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Activision has taken the unusual step of paying the Infinity Ward Employee Group USD $42 million (NZD $54.6 million) before their case has even gone to trial.
However, former Infinity Ward co-heads Jason West and Vince Zampella were still pursuing what they claim were unpaid bonuses and royalties from their work on the mega-selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Infinity Ward Employee Group attorney Bruce Isaacs called the payment a "cynical attempt to look good before the jury trial."
Los Angeles has its fair share of amusement parks, but until this weekend, none of them were game-themed.
Activision's attempt to provide a central point for fans to worship Call of Duty spoke more to the machinations of a certain Mr Disney than the creative team behind the multi-billion dollar franchise. But then, it doesn't cost USD $150 to get into Disneyland, nor are you likely to be physically hauled from a Jeep by Navy Seals, or accused of cowardice in the face of battle by failing to scream "yes sir" at an annoyingly loud volume.
The location, a valley once owned by legendary aviator and all-round mentalist Howard Hughes, houses a series of hangers once used to build the Spruce Goose. The massive aircraft has long since been relocated to Oregon, however Hughes' touches remain: a toilet block with a foot-activated water fountain and spring-loaded detergent dispensers created by the notoriously germophobic recluse himself. Naturally, this was befouled by the 8000-or-so Call of Duty fans, many likely unaware of the historical connection. Hughes would have had an aneurysm.
Activision has today announced Call of Duty XP 2011, an event for the series’ fanbase to come together and celebrate the blockbuster shooter.
Taking place over the 2nd and 3rd of September in a “12-acre secure compound” somewhere in the greater Los Angeles area, Call of Duty XP will bring together an anticipated 6,000 fans and mark the unveiling of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer.
Attendees will get hands on time with both the multiplayer and the Spec Ops surivival co-op mode. Call of Duty: Elite, the series’ new premium online service, will also be fully unveiled.
Russia Today, a state sponsored satellite channel, has broadcast a report that mixes scenes from yesterday’s deadly suicide bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport with footage of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s controversial “No Russian” level wherein the player joins Russian ultranationalists in an airport massacre.
In a written report, Russia Today said, “The bloody scenes of the Moscow attack are reminiscent of what can be seen in a year-old computer game, the scenario of which controversially involves a character who is urged to kill civilians in an imaginary Russian airport.
“In the mission dubbed ‘No Russian’ the player goes on a terrorist rampage, helping to massacre civilians in a fictitious Moscow airport. It may have seemed too gruesome and tragic ever to come true.”
Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has said that in the future the studio will no longer rely solely on a platform’s security measures.
Bowling’s comments follow the news that gamers playing Modern Warfare 2 on PlayStation 3 have had their stats tampered with in the wake of hackers sweeping away the console’s security measures last week.
“Games rely on the security of the encryption on the platforms they’re played on, therefore; updates to the game through patches will not resolve this problem, unless the security exploit itself is resolved on the platform,” said the community manager.
Activision has announced that a singleplayer demo for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is now available on both the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE – more than nine months after the game’s release in November last year.
The demo showcases the level Cliffhanger, set high in mountains of Kazakhstan: “One wrong move and it’s certain death as players scale a frozen mountainside, battle their way through a raging firefight, and race for survival aboard a snowmobile under heavy enemy fire,” writes the press release.
The hugely popular Modern Warfare 2 is one of the biggest entertainment releases in history. You can find our Xbox 360 review here and our PC review here.
Robert Bowling has detailed the five maps to be released in the next Modern Warfare 2 downloadable content pack.
The “Resurgence Pack” will be composed of three new maps and two remakes. It’s due for release here on the 4th of June and, like the “Stimulus Package,” will weigh in at 1,200 Microsoft Points.
The first map Bowling detailed in the Major Nelson podcast was Carnival. It’s an abandoned amusement park that includes a fun house, a roller coaster, the “world of tomorrow”, a castle and bumper cars.
Activision has announced and dated the second downloadable content pack for Modern Warfare 2. The Resurgence Pack is set to be available to Xbox LIVE players on the 4th of June, NZT.
The Resurgence Pack includes five as yet unnamed new maps.
The release will be buffered by two double XP weekends either side of the release, one from the 28th of May, and the other from the 4th of June.
Activision has announced that the first downloadable content for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a map pack called the Stimulus Package, has surpassed 2.5 million downloads.
Moreover, the DLC was downloaded one million times in its first 24 hours live.
The Stimulus Package now holds the record as the fastest-selling DLC on Xbox LIVE, dispelling speculation that the hefty 1,200 Microsoft Points price tag (about NZD$20.00) might turn some players away.
The call of duty needs answering once again, as the blockbusting first person shooter series returns to the modern day. A direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, you now play new character Sgt Gary "Roach" Sanderson. Your commander is "Soap" from the first game as you join a multinational anti-terrorist squad out to stop Russian ultra nationalists.
Watch your squad grow from inexperienced rookies to veteran warriors A snowmobile race is just one of the new vehicle sections. Modern Warfare 2 is a direct sequel to Call of Duty 4. You'll journey all around the world in the fight against terrorism
Many of the details on the game are still sketchy but it promises to feature an even more varied series of locales than the ever before, including a snowbound enemy camp that starts with a daredevil mountain climb across the ice before a stealthy infiltration goes awry and you have to run for your life by commandeering a snowmobile.
But that's just the single player mode - the multiplayer is expected to be even more ground-breaking than before, with new co-op options and even more rewards and perks for competitive play.
Features:
- Call of Warfare: Stunning cinematic action, including new underwater missions, new gadgets such as the motion detector and new vehicles including snowmobiles and more.
- Rough guide: Massive globe-spanning adventure sees you travelling to the deserts of Afghanistan, the slums of Rio de Janerio and the wilderness of Russia.
- Bigger world: New larger levels allow you to tackle missions however you want: will you try a frontal assault or a more stealthy approach from another angle-
- Special co-op: New Special Forces mode will introduce two player co-operative play for the first time, in a series of non-story missions.
- Be the best: Competitive multiplayer is even bigger and better than before, with all-new rewards for everyone from raw recruits to the most experienced players.
