It appears that the next installment in Activision’s ever popular Call of Duty series will be entitled Call of Duty: Ghosts. The game, developed by Infinity Ward, has been listed by UK retailer Tesco Direct.

The listing, which has since been taken down, stated that the game would release on December 30, which would suggest that the franchise may be giving up it’s regular November release date – although I do remain skeptical about that detail.

The boxart, which was also outed, shows an unknown character pulling down a mask that closley resembles the one worn by ghost in Modern Warfare 2. While there are no concrete details just yet, it’s interesting to finally see the Modern Warfare name being dropped. Perhaps Activision are ready to move on to pastures new.

Now’s as good a time as any to speculate, and you can do that right there in the comments section below.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – Call of Duty: Ghosts Materialises Online – News

Read more here: gamrReview

Bogus website claims to have 300 “100 percent functional” beta keys for new Activision Call of Duty game.

A fake Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 website has emerged (via Fusible), claiming to have 300 “100 percent functional” beta keys for the rumored upcoming entry in the long-running series.

The website is registered to a person in Rhode Island and not Activision Publishing.

The site, which appears to be run by a group called Sn4gamers, asks users to share a link to the site on their Facebook page and elsewhere to receive a beta code.

Though the website may be fake, Modern Warfare 4 is in fact rumored to be in development. Captain Price voice actor Billy Murray reportedly confirmed the game was in development last year, with an additional report claiming Modern Warfare 4 is 2013′s Call of Duty installment.

Activision confirmed last month that a new Call of Duty game will release this year. Executives do not expect this game be as commercially successful as immediate predecessor Black Ops II.

The Modern Warfare story arc began in 2007 with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Sequels Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 were released in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

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Source: Game Spot News

Activision spoke at a conference call talking about the companies record setting revenue in 2012. During the call Activision announced a new Call of Duty which is planned to be released during the fourth quarter 2013.

“The Call of Duty franchise continues to set the bar for innovation and we expect the new Call of Duty game in development for 2013 to raise that bar even higher,” said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg.

“There is increased volatility this year due to the ongoing console transition, which makes predicting the future more challenging than during normal years in the cycle. For Call of Duty, consistent with our past practices, we are planning for the mainline release in Q4 to be down versus 2012,” said Activision CFO Dennis Durkin.

Current rumors put the release of the next generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles during the Holiday period this year. Also the next Call of Duty title is rumored to be Modern Warfare 4.

Source: VG Charts

Activision Blizzard has released its quarterly report for the fourth quarter 2012, which ended December 31. The posted a record breaking amount of revenue. Revenue for the quarter reached $1.77 billion, up from $1.41 billion during the same quarter a year ago. Revenue for the full fiscal year ended up at $4.86 billion, up from $4.76 billion a year ago.

Digital sales set a new record for the company with revenue of $1.54 billion. This is up from the $1.4 billion that was originally forecasted. These figures also account for 32 percent of the total revenue.

“We are very pleased to report that Activision Blizzard delivered the best performance in its history,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. “With better-than expected net revenues, record operating margins and record earnings, and over $1.3 billion in operating cash flow, we continue to set the industry success bar.”

Over the course of many years Kotick believes that the company can continue to grow its current franchises, as well as introducing new AAA franchises. However he did say that while he expects profits in 2013, they will be below the record setting 2012.

“In the short-term, we expect to continue delivering strong profitability, but below our record setting 2012 performance, due to a challenged global economy, the ongoing console transition and a difficult year-over-year comparison because of Blizzard’s record-shattering Diablo III success in 2012,” said Kotick.

Activision was the number one publisher in both North America and Europe in 2012 and had the biggest franchise, Call of Duty. Call of Duty: Black Ops II was the biggest title in terms of dollars and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the ninth biggest in terms of dollars. Call of Duty: Black Ops II also set a record passing $1 billion in 15 days, which is two days faster than the movie Avatar.

Diablo III was the bestselling PC game at retail in both North America and Europe. The game has managed to sell 12 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2012. Also World of Warcraft has 9.6 million subscribers.

Source: VG Charts

Well hello there. If you’re reading this then that means you’re interested in the Wii U version of Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Since my good friend Chris Kerr has already reviewed the game on the Xbox 360, which essentially covers most of what the game offers, and since both versions are nearly identical, this article will instead deal with what Call of Duty: Black Ops II brings specifically to Nintendo’s new hardware.

For those of us who call Nintendo systems our platforms of choice it always seemed that for the past few years major third party efforts were forgoing Nintendo platforms in favour of their more powerful competitors, system sales be damned. However, there is one franchise that has constantly delivered across all platforms and that’s the Call of Duty series. The Wii-centric efforts (okay, forget Call of Duty 3) have always delivered the same fantastic gameplay that fans have come to expect. Of course, the less powerful hardware meant certain features and content was held back, but now that Nintendo’s joined the HD fray with its more powerful Wii U console the full Call of Duty experience has been brought to a Nintendo system for the first time, with some unique features to boot.

Over the past few years the Call of Duty series’ various developers have stayed pretty close to the franchises’ golden boy – the original Modern Warfare – when it came to gameplay and pacing. And while the series trappings are still present in Black Ops II, developer Treyarch has injected several changes to make this the freshest Call of Duty yet. You still battle endless waves of enemies until you reach invisible checkpoints, and sometimes the game feels like it’s holding your hand through set pieces, it’s still one hell of a ride and the gameplay is as riveting as ever.

Of the changes brought to the game, being able to select your loadout for campaign levels is a huge boon. That aside, one of the biggest changes are the new SpecOps levels which stand apart from the main story. In these stages you take control of a squad of troopers either directly or indirectly (RTS style) and try to accomplish your objectives. You can switch between squad mates on the fly (Battalion Wars style) or play the entire level from the perspective of the eye in the sky, it’s up to you. These SpecOps levels are a great addition to the series and break up the eventual monotony (and I use the term loosely) of shooting and blowing things up.

If there is one area where the Wii U version of Black Ops II takes the cake over its console counterparts it’s in the control department. The amount of options the game throws at you is simply ridiculous. You can of course use the all-new Wii U Gamepad, or the (equally new) Wii U Pro Controller, but the developers have also included support for the Wii’s Classic Controller and even the Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo. This last combination is above and beyond the best way to play Call Of Duty, period. Incidentally, the entire game can be played directly on the Wii U Gamepad, with no lag whatsoever, even in heated online matches, so now you can ‘pwn’ everyone from the comfort of your toilet seat.

It wouldn’t be Call Of Duty without the world-famous multiplayer modes and for the first time ever on a Nintendo brand console the entire, uncut experience is at your fingertips. Everything including all of the game types (though good luck finding enough people to play some of the lesser used types), player customization options, leagues, scorestreaks (love ‘em or hate ‘em) and CoDcasting (where you can record and upload your favourite battles for the world to see) makes it to the Wii U. You can also play local, split-screen multiplayer (though only on a HD TV, due to resolution issues).

The full blown Zombie mode is also present on the Wii U (which is a vast improvement over the half-baked one the Wii got in Black Ops). Here you can take on the undead horde in three modes: Classic, Grief and Tranzit. And while they all offer some fun, brain busting good times, it’s Tranzit that steals the show, to the extent that it makes the other modes feel redundant. The only drawback is that, as with the online multiplayer modes, there aren’t very many people actually playing online right now.

In fact, the only thing that isn’t currently supported is the Call of Duty Elite program, though the developers have promised to look into bringing that service over to the Wii U as well. In past reviews I’ve praised the online aspects of the Wii editions of Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3, which featured the best online support that the system had to offer, but with Black Ops II setting the bar this high on the Wii U the future definitely looks bright for Nintendo’s latest system.

Visually the game looks on a par with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, which currently makes it one of the best looking games on the system. The only major graphical drawback is a slightly inconsistent framerate and textures that, upon close inspection, look pretty blurry (though this is unsurprising given that the game is running on the same engine that powered Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare back in 2007). The soundtrack is another high point, transitioning between quiet, tension building moments to high octane, blow-everything-in-sight-up set pieces with eloquence. The cast of Call of Duty: Black Ops II is also world class; with every line of dialogue being delivered without a hint of ‘tongue-in-cheek’ acting, this is a game that’s as good to watch and listen to as it is to play. 

The campaign’s ten hour story may not be the most varied in the series’ history, and I feel it may be the easiest entry in the series as well, but as with any Call of Duty game the multiplayer aspect is sure to be where most people spend their time. Simply put, the amount of gameplay modes and options here alone could last you hundreds of hours, or at least until next year’s instalment is released.

At the end of the day the version of Black Ops II that you pick up will probably rest entirely on your personal preferences and which system your friends play on, but rest assured that Black Ops II on the Wii U delivers the same white-knuckle campaign and fantastically addictive multiplayer as it does on other platforms. All of this is, for the first time, wrapped up in the same shiny package that players on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are enjoying. Nintendo fans, the third party drought is (hopefully) a thing of the past.

This review is based on a review copy of Call Of Duty: Black Ops II for Wii U provided by the publisher.

Read the full version here – http://www.gamrreview.com/review/89572/call-of-duty-black-ops-ii-wiiu/

In a statement by Activision, Call of Duty: Black Ops II has passed $1 billion in revenue in 15 days. This is one day faster than lat year’s title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops took one month to reach the milestone.

“Entertainment franchises that captivate audiences for as long as Call of Duty has, on the scale that Call of Duty has, are very rare things,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “And it takes a lot of brilliant people working across many different disciplines to make it happen. It is incredibly humbling and gratifying to be a part of.”

“In order for Call of Duty to remain the entertainment juggernaut that it is, and keep our fans coming back for more, we need to continue to bring fresh ideas and new innovations to the table every time, while always staying true to what people fell in love with in the first place,” Hirshberg added. “That’s what we did with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and that’s what we intend to keep on doing. This is an incredible milestone for an incredible franchise, and I want to thank every passionate, talented, committed person on our team who made it happen.”

This is also an entertainment record. The combined Call of Duty franchise gross has outsold the top 10 grossing films in 2012. The box office record belongs to James Cameron’s Avatar which reached the milestone in 17 days.

“The release of Call of Duty has been one of the most significant entertainment events of each of the last six years,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. “Since Call of Duty was launched, cumulative franchise revenues from players around the world are greater than current worldwide box office receipts to date for the top-10 grossing films of 2012 combined. Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office receipts for Harry Potter and Star Wars, the two most successful movie franchises of all time.”

Latest Call of Duty game hits sales milestone in 15 days, outpacing Modern Warfare 3; 150 million hours played across Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II has generated $1 billion in worldwide revenue since launch on November 13, Activision announced today. The game reached the sales milestone in 15 days, outpacing last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which needed 16 days to net $1 billion.

Citing Chart-Track data and internal company estimates, Activision said Black Ops II’s record-setting sales illustrate the “strong appeal of interactive audiences worldwide.” The company claims Black Ops II is off to a faster start than Hollywood juggernaut Avatar, which took 17 days to net $1 billion.

The accolades for Black Ops II and the Call of Duty series do not stop there. In a statement, Activision CEO Robert Kotick said since the series launched, total worldwide franchise sales have surpassed box office receipts for the top-ten grossing films of 2012 combined. Additionally, Kotick reiterated that life-to-date Call of Duty series sales have exceed total worldwide box office revenue for the iconic Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises.

Additionally, Activision said since launch, players have logged more than 150 million hours of Black Ops II playtime across Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

According to Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg, the success of Black Ops II is no mistake. The executive said that if Activision wants to keep the Call of Duty series relevant and compelling, the company must bring fresh ideas and innovation to each new entry while simultaneously balancing the core tenets of the series.

“That’s what we did with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and that’s what we intend to keep on doing,” Hirshberg said in a statement.

Though Activision may have another billion dollar game to add to its resume, the Call of Duty series may be declining. In a note to investors last week, Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia projected that first-year sales for Black Ops II are trending down by 15 percent over Modern Warfare 3.

If accurate, this would be the second year running that the Call of Duty brand has declined year-over-year. The first came last year, Bhatia said, when Modern Warfare 3 was down 5 percent against sales of the original Call of Duty: Black Ops.

“It goes without saying that weakness in this franchise is a cause for concern,” Bhatia said at the time.

Last month, Activision announced that Black Ops II netted $500 million during its first 24 hours, cruising past Modern Warfare 3′s day-one haul of $400 million. Importantly, though, Modern Warfare 3′s figure only accounts for North American and European sales, while Black Ops II’s factors in all regions.

Additionally, Activision did not reveal five-day sales of Black Ops II. This is a departure from normative behavior, as the publisher announced five-day sales for 2011′s Modern Warfare 3 ($775 million), 2010′s original Black Ops ($650 million), and 2009′s Modern Warfare 2 ($550 million).

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Analysts Michael Pachter and Doug Creutz both are predicting software sales to be down for the month of November when compared to November 2011. This is despite the releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed III and the Wii U.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter believes that software sales will be down two percent. The small drop is due to the strong November in 2011 and the falling sales of of the Wii and DS. He expects Call of Duty: Black Ops II to be flat compared to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Pachter believes that sales will grow in 2013 due to the launch of the Wii U this year and the expected launch of the next Xbox and PlayStation.

“We believe there is finally light at the end of this almost four-year tunnel of declining video game sales,” said Pachter. “We expect results to rebound into sharply positive territory in February, when Take-Two releases BioShock Infinite, and we don’t think that results will revert to double-digit negative sales growth again in 2013.”

Cowen Research analyst Doug Creutz is predicting November software sales to be down 19 percent year-on-year. He expects sales for Black Ops II to be down 11 percent compared to Modern Warfare 3. The main reason is that Modern Warfare 3 was available for seven days longer than Black Ops II. He believes that sales for next years Call of Duty title to be down compared to Black Ops II.

Sterne Agee industry watcher estimates Black Ops II sales down 15 percent against Modern Warfare 3.

A note to investors from Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia today claims the Call of Duty brand is beginning to show signs of fatigue.

The industry watcher expects that unit sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops II are tracking down double digits against last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

According to retailer checks, some shops were down as much as 20 percent, Bhatia said. In total, it is his estimation that first-year sales for Black Ops II will decline 10-15 percent from those of Modern Warfare 3.

If accurate, this would be the second year running that the Call of Duty brand has declined year-over-year. The first came last year, Bhatia said, when Modern Warfare 3 was down 5 percent against sales of the original Call of Duty: Black Ops.

“It goes without saying that weakness in this franchise is a cause for concern,” Bhatia said.

Bhatia attributed the weakened Black Ops II sales to three possible factors, the first of which is an overall lower average review score compared to Modern Warfare 3. The second is the game’s release proximity to high-profile competitor Halo 4, which itself had a banner debut, recording day-one revenue of $220 million. Third, Bhatia believes Black Ops II’s release just one week ahead of Thanksgiving may have caused some gamers to hold out on purchasing in hopes of scoring a deal on Black Friday.

Earlier this month, Activision announced that Black Ops II netted $500 million during its first 24 hours, cruising past Modern Warfare 3′s day-one haul of $400 million. Importantly, though, Modern Warfare 3′s figure only accounts for North American and European sales, while Black Ops II’s factors in all regions.

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First week sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops II are in. The game sold 11.22 million units across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The Wii U version of the game was released the following week, November 18, as a launch title in North America.

The Xbox 360 version was the top selling version with sales of 6.21 million units. This is a 55 percent market share of the total sales. The PlayStation 3 version sold 4.61 million units, or 41 percent of the total sales. The PC version sold 400,859 units in its opening week.

Black Ops II outsold the previous Black Ops game by five percent or 550,000 units. Black Ops sold 10.67 million units in its opening. However Black Ops was also available for the Wii and DS. If you subtract the Wii and DS versions, Black Ops sold 10.57 million units in its opening week.

While Black Ops II beat the original Black Ops game, it did not break the record for the best opening week for a Call of Duty game. That honors goes to last years game, Modern Warfare 3, which went on to sell 13.45 million units in its opening week. Like with Black Ops, the game is also available for the Wii and DS, however the two versions sold less than 100,000 units combined in its opening week.

The Xbox 360 version of Modern Warfare 3 sold 7.50 million units in its opening week, or 1.29 million more than Black Ops II (X360). The PlayStation 3 version sold 5.38 million units in its opening week, or 770,000 more than Black Ops II (PS3). The PC version sold 477,971 units in its opening week or 77,112 more than Black Ops II (PC).

As a side note, Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified (PSV) sold 118,615 units in its opening week.