In an announcement about GameStop's new Call of Duty: Black Ops "Surprize Attack" contest, which will give items like "Fighter Pilot Experiences," ghillie suits, and Jeeps to lucky customers who don't mind the novelty spelling of "surprise," GameStop merchandising SVP Bob McKenzie revealed a surprising statistic about the prospects for Treyarch's upcoming game. "GameStop is tracking to all-time, record reservations on Call of Duty: Black Ops," McKenzie said. "We are ahead of where we were with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 last year, which previously set the industry standard."
The fact that more people have pre-ordered Black Ops at GameStop suggests more pre-orders for the game in general than its predecessor -- and let's not forget, that one came with night vision goggles! As for the contest, find out more about how to enter, and get the smartphone app connected to the promotion here; find the list of prizes after the break.
#screengrab
Brace yourself for the Black Ops invasion. Billboards for Activision and Treyarch's next Call of Duty game are already taking over Times Square, just the beginning of the publisher's "biggest investment" ever made in the launch of a title, according to big boss Bobby Kotick. More »
#impressions
Over the last two weeks, Mike McWhertor and were each given a hands-off demonstration of Call of Duty: Black Ops running in 3D. He saw it in Los Angeles. I saw it in New York. We've compared notes. More »
Xbox Live socialistas were upset by Modern Warfare 2's policy of prohibiting players from taking part in certain online multiplayer modes while in a Live Party. In a recent interview with Videogamer.com, Treyarch's online director Dan Hunting explained that this policy returns in Call of Duty: Black Ops, reminding players that "we have that same restriction in certain playlists where they can use party chat to exploit the game mode." The hardcore Search and Destroy gametype is used as an example of where this would be appropriate.
However, the restriction won't be applied to as many playlists as it was in last year's Duty, including Team Deathmatch and "any game mode where it doesn't make sense to have it." So, yes, certain game modes will still require you to converse with the hoi polloi, but isn't that part of the magic of online shooters?
#activision
Activision and developer Treyarch are adding a new dimension to the Call of Duty series, bringing stereoscopic 3D visuals to Call of Duty: Black Ops for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. More »
Call of Duty: Black Ops has joined the ever-growing list of 3D-enable games, even though the required hardware remains prohibitively expensive to most. Unlike Sony's crop of flagship 3D titles, this isn't exclusive to any system. Activision recently demonstraed its high-profile first-person shooter running on Xbox 360, reminding us that 3D is a feature most HDMI-equipped systems can handle. (Previous 3D games for Xbox 360 include Invincible Tiger and Avatar.)
The experience was not unlike any other 3D game I've seen or played before. Because 3D demands individual images for your left and right eye, the scene must be rendered twice, requiring developers to come up with ways of shrinking what would otherwise be a doubled footprint on the system. As with Killzone 3 and Motorstorm Apocalypse, there's a noticeable drop in the fidelity of the image. With 3D enabled, Black Ops appears fuzzier than normal, producing an image akin to what you'd experience in a split-screen game.
While the image may not be as detailed or sharp, Black Ops' selling points still remain in 3D: its fluid animation and focused art direction aren't lost in the translation. As with movies that take advantage of the feature well, the 3D effect isn't overstated here. More subtle examples of the technique -- a thin cloud of smoke that permeates the air, and the way your sniper barrel comes out of the foreground -- helped "sell" the experience. I was mesmerized by the HUD and subtitles (which also appear in 3D). But the highlight of the demo had to be a level that places you in the cockpit of a low-orbit plane. From that perspective, the dashboard, buttons and switches looked especially realistic.
- a scene where an enemy is shot in slow motion with copious amounts of gore has been toned down for the German release
- a torture scene involving a prisoner has been completely eliminated from the German version
- the song Sympathy for the Devil by Mick Jagger has been removed
- no explosions that lead to [...]
Where will your "currency" go in Call of Duty: Black Ops? In this new video, Treyarch staff walk us through the customization options available within multiplayer, including elements like kill streaks and more ... cosmetic choices. We're blowing all of our cash on new reticles. No idea why.
Where will your "currency" go in Call of Duty: Black Ops? In this new video, Treyarch staff walk us through the customization options available within multiplayer, including elements like kill streaks and more ... cosmetic choices. We're blowing all of our cash on new reticles. No idea why.
Hot off yesterday's big Zombie reveal, today Treyarch has given 1UP the entire list of Achievements / Trophies for Call of Duty: Black Ops. Spoilers, minor though they may be, abound in the list we've dropped after the break -- you've been warned.
#spoileralert
The next big Call of Duty game has just had much of its single-player game spoiled, thanks to an early look at the shooter's list of achievements and trophies. What do Black Ops' achievements tell us about Treyarch's war game? More »
#podcast
Wow, today has been a crazy day for gamers. It kicked off in the whee hours of the morning with an absurd amount of 3DS news coming out of Japan from Nintendo. More »
Treyarch has finally decided to unveil "one of the most anticipated features and worst kept secrets" in Call of Duty: Black Ops -- Zombies. "Zombies have been such a hit with our community that we were committed to bringing brand new zombie experiences to Call of Duty: Black Ops," studio head Mark Lamia said. The mode will once again pit four co-op partners against wave after wave of encroaching undead, joining the new "Combat Training" mode which features up to six person co-op against enemy AI.
Four of the zombie-based maps from Call of Duty: World at War are being remade for Black Ops and will be packed in with the Prestige and Hardened editions of the game. The release doesn't detail how many maps the mode will be getting in total, or how much the aforementioned remakes will cost folks who don't purchase the Prestige or Hardened editions, but we've reached out to Activision for clarification.
#zombies
Confirming what it calls one of the "worst kept secrets" the makers of the next Call of Duty said that you'll be able to shoot zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops in the game's four-player co-op mode. More »
Treyarch is really trying to detail just how expansive the multiplayer modes are in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Treyarch community manager Josh Olin just recently detailed the various timed events that are located in multplayer maps, and it looks like they have the ability to really shake things up.
“I don’t think the community [...]
The Call of Duty: Black Ops teaser site gknova6.com, which previously put us through a lot of puzzling for no real payoff, is much less cryptic these days. Where there used to be a tiny television set playing coded audio messages, there now are eight big screens displaying footage of zombies in military uniforms, on repeat.
Even if the Nazi Zombies content in Black Ops hadn't been revealed yesterday, we don't think we would have had much trouble figuring this one out. Unless ... the number and position of the zombies in the footage is itself some kind of code.
Actually, we don't even want to joke about that. There are Nazi zombies in Black Ops -- the end.
#activision
Treyarch's beloved addition of undead to the Call of Duty series looks to continue in the next entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops. Not exactly a surprise, but an returning feature apparently confirmed today by the game's strategy guide. More »
The thing about a Nazi zombie is that it tends not to re-die until it's been utterly obliterated. So, it's totally plausible that the Nazi Zombie scourge continued to pester ill-fortified strongholds long after World War II. Considering Treyarch's commitment to historical entertainment, the developer could definitely get away with reintroducing the evilest undead into the Cold War setting of Call of Duty: Black Ops -- and BradyGames' strategy guide could devote a chapter to surviving the persistent threat.
In fact, product descriptions for the guide on GameStop and Play-Asia highlight "Nazi Zombie Coverage" (in addition to the typical tactical advice; e.g., "Did you know? Aiming down the sights will increase the accuracy of your shot"). Presumably, the Nazi Zombie coverage will detail the "Nazi Zombies" mode in Black Ops, which has yet to be announced by Treyarch.
Nazi Zombies was first hinted at for Black Ops last month by a retail listing. The popular minigame was introduced in World at War and later became a standalone iPhone game. "Zombies in World at War was a huge success and we were blown away by how well the fans received it," Treyarch producer Dan Bunting told us in a May interview.
If you're an independently wealthy Call of Duty megafan who's in the market for a new, gas-devouring automobile, then -- well, first off, congratulations, as you're probably the only person on the planet who matches the aforementioned demographic! Secondly, you'll probably be pleased to hear that Chrysler has announced a limited edition Call of Duty-themed Jeep Wrangler, which will go on sale in time for the launch of the next installment in the series, Black Ops.
It gets better: Apparently, the Jeep Wrangler has a pretty significant amount of screen time in Black Ops, meaning your purchase isn't just a sign of your enthusiasm for long-running first-person shooter franchises -- it's cosplay. It's very, very expensive cosplay. That doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't look into it, but you should definitely consider the lifestyle you've chosen.
#limitededition
In what could be part of the ultimate collector's edition for Black Ops, Chrysler will soon be rolling out a limited Call of Duty edition of the Jeep Wrangler. More »
Pre-order Call of Duty: Black Ops and receive an exclusive Limited Edition Laser Cell & Wallpaper. The Laser Cell will be included in the shipment. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this offer at any time.
#preorder
A special limited edition "laser cel" - limited to 100,000; we said nothing about it being "rare" - is one of two pre-order bonuses for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The other's a download code for an avatar item. More »
#japan
In The Land of the Rising Sun, there are two versions of Call of Duty: Black Ops. One is subtitled. One is dubbed. Both do not have have blown-off body parts. More »
