Activision to "monetise" COD online News

Don't like the sound of this too much. I can't think of anything worse than developing an uneven arena based on have's and have not's.

DLC in the shape of maps and non game effecting elements like costumes - okay, but if this goes the way of micro transactions for weapon upgrades and / or load out kit then were on the cusp of a very sad day.

Oh and COD LOL !

Yeah, the main thing I'm thinking when I'm playing games online is "How can I pay MORE for this experience! I feel like I'm getting something for nothing here! If only someone would monetize the revenue transactions to satisfy my aspirational demand!"

I'm not convinced that you can shoehorn the typical MMO system (where people accept the fact that servers have to be maintained, GMs and admins need to be hired etc.) into an FPS, especially when they've already moved the burden of hosting servers onto the gamer.

People choose to pay for XBox Live because it is a single payment that grants them access to online play for all games. It would be setting a dangerous precident if they choose to implement additional payments on top of this. Plus is would undermine the value of XBox Live, if gamers have to pay for a Live subscription fee for the privilage of paying even more.

Well I am shocked I tell you, S.H.O.C.K.E.D.

Are Acti seriously looking to be the most hated company in the industry? It certainly looks that way to me. I'd like to say "Fuck right off", or "it'll never work" or "Gamers won't stand for such milking"....

....but the sheep showed us last week Acti can do what they want and you all still bend over. Paid for COD online WILL happen and you all will fall over yourselves to throw your money at them.

Well let me be the first in here to say F.O.A.D

Blizzard offer non-core-gameplay changing things like combat pets and race/faction changes. You get the feeling that the CoD guys would be more interested in introducing a paid for arms race.

"Picked up Silenced M4A Carbine. Swipe credit card now to activate this gun..."

Expect a plastic replica gun to be shipped out as a new controller...

"People choose to pay for XBox Live because it is a single payment that grants them access to online play for all games."

People pay for Xbox Live because they don't have much of choice. Anyway, this sound like a remarkably bad move...

Are Activision delusional, did they ask their own PR department these questions or are most gamers morons that want to pay more for less? I can't decide.

This would be one sale lost for me, i already payed for the game i dont want to play more, unless its map packs, but forget about making me pay monthly for a fps game unless its in a persistant world.

lol.

Actually I think Activision/IW are seriously overestimating the patience (or lack of intelligence) of their customers, and I expect BFBC 2 to take a good bite out of the COD fanbase, permanently. The latter game also looks like it's shaping up to be really great, unlike the shallow cookie cutter stuff that is MW2.

So, are they talking pc, or 360/ps3? S they are going to want £54.99 for the game (I know no one will pay it, but its what they're expecting) , another £30 a year to MS for Live, then more money for multiplayer online? Fuck off.
This is yet another way of squeezing as much money as they can out of us. When did it all change? A few years ago, no one cared how much things cost or how much they charged. Now its all about seeing how far they can push us.
In times where everyone is looking to cut down on luxury items, they are looking into charging more just for a few extra services?
COD is fine as it is, I don't want the new shit if its just going to fleece me.

Obligatory Penny Arcade comic from 2007

So basically you just go and play Rainbow 6 instead.

Well Activision are conveniently forgetting than in games such as WoW you get loads of regular and significant updates as well as a persistent online world. I think if they offer regular new maps, items, tweaks and host servers themselves then yes, they do have a point for charging (a reasonable fee) to those willing to pay. But they should forget also having paid for DLC and no dedicated servers. Anyways I think that it will be a hard sell, even for a franchise like COD. I, for one, will not be buying into any of this.

Are Activision delusional, did they ask their own PR department these questions or are most gamers morons that want to pay more for less?

1) Yes

2) Yes and the PR department is spineless anyway

3) By god, yes.

I'm really enjoying this game, but would I have paid more than £26 for it ? No. Would I pay to play it online? No. Activision had better hope that I am in the minority but as the ressesion continues I have a feeling I may not be alone.

Ive never 'demanded' to pay for anything?

"Here, have this game for free!"

"No! I demand you take £50 from me!"

Honestly, about a week ago I was getting ready to drop a couple of hundred quid on Activision products for Christmas. Now I'm not. There's some real-world losses for you fuckers to take into account, Acti. Just sayin'.

Expect a plastic replica gun to be shipped out as a new controller...

A remote-controlled butt plug would be more appropriate for this situation.

So are they going to charge to add back in the lean function?

We aren't paying for dedicated servers

Yes!!!!! I want to pay more!!! i have shitloads of money and i'm anxious to spend it to enhance my COD game experience!!!

Bring it on Activision! my money is waiting for you!

PD: please activision i would pay for a bow and some arrows for stealth killing in COD. 400 ms points or 5 euros... please.

Go on, do it Acti. I want to see what happens.

I guess that explains the loss of dedicated servers for the windows crowd.

You want sub 50 ping you best be paying up, boy.

The more I think of it, the more bad this sounds.

OK, lets make a franchise out of Call Of Duty, lets criple the pc gaming scene since it was not any good to us for the last 20 years or so, lets make a service for CoD where microtransactions and micropayments are the main thing and then lets charge people for buying our products. Yep, that is the right move.

And SUUUUURE, I get emails everyday that say "Hello mr.Activision Board Manager, I am Kostas and I would LOVE to give you more money so I can have more content for my FPS, regardles of the stupid AI in single player and the server problems in multi. And OFCOURSE I would pay money to you so you can make an online service just like Blizzard, which took them about 10 years to perfect and cost them millions of dollars. But I cannot help but thinking, back them, at a time where Diablo and StarCraft ruled PC gaming, did I pay them extra money for them to do that? Let me check on my Visa history and get back to you..."

I mean, come on, I live in Greece where there is no official XBOX Live service, and they want me to pay them more money so they can offer me stuff that they should have made for the core game in the first place?

Not clever man, not clever...

never heard such a pile of shit...

there never is a DEMAND TO PAY!

THERE IS A DEMAND for content that shoudlve been IN THE RETAIL VERSION.

activision is really starting to piss me off. i mean ,yeah i bought it and i like it. i ignore the missing parts and enjoy what is there but if they really make use of a payment-system ill flip a bird and they can fuck off...

Didn't EA already threaten this with BF: Bad Company last year? I seem to remember they wanted to charge a small amount per gun but people with the "Gold Edition" got them all. And pretty much everyone complained so the guns were all normal unlockables in the end.

They can balls. They've had my cash, I've paid my Live fee. That's your lot. But release some more Spec Ops missions please. Preferably involving vehicles and missiles.

Yea, just what I wanted after spending £55 on the game... /sarcasm

It's going to be micro-transactions where you pay for features. Such as moving forward and shooting.
And leaning. Getting access to console. Getting access to dedicated servers. Choose what kind of clothes you have on your player. Save grandma from the devil. Etc.

"There is demand from gamers to pay."


Suckers

Yeah because the £100m + per month they are raking in from WoW subscriptions ALONE isn't enough.

Seriously, they can't say for one second that they NEED to charge for all this. They probably just want to use the cash to make hand-rolled cigars out of twenty-quid notes.

I for one hope that this all ends up biting them in the ass. Any figures yet on how many copies DJ Hero has sold?

Bobby Kotick supposedly said in a presentation that one of his most important measures is to rid the upper company levels of veteran gamers and bring in execs from unrelated industries instead, to get more focus on pure profit. Well, you probably won't be surprised that "Activision exec Tom Tippl" used to be the Head of Investor Relations and Shareholder Services at Procter & Gamble...

I ALSO DEMAND TO PAY FOR STUFF!

Like all greedy corporations, they eventually find a way to shoot themselves in the foot. In this case it's obvious that no-one playing COD is willing to pay for online services. This will not work on 360 or PSN so they have to be talking about PC. It now starts to make sense why they killed the dedicated servers. After all that was where people could set up their own custom matches, loadouts etc. etc. for free.

because it can never be linked to enough...
Welcome to the future ;__;

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Activision will never, EVER, see another penny of my money.

Monetise whatever the fuck you want, morons - I sure as hell won't be putting anything into your coffers.

Activision - The videogames industry's pirates since 1979.

Hello 1p per bullet.
Bang! Ka-ching!
Bang! Ka-ching!

Can't wait to see who sponsors the airport scene.

Maybe COD will become like an expensive golf club, where you can be sure of a skilled and sensible clientele because they pay to keep the scum out?

Might make for better games for those who do pay.

Either way, I'm one of the scum who can't afford it

MW2 is the first COD game I've bought but if this does become reality I'll not be purchasing again. My main fear is, if this proves to be viable because the Plebes enjoy being fisted by Mr Activision then, other publishers will follow suit.

Personally one of the reasons I chose a PS3 over the Xbox was the 'one off' nature of the whole deal, ie: pay for console, pay for game, enjoy. Running costs via subscription and even DLC, to a certain extent, are of zero interest and IMO take the piss.

Futureproofing?
Unlikely.
Corporate greed
Kills
All
Cravings
To
Incorprorate
Vision
Into
Strategy.
Investors
Only value
Notes.

And so the age of milking has begun

My God. Bioware I can put up with micro-payments. They do mega huge RPGs.

Activision? No. fuck off you money grabbing cocks.

+1 for Grom's post, 2nd post in the article. WTF are they thinking ''gamers actually want to pay us more money kthx''. Pfft

Maybe console players can boycott along with us next time.

Jooooiiinn uuuusss.

Good old Bobby Kotick. Gamers are too used to paying for something and getting it - lets find ways to sell them something, then make them pay more to use it.

@skillian:

Which boycott? This one? http://tinyurl.com/yep62fl

:P