If you’ve ever played console or PC games or know someone who has within the past 5 years, then you’ll know one of the biggest franchises around is Activision’s Call of Duty franchise. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is set to be released this holiday season, and along with it, is a completely new and ambitious online experience known as Call of Duty Elite which will have a big mobile presence.
Before we get in to the mobile side of things, we feel we need to explain what Call of Duty Elite is exactly. Call of Duty Elite will be the sweet, delicious icing on an already filling and delicious 8-layer chocolate cake. The premise behind the service can’t be quickly summarized as it offers so much for Call of Duty fans. One of the first things users will be able to do is connect with other players, whether they be friends, family, or anyone who shares the same interest as them, and allow them to play together or compare their stats regardless of where they play Call of Duty. The amount of things players will be able to do in Call of Duty Elite is mind-blowing as players will be able to engage in a number of challenges together or against one another. The service will also allow players to compete against for real prizes, such as a Jeep or an iPad, by completing specific challenges that will be regularly updated during the life of Call of Duty Elite. An example that was shown during the demo was submitting any videos you have linked with your Call of Duty Elite profile that shows a kill with a tomahawk.
Activision promises players will be able to experience Call of Duty Elite through one of four methods: web, TV via game console, in-game, and mobile. The developers of Call of Duty Elite mentioned iPad, iPhone, and Android specifically during the demo, but have said they won’t rule out supporting any other mobile OS that’s released in the mobile space. Each mobile OS will have its own dedicated app that will allow users to get their Call of Duty Elite fix while on the go. An iPad was used during the demo to show how the Call of Duty Elite website would work, but Activison didn’t want to stop there as dedicated apps would be the most ideal way of delivering the Call of Duty Elite experience to mobile users. A very early alpha build of the iPhone app was shown showing off all of the same content that could be experienced on the website. You could view your stats, friends, and challenges, and Activision hopes to be able to use push notifications to relay messages from Call of Duty Elite to the user while they’re on the go. Phones wouldn’t be the only mobile devices to get some Call of Duty Elite love as Activision also plans on supporting the iPad and Android tablets too.
Call of Duty Elite isn’t a first of its kind as other games have offered similar experiences with their games without the need of giving them a fancy name. The thing that sets Call of Duty Elite apart is the promise to keep the experience going beyond Modern Warfare 3. As long as you play a Call of Duty game, you’ll know that Call of Duty Elite will be right there keeping tabs of your stats, keeping players unified, and giving everyone the opportunity to win prizes just for doing what they already love to do – playing Call of Duty.
