Hi, readers!
Doing my last post on movie remakes sparked another topic idea for me – video games. I keep hearing about the newest Call of Duty video game and its record breaking sales, and the fact that the game is a sequel as opposed to something new inspired me to do a bit of reporting. Be sure to compare and contrast the previews for Call of Duty 4 (middle of the story) and its sequel, Modern Warfare 2 (end of the story). Enjoy!
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Nathan Handwerker, a 21-year-old Wildlife Management major at Hocking College, woke last Tuesday to find endless interactive hours of wartime deposited on his porch in a small, tidy package. That package was a slim, neon green game case decorated with a faceless soldier standing amidst fire and chaos, and emblazoned across his middle was “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.”
“I’ve been so excited for this game,” says Handwerker. “I’ve spent so much time playing Call of Duty 4, I’m ready for new missions and maps and weapons.” He pauses briefly before adding, “You can get a nuke in this one that blows up the whole game. It’s just over and you win all the points.”
An avid fan of the six game Call of Duty franchise – namely Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the direct prequel to this newest installment – Handwerker had pre-ordered the game weeks before so as to have it delivered the day it came out. Apparently, he was not the only one eager to get his hands on the game as soon as possible: according to USA Today, Modern Warfare 2 sold 4.7 million copies in North America and the UK on its release date alone. The revenue from those sales totaled at about $310 million, which makes the game the biggest launch in entertainment history.
The Call of Duty games are first person shooters set in wartime. While previous games took place during WWII, Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 are set in, well, modern times. The first begins a story concerning a radical overthrow in the Middle East and a civil war in Russia, and the second follows that storyline.
So what makes this game, a sequel and the sixth installment of an existing franchise, so much better than an unprecedented new game? Handwerker believes it’s because the brand is so well established and beloved.
“Growing up, I always played Counter-Strike [another first person shooter game],” he says, “until a friend introduced me to Call of Duty two years ago and totally hooked me. I got excited for this new game because it’s a sequel to something I really enjoy, and that’s just what you do when something you love gets continued. You buy the next chapter and keep enjoying it.”
“Besides,” he adds, “it may be the same idea, but the story is extended and the game play is still new and exciting.”
Mark Fujii of The College News Review seems equally enthused about the sequel in this review. “Modern Warfare 2 could be best described as Call of Duty 4–only better,” he says. “It has slightly better graphics, a better designed campaign mode, a more robust multiplayer that’s full of new toys to mess around with.”
Britain’s Telegraph takes its praise a step further in this review, stating that “Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t just surpass the quality of its predecessor, it flies past it like a ski-jumper.”
So, it seems this particular game had the biggest launch in history for good reason. While the fact that this unprecedented popularity is on account of a sequel as opposed to a new, original game had this reporter questioning the legitimacy of riding coattails, it seems as though the Call of Duty fellas know just what they’re doing. Their fans are really pleased and they’re making millions, anyway.
Perhaps something doesn’t always have to be brand new to make it exciting.
