Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Cover art
Developer(s) Treyarch
n-Space (DS)[1]
Publisher(s) Activision
Distributor(s) JP Square Enix
Director(s) Dave Anthony
Designer(s) Corky Lehmukuhl
David Vonderhaar
Joe Chiang
Writer(s) Craig Houston
Dave Anthony
David S. Goyer[2]
Composer(s) Sean Murray
Kevin Sherwood
Series Call of Duty
Engine IW 3.0 and Demonware (modified from Call of Duty: World at War)[3]
Platform(s) Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Wii, Nintendo DS,[4] OS X[5]
Release date(s)
Genre(s) First-person shooter[7]
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Distribution Optical disc, download

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a 2010 first-person shooter spy thriller video game.[7] The game was developed by Treyarch, published by Activision, and released worldwide on November 9, 2010 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,[6] and Wii consoles,[8] with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space.[1] Announced on April 30, 2010, the game is the seventh installment of the Call of Duty series. It is also the first to be set in the Cold War and the fifth to be set in World War II. It is the third in the series to be developed by Treyarch, and is connected to the developer's Call of Duty: World at War.[9]

Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game had sold more than 5.6 million copies, 4.2 million in the U.S. and 1.4 million in the UK, breaking the record set by its predecessor Modern Warfare 2 by some 2.3 million copies.[10][11] Capcom released a subtitled version in Japan on November 18, 2010 and later a Japanese-dubbed version on December 16, 2010. After six weeks on release, Activision reported that Black Ops had exceeded $1 billion in sales.[12] On August 3, 2011, Activision confirmed that the game had sold over 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling games of all time in the US, UK and Europe.[13][14][15] A sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, was released on November 13, 2012.[16][17] Call of Duty: Black Ops III was announced on April 9, 2015 as the third installment in the Black Ops series and was revealed on April 26, 2015 with a release date of November 6, 2015.

Gameplay

Black Ops is a first-person shooter, retaining the same gameplay mechanics as previous Call of Duty titles. The player assumes the role of a foot soldier who can wield various firearms (only two of which can be carried at once), throw grenades and other explosives, and use other equipment as weapons. A player close enough to an enemy can kill with one knife blow. A character can take three stances: standing, crouching or prone. Each affects rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. The player can drop to the prone stance from the standing stance while running, and can momentarily sprint before having to stop. The screen glows red to indicate damage to a player's health, which regenerates over time. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, an on-screen marker indicates where it is in relation to the player, helping the player to move away or to throw it back. Among the weapons new to the series in Black Ops are crossbows with bolts and explosive ammunition, Dragon's Breath rounds and ballistic knives.

The player assumes the role of various characters during the single-player campaign, changing perspectives throughout the story. The playable characters are special forces operatives conducting black operations behind enemy lines. In this way, the player's characters have their own traits such as voices and shadows.[9] Each mission features a series of objectives that are displayed on the heads-up display, which marks the direction and distance towards and from such objectives as it has been in the earlier versions. The player is accompanied by friendly troops throughout the game. Although primarily a first-person shooter, certain levels feature sequences where the player pilots a Hind helicopter and guides friendly troops from a SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft.[18][19][20] The campaign features several scripted cinematic moments. One of them is a bullet time effect during the "Victor Charlie" level, activated when the player fires toward the last enemy of a Viet Cong squad.[21]

A screenshot of Alex Mason firing a SPAS-12 Dragon's Breath rounds

Multiplayer

Players can customize their weaponry in the game, as seen with this customized FAMAS.

The online multiplayer mode of Black Ops usually revolves around two teams on a specific mission. For example in Team Deathmatch the team with the most kills wins, while in Capture the Flag, players take the other team's flags and return it to their own base. Additionally, there is Free For All in which players aren't separated into teams.[22] Not including Downloadable maps, there are 14 different maps.[23]

Black Ops retains the experience points and unlockable reward system that has been kept since Call of Duty 4. The game's multiplayer focuses on socialization and customization.[9] "Create-a-Class 2.0" allows enhanced personalization with appearance items as well as upgradable perks;[19] weapons are extensively customizable with writing, emblems, attachments and camouflage painting. Even reticles can be modified. There are more than one style for an attachment, which allows for a lot more personalized weaponry; for example, the player can choose between a red dot sight or a reflex sight, both of which share many of the same traits, although the red dot fills up less of the screen (something desired by many players). Character models depend on the first tier perk instead of the weapon's type. Furthermore, face paints can be unlocked.[24] New custom killstreak rewards include explosive R/C cars, guided missiles and controllable attack helicopters.[25]

A currency system has been implemented allowing players to buy weapons, accessories and clothes. Players can gamble with their "COD Points" in a free-for-all based playlist called "Wager Match", which is composed of four game modes.[26] Time limited objectives known as "Contracts" can be purchased to gain more currency and experience points.[24] The progression system is not featured in local split-screen multiplayer. In local split-screen play, all character customization options are already unlocked. Players can no longer define game rules such as win conditions.

Players can play alone or with friends against AI opponents in "Combat Training" with a separate progression system.[27] Online split-screen is re-introduced on Xbox 360 and PS3. The guest account can rank up but is reset after each sign out. Only on Xbox 360, a second Gold Xbox Live account can be used to keep the second player's progression.[28] Aside from the Combat Training mode, Xbox users can also have up to four players in split-screen mode play against AI opponents even without having an Xbox Live account. This is done by configuring the Local Split Screen settings and setting the number of enemies to a value greater than zero.[29]

For the first time in the series, clips from online gameplay can be recorded. Some specific features that have been removed from the PC version of Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 return, such as lean,[30] mod tools, the developer console[31] and dedicated servers.[32] Dedicated servers are exclusively provided by Game Servers.[33] Steam is the exclusive platform for Black Ops on PC, and the game is protected by Valve Anti-Cheat.[34]

The Wii version of the game includes in-game voice chat. This is the first Call of Duty title to include the voice chat feature for the Wii. Nintendo and PDP have partnered to release the first headset to be used with the Wii known as PDP's Headbanger Headset.[35]

Nazi Zombies

A zombie cooperation mode, titled "Zombies", is included in the game. Originally featured in World at War, it was revamped to be included in Black Ops.[36] It is a four-player online and two-player split screen co-op mode (which can also be unlocked online). Based on the original game, in the map "Five", players take the roles of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro as they fight zombies at The Pentagon.[37][38] Another map, called Kino der Toten ("Theater/Cinema of the Dead" in German), features the characters from World at War – Edward Richtofen the German, Tank Dempsey the American, Takeo Masaki the Japanese, and Nikolai Belinski the Russian. Limited editions of the game offer graphically-enhanced versions of the four zombies maps from World at War, featuring the newer weapons from the rest of the game.[39] There is an unlockable top-down, two-stick arcade-shooter version of Zombies known as Dead Ops Arcade.[40]

Included in the First Strike Map Pack is the Zombies map Ascension. Ascension takes place in an abandoned Soviet Cosmodrome, and like Kino der Toten, features the characters from World at War. Additionally, it includes two new weapons (the Gersch Device and Matryoshka Dolls), as well as two new perks (PhD Flopper and Stamin-Up), and one new power-up (the Random Perk Bottle).[41] A new enemy, the Space Monkeys, appear in this map, replacing the Hellhounds and the Pentagon Thief.[42]

Included in the Escalation Map Pack is the Zombies map Call of the Dead. Call of the Dead takes place in an abandoned part of the Siberian coast and centers on a shipwreck and lighthouse. This map features new characters, modeled after and voiced by real-life film actors Danny Trejo, Robert Englund, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Michael Rooker.[43] The actors provided voices for the game. It includes new weapons (the VR-11 and the Scavenger), and a new perk called Deadshot Daiquiri. Another new enemy, George Romero, replaces the Hellhounds, Pentagon Thief, and Space Monkeys of previous maps.

Included in the Annihilation Map Pack is the Zombies map Shangri-La. Shangri-La takes place in a jungle and once again features the World at War characters. It includes a new weapon (the 31–79 JGb215), new enemies (Shrieker Zombies, Napalm Zombies, and Zombie Monkeys which steal power-ups), and new traps and utilities such as a mine cart, waterslide, and Punji Spikes.

The fourth and final map pack, Rezurrection, is made up of only zombies maps. The Rezurrection Map Pack includes the first four maps from Call of Duty: World at War ( Nacht Der Untoten/"Night", Verruckt/"Asylum", Shi No Numa/"Swamp", Der Riese/"Factory") and a new map called "Moon."[44] Moon takes place on a fictional Nazi Moon base and features the original World at War characters. Moon is the largest Zombies map in Black Ops and features new weapons (Wave Gun and Quantum Entanglement Device), new enemies (Astronaut Zombies and Phasing Zombies), new equipment (Hacker and P.E.S.) and an extensive Easter egg. The Rezurrection pack allowed players who had not purchased the limited editions of Black Ops to gain access to the original maps.

Plot

Single-player

Characters and setting

From left to right: Mason, Hudson, and McNamara.

Call of Duty: Black Ops takes place during the 1960s in the Cold War. It focuses on CIA clandestine black operations carried out behind enemy lines. Missions take place in various locations around the globe such as the Ural Mountains in eastern USSR, Kazakhstan in central USSR, Cuba, Hong Kong, Laos, South Vietnam, and the Arctic circle. The single-player campaign revolves around an experimental chemical weapon codenamed "Nova-6".

The main protagonist the player controls is SAD/SOG special forces operative Alex Mason, occasionally CIA agent Jason Hudson, and some other characters are playable to progress the story. Alex is often joined by fellow operatives Frank Woods and Joseph Bowman, while Jason teams up with Grigori Weaver, a Russian-born field operative. Viktor Reznov, a key character from the Soviet campaign in World at War, returns along with that game's Russian protagonist Dimitri Petrenko also making an appearance. Black Ops also features several historical figures: during the story Mason meets John F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro.

Story

On February 25, 1968, SOG operative Alex Mason is strapped to a chair in an interrogation room, bombarded with questions by his unseen captors about the location of a numbers station. Mason then recalls several events, as an attempt to answer their questions.

In 1961, Mason, Woods, and Bowman take part in Operation 40 to assassinate Fidel Castro in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Mason apparently succeeds and stays behind to protect the extraction plane from an oncoming blockade, before being captured by the real Castro, having shot a double. Handed over to General Nikita Dragovich to be held captive at Vorkuta Gulag, Mason befriends inmate Viktor Reznov, the former Red Army soldier. Reznov recounts to Mason the identities of his enemies, the same people involved in Mason’s torture: Nikita Dragovich, his right-hand man Lev Kravchenko, and ex-Nazi scientist Friedrich Steiner, who defected to the Soviet Union.

In October 1945, Reznov and Dimitri Petrenko were sent to extract Steiner from a Nazi base in the Arctic. Dragovich later betrayed them by testing Steiner's creation, a nerve agent known as "Nova-6", on Petrenko and other soldiers in a ship. Reznov was spared the same fate when British commandos, also attempting to acquire Nova-6, attacked the Soviets. During the confusion, Reznov destroyed the Nova-6 and escaped. However, the Soviets recreated it using Steiner and a British scientist, Daniel Clarke.

Over a year later, Mason and Reznov spark a prisoner uprising to escape the gulag, but only Mason escapes and Reznov is captured. One month later, President John F. Kennedy meets Mason and authorizes a mission to assassinate Dragovich. Mason briefly envisions aiming his side arm at Kennedy. In November 1963, Mason, Woods, Bowman and Weaver are dispatched to Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakh SSR to disrupt the Soviet space program and eliminate members of "Ascension", a Soviet program giving sanctuary to Nazi scientists in exchange for their knowledge. Weaver is captured and Kravchenko stabs out his left eye. Mason and his team rescue him and destroy the Soyuz spacecraft, while Woods apparently kills Dragovich, though Mason believes him to be alive.

In 1968, the team is sent to Vietnam. After defending Khe Sanh, they recover a dossier on Dragovich from a Russian defector in Hue during the Tet Offensive. Mason finds the defector is none other than Reznov. They then penetrate Laos to recover a Nova-6 shipment from a downed Soviet plane. At the crash site the plane collapses and they are captured by Viet Cong and Spetznaz infiltrators. Bowman is executed, while Woods and Mason hijack an Mi-24 Hind and rescue Reznov at Kravchenko's base before confronting Kravchenko himself. Woods stabs Kravchenko, gaining the upper hand. But then as Kravchenko pulls the pins off four grenades strapped to his chest, Woods sacrifices himself by pushing Kravchenko and himself out a window. In a huge explosion, Mason presumes the two dead.

Meanwhile, Hudson and Weaver interrogate Clarke in Kowloon Walled City. Clarke reveals the location of a hidden facility in Mount Yamantau before being killed by Dragovich's men. Hudson and Weaver move to destroy the facility and receive a transmission from Steiner requesting to meet at Rebirth Island, as Dragovich has begun killing loose ends. Mason and Reznov head there to assassinate Steiner at the same time, succeeding just as Hudson and Weaver arrive. Mason is adamant that Reznov executed Steiner, but Hudson had witnessed Mason carrying out the act alone.

At this point, Hudson and Weaver are revealed as Mason's interrogators. Dragovich has communist sleeper cells placed all over the United States which, when ordered by the numbers broadcast, will release the Nova-6 gas. As a result, the U.S. is preparing a retaliatory strike on the Soviet Union, which will lead to a full-scale war. Hudson needed Steiner to abort the gas launch but after his death only Mason has any knowledge of the numbers station. Hudson reveals that Dragovich brainwashed Mason to understand the numbers broadcasts, effectively making him a Soviet sleeper agent. It is revealed that the real Reznov never escaped and died during the Vorkuta break out, and that the Soviet defector in Hue was actually killed before Mason reached him. Mason’s visions of Reznov are a result of a dissociative disorder caused by the traumatic brainwashing program. Prior to the Vorkuta breakout, Reznov had secretly met and reprogrammed Mason to assassinate Dragovich, Kravchenko and Steiner for what they did to him and for killing Petrenko and his comrades, instead of Mason's original aim to kill the U.S. President. Mason finally remembers the location of the station: a Russian cargo ship called Rusalka off the coast of Cuba.

An assault on the Rusalka begins, with Mason and Hudson infiltrating the underwater submarine and broadcast station protected by the ship, intended to be used for an invasion of the U.S. after the planned Nova-6 attack. Confirming that the Rusalka is the numbers station, Hudson calls in the US Navy to destroy the ship and its underwater base. Mason and Hudson finally confront Dragovich in the lower levels of the facility. Dragovich taunts Mason and hints at his hand in assassinating Kennedy but Mason drowns him and escapes.

Archive footage of President Kennedy prior to his assassination is shown, revealing Mason in the crowd, implicitly suggesting that Mason may have carried out his initial programming.

Zombies

In the final years of World War II, a group of scientists, known as Group 935, is formed by Doctor Ludvig Maxis, who intends to improve the human condition using their knowledge. However, they soon turn to creating weapons to aid the Nazis in the war, due to a lack of funding. Their discovery of Element 115 from a meteorite in Japan would eventually lead to the creation of undead zombies. Maxis and his assistant, Dr. Edward Richtofen, also work on other projects, including teleportation devices and super soldier test subjects. Richtofen manages to capture three soldiers: Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, and Takeo Masaki; he begins to conduct his experiments using Element 115, which causes memory loss on all three soldiers.

As World War II reaches its end, and the Third Reich falls, Maxis continues to work on his experiments. He attempts to use his daughter's dog, Fluffy, as a test subject for teleportation. However, the experiment fails, and Fluffy is transformed into an undead hellhound. Richtofen, believing that Maxis had lost his way, traps him and his daughter Samantha inside a room with Fluffy, believing that they would not survive.

Richtofen escapes with his three test subjects, and begins to form a plan. They arrive at a Group 935 facility in Japan, where Element 115 was first discovered. After gathering a sample of 115 at the site, they find the area infested with zombies, and travel back to the Der Riese factory in Breslau, Germany. In an attempt to use the teleporter in the facility, the group accidentally overloads the teleporter, sending them forward in time. They arrive at an abandoned Nazi theater at some times in the 1960s, where Richtofen discovers several recordings left behind by Dr. Maxis. Samantha, now having become the controller of the zombies, continue raising the undead in order to hunt down Richtofen and his supporters.

Some times in 1963, the United States government manage grab hold of several of Group 935's inventions and technology, and keep them hidden in the Pentagon. Eventually, zombies are found within the Pentagon, due to the presence of the undead-raising Element 115. America's leaders, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Robert MacNamara, along with Cuba's then-Prime Minister Fidel Castro, are trapped within the Pentagon, and are forced to fight their way out. Meanwhile, Richtofen's crew arrive at a Soviet Cosmodrome site, where they are contacted by a Group 935 member, Gersch, who requests their help in freeing him by activating the Casimir Mechanism.

After freeing Gersch, the four of them are teleported further in time, and arrive at a Siberian lighthouse in 2011, where Richtofen once used as a secret Group 935 lab. They are, however, trapped within a locked room, and are forced to rely on four movie actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Danny Trejo, Robert Englund, and Michael Rooker, who are filming a zombie movie on-site. The four celebrities are also forced to fight the zombie hordes unleashed by Samantha, including their director, George A. Romero. Richtofen requests the celebrities to help him find a golden rod, which they succeed in finding. He then fixes the teleporter and transports himself and the other three to a temple known as Shangri-La.

At Shangri-La, the group discovers two explorers, Gary and Brock, who are trapped within a time loop while trying to discover the secrets of Agartha. They are then forced to travel back and forth in time, altering the environments of the temple, in order to save the explorers' lives. Eventually, they discover an altar within the temple, with Richtofen's name written on it, as well as a piece of a meteorite containing Element 115. The explorers, however, are sent back to the moment they discover the temple, trapped in a never-ending loop.

With the golden rod and the meteorite piece, Richtofen now believes he can control the zombies. The group then travels to Area 51, and uses a teleporter in the base to travel to Griffin Station, Group 935's moon base. Here, they find a pyramid-shaped machine called the MPD, which they then attempt to activate. The machine opens, revealing Samantha inside, stuck in suspended animation. It is revealed that Samantha and her father were somehow teleported to the moon, instead of dying by Richtofen's trap. Samantha accidentally triggered the MPD and was trapped within the device, while also letting her enter the Aether realm. When her father was murdered in front of her, she assumed control of the zombies and began her quest to slaughter all Group 935 members. Richtofen then proceeds with his plan, by fusing the golden rod and the meteorite piece, and using it to switch souls with Samantha, taking over as the new zombie controller. He succeeds in doing so, but then finds resistance from his former allies, as well as Samantha (who now resides in Richtofen's body), and Dr. Maxis (who is revealed to have become a sentient artificial intelligence living within the systems of Griffin Station). Maxis guides his daughter and the three soldiers to launch three missiles at the Earth, which would destroy Richtofen's link with the undead horde on the planet. However, the calculations were made in haste, and the launch results in catastrophic destruction of the Earth.

Development

In May 2009, publisher Activision was rumored to be looking for licensing regarding Vietnam War-era music which led to speculation that Call of Duty 7 would be set in Vietnam.[45] In May 2009, Treyarch employee David Kim revealed on his LinkedIn profile that he would work as a senior animator on Call of Duty 7.[46] In November 2009, only a few days before Modern Warfare 2's release, Activision officially announced a new Call of Duty title for 2010 through their third quarter financial call.[47] In February 2010, a casting call for Call of Duty 7 led to speculation that the game would be taking place during the Cold War era with some battles taking place in South Vietnam.[48] On April 30, 2010, Black Ops was officially announced.[6]

The game runs on an enhanced World at War engine (which itself was improved from Call of Duty 4‍‍ '​‍s) at 60 frames per second on consoles.[49] It features a streaming texture technology (also seen in Modern Warfare 2), making bigger levels possible such as "Payback" where the player controls a helicopter. Lighting effects have been improved as well.[50] Call of Duty: Black Ops supports 3-D imaging rendered by the engine itself.[51] This feature is available on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions.[52]

For Black Ops, Treyarch focused only on this game unlike past practice. However, it had different teams, each working on separate game modes.[53] Treyarch used a motion capture technology similar to the one used in James Cameron's film Avatar, which allows accurate facial expressions, capturing the whole performance of the actor.[54] The studio also consulted special forces veterans from both belligerents of the Cold War: Major John Plaster (US Army-Ret.) who served in the MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War, and former Soviet special forces operative Sonny Puzikas.[55] The latter taught Treyarch how Spetsnaz soldiers would react in combat, such as rolling out of the line of fire. Spetsnaz AIs in the game have been modeled after him, from his tactics and his movements to his face.[56][57] Although having a historical background, the classified aspect of these Cold War black operations allowed the studio to create its own fictional story.[58] The game also allows players to turn down the blood and turn off the profanity.[59]

Audio

Black Ops features the voices of Sam Worthington as Alex Mason,[60] Ed Harris as Jason Hudson,[61] Gary Oldman reprises his role as Viktor Reznov from World at War and also voices Dr. Clarke,[60] James C. Burns voices and provides performance capture for Frank Woods[62][63] and Ice Cube voices Joseph Bowman, who is also the multiplayer announcer for the SOG faction.[64][65] Gene Farber voices Grigori Weaver,[66] Emmanuelle Chriqui plays a live-action character called Numbers,[67][68] Eamon Hunt voices Nikita Dragovich,[66] Andrew Divoff voices Lev Kravchenko and[66] Robert Picardo voices Secretary Robert McNamara.[66] Dimitri Diatchenko, an American born actor and musician voices the Spetsnaz faction and several other characters due to his strong Russian accent.

Call of Duty: Black Ops features Vietnam War era music including "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones[69] (played during a gameplay sequence and the credits) and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son".[70] Eminem's "Won't Back Down" (featuring Pink) is used for the credits as well, and additionally appears as an Easter Egg in the Zombie map "Five". In the Call of the Dead zombie map the song "Not Ready to Die" by American rock band Avenged Sevenfold is featured as an easter egg.[71] The original music was composed by Sean Murray, who also composed Call of Duty: World at War. The soundtrack was released on November 9. The use of The Rolling Stones' music in the game has seen a significant increase in the band's music sales since launch. "Gimme Shelter" sold 2,000 copies in the week before the launch trailer was revealed, 5,000 the week after, and 11,000 the week after the game's release. "Sympathy for the Devil" experienced a similar boost as gamers discovered the band's music.

Call of Duty: Black Ops (Original Game Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Sean Murray
Released November 9, 2010
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length 1:36:57
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Zombies Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Treyarch Sound
Released January 25, 2011
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length 45:49

The game's score was composed by Sean Murray, and the official soundtrack was released on November 9, 2010. In addition, a soundtrack for the popular Zombies mode was released on January 25, 2011.

Call of Duty: Black Ops (Original Game Soundtrack)
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Cube One"  Sean Murray 0:58
2. "Eagle Claw, Pt. 1"  Sean Murray 4:15
3. "Mac-V"  Sean Murray 2:17
4. "Blackbird"  Sean Murray 3:12
5. "Pegasus"  Sean Murray 3:10
6. "Dwarka"  Sean Murray 3:10
7. "Melville"  Sean Murray 3:14
8. "Crash"  Sean Murray 0:44
9. "Commies"  Sean Murray 4:16
10. "Hard Target"  Sean Murray 3:18
11. "The Wall"  Sean Murray 3:18
12. "Virus"  Sean Murray 2:30
13. "Invictus"  Sean Murray 2:17
14. "Foe"  Sean Murray 3:21
15. "Beheaded"  Sean Murray 3:57
16. "Resurrection"  Sean Murray 4:56
17. "Pentagon"  Sean Murray 3:14
18. "Albion"  Sean Murray 3:06
19. "Eagle Claw, Pt. 2"  Sean Murray 2:16
20. "Panthers"  Sean Murray 5:08
21. "Flaming Dart"  Sean Murray 3:04
22. "Delirious"  Sean Murray 3:38
23. "Drexel"  Sean Murray 4:09
24. "Anvil (Remix)"  Sean Murray 2:19
25. "Revenge"  Sean Murray 3:19
26. "Punch Through"  Sean Murray 4:55
27. "Deviant"  Sean Murray 4:45
28. "Bendz"  Sean Murray 3:34
29. "Rooftops"  Sean Murray 3:32
30. "Epilogue"  Sean Murray 1:22
Total length:
 1:36:57


Marketing

Black Ops was first officially unveiled when the website for the game went live on April 30, 2010[6] prior to the release of its debut teaser trailer on GameTrailers TV Episode 310.[72] In early April 2010, an unmarked envelope was sent to various gaming news publications as well as high profile Call of Duty fans via mail. It contained a USB flash drive with sound and text files. These files were codes to be decrypted, only to find a mysterious teaser site for an unknown game. Other codes were updated periodically.

Similarly to Modern Warfare 2's marketing, the first full-length trailer of Black Ops was aired after the 3rd quarter on ESPN during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 18, 2010.[73] During E3 2010, studio head Mark Lamia opened the Microsoft conference by playing Black Ops on stage.[74] It was also announced that the timed Xbox 360 exclusivity for additional content of Call of Duty titles, which began with Modern Warfare 2, extends until 2012.[75] A remixed version of the ESPN trailer with Eminem's "Won't Back Down" was released on June 14,[76] prior to the E3 Activision conference for which he also performed.[77] A multiplayer teaser trailer was released on August 9, 2010 revealing killstreaks, weapons, and other in-game multiplayer features. A full multiplayer reveal took place on September 1, 2010, and revealed many multiplayer features from the game.[78]

Chrysler produced a limited-edition Call of Duty Jeep as the Wrangler is featured in Black Ops.[79] In late September, viral site GKNOVA6 was updated revealing fuzzy footages of zombies.[80] On October 11, a single player trailer aired on ESPN during the New York Jets versus Minnesota Vikings NFL Monday Night Football game.[81] The same trailer was aired the next day in the United Kingdom at half time of the England versus Montenegro 2012 European Football Championship qualifying game. On October 29, the official launch trailer was released online. The same trailer aired on October 31 during the New Orleans Saints versus Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Sunday Night Football game. The trailer features the song "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones.[82]

Retail versions

Like Modern Warfare 2, "Hardened" and "Prestige" limited editions are available: the Hardened Edition includes a SteelBook case, a medal with its display case, four exclusive co-op levels and an Xbox Live or PlayStation Home avatar outfit. The Prestige Edition offers, in addition to the Hardened Edition's content, a real RC-XD remote-control vehicle modeled after the in-game killstreak reward, which gives video and audio feedback to its controller.[83] In Japan, the game is distributed by Square Enix. Two versions are available: subtitled or dubbed,[84] released respectively on November 18, 2010 and December 16, 2010. Both have dismemberment censored.[85] Gore is censored as well in Germany in addition to the removal of "Sympathy for the Devil" and Nazi symbols considered "anti-constitutional" in the country.[69]

Downloadable content

Treyarch released the "First Strike" Map Pack on February 1, 2011 for the Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 received the map pack on March 3, 2011 and the PC version was released on March 25, 2011 through Steam.[86] The Map Pack includes additional maps that can be played in the Multiplayer. These maps include "Berlin Wall", "Discovery", "Kowloon" and "Stadium" and a map for the Zombies mode titled "Ascension" which takes place in a Soviet launch site.[87]

On April 11, 2011, a second map pack called "Escalation" was announced by Activison and Microsoft. It features 4 new multiplayer maps named "Zoo", "Hotel", "Convoy", "Stockpile" and one new zombies map named 'Call of the Dead'. This map is based on the movies by George A. Romero, the revolutionary epic-zombie-horror director. The trailer for this map shows the four playable characters: Danny Trejo, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund and Michael Rooker. The name is a reference to the immensely popular Dead Series created and directed by Romero. The trailer also offers a sneak peek of a zombiefied version of George A. Romero himself, lurking out of water. The map is set on a ship, with instead of Nazi zombies, shipcrew zombies. It was released on May 3, 2011 for the Xbox 360, June 2 on the PC and June 10 for the PlayStation 3.[88]

A third map pack called "Annihilation" was released for the Xbox 360 on June 28, 2011, and on July 28, 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and PC. It contains four new multiplayer maps named "Hangar 18", "Hazard", "Drive-In", "Silo", and a new zombies map named "Shangri La", which takes place in a legendary shrine lost in an exotic jungle.[89][90]

The fourth map pack, "Rezurrection" was released on August 23, 2011 for the Xbox 360 and September 22, 2011 on PlayStation 3 and PC. The Rezurrection Map Pack is made up of 5 Zombies mode only maps. It includes the first 4 maps from Call of Duty: World at War ("Shi No Numa"/"Swamp", "Nacht Der Untoten"/"Night", "Verruckt"/"Asylum", "Der Riese"/"Factory") and a new map called "Moon". "Moon" allows players to fight zombies in zero gravity with both the player and the zombies under zero gravity influence.[44]

Reception

Call of Duty: Black Ops
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PS3) 88.36%[91]
(X360) 87.56%[92]
(Wii) 81.47%[93]
(PC) 78.10%[94]
(NDS) 73.67%[95]
Metacritic(PS3) 88/100[96]
(X360) 87/100[97]
(PC) 81/100[98]
(Wii) 80/100[99]
(NDS) 74/100[100]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1UP.comA-[101]
Destructoid6/10[102]
Edge7/10[103]
Eurogamer8/10[104]
Famitsu39/40[105]
Game Informer9/10[106]
GamePro[107]
GameSpot9/10[108]
GameSpy[109]
GamesRadar9/10[110]
GameTrailers9.3/10[111]
Giant Bomb[112]
IGN8.5/10[113][114][115]
(Wii) 7.5/10[116]
Official Xbox Magazine9.5/10[117]
Official Xbox Magazine (UK)9/10[118]
PC Gamer (UK)64/100[119]
VideoGamer.com6/10[120]
X-Play[121]
The Escapist[122]
The Daily Telegraph10/10[123]
The Guardian[124]

Call of Duty: Black Ops has received generally positive reviews from critics. GameSpot awarded it 9.0 out of ten and wrote "Call of Duty: Black Ops bears the series' standard superbly, delivering an engrossing campaign and exciting competitive multiplayer."[108] Edge magazine was less positive, giving it a 7/10, writing that "As polished and pretty and fun as Black Ops often is, it feels more like a yearly update than a sequel [which] isn't distinct from its predecessors in any important way".[125] Several reviewers also complained that the game felt too much like a rail shooter, with PC Gamer branding it "barely interactive".[126][127][128][129]

Reviewers also noted that the PC version of the game was buggy and had "a number of frustrating problems", including a lag in multiplayer modes which for some players rendered the game almost "unplayable".[130][131][132] Players have also reported serious bugs with the PlayStation 3 version, including compatibility issues with 3D televisions.[133] PC World magazine noted that user reviews of the game were much less positive than those of critics.[134] As of November 12, 2010, three days after the release, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the game held average user ratings of 3.1, 3.1, and 1.8 stars on Amazon.com, respectively (on a 1 to 5 scale),[135] with many PC users complaining about lag, stuttering and bugs.

In January 2011, to a player complaining about the remaining connection problems for the game on PlayStation 3, an Activision customer service representative threatened that they could shut down the servers for the game for the PlayStation Network at any time.[136][137][138] After some days and following some game media heat,[139] Dan Amrich, Activision Social Media Manager, declared that even if they could kill the servers, they did not plan currently to do it.[140] The Daily Telegraph praised Black Ops as a superb experience of gameplay, "the meaty kick of the guns, the blistering pace of the action and the sterling soundtrack of explosions, gunshots and whistling bullets all serve to quicken the player's pulse and tighten their grip on the controller",[123] and mentioned, it is beyond the overwhelming, chaotic action in the game's major gun battles, offers among other things, a stealthy infiltration of a substation in the snow-capped steppes, in which the slow down in action is compensated for by nail-shredding tension and creepy atmosphere.[123]

Official Nintendo Magazine awarded the Wii version 90% and said "Black Ops on Wii is a fantastic shooter packed with all the features of its HD brothers, with the only exception being split-screen multiplayer."[141] Martin Gaston at videogamer.com gave the Wii version 6 out of 10, complaining of Treyarch's reworking of in-game sequences as movies, poor AI, and gameplay problems from lower-resolution graphics.[120]

In February 2011, the Xbox 360 version was named the Xbox Live's top title of 2010 by GameSpot.[142]

Sales

Within 24 hours of its release, Black Ops had sold a combined total of 5.6 million units in the U.S. and UK market, surpassing that of Modern Warfare 2 and establishing a new record for largest entertainment launch.[143] Compared to the much anticipated opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, the game earned more than twice as much as the film, earning $360 million.[144] Only five days after its release, sales from the game worldwide reached US$650 million, surpassing the previous record achieved by Modern Warfare 2 which earned $550 million in five days.[145] By November 22, the game remained the bestselling title in the United Kingdom, despite sales dropping by 85%.[146] Some estimates had placed sales of the game as reaching 18 million units sold, earning a revenue of $818 million. This would fall about 2 million copies and $182 million short of Modern Warfare 2.[147] By December 22, worldwide revenue of Black Ops exceeded $1 billion.[148][149] Sales remained strong months after the game's release, remaining at the top-seller list in February 2011.[150] On March 3, 2011 the news magazine The Hollywood Reporter also reported on the best selling video games ever. It announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game ever in the United States of America.[151] Black Ops was the best-selling game of all time in the UK until Grand Theft Auto V overtook it in November 2014.[152] By November 2013, the game had sold 26.2 million copies.[153]

Controversy

Cuba has condemned the release of the game as it has special forces trying but failing to kill a young Fidel Castro, killing instead a body-double.[154][155] The website Cubadebate said the game "encourages sociopathic attitudes of American children and adolescents, the main consumers of these virtual games".[154][156][157] Adam Biessener questioned events depicted in the single-player campaign stating that they push "the lines of good taste."[158] Specifically noted was the scene depicting the torture of a restrained prisoner.[158] In Germany, the uncensored version was expected to be banned by the end of November due to graphic violence. The Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons received an "urgent request" to ban all international versions of the game.[159]

Mobile phone version

Black Ops was also released for both mobile phones and smartphones.[160] This version is a side-scrolling shooter. It features a different storyline, a different set of characters, and is set in the Vietnam War in 1967. The game was developed by Glu Mobile and published by Activision.[160][161]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Crecente, Brian (August 26, 2010). "Hands Cramping On with Call of Duty: Black Ops DS". Kotaku. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  2. ↑ Snider, Mike (November 26, 2010). "Q&A: Screenwriter David Goyer on 'Call of Duty: Black Ops'". USA Today. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  3. ↑ Peckham, Matt. "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review Roundup". PC World. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  4. ↑ Harris, Craig (July 27, 2010). "Bringing Black Ops to the Handheld". IGN. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  5. ↑ Haas, Pete (June 28, 2012). "Call Of Duty: Black Ops Finally Coming To Mac". Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Plunkett, Luke (April 30, 2010). "Next Call Of Duty Game Named, And It's Not Vietnam". Kotaku. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Crecente, Brian (April 30, 2010). "New Treyarch Developed Call of Duty Hits may 24 With Likely Modern Setting". Kotaku. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  8. ↑ Welsh, Oli (May 13, 2010). "COD: Black Ops for Wii confirmed". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Farrelly, Steve (May 29, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Interview". AusGamers.com. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  10. ↑ Gilbert, Ben (November 11, 2010). "Activision: Black Ops tops Modern Warfare 2 day-one sales record, with 5.6M sold in US and UK". Joystiq. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  11. ↑ "PC download charts: 'Call of Duty: Black Ops,' 'Fallout: New Vegas'". The Independent (London). November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  12. ↑ Reisinger, Don (December 21, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops hits $1 billion milestone". News.cnet.com. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Activision reveals sales figures for Black Op". Shacknews.com. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  14. ↑ Silverman, Ben (March 12, 2011). "NPD: Black Ops is the best-selling game in U.S. history". Games.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops best selling game ever in UK". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  16. ↑ Woods, Eric. "Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 Outed Before Official Activision Reveal". Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  17. ↑ Good, Owen (September 15, 2011). "GTA IV Overtakes San Andreas in Lifetime Sales [Correction]". Kotaku. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  18. ↑ Molina, Brett (May 10, 2010). "First impressions: 'Call of Duty: Black Ops'". USA Today. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 McCaffrey, Ryan & King, Ryan (June 2010). Xbox 360 the Official Xbox Magazine (60). Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ "Pre-E3 2010: Call of Duty: Black Ops Developer Interview". G4 (TV channel). May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  21. ↑ Oliver (August 21, 2010). "Gamescom 2010: CoD: Black Ops interview discusses violence, pressure, critters... and zombies?". www.el33tonline.com. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer Game Modes List". Codblackopsblog.com. October 20, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops - Multiplayer Maps - Black Ops 2". Cod7blackops.com. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Call of Duty: Black Ops – Multiplayer Overview". Xbox Live. September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Character Customization Commentary". G4TV. September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  26. ↑ ShortList: 40–41. 2010 http://magazine.shortlist.com/1I4c7e2b071e0ba012.cde. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ↑ "Call of Duty Back Ops to have Combat Training Mode". onPause. September 1, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  28. ↑ Olin, Josh (October 27, 2010). "Little-Known Black Ops Facts!". Treyarch. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  29. ↑ "How to Play Black Ops 4-Player vs. Bots".
  30. ↑ "COD7 Hands-On Summary". The Video Game Tester. May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  31. ↑ Sharkey, Mike (August 19, 2010). "Treyarch Confirms Mod Tools for Call of Duty: Black Ops". GameSpy. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Black Ops to have Dedicated Servers". cod7blackops.com/. May 14, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  33. ↑ Reilly, Jim (September 10, 2010). "Black Ops Dedicated Servers Come With a Catch". IGN. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  34. ↑ "Cheating on Black Ops". CheatCodes.com. February 27, 2011.
  35. ↑ "Performance Designed Products to Release Limited Edition Headbanger Headset for Call of Duty: Black Ops on Wii". Business Wire. October 12, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
  36. ↑ "Call of Duty(R): Black Ops Co-Op to Include Zombies". Activision. September 29, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops has four-player online co-op". GamerZines. May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  38. ↑ "You Won't Believe Who Is Killing Zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops". Kotaku. October 31, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  39. ↑ "Treyarch confirm return of Zombie maps for Black Ops". GamerZines. August 13, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  40. ↑ "How To Unlock Zork and Call of Duty: Black Ops' Other Hidden Games". Kotaku.com. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  41. ↑ "Black Ops Zombies Ascension Update: New Features". Black Ops Zombies. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  42. ↑ "‘Call Of Duty: Black Ops’ Zombies Guide For ‘Ascension’ In ‘First Strike’ Map Pack". Multiplayerblog.mtv.com. February 2, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  43. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation - Call of the Dead [Official HD]". YouTube. April 26, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 McElroy, Justin (August 18, 2011). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Rezurrection video takes you to the labs". Joystiq. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  45. ↑ Good, Owen (May 3, 2009). "Rumor: Call of Duty Moving on to Vietnam?". Kotaku. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  46. ↑ O'Connor, Alice & Faylor, Chris (May 13, 2009). "Call of Duty 7 Under Development at Treyarch". Shacknews. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  47. ↑ Reilly, Jim (November 5, 2009). "Activision: New Call of Duty, Guitar Hero in 2010". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  48. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (February 17, 2010). "Rumor: Next Call Of Duty Is A Cold War Cold Game". Kotaku. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  49. ↑ "E3 2010: First Details Interview Part 2 HD". GameTrailers. May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  50. ↑ Grant, Christopher (May 28, 2010). "Interview: Call of Duty: Black Ops producer Dan Bunting". Joystiq. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  51. ↑ "3D Feature Interview". GameTrailers. October 5, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  52. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops 3D FAQ". Activision. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  53. ↑ Orry, James (May 7, 2010). "Kotick: CoD Black Ops will 'surprise' fans". videogame.com. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  54. ↑ Snider, Mike (May 10, 2010). "First look: 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' swoops into action". USA Today. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  55. ↑ Snider, Mike (May 10, 2010). "More on 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' with Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia". USA Today. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  56. ↑ "Treyarch". Good Game. July 19, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  57. ↑ Stuart, Keith (May 28, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops preview". The Guardian (London). Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  58. ↑ Kikizo Staff (June 2, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops – The Ultimate Interview". www.videogamesdaily.com. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  59. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Rating and Review for Kids and Families". Common Sense Media. January 1, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 Lang, Derrik J. (October 25, 2010). "`Call of Duty: Black Ops' expands protagonist role". Yahoo. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  61. ↑ "Gary Oldman And Ed Harris in Call of Duty: Black Ops". Kotaku. September 7, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  62. ↑ "Featured cast (screencapture from the game)". Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  63. ↑ "James C. Burns - Call of Duty: Black Ops". Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  64. ↑ Ice Cube (October 27, 2010). "Check me out in Call of Duty: Black Ops. I'm Corporal Bowman. Game hits stores Nov 9. Who’s gonna get it? #CODBlackOps". Twitter. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  65. ↑ Vonderhaar, David (October 27, 2010). "The #CODBlackOPs MP SOG announcer is voiced by @ICECUBE. He will kick your ass if you don't win.". Twitter. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 "Additional cast (screencapture from the game)". Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  67. ↑ "Emmanuelle Chriqui Confirmed for 'Call of Duty: Black Ops'". ActressArchives.com. October 26, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  68. ↑ AskMen.com (November 9, 2010). "Call Of Duty: Black Ops Emmanuelle Chriqui". YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 Raiz (October 3, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops censorship details revealed". www.gamepur.com. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
  70. ↑ Burns, James C. "Call Of Duty: Black Ops Demo Clip". Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  71. ↑ "Achievement Hunter – Call of the Dead: Avenged Sevenfold Easter Egg Song". Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  72. ↑ "GameTrailers TV, Episode 310 Promo". GameTrailers. April 28, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  73. ↑ Olin, Josh (May 14, 2010). "Here's the promo ESPN is running in preparation for May 18th's full #CODBlackOps Reveal Trailer! http://bit.ly/bTTVXM". Twitter. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  74. ↑ "E3 2010: Microsoft Press Conference Gameplay (Stream) HD". GameTrailers. June 14, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  75. ↑ "More on 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' with Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia". Activision Blizzard. June 14, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  76. ↑ CALLOFDUTY (June 14, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Remix – Eminem "Won't Back Down"". YouTube. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  77. ↑ Fahey, Mike (June 16, 2010). "Activision's Night Of Far Too Many Stars". Game Stooge. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  78. ↑ Green, Curtis (August 10, 2010). "Call of Duty: Multiplayer teaser trailer revealed". Neowin. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  79. ↑ Bennett, Jeff (September 15, 2010). "Chrysler: A Preview of the Automaker’s New Lineup". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  80. ↑ Robinson, Andy (September 28, 2010). "CoD: Black Ops Zombies – First look". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  81. ↑ CALLOFDUTY (October 9, 2010). "Black Ops Single Player Tune-in". YouTube. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  82. ↑ CALLOFDUTY (October 29, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops – Launch Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  83. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops – Hardened & Prestige Editions!". Activision. August 12, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  84. ↑ Ishaan (September 1, 2010). "Square Enix Giving Call of Duty: Black Ops Sub And Dub Treatment". Siliocnera. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  85. ↑ "コール オブ デューティ ブラックオプス「海外版との仕様の違いについて」". Square Enix. September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  86. ↑ "Black Ops 'First Strike' coming to PS3 on March 3, to PC by April". Joystiq. February 9, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  87. ↑ "Black Ops First Strike DLC: Trailer for new map pack hits YouTube". Voodoo Extreme. January 18, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  88. ↑ Webster, Andrew (April 27, 2011). "Buffy, Freddy, and Romero star in grindhouse-style Black Ops DLC". Ars Technica. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  89. ↑ Hoggins, Tom (June 16, 2011). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Annihilation announced". The Daily Telegraph (London).
  90. ↑ Stuart, Keith (June 16, 2011). "Call of Duty: Black Ops – Annihilation DLC announced". The Guardian (London).
  91. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for PlayStation 3 – GameRankings". Gamerankings. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  92. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for Xbox 360 – GameRankings". Gamerankings. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  93. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for Wii – GameRankings". Gamerankings. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  94. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for PC – GameRankings". Gamerankings. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  95. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for Nintendo DS – GameRankings". Gamerankings. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  96. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for PlayStation 3 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  97. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for Xbox 360 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  98. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for PC Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  99. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for Wii Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  100. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops for Nintendo DS Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  101. ↑ Nguyen, Thierry (November 9, 2010). "COD: Black Ops Review for PS3, PC, Wii from". 1UP.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  102. ↑ Sterling, Jim (October 11, 2010). "Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops". Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  103. ↑ Edge No. 223, January 2011 (Future PLC)
  104. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (November 9, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Xbox 360 Review – Page 1". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  105. ↑ Gifford, Kevin. "Japan Review Check: Black Ops, Sonic Colors". 1up.com. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  106. ↑ Biessener, Adam (November 9, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops review from GameInformer". Game Informer. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  107. ↑ Kim, Tae K. (November 9, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review from". GamePro. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  108. ↑ 108.0 108.1 Watters, Chris (November 10, 2010). "CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS Computer Games (Multi Platform)". GameSpot. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  109. ↑ Tuttle, Will (November 9, 2010). "GameSpy: Call of Duty: Black Ops Review". GameSpy. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  110. ↑ Irvine, Nathan (November 9, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops super review, Call of Duty: Black Ops Review, Xbox 360 Reviews". GamesRadar. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  111. ↑ "Call Of Duty: Black Ops Video Game, Review HD | Video Clip | Game Trailers & Videos". GameTrailers.com. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  112. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review – Giant Bomb". Giantbomb.com. November 8, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  113. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review – PlayStation 3 Review at IGN". November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010. Treyarch's latest is a white-knuckled action romp that doesn't disappoint.
  114. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review – Xbox 360 Review at IGN". November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  115. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review – PC Review at IGN". November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010. Treyarch's latest is a white-knuckled action romp that doesn't disappoint.
  116. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops – Wii – IGN". IGN. November 9, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  117. ↑ McCaffrey, Ryan (November 9, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops | OXM ONLINE". Future Publishing Limited. Official Xbox Magazine. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  118. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops review". Future Publishing Limited. Official Xbox Magazine UK. November 17, 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  119. ↑ Francis, Tom (November 17, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops review". Future Publishing Limited. PC Gamer. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  120. ↑ 120.0 120.1 "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review". videogamer.com. August 12, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  121. ↑ Heppe, Abbie (November 9, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review for Xbox 360 – G4tv". G4tv.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  122. ↑ Pitts, Russ (November 12, 2010). "Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops". The Escapist (The Escapist). Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  123. ↑ 123.0 123.1 123.2 Cowen, Nick (November 9, 2010). "Call Of Duty: Black Ops video game review". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved April 9, 2011. With Call Of Duty: Black Ops, developer Treyarch has finally stepped out from Infinity Ward's shadow by producing one of the best games of this year.
  124. ↑ Stuart, Keith (November 9, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops – review". The Guardian. Retrieved April 9, 2011. Call of Duty: Black Ops ... the action ping-pongs between Cuba, Russia and Vietnam
  125. ↑ "Call Of Duty: Black Ops Review". Edge magazine. November 12, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2010. That’s clearly enough for millions of fans, but it makes it far from a must-have – you probably own the best bits already. As polished and pretty and fun as Black Ops often is, it feels more like a yearly update than a sequel, a new campaign with old multiplayer. The game isn’t distinct from its predecessors in any important way, and fatigue sets in quicker than before.
  126. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review". Game Rant. November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010. it becomes a little disappointing when you’re forced to sit there and watch scripted walkthroughs of story moments. Going to the Pentagon is something that should be pretty exciting, but it’s essentially a rail-shooter without the shooting.
  127. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops PC review". PC Gamer. November 17, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  128. ↑ "Silence on joue! Isla Dorada, Black Ops...". Libération. November 12, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010. I found that scripts were sometimes not well done, they were not always triggered at the right moment(...) For the 3 first hours of play, I had the impression I was in a rail shooter. Even Modern Warfare 2 did not go as far regarding linearity
  129. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review: Seventh Verse, Same As The Sixth". charge-shot.com. November 17, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010. The only thing really separating the game from rail shooters like Time Crisis is the freedom to swivel your empty, purposeless virtual head(...)This is Call of Duty’s credo: love it or hate it, Activision’s money-maker shows no signs of taking risks, innovating or changing even slightly
  130. ↑ Sterling, Jim (November 10, 2010). "Black Ops PC port is buggy as shit". Destructoid. Retrieved November 10, 2010. The biggest issue is lag and skipping, which I can testify to. The multiplayer, at the time of writing, is borderline unplayable, with severe lag and moments where the entire action will freeze for several seconds. I am yet to enter a game where there isn't lag, and the in-game chat isn't complaining about it.
  131. ↑ Greenhough, Chris (November 10, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer "unplayable" on PC, says Internet". inquisitr.com. Retrieved November 10, 2010. According to many gamers, the online multiplayer mode is severely borked, rendered “unplayable” by lag
  132. ↑ Orry, James (November 9, 2010). "Tell Treyarch about your Black Ops bugs". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved November 10, 2010. Call of Duty: Black Ops is out and unsurprisingly players are encountering bugs which slipped through the giant Treyarch net.
  133. ↑ Raby, Mark (November 10, 2010). "PS3 players report serious Call of Duty: Black Ops bugs, 360 players fine so far". GamesRadar. Retrieved November 10, 2010. reyarch's official forums are being lit up with serious complaints from PS3 gamers trying to play Call of Duty: Black Ops. Perhaps the most embarrassing is that the game is apparently freezing for players with 3D TVs, despite both the game and the PS3 being touted as the best 3D products available.
  134. ↑ Peckham, Matt (November 10, 2010). "Call of Duty Black Ops Pilloried in User Reviews". PC World. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  135. ↑ "Call of Duty: Block Ops (PC edition)". Amazon.com.
  136. ↑ Koblovsky, Jason (January 16, 2011). "Activision Threatens to Pull PSN Support". Retrieved January 20, 2011. Well I have nothing else to offer and I too follow forums and have many friends who play and enjoy the game for all of its features. As an avid gamer, I would also disagree with any legalities involving a single aspect of a game as online experience may change at any time. The publishers have the right to shut down the servers for their game at any time as well which based on the number of reported posts from users may be a viable solution over the free PSN
  137. ↑ "Activision, Treyarch et Infinity Ward : malaise sur la PS3". NoFrag. January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011. un joueur mécontent des multiples problèmes de connexion du jeu, qui rendent les parties difficiles, a eu une réponse inattendue d'Activision, qui a rappelé qu'ils pouvaient à tout moment fermer le mode multi sur PS3. Voilà qui n'est pas très encourageant...
  138. ↑ "CoD Black Ops : le ton monte sur PS3". jvn.com. January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  139. ↑ "Activision Can Take Its Black Ops And Go Home, You Know". Kotaku. January 18, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  140. ↑ "Activision Confirms it Could Kill PS3 Black Ops Servers, But Says it Won't". The Escapist (magazine). January 19, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  141. ↑ "Review: Call Of Duty Black Ops Wii review". Official Nintendo Magazine. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  142. ↑ "Black Ops is Xbox Live's top game of 2010". Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  143. ↑ The Associated Press (November 11, 2010). "CBC News – Technology & Science – Call of Duty breaks sales record". Canada: CBC. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  144. ↑ Robinson, Andy (November 22, 2010). "Black Ops annihilates record Harry Potter weekend". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  145. ↑ Staff Writer (November 18, 2010). "Call of Duty Black Ops Sales Hit $650M". Social Tech. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  146. ↑ Funk, John (November 22, 2010). "CoD: Black Ops Sales Fall 85% in UK, Still Overwhelming". The Escapist. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  147. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (November 7, 2010). "Robbers steal 100 copies of Call of Duty Black Ops". Venture Beat. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  148. ↑ Raman, Manikandan (December 22, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Sales Top $1 Bln". International Business Times. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  149. ↑ Quillen, Dustin (December 21, 2010). "Call of Duty: Black Ops Reaches $1 Billion in Sales". Hearst Corporation (1up.com). Retrieved March 16, 2011. Activision tells us all about the numbers for the latest Call of Duty.
  150. ↑ Dudley, Brier (March 10, 2011). "NPD: Xbox kills it in February, "Black Ops" makes history". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  151. ↑ Bond, Paul (March 10, 2011). "'Call of Duty: Black Ops' Is Best-Selling Video Game Ever in U.S.". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
  152. ↑ Phillips, Tom (24 November 2014). "Grand Theft Auto 5 now UK's best-selling game ever". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  153. ↑ "Call of Duty: A Short History". IGN. Ziff Davis. November 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  154. ↑ 154.0 154.1 "Cuba denounces 'virtual' Castro plot in new game – Yahoo! Finance". Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  155. ↑ "Call of Duty: Black Ops Controversy: Cuba Decries Castro Assassination Scene". Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  156. ↑ "Cuba says Castro video game tries to legitimise murder". BBC News. November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  157. ↑ "Nueva operación contra Cuba: EEUU lanza videojuego cuyo objetivo es asesinar a Fidel | Cubadebate". Cubadebate.cu. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  158. ↑ 158.0 158.1 Biessener, Adam (November 10, 2010). "Bellingham Journal Review of Call of Duty: Black Ops". Bellinghamherald.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  159. ↑ Ivan, Tom (November 22, 2010). "Black Ops imports to be banned in Germany". Computers and Video Games. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  160. ↑ 160.0 160.1 O'Brien, Stuart (May 24, 2010). "Glu preps Call of Duty: Black Ops mobile game". Intent Media (Mobile Entertainment). Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  161. ↑ Lugmayr, Manfred "Luigi" (May 20, 2010). "Call of Duty Mobile Game coming from Glu Mobile in Q4". I4U LLC (I4U News). Retrieved June 9, 2011.

External links