Mr Bob Kotick has been talking to the Wall Street Journal and has described how if he had his way, he would turn Call Of Duty in to an online subscription service ‘tomorrow’. His full comment was:
I would have Call of Duty be an online subscription service tomorrow. When you think about what the audience’s interests are and how you could really satisfy bigger audiences with more inspired, creative opportunities, I would love to see us have an online Call of Duty world. I think our players would just have so much of a more compelling experience.
I think you are all intelligent enough to work out why Bob would want to make Call Of Duty pay-to-play. When asked if customers are ready for a subscription service Bob replied:
I think our audiences are clamoring for it. If you look at what they’re playing on Xbox Live today, we’ve had 1.7 billion hours of multiplayer play on Live. I think we could do a lot more to really satisfy the interests of the customers. I think we could create so many things, and make the game even more fun to play. We haven’t really had a chance to do that yet, so that would be my snap of the fingers.
Source: Wall Street Journal
DJ-Katy
Plus the fact most of the MW2 players are kids with no income anyway.
I’m clamoring for a subscription model for MW2. No wait, I meant “kthxbye”.
Spence1115
It is so easy to get those two confused. Just like when you see Bob Kotick in person, you go to say ‘Hello’ and you end up beating him around the head with Modern Warfare 2. Hardened Edition, of course, since the normal one isn’t gonna withstand his incredibly thick self.
iAvernus
REALLY good point Katy! But mommy and daddy will pay for it, like they paid for the game though.
DJ-Katy
This mommy isn’t gonna pay shit. If my kids want to play MW2 on subscription they can bloody pay for it themselves.
iAvernus
lol! “Go and get a job!!!”
jikomanzoku
I’ve said it before – subscription model or £45 a game. You can’t have both.
I’ve been playing EVE online for PC since it came out at around an average of £7 a month, with no initial purchase cost. What with the constant updates and expansions delivered as part of that subscription I certainly feel I’ve had my moneys worth. The reason I’m happy to stump up? There is nothing else like EVE at all.
There’s lot’s of stuff like COD though and given their form, I’ve no reason to believe that Activision would be half as generous with their initial purchase or additional content as CCP (EVE publishers).
There’s no loyalty in the internet age, people start charging for a service that previously was free and the customers will flock to a rival that still is.
As far as I’m aware (though I haven’t checked) there’s no precedent for a subscription model for a twitch, round-based, FPS and I just can’t see it working. Though that’s not to say Activision won’t try it.
Long live MAG :D
Raen
Wow has both, there’s an initial outlay and a subscription model. Hell you have to pay for expansions.
mcduff1979
wow is alot cheaper tho as 8.99 a month plus 15 quid for the game… not expensive really plus is a mich bigger game world…
jikomanzoku
Yeah sorry I had forgotten about WOW – FFXI is similar too iirc. Big part of why I play EVE not other MMO’s. Be interesting to see what approach CCP take when Dust 514 finally comes to fruition.
hazelam
course he frakking would.
i hope everybody who feels they’ve been fleeced by activision with mw2 will resist buying the next cod game, the huge success of mw2 has given kotick and activision the belief that they can get away with anything in the pursuit of their greed, they need to learn that they need us more than we need them, swing the power in this business relationship back where it belongs, to the customers.
jikomanzoku
hear, hear.
iAvernus
I’m never buying a CoD series again my friend. My friend told me about Black Ops, and I almost cursed him. MoH will be it for me.
CrawFail
So Xbox users would have to pay for Live AND a sub to play MW2? I don’t think many people would sign up for that, mate.
Also why would gamers start paying for something they’ve had for free for years? And are you going to free up the DLC or still rip them off?
Sounds like this guys wallet is tighter than mine.. and I’m out of work.
mcduff1979
well having owned cod 4 ,5 and 6 i can safely say thay if it becomes pay to play ill not be getting any more
Rob92
I can say this knowing that a subscription would not bother me in the slightest (cause I dont like COD [much]) but I can actually see where he’s coming from.
I mean I dont know whether it’d work especially concerning cc’s points, but imagine they could make a universe and introduce numerous improvements and refinements and expansions without ever having to release a new title (win?). They’d just charge people online and do away with the crappy single player nonsense.
STILLCANTTHINKOFAGOODPSNNAME
nlm u Bobby K MW2 was shit WAW was ok (zombies 4TW) COD 4 was almost a masterpiece but not quite there and ive haven’t really played the previous games apparently they are even better. so as far as COD goes every new game Mr K releases i will play one of the older games and have a much better and more “compelling experience” my advice to Mr K is to go back to scaming old blind deaf senile ladies out of their life’s savings
bunimomike
If I enjoyed online gaming and the likes of MW2 then I’d be happy with subscription. Say… £10 for the game and that gets you your first 5 hours online. Then maybe a tenner a month. Like WoW.
WoW makes Blizzard(Activision) a little over a billion per annum. Awesomesauce!
Charmed_Fanatic
Sounds like a great idea ;)
DrNate86
I sometimes feel I am the only person left who genuinely loved COD! The fast paced and (slightly) silly gameplay felt perfect to me. That said, if they ever decide to make it pay to play, then I would happily jump ship to MOH or BC2. Methinks someone has gone a little mad with power, COD doesn’t really offer much that can’t be found elsewhere and there is no way it would survive as a subscription service, especially on top of XBOX live memberships.