Infinite Warfare: A Post-Mortem

[Paragon Fury]

Well, it's well past the Christmas high now and I think it's time to say it;

Infinite Warfare is a dud.

Despite having a notably competent and enjoyable campaign, to say the multiplayer has been poorly received would be a significant understatement. Literally every aspect of the MP has been poorly received, from the movement system, the weapons, the P2W crate system that awards weapons that are straight upgrades to default weapons, poor map design and awkward class and character design along with less-than-stellar maps.

Infinite Warfare also has notably LESS content coming out for it on Twitch and Youtube than it's competitors - MWR, Battlefield 1, Overwatch and even Gears of War 4 and Titanfall 2. Hell, even Rainbow Six: Siege gets more coverage and viewers than IW.

And from a personal/anecdotal standpoint, it's clear far fewer people are playing IW than even MWR, as matchmaking in IW barely works, consistently throwing you into poorly balanced matches without enough players and you're frequently playing against the same people day after day, lobby after lobby as it can't find anyone else (Xbox One).

You think Activision finally learned anything from IW? Or are they going to keep driving this train into the ground?

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Well, Advanced Warfare came out nearly three years ago. Hopefully that is enough time for Sledgehammer to realize that most CoD players don't play the game for the lasers and jetpacks.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

You think Activision finally learned anything from IW?

Learned what?? IW was the most sold game in the US 2016 and probably in EU as well.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

I dunno, I watched the campaign and I thought it was weak

Only decent thing is Zombies tbqh

 

[Catfood220]

The last COD that I played was Modern Warfare 2. I played the Infinite Warfare demo that was out before Christmas, I enjoyed the level where Kit Harringtons forces are attacking Earth for some reason, maybe his post Game of Thrones career went badly. And I enjoyed that, the fighting while spaceship are crashing around you is good fun. But if I wanted to be cruel, I would honestly say that the gameplay hasn't changed a bit since I last played a COD game.

 

[Paragon Fury]

You think Activision finally learned anything from IW?

Learned what?? IW was the most sold game in the US 2016 and probably in EU as well.

But you had to buy IW to get MWR...and MWR has NOTABLY more players on it for Xbox One and PC most of the time (no idea for PS4).

Even I fully admit I only got IW to get MWR.

 

[Avnger]

You think Activision finally learned anything from IW?

Learned what?? IW was the most sold game in the US 2016 and probably in EU as well.

But you had to buy IW to get MWR...and MWR has NOTABLY more players on it for Xbox One and PC most of the time (no idea for PS4).

Even I fully admit I only got IW to get MWR.

Activision learned that it's totally cool to surgically attach wanted content into a bundle with shit content to force people to buy both. It probably won't be too long before Activision (or another publisher who kept their eye on IW/MWR sales) tries it again.

 

[Hawki]

Well, Advanced Warfare came out nearly three years ago. Hopefully that is enough time for Sledgehammer to realize that most CoD players don't play the game for the lasers and jetpacks.

Scuttlebutt is that their next CoD will be in Vietnam, based on the canceled Vietnam game they once tried to pitch.

 

[SlumlordThanatos]

You think Activision finally learned anything from IW?

Learned what?? IW was the most sold game in the US 2016 and probably in EU as well.

But you had to buy IW to get MWR...and MWR has NOTABLY more players on it for Xbox One and PC most of the time (no idea for PS4).

Even I fully admit I only got IW to get MWR.

Activision learned that it's totally cool to surgically attach wanted content into a bundle with shit content to force people to buy both. It probably won't be too long before Activision (or another publisher who kept their eye on IW/MWR sales) tries it again.

Indeed.

Should've just rebought the original on Steam or something, instead of teaching publishers that it's okay to hold content like that hostage.

 

[Worgen]

Its a shame since I had more fun with it then any other cod recently. The multi felt really good plus it had a ton of unlocks, the only thing missing were custom emblems, which I enjoy way too much. The campaign was quite fun and did some really interesting things, although it was kinda awkwardly told, little too much drama, but it was the first cod game where I had a character I liked. And zombies was fun.

People were just pissed that it was in the future for some reason and that they stuck cod 4 on it for extra money.

 

[Hawki]

People were just pissed that it was in the future for some reason and that they stuck cod 4 on it for extra money.

I think people have good reason to be pissed off at the latter, and I can understand why they'd be pissed off at the former.

Prior to Black Ops 2, CoD had at least one foot in realism/history, and even Black Ops II dealt with near-future technologies (drones) that already have real-world usage. So, with Ghosts, we go alternate history and orbital kinetic weapons. Advanced Warfare, we go exo-suits/mechs/hyper-power PMCs. Black Ops III, cybernetics. Infinite Warfare, we go into SPAAAACE.

While I don't play CoD, in my eyes, there's a clear shift that occurred over the last four, arguably five games, into sci-fi territory. So with people who don't like sci-fi, I can see why they'd be put off by it.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Well, Advanced Warfare came out nearly three years ago. Hopefully that is enough time for Sledgehammer to realize that most CoD players don't play the game for the lasers and jetpacks.

Scuttlebutt is that their next CoD will be in Vietnam, based on the canceled Vietnam game they once tried to pitch.

There was that leaked footage recently where some guy posted a video of the menu screen of a Vietnam CoD game. But it looked so 7th Gen, so I am almost sure it's a demo of that game you were talking about.

 

[Worgen]

People were just pissed that it was in the future for some reason and that they stuck cod 4 on it for extra money.

I think people have good reason to be pissed off at the latter, and I can understand why they'd be pissed off at the former.

Prior to Black Ops 2, CoD had at least one foot in realism/history, and even Black Ops II dealt with near-future technologies (drones) that already have real-world usage. So, with Ghosts, we go alternate history and orbital kinetic weapons. Advanced Warfare, we go exo-suits/mechs/hyper-power PMCs. Black Ops III, cybernetics. Infinite Warfare, we go into SPAAAACE.

While I don't play CoD, in my eyes, there's a clear shift that occurred over the last four, arguably five games, into sci-fi territory. So with people who don't like sci-fi, I can see why they'd be put off by it.

Meh, that's not really a good reason. I think its more that cod has a yearly release cycle and people are kinda sick of that, which makes sense. The future setting just got caught in the way. Plus cod has a decently sized and dedicated pool of massive haters that will snipe at it whenever it shows up.

 

[gorfias]

Its a shame since I had more fun with it then any other cod recently. The multi felt really good plus it had a ton of unlocks, the only thing missing were custom emblems, which I enjoy way too much. The campaign was quite fun and did some really interesting things, although it was kinda awkwardly told, little too much drama, but it was the first cod game where I had a character I liked. And zombies was fun.

People were just pissed that it was in the future for some reason and that they stuck cod 4 on it for extra money.

It looks to have done pretty well. Sold over 6 million copies globally. It just didn't do nearly as well as Black Ops 3 which sold more than double that.

Meanwhile, Titanfall 2 sold but about 2.5 million. Dunno why TC thinks it did better.

They did misstep for fans though. My boy probably loved COD 5 the most. Loved multiplayer. Hates Halo. One day he was too lazy to put the right disc in the box. He just played whatever was already in there. He says later, very irked, "I was about to shoot an enemy but before I could, he flew away. Then I realized, oh yeah, I'm playing Halo". No such assurances now.

 

[Worgen]

Its a shame since I had more fun with it then any other cod recently. The multi felt really good plus it had a ton of unlocks, the only thing missing were custom emblems, which I enjoy way too much. The campaign was quite fun and did some really interesting things, although it was kinda awkwardly told, little too much drama, but it was the first cod game where I had a character I liked. And zombies was fun.

People were just pissed that it was in the future for some reason and that they stuck cod 4 on it for extra money.

It looks to have done pretty well. Sold over 6 million copies globally. It just didn't do nearly as well as Black Ops 3 which sold more than double that.

Meanwhile, Titanfall 2 sold but about 2.5 million. Dunno why TC thinks it did better.

They did misstep for fans though. My boy probably loved COD 5 the most. Loved multiplayer. Hates Halo. One day he was too lazy to put the right disc in the box. He just played whatever was already in there. He says later, very irked, "I was about to shoot an enemy but before I could, he flew away. Then I realized, oh yeah, I'm playing Halo". No such assurances now.

Titan Fall 2 was one of thoes fucked up releases that ea likes to do. It launched between battlefield1 and cod, it was doomed. It can still make up for it in the long run but we shall see how that works.

Cod is in one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't places. I mean the future ones tried to do something new, if they stuck with modern warfare or ww 2 or whatever then it just stays the same thing. Blops 2 gave us a fantastic arcade shooter with near future tech, AW gave us a double jump and rocket smash which was super fun, blops3 gave us a wall run which didn't really work, IW gave us the same as blops 3 but it worked better. The wall running in it actually felt good.

The only way you could get halo out of that is aesthetically, they play very different. Then again I haven't played a halo since reach, maybe its copying cod more now.

 

[gorfias]

Titan Fall 2 was one of thoes fucked up releases that ea likes to do. It launched between battlefield1 and cod, it was doomed. It can still make up for it in the long run but we shall see how that works.

I haven't played the Titanfall 2 multiplayer yet. Started the campaign and it is good. Last one was the best multiplayer online shooter I've ever played.

Cod is in one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't places. I mean the future ones tried to do something new, if they stuck with modern warfare or ww 2 or whatever then it just stays the same thing. Blops 2 gave us a fantastic arcade shooter with near future tech, AW gave us a double jump and rocket smash which was super fun, blops3 gave us a wall run which didn't really work, IW gave us the same as blops 3 but it worked better. The wall running in it actually felt good.

The only way you could get halo out of that is aesthetically, they play very different. Then again I haven't played a halo since reach, maybe its copying cod more now.

COD5 was WW2. They did have to get out of that. Still, the boy stopped playing after Blops 2 on PS3. Too samey for him.

 

[Worgen]

Titan Fall 2 was one of thoes fucked up releases that ea likes to do. It launched between battlefield1 and cod, it was doomed. It can still make up for it in the long run but we shall see how that works.

I haven't played the Titanfall 2 multiplayer yet. Started the campaign and it is good. Last one was the best multiplayer online shooter I've ever played.

Cod is in one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't places. I mean the future ones tried to do something new, if they stuck with modern warfare or ww 2 or whatever then it just stays the same thing. Blops 2 gave us a fantastic arcade shooter with near future tech, AW gave us a double jump and rocket smash which was super fun, blops3 gave us a wall run which didn't really work, IW gave us the same as blops 3 but it worked better. The wall running in it actually felt good.

The only way you could get halo out of that is aesthetically, they play very different. Then again I haven't played a halo since reach, maybe its copying cod more now.

COD5 was WW2. They did have to get out of that. Still, the boy stopped playing after Blops 2 on PS3. Too samey for him.

Oh, you mean world at war. For some reason that tends to be near the top of a lot of cod lists of the best ones, I never got that. The campaign was just meh, never played the mutli though, I only played the campaign after its multi was probably dead. But it just wasn't that good.

 

[gorfias]

COD5 was WW2. They did have to get out of that. Still, the boy stopped playing after Blops 2 on PS3. Too samey for him.

Oh, you mean world at war. For some reason that tends to be near the top of a lot of cod lists of the best ones, I never got that. The campaign was just meh, never played the mutli though, I only played the campaign after its multi was probably dead. But it just wasn't that good.

I think it was the first instance of zombies. Both my kids loved that as well as the neighbor kids who would come over to play. First DLC I think I ever bought (extra maps).

EDIT: Just played Titanfall 2 multi player. Unlike Battlefield 1, for some reason, I can actually do stuff in this game. Killed some bad guys, earned some points. Lotta fun.

 

[Hawki]

[quote="Worgen" post="9.946435.23888738"

Meh, that's not really a good reason. I think its more that cod has a yearly release cycle and people are kinda sick of that, which makes sense. The future setting just got caught in the way. Plus cod has a decently sized and dedicated pool of massive haters that will snipe at it whenever it shows up.[/quote]

I'm skeptical about that. Call of Duty's had an annual release cycle since 2006, and every main series game since Modern Warfare 2 has sold upwards of at least 20 million units. I originally used some charts (see http://www.statisticbrain.com/call-of-duty-franchise-game-sales-statistics/ and https://www.statista.com/statistics/321374/global-all-time-unit-sales-call-of-duty-games/), but they gave different statistics, and very different outlooks (in one, Ghosts is one of the lowest selling, while in another, it's one of the highest selling).

So, true, CoD has haters, but those haters would never be enough to dissuade its fanbase from picking up the games. True, there's a lot of resentment towards the sci-fi direction, but I have to shoot myself in the foot there, considering how well Black Ops III did (but then, Black Ops III is part of an established sub-series, while every other game since Ghosts has been on its lonesome). Right now, as I write this, I'm starting to question why I'm putting so much time and effort into a series I'm apathic for, so I'll just toss it out that Infinite Warfare was a perfect shitstorm of:

-A sci-fi setting (that many dislike)
-An Infinity Ward game (who'd previously made Ghosts)
-A non-sub-series game (so no familiar territory)
-A trailer that uses a David Bowie song not long after he dies, said trailer also being the most disliked in YouTube's history
-A scummy scheme to tie Modern Warfare to the game
-Possibly, finally, audience fatigue, after ten straight years of annual releases.

Honestly, I feel it's better to look at CoD like FIFA - yearly iterations of the formula, giving 'tickets' to different seasons. At least in terms of the gameplay I guess.