According to Wedbush Securities video game industry analyst Michael Pachter, you will be paying to play Call of Duty games in the future.
Yesterday, along with the dismantling on the Guitar Hero franchise, Activision announced the establishment of Project Beachhead, a studio focused on "on the delivery, digitally, of new, innovative Call of Duty content and services" that will "enable tens of millions of players around the world to continue to enjoy the experience that Call of Duty offers." While Activision didn't go into practical detail about what that will mean for gamers, Pachter says it all adds up to pay-for-play CoD.
"Project Beachhead absolutely is charging for multiplayer," Pachter said. "I'm certain to my core."
"Activision said they are working on 'value added, premium content that is exclusive,'" Pachter said. "How do you exclude people unless you do it on the basis of whether they pay or not? What are you going to have a bouncer in front of the club where you play the content? The only way it's exclusive is if it excludes non-paying members," Pachter added.
When asked how a pay-for-it Call of Duty game would work, Pachter offered this:
"The exclusive content could be pay as you go, or monthly. Let's say Project Beachhead comes up with 'Call of Duty Universe,' and it launches with Modern Warfare 3 and they say 'if you join here's all the exclusive content and exclusive weapons and we'll charge you a dollar a piece.' Or If they say, 'for $5 a month you get unlimited weapons and all the map packs we bring out for Modern Warfare in perpetuity,' a lot of people will say, 'I'm going to buy three map packs for 15 dollars anyway, so for $60 a year, I'm getting all the unlimited weapons and achievements,' so they could do that. I don't know if that's what they're going to choose to do. I'd say $5 a month is reasonable, though."
Pachter is watching for people to switch consoles if one "side" starts charging and the other remains free. "What will be interesting is to see if it spurs PS3 sales when people switch over," Pachter said.
So what do you guys think? Would you be willing to pay extra for Call of Duty content? Or would you feel more like you're being nickled and dimed to death if you have to pay for both Xbox Live and for Call of Duty?
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ZyloWolfBane
I called it in the last announcement about Beachhead, they are gonna charge people to play, and frankly that'll be the end of them.
They dont put NEARLY enough work into their games to make them worth even the $60 they cost to begin with for basically expansion packs, and then $15 for map packs on reused maps from previous games.
Hopefully it'll be the final nail in the coffin, Im sick of Bobby Kotick and the way he runs that company, it'll be about time for them to run it into the ground.
Is that why they axed Guitar Hero and True Crime? Preparing for the inevitable fallout because you know a subscription service is gonna fall flat on its face?
I do belive that is the case now.
Nivekwons
I'll be a COD fan until the day they start charging for this. We buy the games and map packs time and time again and yet they aren't happy unless we pay them to play. Gamers already pay to buy the game and therefore already pay to play...deal with it Activision and stop trying to squeeze more blood from a stone.
Snicker60515
I already don't pay to access pretty much all of the features of the Playstation network for FREE, I will not pay anymore than the cost of the game to continue to enjoy the online features, especially if it's still multiplatform and they screw us over on the PSN like they have so far with Black ops. Not saying it's totally unplayable, but Treyarch focused more of their attention to Microsoft's side rather than equally focusing on making the experience wonderful no matter what platform it's played on. Oh well, BRING ON KILLZONE 3!!!!
jal1113
so pay 15 dollars for maps (half of which are usually old maps with a new paintjob) or pay what doesnt seem like alot of money but adds up to a whole new game, a year of xbox live, a bunch of arcade games or movies and any number of accesories? and some cod fans would actually pay for this? wow they really they need to check their priorites and posibly taste...
gtrhtr
see ya call of duty its been fun!
BlyTheWay
Well Either way i don't care. I am done with Cod. To Repetitive. same thing every match. And it will never changed. Brink will over power Cod.
scoobythebeast
Yeah I d never pay a fee to Activision just to play COD online. I could easily play Halo, Gears, Killzone, or an older COD game (except for MW2) and still have just as much fun. If this does happen I hope no one pays so that Activision gets the kick in the pants they need to realize that we won t just keep giving them money for practically nothing.
Taboo5289
Well Cod MP is fun for about two weeks in my personal opinion, and paying any amount of money monthly is kind of ridiculous. Hell the map packs are already way to expensive for nothing more then a couple of maps a few tweaks and a handful of guns. I think if CoD goes pay to play it will make gamers go to other multiplayer games Battlefield, Halo or Killzone. Not to mention a lot of the new IP FPS' coming out with Homefront and Brink. Activision is being a bit too arrogant when it comes to CoD. It may be a powerhouse now but that will most likely not last very long. Especially if they start charging for content on a monthly basis. Or I could be completely wrong and none of what I just typed will come to fruition. Oh well.
Murdering Robot
I will never pay to play this or any title on XBOX Live. Message to Activision: COD is a machine that prints money. It ain't broke, don't fix it.
xL7717
Lets see, Killzone 3 comes out in a few weeks, and Battlefield 3 is coming out this fall.
Why should I care about CoD anymore? Black Ops failed to redeem the franchise for me, personally. First there was the atrocious and unbalanced Modern Warfare 2, now there's Black Ops...a game that acts and plays the same as the ones before it, AND it lags so bad and has far too many disconnects on the PS3.
Yeah...go ahead and start a subscription fee. Rot this once amazing franchise into the ground some more.
BWilliams79
So activision is asking me to spend $59.99 to buy the game, then $60 to play the multiplayer? on HELL no, are you nucking futs? They are not the only FPS on the block, and if they think millions of people will do this then they are crazier then I gave them credit for.
Take a lesson from dice, they did the right thing and have a HUGE fan base because of it. Buy our game and we will release all map packs and content for free if you have the VIP code, which came with the brand new copy for FREE anyways.
Im a huge COD fan, but if they charge to do multiplayer, i'll find another game to become a fan of.....PERIOD!!!!!!
ACTIVISION = FAIL for doing this!
Pandamonium16
SIXTY DOLLARS a year? Seriously? I have been carefully following the demise of Call of Duty since COD:WaW, and this is getting ridiculous. Activision, you are driving your star franchise into the ground! Almost all of Infinity Ward abandoned you already due to your corporate bullying, and now you are bullying your patrons as well? You must really, REALLY, want to destroy the Call of Duty franchise. In my opinion, the series is already destroyed. Go back and play Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. For its time, that game was top of the line, innovative, and original. It is still a classic fps to this day. However, since that entry, all the succeeding releases have simply been carbon copies with merely slight tweaks in graphics and game play. COD:MW2 was the last straw for me concerning COD, but you are going to lose a enormous percentage of your fan base by initiating this pay-to-play program. Good look against Electronic Arts and their league of game studios. Thats all I got to say.
Pandamonium16
SIXTY DOLLARS a year? Seriously? I have been carefully following the demise of Call of Duty since COD:WaW, and this is getting ridiculous. Activision, you are driving your star franchise into the ground! Almost all of Infinity Ward abandoned you already due to your corporate bullying, and now you are bullying your patrons as well? You must really, REALLY, want to destroy the Call of Duty franchise. In my opinion, the series is already destroyed. Go back and play Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. For its time, that game was top of the line, innovative, and original. It is still a classic fps to this day. However, since that entry, all the succeeding releases have simply been carbon copies with merely slight tweaks in graphics and game play. COD:MW2 was the last straw for me concerning COD, but you are going to lose a enormous percentage of your fan base by initiating this pay-to-play program. Good look against Electronic Arts and their league of game studios. Thats all I got to say.
Ryupyroa
I was already thinking of NOT getting the next Call of Duty, if they add this kind of crap, I'll be looking for a new multiplayer game. Maybe Battlefield 3.
Kingram
Look at your watch as you speak Pachter... That's when you screwed up. In this economy you dare charge for the multiplayer part of a Major game franchise? i thought that we "Paid" for a complete experience, not to just "try" it until the free trial is over. Many people prioritize just for LIVE now we'll have to scrape up more scratch just to play online while online? You suit types are a bunch of out of touch idiots.
Mysticfail
multiplayer is the only reason to buy the game for more then $20 and I never pay for map packs as it is, count me out
Chipsthe1st
P.s. If it happens.... helloo Killzone, Battlefield, Borderlands, etc :D
Chipsthe1st
ITS OVER FOR COD!!! Black Ops IS the last of the best. I promise that.
That, or everyone flocks back to Mw2 while it's still free.
I swear, if this is the case, sales are done. I knew Failvision was gonna focus on CoD from here on out, but this is really a bombshell. But if I see ANY thing getting the official monthly price tag, it will be the Ps3 gamers.
And don't start with thumbs down. I'm also a Ps3 gamer. Any way it goes, though, I'm pretty much through with Fall of Poo.
silver6kraid
And so begins the fall of Duty. I knew this day would come, and trust me, when people have to pay for Call of Duty, it will be the end of it. Not immediately, but eventually people will find something better to play that won't charge them. Activision once again proves that they are more than willing to milk a franchise for all it is worth, then destroy it when it stops making money for them.
Gyrorobo
And thus begins the "fall" of duty...
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