I must admit, I was skeptical about the service and it’s value add for even the most intense Call of Duty players. I was impressed with what I heard during the event and saw during my hands-on time. First, it’s important to note that even those with beta access to Elite aren’t seeing the whole picture. The service won’t be complete until Modern Warfare launches with Elite fully integrated.
Elite is a paid service, but there is so much available for free, that even if you aren’t interested in paying, you’ll get some benefit. Call of Duty Elite was built on three principles:
1) Don’t remove anything the consumer already gets for free
2) Make the entire Call of Duty experience better
3) Offer a premium package for passionate Call of Duty players
The free features include:
– Web-based management of your profile, including heat maps
– The ability to create and tweak classes and loadouts
– Facebook integrations
– The full Elite experience within Modern Warfare 3, immediately updated after each game
– Free iOS and Android apps that provide the entire Elite experience
– Video sharing in HD (with 8x the storage available to premium members)
– Immediate game syncing when changes are made using the web, iOS or Android apps
With regard to premium content, the annual subscription price will be $49.99. Activision is planning for $60 worth of DLC, which is included in the Elite subscription. For non-premium members, this will arrive in 4 packs, just like with Black Ops. For premium members, the content will be broken up so that there is something new monthly. In addition, new content will go beyond maps and will include new Spec Ops missions and game types.
Premium members can also participate in daily, refereed competitions for both real and digital prizes. Elite premium clans can also level up by participating in competitions and daily challenges. Additionally, premium members can access expert strategies and analysis from the best Call of Duty players in the world. Finally, Activision is working with Tony and Ridley Scott on show that will be distributed via Elite entitled Friday Night Fights. The idea is for real-life rivals (sports, political, etc.) to duke it out in Call of Duty. Additionally, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman are working with Activision to create a show called NoobTube, that will highlight trash talking in Call of Duty. As those shows will use Modern Warfare 3, we weren’t able to get more details.
If the $49.99 price tag seems daunting, there are a couple of things to consider. First, the entry fee includes 100% of the MW3 DLC. You’re saving $10 right away. Additionally, if you purchase the Hardened Edition, you get a year of Elite included, along with lifetime Founder status. If you do the math, purchasing the Hardened Edition for $99.99 saves you $20 on the DLC. For those that have enjoyed Call of Duty multiplayer in the past and expect to be playing this for at least six months after launch, the standard edition is a waste of money. Focus on the Hardened or Prestige.
The last bit of information that Activision dropped on us before sending us off to play MW3, was that there will be a limited edition Modern Warfare 3 XBox 360. The unit will have custom Call of Duty sound effects, two stylized controllers with the new D-Pad, a copy of Modern Warfare 3, a 320 GB hard drive and the new Modern Warfare 3 wireless/bluetooth headset. The controllers and headset will also be available separately.
The new Modern Warfare 3-branded console is available for pre-order right now (check out the photo of the unit below).
Stay tuned for multiplayer impressions and more news coming out of Call of Duty XP 2011.
