Call Of Duty Online Goes Free-To-Play In Asian Markets

UPDATE: I've embedded a trailer for the game after the jump. There's gameplay. It will probably look familiar. Activision has also issued a press release for the game, noting that Call of Duty Online delivers "variety of game modes and maps and features an original story told through a series of Special Operations missions based on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare universe."

ORIGINAL POST: Activision revealed plans in 2011 to deliver a free-to-play treatment of Call of Duty for Asian markets, and that effort continues to move forward with the announcement this morning of Call of Duty Online (via Kotaku). The game will be published by China-based publisher Tencent Holdings for shooter fans in Asian markets, with income funneling through a microtransaction-based pricing model.

There's a teaser website up now at omg.qq.com, but there's not much to see right now even if you can read the Chinese text. Fans in other parts of the world will have to make do with $60 boxed and digital retail titles like fall 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. On the other hand, console games have been banned in China for roughly a decade, so try to appreciate the fact that you CAN pay $60 for a game at retail.