Call of Duty

Call of Duty
Call of Duty logo.PNG
The official logo of the franchise
Developers Infinity Ward
Treyarch
Sledgehammer Games
Amaze Entertainment
Rebellion Developments
n-Space
Publishers Activision
Aspyr Media
Creators Ben Chichoski
Platforms Microsoft Windows/Mac OS X, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Nokia N-Gage, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, iOS, Blackberry
First release Call of Duty
October 29, 2003
Official website www.callofduty.com

Call of Duty is a first-person and third-person shooter video game series franchise, created by Ben Chichoski. The series began on the PC, and later expanded to consoles and handhelds, and several spin-off games have also been released alongside the main series. The majority of the games in the series have been set primarily in World War II, with the exception of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops which are set in modern times/Cold war Era.

The Call of Duty video games are published and owned by Activision and published for Macs by Aspyr Media and have been developed primarily by Infinity Ward and Treyarch, with other games being developed by Gray Matter Interactive, Spark Unlimited, Pi Studios, Amaze Entertainment, Rebellion Developments, and n-Space, using a variety of game engines including the id Tech 3, the Treyarch NGL, and the IW 4.0. Other products in the franchise include a line of action figures designed by Plan-B Toys, a card game created by Upper Deck, and a comic book mini-series published by WildStorm.

As of November 27, 2009, total sales for the Call Of Duty series have surpassed 55 million units worldwide, taking $3 billion in retail sales in the process.[1]

Contents

Main series

Historical Series

Call of Duty

Call of Duty is a video game based on the Quake III Arena engine (id Tech 3), and was released on October 29, 2003. The game was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II.[2] Call of Duty was accompanied in September 2004 by an expansion pack, Call of Duty: United Offensive, which was also produced by Activision, but developed by Gray Matter Interactive with contributions from Pi Studios. The game follows the American paratroopers, British paratroppers and the Red army. The Mac OS X version of the game was ported by Aspyr Media. In late 2004, the N-Gage version was developed by Nokia and published by Activision. Other versions were released for PC, including Collector's Edition (with soundtrack and strategy guide), Game of the Year Edition (includes game updates), and the Deluxe Edition (which contains the United Offensive expansion and soundtrack; in Europe the soundtrack was not included). Since November 12, 2007, Call of Duty and its sequels have been available for purchase via Valve's content delivery platform, Steam.[3]

Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and sequel to the critically acclaimed game Call of Duty. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game is set during World War II and is experienced through the perspectives of soldiers in the Red Army, British Army and United States Army. It was released on October 25, 2005 for PC, June 13, 2006 for Mac OS X and November 15, 2005 for the Xbox 360. Other versions were made for mobile phones, Pocket PCs, and Smartphones.

Call of Duty 3

Call of Duty 3 is a World War II first-person shooter and the third installment in the Call of Duty video game series. Released on November 7, 2006, the game was developed by Treyarch, and was the first major installment in the Call of Duty series not to be developed by Infinity Ward. It was released on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360.[4]. Call of Duty 3 follows the American, Canadian, British, French Resistance and Polish armies after D-day in the Falaise Gap.

Treyarch Series

Call of Duty: World at War

Main article: Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty: World at War developed by Treyarch is the fifth installment of the main series, and returns to the World War II setting of earlier titles.[5] On June 9, 2008, it was confirmed that the game would be titled Call of Duty: World at War and would be set in the Pacific theater and Eastern front of World War II. The game uses the same proprietary game engine as Call of Duty 4. Call of Duty: World at War was released for the PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 consoles and the Nintendo DS handheld in North America on November 11, 2008, and November 14, 2008 in Europe. As of June 2009, Call of Duty: World at War has sold over 11 million copies.[6]

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops[7] is a 2010 first-person shooter video game[8] developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for release on November 9, 2010.[9] Officially announced on April 30, 2010, the game is the seventh installment of the Call of Duty series and the third game in the series to be developed by Treyarch. It was initially only available for pre-order on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3; however, Activison has since confirmed that it will also be released for the Nintendo Wii.[10]

Modern Warfare Series

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Main article: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the fourth installment of the main series, and was developed by Infinity Ward. It is the first game in the series not to be set during World War II, as well as the first to receive a Mature rating from the ESRB (except for the Nintendo DS version, which was rated Teen). The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 7, 2007. Download and retail versions for Mac OS X were released by Aspyr in September 2008. As of May 2009, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has sold over 13 million copies.[11]

A Wii port of the game, titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex, handled by Treyarch, was released on November 10, 2009, alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized.[12]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Main article: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2[13] is the sixth installment of the main series. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision.[14] Activision Blizzard officially announced Modern Warfare 2 on February 11, 2009.[15][16] The game was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows.[13] A Nintendo DS iteration of the game, titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was released alongside the game and the Wii port of Call of Duty : Modern Warfare.[17][18] Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4 and continues the same storyline, taking place five years after the first game and featuring several returning characters including Captain Price and "Soap" MacTavish.[19]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Slated to be released in 2011. It will be the eighth entry in the Call of Duty franchise.[20][21]

Expansions

Call of Duty: United Offensive

Call of Duty: United Offensive is an expansion pack for the popular first-person shooter computer game, Call of Duty and is set chiefly at Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge.

Console and hand held games

Call of Duty: Finest Hour

Call of Duty: Finest Hour is the first console installment of Call of Duty, and was released on the Nintendo Game Cube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game include an online multiplayer mode which supports up to 32 players. It also includes new game modes.

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a console version of Call of Duty 2 developed by Treyarch, and based on the American 1st Infantry Division's exploits during World War II. The game was released on Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory

A PSP game that was based on "Call of Duty 3". This game did not feature online multiplayer infrastructure.

Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts

Call of Duty: World at War: Final Fronts is the PlayStation 2 adaptation of Call of Duty: World at War. Developed by Rebellion Developments, Final Fronts features three campaigns involving the U.S. fighting in the Pacific theater and the Battle of the Bulge in Europe, as well as the British advancing on the Rhine River into Germany.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is the Nintendo DS companion game for Modern Warfare 2. Developed by n-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game, but follows a different storyline and cast of characters. Playing as the S.A.S. and the Marines in campaign mode, both forces are trying to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies 1 and 2

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio, and published by Activision for the iPhone OS. It is a spin-off of the Call of Duty series, and based on the "Nazi Zombies" mode of Call of Duty: World at War. A sequel for the iPhone and iPod Touch, includes the new map Shi No Numa that was originally released on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Call of Duty: The War Collection

Call of Duty: The War Collection contains a compilation of Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3 and Call of Duty: World at War. It has recently been released on the Xbox 360

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book mini-series based on a character in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Announced by Robert Bowling on August 17, 2009, the storyline focuses on the backstory of the character Ghost, who appears in the video game. The series is published by WildStorm and the first issue was released on November 10, 2009, alongside the game.[22]

Merchandise

The Call of Duty Real-time Card Game was announced by card manufacturer Upper Deck.[23]

In 2004, Activision, in cooperation with the companies Plan-B Toys and Radioactive Clown, released the "Call of Duty: Series 1" line of action figures, which included three American soldiers and three German soldiers from the World War II era.[24] While the American G.I. action figure was made in 2004,[25] Plan-B Toys later discontinued a controversial Nazi SS Guard action figure based on the Nazi Totenkopf officer seen in the Call of Duty video game.[26]

In 2008, McFarlane Toys announced their partnership with Activision to produce action figures for the Call of Duty video game series. McFarlane Toys' first series of action figures were released in October 2008 and consists of four different figures: Marine with Flamethrower, Marine Infantry, British Special Ops, and Marine with Machine Gun.[27]

Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) is a non-profit foundation created by Activision Blizzard to help find employment for U.S. military veterans. The foundation will contribute $1 million to several veteran support organizations. The first donation, consisting of $125,000, was presented to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.[28]

On March 30, 2010, CODE presented 3,000 copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, approximately $180,000 in value, to the U.S. Navy. The copies were delivered to over 300 ships and submarines as well as Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities worldwide.[29]

References

  1. ↑ "Call Of Duty series tops 55 million sales". MCV. 2009-11-27. http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36680/Call-Of-Duty-series-tops-55-million-sales. Retrieved 2009-11-27. 
  2. ↑ Gamespot - Call of Duty Retrieved on September 23, 2007
  3. ↑ "Activision Adds GUN, Call of Duty to Steam". 1up.com. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3154393. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
  4. ↑ New Call of Duty skipping PC - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot
  5. ↑ Call of Duty: World at War - first details in OXM
  6. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2009-06-15). "Call of Duty: World At War Tops 11 Million". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5291547/. 
  7. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Home". Activision. http://www.callofduty.com/blackops/. Retrieved 2010-04-30. 
  8. ↑ Brian Crecente (April 30, 2010). "New Treyarch Developed Call of Duty Hits may 24 With Likely Modern Setting". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5528033/new-treyarch-developed-call-of-duty-hits-may-14th-with-likely-modern-setting. Retrieved April 28, 2010. 
  9. ↑ Luke Plunkett (April 30, 2010). "Next Call Of Duty Game Named, And It's Not Vietnam". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5527932/next-call-of-duty-game-named-and-its-not-vietnam. Retrieved April 28, 2010. 
  10. ↑ Oli Welsh (May 13, 2010). "COD: Black Ops for Wii confirmed". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/cod-black-ops-for-wii-confirmed. Retrieved May 13, 2010. 
  11. ↑ Breckon, Nick (2009-05-07). "Call of Duty 4 Sales Pass 13 Million Mark". Shacknews. http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58537. 
  12. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2009-08-04). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Comes To Wii This November". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5330124/. Retrieved 2009-08-04. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Modern Warfare 2 Coming November 10, 2009". Activision Publishing, Inc.. 2009-03-26. http://investor.activision.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=373355. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 
  14. ↑ Infinity Ward enlisted for Call of Duty 6
  15. ↑ Ocampo, Jason (2009-02-11). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 This Holiday". IGN. http://pc.ign.com/articles/953/953538p1.html. Retrieved 2009-02-11. 
  16. ↑ Activision Announces ‘Guitar Hero 5,’ New ‘Tony Hawk,’ ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,’ More At In-Game Ad Conference
  17. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare2: Mobilized in Development for Nintendo DS". IGN. 2009-08-03. http://ds.ign.com/articles/101/1010028p1.html. Retrieved 2009-08-03. 
  18. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Coming to Nintendo Wii". IGN. 2009-08-05. http://wii.ign.com/articles/101/1010870p1.html. Retrieved 2009-08-05. 
  19. ↑ Thorsen, Tor (2009-05-12). "First Modern Warfare 3 details emerge". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209543.html?tag=recent_news;img;1. Retrieved 2009-05-12. 
  20. ↑ [1]
  21. ↑ http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/069/069475.html
  22. ↑ McElroy, Griffin (2009-08-17). "Wildstorm publishing Modern Warfare 2 comic mini-series (update)". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/16/wildstorm-publishing-modern-warfare-2-comic-mini-series/. Retrieved 2009-08-17. 
  23. ↑ "Call of Duty Card Game". Upper Deck. http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/cod/en/. 
  24. ↑ "Activision, Plan-B Toys, Radioactive Clown Enlist for "Call of Duty"". GameZone. 2004-04-06. http://pc.gamezone.com/news/04_06_04_01_56PM.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-25. 
  25. ↑ Cunningham, James (2004-09-24). "TNL Show and Tell: Call of Duty Action Figure". The Next Level. http://www.the-nextlevel.com/features/promos/call-duty-figure/. Retrieved 2008-04-25. 
  26. ↑ "Call of Duty Nazi action figure discontinued". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/gaming/oddities/call-of-duty-nazi-action-figure-discontinued-25245.php. Retrieved 2008-04-25. 
  27. ↑ "MacFarlane Toys Call of Duty Action Figures at Spawn.com". Spawn.com. http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=427. Retrieved 2008-12-30. 
  28. ↑ O'Keefe, Ed (2009-11-09). "Game developer's newest 'Call of Duty' helps veterans find jobs". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/08/AR2009110817897.html. Retrieved 2010-04-28. 
  29. ↑ http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/30/180K-MW2-Presented-To-Navy.aspx

External links

Call of Duty series
Main series
Call of Duty (United Offensive) · 2 · 3 · 4: Modern Warfare (DS) · World at War (DS) · Modern Warfare 2 (Mobilized) · Black Ops
Related games
Finest Hour · 2: Big Red One · Roads to Victory · World at War: Final Fronts · World at War: Zombies
Other articles
Modern Warfare 2: Ghost · Controversies surrounding Modern Warfare 2 · List of media
Wikipedia book Book:Call of Duty series · Category Category:Call of Duty series · Portal Portal:Video games