'Call of Duty' Sets Sights on a Fee (WSJ)

[Chrono Detector]

No thanks, and screw Call Of Duty. Why can't this game just die already?

[Mad Pistol]

You've never "owned" a game, you've only purchased a license. Said license can be revoked and they can still keep your money. Ownership of software is an illusion.

Invoking such a restriction on a legal software "license" holder would result in 3 things.

1) Loss of business on future purchases
2) Lawsuit for refusing the use of legally purchased media.
3) Possible criminal charges for tendering of funds on a non-usable product.

A business would be insane to revoke a license to anyone who actually owns a copy of the game. It would be a legal/PR nightmare that international press would have a field day with.

Now, in regards to Steam's VAC, which bans you from all VAC-secured online servers, it does not sever your right to play the game. It just restricts it to Non-VAC servers, and it's done for a good reason. No one is going to dispute something like that and win.

[Philip_J_Fry]

edit even better info:
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1171511p1.html

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Call of Duty Elite Press Release
http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/60...-Press-Release

Call of Duty Elite’s features and services engage the community in three key ways:

Connect : Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social network. Players can compete against friends, players of similar skill levels and players with similar interests, join groups, join clans, and play in organised tournaments. They can also track the performance, progress and activity of their entire network, both in the game itself, as well as through mobile and web interfaces. Elite will be an "always on" way for players to connect with the Call of Duty community.

Compete: Call of Duty Elite establishes the most exciting, competitive environment in a multiplayer game. Players will have available a constant stream of events and competitions, tiered to group them with those with similar abilities . Both in-game and real-world prizes will be rewarded to all skill levels.

Improve: Call of Duty Elite is like having a personal online coach. It provides players with a dynamic strategy guide that tracks their statistics and performances down to the most minute details. It can show gamers how they stack up against their friends or others in the community. Tools and information are provided so players can learn and up their game.

so if u want ur online stats, and improve ur kpd. u will want this service? no thanks

[Miwo]

Online stat tracking = Monthly sub lol. I guess they will implement a rank system for the long-haul MMOish grind? Something similar to Battlefield ranks in BFBC2. Been playing the game on/off since launch and I am still nowhere near rank 50!

[Junos]

First trailer: http://www.computerandvideogames.com...first-trailer/

I didn't even bother watching it through... So you buy MW3 (50€) and then you have to pay 5-10€ months for a few maps and kpd counter (which modders do for free á la Counter-Strike)? No thanks.

[RejZoR]

This is just idiotic. Activision games are way overpriced for the last few years (one of the reasons why i haven't bought a single game from them ever since they made them more expensive). And now they're expecting us to pay monthly. I bet that the game base will be the same ridiculously priced and that monthly fee will not be low at all (knowing it's Activision we're dealing with). Just like someone above already said. Screw them.

[naokaji]

Battlefield for the win. Screw Call of Duty!!

Look at it from the pov of Activisions Bank Account, recent COD Titles where also not exactly popular on XS, but then you have stories like this, so they are obviously doing everything right according to the opinion of their Bank Account, they are turning into the Apple of the gaming industry, unpopular with those who recognize a inferior product through its premium price tag, but they still manage to make a crapload of cash so can you really blame them for doing what they do?

[SubZero.it]

activision however is insane if they think they can slap a new coat of paint on a tired game and charge people a monthly fee on top of the $60 + for the game. if they try this with MW3 it WILL kill the franchise and their golden goose

Believe me, console players will pay for this

[demonkevy666]

Why is that?

The games are still yours and they're cheaper then you will ever find on shelves in stores.

I've never seen a downside to the Steam platform imo.

-PB

you can't play them on a computer that's not connect to the internet, you have to active them online.
I just want to play single player not sign up for stuff I DON'T WANT.

I have no issue paying a small subscription fee as long as A) the game is priced at under $10 B) the game is released with its FULL features. IE: get rid of this idiotic DLC craze that people have so thoroughly bought into. Give us a COMPLETE game from day one and I'll be happy.

imo
DLC only gives more replay value.
Means they're game sucked lol

[Locke]

We knew this was coming though. After this, for consoles you will have to activate the game with a one time code locked to your account so you wont be able to sell or buy used games...

PC Forever! screw the console its a doomed system...

'Call of Duty' Sets Sights on a Fee

By Nick Wingfield

Consumers are used to paying $60 each for videogames that run on consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Now the publisher behind the industry's biggest videogame franchise— "Call of Duty"—is about to find out whether it can get them to pay a monthly bill, too.

Read more: WSJ (Sub. required)

[Pontos]

No thanks, and screw Call Of Duty. Why can't this game just die already?

Because it's more alive than ever.

MW2 sold more than CoD4, Blops sold more than MW2. And you can bet your ass that MW3 will sell more than Blops.

MW2 had the controversy of removing dedicated servers and introducing paid map packs, and even with that it sold like hot cakes (Game and map packs).
MW3 is going to do that again but with paid online service. Since it's not obligatory it wont have a big backslash, and it will of course be a complete success even though the stuff it provides is already available in different forms in all three platforms for no extra cost.

We can't do about this. Many people accept getting raped by publishers year after year, getting less for more and happily doing so.

[paulbagz]

Because it's more alive than ever.

MW2 sold more than CoD4, Blops sold more than MW2. And you can bet your ass that MW3 will sell more than Blops.

MW2 had the controversy of removing dedicated servers and introducing paid map packs, and even with that it sold like hot cakes (Game and map packs).
MW3 is going to do that again but with paid online service. Since it's not obligatory it wont have a big backslash, and it will of course be a complete success even though the stuff it provides is already available in different forms in all three platforms for no extra cost.

We can't do about this. Many people accept getting raped by publishers year after year, getting less for more and happily doing so.

Three words sum up this entire post;

Brainless. Console. Tards.

-PB

[The_Beast]

I pray to god BF3 doesn't follow this

[rintamarotta]

You've never "owned" a game, you've only purchased a license. Said license can be revoked and they can still keep your money. Ownership of software is an illusion.

That depends from country to country, in some countries youre buying what lisence terms tell you, some countries if there is no suscription then laws make those lisence terms invalid and makes you lawfully owner of the software you have purchased, and some countries makes you lawfully owner of the software you have purchased even if there is suscription in software.

In country where im living at the moment (not living at the moment in finland), buying game makes you lawfully owner of the game even if there is suscription in that purchased game, lisence terms get invalidated by consumer protection law, if developers of the software later on limit your use of it you are entitled to get money back from the purchased game and you still can continue use that said game.

[Glow9]

I blame anyone dumb enough to pay for subscriptions to games, IE Blizzards WOW. They know it's a cash cow.

Who was the CEO who came out a year or two ago saying that games were too expensive as is?

[highoctane]

When is it bad business to give thousands of potential customers something that they are willing to pay for, if you don't like it you don't have to subscribe.

It boils down to giving people what they are willing to pay for, if the game and subscription service fails to deliver and the pricing model is off then it'll have limited if any success.

[Aberration]

It would have to have a persistent world and pretty decent character scheme to support a monthly fee.

[clo007]

Why is that?

The games are still yours and they're cheaper then you will ever find on shelves in stores.

I've never seen a downside to the Steam platform imo.

-PB

go to a LAN party like Quakecon where you have to have online mode yet you can't b/c steam will not provide a dedicated server to the LAN.
Then, you make think otherwise.

[Jokester_wild]

They can get ed. BF3 please.

[STEvil]

go to a LAN party like Quakecon where you have to have online mode yet you can't b/c steam will not provide a dedicated server to the LAN.
Then, you make think otherwise.

thats quakecon's fault likely. At least I never experienced steam issues at Fragapalooza, other than when the network had issues due to the network admins or steam having a fit.

[Pontos]

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/06/02/ca...eaks-detailed/


It baffles me how a developer that started on consoles (Treyarch) is the only one that nowadays pushes a PC centric feature in this franchise, whereas a developer that started on PCs (IW) is adamant on getting rid of it.

To IW, both the original company and the hollow shell that is today: you.

[Revv23]

this why I refuse to play/ usually refuse buy/play a STEAM game.

whats wrong with steam?

not to derail the thread.

games on steam are stored locally steam is a platform to manage them and keep them updated and cheat free.

It also makes it really easy to switch games from one computer to your next.

[Rattle]

I can't see paying for multi for cod.. the whole steamworks thing killed the game.... Gameservers.com is junk...
Black ops is so boring why would someone pay 60 for the same game and then continue to pay just to play it.. the same game... The same game that was released in 2007 essentially. Aside from this elite bullsh1t It's gonna be the same boring rehashed over done dx9 crappy port.

I got BFBC2 ON RELEASE. 15 months later I am still playing it and enjoying it. I got blops at x-mas and I don't even touch it aside frok some sniper only and even that sucks because all the servers are so bad.

BF3 can't come soon enough.

[clo007]

thats quakecon's fault likely. At least I never experienced steam issues at Fragapalooza, other than when the network had issues due to the network admins or steam having a fit.

The USA largest and #3 world largest LAN does not get a dedicated server from steam b/c they want a obseen amount of money. Quakecon is a free non-profit LAN put on for almost 15 years now by volunteers for the gaming community. You can do the BYOC free of charge.

[STEvil]

The USA largest and #3 world largest LAN does not get a dedicated server from steam b/c they want a obseen amount of money. Quakecon is a free non-profit LAN put on for almost 15 years now by volunteers for the gaming community. You can do the BYOC free of charge.

Does fragapalooza get a dedicated server? I dont think they did for the first couple years, though I guess they might now..