Call of Duty: Black Ops Message Board older than one year ago

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As if there was any doubt there would be significant interest in Activision's plans for Call of Duty Elite, Activision social media manager Dan Amrich revealed two million users have signed up.

Call of Duty is company's recently revealed service-level addition to the franchise, which comes in both free and paid subscription forms. It's not been announced what features will cost money--or how much it will cost. The air of ambiguity is what's caused many vocal complaints.

"When the studio head at Beachhead said this would be a live beta," said Amrich, "he was not kidding--your participation really can make a difference in how Elite evolves. And don’t be discouraged by the big number, thinking you shouldn’t bother because they already have enough people--two million volunteers among 30 million Call of Duty players is a small amount. More would be even better."

The service does not make multiplayer pay-to-play, and introduces analytics such as heat maps.

Call of Duty Elite's premiering through Call of Duty: Black Ops, but will also be part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3--and assumedly all Call of Duty games available in the future.

Hopefully everybody enjoyed the double XP period for Call of Duty: Black Ops in May – neither Treyarch nor Activision wanted to see any of the PS3 fans miss out just because of the technical issues. Now the next round of Black Ops action is locked and loaded: the long-awaited Escalation DLC pack will be available in the PlayStation Store on Friday, June 10th.

Escalation features five big chunks of content – four multiplayer maps and one star-studded Zombies experience unlike any other. For fans of competitive combat, your new battlegrounds await:

• HOTEL takes the sunny splendor of a luxirous Cuban casino resort and turns it into a bullet-riddled war zone. Details like the blown casino safe and poolside bar offer some unusual cover for run-and-gunners, but thanks to the high vantage points at opposite ends, it’s also a great map for snipers.

• Why not visit the ZOO? The big cats and deadly reptiles left this abandoned Russian animal park long ago, but the overgrown, dilapidated facility still plays host to the world’s most dangerous game. Hide below in the bear lair or snipe from above on the monorail track – you’ve got the run of the place.

• If you’re looking for a slice of classic Americana, check out the small-town motel and diner near the ambushed CONVOY. The freeway overpass has collapsed, leaving a missile stranded above and rubble littered below – not to mention a pre-fab house, apparently in transit by truck when the attack hit, now toppled on its side in ruins. Talk about trailer trash.

• STOCKPILE looks like an ordinary town in remote Russia…until you find the warhead hidden in the building in the center of town. Use switches to slide the huge steel doors up and down – good for restricting access during objective-based games.

Last but not least, CALL OF THE DEAD goes meta on zombie lore itself with a unique setup: Cinema’s zombie godfather George A. Romero is making his latest undead epic – starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund, Michael Rooker, and Danny Trejo – only to have a real zombie apocalypse break out, infecting the director himself and causing him to stalk you throughout the level. All the stars performed their roles with full motion capture and voice-over, so when you and three friends take on wave after wave of the zombie horde, you’ll do so as some of Hollywood’s most famous monster mashers. Proof positive that there’s a zombie killer in all of us.

Escalation will be available in the PlayStation Store on Friday, June 10, and to celebrate, the double XP will flow once more – enjoy twice the rewards for your efforts through Sunday, June 12. It’s also a perfect time to try out some my unorthodox multiplayer strategies that will keep your opponents guessing.

Enjoy next weekend – I’ll see you online!

So after waiting a few hours to scowl at the Wall Street Journal for breaking the embargo, Activision have now officially taken the lid off Call of Duty: Elite, which means its actual features, rather than a pithy, video-based glossing-over of them, can be listed. Here’s the horse’s mouth breakdown of what the service actually entails.(more…)

With all of the gaming and entertainment features the PlayStation 3 offers – from 3D gaming to a built-in Blu-ray player – there are plenty of things to entice those looking for the best entertainment experience on the market. Today we’re giving you one more reason to join the PlayStation family. On May 31, we will be releasing the Limited Edition PlayStation 3 Call of Duty: Black Ops Bundle. Not only will you get a 160 GB PS3 system and a copy of Activision Publishing Inc. and Treyarch’s critically acclaimed Call of Duty: Black Ops, you’ll also be treated to the First Strike Content Pack – for free. This DLC features five diverse globe-spanning multiplayer maps, one of which is a new Zombie experience.

Packed with exceptional value, the Limited Edition PlayStation 3 Call of Duty: Black Ops Bundle will be available at retailers nationwide for $299.99.