. Every fan of the franchise can relate to the late, LATE, nights of multiplayer destruction. Gamers have been witnesses to the competitive playground Call of Duty has offered, but how can Treyarch step up to the hype this time around?
As you begin the game you start off as the soldier Alex Mason. You are being interrogated for information that you cannot remember. Some of this can get pretty gruesome, but there is a “brutality†function that tones down the cut scenes and changes the story just a tad for a less intense experience. (more…)
Tags: black ops, Call of Duty, COD, Josh, Josh Thompson, review, Thompson
Posted in Editorial, Josh Thompson, Reviews, Video Games, Writers | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
FUUUUUUUUUU!! Yes, all of us Gamezombies know the feeling. We know we have our own ‘rage quit’ gene. The feeling of a level so difficult you NEED to bust out your player guide or even the game shark. I know there are NUMEROUS amounts of games out there that have given us headaches and sick days from school. The kind of games that-–if we could finish them–-would make us feel like a video game immortal. Now, this list obviously won’t be able to cover every single difficult level you can think of. The majority of these levels will also be a reflection of the entire game, such as, one level may be equally as difficult as another level or fight.
WARNING: Please remove any controllers, remotes, shoes, or any viable object that can crack a monitor or TV, because this list is sure to bring out your dark side. This is the Top Ten Tuesday most difficult levels/fights!
10. The Water Temple: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Water Temple trumps every other dungeon as the most confusing and difficult in the popular franchise. Everyone remembers the immersion Ocarina offered and how we desperately drove our Master Sword into enemy after enemy, until the final showdown with Ganon. Then came the Water Temple. Just like the Iron Boots needed for the dungeon, I felt really slowed down. At first, it almost seems like a routine that is fairly easy to get the hang of. Water up, water down, water up, water down. As you unlock one door in the basement, you realize you probably should have unlocked the door on the upper level. Water up. Wait, I swear there was going to be a small key in this room to unlock that door. Water down. /Facepalm. This dungeon tests the loyalty of the Zelda fan base by creating the most tedious and mind numbing puzzle ever. Sure, it isn’t so bad if you note what every room holds and exactly where it goes to, and what floor it’s on. At least the dungeon holds one of the coolest and most notorious Zelda items ever, the longshot. But still, totally not worth it. (more…)
Tags: Battle Toads, Call of Duty, Contra, Final Fantasy VII, Josh, Josh Thompson, Kingdom Hearts, Ninja Gaiden, Ocarina of Time, Ten, Thompson, Top, Top Ten Tuesdays, Tuesday, Tuesdays, Zelda
Posted in Editorial, Josh Thompson, Top Ten Tuesdays, Writers | 2 Comments »
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
Press release:
CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS COMING TO STEAM WITH FULL STEAMWORKS SUPPORT
Most Anticipated Title of 2010 Prepares for PC Launch
Oct 22, 2010- Valve and Activision Publishing, Inc today announced the upcoming holiday blockbuster, Call of Duty: Black Ops (PC), is now available for pre-purchase via Steam, a leading platform for PC and Mac games with over 30 million accounts around the world.
Those who pre-purchase Call of Duty: Black Ops on Steam will be able to start playing immediately upon release on November 9, 2010, when Activision expects the title will be available worldwide. Developed by Treyarch, Call of Duty: Black Ops utilizes the Steamworks suite of tools. The title is rated “M” (Mature – Blood, Drug, Reference, Intense Violence and Language) by the ESRB. (more…)
Tags: Activision, black ops, Call of Duty, call of duty black ops, COD, Steam, Valve
Posted in News, Press Release | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
E.T. phone home...or chugs nuts?
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Movies Into Games=My Head Into a Microwave, My Beef with Basketball Games, Call of Duty Lag and the Like.
           Hey everybody, long time no see, hugs and kisses and all of the usual greetings that we all know and love. So I’ve just returned from a long and relaxing trip and have also finished de-tox to cleanse my body of all the delightful poisons that I consumed. Over this break I didn’t play any games at all and thusly forgot all of those little things I hate about them. Since I’ve been reintroduced to my loves I have had to learn to live with all of these annoying twirks once again….shall I bitch? Yes? No? OK here it goes.
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Tags: basketball, Call of Duty, E.T., madden, movie, sports, Video Games
Posted in Editorial | No Comments »
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
News – Modern Warfare 2 DLC Coming Soon
Tuesday it was announced that the first downloadable content for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be available March 30 via download on Xbox Live. The PC and PS3 versions will receive the downloadable content, but the date has yet to be announced. Activision officially named the DLC as the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package.†Also announced, from March 12-15 Xbox Live Silver members can play Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox Live for free. There are no further details about the DLC such as price or content.
-Brian
Tags: Activision, Call of Duty, DLC, Xbox Live
Posted in News | No Comments »
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
The two Infinity Ward Executives that were fired by Activision are now suing for wrongful termination and breach of contract. Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired for insubordination on Monday and are now suing for an estimated $36 million for owed royalties for Modern Warfare 2 that they feel Activision is trying to avoid paying. Activision has only claimed that they are “disappointed†that a lawsuit was filed and that they have fostered Infinity Ward’s development with “the resources, financial support, and creative independence†that allowed them the success they have.
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Tags: Activision, Call of Duty, Infinity Ward, Lawsuit, Modern Warfare
Posted in News | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Podcast – 4Skin: Gamers Uncut – Episode 13 (3/03/10)
On this episode, 13-2, we talk about our hands-on impressions of Fragile Dreams and Colony Defense, Megaman 10, the PSN network dropping, and Activision/Blizzard dropping two senior execs of Infinity Ward.
Listen Here!
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Listen or Subscribe on iTunes!
Tags: 4Skin, Call of Duty, Colony Defense, Fragile Dreams, Infinity Ward, Megaman 10, mm10, podcast, PSN
Posted in 4Skin, Podcasts | 2 Comments »
