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[Chip N Chance]

I maxed prestiged in Black Ops 2 and made it to about rank 9 in Ghost. So yeah, i was a full blown CoD fan, but played about 2 hours of Ghost.

I don't even remember what happened in the campaign except for the Dark Knight Rises rip off scene.

 

[Alchemy]

This is some gnarly franchise fatigue. Usually with yearly franchises like Madden the sales spike at the start of the gen, and slowly decrease over time until the next gen launches and they spike again. To see such a dramatic drop in preorders so early into the new generation is pretty absurd.

 

[Rogue_element]

I love how everyone is spouting their opinion as fact.
There are time when you do indeed need to say "IMO"

Thankyou for this enlightened post. Thankyou

 

[Damerman]

give me looks of disgusts all you want, but this is a good thing. AW looks interesting, so naturally I'm sorry for the developers. Hopefully they will get to develop something more creative than Advanced warfare, without the COD title.

 

[5amshift]

Everyone is waiting for the next game from Treyarch. Bring on the zombies!

 

[LycanXIII]

It'll be interesting to see how it effects Halo. Is it CoD Fatigue and we'll see a rise in Halo again, or is it FPS Fatigue and will it hurt Halo too? It'd be a better comparison if it was a new Halo.

 

[Spine_Ripper]

Good. Glad to see mainstream FPSs slowly losing their market share. Hope cinematic 3rd person shooters follow suit.

Because all those lost sales didn't go to Destiny.

 

[abstract alien]

Sledgehammer is developing the next gen versions exclusively while High Moon Studios is porting whatever they can over to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This isn't a Ghosts situation where one development house is handling all the games.

Ah, ok. That's probably where the mixup came in.

 

[diamount]

Surprising given this looks much better than Ghosts.

Haven't bought a COD in years but even I'm tempted.

The majority of consumers do not watch trailers or read up about the game. They'll buy the game if their mates are buying it and saying it's good. Ghosts has soured a lot of people and franchise fatigue is setting in.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

This title will be had for cheap this holiday. Everyone will have too many units post launch.

 

[Odrion]

More like the same type of shit every year(multiplayer) effect. I will rent this solely for the campaign.

nah it was ghosts

 

[Cavalier]

Saw the multiplayer footage. Looked like just another COD game with a couple of new moves. By now, I'm just tired of COD, period. Bought Ghosts, played for an hour, then sold it. Black Ops 2 was a good COD game, but it got old pretty quickly for me as well.

They really need to re-invent the formula.

 

[7DollarHagane]

Take a dump on your fans and shock that they don't come back for seconds? Yup that's Activision.

 

[Vestax]

If there's any justice in the world more people will be playing halo 2 than AW this fall.

I didn't buy a "next-gen" console to play a decade-old game. No, thanks.
I've moved on to Titanfall, BF4 and soon AW.

 

[gunner13]

This isn't on Ghosts as it is a brand in whole. Activision got too greedy. The franchise started to fall off when they microtransactioned to death camo's, custom slots, reticules, etc. Then reskinning maps we paid for on past iterations and re-selling them as DLC. For example Ghost's had a version of the map Dome called Strikezone in the initial multiplayer map offering, then reskinned it and called it Unearthed and sold it as DLC.

Bottom line even the "dude-bro" fan base will eventually see they are getting taken advantage of and move on to another game their friends play...Forza Horizon I could see taking alot of that crowd once word of mouth spreads.

 

[kuYuri]

This isn't on Ghosts as it is a brand in whole. Activision got too greedy. The franchise started to fall off when they microtransactioned to death camo's, custom slots, reticules, etc. Then reskinning maps we paid for on past iterations and re-selling them as DLC. For example Ghost's had a version of the map Dome called Strikezone in the initial multiplayer map offering, then reskinned it and called it Unearthed and sold it as DLC.

Bottom line even the "dude-bro" fan base will eventually see they are getting taken advantage of and move on to another game their friends play...Forza Horizon I could see taking alot of that crowd once word of mouth spreads.

Strikezone plays nothing like Dome though.

Plus this was a practice happening since at least CoD4.

CoD1/CoD2's Carentan -> CoD4's Chinatown that was sold as DLC.

 

[demosthenes]

I love how everyone is spouting their opinion as fact.
There are time when you do indeed need to say "IMO"

This is a forum, unless someone shows some proof of something, everything writte is taken as opinion.

 

[captainraincoat]

I liken cod to one if my ex girlfriends. ....she was great in bed and then one day she did a fart and something other than air came out inside the sheets. ...The something is cod ghosts

You can still play it....but that experience soured the whole relationship

Most of my freinds who religiously bought cod are simply waiting for the reviews and mp feedback before we lay Down any money

 

[Pikma]

More like the same type of shit every year(multiplayer) effect. I will rent this solely for the campaign.

:lol

Have you really played them every year? because it's not the same type of shit every year, they're usually quality titles packed with a lot of content, even Ghosts has lots of content, it's just that said content sucks, and very horribly.

 

[AmFreak]

One point i didn't see mentioned is that these are the first preorders with the new consoles out. And that will hurt old-gen sales (preorders even more so), without the current-gen being able to fully make up for it.

 

[aspiegamer]

Sales of Ghosts have been pretty strong this entire year, I've noticed, buoyed by some massive discounts. I know sales usually drag on each year but seemingly moreso this time. The result is less demand overall.

The software shift to the new hardware can't be helping because of the install base. People considering upgrading in the next 6-12 months or expecting it during the holidays are less likely to buy in fresh with their old consoles. The massive heap of titles coming out in Feb-Mar 2015 is an obvious buy-in spot, or Oct-Nov. Conventional wisdom would suggest long-running sales through 2015 as people upgrade and wait for the heavy discounts but that'll only impact this same problem next year and the next few. People want to buy it on new hardware they don't have yet and people on the old aren't as likely to pay full retail.

This is something Activision would never, ever do but the only way to really get a reset on a proper pre-order and hype cycle would be skipping a year. As long as they're at "only" 10M+ (which would be a 50% drop from Ghosts, yes?) they won't bother. It prints money regardless. Finally, ResolutionGate last year could make some people reluctant and might want to see any potential drama play out first.

 

[User 479360]

I still enjoy these games, mainly for the campaigns. I'm not a big multiplayer person, so I play that for a little while then move on and trade the game in.

This is definitely a result of Ghosts and franchise fatigue. Ghosts was incredibly bland and a chore to beat. Also, people must be worried about the exo-suit.

I'm still optimistic about this game, because what I've seen looked good. However, I'll likely rent before buying.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Treyarch needs to take us back to World War 2 to save the franchise.

 

[TouchMyBox]

I try my best to ignore Call of Duty as much as possible, but I feel like I heard a lot more hype surrounding every previous game.

Aside from a trailer coming out before E3, I haven't heard anything about this thing.

 

[Mit-]

I think it's less that people are moving on to other franchises and more that a lot of those FPS casuals are moving on from video games entirely.

Especially since there isn't something new on par with Call of Duty 4 + Xbox 360 circa 2007 to draw them in to the next generation of games and systems.

 

[kuYuri]

:lol

Have you really played them every year? because it's not the same type of shit every year, they're usually quality titles packed with a lot of content, even Ghosts has lots of content, it's just that said content sucks, and very horribly.

Would disagree.

Extinction was great, easily better than Zombies to me. Way more depths to it with character classes, unlocks, prestiging, relics, difficulty settings, and the Teeth upgrade system. There was also Chaos Mode from MW3 if you want pure survival against waves of Chryptids.

 

[Sub_Level]

I think it's less that people are moving on to other franchises and more that a lot of those FPS casuals are moving on from video games entirely.

Especially since there isn't something new on par with Call of Duty 4 + Xbox 360 circa 2007 to draw them in to the next generation of games and systems.

I feel like Destiny drew those types of people in on a smaller (but still relatively big) scale, despite it's lukewarm reception. Might have to wait for next year.

 

[rokkerkory]

Everyone bought destiny instead?

 

[KnightHart]

I think it's less that people are moving on to other franchises and more that a lot of those FPS casuals are moving on from video games entirely.

Especially since there isn't something new on par with Call of Duty 4 + Xbox 360 circa 2007 to draw them in to the next generation of games and systems.

It's definitely all of that and the fact that Ghosts was pretty fucking shit.

I still think Destiny is a big non-factor here because Destiny was marketed as a singleplayer/co-op experience whereas the main draw of COD:AW is going to be the multplayer mode. Plus there's that cross over pre-order shit where if you get COD:AW you get like a set of... Whatever for Destiny. They clearly want people buying both at least.

Just saying, as someone who's played a bit of COD:AW's MP, and Destiny's excuse for a PvP mode, I would take COD:AW's MP mode ten times over because it at least is interesting and not as dull as Destiny's PvP. There's a mode where you fucking grab a magical ball, you can kill people with it, and throw it into the opposing teams net. It's absurd how fun it is.

 

[Bold One]

people aren't so keen on COD 11?

what?!

 

[njean777]

If Advanced Warfare ends up being good I can see the sales going back up, I just think so many people were burned by Ghosts (me included).

 

[Argonomic]

I think it's less that people are moving on to other franchises and more that a lot of those FPS casuals are moving on from video games entirely.

Especially since there isn't something new on par with Call of Duty 4 + Xbox 360 circa 2007 to draw them in to the next generation of games and systems.

Very perceptive post.

A casual friend of mine caught the cod4 wave with his friends. I call him to ask if him and his friends are playing on x1 or ps4. Nope, they just didn't buy next gen. For some reason.

Don't underestimate the power of creativity. The right game could bring the casual masses to next gen. Or the game won't show, and they'll watch sports. If that's how it goes, then it's the developers fault. Football ain't getting much better.

 

[Argonomic]

I know a lot of people will laugh at us for thinking like this but Titanfall plays very similar to CoD unlike Battlefield etc, if it's a choice between picking up TF2 and Ghosts2 then I'd say the answer is a no brainer to at least half of the CoD population.

I won't speculate on a titanfall sequel, but I want to speak to the idea of game vs game momentum. It's something that has been touched on in this thread in regards to mw3.

It takes several iterations for a game to reach cod or gta levels of mass market penetration. There are not 25-30 million core gamers on console that have similar enough tastes.

For a game to hit those numbers, you need several good games in a row. Each good game gets more people telling their friends to buy it, which feeds into the success of the next one.

Modern cod's falling preorders don't stem from genre fatigue, and it's not just ghosts. It started with mw3 and bo2. That was the first time since the mid 2000s that the series went two games in a row without a 90+ rated game. That is when the franchise began to lose momentum.

If AW and BO3 are great, then they may sell worse, but actually build positive momentum that ends up floating the 2016 and 2017 games.

 

[CHC]

I have mixed feelings about this. At its best Call of Duty is fast paced awesome fun with some corny as hell "fuck yeah" moments (see Modern Warfare 1, 2, sometimes 3, and Black Ops). At its worst it's a tired as hell example of worn out tropes and skeletal, "that's it?" game design.

I know it sells mainly for multiplayer but the lack of attention on single player is becoming a self fulfilling prophecy at this point. I would love to see CoD produce a campaign as good as the first MW again or, better yet, something like the new Wolfenstein. Just because the audience is mainstream doesn't mean you can't slow it down for FIVE minutes for the sake of good pacing, or write a character who is literally more than just a walking gun. On the other hand I love seeing piece-of-shit games like Ghosts fail to meet sales goals, so I'm torn.

 

[Nhutty]

I really hope AW is a game that redefines COD. Ghost was fun for mine, but the player base was split into last gen and current gen and this caused getting into certain game modes frustrating.

 

[xandaca]

Clearly because they neglected to do a Wii U version.

 

[crinale]

Just declare mouse support for console versions and I'll pre-order it

 

[aravuus]

It's about time. The second Japanese gaming renaissance is finally upon us.

I don't really want CoDs to die out but dang I wouldn't mind this. Last generation was such a disappointment JRPG-wise

 

[Jamie OD]

Everyone bought destiny instead?

That's what I think.

 

[mocoworm]

I love how everyone is spouting their opinion as fact.
There are time when you do indeed need to say "IMO"

Unless you are me. When including IMO still gets you a TAG

 

[Lucifon]

I said I was done with the franchise after Ghosts...but AW looks genuinely great. It's the first time a CoD has actually looked pretty impressive in a long time. Here's hoping.

 

[regenhuber88]

Really hated Ghosts, they lost touch with the franchise.
Too much future sci fi tech, too many new movement options, too many changes and options to leveling systems.

CoD worked so well when it was a MILITARY shooter with a real-world background.
WWII, Cold War etc

Give me NATO vs. ISIS/ M16 vs AK47 and I'll be a happy customer, if I want to jump around and use sci fi weapons I will play Destiny or Titanfall

hope Battlefield delivers, 2014: worst FPS fall/winter evar

 

[Radec]

I love how everyone is spouting their opinion as fact.
There are time when you do indeed need to say "IMO"

lol

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Kinda expected honestly, few reasons why:
- First CoD after Ghosts
- First Sledgehammer CoD
- They worked on MW3
- It's Not Black Ops 3 (although kinda Black Ops 2.5)
- People are tired of CoD

Honestly, I think these two are the only ones that matter. If Ghosts was as weak as people say then it's probably soured a lot of folk on the franchise, and I think the series has just ran its course in general. The general public will probably not really know or care about Sledgehammer being the developers, and the sub-series have switched around often enough that I doubt they lament that this instalment is not Black Ops 3.

 

[aravuus]

Unless you are me. When including IMO still gets you a TAG

Yeah, imo doesn't really help when you post something blatantly false lol

I love how everyone is spouting their opinion as fact.
There are time when you do indeed need to say "IMO"

Nooooooooooope

 

[GorillaJu]

No surprise at all—every series has its peak and it's clear COD is on the wrong side of it. We know this, and Activision knows it, which is why their new darling franchise just sold $500m in it's opening week.

 

[Daffy Duck]

This is just what happens when figures people see dropping numbers for pre-orders.

IT DOESN'T MEAN SHIT, just means people are not pre-ordering a game, doesn't mean millions will still not buy it, maybe people are just realising there is no real need to pre-order games anymore, but these figure counters just think OH NOES THE END IS NIGH!

Yes there is also probably the element of Ghosts still fresh in the memories but I don't think that plays a big part, as soon as AW comes out and the likes of Ali A/Tmartn/Drift0r etc are pushing out marketing videos daily videos the fans will be all rushing back (if they can even wait that long).

 

[vrln]

Major publishers have been systematically misreading the importance of the core gamer market. That market appreciates quality and Ghosts was the worst entry in the franchise so far. They damaged the brand themselves. That game should have been cancelled.

I don´t necessarily think there´s a big problem with early releases, but it´s just extremely hard to make a great (good isn´t really enough for a AAA franchise like this) game every year. If AW is a metacritic hit, it will sell. If it´s received like Ghosts, the franchise has just been Guitar Hero´ed.

 

[Daffy Duck]

If AW is a metacritic hit, it will sell. If it´s received like Ghosts, the franchise has just been Guitar Hero´ed.

No chance they will axe CoD yet. Maybe after Black Ops 3/whatever Treyarchs game is released next year they would have a re-think of the strategy (maybe they even are now) I still think there are at lest another 2 CoD's after AW to come in the formula that we know it now.

 

[kyser73]

I think if it reviews well and gets positive WoM from the first wave of buyers it'll still do big sales, just not the behemoth it has been in the past.

Not only that, but AW is really a current-gen focused title, no? The install base still isn't there to be at a point where it's matching last-gen pre-order numbers, on top of Ghosts supposedly being pants (wouldn't know, first CoD I've missed off in years and it still isn't cheap enough for me to be bothered to pick up to play the SP) and the regular CoD crowd hanging off until the reviews are in.