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Deal of the week: 50% off CoD 4's Variety Map Pack

by David Hinkle { Nov 2nd 2009 at 11:45AM }

This week, Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers will be able to snag Call of Duty 4's Variety Map Pack for half off, Activision announced. We've seen this with car dealers a million times. With next year's model -- Modern Warfare 2 -- about to hit the show floor soon, Activision is looking to get as much as it can out of the older model.

Still, if you're happy fragging folks in the older model, then you may want to check out the Variety Map Pack -- which has been discounted by half to 400

($5) on Xbox Live and $4.99 on PSN, culminating in a double XP event for both consoles this coming weekend. Though odds are, if you care about this dinosaur of a game still, you and a majority of the other 13 million or so players probably already own this content.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Variety Map Pack

Call of Duty 4 reaches 13 million players on Xbox Live

by Griffin McElroy { May 26th 2009 at 12:40PM }

With the release of the recent full-length trailer for Modern Warfare 2, the gaming populous' attention has been turned away from the original Modern Warfare (considering the game's getting a follow-up, we think its Modern-ness could be disputed by this point, but we digress). However, Infinity Ward community commissar Robert Bowling (a.k.a. fourzerotwo) recently stopped by Major Nelson's podcast to explain why CoD4 shouldn't be ignored quite yet -- it just hit the remarkable 13 million player mark on Xbox Live.

This number is impressive for two reasons: First, it's two million more players than the last Xbox Live total we heard for Modern Warfare back in March. The second reason has been mentioned by a few gaming blogs already -- it's surpassed the total number of World of Warcraft players. Impressive? Well, yes -- though nobody is forced to subscribe to Call of Duty 4. As far as pure, lucrative retention is concerned, we think WoW still takes the cake.

Call of Duty 4 reaches 15 million online players

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 14th 2009 at 3:30PM }

For an almost two-year old game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare still possesses an uncanny amount of pluck. It's become a bellwether for judging modern first-person shooters, and still regularly places high in the Xbox Live activity charts. However, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling recently revealed the most convincing testimony of the game's success while accepting CoD 4's three BAFTA Awards in London earlier this week -- according to Bowling, the game's online multiplayer component has played host to just over 15 million players.

Bowling clarified that 11 million of said players joined CoD 4's ranks via Xbox Live, while over four million entered the fray on PSN. He didn't even mention how many PC gamers had gotten their war on, though we're sure that when combined with the console players, CoD 4's total online population would rival that of many average-sized countries.

CoD4: 50% off Variety Maps, new playlist and double XP

by Dustin Burg { Feb 18th 2009 at 2:15PM }

Call of Duty 4's own Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling just posted that, all next week, there will be a huge CoD4 celebration. One that's full of money savings, experience earning and new playlist playing.

Beginning Tuesday, February 24, the Variety Map Pack will be priced at 50% off the normal 800

/ $10 admission fee. Then, on Friday, February 27, Infinity Ward will welcome gamers into the multiplayer mix by flipping the CoD4 double XP switch to the "ON" position. Finally, fourzerotwo himself will be pulling an all-nighter Friday night and adding a new Hardcore Headquarters playlist for the double XP killing shenanigans. It's a week-long Call of Duty 4 party, just without the booze, party streamers and all the post-party cleanup.

Gallery: Call of Duty 4: Variety Map Pack

Wii sales propel Call of Duty: World at War past COD4

by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 17th 2009 at 2:03PM }

Chew on this: Call of Duty: World at War had greater combined US sales on current-gen consoles in its first three months of release than did Call of Duty 4. World at War achieved this milestone despite COD4 outselling it by nearly 400,000 Xbox 360 units during the comparable months. A rise in PS3 sales from COD4 to World at War -- just over 130,000 units -- helped to slightly offset this difference, but the introduction of a Wii version of World at War (COD4 had no such entry) tipped the scales in favor of the latest Call of Duty entry. In December alone, the Wii World at War (pictured) sold more than 366,000 units.

This trend spotting is a result of analyst Matt Matthews' work (published on Gamasutra) and seems to indicate that Wii is a profitable platform for third-party publishers; at least, for Activision, which had two multiplatform titles with Wii versions in the January NPD Top 10. As for our Xbox 360 and PS3 sales ~~assumptions~~, uh, analysis? Gears of War 2 and Left 4 Dead definitely hindered World at War sales on Xbox 360 from November through January, while on PS3, there simply wasn't a strong resistance to choosing World at War as the holiday's go-to shooter. Will Modern Warfare 2 follow suit? We expect a surge in both PS3 and Xbox 360 enlisters -- but we're not sold on the concept of modern warfare on Wii ... and neither is Infinity Ward, we imagine.

BAFTA awards to settle the 'Super Mario Galaxy vs. COD4' debate

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Feb 10th 2009 at 4:54PM }

Also, sponsored by GAME

Alright, perhaps "debate" is a somewhat enthusiastic label for a question none of us have ever seriously considered. Which is more worthy of a prestigious award -- the cratered theater of war in Activision's Call of Duty 4, or the smiling planetoids of Super Mario Galaxy? We can't come up with a way to decide, which is precisely why we're grateful that the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards (for games that are sold by GAME) have decided to lump both into the "Best Game" category:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Fable II
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
Rock Band
Super Mario Galaxy

Before you object to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' seemingly outdated choices, note that the period of valid entries spans October 26, 2007 to December 31, 2008 due to an earlier delay in ceremonies. The messy result, of course, is two Novembers duking it out. You'll see the rest of the quality-riddled categories after the break.

Continued →

CoD4 logs 10 million 360 gamers since launch

by Dustin Burg { Jan 8th 2009 at 4:00PM }

Call of Duty 4 community manager fourzerotwo decided to post some statistical CoD4 fun. And after some quick number crunching, we learn that (on the Xbox 360 alone) over 10 million unique players have logged onto Xbox Live to game it up on CoD4 since launch. Not too shab. Taking into account the PS3's unique player numbers, CoD4 has logged over 14 million players total.

Look below for more statistical CoD4 number fun, including the number of gamers who have completed Airplane on Veteran difficulty. Mr. Xav de Matos wanted us to point out that he helped contribute to the 2.8% completion rate. He so l33t.

71.1% have completed F.N.G.
68.8% have completed Cargo Ship
46.5% have beaten the game on any difficulty.
2.8% have completed Airplane on Veteran difficulty.

Gears 2 stagnant on Xbox Live activity chart despite DLC

by Ross Miller { Dec 24th 2008 at 11:58PM }

That Combustible map pack didn't seem to ignite much passion into Gears of War 2, as the shoe-in for Best Shooter Involving a Chain Saw-infused Rifle Award remains numero quartro on the Xbox Live activity chart for last week. The game was also 4th place the week prior, and 3rd place for two consecutive weeks before that. Far from being a bad position, but it's certainly not dominating the service like its predecessor.

Staying strong at top is Halo 3, followed by the Call of Duty: World at War and CoD4, respectively. The promotional Dash of Destruction managed to take 6th place, and somehow bumped Fallout 3 from 8th to oblivion. Full list after the break.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Continued →

COD4 seemingly complete, Infinity Ward focused on future

by Ross Miller { Dec 12th 2008 at 8:00PM }

Still holding out for new Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare maps and playlists? We're sorry to be the ones to tell you this, but there aren't anymore maps or playlists. None. Go home, kid. Over at the official Xbox forums, Infinity Ward community manager Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling rather strongly suggested that the development team has moved on from COD4 and is gearing up for its next project, whatever that may be.

Bowling also discussed the issue of balance, perception and DLC. In his words, "If you include [the maps] out of box (shipped with game for no extra cost) then it's just ignored and people demand more. If you instead, decide to get the game out and then worry about beefing up the map selection via DLC, people say ... 'this should have been included in the shipped game.'"

We hear ya buddy, now how about six more COD4 map packs?

[Via Gamer Limit]

Barrie teen runs away from home, parents blame online games

by Xav de Matos { Oct 24th 2008 at 9:15AM }

For nearly two-weeks 15-year-old Brandon Crisp has been missing after running away from his home. The Barrie, Canada, teen stormed out of his house during the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend when his parents took away his Xbox 360, arguing that his excessive play of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was affecting his sleep and social skills.

According to earlier reports, Brandon told his parents he would run away if his system was not returned and, in an effort to "call his bluff," his father helped the teen pack his belongings. Brandon's parents now fear that he has been "lured by gamers" through the Xbox Live gaming service, "It could be organized crime or someone involved in Internet gambling. Pedophiles can stalk kids through these games," Brandon's father told The Star.

While it's easy to argue how Xbox Live is being misrepresented in this situation the fact remains that Brandon, who purchased Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- an M Rated title intended for gamers 17 and above -- with his own Christmas money, is still missing and his family is completely distraught. We hope for his safe return home.

PSN Thursday: Fracture demo, COD4 map sale

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 18th 2008 at 4:45PM }

This week is fairly quiet for the PSN update. The demo for the incredibly well-promoted title Fracture becomes available, along with the demo for the big game from a couple weeks back, Mercenaries 2. For those who haven't yet picked up the map pack for Call of Duty 4, it's on sale this week for a measly $5. The full list of additions can be found after the break.

The European PSN update can be found over at PS3 Fanboy. Go say hello, they miss you and give great hugs.

Continued →

Call of Duty 4 is $40; Double XP weekend coming soon

by Alan Tsang { Sep 15th 2008 at 5:00PM }

Now you really have zero excuse not to own the instant classic Call of Duty 4. Amazon has the Game of the Year Edition listed at $39.99 with free shipping; interestingly enough, this price isn't listed on the their main page for the game. Rather, you have to click on the Used and New section to find the discounted price. A look around the internet shows the game still at the $59.99 price point, so take advantage of this offer here.

In other CoD4 news, some of your might have heard this past weekend was Double XP weekend for Xbox 360 owners of the game. It looks like PS3 owners will be getting the same treatment. According to Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling, our version of the event was delayed due to "schedule conflicts" and will begin sometime near the 18th. We should "expect some of the same benefits and festivities" as the 360 version of the event, such as 50% off the Variety Map Pack. The exact details are coming later in the week, so stay tuned.

Play CoD4 with Infinity Ward, earn XP and save

by Dustin Burg { Sep 13th 2008 at 2:30PM }

In about 30 minutes, members of Call of Duty 4's development team from Infinity Ward will be logging onto Xbox Live to ~~pwn some n00bs~~ game with fans of CoD4 in an Xbox.com sponsored Game with Developers event. An event that goes hand in hand with the double XP weekend and the Variety Map Pack being discounted 50% for the weekend.

Around nine Infinity Ward employees including artists, studio heads and the one and only Fourzertwo will be playing CoD4 TODAY from 3-7:00PM eastern. Make the jump for a listing of gamertags and be sure to spam the heck out of their Live inboxes. We're sure they'd love you for that.

Double XP, half-price maps invade Modern Warfare this weekend

by Xav de Matos { Sep 11th 2008 at 2:45PM }

Attention cyber-soldiers: Infinity Ward has dropped word that the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map pack will be made available for half price (400MS points) this weekend. Attempting to gain popularity for the struggling title, players will also be able to earn Double XP during ranked games beginning September 12, 12AM PDT and running through September 14 at midnight -- the same time-frame for the discounted maps.

If you'd like to show your support for a title that barely made a splash during its release downloading the four map package would be a nice start. Infinity Ward needs your help and are even offering Limited Edition Prestige gamerpics for free as yet another bonus. Save a developer. Help this struggling franchise. Oh, wait. We were thinking of Soldier Of Fortune for some reason. Never mind, Modern Warfare sold like a bajillion copies.

Ed. Note: Bajillion is SO a word.

Call of Duty 4 getting double XP Sept. 13-14

by Justin McElroy { Sep 4th 2008 at 3:30PM }

When the Joystiq staff goes back to Call of Duty 4, it's usually because we're tired of getting our asses handed to us on a little silver platter in practically every other first-person shooter. Before too long we pine for the one game we've played enough that we're not embarrassed to admit to our team that we write about video games professionally.

But, according to Infinity Ward spokesman Fourzerotwo, we'll have additional reason to go back Sept. 13-14, when CoD 4 will be offering up double XP on PSN and Xbox Live. Come, play with us, and tremble before our staggering (and doubly rewarding) moderate competence.