Activision’s long-rumoured intent to monetise the multiplayer component of its Call Of Duty series has finally become a reality: Call Of Duty Elite is to debut alongside Modern Warfare 3 this November.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Call Of Duty Elite will give members access to extra content including multiplayer maps. Other features planned include stat-tracking tools and social elements inspired by Facebook.
While elements of the service will be available for free, Activision will levy a monthly fee for a full subscription. While pricing has yet to be decided, the WSJ claims Activision executives are planning a lower price than that charged by comparable services such as the Netflix movie streaming service, which costs US customers $7.99 a month.
Activision has long been rumoured to be preparing a premium subscription service to further leverage the enormous popularity of the Call Of Duty series’ multiplayer modes. In late 2009 Activision CFO Thomas Tippl said the firm was planning “to test and ultimately launch additional online monetisation models” for its leading franchises; CEO Bobby Kotick was rather more forthcoming last June when he said he would have a Call Of Duty subscription service “tomorrow”, adding: “I think our audiences are clamouring for it.”
It appears safe to assume that Call Of Duty Elite is the work of Beachhead, the studio Activision set up in February and charged with creating “a best-in-class online community, exclusive content and a suite of services for Call Of Duty fans to supercharge the online gaming experience like never before.” A full unveiling of the service is expected at E3 next week.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Comments
11Thought I'd pop my new cherry on this. I think its a bad idea but unfortunately loads of COD fans will sign up. Which is a shame innit?
(Ps first comment on the site! ha!)
The worst thing is that all of the "services" elite provides have be done for free, Bungie.net with heatmaps & map and weapon stat's. Game battles do clan based game ladders, & some Virgin game service offers prize gaming.
COD is my guilty pleasure (single player and spec ops) but I've never cared much for MP (PvP), so as long as they keep the subscriber content limited to MP only, I couldn't give two hoots. But I question the value of subscription based titles in general...
Shot themselves in the foot with this one.
No, they haven't. They'll make a killing.
I don't think they have shot themselves in the foot, I think they have shot all of us so to speak in the wallet.
The idea that a massive base of fanboys will take up this subscription based service will demonstrate to activision that this is a sustainable business model for generating additional revenue on top of initial purchase price and map pack updates etc etc. I will not be signing up to this but enough people will which will cause not to be the exception but the start of a trend for all publishing houses to boost their already overflowing coffers. For Shame.
There's no shame in it. If there is a (as you say a demonstrable) business model for charging people for subscriptions, why shouldn't Activision do it!?
Is a tight economic climate a valid reason anymore, or am I being silly?
As a big COD fan it'll be interesting to see what they do, oh no wait a second, I'll already be paying 40 odd quid for this won't I? So no it won't be interesting it'll be a rip off.
Erm, didn't they monetise it by upping the RRP to nearly 50quid?
Having bought each COD since 4 on week (if not day) of release brand new, I may pick this up at a later point second hand. Or just avoid.
Goodbye COD, it was great while it lasted. It's not me, it's you...
I hesitate at their comment "“I think our audiences are clamouring for it.”
Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I've never heard anyone in my 3 years of online COD play, say "It'd be really cool if we had to pay monthly for stuff that other studios give us for free".
If they need money, why on earth did they close Harmonix? And they recently sold a studio for $50 million (which one escapes my mind)
I'm ashamed to say I will be buying this, having only bought COD4 and 6. But at least I know a honest company will recieve the profits. *cough*