For all you zombie slaying, Call of Duty Black Ops players out there, you will be glad to know that Activision are bundling in a rather nice, and somewhat refined version of the Call of Duty Elite service. The new an refined version of the Service will include features like:
Player HQ: Track Black Ops II stats including recent match data, heat maps, challenge tracking and the ability to modify classes using the Pick 10 system
Clan HQ: Join or create clans to participate in competitions
Zombies Leaderboards: Track your Zombie stats and compare to other players
Call of Duty Elite TV: Developer tips, strategy videos, custom class overviews and more
Social Integration: Notification system to stay updated on Black Ops II news, communicate with your clan and more
In a recent interview with members of the IGN team from IGN.com, the Publishing CEO of Activision, Eric Hirshberg said that this new move is to insure that the community can grow closer together and to make it known that for Black Ops 2, the elite service is no longer just a premium subscription. This change is apparently a reaction to the communities wishes, meaning that the elite service, is a strong platform from which a a strong foundation can be built for the future of the Call of Duty franchise. This could perhaps also mean that the service is being more readily available because we might be seeing some innovation in the series, especially with Black Ops 2 including divergent paths and a branching story line. This will be the first time that a Call of Duty game has placed the story and set pieces so firmly in the hands of the players.
“We feel that Call of Duty is at its best when our community is united,” Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg told IGN. “That’s why we’re returning to four map pack drops next year, and also the reason why we’re making services like levelling clans and Elite TV available to a wider Call of Duty community for Black Ops II, not just to premium Elite subscribers only. Our mission from the start with Elite has been to make multiplayer a more connected, social experience. For our premium members, we have accomplished that. We’ve been listening to the community and we’ve come to the conclusion that Elite has more value as a community wide platform to drive engagement and connectivity than as a paid members-only service.”
In a somewhat less fortunate turn however, the service is initially only going to be available as a free service on the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. But Mr. Hirshberg has said that the staff at Activision are “evaluating options to bring Elite services to the PC and Wii U.” Without giving any details, Eric then continued to talk about the inclusion of DLC which will still be coming to consoles and will still be readily available for download, but as per usual the DLC will need some fine tuning and refinement for compatibility with Nintendo’s upcoming console the Wii-U “Our goal is to bring the Season Pass and DLC to the Wii U also, but it’s a new system and we need a bit more time to work out the details with Nintendo”
Alongside all this talk of free premium services and downloadable content, the team have also laid out plans and started out on the path of including Tablet support for Black Ops 2. There was originally an app planned for Modern Warfare 3 but it was delayed for unsure reasons, although Mr . Hirshberg said “we’re delighted to launch iPad Tablet support with Elite’s integration with Black Ops 2.” Personally, this worries me a bit as he neglected to mention the possibility of Android Tablet support which could turn of many gamers, especially given the comparative price between an iPad and a strong Android Tablet.
So in short, it looks as though the Activision team in control of Call of Duty Black Ops 2, have really got their heads screwed on and are definitely on the ball. Giving the fans exactly what they wanted, plus a bit more just for good measure.
Call of Duty Black Ops 2 hits stores on the 13th of November, with the Wii-U version of the game following on its heels with a release date of the 18th of November. Keep your eyes peeled, who knows what else they might announce before the games release.
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