Call of Duty Elite to Take Features Out of New Call of Duty Games, Charge Players to Use Them

When Modern Warfare 3 releases later this year, CoD fans will be able to connect, compete and improve their Call of Duty multiplayer experience through Activision�s new online service, Call of Duty Elite.

In a nutshell: They will take features out of the games and put them in this online service, then, will start charging you for it, someday soon. This means you will then pay more for the same gameplay experience you have been getting already.

Developed from the ground up by Activision�s new Beachhead studio, Call of Duty Elite offers cutting-edge features that significantly enhance the franchises� multiplayer experience and deliver a new level of social engagement that will unite more than 30 million players worldwide.   Additionally, the service will offer exclusive, high-production value, original entertainment programming designed exclusively for the Call of Duty community.

Call of Duty Elite will include several industry-first innovations, and is designed to reset the bar for what players can expect from a multiplayer experience for this year�s most anticipated game,  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.   Elite will offer two-way communication between the service and the game, so that the choices and decisions that players make in Elite through the mobile and web interfaces will affect their in-game experience.  The service will be fully integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and will launch alongside the game on November 8, 2011.

Call of Duty Elite�s features and services engage the community in three key ways:

·Connect: Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social network. Players can compete against friends, players of similar skill levels and players with similar interests, join groups, join clans, and play in organized tournaments. They can also track the performance, progress and activity of their entire network, both in the game itself, as well as through mobile and web interfaces.  Elite will be an "always on" way for players to connect with the Call of Duty community. 

Isn�t that why we have PSN and XBLA?

·Compete: Call of Duty Elite establishes the most exciting, competitive environment in a multiplayer game.  Players will have available a constant stream of events and competitions, tiered to group them with those with similar abilities. Both in-game and real-world prizes will be rewarded to all skill levels.

·Improve:  Call of Duty Elite is like having a personal online coach. It provides players with a dynamic strategy guide that tracks their statistics and performances down to the most minute details.  It can show gamers how they stack up against their friends or others in the community. Tools and information are provided so players can learn and up their game.

Carrying forward to future Call of Duty games, Elite will chronicle a player�s gameplay history in a cohesive career record, keeping track of every kill, every game and progress.

HALO has a free application that does this right on XBLA you might recall. 

Many key features of Call of Duty Elite will be available to Call of Duty players free of charge.  

NOTE: It says many key features, meaning, you will be paying for some already.

Additionally, for players who want to up their game, Call of Duty Elite will offer a premium membership with a wide range of state-of-the-art services, exclusive entertainment programming and all-inclusive game content for less than the cost of any comparable online entertainment service currently in the market. 

The service will be accessible on a number of platforms -- via web browsers, mobile devices, through game consoles and within the game interface itself -- so that players can connect with Call of Duty Elite whenever and wherever they want.

Call of Duty Elite will launch this fall with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. However, to test the scale of the service, Activision will hold a public beta this summer for Elite with Call of Duty: Black Ops. 

It appears that Activision believes they now have you by the nads and can pretty much do whatever they want to make you pay more for the same gameplay. It�s an idea that�s going to be worth tens of millions of dollars of your hard earned cash.