Call Of Duty subscription coming from Activision this spring
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:40 pm
By Tom Phillips.
Activision could be poised to introduce a subscription version of Call Of Duty within the next few months, according to one analyst firm.
Industry analysts Wedbush Securities are the latest to predict that paid-for online content is incoming for the massively popular franchise.
In their January 2011 newsletter, Wedbush say that 'Activision remains a top pick, primarily due to the company's potential to create and monetize a second tier of multiplayer online gaming for its Call of Duty franchise
While that's a development which has been expected for some time, they then go out on a limb and put a date on it, saying: 'We expect this to occur during the first quarter of 2011.'
It's unlikely that Activision will try to introduce a subscription for the current Call Of Duty online multiplayer offering (something they've flatly denied they would do in the past) - instead, it's seems more likely that they will opt for a 'premium' version, with added extras available for those who stump up a bit more cash.
Of course, the expectation that Activision will introduce a subscription model for CoD has been swirling for ages, so these reports are always worth taking with a pinch of salt - and the time frame does seem remarkably tight, given that the already-announced map packs won't even be out on all formats by then.
But Activision head Bobby Kotick has made no secret of his desire to emulate the success of games from Activision/Blizzard's own World of Warcraft to Valve's Team Fortress 2 in offering subscription models and in-game purchases - so it'll be worth keeping an eye on Activision to see if anything comes of this latest rumour.
Activision could be poised to introduce a subscription version of Call Of Duty within the next few months, according to one analyst firm.
Industry analysts Wedbush Securities are the latest to predict that paid-for online content is incoming for the massively popular franchise.
In their January 2011 newsletter, Wedbush say that 'Activision remains a top pick, primarily due to the company's potential to create and monetize a second tier of multiplayer online gaming for its Call of Duty franchise
While that's a development which has been expected for some time, they then go out on a limb and put a date on it, saying: 'We expect this to occur during the first quarter of 2011.'
It's unlikely that Activision will try to introduce a subscription for the current Call Of Duty online multiplayer offering (something they've flatly denied they would do in the past) - instead, it's seems more likely that they will opt for a 'premium' version, with added extras available for those who stump up a bit more cash.
Of course, the expectation that Activision will introduce a subscription model for CoD has been swirling for ages, so these reports are always worth taking with a pinch of salt - and the time frame does seem remarkably tight, given that the already-announced map packs won't even be out on all formats by then.
But Activision head Bobby Kotick has made no secret of his desire to emulate the success of games from Activision/Blizzard's own World of Warcraft to Valve's Team Fortress 2 in offering subscription models and in-game purchases - so it'll be worth keeping an eye on Activision to see if anything comes of this latest rumour.
