@excaliburps: Yeah, it is very confusing. The opposite of the gravy-train? Well, I would say Darfur, but that would be really inappropriate or something.

And only a homerun? Treyarch's gunna have to hit a grandslam, make a game winning 2 point conversion, and beat the 1980s Olympic Russian Hockey team, all at the same time, and then they might be worth it. But if Mister Quick Time Event shows up again, thats not gunna happen.

Salen

After the success Infinity Wards modern take on realistic warfare the next logical step is clearly......uh.....changing the setting back to WWII and....eh.....getting rid of...Infinity Ward?

Major0celot

When you run out of ideas, make a WW2 game!

fire ze missiles

Hey, maybe this will bring CoD4 gameplay to the Wii. That would be nice.

dunnace

Here's the thing Treyarch: I don't want to have a game thats cool for its "grittiness" and violence, i want a game thats good for its level design and gameplay.

ifalldownstairs

first it is WW2
then it isnt WW2
now it is again

i'm starting to get confused

string_theory

@Salen: WOW dude.... Comment of the week so far!

Schoolimangooli the doogie mag goosie!

I love WW2 so much, im excited about this title, i thought Treyarch did some good things with COD3, not the best title, but had some unique elements. I can't wait.

oh, and COOP! One of the best things in any game, sure to be a hit.

ryivanV2

I might try it on Wii, but form the looks of it, it is going to suck compared to CoD2 and CoD4...

AssassinXaero

It might be alright, but it will be a spectacular failure. The series has left WW2 and I don't think too many players will be pleased taking the step backwards.

And I think IW agree since this is the last one they're letting Treyarch develop.

Dajmin

Activision is lucky that Infinity Ward makes such great games, or else all the non-IW games would have driven the franchise into the ground a long time ago.

RockstarLlama

@terminaljeremy: Thanks.
I might want to check it out...atleast for the soundtrack.

jun581

@will:
sigh this was a rumor before that Infinity Ward was not the one developing COD5. Guess it's confirmed now. Not to be pessimistic, COD3 was shit-rolled in vomit compared to COD4.

@Salen:
It is a bit confusing no? They had and are still having success with COD4 which was set in our current timeline, why would they go back to that era? What's the opposite of gravy-train?

Treyarch really really has to hit a homerun here. IW's COD4 is still one of the most played games online.
Hell it's like a souped-up version of Counterstrike!

excaliburps

@jun581: It's Merry Xmas Mr Lawrence.

Not a great film (it's got Bowie in it) but the soundtrack by Riuichi Sakamoto is bloody great.

terminaljeremy

Damn it all. They just had to go back to WWII. I am so amazingly sick of WWII games, it ain't funny.

mphz

What movie is that with David Bowie?

jun581

You lost me at "Treyarch". Call of Duty 3 looked good, but the level design was dull and the additions (such as the QTE button mashing crap) was disappointing. Lesson learned: skip the COD games not developed by Infinity Ward.

kiigan

Ooo eye ball burning. So that's what's missing from this generation of gaming.

Arnold Rimmer's Garden Strimmer

No, not David Bowie! Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Uh, wait, we're going back to World War 2? Nooooooooooooooooooooo!

There's no place like Call of Duty 4! There's no place like Call of Duty 4!

Salen

I don't have much confidence in Treyarch advancing the series (from a gameplay perspective) The games that they developed in the series just lacked polish and any kind of originality.

will

Good bye German version :-(
Thank god PS3 is region free, though my interest in this game is pretty low, to be honest.
Seems like they're deperately reaching to compete with CoD4's opening which was universally acclaimed.

El-Suave

They'll have to pry CoD4 from my cold, dead hands.

SigmundTheSeaMonster

"Unlike the modern CoD4, CoD5 will return to WWII."

Count me out this round. I would rather play bricks on my blackberry than another ww2 game (-_-)

Coffee Ninja

Here's the deal. They have probably been developing COD5 since before COD4 was released. It's clear by the every other game cycle that they do a staggered development with these titles much like Splinter Cell. While we might get a crappy game now we also get a longer dev time for IW and COD6.

agies

I can't wait for unskippable endless cutscenes every time I load my game like in CoD3. That was the one part I missed in CoD4 the most!

Schmatz

Treyarch did CoD:UO and it had vehicles in MP and it was AWESOME. Just saying.

TheDormouse

@God Hand BrynnFlynn: Its just filler so they can pump one out each year. Infinity Ward's classics will increase the sales of the treyarch duds because of the brand name. Once Call of Duty 6 comes out the brand will still be doing well and try to top the 10 million of COD4!

NunianVonFuch

For some reason when they say they are going to make the game darker I get the impression they are going to make the Japanese and Nazi's do horrible things but the Americans will be just the same. The Nazi's and Japanese will be putting cigarettes out in prisoners eyes. While the Americans will heroically save people and if they do catch prisoners will just give them a inspiring speech. I dunno I just hope when they say they want to make it darker they mean both sides not just the baddies.

Zim

heres my reasoning

COD4=AMAZING SUCCESS

COD4=DEVELOPED BY INFINITY WARD

COD4=SET IN MODERN SETTING

so why are we returning to WW2 and dropping an awesome development team for Treyarch?

eddienoteddy

You know, I can't tell you how many people complained about CoD3 when I worked at GameStop. Hell, I could have cared less about WWII games, but customers and my then-boyfriend rammed it down my throat that Treyarch sucked the big one. CoD4? Awesome, awesome enough to get me to play (and I have a crippling fear of FPS's). Now they're going back to Treyarch AND WWII? Could someone get Activision a reality check? You gave us a cookie, guys, now continue baking those succulent Not-WWII-Shooter pastries. Don't make me eat all the shitty cookie dough, if I'm PMSing enough I'll do it!

God Hand BrynnFlynn

Hahha WWII again lol played too much..But i wanna see the graphics!!

motogp

TREYARCH!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

SupaPhly

Sorry for the double post, but I just realized something.
"From VG247 reader evilashchris, reading from the UK mag:"

So a site is quoting a reader quoting a magazine quoting the game company?

What has journalism come to?

aevanko

@aevanko:

The game is multi-plat amigo.

Darth Navster

Haha, didn't think about it that way...the Japanese will love us for this.

ttocs

"The opening scene of the first level we are shown is a Japanese commander stubbing a cigarette out in the eye of a prisoner before slitting his throat"

Another reason for Japanese not to buy the Xbox 360.

aevanko

@not_tom_brokaw: Because the Beating A Dead Horse train is still full of coal over at Treyarch.

And as for Yahtzee, I can't wait for him to crucify CoD5 with big blunt rusty nails in the shape of... well... lets just say I can't wait to see Yahtzee want to slap Activision so hard that their head spins around.

Salen

I was shocked to hear they were going back to WW2. Call of Duty games have always been good, but they were never amazing until 4 came out. Why change what is working so well? I don't get it. I guess they are just going to throw as much blood and gore as they can at it to compete...

ttocs

ah shit! treyarch.....

shaunomacx

So let me get this straight... Infinity Ward makes a fresh, new type of shooter that sells MILLIONS and was praised for not being in World War II, so they decide to ditch them and go back to WW2 for the next game!? What are they smoking!?
Sorry but COD4 made me an INFINITY WARD fan, not Activision, so they will not have my interest in this title.

aevanko

Rhetorical question: Why does Treyarch have such an obsession with telling the same old WWII story of Joe America overcoming the big bad Axis powers?

I mean, as Yahtzee noted, Videogame WWII is now longer than the actual war it's based on.

not_tom_brokaw

Yawn. Wake me when IW drops info on CoD6...

DaStuph

Meh. Sorry but the FPS genre has gone to the WWII well far too many times now, and the bucket is just bringing up dust. Hopefully COD6 will be back to more interesting times.

photoboy

No point in even developing a FPS element to the game. If we've got vehicles it's going to be like any of the Battlefield series (save the SW ones). You run for 20 minutes to get the action only to be slaughtered by 13 year old who pilots a plane better than most of the Pacific Fleet. That's the one thing about the series, if you're not in a vehicle, your doomed.

On a more serious note, why doesn't the CoD series go "outside the box" and pursue something like the Crusades or the Dutch wars. It may not make sense but at least it won't involve Nazi's.

Wulfgang

WHY WWII??? WHYYYYYYYYYY MUST YOU RETURN TO HAUNT VIDEO GAMES????????

FLYBOY611

@ryivanV2: Negative, you know i took history class and i know there is a lot more wars to explore besides WW2, lets see vietenam or something, jungle strike CoD style would be amazing.

but no lets go back to WW2, the same crap you seen over and over and over again, it was cool on the playstation with medal of honor but since then they been milking the war.

WW2 is a no buy for me.

Dakobah

@ryivanV2:

I'm all for the different strokes for different folks concept, but you sound quite suspiciously like a Treyarch employee >_>

Coffee Ninja

It's pretty simple as far as I'm concerned; Set in WWII = no sale.

CoD4 was the first in the series that I played, largely due to the huge amounts of gushing praise it received (deservedly), but mainly because IT WASN'T WWII.

The only possible "silver lining" I can see here is if CoD5 utterly bombs (be it due to Treyarch, WWII, or a combination of the two), it will probably signal the death knell on WWII-flavoured Call of Duty (and with luck, Treyarch-developed ones too).

Blut-Royale

I totally agree with eddienoteddy.Why did they turn it back to WWII.COD4 was popular cause it wasnt the same old WWII.The story is the same.U know what happens..Blah blah just kill the enimies aint fun..That a 0% storyline only killing O__O.They should have made it future..More fun.And why take the game from ifinity ward..They made COD4 a sucess with their skills..Geez where is the COD series heading too.....

motogp

@terminaljeremy: Not a great movie? I dunno man, I guess tastes differ from person to person.

@jun581: You definitely want to check it out, and not just for the Ryuichi Sakamoto soundtrack. In fact, not only did Sakamoto composed the soundtrack, he also stars in the movie (and kinda freaks me out).

It's a psychological drama that touches various themes, like love, Japanese honor, the distance between different cultures and the relationship between prisoners and guards. Also note that the original title is "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence", but depending on where you live, the title may be "Furyo".

Sorry to be off topic, I got carried away O_o;

Northern Cat

Another thing, i personally love the WW2 settings. Thats just me, but as such i follow up as many WW2 games i can. And you know what? In the past 5 years there have been more modern and futuristic settings for big shooters then there have been for WW2. So everyone jumping on the "ANOTHER WW2 Game, Bah!" band wagon is just being silly.

ryivanV2

I just came in here to say I love WW2 games. Sorry everyone, all those WW2 games are my fault, probably.
I just picked up Red Orchestra (WW2 shooter, of course) for 5 dollars on steam. It's 5 dollars until Monday or the end of Monday. I dunno, something like that.
[I am well aware what time it is. hahaahahahhahaha]

Channing

I'll give Treyarch another chance. Hey, it could be good. Just wish it wasn't WWII again. I know how it ends.

parasiteartist

@Phantem- Did you even read the article? Or did you just see "Trayarch developing COD5" and just go balistic? THERE ARE NO ALIENS. IT WAS A METAPHORE FOR THE JAPANESE FIGHTING STYLE.

Acebuckeye13

@Acebuckeye13- I have to say. I hate it when I mispell things. It makes me feel like 90% of the internet.

Acebuckeye13

I HATE TREYARCH THEIR GOING TO RUIN COD!!!!

Back to f*cking WWII????? after Modern Warfare made the game into what it is now? what is it 14+ million sold

and now im hearing crap from the scans of "an alien force" they make this into a scifi shooter ill just flip out on their stupidity!

BRING BACK FUTURE/MODERN WARFARE AND INFINITY WARD!

why? I HATE WWII games, especially the crappy weapons most of all!

phantam

treyarch and infinity ward both signed a contract that states they will trade off making call of duty games for the next few years.
sooo treyarch will have to monumentally fuck the dog in order for activision to try to get out of that contract.
the way they are doing it doesn't make sense to most of us at first glance, but that's because we went from WWII to modern (thank god) back to WWII. the only reason that's happening is because havingCOD4 come out gave treyarch tons of time to work on their COD5. which, in turn, give infinity ward tons of time to work on COD6.
it's all gonna come out nice.
WWII is not---by any means---what i wanted, but i'm sure it will be alright to play, as long as they don't do anything they did in COD3 (it was shit) or anything they did in those titles for PS2 and X-Box.

kevinl

I just read the article Joystiq sourced. A have to say, any game with Flamethrowers is more exciting.

Acebuckeye13

GamesTM have a great article on this (I think this is where the info is coming from, as they claim it is a 'World Exclusive'). Looks very good to be honest, and I am a huge CoD4 fan & disliked CoD3. Points to note:

It has been built using the CoD4 engine. They have also managed to get the engine running on the Wii. GamesTM claims that, graphically, this game looks as good as if not better than CoD4.

It has flamethrowers! According to GamesTM, the fire is the best they have seen.

MP will feature new perks, including some squad based ones (i.e. if you stay close to the team leader then you will benefit somehow- they didn't elaborate).

CoD3 was developed in just 8 months, which goes some way to explaining it being sub-standard. It's actually not bad for only 8 months dev time.

All things considered, I am now very excited about this game. I thought that there was no way I'd buy it, but now...

duckmouth

@Zim
I see. Well, in any case, even one level with the Japanese is a refresher.

Acebuckeye13

WWII and no Infinity Ward, bleh. I will be skipping this one.

mikecoscia

@Acebuckeye13: OBJECTION!

The article from the 360 uk magazine (joystiq has a link up to scans) states the game also features you playing as a Russian against the Germans. Nazis are confirmed. Not the sexy kind that wear bikinis and put lotion on each other either.

Zim

So that's why Bowie has seemingly different-coloured eyes. I knew it was due to an injury sustained when he was younger, but I didn't know the specifics. Torture, huh? Poor kid...

Antiterra

@3inst3in: There weren't nazi's in the Pacific.

ryivanV2

I'm going to skip on the WWII action. I'll happily be back for COD:MW2 though...

Sinnix

You see the reason that Treyarch got the job for COD3 was because the devs of COD2 said they were sick and tired of WWII games. But Activision didn't want to compromise on the tried tested method of WWII games. So they offered the contract to Treyarch while IW got COD4. They expected COD4 to be a failure and COD5 was going to be the backup.

harshakamikaze

Won't it be great when CoD5 comes out and more people are online playing CoD4? :)

kidko

@Libo: why don't they have a choice?

3inst3in

dude, let's take CoD to world war ONE! mustard gas and trench warfare, hells yeah! OR let's CoD 2299, with laser beams n shit. either of those I would buy. No more nazis please.

3inst3in

DARKER AND EDGIER

This reads like a pretty cynical attempt to outdo the direction IW took CoD4 in.

frostcircus

@Alzar- A Vietnam game would play just like this, with different weapons.

Acebuckeye13

I guess everyone forgot that Treyarch has no choice but to base the game around WWII. I may give this one a go, surely Treyarch has improved since the abomination that was CoD3. Besides, co-op never disappoints.

Libo

Did anyone pay attention the announcement? It said PACIFIC WAR. THAT MEANS NO NAZIS. And trust me, that opening scene discription? Absolutly realistic. The Germans were brutal, but the Japanese... damn.
I am actually excited about this title. Even if it is bad, it will still be different from 90% of all FPSs. Seriously, when is the last time you played a WW2 pacific game? Now, when is the last time you shot a terrorist, or killed an alien?
Exactly.
Also, Halo 3>COD4

Acebuckeye13

The only way I'd be interested is if they pulled of 8 person multiplayer so you could have a small squad of you and your buds.

aevanko

I'm fine with Treyarch doing it, but did they HAVE to return to the WWII setting? It's been done a MILLION FRIGGIN' TIMES. The modern setting worked, why change?! At least do Vietnam or something if you're not doing modern.

Alazar

@3inst3in: or maybe "if i have to fire one more thompson machine gun im going to schvitz"

3inst3in

@ryivanV2: fo sho. "no more nazis or imperialist japanese, please" better? good.

3inst3in

It's all going downhill from here...

Why don't they just can this game...

If it ain't Infinity Ward it ain't Call of Duty.

*still waiting for Civ Res to break street date*

cartoonsmart

[www.amazon.com]

JakeDunn

@Shiryu: Actually yeah if they get the Wii controls right I might give it a whirl, but still WW2 eh...

No damn airstrikes this time....

excel_excel

It'll be interesting to see how treyarch/activision deal with portraying the Japanese as the enemy. Nobody objects to demonizing WWII Germany because there aren't a lot of people defending the Nazis, but WWII is a touchy subject with the Japanese.

rawg

Will see!!! Will all see!!

Viper

I am also waiting for BiAs. That has to be the most realistic game in history. For God's sake, you could us it as an interactive street map of france. I AM NOT KIDDING.

Acebuckeye13

About time someone strung up Bowie! I jest, I jest...

Well, unlike most of the comments above, I will actually see if the game is any good before pre-dismissing it. Since Medal of Honor Heroes 2 on the Wii, It has been show it can handle the controls, so if its any good... sign me up for some Pacif operations.

Besides, Treyarch is doind this one for quite some time now, so that infinity Ward can have 2 years to come up with COD6 or (rumour,rumour) a massive multiplayer online COD FPS. They have done the same thing after Infinity Ward finished COD2 and started devoloping COD4, while COD3 was being released by Treyarch on consoles only (that was wierd, btw, PC owners skip from COD2 to 4).

Shiryu

Remember folks, after CoD5, Infity Ward gets the entire franchise to themselves.

y2julio

@Acebuckeye13: I'm not sure I follow you, here. CoD5 will be different because the enemies will be Japanese soldiers instead of German ones? Explain to me how a different skin on the model is going to radically change the gameplay for me? MOH: Rising Sun and MOH: Pacific Assualt already trod this ground (not to mention Battlefield 1942. The only thing different here is that this game doesn't appear to start with Pearl Harbor.

As for why WWII again, the answer is simple. We've spent nearly 60 years building WWII up as the 'last, good war', from an American perspective. We've created an internal mythology around it and the whole period that is somewhat romanticized. It is, frankly, SAFE. CoD4 had the potential to be controversial with it's modern setting, just like Army of Two could have been. Vietnam has NEVER been a popular subject in video games and many other conflicts are too morally charged to be considered approachable from a broad standpoint.

You want 'different'? Different would be a cowboy shooter that didn't suck. Different would be a game set during the Revolutionary War, or the French and Indian wars, or against the Zulus or the Boer War. Different would be a World War I shooter, even. But whenever the market tries stuff like that, it doesn't sell, afaik. So we get what we get.

WizarDru

Island hopping isn't very fun, but say, fighting in indochina/burma would be interesting.

The problem with the pacific war is this: battles ended when every last japanese was dead. It was a slaghter, start to end, the entire war. Thats not very fun.

mrantimatter

after playing through the multiplayer demo of Battlefield:BC it's difficult to get excited with anything COD.

two words: destructible environments. brings a whole new level of gameplay...

bubuli

@excel_excel: GamesTM said there will be airstrikes. No choppers though, so not sure what you get for 7 kills. Rumour has it that a 25 kill streak gets you an A-Bomb to deploy...

duckmouth

@okrangerbob: Yes, BC is a sweet game. I know I was having all sorts of fun playing around with the tanks. Tanks make everything better. And missile launchers. I can't wait to get playing BF:BC.

Salen

After playing Battlefield: Bad Company, thats my next next multiplayer addiction fix. CoD4 is getting a bit boring after playing it night after night since christmas. Time to give it a rest and play something else.
So i've invested in the Bad Company demo, it sweet. So much fun too. I will most probably be skipping CoD5 entirely seeing as Bad Company looks and feels like such a better game. Though I've not seen any gameplay from CoD5... its treyarch.. 'nuff said.
Waiting for CoD6 :)

okrangerbob

CoD3 didn't even count as a real CoD game, I don't see why 5 would either, Treyarch can suck it.

impreza

Man, wtf.
This game just hurts the ignorant and inattentive who only see Call of Duty and not Infinity Ward/Treyarch.
Gritty? Edgy? Those all sound like aspects of war, so sure. Can't wait for COD5: Warrior Within.
And congratulations on going for WWII again. I have forgotten how it ended (WWII) and this game should be more in-depth than the Wikipedia article.

jBusiness

WW2.....not being made by Infinity Ward...........this is going to suck BAD

Rybo5000

WON 50 bucks, god I feel like an idiot.

Fadakar

I just one 50 bucks, I bet 5 different people that this game would be set in Pacific Theatre, just because it's the only goddamn place in WWII that hasn't been covered by CoD.

Fadakar

So not only is CoD4 going back to the same ol', same ol' (I remember Co-Op in MOH:Pacific,) it's also sounds like it's using a similar opening to Return to Castle Wolfenstein only it won't involve the Nazi occult.

Shame.

Frank

@WizarDru: i agree with your statements about our affinity for WWII. but I'd also like to interject that the weaponry for most wars previous to wwii was kind of sucky, from a video game standpoint. who wants to spend 20 seconds reloading a musket after every bullet shot? i do think a wwi game could be intriguing. the desolate trench warfare could make a very oppresive combat environment.

3inst3in

man FUCK! I HATE WORLD WAR TWO GAMES! this sounds like its going to be so disappointing. i love cod4 and was really looking forward to 5 until now. i was afraid they might try and do this. i mean... come on... vietnam, korea, desert storm, even world war ONE would be better.

will this really even sell in japan? haha

SwampApe

Keep in mind this isn't old Western Front WWII, this is the Pacific. Not many games have done the Pacific theatre, well, not many good games.

Personally I'm stoked for it, I'd like to see a graphically advanced jungle setting now that we have the hardware to handle it.

I'm very tired of fighting Muslims in the same old generic middle eastern slums to be honest. Modern warfare in the desert is almost as much of a cliché as Western Front WWII if you ask me.

Kenny

Didn't Activision scrap the Treyarch development of COD games after 5? In which case, this is the last one, so we've nothing to worry about anymore.

Bergerac

@Salen: I'm really glad someone here agrees with me. I hope Bad Company really takes off like CoD4 did. It would be great to have that many people playing multiplayer every night. Theres just so much fun to be had destroying walls and blowing up crates of gold. The map 'Oasis' is amazing too :)
@bubuli: Totally agree with you there. I mean i've lost count of the times an artillary strike has rained down from the sky, barely missing me, but destroying everything in front of me in glorius flame :D

okrangerbob

THIS IS A TRAVESTY.

hanspecans

Snore.....

I was kind of hoping that COD5 would go even further in to the future.

Guys... I'm kind of sick of WW2. I think I'll pass.

Pretty sad too because COD4 is all I play now a days. COD4 is excellent. There is no way COD5 in a WW2 setting could be more fun than COD4.

axiomatic

Yay for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. I have the soundtrack on vinyl.

borktork

@rawg: With almost exactly the same kind of sensitivity that Pandemic showed to Venezuelans? (And Venezuela is a peaceful country that isn't at war with anyone, while Japan during WW2, er...)

Seriously I don't think they will tone it down in any way because of potential Japanese objections. Nor do I particularly expect the Japanese will object anyway. (But they won't buy the game - that's not even because Japanese are bad guys in it, but because it's an FPS so nobody over there gives a shit.)

Even if the game features, eh that massacre I can't remember the name right now that some people in Japan deny happened, which is 'controversial' in that sense, it's not like there aren't a million books and films and whatever about the same thing.

So I doubt they'll have any problems with this subject. But I do have some problems with the constant WW2 trend (regardless of which theatre of operations it is) - if we're doing games about history, it would be far more constructive to release games in which our own countries were the 'bad guys' [whether the actual player plays one of them, or somebody from another country].

I'm from Britain, so maybe a game about say the opium wars, or slavery, would be a good example for developers here.

quen

I don't think there's anything wrong with WWII as the setting. The problem is, every WWII shooter tries to do the same thing; recreate 'Saving Private Ryan'. It's always the same big epic battles that make it into these games and while storming the beaches at normandy was impressive the first 2 times it just gets really tired. But there's plenty to do with the WWII setting that could be interesting (just look at saboteur for instance). Or with CoD5 they could have you escape from a Japanese prison camp and you then have to try to get back to your troops through rough jungle terrain (think 'Rescue Dawn' in a WWII era). And while I don't think it will happen (specially since apperently you also play as a russian which means either Stalingrad or the battle for Berlin or both will be in there) there's plenty of interesting things to do in a videogame with WWII.

CheechWizz

@okrangerbob: BF: Bad Company is horrible. Don't even know how you can say that CoD 4 is boring.

y2julio

WW2? Has that fucking ship not set sail? WW2 is stale, the major conflicts have been thoroughly covered and no, this pacific thing is not new, Medal of Honour : Pacific Assault covered this already.

Treyarch are also responsible for the weakest of the entire CoD series, Cod3. Screw Treyarch and screw this WW2 horsecrap. Im gonna hold my copy of Call of Duty 4 tight and hope that Activision comes to its senses.

Sniper_Zegai

Treyarch did a great job with CoD3. Sure, the single player campaign was a little uneven with a thin story, but the multiplayer was leaps and bounds better than CoD2 and even did some things that CoD4 mp should have done (24 player capacity, vehicles). Folks should give credit where it's due.

I'm definitely interested in CoD5. If that rumored co-op is over Xbox Live, I'll be buying it.

billnabors65

@okrangerbob: Yeah, I racked up a whooping 557 points on Friday night during a single mission on BF:BC. Its a little different than CoD but its still got the advantage of letting me goof around with vehicles, which is awesome. Plus I like being able to unlock items too. It'll be more fun to play than CoD5 will end up, I'll bet.

Well, I take that back. CoD5 could be fun. Pacific islands + Gun toting goodness + boats... Thats called Far Cry! So yes, if CoD5 is like Far Cry, it might be ok, but I highly doubt that. Plus, I'm betting there'll be a QTE to avoid getting malaria!

Salen

I never played any of the Call of Duty games except for Call of Duty 4, and I was happy I did because it was pretty awesome. It also sold a boat load. I don't know what Activision is thinking. I feel they're simultaneously over and under thinking this game.

Under thinking by believing we want another World War 2 game. Over thinking by taking it away from Infinity Ward to, I assume, make it new and different after Infinity did such a terrific job.

deviantCharles

@Kenny:

There was Shellshock Nam '67 (not WWII Pacific, but Pacific, nonetheless)

And Medal of Honour: Rising Sun

Chupakun

@Wild homes-
1. Yes the Japanese were Barbaric. My grandmother still remebers how my grandfather's ship passed an island where they had beheaded everyone.
2. While the sigle player game was bad, multiplay was excellent.
In the words of Paul Mcartny, Let it Be

Acebuckeye13

Wow. Lots has gone on since I was here last.
@Dru- Most of your points have merit. Medal of Honor has tred this ground (Albiet several years ago) as well as BF. However, both of those were arcade style games, not the more serious, BiA/COD style of play. Also, the Japanese were a completely differnt enemy then the Germans. Firing from hidden bunkers, charging trying to spear you with a bayonette (Not the standard video game "jump out of cover and shoot a lot" charge)
I hardly see how COD 4 was contriversial. It just took place in the middle east/Russia. And as for your call for "different" games? I can name every one- Gun, Age of Empires 3, (Why would you want a Boer war game?) No WW1, but that wasn't very exciting- Just read "All quiet on the western front" And as WW2 being the last "good War?" What about Korea?!? Cloning, starcraft, WOW? NONE of that would exist without our help in the Korean War, Dammit! All Hail MacArthur!
Ahem. I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Lets move on-
@y2Jullio- Have you even played Bad company? Seriously.

Acebuckeye13

It sounds alright. It's just the question of whether or not I can bring myself to buy another game set in World War 2. Really, it's time to move on.

Wolfers

Wow, this sounds like a huge piece of shit. Barbaric Japanese soldiers? Check. Sigh. Developer that couldn't program a good game to save a life, AND made Spiderman 3? Check. Sigh. Publisher that doesn't understand a quick buck isn't worth sacrificing the long-term health of your franchises? Chicky-check. Double sigh.

Color me absolutely uninterested in this one.

wild homes

It's funny. I love reading about and watching documentaries about WW2. The depravity and insanity of the Nazis interests me to no end.

BUT, if I have to storm Normandy ONE more time, I'm going to flip my wig.

ShaggE

ugh...just ugh. treyarch has some work to do if they're gonna live up to the standards set forth by infinity ward.

H0PLITE

i think cod4 was a short burst of fun, then you realize its the same old game. the campaign is where it hurt most, it was only fun the first time through, after that you knew where everyone was.

mentalboy11

Maybe at least we could get a Vietnam era COD? Another WWII is just recockulous!

ChimDeathmonkey

@y2julio: I agree, I thought it was crap. I was really excited about it too. The destructible environments were particularly disappointing; not in the least bit dynamic.

duckmouth

This has potential. Not sure why everyone is shitting on it.

TK423

This is going to be rated AO. There's no way that a game depicting SMOKING is going to be allowed in the US. Not if the new prohibition movement has anything to say about it.

Kohath

@harshakamikaze:

They expected CoD4 to be a failure? Dude, what are you smoking? They know IW is their big money maker, projections were through the roof based off the buzz the game was getting. This is just so they can release a CoD game every year, and still have 2 year dev cycles, hence 2 devs.

Meohfumado

Treyarch's poor work on the Spider-Man 3 games worries me a good deal.

But, the concept descriped above sounds pretty exciting and being able to play co-op is the only way you can motivate me to play online. I need some element of the single-player game in there or I fall asleep on the spot.

Worst case, we'll take another year off while waiting for Infinity Ward's CoD6.

sascha23

Great, so this franchise is going to be fucking driven to the ground then... R.I.P Call Of Duty.

-MoarPlz-

@duckmouth: sniff, all I wanted was the choppers. There were so many in COD4 so many wonderful choppers....waaah

excel_excel

@y2julio:

I played the demo fr Bad Company. I wouldn't call it horrible. The gameplay was a little blase, but it wasn't bad, it was just borrowed pretty much entirely from COD4. But the writing seemed pretty strong, and I liked the characters, which almost never happens in the short length of a demo.

etho

Well, I'm willing to be optimistic about this. Treyarch seems a little hit and miss, but I see no reason this couldn't be a hit. I'm not enthusiastic about going back to WW2, though I'll admit that the pacific theatre seems like it has some untapped potential. I'll see what it sounds like at release.

etho

seriously? we're still doing this WWII thing?

tripleripus

That just sucks, I will *NOT* be buying COD5, thank you very much. They should have made COD5 in the near future like GRAW, not in WWII. You think that Activision would have realized this after COD4 sold so well. Everyone is sick of WWII. Hitler is dead, the wars over, just leave it be. Good god, I thought after graduating from high school I wouldn't have to hear about WWII but every friggin' day WWII comes up somehow. Its the 21st century, FORGET WORLD WAR II PEOPLE. ITS OVER, WE DON"T HAVE TO RE-LIVE IT EVERY OTHER FRIGGIN DAY!!!

Although, I could see a cool adventure game if you were like a POW trapped in Auswitch or something. Then you would have to eat snakes and rats ala MGS3 and talk to other prisoners to get like a spoon to carve an escape tunnel. There is still narrative there. But enough with the Allied forces saving the day. Thats not the way it happened and everyone knows it.

cybereality

Hooo boy. In regard to effective storytelling, why is the video game response always to make it "grittier."

Already, it sounds like this game is going to simply be one massive reaction to Call of Duty 4.

Cam_Ras

@kevinl: Maybe you don't get it, but IW has near nothing to say about the CoD franchise as the franchise is owned by Activision (who also own Infinity Ward btw). The contract you are talking about is a rumor made by an ex employee because he was probably enraged for getting fired by Activision a few months earlier.

As for CoD5, I'm really excited. Treyarch took just 11 months to make a mediocre game from the ground up for multiple platforms with one team while also working on CoD2: Big Red One, now they got two years, multiple development teams and an already functional engine to work with. I think this is their chance to prove they are able to make a great CoD game if people just gave them a chance.

Sainted

@excaliburps: Is it the mashed potato train?
Also, I'm just as sick as everyone else with the WW II story. Stick to the modern one. There are pleanty of recent battles you can base a fictional or non-fictional story line on. Please bring back I dub.

Sickofitall

SPOILARS!!! OMG WTF KOTAKU!!!!! [/sarcasm]

I kinda liked COD3. Not as much as IW's CODs, for sure, but I still thought it was a good game. So I'll keep this one on my radar.

ShirtGuyDom

@Acebuckeye13: Well, that's the most reasoned answer I've yet heard. But I'd still call that more a minor difference than a truly different game. And I wasn't really advocating those settings, so much as pointing out that changing the theater of the most over-used war in Video Games wasn't really a major leap in gameplay. And using bayonets and bunkers could just as easily apply to WWI or Vietnam as WWII in the Pacific. I mean, the Germans had bayonets in WWII, just no game has really tried to implement that kind of AI. Bayonets were purely a weapon of last resort or psychological in nature post-US Civil War, anyhow (if not prior to that).

Age of Empires wasn't an FPS, of course. And yes, most of these settings didn't have nearly as many different weapons, but that could be used as a challenge in level and game design, not just a 'we can't do anything with it' idea. Flame-throwers, mortars, rocket-launchers, tanks, chemical weapons and grenades were all first used in WWI. So there's plenty that could be done there, if they wanted.

My point is just that CoD4 brought a LOT of new stuff to the mix. CoD5 is going back to a well that a lot of folks have drawn water from...and while they might manage to make something great and new from it, there's not a huge chance that they will, given Treyarch's history and the source material in question.

I'd love to be proven wrong...but this presser doesn't give much hope. As for the massacre being asked about, that was the "Nanking Massacre". All but the most hard-line right-wing Japanese accept that it occurred, although the exact number killed is in debate. Even Japanese hardline nationalists admit several hundred...but most reasonable estimates are from 100-200,000 killed.

WizarDru

@Kohath:

Yeah- because the cigarette smoking in the Metal Gear series, as well as it's portrayal in COD4 (your SAS commander smokes during cinematics) made both of those games AO.

Oh wait- you were trying to be funny, weren't you?

I dunno folks, when I see the name Treyarch on a box, I think shovelware. Anyone else? Have these guys ever released a game of their own? Or do they just make a business of tarnishing the IP of talented developers by churning out me-too ports and sequels all the time?

stranger

@TheDormouse: UO multi was in fact fantastic... though it was better when tanks were disabled.

I'll give Treyarch the benefit of the the doubt on this one, even though CoD3 wasn't so wonderful. Maybe the more powerful engine plus some familiarity with making a console version will put this game on the right track.

And to the whiners, it's not like you're going to lose out on anything. It's still going to come out at the same time, and be the same game as if Treyarch wasn't making theirs. The only difference is it will be called CoD6 instead of CoD5.

PegasusActual

@Meohfumado: Yes, I highly doubt many big name publishers would finance a game with that sort of subject matter and, if produced, the criticism received would be endless.

It's just tiring to see this sort of portrayal through and through again.

sir_carrot

Nothing will ever convince me to play another game set in WWII. I don't care if it is a different theater. I don't care if there is co-op. I don't care if it is hailed as the best game ever made. MOHAA kicked this trend off six fucking years ago, and with CoD4 I was hoping the end was in sight, but apparently not.

Gouki4u

I think I have heard enough talk of throat slashing within the past couple days, thanks.

Yuki

@sir_carrot:

You really think American developers are going to make a game where America is the bad guy?

You know...cause we see so many German films about Nazi war crimes, and Japanese films about Japanese war crimes during WWII....

Oh wait...you don't.

Guess no country likes airing their dirty laundry do they?

Meohfumado

Thanks for the heads up. I don't need the excessive gore or another WW2 shooter. I'll be skipping this one, as well as any modern CoD sequel that doesn't feature vehicles.

Ma1agate

I've never been fond of war games or films. The films, at least, often claim to 'show the horror of war,' rather than attempting to glorify it. Letters from Iwo Jima was a moving example. In video games, however, it's a bit more difficult to find redemption.

CoD4 seemed particularly tasteless. Cheap shots at 'terrorists' turn me off in the current political environment. It seems like US Nationalist glorification to me.

And now this game? It sounds like a rather shitty depiction of the Bad Guys, in this case, the Japanese. Where's the war games where the US are the tyrants? That seems far closer to the truth.

sir_carrot

i never even noticed the COD series until cod4 came out. guess it is back to waiting for 6.

maraxusofk

OK lets think about this for a second...

What weapon unlocks could there possibly be for a WW2 game?

If the developers dump the unlocks a small part of me will die inside.

Sorry guys but I'm having a hard time thinking where you can build "new fun" in to the status quo you already have.

axiomatic

I'll just keep my eye on this one. I'm not going to hype it up. And hey, it might surprise me, like Boom Blox.

KM91

Lots of poor, unsuspecting people are going to buy this game and be really disappointed. i feel sorry for them. Also, shame on Activision for beating a skeletal horse.

Placentasaurus

They're trying to replicate COD4's drama and stuff. Like the execution scene. I suspect they'll fail miserably...

Samos42

epic fail

KosherInfidel

As soon as I saw WWII, it became immediately apparent that I will never, ever play this game. Unless that is, the campaign is from the Japanese perspective instead of the American one. I'm a little tired of playing the side that is constantly screwing the pooch so hard that it needs to be in the bathroom for an hour with a tube of soothing cream.

CyberSkull

everyone attacks Treyarch for COD3
What you need to be aware of is Treyarch had like 9 months to make COD3 not just ps2,xbox,and gamecube but also PS3 and Xbox 360 , while it wasn't awesome , i'd really like to see any other DEV make 5 sku's in 9 months and come out a AAA+ title I'm really proud of the COD team, they worked their butts off to make that happen

coderneedsfood

@quen: (Just because nobody's mentioned it thus far) You're thinking of the rape on Nanking.

FellTheDabus

@coderneedsfood: Ok, so we're supposed to be happy that Treyarch put out a very bland FPS experience in CoD3 because they got in a rush? Thats like saying folks shouldn't have been pissed off about the ending to Halo 2 stopping where it did.

Seriously though, I don't think it would have taken more than 30 minutes of playtesting for the playtesters to start screaming about unskippable (and boring) intro cutscenes, even when you're continuing from halfway through the level. Do I really need to see going to an airfield for 5+ minutes just so I can start shooting folks in the head?

So, in conclusion, there's no excuse for bad games. After CoD4, we're all spoiled rotten on the wonderful taste of fine wine and 5-star restraunts, and expecting us not to complain about having to go back to drinking cheap booze and McDonalds... Hell no.

Salen

Alright, Treyarch is good making Spider-Man games, wait, correction, Spider-Man 1 and 2, but not Call of Duty. Seriously, back to WWII? What's next, WWI? The Civil War? The War of 1812? THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION?

Dekabreak

they didn't 'get' in a rush , they were put into crunch mode immediately after being in crunch mode already
i totally agree that more QA would have been awesome and helped the game massively ,
i just don't its cool to bash on the Team for that
an awful lot of decisions were either out of the team's hands or problems were discovered too late into the project for anything reasonable to be done about it in the time left

I'm 100% sure that none of the development staff were happy with having 9 months to do 5 sku's in

comparing it to COD2 or Halo2 is a little unfair in a sense, because both those games were in development a LOT longer and had loads of QA and game play testing , i think given with the same amount of time, the COD team at Treyarch will bring it and i really hope you will eat your words

if not i'll eat mine , only time will tell

"After CoD4, we're all spoiled rotten on the wonderful taste of fine wine and 5-star restraunts, and expecting us not to complain about having to go back to drinking cheap booze and McDonalds..."

interesting point , no one is holding a gun to your head :)

coderneedsfood

So that's where David Bowie has been all these time!

VakeroRokero

WW2? um... What?!?! pass.

wrecks

I don't understand why Treyarch are involved in this game at all anymore. The IW games are much much better. Looks like I'll be waiting for CoD6

bigmil87

So much hate for Treyarch. They only had 8 or 9 months to develop CoD3, which I thought was kinda a fun game. Do I think CoD4 is better? Sure. But I'll be waiting to actually play CoD5 before I drink the hater-ade yall are selling. Plus, I likes me some Co-op.

Numerous

I think that medal of honour airbourne was a great effort by EA, EA should make the next WW2 game and then COD5 can be 'not a ww2 game', everyone wins.

BR4DL3I9H

damn! didnt they learn from how bad call of duty 3 was? and come on world war 2 again! the pacific theatre isnt that interesting, since medal of honors game was bad.

MEGA7RON

I had this info almost 4 months ago: [deathmetalhellyeah.blogspot.com]

and I submitted the info to Kotaku when Surfergirl ran with the info, Kotaku ignored it:
[deathmetalhellyeah.blogspot.com]

Now most of the info is official that I broke months ago [using CoD4 engine, PC port, online co-op, Bond using CoD4 engine and new Tony Hawk will use it as well] except they're mum about the new weapons, so allow me:

THERE IS A FLAMETHROWER IN COD5 and it rocks, hard.

Chairlunchdinner

@coderneedsfood: Yes, it might seem unfair to bash on the team because it wasn't their fault, but since we're all a bunch of gamers around here, we're all in the mood for playing "The Blame Game". And frankly, most folks are going to blame the folks who MADE the game, and not the problems they had with making. No one wants excuses, we want heads to roll! Or at least pixelated heads to roll, preferably in a good game.

"interesting point , no one is holding a gun to your head :)"

No one is forcing us to play CoD5, thats true because most of the folks seem to be in the mindset to skip the title now, if you read even half the comments posted so far. Part of the problem is that as fans of CoD, we WANT to see CoD5 done well, and after the issues that arose with CoD3, our expectations for CoD5 are rather low.

We only complain because we want to see CoD done well. I'm sorry if our hopes and desires for a good game are founded on the awesomeness that was CoD4 and seeing such a awesome step forward in CoD4 taking a possibly huge step BACK in CoD5 is rather heart breaking.

Salen

i hope Cod5 will prove all the haters wrong , i really HOPE
not holding my breath though :)

coderneedsfood

Mark this on the skipped list. If its not infinity ward call of duty its not worth playing.

J0hnny-Kickass

@dunnace: like Cod3 was nice? Not only were there shadows below the character models but also above as well as up the walls of anything lucky enough to be against them.
As far as WWII, it's been done over and over and it was never really that much fun anyway. Return to Castle Wolfenstein now that was fun ... even BloodRayne was fun. Put some damn zombies in it already ... you remember ... slow dumb brain eating living infecting survivor out numbering walking dead.

hollowfreak

what about WWI thats a thought it could be cool

Willemsoflancaster

yay, Treyarch has been given the opportunity to ruin CoD one more time, the return to WW2 of course a disappointment, but what they did to the multiplayer game was horrendous! a 2 year wait for a (proper) sequel is nothing new.

jabman

Treyarch sucks ass.

kariido

Not only will call of duty 5 be going back in time in setting, they will also be going back in time sales wise to pre call of duty 4 numbers

SmokeFemur

what a waste

balaamsafe

This game is going to suck. WW2 games are really boring. No fun at all. They just get too old to fast. No one wants a new WW2 game! Why don't they just stick to COD4s formula? Modern combat is where its at.

dkgshiz300

I enjoy how people seem to forget that the popularity of the first two Call of Duty games were forged in the idea that people were tired of EA's Medal of Honor series and wanted something more cinematic and intense.

Believe it or not, Call of Duty 4 did not spend much time installed on my PC. I found the scripted events, lack of cover, and linear levels to be hindering and reeking of early 2000's FPSes. Call of Duty 4 actually felt like a step backwards after playing GRAW, R6:V, and GoW.

And outside of Medal of Honor Pacific and maybe a couple of bargain-bin games, there have not been many WWII games focused on the Japanese Theatre. The Japanese were ruthless soldiers and fighting them was nothing like fighting the Germans. As a preview poster said, the Japanese ground fighting was more akin to Vietnam than the European theatre, just with 40's era weaponry. The Japanese would publicly behead Allied soldiers, as well as flay them open and hang the bodies from trees to scare villagers and soldiers.

The Japanese theater might just be the fresh air the genre needs.

It could also be its death knell.

We'll see. I doubt I'll like it (CoD3 wasn't very good) but maybe Treyarch hasn't wasted the two years they've had to work on it.

tlozwarlock

jun581: good bye Mr Lawrence or something like that ...

redoid