GameSpasm

Depending on how much you like "Call of Duty: Black Ops," a remote controlled spy car may not be enough to show off your your love to your friends, especially if your friends are people you mainly associate with during gaming experiences. If that's that case, Mad Catz has some new "Black Ops"-themed headsets for you to consider.

Your individual hardware and platform needs can be matched with the Limited Edition 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' Dolby Digital True 5.1 ProGaming Headset for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 for $249.99, the Limited Edition 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' Dolby Headphone 5.1 ProGaming Headset for MSRP: $199.99 or the Limited Edition 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' True 5.1 ProGaming Headset for PC for $149.99.

"We are excited to introduce our new range of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' headset based on our TRITTON pro-gaming audio technology," Mad Catz president and CEO Darren Richardson said in a press release. "The new range delivers the best audio experience as well as providing the 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' enthusiast an exclusively licensed pro-gaming headset. The new headsets are part of our continued strategy to marry our pro-gaming technologies with world-class licenses to bring unique products to market that consumers are passionate about."

So are there already "Black Ops" "enthusiasts" out there? And can you be an enthusiast before you've even played a game? Mad Catz seems to think so, or they've at least preemptively strategized to target enthusiasts that will exist in the future. This could just be a chicken-or-the-egg kind of question, but whenever they begin existing, these headsets will be waiting when the 2010 holiday season arrives.

Are you interested in a set of the new Mad Catz "Black Ops" headsets? Do you think you can be an enthusiast before you've played a game? Share your perspectives in the comment section below.

Tags: call-of-duty, call-of-duty-black-ops, Mad Catz, NEWS, PC, Xbox 360

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"Yeah, it surprised us too," Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer design director David Vonderhaar told us at the multiplayer reveal event in Los Angeles earlier this week. What surprised Vonderhaar and the team at Treyarch was the "30 to 40 percent" of Call of Duty players that never venture into mulitplayer, according to Activision research. His goal for Black Ops: To get as many of those people into multiplayer as possible.

With Modern Warfare 2 breaking sales records and its developer, Infinity Ward, in a state of collapse, following the highly publicized departure of the studio's founders and many of its senior staff, all eyes are on Treyarch to pick up the torch and deliver the most robust and polished multiplayer experience the franchise has seen yet.

But how far does Vonderhaar look to find competition? "The benchmark is always the last game that the studio's made, or that Activision's published," he said. "Multiplayer CoD games command three of the four top spots on Xbox Live right now. We're filling stadiums of people every night with players." And that fan base, which is shared across Infinity Ward's two Modern Warfare titles along with Treyarch's zombie-infused World at War multiplayer, hasn't shied away from upgrading annually.

But first, there's a challenge that Vonderhaar notes: A lot of different kinds of gamers buy Call of Duty games and never go online.

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer takes aim at cheaters, looks to recruit more players

Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer takes aim at cheaters, looks to recruit more players originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: activision, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-black-ops, David-Vonderhaar, microsoft, PC, Playstation, PS3, treyarch, Xbox

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Not long after hearing about Call of Duty: Black Ops' multiplayer options, I grabbed a controller and tried to shoot fellow press as best I could in the new Wager Match modes. I got to play three of the four new modes at the Activision reveal event: "One in the Chamber," "Sticks and Stones" and "Sharp Shooter."

As you might have read, Call of Duty: Black Ops not only rewards XP in multiplayer, it also rewards CP ("CoD points"). CP is your main currency for unlocking gear and content. Everything in multiplayer costs CP to unlock -- killstreaks, new guns, even layers and symbols that can be used to create your own emblem and logo. So CP, while plentiful (especially when you're good), is important. Losing it in wager matches puts you further away from getting whatever items or unlocks you want.

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops preview: put your money where your multiplayer is

Call of Duty: Black Ops preview: put your money where your multiplayer is originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: activision, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-black-ops, microsoft, multiplayer, PC, Playstation, PS3, treyarch, wager-matches, Xbox

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If you've ever logged on to a gaming forum and searched for "Call of Duty," you invariably discovered lengthy discussions over whether Treyarch or Infinity Ward have produced the quintessential game in the franchise. With much of the Infinity Ward team moving on to EA, Treyarch has been charged with sedating the series' base. After some hands-on time with "Call of Duty: Black Ops" last night at an event in Los Angeles, I can say that it appears as if the studio has found a balance – at least within multiplayer – that just might satisfy everyone.

Before the development team allowed us to get any hands-on time, Treyarch designers David Vonderhaar and Dan Bunting gave a presentation showcasing what players can expect from the latest game in the "Call of Duty" franchise.

The developers discussed the game's new multiplayer features using three pillars that Treyarch focused on during development: Compete, Customize, and Create. While many features were shown, here's a rundown of new features I feel will get "Call of Duty" fans most excited to jump back into multiplayer.

Compete: Multiplayer Training Modes

Dan Bunting opened this section by discussing an entirely new mode in "Black Ops" multiplayer, Combat Training. "Before there was combat training, there was a dumb drone we called Larry," said Bunting. What was once a development tool which allowed the Treyarch team to test issues within the game, has given way to an entirely new mode in "Black Ops." An interesting new concept within the "Call of Duty" franchise, Combat Training allows the player to experience multiplayer gameplay, but replaces the threat of real online players with AI-controlled bots. What's more, the player can invite a friend into the match, allowing for co-op.

COD Points - Unlock Weapons And Perks With Currency

Experience points have been an important component of multiplayer in recent "Call of Duty" titles. Previously, when a player attained a new XP level they gained additional weapons, perks, etc. "Black Ops" is taking a slightly different approach to earning those items – they can be purchased with currency, called COD Points. "What you used to only unlock by level is now for sale," said David Vonderhaar. What makes this interesting is that a lower level player can now effectively outfit their soldier with the specific gear that they want, without necessarily having to achieve a higher XP level.

More importantly, the game's new currency allows for an all new multiplayer mode, Wager Match, that quickly became my favorite new feature.

Tags: activision, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-black-ops, PC, Previews, PS3, treyarch, Xbox 360

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The problem with Pokemon is that it's pretty embarrassing to tell people you play it, especially if you're over the age of 13 -- just ask Griffin. They're great games, don't get us wrong. It's just that we're adults, with actual utility bills and Netflix memberships, and alive and breathing significant others. We can't risk losing all of that.

That's why we want to draw your attention to this Call of Duty and Pokemon mash-up clip, available just past the break. By incorporating the two, we can maintain our adult facade, while enjoying the deep and robust RPG experience Nintendo's line of games offers without all the kiddie stuff. It's the best of both worlds!

Continue reading Video: What if Call of Duty was a Pokemon game?

Video: What if Call of Duty was a Pokemon game? originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments Tags: call-of-duty, fun, mash-up, Modern warfare 2, Pokemon, Spoof

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Treyarch didn't rule out zombies for "Call of Duty: Ops" purely on the basis of the undead being "a risky thing to do," and now it appears they'll be bringing the hordes back along with $150 Prestige Editions when the game hits in October.

Best Buy let the cat out of the bag by revealing "Four Zombie Maps Pack made famous from 'COD: World at War'" for the game's Hardened Edition, according to CVG.

That likely means that Prestige Editions, at least at Best Buy, will also include the maps. Zombies weren't mentioned explicitly in the extra content rundowns Activision released yesterday, but they may have just been conveniently left off. I don't know why you wouldn't want the world to know that you're resurrecting zombie maps, though, in all honesty. Gamers do love zombies, after all, and if there was an undead hall of fame in gaming, Call of Duty zombies would definitely be on the wall.

Are you happy to see zombies returning for "Black Ops"? Are the maps packs going to make a difference when you decide which edition to get? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, MTV Multiplayer writer Brian Warmoth, on Twitter!

Tags: activision, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-black-ops, PC, PS3, treyarch, Xbox 360

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Glitches often do strange and unexpected things, like making cougar men and donkey ladies appear in games. That's why we love them, though, and those who own "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" and like free games may especially enjoy a quirk that's come to light on Xbox Live Arcade this week. With it, players have been given access to full, free versions of SNK games.

Both "MW2" and its recently released XBLA single-player demo have been unlocking games such as "Garou: Mark of the Wolves," "The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match," "Metal Slug 3," "Metal Slug XX" and "Samurai Showdown II," according to a post on Worthplaying.

This glitch comes with the distinction of being exceptionally bizarre, since Activision and SNK are two totally different companies. That may mean that this resulted from an error on Microsoft's end, but it'll be tough to say for sure until someone owns up. Gamers love surprise freebies, but in this case SNK can't be too thrilled to see their digital wares pouring out the back door via someone else's product.

Who do you think is responsible for the "MW2" glitch? Did you download any of those SNK titles yet? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, MTV Multiplayer writer Brian Warmoth, on Twitter!

Tags: activision, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2, Infinity Ward, NEWS, Snk, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade

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Behold the very first trailer showing off the multiplayer gameplay of "Call of Duty: Black Ops." We've got exploding crossbow bolts, guns that shoot knives and even remote control cars that go boom! What more could you ask for? Oh, a replay editor? Yep, that's in there, too.

We'll be analyzing the trailer for things you might've missed in a little bit, so stay tuned!

Tags: call-of-duty, call-of-duty-black-ops, PS3, treyarch, Xbox 360

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Whether or not "Call of Duty: Black Ops" outsells "Modern Warfare 2," Activision knows that they have one of the strongest brands in gaming, and after a turbulent few months behind the scenes, they reiterated to investors that CoD games will be a priority going forward, as evidenced by their increased spending on the "Black Ops" launch. In fact, they characterized the investment as part of their long-term strategy to redouble attention to their franchise and not just to sell more copies of Treyarch's new release.

"This [is,] across the board, the biggest investment that we've ever made in a launch of a title," Activision CEO Bobby Kotick told his company's investors Thursday, according to an Edge report. "And I think when audiences see the product, they'll see why we're doing it this way."

Kotick cited "market opportunity," a swelled "installed base of hardware" and CoD's "broad appeal" among the conditions justifying Activision's marketing cash injection.

"Looking ahead, the Call Of Duty brand represents one of our largest long-term opportunities as the brand is one of the largest entertainment properties and is well-aligned with the fastest growing entertainment sectors, including online gaming," Activision chief financial officer Thomas Tippl explained. "These factors give us the confidence to redouble our investment in the brand, which should offer more opportunities for organic long-term growth than ever before."

Keeping gamers' attention on the games themselves and away from the office politics and human resource migrations that made headlines after the "MW2" launch has be on their minds as well. A lot of consumers and investors alike are going to be interested to see where the CoD goes post-"Black Ops."

Do you want Activision to stay committed to Call of Duty? How do you think "Black Ops" will compare to "MW2"? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter! You can also follow me, MTV Multiplayer writer Brian Warmoth, on Twitter!

Tags: activision, call-of-duty, call-of-duty-black-ops, NEWS, PC, PS3, treyarch, Xbox 360

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Activision has released its financial results for the second quarter of 2010, reporting revenues of $967 million. That's down from $1,038 reported during the same period last year. Net income is up, however, with the company reporting earnings of $219 million, a 12 percent increase over last year's $195 million. Before you get too confused, know that costs were down dramatically, dropping from $820 million in Q2 2009 to $667 million this year, which led to the increased income.

The driver behind Activision's results, according to CEO Bobby Kotick, was "strong consumer response" to the company's workhorse brands, World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. The report also mentions that Activision's digital sales "exceeded retail sales for the first time," having grown more than 20 percent year over year. Somehow, we're not terribly surprised.

Looking forward, Kotick pointed to StarCraft 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops and the World of Warcraft expansion Cataclysm as potential bright spots for the rest of the year. Specifically, Kotick noted that Black Ops pre-orders are already outpacing the number of Modern Warfare 2 pre-orders at this time last year.

Activision Q2 revenues down, earnings up originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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