La overexploitation in the video game world it usually has quite common consequences and Activision is aware of it. Considering the trajectory of the Call of Duty franchise we can see how they have been launching an annual installment for more than a decade and have given to change the course of multiplayer and FPS campaigns, to place the franchise as one of the best-selling of history and to peer into "decadence".
In perspective, Call of Duty It has traditionally been a great war saga that, in its day, was born with the aim of unseating Medal of Honor, the reigning saga at that time, at the time when World War II themed a large percentage of FPS. But what was originally born with the ambition to rise to the throne in terms of a player, turned and opted for multiplayer with Call of Duty 2, delivery that the purest of the genre remember with great affection.
And so a large chunk of those who had worked on FPS world milestones like MoH: Allied Assault left 2015 Inc. to join Infinity Ward, study that without making noise or raising suspicions, the one that to this day is, without a doubt, the best Call of Duty and one of the best multiplayer FPS ever created, the first Modern Warfare.
Personally, I still remember that beta that offered a couple of modes and three maps (Vacancy, Matojos and Collision) in which each game conveyed endless sensations that one had never experienced, especially on console. They arrived to change the direction of the industry, to leave behind the war conflicts of the XNUMXth century, to establish the class and advantages system, lay the foundations for streaks and bonuses for player performance and, without forgetting the campaign, they offered one of the best single player experiences the genre has ever seen and which, again, countless franchises and studios have tried to emulate.
The success, logically, was overwhelming. And in Activision they did not take in realizing the possible profitability of what they had in hand with what, following their commercial strategy, they continued with the annual deliveries alternating the development between the guys of Infinity Ward, main architects of what Call of Duty is today, and Treyarch.
They were clear about what the mold would be and the dogma imposed was to be faithful to the standards set by themselves. And trying to improve the success, the objective was to add layers and prioritize the content over the balance and optimization of what was added: more weapons, more streaks, more advantages, more studies helping ... More. And yes, even when we were faced with deliveries that were very Away from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, sales were only climbing reaching the almost thirty million copies sold that Modern Warfare 3 would get.
And then, in the middle of an FPS storm in which it seemed that the setting, concept and approach were chosen in a completely arbitrary way, it arrived Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the confirmation that Treyarch rose far above Infinity Ward, a study that had been orphaned of the main architects of its success.
A setting focused on the near future already meant a necessary breath of fresh air, the rest being absolutely faithful to the classic structure of the saga but with improvements and tweaks here and there and, above all, with an exceptional map design, a balanced variety weapons and a streak system measured to the extreme, with the e-Sports in mind, they were the culmination of what, to this day, many consider the most worthy successor to the first Modern Warfare.
But the ghosts appeared. The latest installment developed by Infinity Ward was called to be an example of vindication on their part while revitalizing the franchise with novelties that, a priori, were logical when talking about the first installment launched in the new generation. But Call of Duty Ghosts it was a jug of cold water for the company itself, the critics and the public.
Despite marketing and misleading information, the IW EngineThe Id Tech 3-based engine that they had been using since 2005 was still there. But that was not the worst: Call of Duty Ghosts was a delivery that, from the beginning, did not know what course to take, totally lacking a specific personality and identity like Modern Warfare or Black Ops.
In the playable, made up of a hodgepodge of ideas drawn from other titles in the franchise, essential features of the brand were left behind, such as maps oriented to constant encounters and frenetic games. And the decadence emerged. It is true that hundreds of studios and companies would like to obtain the figures of the last Call of Duty but this one has the dubious honors of being the least booked and sold franchise since 2007. And that, considering that it was released for two more platforms than usual (Xbox One and Playstation 4) is a significant fact that shows the exhaustion and lack of ideas that the franchise and Infinity Ward suffer.
It is common, today, to enter the popular service of streaming of Twitch and see that Ghosts is not among the ten most watched games and, above all, that Black Ops 2 usually has an average of twice the number of viewers. This, together with the fact that a vast majority of youtubers "dedicated" to Call of Duty stopped uploading videos of the franchise during this last year, makes it clear that Ghosts has not caught on with the public for many reasons.
Today, be that as it may, the course can change. And it is that the day chosen by Activision to reveal the multiplayer facet of the delivery of the shift is one of the hottest points and a key day for the trajectory of said launch. It seems that, leaving behind the paraphernalia displayed last year, with Advanced Warfare They are going to bet on a trailer focused on multiplayer and a short question and answer session. It is true, yes, that the media displaced there will be able to capture their games and upload them later to YouTube with what, we imagine, material will not be lacking.
I have some hope in Advanced Warfare: new studio, new graphics engine, three-year development cycle, groundbreaking setting within the saga and influencing the playable, etc. I already said, I think that the work of Sledgehammer can be a turning point in the saga since, if they deliver what they promise and if we take into account that a new Battlefield will not arrive until early 2015, it will be easy for the saga to return to his usual position. If, on the other hand, we are faced with a failed delivery, that the bulk of users and buyers trust the franchise again will be an almost impossible mission.
I am clear that the levels of excellence in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare are unattainable but Black Ops II made it clear that you can be surprised. Now it's Advanced Warfare's turn.