Mice and keyboards are set to join the fray on the Pacific and European fronts today, as Activision and developer Treyarch announced the launch of the multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: World at War for PC.

Call of Duty fans that register to become members at the official site are also eligible to receive a token; however, these tokens are limited in supply, so register today. For more information about this beta or the one currently being played on the Xbox 360 and the opportunity to secure a beta token or key, fans can also visit the beta portal.

The Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer betas will provide players with an opportunity to play up to Level 40 as U.S. Marines, German Wehrmacht, Japanese Imperial Army and Russian Red Army factions in a variety of game types (Team Death Match, Free-For-All, Capture the Flag and War), across three different maps:

 

A multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: World At War has landed - at least, for those of you with invitation codes. Or those who are again making use of the exploit that’s been around since Call of Duty 4... but we won't go there. In any case, we were rather excited to try this out after the immense success that Call of Duty 4 has had world-wide and the enormous online following that it has generated.

Call of Duty: World At War is being developed by the guys and gals at Treyarch. They are the minds behind Call of Duty 3. Which was a bit of a dud. So Treyarch has had a significant amount of work to do to live up to the expectations that Infinity Ward has fostered with Call of Duty 4. Fortunately, things are looking good - Call of Duty: World At War shares many of the great aspects that we came to know and love from Infinity Ward’s creation.

When you launch the demo you will immediately be greeted by the all-too-familiar menu system from the previous game, however the matchmaking has been fine-tuned somewhat (luckily for us Kiwis).

The dogs of war are being unleashed today, as Activision Publishing and developer Treyarch announce the launch of the multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: World at War on the Xbox 360.

UK Game retailers have guaranteed beta keys with preorders, however we haven't confirmed this will be the case in New Zealand. Call of Duty fans that register to become members at www.callofduty.com are also eligible to receive a token, but these tokens are limited in supply, so register today. Additionally, Eurogamer will also be distributing keys on a first-come, first-served basis.

Windows PC fans can expect a multiplayer beta soon and more information will be made available at the official site.

Activision have released a new trailer for Call of Duty: World at War, their FPS title due to be released on November 14th for Xbox, PS3, Wii, DS and PC.

Building on the Call of Duty 4 engine, Call of Duty: World at War thrusts players into the ruthless and gritty chaos of WWII combat like never been before, and challenges them to band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles of WWII that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and South Pacific fronts. The title re-defines WWII games by offering an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through all new cooperative gameplay.

Activision have released another trailer for Call of Duty World at War, detailing further aspects of the new co-op feature.

Building on the Call of Duty 4 engine, Call of Duty: World at War thrusts players into the ruthless and gritty chaos of WWII combat like never been before, and challenges them to band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles of WWII that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and South Pacific fronts.

Grab the trailer from GP Downloads (141MB).

Boot camp will soon take on a new meaning, as Activision and developer Treyarch have confirmed plans for Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer betas in October for the Xbox 360 and separately for download on Windows PC.

These betas will serve as an early chance for players to practice the tactics needed for survival in the intense chaos of Call of Duty: World at War’s Pacific and European theatres. Players will experience the game’s new squad system, as well as fan favourite perks and kill streaks.

All preparation for the full battle will commence on November 13, 2008 when Call of Duty: World at War is released to New Zealand retailers nationwide.

 

It's been almost five years since the original Call of Duty was released. The subsequent sequels have built on what was always a brutal, fast paced shooter that had realism at its very core.

The franchise took a vacation from World War II with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and despite the incredible success of this concept, developer Treyarch has gone back to basics again, albeit this time concentrating on the Pacific campaign towards the latter stages of WW2. This may be simply what they're more comfortable with, as Treyarch last worked on the console exclusive Call of Duty 3, and although Call of Duty: World at War uses the same graphics engine as Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the similarities end there.

Activate 2008 began this morning at a hotel in central Auckland, as a Powhiri welcomed media, retail and PR representatives from around the Asia Pacific area to New Zealand.

Activate is Activision Blizzard's annual regional promotional show, and 2008 marks the first year it has been held in New Zealand.

Many Activision Blizzard representatives will be on-hand at the three day event to promote games such as Call of Duty World At War, Guitar Hero World Tour and their new intellectual property Fracture. The event is tailored towards Activision's line-up, as Blizzard's annual event Blizzcon is a little over a month away.

 

The following fact sheet and screenshots have been released by Activision today at the Leipzig GC in Germany;

Building on the Call of Duty 4 engine, Call of Duty: World at War thrusts players into the ruthless and gritty chaos of WWII combat like never been before, and challenges them to band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles of WWII that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and South Pacific fronts.

The title re-defines WWII games by offering an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through all new cooperative gameplay.

Activision has released a new trailer from Call of Duty: World at War detailing the co-op features of the game due out this spring for Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii and PC.

Built using the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War utilizes a bedrock of technology that delivers awesome visuals, while empowering players to employ elements like fire to affect the dynamics of the battlefield. Players that attempt to harness the power of new weapons, like the flamethrower, will find themselves capable of burning away environmental elements that give cover to a camouflaged enemy, leaving a charred battlefield – and their foes – in their wake.

Check out the trailer at GP Downloads (152MB).