Bang! That's not the sound of a headshot from an AK-47. It's the sound of Activision, publishers of the world-storming Call of Duty franchise coming up with an idea that will change not just the company's fortunes, but the gaming landscape forever: Call of Duty: Elite.Activision's new subscription model, which offers Call of Duty players bonus content in return for a monthly subscription fee is sure to spark a war of words as much as a gaming one.
Starting with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the latest entry into the blockbuster FPS franchise which releases this autumn, players will be given the option to sign up for a subscription to Call of Duty which will work with MW3 and all future COD games. In return for the monthly payment, players will get access to extra, exclusive maps as well as a stats service which shows them in depth which weapons they are having most success with.
It’s not known how much the charge will be yet, but this idea is, of course, from the company which runs World of Warcraft, an online role-playing game which can take £10-15 a month from each subscriber on top of the cost of the game.
Considering that MW3 costs an eye-watering £55 just for the disc, it seems more than a little excessive to start charging to play online, too.
Yes, the free service will stay in place. Players can still get online and shoot seven shades of shellshock out of one another for nothing. But the fact is, come this autumn there will be an exclusive section of the online community cordoned off – maps only subscribers can play, rooms teeming with pay-per-month customers who don’t want to mingle with the cheapo users.
It’s a worrying direction for gaming. We already have games which last at best, 5-10 hours in single-player, devoid of any split-screen multiplayer, with developers insisting the online modes (most of which are soulless clones of every other game’s online play) make up for the lack of meat elsewhere.
As recently as five years ago, that wouldn’t have happened. PS2 games, for all their low-res, offline antiquatedness, had to deliver a compelling, lengthy experience and often a good split-screen mode to survive. Fast forward to 2011 and we have games with content on the disc which you have to pay to access – DLC packs which were made as part of the main game, then locked out. Then they sell you the digital key to your own disc for £7.99. It’s absurd.
Now, Activision want to split the market entirely, into payers and non-payers. Sure, currently it’s only a few measly map packs and some data tracking. But if the idea catches on, expect what’s offered in the free zone to slowly diminish whilst the pay-for section gradually begins to resemble exactly what we used to get for free.
Sure, Activision are more than within their rights to do it. It’s a free market – and if people will pay, then Activision can – and in a pro-business sense sort of way – should offer it.
But embrace this future and we could suddenly see the glory years of free online play slide into yesteryear, much like PS2’s meaty single-player campaigns did. Show that we’re willing to stump up for one game, and every game developer will want to sell us a 12-month contract as well as a game.
Eventually, we’ll all buy one shooter (COD), one racer (NFS), one sports game (FIFA) and one action game (GTA) every year, subscribe to their online play and to hell with originality, innovation or indeed, free online. We’ll no be longer gamers, we’ll be loyal, contracted subscribers.
This may all sound like a ludicrous, exaggerated over-reaction. But MW3’s subscriber model is one small step away from this disastrous new reality. Don’t take that step. Step back, and throw up a middle finger, not a credit card.
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