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How Call Of Duty Could Improve If Microsoft Deal Goes Through, According To Activision Boss

Deerock71

Member
Uh Huh Sure GIF
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I think 343i should do all the Call of Duty games. What are the odds they could fridge two major franchises in a decade? Almost zero.

343 has had massive restructuring so safe to say whatever next game they make will probably have a very different feel.

Good as in terrible?

No, good as in good. I'm not conflating the games multiplayer related issues, the single player campaign is actually good. The closest the franchise has come to the original Halo since the last couple of games at least.
 

Saber

Member
I doubt something would change. They would still release CoD with very short distances between each other and the tech would vary sightly, I doubt they would use anything Microsoft offer and risk damaging their bread and butter. The only difference would be that one day or another the game would be exclusive.
 
Call of duty will regress even further if acquired by Microsoft. It’s basically a death sentence for call of duty if the acquisition goes through. Microsoft have shown time and time again that they’re incapable of proper studios management. This has been the rule and while there have been a couple of exceptions(Forza horizon, flight simulator), they’re still just exceptions to the rule. Microsoft acquired ninja theory, Hellblade nowhere to be seen. Acquired Mojang, done absolutely nothing to improve the ip. Red fall, starfield, the latest Forza Motorsport are some of the recent average to below average releases.

I think it takes a particular type of person to keep Activision churning and Bobby is a ruthless bastard but he gets results. If anything, if the acquisition goes through, Bobby should replace Spencer at Microsoft.
 
No, good as in good. I'm not conflating the games multiplayer related issues, the single player campaign is actually good. The closest the franchise has come to the original Halo since the last couple of games at least.
I’m not talking about the multiplayer either, but the campaign was serviceable at best. It had all of the things everybody always complains about open worlds, copy/paste Ubisoft style, and the main missions took you to the same looking locations over and over again, with a mediocre story, so so combat and an okay soundtrack. If we were to rate the original 10/10, because it is pretty close to that in my opinion. Then this by comparison is like a 3/10.
 

King Dazzar

Member
Dear oh dear. See this is why for me the argument from the Xbox focused side is lost before it even gets going. If we're saying Infinites campaign is good, then lets face it. COD could carry on being Vanguard's level of mediocrity and get away with it. Nobody is aspiring or pushing for greatness. Xbox, just leave the bar set low, as the fans are applauding regardless.
 

MiguelItUp

Member
Right, I wonder how? Just give me new GREAT maps, perks, weapons, and NEW in-game mechanics and gameplay changes, and I'll be happy. A lot of what COD has seen for several years now is just the same thing over and over with the smallest paint changes. It could be so much more, but I guess when the money keeps coming, why change too much if it still makes money?
 

BouncyFrag

Member
Bethesda can release Dagoth Ur to direct CoD projects going forward to honor the Sixth House and the Tribe Unmourned.
 

analog_future

Resident Crybaby
Doubt. I’ve seen microsofts average releases.

Microsoft's first party releases over the last 3 years:

  • Forza Motorsport - 85 review avg
  • Starfield - 86 review avg
  • Redfall - 56 review avg
  • Hi-Fi Rush - 89 review avg
  • Ghostwire Tokyo - 78 review avg
  • Minecraft Legends - 71 review avg
  • Age of Empires IV - 81 review avg
  • Pentiment - 86 review avg
  • Deathloop - 89 review avg
  • Grounded - 83 review avg
  • Halo Infinite - 87 review avg
  • Forza Horizon 5 - 92 review avg
  • Psychonauts 2 - 89 review avg
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator - 91 review average


Literally every game in this list outside of Redfall and Minecraft Legends have scored higher than any Call of Duty game over the same time span.
 

Bernardougf

Member
Dear oh dear. See this is why for me the argument from the Xbox focused side is lost before it even gets going. If we're saying Infinites campaign is good, then lets face it. COD could carry on being Vanguard's level of mediocrity and get away with it. Nobody is aspiring or pushing for greatness. Xbox, just leave the bar set low, as the fans are applauding regardless.
Perfect. But is "free" on gamepass!
 

anothertech

Member
This dude doesn't give a shit about improving the game lol. He wants the money so he can skip town when the world's most popular game sales gets cut in half.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Microsoft's first party releases over the last 3 years:
  • Forza Motorsport - 85 review avg
  • Starfield - 86 review avg
  • Redfall - 56 review avg
  • Hi-Fi Rush - 89 review avg
  • Ghostwire Tokyo - 78 review avg
  • Minecraft Legends - 71 review avg
  • Age of Empires IV - 81 review avg
  • Pentiment - 86 review avg
  • Deathloop - 89 review avg
  • Grounded - 83 review avg
  • Halo Infinite - 87 review avg
  • Forza Horizon 5 - 92 review avg
  • Psychonauts 2 - 89 review avg
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator - 91 review average
Literally every game in this list outside of Redfall and Minecraft Legends have scored higher than any Call of Duty game over the same time span.


You're going to confuse him with objective metrics.
 
Microsoft's first party releases over the last 3 years:

  • Forza Motorsport - 85 review avg Actual Score 84
  • Starfield - 86 review avg Actual score 84
  • Redfall - 56 review avg
  • Hi-Fi Rush - 89 review avg Actual Score 87
  • Ghostwire Tokyo - 78 review avg
  • Minecraft Legends - 71 review avg
  • Age of Empires IV - 81 review avg
  • Pentiment - 86 review avg
  • Deathloop - 89 review avg
  • Grounded - 83 review avg Actual score 82
  • Halo Infinite - 87 review avg
  • Forza Horizon 5 - 92 review avg
  • Psychonauts 2 - 89 review avg Actual score 87
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator - 91 review average


Literally every game in this list outside of Redfall and Minecraft Legends have scored higher than any Call of Duty game over the same time span.
Laughable as most of this were in progress before being purchased by microsoft. Also I've fixed the incorrect metacritic scores above because we're clearly lying here.
 

Hawke502

Member
Laughable as most of this were in progress before being purchased by microsoft. Also I've fixed the incorrect metacritic scores above because we're clearly lying here.
Why when we talk about the problems that Starfied has its "see, Microsoft couldn''t improve a game" but when someone points out the reception of those games its "but they were in development before the acquisition"? If anything Microsoft saved Starfield from being a clusterfuck by allowing Bethesda the luxury of delaying it for a year.

Btw: the two highest scoring game on that list were developed fully under Microsoft.
 

analog_future

Resident Crybaby
Laughable as most of this were in progress before being purchased by microsoft. Also I've fixed the incorrect metacritic scores above because we're clearly lying here.

So bad games that were in progress before being purchased by Microsoft count against them but good games don't count for them?

Am I understanding correctly? Is that how that works?
 
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King Dazzar

Member
Why when we talk about the problems that Starfied has its "see, Microsoft couldn''t improve a game" but when someone points out the reception of those games its "but they were in development before the acquisition"? If anything Microsoft saved Starfield from being a clusterfuck by allowing Bethesda the luxury of delaying it for a year.

Btw: the two highest scoring game on that list were developed fully under Microsoft.
That can flip flop either way you want to spin it though. Why did Redfail come out if MS were the white knights you think they are? I genuinely believe MS have allowed lots of autonomy - if nothing else, its a far easier way of managing studios , especially after acquisition.
 

Hawke502

Member
That can flip flop either way you want to spin it though. Why did Redfail come out if MS were the white knights you think they are? I genuinely believe MS have allowed lots of autonomy - if nothing else, its a far easier way of managing studios , especially after acquisition.
I agree, but people have to be consistent wether they have to account for game being developed prior acquisitions or not. I don't think MS are the white knights, i certainly think the extreme hands off approach has with these studios can be problematic and while allowed Bethesda to delay Starfield by a year, also allowed Arkane Austin to launch Redfall like we know it launched, if MS was supervising Arkane more closely maybe they wouldn't let it happen and would have delayed the game (focus on maybe).

But i think there are concrete things to see in some of those games that were possible thanks to Microsoft as well: Tim Schafer spoke on record how there would be no boss battles in Psychonauts 2 if not for the extra budget Microsoft gave them to finish their game, Brian Fargo talked about how it was possible to have Wasteland 3 fully voiced over and Pentiment is as passion project that exists because of Microsoft. It's not all doom and gloom.
 

Gavon West

Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads
Those "vast resources" sure worked well for the other IP's MS bought...lol
Call of Duty is dead to me anyway, I'm glad it'll all be available on gamepass so i can play all the good ones there.
Comments like this are bizarre to me; like, to a lot of people, we're still in the Xbox One days or something. Xbox is a MAJOR disruptor right now because of the moves they've made just in the last six years. They are literally changing the gaming landscape as we speak.

Are we on the same timeline my guy? Genuine question.
 
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