Call of Duty: Black Ops II at Gameplanet NZ

Activision sued over rebel's "halfwit" depiction in BLOPS II

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 12:16:00 +1300

Activision is being sued for its depiction of Angolan rebel chief Jonas Savimbi in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

As reported by The Guardian, three of Savimbi’s children are bringing the suit to the publisher, claiming that the game paints him as a “barbarian” and “big halfwit who wants to kill everybody”.

They will argue that he was in fact a “political leader and strategist”, and are seeking €1m (NZ$2.2m / AU$2.06m) in damages.

Black Ops II now most-requested for Xbox backwards compatibility

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 11:56:00 +1200

Call of Duty: Black Ops II now tops the list of most-requested Xbox 360 games for Xbox One backwards compatibility.

Six of the top twelve on the list are Call of Duty titles, in fact, including all the Modern Warfare and Black Ops titles, and World at War.

Black Ops II edges out Red Dead Redemption, Skyrim, and the Bioshock games for the top spot on the list.

Former COD director to US govt: brainwash people with marketing

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 09:25:00 +1300

A former Call of Duty director says that the US government should push unpopular ideas through the way Activision wins support for new game features: by brainwashing people with marketing.

Speaking at an international security think tank in Washington (as reported by BusinessWeek), Black Ops and Black Ops II writer and director Dave Anthony told politicians that marketing was the way to get the public to agree that soldiers should be stationed at schools.

“When we have a new product that has elements that we’re not sure how people will respond to, what do we do as a corporation?” Anthony asked.

Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega sues over his portrayal in Call of Duty

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 09:56:00 +1200

Manuel Noriega, the former military dictator of Panama, is suing Activision for using his name and likeness in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

Noriega features in the Suffer With Me level of Black Ops 2. In it, Alex Mason and Frank Woods track and capture Noriega in outer Panama City.

Noriega, 80, was the military dictator of Panama from December 1983 to December 1989, when he was captured by invading US forces and removed to America as a prisoner of war. In the US, he was tried on eight counts drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering. Following his sentence in the US, he was extradited to France where he served a further seven years on money laundering charges. He is now serving another 20 years in a Panama jail.

Final Black Ops II DLC explains origin of zombie scourge

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:17:00 +1200

The final piece of downloadable content for Call of Duty: Black Ops II contains a new Zombies campaign that explains the outbreak's origins.

Apocalypse is set in a dieselpunk version of World War I-era France, and will pit players against a "1000-foot tall robot abomination" while they seek the truth behind the undead Nazi scourge.

The DLC will also feature four new multiplayer maps, including remakes of Black Ops' "Stadium" and World at War's "Courtyard".

“Call of Duty has almost ruined a generation of FPS players” – Red Orchestra 2 dev

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:34:00 +1300

Call of Duty is destroying the FPS multiplayer genre because it doesn't require skill to play, according to Red Orchestra developer Tripwire Interactive.

Speaking with PC Gamer, Tripwire president John Gibson said he was “really discouraged” by the current state of multiplayer shooters – particularly Activision's massive-selling series.

“I think that, and I hate to mention names, because it sounds like I’m just jealous of their success, but I feel like Call of Duty has almost ruined a generation of FPS players," he said.

Black Ops II getting cosmetic microtransactions tomorrow

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:12:00 +1300

Microtransactions for cosmetic items are coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops II tomorrow, Activision community manager Dan Amrich has announced.

Referring to the available purchases as “Micro Items”, Amrich stressed that none would affect gameplay.

“This content contains either personal customizations or nice little luxuries that I’ve seen players request; none of them affect gameplay, but they are small, specific ways to enhance your online experience,” he wrote on his personal blog.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II championship trailer

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:31:00 +1300

32 teams from around the world will compete for a share of 1 Million in the first annual Call of Duty Championship.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II: Revolution DLC trailer

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:50:00 +1300

Revolution includes four new Multiplayer maps, a new Zombies co-op map, a new Zombies game mode, and a bonus Multiplayer weapon.

First Black Ops II DLC allows players to be zombies

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:27:00 +1300

The first DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops II features a new zombie mode where undead players attack their friends.

The upcoming Revolution DLC's Turned mode sees a lone human player fight for survival and points against a field of zombie players. The first zombie to kill the human spawns as a new human.

Revolution also contains four new vanilla multiplayer maps, a new Zombies map, and a new sub-machine gun called the Peacekeeper.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Nuketown zombies map launch trailer

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:50:00 +1300

Fend off the undead horde in the ruins of Nuketown.

Australian plays 135 consecutive hours of Black Ops II

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:31:00 +1300

An Australian man has set a Guinness World Record for the longest video game marathon by playing 135 consecutive hours of Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

Okan Kaya, a sales manager at online retailer 4Cabling, beat the previous Guinness record of 120 hours, 7 minutes, set earlier this year by a Canadian duo playing the PlayStation’s Resistance series.

It took Kaya seven days to reach 135 hours 50 minutes, as he was allowed a ten-minute break every hour – breaks that could be accumulated.

Nuketown map removed from BLOPS II playlists [Update: it's back!]

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:15:00 +1300

Update:

It looks like Treyarch has noticed the outcry over Nuketown 2025 being removed, because it's now back.

The map is part of a new playlist called "Bonus", which also includes the maps Carrier, Cargo, Express, Hijacked, Slums, and Standoff. design director David Vonderhaar tweeted.

BLOPS II design director to weapon balance complainers: "You're wrong"

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:50:00 +1300

Treyarch design director David Vonderhaar has a message for anyone claiming that the weapon balance in Call of Duty: Blacks Ops II is askew: "You’re wrong."

Vonderhaar said his company’s Black Box metrics collection system allows him to go straight to the data to refute critiques on the game’s balance.

“There’s a lot of instrumentation in this game, there’s a lot of data logging, so I know exactly what the power band of a weapon is at all times,” he told Destructoid.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II review

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:03:00 +1300

Despite initial scepticism, Matt discovers that Black Ops 2 not only manages to improve on the Call of Duty series’ already fantastic multiplayer, but also provides the best campaign outing in recent memory, making it a must-have for solo players, and online addicts alike.

For the past few years, gamers have known almost exactly what to expect come November when the latest Call of Duty title drops: a slightly tweaked version of the series' peerless multiplayer paired with more derivative campaign gameplay full of bluster yet even more wearisome and than the one the year before. An attractive proposition to the many millions who consistently play online, the series’ vastly diminishing campaign returns meant that something had to give, and while nothing is especially revolutionary about Black Ops II, some bold changes in both the single- and multiplayer games in addition to an expanded Zombies mode ensures that Call of Duty will remain one of the year’s most important releases.

The most entertaining campaign since 2007’s Modern Warfare, Black Ops II is anchored by Frank Woods in much the same way Black Ops was by Alex Mason. This time around the snaking, jumping, utterly preposterous narrative takes place in the year 2025, with flashback missions in the mid- to late-eighties filling in the backstory. The antagonist is Nicaraguan Raul Menendez, a caricature villain whose comically evil demeanour, borderline supernatural powers, and false eye would see him right at home in the most camp of spy flicks. His desire to bring down the system is attributed to what amounts to a traumatic upbringing by returning Black Ops scribe David S. Goyer, and attempting to explain the monster is the biggest mistake the story makes. Fortunately, its coincidences and nepotism are hemmed into a thrilling ride, and offering players choice and consequence by way of branching missions is deft design touch by developer Treyarch.

Black Ops 2 players in disc mix-up offered Mass Effect Trilogy for free

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 09:05:00 +1300

Those who purchased Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 only to discover that the second disc was actually Mass Effect 2 have been offered a free copy of the Mass Effect Trilogy by BioWare.

The first fifty consumers affected by the swap who send proof to the developer will receive a code for the PC version of the trilogy, BioWare wrote on its official blog.

“Rumor has it that about a thousand customers who purchased Call of Duty: Black Ops II for PC today were also treated to a surprise copy of Mass Effect 2,” wrote the company.

Some Black Ops 2 discs contain Mass Effect 2 instead

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:11:00 +1300

It appears that some copies of Black Ops 2 for PC have shipped with Mass Effect 2 in the place of that game’s second disc.

Gamers on Reddit, the Black Ops 2 Steam forum, and the Call of Duty forum have reported that they are unable to complete installation of the game as a result.

There is no doubt Activision will be fuming over the mix-up – Mass Effect developer BioWare is a division of arch-rival EA.

Activision to take "appropriate action" against BLOPS2 early sellers

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:08:00 +1300

Activision will be taking “appropriate action” against retailers who broke the street date for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, an executive has said.

Black Ops 2 launches locally today and worldwide tomorrow, however a handful of UK retailers have already begun selling the game.

Speaking with MCV, Activision’s UK managing director Peter Hepworth applauded the majority of retailers for standing firm, and promised retribution against offenders.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II to have live streaming of matches via YouTube

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:39:00 +1300

Activision has announced that players will be able to live stream any League Play multiplayer match of Call of Duty: Black Ops II on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC over YouTube.

Players will also be able to commentate and can use their webcam in real-time. The stream will be available via web browsers on PCs, and via Call of Duty Elite, which will be free with Black Ops II.

In the initial press release, Activision did not include PC in the platforms this service would be coming to, however, the publisher has confirmed to Gameplanet that live streaming will also be available on that platform.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Soundtrack BTS trailer

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 07:33:00 +1300

A behind the scenes look at the making of the Call of Duty Black Ops II soundtrack.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Live Action trailer

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:35:00 +1300

The official Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 live action trailer, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II launch trailer

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:53:00 +1300

Activision has released the launch trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

Call of Duty Elite Call of Duty: Black Ops II Integration trailer

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 02:59:00 +1300

Call of Duty Elite for Call of Duty: Black Ops II will add new features, including both Player and Clan HQ, Zombies support, Call of Duty Elite TV, social sharing and notifications, and more.

COD's Elite service will be free in Black Ops 2

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 09:35:00 +1300

Call of Duty’s Elite service will be free from Black Ops 2 on, Activision has announced.

The subscription service offers extra social features, skill tracking, clan management, Facebook integration, Elite TV, and discounts on DLC to Call of Duty players who pay its AU$64.99 annual fee.

Current Elite subscribers will continue to receive the premium features for Modern Warfare 3, but their paid subscriptions will not affect Black Ops 2.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 screenshots

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 09:24:00 +1300

Activision has released a new batch of screenshots for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, detailing Nazi Zombies and multiplayer.

BLOPS2 gets zombie campaign, new competitive mode

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:38:00 +1200

Treyarch has announced that Black Ops 2’s Zombies mode will feature a story-based campaign and new competitive mode, along with special zombies and future-tech weaponry.

Tranzit is Zombies' new story-based campaign, an open-area game world with interconnected zones.

A fortified bus will allow travel between zones, and players will have to fight off the hordes as they do so.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Zombies trailer

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:16:00 +1200

Those who pre-order the Black Ops II Hardened Edition or Care Package now will receive the exclusive Nuketown Zombies map.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer deep dive trailer

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:55:00 +1200

Game design director David Vonderhaar provides commentary on Call of Duty: Black Ops II's multiplayer, and takes a look at some of the features that are in store, including a new loadout system, unique weaponry and multi-team game modes.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II zombie teaser

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:55:00 +1200

Black Ops 2 Zombies makes its World Premiere on 26.9.12. In the meantime, here's a teaser trailer.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Multiplayer Reveal Developer's Commentary trailer

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 10:04:00 +1200

Game design director David Vonderhaar breaks down all of the new features shown in the Multiplayer Reveal trailer.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Collector's Editions trailer

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:43:00 +1200

Activision has revealed the Call of Duty: Black Ops II Hardened Edition and Care Package.

Black Ops 2 to feature easy-to-use in-game broadcast tools

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:51:00 +1200

Treyarch is giving Black Ops 2 a big eSports push with the inclusion of broadcast tools in the game.

Design director David Vonderhaar said that eSports were a major initiative for the studio.

Spectators would have the ability to stream gameplay as well as SHOUTcast (“CODcast”) on all versions of the game, he announced.

Black Ops 2 multiplayer to feature skill-based match-making

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:39:00 +1200

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer will feature skill-based match-making, Treyarch has announced.

The aim was to have players battling those of a similar skill level, said design director David Vonderhaar.

"When I play and win, I have a really good time. I also have fun when I almost win," he said.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Multiplayer Reveal trailer

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 06:55:00 +1200

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 takes multiplayer to 2025.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Trent Reznor & David S. Goyer BTS trailer

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 05:44:00 +1200

David S. Goyer and Trent Reznor join Studio Head Mark Lamia and the game's Director, Dave Anthony, to discuss the relationship between movies, music and games.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Villain trailer

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 02:45:00 +1200

Raul Menendez is idolized as the Messiah of the 99%, yet underneath the surface lurks an insidious mastermind hell bent on global insurrection.

Black Ops 2 producer: "we are innovating" with Strike Force and branching storylines

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:10:00 +1200

At E3, we spoke to Activision Vice President of Production, Daniel Suarez, about Treyarch's next iteration in the Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops II. We ask what new gameplay innovations players can expect.

BLOPS 2 gets dedicated, ranked servers

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 14:20:00 +1200

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will support ranked dedicated servers on PC, Treyarch director of technology Cesar Stastny has confirmed.

The franchise has been inconsistent with this feature up to this point.

Infinity Ward dropped dedicated server support in 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, then Treyarch brought it back the next year in the first Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II E3 2012 screenshots

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:43:00 +1200

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Black Ops 2: creating the future's ultimate super villain

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 06:28:00 +1200

What was the inspiration to go futuristic with the new storyline?

Dan Bunting: Well it was a lot of things coming together. Part of the inspiration comes from us always trying to push ourselves and challenge ourselves, and we wanted to do something different that was new territory for us, that is creatively interesting, and it opened up a new world for us as creative game makers to produce new and interesting things for our fans.

But aside from that, once we started digging into the stuff that was driving the technology of the future, that’s when we started seeing that there was a lot of really interesting stuff that’s going on right now, today, that people don’t even really know about. I mean, we talk about these rare earth elements that we’ve built into the storyline. That’s something that is going on right now in real life. You know, all the mobile devices that we have, all the drone technology, and everything that we have that is technology based out in the world right now is dependent on rare earth elements, and China has like 95 percent of it all. So when you start to see these real world realities, then you start to imagine how this fiction is going to develop in the future. You really can see how the Cold War of the past that we based the first Black Ops on can exist again in the future with these super powers coming to a head over these rare earth elements.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:39:00 +1200

One of the major criticisms levelled at publisher Activision over its multi-million dollar Call of Duty franchise is that it lacks innovation.

Also, water is wet.

Realistically, and from Activision's perspective, there's simply no reason for a known entity such as Call of Duty to continually reinvent itself in the manner of a confused teenager when it's readily apparent exactly what kind of game the majority of subscribers are happy with. Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3 all featured, to an extent, pretty much what was expected of them. This is why they were hugely successful titles.

A new engine is not needed for BLOPS2 to be great - Treyarch

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:41:00 +1200

That Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will utilise the same engine as Black Ops – albeit heavily modified – is a non-issue, according to Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia.

Likening the upgrading of an engine to the remodelling of a house, Lamia stated that he didn’t see the point in discarding that which was working.

“Just because you’re remodelling the house and it will look new or it will have a new kitchen, you don’t tear out the foundation, or break out some of the framing,” he said, admitting that his analogy was a gross simplification.

BLOPS 2 won’t outsell BLOPS – Analysts

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:51:00 +1200

According to industry analysts, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 won’t be setting sales records the way its predecessor did.

Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter called the franchise a phenomenon, but said further sales growth was unrealistic.

"I don't think Modern Warfare 3 is going to sell more than the last Black Ops, so I doubt that this one will break a record."

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 documentary trailer

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:25:00 +1200

Acitivision has released an "official" investigative documentary trailer for the newly-announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Reveal trailer

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:47:00 +1200

Activision has announced the development of Black Ops 2, and has issued the following video. The latest instalment in the Call of Duty series is due November 13 2012.

First Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 screens

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:19:00 +1200

Bigger and blacker.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 announced

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:01:00 +1200

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been confirmed and is scheduled for release on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 13.

The announcement was made by publisher Acitivision on the official UK Call of Duty site, which is not accessible from New Zealand. The Call of Duty global site is yet to be updated.

According to UK site Eurogamer, Black Ops 2 will be set in the near-future during a Cold War, "where technology and weapons have converged to create a new generation of warfare".