The tip came from Activision’s recent earnings report, which clearly stated the Q1 2012 outlook does not include a new release from Blizzard. Activision did report that two new releases from Blizzard Entertainment were expected in 2012. Some other good gaming news came out of the earnings report with Activision noting that the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection will come in March, and a new game in the COD franchise is expected this year.

Another new title expected this year is Skylanders Giants. During the earnings report, Activision also noted that World of Warcraft lost 100,000 subscribers leaving 10.2 million active users globally. The game is still the top subscription-based MMORPG around the world.

[via Tom's Hardware]

It’s pretty ridiculous in the first place to think of the classic board game being turned into a full-length feature film. But then again, the connection between the two really exist in name only, as the movie seems to be your standard popcorn action flick. What will be more interesting is to see how the video game version adapts and whether or not it will include odes the deacdes-old strategy game classic.

Here’s how a press release describes the game: “Combining naval strategy simulation with first-person shooter gameplay, players fend off the enemy beachside while ordering attacks against their marine counterparts. Seamlessly switching between battlefield and overview “Battle Command” map, the Hasbro game is brought to life as carriers, frigates, cruisers, destroyers, submarines and the legendary USS Missouri Battleship pummel the enemy in a race to strategic points that turn the tide of battle.” It doesn’t sound to us like there will be much dialogue like, “Hey, you sunk my battleship.”

[via Gamezone]

A video game debut at a toy show? That is certainly not the norm, and it goes a long way in describing why Skylanders became so successful. It managed to find that perfect blend of engaging gameplay and physical, real-world collectibility. The game uses actual toys that players can buy from GameStop or other stores, which are placed on a special peripheral connected to the game console that allows players to bring that toy to life. It doesn’t stop there, as players can then take their toys to their friends’ houses and retain all the customization and leveling up they’ve already achieved. That information is stored in the toy figure.

The new iteration will include eight new collectible toys, and they’ll be more high-tech. The new Skylanders figurines will light up when they come into contact with the so-called “Portal of Power” peripheral that brings them into the game. Of course there will also be a new story and brand new gameplay, and Activision also promises deep integration between different channels – console, mobile, and online. “While it was still in development, we recognized the potential that Skylanders had to connect with our customers due to its unique merging of physical and digital play,” said Toys R Us CEO Jerry Storch.

[via VentureBeat]

Activision has a very well-known, iron-clad contract with Microsoft that guarantees Call of Duty add-on content will be released first on the Xbox 360, and then trickle down to other platforms later. Microsoft paid Activision a whole bunch of money for this privilege. But then Activision launched a service called Call of Duty Elite, which gives gamers exclusive access to special in-game events, content, and more. One of the biggest selling points is that Elite members are the very first to access new DLC packs – but only on Xbox 360. That is exactly what happened this week, when Modern Warfare 3′s first DLC pack was released.

Some PS3 gamers believed that Elite benefits were universal across both platforms because in the literature about Elite, it does not distinguish between Xbox 360 players and PS3 players. Nevertheless, Activision’s Dan Amrich wrote in a blog took the counter position – the literature also never specifically says that the benefits are the same.

“It was never one of the things listed in the official benefits chart; it was never promised by any representative of Activision, Call of Duty, Elite, or its developers. Honestly? I think gamers just convinced themselves that it would happen because they wanted it to happen. That makes sense, but it doesn’t make it true,” said Amrich.

[via One of Swords]

Among those 1 million paying subscribers Activision’s press release mentioned that over 600,000 were signed up by Gamestop alone, a pretty impressive number if you ask us. Regarding the rocky and troubled launch Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing had this in response:

“The demand for Call of Duty Elite at launch was so overwhelming, that for the first several days, the service did not perform up to our or our fans standards. I want to personally thank our fans for their patience. Our teams have been working around the clock to get the service scaled up to meet demand,”

“I’m very pleased to announce today that the service is now performing stably and anyone who wants to try Call of Duty Elite is now able to do so.”

Currently the Elite’s status page reads “Service Is Intermittent” although all premium paid members should have full access while the over 4 million free users should see the service as Activision gets everything stable, and opens the gates for the masses. Feel free to keep checking in as Elite rolls out to all users but be patient.

Pair the news of over 1 million paid premium subscribers with the fact that Call of Duty MW3 sold almost $800 million worth of the games in the first 5 days alone — breaking sales records, I’d say COD MW3 and Activision are doing pretty great right about now.

[via Kotaku]

The game’s day one sales already set a record with more than $400 million worth of retail sales, surpassing its Black Ops release last year, which debuted selling $360 million. At this rate, Modern Warfare 3 would certainly hit the billion-dollar mark, with the entire franchise having already exceeded $6 billion in revenue overall.

Activision’s Call of Duty titles continue to crush the competition although EA really stepped it up with its Battlefield 3 title that came out last month. Battlefield 3 grossed more than $300 million in its first week. Although less than half of what Activision scored with Modern Warfare 3, it is nonetheless EA’s fastest selling title in the company’s 29-year history.

[via TechCrunch]

Microsoft is warning users to not play the Modern Warfare 3 game before the release date. Xbox Live Director of Policy and Enforcement Stephen Toulouse had initially sent out a tweet yesterday giving everyone the “OK” to play these legit copies that were accidentally released early, but after double-checking with Activision, Toulouse tweeted another message, warning against doing so.

“clarification: dblchk’d with Activision. Mw3 pre-release play not authorized. So pls be patient. Playing early may impact your account!”

But besides the tweets, it’s not clear how else Microsoft and Activision plan to get the word out to all potential users and how serious they are about implementing the consequences. However, Microsoft has been quick to ban Xbox Live accounts in the past for modded consoles, pirated games and such. But in this case, it’s really the retail stores at fault, so we’ll see.

[via Gamasutra]

The Elite service won’t be fully operational until the release of Modern Warfare 3 in November, so initially beta testers will get an “Elite” taste of Call of Duty: Black Ops. Activision also announced Call of Duty Elite to include Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, and Prototype 2. We aren’t sure if all Elite features will be fully operational at initial Beta launch, but Activision is trying to make Call of Duty Elite more than just a leaderboard subscription.

Activision has already promised that already free content will remain free, such as leaderboards, heat maps, and player data. Some of the new elite features mentioned in the press release today include the ability for players to customize weapons, attachments, and push them directly into the game. Players can also join custom groups through the new Groups feature based on interests, affiliations, or likes and take those groups directly into combat.

We will keep you posted as more news about Call of Duty Elite develops. With the Call of Duty franchise being the most successful in Activision history, will Elite take it to the next level, or just just be a frustrating disappointment?

[via Joystiq]

The Black Ops Escalation expansion pack will be available for download on the PlayStation Store starting June 10. This is an entire month after the Escalation pack was released for the Xbox 360. But before you blame it on the Sony PlayStation Network outage, the delay is also has to do with Activision’s exclusivity deal that promises Call of Duty DLC releases to arrive first on the Xbox 360.

The expansion pack will bring four new maps to the multiplayer Black Ops that will include a Hotel, Convoy, Zoo and Stockpile. A special star-studded zombie level will also be added, where you can play on a team of zombie killers featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund, Michael Rooker, and Danny Trejo.

[via PlayStation Lifestyle]

The company revealed this news during its quarterly earnings report today, which beat revenue estimates thanks to the strong sales of its Call of Duty Black Ops games. Revenue came in at $1.45 billion with earnings of $503 million. Black Ops is now the top-selling video game of all time for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PC, with players having logged more than 1.2 billion hours of online game play.

A new Call of Duty game is slated for release this coming fall. Activision Blizzard is busy at work on it and will release more details in the coming weeks. Also, scheduled for a fall release is rival EA Games’ Battlefield 3. Both companies are claiming to be unleashing the biggest marketing budget in company history for their respective games. Who are you rooting for?

[via VentureBeat]

The company has announced that Guitar Hero is no more. The company has stopped development on the game franchise and will disband the Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue all development on titles in the franchise for 2011.

The game publisher blames the killing of the Guitar Hero brand on declines in the music game genre. Guitar Hero isn’t the only previously very popular franchise to get the axe, development on True Crime: Hong Kong has also been stopped.

The LA TImes is reporting, via their Company Town Blog, that Infinity Ward has called in some support for the next game, which is still officially unannounced at the moment. However, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is indeed coming, and now Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games have been called in to help with the development. Sledgehammer Games has even had to stop development of its own spin-off on a Call of Duty title to help out IW.

It’s being reported that Sledgehammer Games will be helping IW with the single player campaign, while Raven Software will work with the remaining IW team members to develop multiplayer. All of this information is coming from “sources familiar with the matter,” so keeping that salt shaker in hand may not be a bad idea.

[via Joystiq]

And by glimpse, we mean something barely more than a margin-full of information. It seems that Bungie has hired a third-party company to handle the grunt work for these copyright claims and web domain associations. This was probably meant to prevent anyone finding out that these names had anything to do with Bungie, but obviously that didn’t work out too well. In any event, the names are “Dead Orbit,” “Osiris,” “New Monarchy,” and “Seven Seraphs.” It’s interesting to think how these names could come into play for a new project from Bungie, especially when “Orbit” and “Seraphs” could easily be seen, or used, in their current franchise hit, Halo.

However, “Osiris” can’t be left out of the mix, either, as that title is indeed tied into the Halo universe. The information was found by Supererogatory, and notes that the descriptions of the copyright claims say that these are all pieces of artwork. However, this could mean that these are going to be used in some kind of promotional material for something down the line, perhaps another project that Bungie is working on.

With information about the Activision published title missing, there’s no telling what these words, pieces of artwork, or potential project names could be. The speculation train can freely leave the station at this point.

[via CVG]

The report comes from BitTorrent news site TorrentFreak, which has been watching over the numbers. Call of Duty: Black Ops managed to beat out heavy contenders like Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Mafia II, and Mass Effect 2. All of which were available for the PC. Black Ops reached a staggering 4.2 million downloads, while the closest competitor (Bad Company 2) was downloaded 3.96 million times.

The numbers aren’t as high for the Microsoft Xbox 360 version, but they’re still high. Treyarch’s title was downloaded a total of 930,000 times for the 360. However, it wasn’t the most downloaded title, as Dante’s Inferno managed to grab the crown this year. This isn’t good news for Treyarch or Activision, but something they probably expected.

[via Kotaku]

First, I’ve got to make it clear that I don’t own Call of Duty: Black Ops for the PlayStation 3. I own it for Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Second, while the majority of online connectivity issues seem to be plaguing PlayStation 3 owners, I want to point out that I’ve never had an enjoyable online experience with any Call of Duty title. At least, starting from developer Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare. Since that title released, and with every subsequent entry into the series after that, I’ve always suffered from some form of heinous online connectivity issue. Lag in games was a problem off and on, but that’s something I’ve come to expect over the years of online gaming. But, the big issue with Call of Duty titles, recently at least, is the party system.

“Okay, I’m starting the next match. Everyone hold hands, and stay together!” That’s what one of my Xbox LIVE friends used to say in Modern Warfare. (And yes, it’s corny, but that’s what it feels like. Like we’re kids on a school field trip, trying not to lose one of our classmates.) It carried over to the second title in that story arc, and I remember us making jokes about it in Call of Duty: World at War. Before we finally decided to put Black Ops to the side, and focus on other games that didn’t suffer from these issues, we were joking about it yet again. The party system in Call of Duty is broken, and it’s a poor excuse for how it should work. You don’t even need to compare it to competitive titles like Bungie Studios’ Halo series to realize it’s broken. It just doesn’t work.

Truth be told, while my friends and I were suffering from these issues, and I know there were a few scattering reports of the same problem happening to others on the Xbox 360, it pales in comparison to what’s happening to PlayStation 3 owners. And even if I hadn’t gone through the same problems, I would still be sitting here, feeling your pain. I would still be wondering what, exactly, a developer can do to assuage those who bought their game, and feel like they literally got robbed. Of course, there’s no denying that developers put a ridiculous amount of time in their games; as well as energy, skill, and creativity. (Even if some people don’t think a certain game is creative, it was to at least one person out there, so that’s enough.) And I’m not here to point out any problems with how developers make their games. The trouble –the problem– comes afterwards.

So what should a developer do? Some say they should reimburse players affected by the issues — and with the money that Black Ops is making, that probably wouldn’t be too hard to do. Others think that even just a free add-on would suffice. While still others believe that just giving the game up entirely, and writing off the developer and title is what’s best for everyone. Obviously, Treyarch doesn’t want you to do that. And neither does Activision. But when you’ve got a game like Black Ops, with one of the main selling points its online multiplayer function, and it doesn’t work? A developer shouldn’t be surprised that people are calling them out, threatening to do all sorts of things.

And let’s not forget about the fact that Black Ops‘ first piece of downloadable content (DLC) is heading to the Xbox 360 first, and won’t even be available for PlayStation 3 owners until a month later, at least. Another stab at PS3 owners. And one that just drives home the point that their console of choice is being shunned, at least when it comes to this game, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope. Should Treyarch and Activision let PlayStation 3 owners download the map pack, called First Strike, for free, when it comes out? There would surely be an uproar from 360 owners, especially those who have suffered from online connectivity issues.

So, what, then? What does a developer do? Is there anything for them to do, except continuously say that they are working tirelessly to fix the problem with patches and hot fixes? And then, what happens when the patch actually makes things worse, like patch 1.04? Perhaps a developer’s tactic should be to try and fix the problem, keep trying to fix it, but if nothing they’re trying is working, they provide an extra goodie to gamers. A free map? Maybe credits to use in the game, so they can buy more weapons, perks, or anything else they want? How about offer some money into their digital wallets?

I can’t say for sure what I believe a developer should do. If a game gets to the point that Black Ops has, with no sign of it getting better (or the console getting any real support, before the competition’s system), I’m not sure there’s any way to really come back. If you’ve already gotten rid of the game, and you start hearing that everything has been fixed, are you really going to buy it again? I’m sure there will be some people out there, but the trade-in has already been finalized. Treyarch and Activision will lose out on those used games being sold back to gamers.

Let me know what you think a developer should do. If you think they should do anything at all. Even if you don’t have a PS3, or you aren’t suffering from the problem. Do you think the developers out there owe it to gamers who bought the game some kind of additional content, or even money, because the game isn’t up to par? Or do they just keep trying to fix it, and leave it at that?

In the amended statement sent out yesterday, Activision noted: “In this amended cross-complaint, Activision alleges that Electronic Arts conspired with two former senior Activision executives, West and Zampella, to derail Activision’s Call of Duty franchise, disrupt its Infinity Ward development studio, and inflict serious harm on the company. This pleading lays out an intentional and systematic pattern of deception by the former executives and Electronic Arts to hijack Activision assets for greed and corporate gain.” Harsh!

Not only that, but Activision noted that around the time of their termination from the groups, both Zampella and West “refused to adhere to even the minimal standards of behavior required of any employee or executive.” Activision says these two fellow had a secret meeting with EA while they were still employed and talked with Creative Artists Agency’s Seamus Blackley at the word of EA CEO John Riccitiello. Blackley is alleged to have emailed Zampella several times, once even saying, in such a silly way, “JR cooks a mean BBQ. I think we could accomplish some interesting chaos” – JR apparently meaning John Riccitiello.

[Via CNet]

However, with this latest patch, Treyarch is positive that most of the glaring holes have been filled. Mainly, the 1.05 patch is meant to improve the party reliability, especially when you try and leave a game with your party. Other inclusions in the patch are the ability to mute players in the pre-game lobby, as well as kick certain players from private matches, and in parties.

And yes, Treyarch has already said that more patches, and hot fixes, are coming. If you’ve managed to experience your game freezing from time to time, and you’ve noticed that it happens most often when two or more explosions happen in a concentrated area, you’ll be happy to know that it’s not your imagination. And Treyarch is working on it.

So for now, as we wait for the golden multiplayer egg that we all hope can be hatched, how is the game now working for you PlayStation 3 owners out there? We suggest, if it’s still not working to your liking, that you sit back and watch this LEGO version of Black Ops. It’s worth it.

[via Joystiq]

In a press release, which you can read below, Activision announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops has officially not only reached, but surpassed $1 billion in total sales around the world. That’s $1 billion in just one month. That also means the game has garnered even more world records, breaking them along the way. Activision is also pleased to announce that the title has managed to rack up 600 million hours of total playtime in the multiplayer community since its launch. Microsoft helped solidify the game as a multiplayer juggernaut, as they announced that the average player logs on more than once every day, and stays logged in for more than one hour during their session.

“In all of entertainment, only Call of Duty and “Avatar” have ever achieved the billion dollar revenue milestone this quickly,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.

Looks like that despite the terrible multiplayer experiences that players on the PC, and especially Sony’s PlayStation 3 home console are reporting, the game is still managing to sell. And, it will probably continue into the New Year. Let’s hope that more hot fixes are released in the interim, so more players can actually enjoy taking part in that 600 million hours.

Press Release

Call of Duty®: Black Ops™ Surpasses $1 Billion in Sales Worldwide

Over 600 Million Hours Logged Playing Call of Duty: Black Ops

Game Continues to Set Entertainment Records

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Call of Duty: Black Ops continues to set sell-through records crossing the $1 billion mark in sales worldwide since its launch in November, according to internal Activision estimates.

In its first five days alone, the game sold more than $650 million worldwide, outpacing theatrical box office, book and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell through in dollars, according to internal Activision estimates and boxofficemojo.com. The game exceeded Activision’s previous five-day worldwide record of $550 million set by last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® 2.

To date, more than 600 million hours have been logged playing Call of Duty: Black Ops since the game launched on November 9, 2010. According to Microsoft, the average player logs on more than once a day and plays for more than one hour each time. Over half of that time is spent playing online with and against friends, illustrating the unique social characteristics of the game.

“In all of entertainment, only Call of Duty and “Avatar” have ever achieved the billion dollar revenue milestone this quickly,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. “This is a tribute to the global appeal of the Call of Duty franchise, the exceptional talent at Treyarch and the hundreds of extraordinary people across our many Call of Duty studios including Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer that work tirelessly on the franchise. Our ability to provide the most compelling, immersive entertainment experience, and enhance it with regular, recurring content that delivers hundreds of hours of audience value, has allowed Call of Duty to continue to set sales and usage records.”

Kotick continued, “This extraordinary milestone was achieved because of the tens of millions of passionate Call of Duty players around the world. Global audiences have logged billions of hours online with Call of Duty games on Xbox LIVE, the Playstation Network and on personal computers. This unique level of community engagement has enabled Call of Duty to become one of the world’s most engaged online communities.

“Call of Duty continues to rewrite not just the record books, but also the rules of interactive entertainment,” says Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “Even more remarkable than the number of units sold is the number of hours people are playing the game together online which are unprecedented. Call of Duty is more than a game, it’s a true community.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Language. For additional information about the game, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
*All references cited are sourced according to www.boxofficemojo.com or www.guinnessworldrecords.com

The DLC is centered around more multiplayer maps. There will be four standard maps that are introduced in the new map pack, and one map that’s specifically meant for the Zombies mode of the title. As for locations, players will be able to play from one level of the missions in Hong Kong, and another that takes place in the Arctic Circle. There will be two new locations, too: one that’s near the Berlin Wall, and another that takes place in a hockey stadium.

For those that play the game on PlayStation 3 or the PC, you are getting the DLC, too. However, you’ll just have to wait until March, 2011. As for pricing, it looks like it’s been decided that 1,200 Microsoft Points has been given the green light. That’s about $15. Anyone think that’s too much?

[via Major Nelson]

Within the forums, a rumor was beginning to pick up speed. Indeed, even in in the comments to the original story yesterday, someone was suggesting that if you delete your saved data for Black Ops, your network connectivity issues will go away. It had been reported that some people had seen better connections after the deletion of saved data. But Olin, who posts on the forums as “JD_2020″ came forward and asked, specifically, “Please do not delete your save data, as it will not have an effect on network connectivity.”

However, Olin did point out that people were indeed seeing some improvements to network connectivity. The reason? Treyarch had released a hotfix for the game around 12:30am ET, Wednesday evening. According to the Community Manager, that’s why people have been seing improved stability, and it has nothing to do with deleting save data, or any other reasons that may pop up. Olin also reiterated what Treyarch as a whole said earlier, saying that the developer is committed to finding the cause of the network issues, and that more hotfixes are coming, so “stay tuned.”

Has anyone seen any improvements since the early morning hours?

[via Call of Duty: Black Ops Forums]

And this latest patch, even if it is the biggest and most feature-rich of the patches released so far, doesn’t seem to be making matters any better for PS3 owners. The official forum for the PS3 version of the copy has been filling up with angry players, all complaining about the same thing: network issues. Whether it’s lag, all-out freezes, or just plain bad connectivity to other players, the trials and tribulations of these gamers seem to run the gamut of things that could possibly go wrong.

The patch, v1.04, includes plenty of extras for the game itself. This inclues 400 new contracts for players to take part in while playing multiplayer. New AI bots in offline mode, and a new multiplayer video editing mode called “Dolly Cam.” Treyarch also says they’ve reduced some aspects of the “knife lunge,” but from the forums, it seems that PS3 owners are still being harassed by this particular bug. As far as connection issues go, Treyarch believes that they are getting better at solving the continuous problems suffered by PS3 owners, but that not everything is going to get fixed right away. They’re constantly updating the title, and plan on updating the game into the far future.

So far, the updates seem to be making the game worse for PS3 owners. If you have a PS3 and Black Ops let us know in the comments how your experience has been with the game, especially with the patches the developer has released.

[via Joystiq]

According to developer Blizzard Entertainment, the latest installment/expansion for the World of Warcraft series managed to sell 3.3 million copies in its first 24 hours of being on sale. That means that it broke the record for “fastest selling PC game, ever.” There’s a bit of irony in the fact that Blizzard Entertainment actually beat out the previous World of Warcraft title, Wrath of the Lich King, which sold 2.8 million copies in its first 24 hours of being on sale, in 2008.

[via Joystiq]

As Activision puts it, Call of Duty: Black Ops is part of the “first entertainment property in history to set five-day records for two consecutive years across all forms of entertainment.” The Activision Blizzard CEO is of course referencing the company’s other previous mega-hit, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. That previous title managed to bring in $550 million in its first five days.

And while Activision is busy breaking records, so is Microsoft, thanks to their Xbox LIVE service. According to Microsoft, Black Ops managed to bring in a record 2.6 million unique players on day one, who of which managed to log in 5.9 million multiplayer hours. And, if you’ve been hoping for a patch, the first official title update for the game has been released today, for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. Check out the full press release below.

Press Release

Largest Entertainment Launch in History Establishes New Xbox® LIVE™ Record with 2.6 Million Unique Players in One Day
Call of Duty: Black Ops Was Best-Selling Video Game Launch of All Time on Amazon.com and at GameStop

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Treyarch’s Call of Duty®: Black Ops has shattered theatrical box office, book and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell through in dollars. The game established an all-new five-day worldwide sell-through record of more than $650 million, exceeding Activision’s previous five-day worldwide record of $550 million set by last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® 2, according to internal Activision estimates.

“Call of Duty has become the first entertainment property in history to set five-day launch records for two consecutive years across all forms of entertainment,” said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard. ”The title’s success illustrates the mass appeal of interactive entertainment as millions of consumers are choosing to play Call of Duty: Black Ops at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media. The number of people playing online and the number of hours they are playing demonstrates how online gaming has become a mainstream form of entertainment and certainly validates Activision Blizzard’s leadership role in online entertainment.”

“There are many reasons for the success of Black Ops, but first and foremost is the fact that our team at Treyarch delivered a truly awesome game, and in the process have established themselves as one of the most talented developers in the world,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing. ”There are millions of people all over the world engaging in this community. It’s our job to keep them coming back for more.”

In addition to beating all previous first-and five-day box office, book and video game sell-through records, Call of Duty: Black Ops set two new records on Xbox® LIVE™.

According to Microsoft:

•More than 5.9 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Black Ops by end of launch day, November 9.
•More than 2.6 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Black Ops in one day on November 9.

“With a record breaking performance on Xbox LIVE, home to the world’s largest Call of Duty gaming community, Call of Duty: Black Ops has already carved out its legacy as one of the biggest video games in history,” said Don Mattrick, president of the interactive entertainment business at Microsoft. ”We congratulate our partners at Activision and Treyarch and are proud to continue offering the best Call of Duty experience to our 25 million global Xbox LIVE members by launching all Call of Duty map packs first on Xbox 360.”

The game also was a tremendous success on the PlayStation® 3 and the best-selling video game launch of all time on Amazon.com and at GameStop.

“Call of Duty: Black Ops has been an incredible success on PlayStation 3,” said Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA). ”Treyarch’s latest efforts are driving unprecedented traffic to the PlayStation Network with the flagship online experience this holiday season.”

“Call of Duty: Black Ops had the highest number of pre-orders of any video game to date,” said Paul Raines, CEO, GameStop. ”It went on to become our biggest video game launch ever, which bodes well for game sales as we enter the holidays.”

Activision is excited about the performance of Call of Duty: Black Ops, but given that it is still very early in the holiday shopping season, the company remains cautiously optimistic.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language. For additional information visit www.callofduty.com/blackops and also via Twitter @JD_2020

In a recent slide, shared during a financial conference, Activision showed off what they’ve got planned, as far as main titles are concerned. Obviously, the next MMO from Blizzard will take a huge share out of the gaming market when it launches in the near future, but the main takeaway from the slide, which you can see below, is that Bungie’s upcoming title will not only launch for the major consoles, but it will also make an appearance on the PC, too.

Bungie, which helped propel Microsoft’s original Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles to huge popularity thanks to the Halo franchise, has always kept a tight lid on their current projects, and there’s no surprise that only a select few know what the studio is working on right now. Of course, considering Activision is involved, the jokes regarding some kind of “Call of Halo” have already begun. However, what’s certain, is that both Bungie and Activision are expecting another blockbuster out of the parternership, and with Bungie’s past as an indicator, they more than likely will get nothing short of that.

[via RockPaperShotgun]

In its first 24 hours of being on sale, Black Ops has managed to rake in $360 million, and that’s just in North America. That means it’s not only set sales records for video games, but as well as the entire entertainment market. To put that in a bit of perspective, the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pulled in $394 million in its first weekend.

But, how does that compare to Modern Warfare 2? The new title managed to sell $50 million more than the $310 million that Modern Warfare 2 saw during its own launch, last year. So, we can safely say that Activision has a hit on their hands, and that the title will obviously continue to sell like hot cakes through the holiday season. We wouldn’t be surprised if it manages to break a few more records in there at some point.

And now that the game’s out, and you’ve had a chance to play through it, what do you think of it? Is it worth all the hype? Let us know in the comments.

[via GearLog]

What’s interesting, though, is that Activision is on board these numbers. According to the company’s announcement during their financial results last week, they admitted that they believe the new title will sell 20% less than last year’s release, Modern Warfare 2, which was developed by Infinity Ward. It was part of the company’s guided release. If the analyst, and what Activision is predicting is true, then it looks like Black Ops may not be the biggest game of 2010.

At the beginning of 2010, Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard’s President, said that it would be due to tougher competition that Black Ops would not do as well in its release. Considering Halo: Reach and Medal of Honor both released within weeks of Black Ops, that argument could certainly hold true. However, the Call of Duty franchise has plenty of fans all over the world, so it will indeed be interesting to see how the title, which is primarily based in the Cold War, pans out when it launches tomorrow. Who’s waiting in line?

[via GamesIndustry]

From Around the Web:

Activision Unleashes DJ Hero 2: Activision had originally said that they’d be able to get DJ Hero 2 out onto shelves by the Fall of 2010, and while no one out there probably didn’t believe them, it’s still good to see the company reach their goals. DJ Hero 2 is officially on sale, starting now, and you can find different retailers offering up different incentives to choose them for your next purchase. For example, if you choose Amazon to order yours online, you’ll get a complimentary copy of Linkin Park’s new CD, A Thousand Suns. If you go to Best Buy tomorrow to pick up your own model, you’ll get a hard-shell turntable carrying case. What’s better though, is that the DJ Hero 2 bundle includes a pair of turntables, and a microphone. You can pick up yours, without the bundle, for $59.99. But if you want the whole ordeal, you’ll have to fork over $149.99.

R3 Media Network

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The Top Shot Elite controller doesn’t rely on one way for players to interact with their game. Instead, the new accessory relies on a sensor bar and a high-sensitivity camera to make sure that all of your movements are accurately translated on the screen. You’ll find an analog stick near the end of the barrel, as well as on the back of the plastic gun’s grip, which should help with movement in some capacity or another. Though, looking at the gun, and it may not be all that comfortable to use. As for reloading, you’ll do that with the pump-action reload mechanism, which simulates a shotgun.

The scope on the top of the fake weapon features a red lens, which Activision says will “give players a different perspective on the environment.” No details as to what that could mean, yet. Interestingly enough, this accessory isn’t meant for a high-profile Activision title. Instead, the company will be releasing the Top Shot Elite controller with Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011. In fact, there’s no word on whether or not the Top Shot Elite will work with other video games. As for a release date, it’s expected to land in retail stores some time this Fall, but pricing hasn’t been divulged. You’ll be able to pick up the game and controller for either your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Wii.

[via WirelessGoodness]

When Black Ops launches on November 9th, 2010, it will feature the 3D option right out of the box. Players will be able to experience not only the campaign, but also the specific training missions, multiplayer (every mode), and even the extra game mode, Zombies. As with any other 3D-compatible title, you’ll need the appropriate hardware to make it happen. Both Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 now fully support 3D playback for games, so you’ll just need to get your hands on a 3D TV, too. And, if you plan on playing the First Person Shooter (FPS) on your PC, then you’ll need NVIDIA’s 3D Vision to take advantage of the fun.

According to Jay Puryear of Treyarch, the 3D technology was created by an Activision Research and Develpoment team, and not by Treyarch themselves. The development studio thought 3D was a good idea, but they wanted to make sure that it was perfect before they implemented it into their title. And, as Puryear puts it, there’s just enough 3D in the game “to make it pop, but not enough to where you are trying to figure out, ‘Where am I supposed to look’?”

While Sony is making a hard push for 3D, and even expected to include it in upcoming triple-A titles, this will be the first time publisher Activision has released a stereoscopic 3D title. According to Puryear, an FPS was a logical choice for the implementation of 3D, thanks to the gametype itself, as well as the environments. Treyarch points out that, while you progress through the title, players will now be able to see the depth of when their character is holding a weapon, or see that cover actually looks like cover, as it has depth of field within the playspace. Whether it’s just a box or a car, players will be able to tell that it’s present on the field, and has range.

There’s going to be an in-game option that lets you decide whether or not you want 3D activated. If you turn it off, you won’t be able to tell any difference. But, if you’ve got the hardware (and glasses) to enjoy the three-dimensional gaming goodness, then activating that option will bring a whole new level of gaming to your living room.

[via Game Hunters]

In the year 2005, California passed the aforementioned law, which banned the sale of “violent and inappropriate” video games to minors. Back then, the video game industry stepped in yet again, challenging the law, saying that it violated the First Amendment. The bill was subsequently blocked by a U.S. District Court in the same year, and then again by the U.S. Appeals Court in 2009. But now the United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case, and it will take place on November 2nd, 2010. Because of this, Activision Blizzard has moved forward and filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief, which shows Activision Blizzard is on the side of the video games industry. The industry, as a whole, is also being supported by 10 State Attorneys General, according to Activision.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick had this to say about the situation: “Our First Amendment has survived intact for 219 years amid far greater technological, historical and social challenges. The argument that video games present some kind of new ominous threat that requires a wholesale reassessment of one of our nation’s most treasured freedoms, and to take that freedom away indiscriminately from an entire group of our population based on nothing but age, is beyond absurd.” This was part of an official statement Kotick made. Kotick’s company is about to release a Mature-rated title, Call of Duty: Black Ops, which will probably break records in sales when it releases later this year.

The argument isn’t new, but the combatants tend to be. Even if familiar faces show up, the fight has been fought before. And, as Kotick pointed out, it’s the same fight that’s been brought against other media outlets, like TV, music, books, and comic books. In the end, freedom always prevails, and that should make the video game industry confident in their motions, as well as the outcome.

A rating system is in place for video games, and has been for several years. Ranging in stages, you can find titles for “Early Childhood,” all the way up to “Adults Only.” This rating system is implemented to help parents understand the content of the game, so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not they should allow their child to purchase the title. Furthermore, many retailers around the country already enforce the rating system, and will not sell Mature titles to kids under a certain age.

This is a war that’s probably never going to stop. Even if it quiets down over time, there will always be another video game that gets released that will make parents and organizations out there raise their eyebrows, and start raising their voices about how video games are pointless and empty. However, there are enough voices in both camps, struggling to get their point across, that the end result is probably too far into the fog of war to ever really discern. Then again, November 2nd could forever put an end to the argument, and that’s the ultimate goal.

[Update]: Stan Lee has chimed in, saying that everyone needs to stand up for the first amendment, and video games in general. He wants people to join the Video Game voters Network to help the cause. Here’s his full statement:

“I’m writing to urge gamers everywhere to take a stand and defend both the First Amendment and the rights of computer and video game artists by joining the Video Game Voters Network (VGVN). My memory has always been lousy and it’s not improving with age. But it’s good enough to remember a time when the government was trying to do to comic books what some politicians now want to do with video games: censor them and prohibit their sales. It was a bad idea half a century ago and it’s just as bad an idea now. And you can do something about it.”

[via CNET; update via RockPaperShotgun]

According to Stephen McGill, who is the Director of Xbox and Entertainment for Microsoft in the United Kingdom, Reach is going to outself Black Ops. He goes on to point out that 34 million people have purchased a Halo video game, and that all of those 34 million people are going to want to play Reach. He may be accurate in his speculation: Reach is the final Halo-based title that’s coming from the house that built Halo, Bungie Studios. And with the video game developer’s Swan Song, they are throwing pretty much everything into the bucket, even the kitchen sink, to make sure that this title is the most enjoyable of the series.

However, the Call of Duty franchise has picked up considerable steam since the debut of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and picked up a ridiculous amount of players, along with racking up the earnings along the way. When Joystiq spoke with Michael Pachter, a Wedbush Morgan analyst, the results weren’t so conclusive for the Halo title. He says that it will be a toss-up between the two titles, as far as sales go for the Xbox 360, but that he believes that Black Ops will prevail, and sell the majority of titles. (This is Activision’s biggest published title to date.) And when they spoke with EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich, he pointed out that while both titles will do very, very well, the idea that Reach will out-sell Black Ops is “aggressively optimistic,” but it just “won’t happen.”

While review units have been sent out for Halo: Reach, the reviews have yet to break cover — as the game hasn’t been released, yet. But so far, from what people have been able to talk about, Reach is panning out to be a Bungie instant classic. And reviewers are probably already readying their final inputs to showcase a rating of 9 or above. A 10 may not be likely, but it is certainly possible.

As for Call of Duty: Black Ops, no one expects that title to get a rating below a 9, either. So, a ten point difference in ratings, which could make or break a title when people are looking for their next game to buy, isn’t likely. With that being said, Reach may just be out-done by the fact that seeimingly more people enjoy the more “realistic” battle, rather than the usage of shields and super soldiers.

There does seem to be some clarification needed here, though. When McGill says that Reach will out-sell Black Ops, it’s assumed that he means on the Xbox 360. However, Black Ops won’t be sold just on the Xbox 360. It’s seeing a multi-platform release (on the PC and PlayStation 3), so the sales numbers will already be skewed in that respect. However, the question of whether or not one title will out-sell the other on one console is still up in the air. We’d have to agree that, while Call of Duty has amassed a wide following and earned plenty of awards, Halo‘s fanbase may be just strong enough to pull ahead in the sales,when it’s all said and done. What do you think? Which game is going to take the title?

[via Joystiq]

However, Activision “don’t really participate financially in that income stream” Kotick explained, suggesting that the studio “would really like to be able to provide much more value to those millions of players playing on Live, but it’s not our network.”  The flip-side, of course, would be a PC-based system which would allow Activision to set their own pricing for various levels of service, rather than being at the behest of console manufacturers and the limitations of individual hardware.

The flip side, of course, is that PC games need to run on a broad range of hardware, whereas console titles can be tailored to a standardized platform.  Kotick’s pledge of support for a plug-and-play device, then, looks to be a push for the best of both worlds: the inherent openness of a PC coupled with the standardisation of a relatively specific hardware model.  Now we just have to see if Dell, HP or any of the other PC manufacturers take him at his word; Alienware console, anybody?

[via Slashdot and via The Gamers Blog]

For Activision, they didn’t show any of their own titles that may have been tied to Sony’s Move, or Microsoft’s Kinect. For some fans out there, waiting to get their hands on a Call of Duty Move-based title, or even for Kinect, would be a dream come true. Unfortunately, Activision seems to think that the motion-based peripherals out there, from Sony and Microsoft, are just too expensive. This is coming from Activision’s COO, Thomas Tippl. He went on to tell Gamasutra that you have to be concerned with how price drives a lot of the outcome of your install base. Generally, a cheaper price means more of an install base; and, more of an install base means more of a return on your investment.

And while there’s some companies out there in the tech world that don’t care about price (as their products are snatched up either way), Nintendo showed that if you make a cheaper console, but still have enough features to make it worth the money in general, then people will come. Nintendo’s Wii made motion-based gaming mainstream, and while Microsoft and Sony are trying to jump on the bandwagon now, if more people are thinking like Activision’s Tippl, then their price points may just be too expensive to warrant a purchase for most.

As of right now, Sony’s Move is the only motion-based controller/peripheral that’s actually been officially priced. At $49.99, it’s not entirely all that expensive, at least not in our eyes. There is a bundle, which includes a console, and everything you need for Move to function for $399, but that includes a console, so again, not too bad on the wallet. As for Microsoft’s Kinect, that’s still not official. Priced at $149.99 thanks to places like GameStop (and now, even Microsoft’s online store), we’re still waiting for some official confirmation. What are your thoughts? Does Activision hit the nail on the head with this, or are they missing the mark entirely?

[via Gamasutra]

In an official announcement today, Activision and Bungie have come clean on a 10-year, exclusive agreement to work together as publisher and developer, respectively. Bungie, as you’re probably well aware, is the house that created the mega-hit Halo, along with a few other titles like Marathon and Myth, have notoriously been Microsoft bedfellows. For all intents and purposes, many consider Halo to be the game that truly built up Microsoft’s home console. As for Activision, they’re famous for several published titles, but most notably the Call of Duty franchise. The whole deal is designed to significantly increase Bungie’s exposure to the console war, which up until now, has been segregated to the Xbox 360.

The agreement means that Activision has the sole, exclusive, worldwide rights to publish and distribute Bungie’s next titles, as many as they can release in the 10-year mark. Which is a good move on both the company’s parts, as this means that it’s not an exclusive right to a particular series, but means that Bungie will be able to get their titles to all of the major consoles, no matter what the game is. There’s no word on what title is coming next from Bungie, but we can imagine that it’s going to be a First Person Shooter (FPS). Full press release below.

BUNGIE AND ACTIVISION ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE, WORLDWIDE PARTNERSHIP

10-Year Alliance Expands Global Reach for Leading Game Developer Across Multiple Platforms

Kirkland, WA and Santa Monica, CA – April 29, 2010 — Bungie, the developer of blockbuster game franchises including Halo, Myth and Marathon, and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the #1 online games publisher (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that they have entered into an exclusive 10-year partnership to bring Bungie’s next big action game universe to market. Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will have exclusive, worldwide rights to publish and distribute all future Bungie games based on the new intellectual property on multiple platforms and devices. Bungie remains an independent company and will continue to own their intellectual property. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The groundbreaking alliance will provide Bungie its first such partnership since splitting off from Microsoft in 2007, significantly broadening its global reach by providing the resources and support to develop, distribute and release games worldwide on multiple platforms and devices.

Activision will broaden its portfolio with a new franchise from one of the industry’s most creative, successful and proven studios, whose games have sold more than 25 million units worldwide. To date, Bungie’s Halo games have generated approximately $1.5 billion in revenues, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and GfK. Activision expects this agreement to be accretive to its operating margins as of the release of the first game.

“We chose to partner with Activision on our next IP because of their global reach, multi-platform experience and marketing expertise,” said Harold Ryan, President of Bungie. “From working together over the past nine months on this agreement, it is clear that Activision supports our commitment to giving our fans the best possible gaming experiences.”

“Bungie is one of the premier studios in our industry and we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with their talented team over the next decade,” stated Thomas Tippl, Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard. “Bungie has developed some of the most compelling and successful games, multiplayer experiences and thriving fan communities, and this alliance underscores our long-standing commitment to foster the industry’s best creative talent. Our unprecedented partnership with Bungie will enable us to broaden our pipeline of exciting new games as we continue to strengthen our industry position and pursue long-term growth opportunities.”

Meanwhile the crossfader section can be swapped between the left and right sides, for use by left- or right-handed gamers, and the whole thing hooks up wirelessly.  It’s also still available as part of a bundle with the DJ Hero game itself, priced at $99.99; there’s no sign of the limited edition “Renegade” controller being sold separately.

[Thanks Toby!]

Tony Hawk: RIDE and the skateboard controller went on sale this week, priced at $119.99 in a bundle.  So far it’s not possible to pick up the controller alone, but we’re guessing that if more titles take advantage of it then it’s likely to be made available separately too.

“The board is extremely versatile it has two accelerometers in it so you can get any tilt value, pitch value, roll value. It has four IR sensors, so it can sense distance from the board up to waist-height, so it can tell if people put their foot past it, their hand past it. So, as far as being an input device, there’s lots of different gestures and triggers that a game can read from” Patrick Dwyer, lead developer, Tony Hawk: RIDE

Recent job adverts tipped a possible extreme sports title as in development by the studio, which would certainly fit in with the sensor flexibility the ‘board controller offers.

[via Joystiq]

While Love is known for wild antics (no question there), it seems that everyone has a different outlook on this. Love exploded on her Twitter, saying over and over again that she had never signed off on the usage of Cobain’s likeness, and that Activision was completely in the wrong. Of course, if you have two or three days to kill, you can find her feed and read up, but be aware that vulgarities are innumerable.

Of course, Activision has gone out and said that it had done everything necessary to secure the licensing rights, which include getting signed by Courtney Love herself. But it’s the surviving members of the band, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl (who is now the Foo Fighters’ front-man), that add an extra twist. They do not mention that the licensing agreements were never ascertained, but that they are simply “dismayed and very disappointed” that the avatar representing Cobain can be utilized not only to sing Nirvana songs, but also be used in other songs. The Cobain avatar can be unlocked, and therefore utilized by players to sing any song in the game. What do you think? Is Activision in the right? Or do you believe that Cobain’s image shouldn’t be tarnished by doing a rap, or singing any song not done by Nirvana?

[via Rolling Stone]

As well as the controller – which is promptly opened up and revealed to contain lots of expensive Activision air – there’s the user manual, which finally confirms how the system can be switched between left- and right-handed modes.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, that relies on a latching mechanism on the turntable section that slots into a hole on the side of the mixer section, with a handy blanking-plate to cover up the mess.

It also confirms that a USB receiver dongle will be required to connect to the PS3 and PS2, though again we saw that coming.  So, not much in the way of surprise here, but since we love to see gadgets dismantled it’ll tide us over until the next teardown.

[via Kotaku]

The change will mean that Wii gamers have more capacity for downloaded content, together with quicker access.  Activision will be offering various single-track and album downloads for use with Guitar Hero 5, including supporting background downloads, as well as the ability to import content bought for Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits (albeit with a small royalty fee imposed).

Best of all, this is not just a Guitar Hero 5 feature but something that, moving forward, Nintendo will be supporting for all games.  Rather than introduce an external hard-drive, as has been regularly hinted at, it seems the company is looking to instead use high-capacity (and falling cost) solid-state memory in the form of SDHC cards.

In doing so, the DS Lite’s D-pad and face buttons are turned into four convenient drum pads, which according to Band Hero DS executive producer David Nathanielsz makes for a more comfortable gaming experience.  “The have this really nice push-back, bounce-back feel to them,” he told gaming site Kotaku. “They fit your thumbs well. If you start banging on that d-pad [without it,] you’d get blisters and you won’t have that feel.”

Worth noting is that Band Hero DS is not compatible with the Nintendo DSi, and neither will the Drum Grip fit over the newer handheld.  No word on how much the game and controller-sleeve will cost when it arrives this fall.

[via Kotaku]