Call of Duty to get paid-for online services

**Delta Five Nine** · 11-13-2009, 02:23 PM

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=227204

Activision says you should "expect" paid-for online models such as those in World of Warcraft to make the transition to other games, including Call of Duty.

Speaking during yesterday's BMO Capital Markets Conference (which sounds fun), Activision Blizzard CFO, Thomas Tippl said that while WoW's model is difficult to replicate, players should expect new monetization models for its other games soon.

"It's definitely an aspiration that we see potential in, particularly as we look at different business models to monetize the online gameplay," said Tippl. "There's good knowledge exchange happening between the Blizzard folks and our online guys."

"We have great experience also on Call of Duty with the success we had on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. A lot of that knowledge is getting actually built into the Battle.Net platform and the design of that," he added.

"I think it's been mutually beneficial, and you should expect us to test and ultimately launch additional online monetization models of some of some of our biggest franchises like Call of Duty."

According to the Activision CFO, there is a demand from its core fanbase to pay for additional services.

"Our gamers are telling us there's lots of services and innovation they would like to see that they're not getting yet. From what we see so far, additional content, as well as all the services Blizzard is offering, is that there is demand from the core gamers to pay up for that," he said.

Doesn't seem like they mean MW2, but future games. Still a bit alarming.

**PaintScratcher** · 11-13-2009, 02:40 PM

If this happens I might just give up on Activision, they are really making me sad now...

**MrMojay** · 11-13-2009, 03:54 PM

Imagine having to pay to play online using some sort of subscription service, I already pay to play games online and that money goes to my ISP.
This all makes me very sad too.

**LpBronco** · 11-13-2009, 04:00 PM

Its funny that I was talking about this in the truck after picking my son up from school today explaining why I wasn't adding to our console games this Christmas. It is an easy step from disallowing the community to expand and modify a game to providing for additional content on a subscription basis.

**LordMeatwad** · 11-13-2009, 04:17 PM

I pay for a sub here, a sub for mmos like Aion, and a sub for xbox live. So no biggie here.

Also FYI MW2 is a great game on xbox 360.

**UnDeaD** · 11-13-2009, 04:41 PM

MMO's are understandable, your on one giant server, the cost are insanely expensive. Paying to play on IWNet or something similar is absolutely ridiculous.

**Delta Five Nine** · 11-13-2009, 04:49 PM

Also, as brought up on another forum I frequent, this could mean something more like paying to use an attachment rather than to play at all. More in the vein of most free play FPS.

I'm just hoping he means a spin-off game when he says Call of Duty. More because that Call of Duty is a big enough series to set a standard than losing what could be a good game.

**MrMojay** · 11-13-2009, 07:05 PM

I wonder if "Games for windows" will bring in an xbox live for PC games?

Pay to play online?

**jmaker** · 11-13-2009, 08:04 PM

"We have great experience also on Call of Duty with the success we had on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network."

Translation:

"We had 6.5 million console players pay 9.99 for the map packs from World at War, while they were free on the PC. In order to squeeze every last dollar out of our loyal and rabid fanbase, we will be implementing new 'monetization models' for our upcoming games."

At least that's how I read it.
Bad Company 2 can't get here fast enough.

**FLIPmode** · 11-13-2009, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by LordMeatwad

I pay for a sub here, a sub for mmos like Aion, and a sub for xbox live. So no biggie here.

Also FYI MW2 is a great game on xbox 360.

And imagine if you had to pay extra to play on some new Call of Duty network to play online? How would you like that?

**Acreo Aeneas** · 11-13-2009, 08:17 PM

Let the First War of the Information Age start!

*sigh* I don't like where all of this is heading. Don't like it one bit.

**Hellswaters** · 11-13-2009, 10:10 PM

Maybe, if they would allow dedicated servers, so that the cost of the numerous servers was spread out numerous organizations/clans/businesses they wouldn't need to charge us to play the game online.

MMO's are a valid exception, as noted above because they need one massive server to work.

**KillDaddy** · 11-14-2009, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by LordMeatwad

... and a sub for xbox live ...

Which is why I got a PS3 instead

That and playing Blu-Ray

**FooFighter** · 11-14-2009, 11:36 AM

I'm sure that, if nobody else, Activision's concurrence is quite happy about decisions like this

.

**blackmain** · 11-17-2009, 01:56 PM

you know maybe I should buy some activision stock. If they are going to milk the crap out of console gamers(and soon PC gamers) then maybe I can get some money out of it as well.... I AM NOT saying that console gamers are bad people, idiots, ect..