Editor’s Commentary

            Biggest videogame of the year? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has only just been officially revealed, yet it seems a fairly safe bet at present. Not only is it the latest release in one of the most successful videogame franchises ever conceived, but it’s also a return from Infinity Ward, the team synonymous with the ‘Modern Warfare’ tagline. Success is surely only a whisper away with such a strong reputation, but there is more magnetism beyond such simple prestige. Above all else, Activision and Infinity Ward has presented a setting that will appeal more than ever to four key markets for videogame sales.

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Electronic Theatre was recently contacted by Calibur11, creators of innovative accessories for the tasteful gamer, as they announced their collaboration with Turtle Entertainment’s wildly successful videogame community Consoles Sports League (CSL). Turtle Entertainment and Calibur11 give gamers in France, Germany and other European countries the chance to prove their worth across a number of games, and throughout May and June Calibur11 will be rewarding the victors of numerous CSL online gaming cups from FIFA 11 to Call of Duty: Black Ops with prizes from their upcoming Vault range. The problem is that the teaser prize they revealed is, quite frankly, hideous.

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            Four years ago today the PlayStation 3 launched throughout Europe, the last of the current-generation home consoles to hit the market. As the PlayStation 3 reaches it’s fourth birthday in Europe, it’s time to look back at what has made it great, what has hindered it’s success and what a fifth year on the market will do for the system.

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            For many gamers, there is nothing better than returning home prepared to embark on a new quest in a strange land full of mystery and intrigue. However, while gamers are certainly accustomed to slow starts, lengthy journeys and the necessity to grind through levels, there are many consumers who aren’t willing to invest in the region of twenty-forty hours into a videogame, no matter how compelling its content may eventually become.

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            The Call of Duty is currently the biggest franchise in the videogames industry is undeniable. Breaking records with every successive launch, be it retail packaged products or downloadable content (DLC) adding to the annual release, after decades of trying Activision have finally found an annual cash cow superior to any Guitar Hero or Tony Hawk’s. And while it may attempt to recreate the ‘thrill’ of war in an accessible yet po-faced manner, it appears that developers of the latest instalment, Treyarch, aren’t without the ability to mock their own creation, and Activision seemingly are willing to let them do so.

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            Electronic Arts, Epic Games and People Can Fly ramped-up their marketing campaign for the forthcoming Bulletstorm today, with the launch of a brand new website and offer of a free game, Duty Calls. Duty Calls is of course ripping on the phenomenally popular Call of Duty franchise, but in that respect does it have the edge on Activision’s cash cow? Is this even a relevant question?

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            The original Dead Space, launched back in 2008, endeavoured to push boundaries not only for the Survival Horror videogame genre, but in the cross-pollination of entertainment media. Not satisfied with simply offering consumers a deep and involving videogame experience, the release of Dead Space was accompanied by the feature film Dead Space: Downfall and a six-part comic book series. What’s more, an interactive website, www.noknownsurvivors.com, was presented as both an extension of the franchise and an inventive marketing tool. A fairly comprehensive series of associated products you may well think, but Dead Space 2 is most certainly poised to top this.

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