Activision announces Call of Duty

Activision came running through the door like an excited child this morning with news of its Call of Duty franchise, a new umbrella brand that "lets players experience the dramatic intensity of war through the eyes of common soldiers". Starting with World War II, Call of Duty will try and map elements of the 20th century's most devastating conflicts from the perspective of various unsung heroes. The games will be released on both console and PC in line with Activision's multi-platform strategy.

The first title in the series is being developed by Infinity Ward, a studio that includes 22 of the individuals who worked on EA's Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Theirs will be a World War II shooter, in which players fill the shoes of a US paratrooper, a British commando and a Russian infantryman in separate campaigns to help crush the Nazi war machine.

"Infinity Ward's mission is to make a game that is as historically accurate and realistic as possible, that will bring a new level of cinematic action to the genre," president Grant Collier commented. "We are constantly researching locales, time periods, weapons and vehicles in order to immerse players in the harsh realities of World War II. When gamers get their hands on Call of Duty, they will experience gripping battle sequences, ultra realistic environments, and in-the-trenches, non-stop gameplay that will blow them away."

The game is due out this year according to Activision, and by the sound of it, this won't be the last we hear of Call of Duty during 2003, with plenty more of "the world's most legendary conflicts" left to catalogue…