Call of Duty 'will be dead in 3 years'

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/316346/call-of-duty-will-be-dead-in-3-years-ea-continues-verbal-assault-on-activision/

EA has well and truly snubbed Activision's call to stop the mudslinging by picking up some more mud and slinging it hard.

Back in June, EA CEO John Riccitiello said in no uncertain terms that he wanted to see Battlefield rival Call of Duty "rot from the core".

During GamesCom last week, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said in response that the mudslinging from EA has to stop for the benefit of the industry.

That doesn't look like it will happen any time soon though, with EA continuing the trash talk, goading Hirshberg by welcoming him to "the big leagues", predicting the death of Call of Duty and even bringing up a few sore spots in Activision's recent history.

"Welcome to the big leagues Eric," EA corporate communications man Jeff Brown said in a statement issued to IndustryGamers. "I know you're new in the job but someone should have told you this is a competitive industry."

"You've got every reason to be nervous. Last year Activision had a 90 [percent] share in the shooter category. This year, Battlefield 3 is going to take you down to 60 or 70. At that rate, you'll be out of the category in 2-3 years," he continued. "If you don't believe me, go to the store and try to buy a copy of Guitar Hero or Tony Hawk."

In case you haven't realised there's a war coming, and it'll be fascinating to see how the battle between Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 plays out, but all the playground name calling is getting pretty silly now, isn't it readers?

I've gottta admit its doing the same as tony hawks too much too fast and all it needs is an inevitable bomb and competition like skate and it will effectively die in the water.

Pretty immature stuff. Not going to buy either game anyway; couldn't care less about 'em.

I suppose that sort of crap is going to appeal to their target audience, EA don't seem to have a single employee with any common sense it would seem though because all they are doing by continuously mentioning CoD is telling people which franchise is the most popular (and all kids care about is buying what everybody else has/wants).

They are at it again! It's getting funny!

Its funny how everybody hates activison and is looking to EA as the savior, but just 3 years ago EA was the one that everyone hated. :lol:

That being said, I am getting Battlefield 3, and NOT getting Call of Duty 4 volume 5 ;).

Hell if anything, (and I know ill get funny looks for this) I'll wait for the next Treyarch game before I buy a CoD again, because the Modern Warfare games are the most broken trash I have ever had the misfortune of ever playing.

I've gottta admit its doing the same as tony hawks too much too fast and all it needs is an inevitable bomb and competition like skate and it will effectively die in the water.

razgriz_101

Well as much as I hate activision the sales have only been sky rocketing with each release (excluding maybe CoD3 which was a total failure) so I don't see how it will end in 3 years but if MW3 is just more of the same it could happen. People get bored, especially people who've been playing black ops all day long for the past year and are craving for something new. How long will MW3 last? Is it really going to be enough to keep the fans going?

meh let them think what they want.... Itswishful thinking at best.

I agree with him, Tony Hawk and GH had the same fate so I don't see why it would be any different with COD, but the casuals will contiune to buy it until they get bored of it.

[QUOTE="razgriz_101"]

I've gottta admit its doing the same as tony hawks too much too fast and all it needs is an inevitable bomb and competition like skate and it will effectively die in the water.

bobbetybob

I know a few friends who buy the yearly Call of Duty that are beginning to tire of the series. I don't see Call of Duty dying in three years but I suppose it could if millions of fans do decide to jump ship and go with Battlefield 3 or just stop gaming altogether.

I don't plan on buying either title. But if I do, I'll be buying the better one.

I've gottta admit its doing the same as tony hawks too much too fast and all it needs is an inevitable bomb and competition like skate and it will effectively die in the water.

razgriz_101

I played COD ALOT...Most ppl are either sick of the series already since Black Ops was so bad and noob friendlyand are moving on OR people are thinking MW3 will be better since it wont be Treyarc...Its possible it could die but honestly no other FPS offers such competition on GB for thehardcore gamerand such noob friendly public matches for the casual randoms...so both sides are getting what they want...I will be moving on to BF3 personally but almost my whole friend list is staying on COD even though all they do is complain about it lol

Yeah not going to happen EA. More than likely the throw down will probably end up like this:

MW3 -25 million sold.

BF3 - 10 million sold.

Both will sell good, but there is no way unless MW3 is completely broken that BF3 will sell even close to MW3. If anything EA releasing BF3 at almost the same time as MW3 will probably hurt it's sales.

It won't die, but numbers will drop fast after this year.. You can't keep beating a series to death like this and expect it to live. This isn't a sports title where there is always a market, this is a specific genre that is just popular right now. A new genre will take its place, we just don't know what that is.

Between BF3, CoD MW3, and all of the other modern military shooters that have been released and are coming, the genre is getting overstruated fast. EA is crazy to think an every other year cycle between Battlefield and MoH (the same that Activision does with the two teams working on two different CoDs) will work well this late into the game. Sure BF3 may take the cake as the best modern military shooter ever, but I doubt BF4 or some other BF game will do very well 2 years after BF3.

I think this whole competition between Battlefield and CoD is making the modern military shooter reach its heights in terms of hype. I can imagine after this winter, people are going to start losing intrest in the whole thing.

EA would be better off investing in other genres and settings. That would improve their odds to increase their market share after this phase passes.

I disagree completely. My opinion might change with MW3, though.

Call of Duty itself won't die as a brand, but the age of the jingoistic, ultra-modern first person shooter is coming to an end.

Personally, I want studios to revisit WWII as a setting again, putting an emphasis on other fronts of the war that video games rarely ever portray.

Call of Duty itself won't die as a brand, but the age of the jingoistic, ultra-modern first person shooter is coming to an end.

Personally, I want studios to revisit WWII as a setting again, putting an emphasis on other fronts of the war that video games rarely ever portray.

The_Capitalist

or drop WWII and get some Vietnam down us, some really epic battles in Nam but feelings still run high in America bout it if im not mistaken despite that fact i think its an underused setting that needs more exposure sure bo toyed with it but i want to see focus on the big battles and the pull out of saigon etc.

I gotta agree that someday ppl will finally get bored of CoD. Whetever it is in 3 years or not I don't know that. It may be sooner, it may be later but we know it will happen someday. Miroku32

Just like any other game, then.

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

Call of Duty itself won't die as a brand, but the age of the jingoistic, ultra-modern first person shooter is coming to an end.

Personally, I want studios to revisit WWII as a setting again, putting an emphasis on other fronts of the war that video games rarely ever portray.

razgriz_101

or drop WWII and get some Vietnam down us, some really epic battles in Nam but feelings still run high in America bout it if im not mistaken despite that fact i think its an underused setting that needs more exposure sure bo toyed with it but i want to see focus on the big battles and the pull out of saigon etc.

How about something based off of current events for once? The civil war in Libya, for example, is coming to an end.

Yeah not going to happen EA. More than likely the throw down will probably end up like this:

MW3 -25 million sold.

BF3 - 10 million sold.

Both will sell good, but there is no way unless MW3 is completely broken that BF3 will sell even close to MW3. If anything EA releasing BF3 at almost the same time as MW3 will probably hurt it's sales.

coasterguy65

I dont think anyone thinks/said BF3 will sell more then MW3...

It won't die, but numbers will drop fast after this year.. You can't keep beating a series to death like this and expect it to live. This isn't a sports title where there is always a market, this is a specific genre that is just popular right now. A new genre will take its place, we just don't know what that is.

Between BF3, CoD MW3, and all of the other modern military shooters that have been released and are coming, the genre is getting overstruated fast. EA is crazy to think an every other year cycle between Battlefield and MoH (the same that Activision does with the two teams working on two different CoDs) will work well this late into the game. Sure BF3 may take the cake as the best modern military shooter ever, but I doubt BF4 or some other BF game will do very well 2 years after BF3.

I think this whole competition between Battlefield and CoD is making the modern military shooter reach its heights in terms of hype. I can imagine after this winter, people are going to start losing intrest in the whole thing.

EA would be better off investing in other genres and settings. That would improve their odds to increase their market share after this phase passes.

Wasdie

Wishful thinking, imho. COD only gets bigger and bigger.

EA is acting like a jealous child, good one Activision, keep them burning.

It won't die, but numbers will drop fast after this year.. You can't keep beating a series to death like this and expect it to live. This isn't a sports title where there is always a market, this is a specific genre that is just popular right now. A new genre will take its place, we just don't know what that is.

Between BF3, CoD MW3, and all of the other modern military shooters that have been released and are coming, the genre is getting overstruated fast. EA is crazy to think an every other year cycle between Battlefield and MoH (the same that Activision does with the two teams working on two different CoDs) will work well this late into the game. Sure BF3 may take the cake as the best modern military shooter ever, but I doubt BF4 or some other BF game will do very well 2 years after BF3.

I think this whole competition between Battlefield and CoD is making the modern military shooter reach its heights in terms of hype. I can imagine after this winter, people are going to start losing intrest in the whole thing.

EA would be better off investing in other genres and settings. That would improve their odds to increase their market share after this phase passes.

Wasdie

Cant say I agree...I think the most popular genre will always be the most competitive one...what's more competitive then FPS?

Maybe not 3 years, maybe at least 5. But of they continue this trend, it will die.

*Reads entire article*

Sounds right to me.

Meh, I doubt it'll die. It will be less popular but not die. Once other developers can get the next engine of Id-software I'm sure Activision will put it to a good use. That EA CEO is just an idiot.LustForSoul

[QUOTE="razgriz_101"]

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

Call of Duty itself won't die as a brand, but the age of the jingoistic, ultra-modern first person shooter is coming to an end.

Personally, I want studios to revisit WWII as a setting again, putting an emphasis on other fronts of the war that video games rarely ever portray.

The_Capitalist

or drop WWII and get some Vietnam down us, some really epic battles in Nam but feelings still run high in America bout it if im not mistaken despite that fact i think its an underused setting that needs more exposure sure bo toyed with it but i want to see focus on the big battles and the pull out of saigon etc.

How about something based off of current events for once? The civil war in Libya, for example, is coming to an end.

Essentially still falls under the whole modern thing were trying to get away from :P

Cant say I agree...I think the most popular genre will always be the most competitive one...what's more competitive then FPS?

OfficerLeach_

Fighters, rts, and sports games are every bit as competitive as shooters.

Wishful thinking, imho. COD only gets bigger and bigger.

DangerousLiquid

People said that about WoW, and now those numbers are dropping. Every big game series hits it's peak. They don't just keep going on forever and ever. Especially a series as stale and as unchanged as CoD.

[QUOTE="OfficerLeach_"]

Cant say I agree...I think the most popular genre will always be the most competitive one...what's more competitive then FPS?

PurpleMan5000

Fighters, rts, and sports games are every bit as competitive as shooters.

Not as a Team

[QUOTE="PurpleMan5000"]

[QUOTE="OfficerLeach_"]

Cant say I agree...I think the most popular genre will always be the most competitive one...what's more competitive then FPS?

OfficerLeach_

Fighters, rts, and sports games are every bit as competitive as shooters.

Not as a Team

Fifa 11 go online play 11vs11.

fighting game tag teams and RTS can be team based aswell :o Its actually fairly common to have 2v2's on RTS games :P

[QUOTE="OfficerLeach_"]

[QUOTE="PurpleMan5000"]

Fighters, rts, and sports games are every bit as competitive as shooters.

razgriz_101

Not as a Team

Fifa 11 go online play 11vs11.

fighting game tag teams and RTS can be team based aswell :o Its actually fairly common to have 2v2's on RTS games :P

Ill give you FIFA but thats one game...go to Gamebattles.com and see what the majority of the games are not to mention the activity on the different ones...thats my idea of competitive...2v2 on there isnt considered "team" either its doubles aka "dubz"

It's a shame, i liked Tony Hawk games.

i don't really see it happening .... i need COD on the next console.

I remember Bobby Kotick when he said all that stuff that made us hate him, well, I think they made some sort of bet to see who we could hate more. I think EA is winning because they are some serious d-bags with what they are saying about CoD and doing to Battlefield's integrity.

But if anything, it does give me a great reason to love developers more then publishers, especially when DICE and IW can be mostly good towards eachother from what I've seen. EA is only hurting their reputation when they say idiotic things like that, and saying CoD will be dead in 2-3 years is definitely just a huge shot in the dark when the series has the most in the way of pre orders and hype then ever before.

I don't see Activision being ready to give up the game this easy either with their biggest series. Tony Hawk and GH had some attempts at life, but considering how hard EA is pushing BF to beat CoD, I know Activision is going to put all their money and time into making CoD a better selling and higher scoring game if they can. And I think any smart gamers should hope so as well, because hoping for better games in the future is always a good thing.

Besides, all those people who complain about CoD never changing, think about what would happen to BF if EA had a shooter monopoly, and then think about the potential Call of Duty after 4 became such a wild unexpected change in the system.

I just hope they don't start mindlessly rehashing Battlefield just to compete with COD, atleast release them with some significant changes and a little innovation with every release.

Not even close. The CoD hype train is not slowing down anytime soon.