Modern Warfare 2 in stores, selling well on Amazon.com

As many of you know - especially those of you crazy enough to hang out at GameStop during the witching hour (hello, Kyle Orland) Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is now out and it is selling briskly. But GameStop isn’t the only retailer cashing in on Infinity Ward’s and Activision’s latest modern themed first-person military shooter; Amazon.com is claiming very brisk sales of the game.

Amazon.com has gone so far as to call it “the biggest selling pre-order video game of all time,” having overtaken the previous pre-order record holder, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. The game currently holds the number one and two positions on Amazon.com’s Bestselling Video Games list for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, respectively. Amazon also claims - I assume, according to its own internal data tracking - that “Release-Date Delivery” pre-orders for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have surpassed TOTAL orders for the previous pre-order record holder, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. Amazon.com offers Release-Date Delivery for selected pre-order items it knows it can deliver on the date the item releases for ZIP codes within the continental United States.

If you don’t want to hang out at GameStop or any other traditional retailer, you can pick up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC DVD at Amazon. PC Gamers can pick the game up at Steam.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare sale on Steam

Steam, like Impulse is offering a limited time sale on the PC version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The award winning shooter from Infinity Ward can be picked up via Steam for 40 percent off its regular price. This is the lowest price the game has seen since its release, but it is for a very limited time.

You can find out more about this and other sales going on at Steam this weekend by visiting www.steamgames.com.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gets SteamWorks support

Activision Publishing and Valve have inked an agreement to use SteamWorks in the PC version of Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Steamworks will provide PC gamers with auto-updating, anti-cheat technology, Steam Achievements, and the recently introduced Steam Cloud. Launched in Nov. of last year, Steam Cloud allows user settings to be stored and reused no matter what system you are using - as long as you are using your Steam account and a supported game - in this case Modern Warfare 2. Steam Cloud also stores multiplayer game progress.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PC will also include 50 Steam Achievements, enticing players to train a local militia to earn the “Back in the Saddle” Achievement or infiltrate the snowy mountain side base and earn the “Cold Shoulder.”

Beginning today Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is also available for pre-purchase via Steam. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is slated for worldwide release the week of November 8 at retailers and via Steam. Learn more at www.steampowered.com.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized announced

Activision Publishing announced plans today to release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized for Nintendo DS on Nov. 10. Developed for the Nintendo DS by n-Space, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized promises cutting-edge weaponry, vehicles and tactics, along with precision controls for battle. Gamers will fight on the ground in building-to-building tactical combat, hack into enemy computer terminals, take the controls of military vehicles like Battle Tanks and UAV spy drones, or man the guns of an AC-130 gunship.

The title will also feature a six-player online multiplayer mode that allows friends to host their own server, as well as the brand new Survival Mode, giving players a variety of weapons to hold off waves of oncoming enemy forces and an expanded six-player online multiplayer mode. Also, Arcade Mode will allow users to replay the game’s single-player with a time limit and running score, with extra points awarded for specific achievements.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized will release worldwide on November 10, in conjunction with Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2, the next installment to the Call of Duty series.

Robert Bowling to Noah Heller: Stop Doing Interviews

Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has a message for Activision’s Noah Heller: talk about your own game, not his. His issue? The constant comparison of his baby to Treyarch’s upcoming game. Basically Bowling, in very blunt words is telling Activision to talk about games they have actually worked on:

“If I see one more Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare google alert come through my inbox, that ends up being a COD:WaW article that is only showing up because YOU referenced Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare more times than you mention World At War,” said Bowling on his blog over the weekend.

“Especially when you’re pulling shit out of your ass,” he continued. “Come on man, interview about your game. Not OURS! Call of Duty: World at War can stand on it’s own merits, leave ours out of it.“

what’s funny about all this is that Heller works for the company that owns both Treyarch and Infinity Ward. What’s not funny about it? Being called out in public. Bowling’s language gets a bit stronger as the post continues:

“Can you guys please stop interviewing this guy, talk to someone who actually works on the Dev Team at Treyarch and knows what the fuck they’re talking about. Not Senior Super Douche Noah Heller from Activision - who apparently has never played the game and doesn’t even work at the developer.“

Ouch. Someone is going to need a hug after this but i’m not sure who that is. Can’t we all just get along?

Source: FourTwoZero

CliffyB Dings COD Method of Development

In an interview with Develop Magazine, Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski said that the Call of Duty method of developing games convolutes a franchise. Bleszinski made the comments in reference to a question about outsourcing Gears of War 2.

“We’ve got a lot of ideas about where the franchise will go. But sometimes I feel a franchise loses something when it’s shifted off to another shop,” said Bleszinski. “You get the primary studio that really understands about the franchise, and sometimes the other studio that takes it over can do well, but there’s something lost in translation, like the game’s soul has gone.”

The Call of Duty method he refers to is the switch-off between two of Activision Blizzard’s two internal studios: Infinity Ward and Treyarch, who have taken turns developing the franchise over the years. While there is some merit to the comment, Epic has certainly had its share of outside help in developing some of its prior core franchises like Unreal Tournament and Unreal. The company’s first title in the Unreal series had a lot of serious help from Canadian developer Digital Extremes, who also helped the company develop Unreal Tournament.

Still the point is valid. When publishers own IP rights they also have the power to decide who develops sequels and follow-ups. For example BioWare’s Neverwinter Nights 2 and Knights of the Old Republic 2 were developed by Obsidian Entertainment. While these games were certainly solid endeavors they didn’t quite stand up to the level of the BioWare originals.

Perhaps Bleszinski is simply looking forward, instead of back. You can read the comments in the full context at Develop Magazine.

Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack Price Cut

Those of you that have not purchased the Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack, a multiplayer map pack for Infinity Ward’s popular modern-day shooter, we have some good news: you can get it for half the price and in time to play it all weekend long. The map pack will be available for 400 MS Points for a limited time. After Sunday September 14th at 11:59p PT it goes back to its full price of 800 MS Points. Get it while it’s hot, folks and save some virtual currency.

Source: Major Nelson