Hobbies. Since 2003, many military operations have been carried out on the maps of the video game “Call of Duty,” making it an international success. The franchise celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday with the release of a new work.
Over the years, the Activision Blizzard franchise has become a phenomenon that attracts millions of fans around the world. In 20 years, it generated more than $30 billion in revenue for the studio and established itself as one of the industry’s biggest hits.
As a teenager, James Spratt was a fan of Call of Duty. He is now 30 years old and, much to his father’s amazement, the game has now become a source of income for him as he shares his “CoD” games live on his YouTube channel from the comfort of his living room in the UK. “When we got home from school, we would run home and form a team of six, because if you missed the opportunity to be with your friends, you played alone,” Mr. Spratt remembers.
“There is something about this game that makes me come back to it every year. “I was addicted,” he admits. The first work, created by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, was released in October 2003. Since then, “Call of Duty” has returned every fall with a new version: the next one, “Modern Warfare III,” was released this Friday. November 10th.
Annual publication
This annual rhythm has become the “secret ingredient” of the franchise, “almost like a traditional festival,” estimates Johanna Faries, general director of the game. According to Michael Pachter, entertainment software analyst at Wedbush, these annual releases are undoubtedly “the most important.” Cause” of success, with a variety of content ranging from World War II to recent conflicts including special operations.
The other driving force behind its success is the developers’ desire to continually improve the experience and give thousands of players across the Internet the opportunity to come together to have fun. “It’s not just about the game, but what it represents. Every year there is a community that continues to grow,” he remembers. “You can talk to anyone about it, on the street corner or on the Internet, everyone seems to know what ‘Call of Duty’ is.” His partner’s nephews and nieces play the game themselves, as does his brother-in-law.
“When I started playing I thought it was a teenage thing, but today there are players of all ages,” he points out. “Call of Duty is one of the few games that can be described as “infinite” as it offers sufficiently compelling content and features for online play, making it the default game for those looking to have a quick fun with friends or family .” emphasizes Mat Piscatella, video game analyst at Circana. And the results are there: in the United States, the franchise has been at the top of industry sales for more than ten years and, in his opinion, the new plant should not be an exception to the rule.
