There comes a time when a franchise starts to become stale and personally Call of Duty has been headed that way for years now, with the forced yearly instalments we have new games shoved down our throats and its getting tiresome. There was once a time to be excited for these games but personally I feel that this died out after Ghosts, sure Advanced Warfare was good but where was the excitement. Now we have Infinite Warfare coming and you know what I don’t care, we have hit a time where these games have grown tired and predictable and it says a lot when a secondary announcement means more than the major one.
When Activision and Infinity Ward revealed Infinite Warfare they also revealed that they would be bringing a remastered version of a much loved game in the series to life. This is Call of Duty Modern Warfare, this game stems from an era when it was exciting to see a new game in the franchise and this reveal is what got fans excited. It was not Infinite Warfare, it was Modern Warfare and it says a lot, one as a reflection of the state of the franchise, and secondly as a showing of what fans want, but guess what you likely won’t be playing it.
To get Modern Warfare Remastered you will need to spend more money, this game will only be available as part of the special editions of Infinite Warfare limiting player accessibility. Furthermore, this game will not be getting a physical release either and will be stuck as a digital download connected to Infinite Warfare’s Legacy and Digital Legacy editions, there is so much wrong with this plan and honestly the release format is stupid.
When I first heard that Modern Warfare was also getting a remaster as well as a new game being released I was excited, I never played the Modern Warfare games besides one or two multiplayer matches so it was great to know I would get the chance. Perhaps it was my foolishness or naivety but I expected that Activision would bring out Modern Warfare as a physical release to coincide with the release of Infinite Warfare, it did not seem that foolish to think this.
Yet these fires have been doused and left a feeling of disappointment that extends further then the Call of Duty franchise as a whole, Activision’s confirmation that the game will be digital only and limited at that hurts those who have no interest in the newer game. I can understand why they have done this, from a business standpoint it is a work of genius, they ensure the better version of their new game sells better by including something people want, but is it worth it?
No, it is not worth it at all, I have to say it would have been much smarter for Activision and Infinity Ward to release both games physically at the same time opening the options up for consumers to choose and decide which one they want. In turn this would have prompted one of two reactions, people would buy both games, or they would show Activision what they truly wanted and bought the game they wanted which likely would have been Modern Warfare.
Unfortunately by Activision’s very decisions they have limited the fans and not considered the greater potential for profit, yes they might sell the more expensive legacy editions at a better rate, but they have not accounted for the people who would have bought Modern Warfare on the Playstation 4 or Xbox One in a heartbeat. To further add to the issue as of now they are only really considering a digital version to go with the Infinite Warfare special editions which is part of the great issue of stupid ideas, there does not even appear to be plans for the game to release as a standalone game on the digital stores (though likely they will eventually) which would hurt them more.
But of course the greater issue to this whole problem is the lack of a physical version, this is the defining point that I feel is most stupid. I understand games releasing digital only for when they are not that big of a deal, or they are small independent titles, but Modern Warfare is a big deal and a game that I don’t doubt will sell well. It is the game that I have heard the biggest outcry for, and it could potentially be a bigger deal then Infinite Warfare, although that could potentially be the problem. Modern Warfare Remastered needs a physical release and Activision needs to offer the consumers the chance to pick the game they prefer, and in addition physical options provide room for all players to have the chance.
Overall though we have to truly say it, the release format for Call of Duty Modern Warfare is stupid, first hiding it behind a paywall that extends beyond Infinite Warfare, then that they are not giving in to consumer demand and it is likely because they want Infinite Warfare to sell better. Activision has simply not thought about this all the way through and the game that got us so excited and had the potential to revitalize the franchise as a whole is simply a footnote of 2016, a game restricted by poor decisions and a stupid choice in how to release it. Activision you are welcome to retract your idea and release Modern Warfare Remastered later this year as a physical and digital standalone release, but until then your idea is stupid and will hurt consumers in the long run.
