More is emerging from Activision's recent earnings call in terms of the company's thinking about the future of its major franchises: Call of Duty in particular.
Speaking about pricing for the ever more valuable DLC revenue streams that enable all publishers to extract more cash from existing game ideas, COO Thomas Tippl explained:
"So, with regard to the Map Pack, I think they've been selling incredibly well. As you know, we've expanded the number of maps that we are providing as part of that release. And therefore, the $15 price point has still provided a fantastic value to gamers and is also evidenced by the billions of hours that people are playing the game online.
"So, we think that has worked. We have currently the second Map Pack in development at Infinity Ward. So we expect this to be launch sometime later this year. And we haven't made any comment beyond that at this point. And I'll let Mike handle the question on the Blizzard release schedule."
What do you think about DLC pricing? Tell us in the Forum.
Speaking about pricing for the ever more valuable DLC revenue streams that enable all publishers to extract more cash from existing game ideas, COO Thomas Tippl explained:
"So, with regard to the Map Pack, I think they've been selling incredibly well. As you know, we've expanded the number of maps that we are providing as part of that release. And therefore, the $15 price point has still provided a fantastic value to gamers and is also evidenced by the billions of hours that people are playing the game online.
"So, we think that has worked. We have currently the second Map Pack in development at Infinity Ward. So we expect this to be launch sometime later this year. And we haven't made any comment beyond that at this point. And I'll let Mike handle the question on the Blizzard release schedule."
What do you think about DLC pricing? Tell us in the Forum.
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Comments
deleted 7 May 2010 12:26
1/5
Activision have taken pure advantage of the consumer based on the success of COD4:MW sure MW2 is good and great on-line although nothing compared to its predecessor, but rather than thank the customers that bought the game (which was overly priced to begin with, thank god for Tesco and Asda not being friends) in the millions they said i know! lets see how much we can make the consumer pay for 3 new maps and 2 old ones.
Activision should of given the two remakes away for free as a thank you and charged for the new maps now if there was 5 new maps for $15.00/£10.00 then i reckon that would of been ok!
Activision should of given the two remakes away for free as a thank you and charged for the new maps now if there was 5 new maps for $15.00/£10.00 then i reckon that would of been ok!
Johnboy 7 May 2010 23:22
2/5
I love the map pack but for £10.99 that is just a bit of a piss take, considering I already paid £70 for the hardened edition of the game.
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Mira 8 May 2010 16:15
3/5
Activision are just milking the cash cow now, by deliberatly preventing user made content through not releasing mod tools they can charge however much they want for their maps when they aren't even new. Alongside the fact that the game already cost 50 quid standard 2 quid a map is extortionate. This compared with a game like team fortress 2 which releases massive updates for absolutely no cost, largely encourages user made content and still has turned a hefty profit with a strong fanbase a few years after the games release makes me wonder how these people can justify CODs map pack prices.
cloudshaped 9 May 2010 01:23
4/5
For the PS3 its great value-for-money!!
I've sucessfully managed to install on 4 different PS3s!!
£10.99/4 is < £2.75 each!
£2.75 for 4 maps is pretty damn good!!
now, the only problem is the lack of control over game type on the stimulus maps! :/
I've sucessfully managed to install on 4 different PS3s!!
£10.99/4 is < £2.75 each!
£2.75 for 4 maps is pretty damn good!!
now, the only problem is the lack of control over game type on the stimulus maps! :/
mainz 9 May 2010 15:58
5/5
agree with haritori completely, now the industry know such over priced, over-hyped (pretty insignificant at times) additional downloads can work ...expect to see them with almost every big release, with big price tags. I think this is a pretty rough state of affairs and a step in the wrong direction, as the big companies monetize what us modders and dedicated gamers once did for each other. C.R.E.A.M. :)