Call of Duty to get paid-for online services

Friday 13-Nov-2009 8:23 AM "You should expect us to launch additional online monetization models," says Activision

51 Comments// Activision says you should "expect" paid-for online models such as those in World of Warcraft to make the transition to other games, including Call of Duty.

Speaking during yesterday's BMO Capital Markets Conference (which sounds fun), Activision Blizzard CFO, Thomas Tippl said that while WoW's model is difficult to replicate, players should expect new monetization models for its other games soon.

"It's definitely an aspiration that we see potential in, particularly as we look at different business models to monetize the online gameplay," said Tippl. "There's good knowledge exchange happening between the Blizzard folks and our online guys."

"We have great experience also on Call of Duty with the success we had on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. A lot of that knowledge is getting actually built into the Battle.Net platform and the design of that," he added.

"I think it's been mutually beneficial, and you should expect us to test and ultimately launch additional online monetization models of some of some of our biggest franchises like Call of Duty."

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.CVG

Well that was quick.

Paying for Xbox Live and Call of Duty?

People aren't going to like that...

I posted this back during the summer when it was first announced.

COD's a great game but no way will I pay additional fees on top of an already unnecessary Xbox Live fee. Good thing I never cared much for CODs super casual friendly gameplay, I only play it to take a break from something better, like Halo 3, or to wait for something better like Bad Company 2.

"We have great experience also on Call of Duty with the success we had on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. A lot of that knowledge is getting actually built into the Battle.Net platform and the design of that," he added.

Epic fail.. I guess we were right.. all those buying map packs as DLC is going to kill gaming in the end.

WHAT?!

God, I don't like Activision at all. If people would just wise up and stop buying CoD. Ugh.

they can dream with my money, oh Snap, they are awake

I would not only avoid these fees and the CoD francise, I would boycott Activision as a whole if they do this.

I understand Activision is trying to run a business, but give me a break. This is getting ridiculous. I really hope that this backfires on them.mo0ksi

wouldn't surprise me. they want that constant revenue stream. so they needed to kill dedicated servers and the mod communities as step 1.

seems ppl don't care and still bought it so get ready be bent over.

[QUOTE="mo0ksi"]I understand Activision is trying to run a business, but give me a break. This is getting ridiculous. I really hope that this backfires on them.DJ_Lae

Yea DJ hero bombed so the lack of ability to milk is like a disturbance in the force for him

Sometimes I think that Acti is simply trying to find out how much of an idiot consumers can be.reyad-u

I wouldn't doubt it .. they are probably honestly working with the rest of the industry and they decided to be the sacrificial lamb to see how far they could push it before people wised up.

Sometimes I think that Acti is simply trying to find out how much of an idiot consumers can be.reyad-u

Sometimes I think that Acti is simply trying to find out how much of an idiot consumers can be.reyad-u

God, I don't like Activision at all. If people would just wise up and stop buying CoD. Ugh.

BioShockOwnz

Ah Activision, you continue to surprise me.siLVURcross

Come on Activision, that's unfair.

Especially for the 360 owners that have to pay for XBL.

So wait are they actually going through with this?? Its not like it will affect sales or anything like that, because people will gladly pay that. But still...

Come on Activision, that's unfair.

Especially for the 360 owners that have to pay for XBL.

fabz_95

Why "especially"? Seems to me they are the most used to bending.

They are making themselves look horrible. They better not do that.

How's IW taking this?

i would just return the game

This is for PC and/ or PS3. Notthing to do with the xbox 360 as the service runs off of Xbox Live servers. Jamex1987

No...... it runs off Infinity ward servers.

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"]This is for PC and/ or PS3. Notthing to do with the xbox 360 as the service runs off of Xbox Live servers. RadecSupreme

No...... it runs off Infinity ward servers.

[QUOTE="RadecSupreme"]

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"]This is for PC and/ or PS3. Notthing to do with the xbox 360 as the service runs off of Xbox Live servers. Jamex1987

No...... it runs off Infinity ward servers.

[QUOTE="RadecSupreme"]

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"]This is for PC and/ or PS3. Notthing to do with the xbox 360 as the service runs off of Xbox Live servers. Jamex1987

No...... it runs off Infinity ward servers.

Proof?

It makes much more sense that it runs on IW servers.

[QUOTE="RadecSupreme"]

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"]This is for PC and/ or PS3. Notthing to do with the xbox 360 as the service runs off of Xbox Live servers. Jamex1987

No...... it runs off Infinity ward servers.

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"][QUOTE="RadecSupreme"]

No...... it runs off Infinity ward servers.

Skittles_McGee

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"][QUOTE="RadecSupreme"]

No...... it runs off Infinity ward servers.

Mograine

Proof?

It makes much more sense that it runs on IW servers.

[QUOTE="Skittles_McGee"][QUOTE="Jamex1987"] It does NOT. Jamex1987

And the evidence is...?

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"]

Yes, it does. Both Xbox Live and PSN only have dedicated servers for some first party games. Any other game is run on the servers of its respective company(ies).Skittles_McGee

And the evidence is...?

I thought this was common knowledge. Xbox games run on Xbox servers.Jamex1987

I don't give a damn if it's common knowledge, no link means lies.

[QUOTE="Skittles_McGee"][QUOTE="Jamex1987"] It does NOT. Jamex1987

Let me try this again. Xbox Live uses dedicated servers for some of its first party games. For anything else, companies must use their own servers. This is evidenced quite easily when a game like Gears 2 has its servers down, but other games are still playable. You can google any company if you like and see that they provide the servers, Microsoft does not. The only Microsoft servers you use while playing a game are used to connect you socially to Xbox Live, i.e. chatting and messaging. That's the end of it, however. Beyond that, once again, it is up to the individual companies to provide servers for their games.

So please, before you accuse someone else of "living under a rock" do yourself a favor and come out from under yours and do a little research.

You are the one failing. Microsoft provides all the backend servers for all their games. Companies do not host anything like they have to do on PSN and PC. Jamex1987

Again, no official link=bull****.

[QUOTE="Mograine"]

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"] It does NOT. reyad-u

Proof?

It makes much more sense that it runs on IW servers.

You are the one failing. Microsoft provides all the backend servers for all their games. Companies do not host anything like they have to do on PSN and PC. Jamex1987

But clearly reality isn't enough, so then there is this where one only needs to skim a bit to find this:

"Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 is already "one of the most successful" P2P platforms out there today, according to Microsoft's director for P2P networks. "Halo 3 is actually one of the most compelling (P2P games)," he contended. In Halo 3, he said, the XBox 360 platform works as a "broker" to match up players in ways intended to ensure high quality of service (QoS). "Players communicate in P2P," said Tan. "P2P is actually key to the whole experience." If thats not enough, you're just in denial and I'm wasting my time.