What Call Of Duty Can Learn From Destiny

I am one of those suckers who has just picked up Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered. I bloody loved that game on first release and the pull of nostalgia got me in the end. While playing the multiplayer, it became apparent that almost every other entry in the COD franchise since has tried to re-create the magic formula. 

This is not really shocking or particularly new epiphany but it got me thinking about the new world-building models currently out at the moment as seen in Destiny and The Division. The future of gaming seems to be building rabid fanbases and selling updates and new content (or even better giving away for free a la Overwatch) instead of releasing yearly games in the franchise. Call of Duty needs to adopt this approach…badly! 

I have not purchased or cared for a COD game since the end of the PS3 era. I rented Advanced Warfare to see if anything had changed and like most I kind of shrugged my shoulders and pined for the golden era of the cod franchise. 

There is little arguing that people feel well and truly burnt out by COD (even if it still sells very well). Gone are the days where it holds the belt as the best shooter on the market. Destiny is a really good example of having a very dedicated fanbase and benefitting wholly for it. People felt like they were getting something back from their DLC purchase, it actually expanded the game and made it worthwhile. The first Destiny was proof of concept while Destiny 2 seems to be doubling down on that model and will probably stick around for much longer as the infrastructure will be more solid and off to a better start. 

I have been saying for years that COD needs to release some kind of online only version with all the legacy maps and modes. The fanbase is there for the picking and they can do huge amounts of up-sell in the game (not a fan of that but as a business this would be lucrative to say the least). This would also appeal to the pro player as they wouldn't have to keep shelling out for a new game every year. A ‘Destiny model’ approach is more than overdue, yet we're getting WW2 version of COD again but so what? Why not just do that as DLC on an existing game that people own and has a huge user base? 

The COD games have built a rod for their own backs, they have a three year development cycle for their games so they are three years behind the trend. They have several separate developers in the franchise so who would make this ‘Call of Duty World?’ This is one of the many reasons this may never happen: too many vested interests and too much money to be had selling annual releases. This also brings me round to the next sticking point, I just paid £35 for a nine year old game. The studio heads now have an open goal to remaster all the other ‘classic’ COD games so why would they give us what they want and build an eco-system that has all that built in? Simply put, they probably won’t. These remasters will keep selling and idiots like me will buy them. 

 
Jake Buchanan | @hdd_heart