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XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 PATCH ARRIVES

The wait is over… at least for Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4 owners. Infinity Ward has finally released the long awaited patch for some of the problems plaguing the console version of CoD4. Players will be automatically prompted to receive the download if connected to Xbox Live the next time they play the game. (PC Owners please note; I believe all of these fixes have been available for the PC for quite some time now, so if you haven't patched CoD4 yet, you may want to look into it)

Number one on my wish list was a fix for the accuracy problems that have so far made using a sniper's rifle or ACOG scope more of a detriment than a benefit. According to the patch message, those problems should now be gone. I haven't tested the ACOG scopes yet, but from my experiences, the standard sniper rifles have definitely seen an increase in accuracy, making them once again an enjoyable option.

If that had been the only fix, I would have been a happy man – but Infinity Ward decided that happy wasn't good enough. According to Infinity Ward Community Director Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling, the company fixed quite a few issues in yesterday's patch. Let's take a look;

"New Kill Cams – Everything that can kill you has a Kill Cam now. Grenades, Airstrikes, Claymores, C4, M203 Rounds, RPGs, anything. So jump online, get owned alittle and check them out. They’re awesome, especially Grenades and M203 shots that go across the map and through a window.

Host Migration – Host migration was added, so now when the host leaves you won’t get dropped back to your own lobby by yourself. Everyone will stay together. Host Leaves, everyone returns to lobby, selects next best host, and the game starts up again. No more re-inviting, re-partying up because a host ended the game.

Improved Sniper Accuracy – The Sniper rifle accuracy has been improved. No more, WTF? shots now. Your cross hair will be a better representation of where your shot will ultimately land. Try out a sniper class today, let us know how the new accuracy feels.

Improved ACOG Scope Accuracy – ACOG scopes accuracy on any weapon has been improved. Test it out, throw it on one of your classes and give it a go.

Upgraded Spectator Cam – Now when you’re a spectator you have the option to follow in 3rd person or 1st person. As well as rotate 360 degrees around the player you’re watching. Next time you’re dead in Search and Destroy and just watching your team mates do stuff you know you can do better, now do it in 1st person or rotate around them.

Quick Mute Option – Now you can easily and quickly mute players in-game or in-lobby without ever going through the Xbox Live blades. Just go to their gamertag on screen and hit ‘A’ to quick mute in lobby, or via the in-game scoreboard if playing. Quick. Easy. Salvation!

In addition to these feature additions there will also be:

Improved Network Performance For Larger Games – 18 player games now require more bandwidth to host, resulting in smoother performance for players.

Optimized Server Selection for First Match – Server selection is now optimized to select best bandwidth servers associated by LSP.

Fixed “Playlist Older Than Host” Error – Player will no longer get this error when entering games.

Additional Start Spawn Locations in All Maps – Added a minimum of 9 extra start spawns on each side of all maps." – Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling

Overall, this is a great patch for the game, taking into account many of player's complaints and suggestions. Sadly, while the patch notes list some network performance fixes, I still found the same old lag in several of the games I played. Looks like there's still some improvement needed on that end.

Finally, lest PlayStation 3 owners feel slighted, FourZeroTwo confirmed that there is a PlayStation 3 version of this patch going through certification at Sony, and will be available as soon as that testing is done.

March 1, 2008 Posted by | Activision Blizzard, Announcements, Call of Duty, FPS, Infinity Ward, Patch, Xbox 360, Xbox Live | Leave a comment

PC CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE DEMO NOW AVAILABLE

A Windows PC demo of Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is now available for download from most of your favorite PC file download sites. The demo contains one mission from the single player campaign and weighs in at approximately 1.37GB.

October 12, 2007 Posted by | Activision, Call of Duty, Demo, Infinity Ward, PC Games | Leave a comment

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA UPDATE

In a post on his blog, Infinity Ward’s Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling confirmed that the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will be ending on September 30th at 11:59PM. To cushion the blow of that news, Bowling also reported that on September 28th at 10:00AM PST, Infinity Ward will be raising the level cap to 25, unlocking all non-classified items listed in the weapons and perks menus.

"Friday Sept. 28th, (first thing aka 10 am PST) we’re going to be maxing out the level cap for the beta at Rank 25. This is going to allow you to rank up and unlock everything that’s not marked Classified including new weapons, perks, and challenges such as:

Assault Rifles:
> G3

Light Machine Guns:
> M60E4

Sniper Rifles:
> Dragunov

Perk 1:
> Claymore X2

Perk 2:
> Slight of Hand

Perk 3:
> Martyrdom

Next weekend (Friday 28th / Sunday 30th) is going to be a mad rush to level 25 as it’s official, come 11:59pm on Sunday the 30th the beta will be coming to a close. I know, I know… but don’t worry. It’ll only be a little over a month from that point that you’ll be able to get your hands on the full version of the game on November 5th." – Robert "FourZeroTwo" Bowling

While I’m absolutely thrilled about the level cap being raised, I really am not looking forward to having to go without CoD4 for a whole month. Beyond a few annoying bugs and exploits, which will hopefully be addressed in the retail release, the beta has been an absolute blast to play. Based on the multiplayer aspect alone, Call of Duty 4 is shaping up to be a must-buy title.

September 23, 2007 Posted by | Beta test, Call of Duty, Infinity Ward, Update, Xbox 360 | 2 Comments

MORE XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA TOKENS AVAILABLE TODAY

Those of you who missed out on the first run of invite tokens for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will get a second chance at glory starting today. Gamespot will be distributing a limited number of tokens via their website to those that sign up starting today at noon EST.

There’s no word on how they plan on handling the distribution of the tokens, so don’t be surprised if this turns into another server outage fiasco. Still, those of you who desperately want to get into the beta should give it a shot.

"A hundred thousand may seem like a lot of keys. But we expect them to go fast. After all, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year.

So if you’re a registered GameSpot user who is also a Xbox Live Gold Member in North America over the age of 17, then come back on Monday, Sept 10th at 9:00 am PT to enter the beta test.

How it works is quite simple: Our big stockpile of tokens will be broken up into five stashes. Each day we will release one of those stashes. If you get a beta token, great. If you don’t, try again the next day. Once you sign up, you’ll get a token code and a confirmation email. You’ll use your Token Code to download the Beta from Xbox Live Marketplace." – Gamespot

Having played the beta for the better part of two weeks now, let me tell you that if you have a 360 and meet the above listed criteria, you really should try to get a hold of a token. The game is that good. Expect demand for these tokens to be extremely heavy.

September 10, 2007 Posted by | Activision, Beta test, Call of Duty, FPS, Infinity Ward, Xbox 360 | Leave a comment

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA TO INCREASE LEVEL CAP

According to a post over at Destructoid, Infinity Ward has sent out an e-mail notice advising testers that starting today at 1pm EST, they will be raising the level cap in the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta from eleven to sixteen. This of course means new features, weapons and fun.

"Friday morning at 10 am PDT (1 pm EST) we’re going to be increasing the Rank level cap to Level 16. This is going to allow you to rank up and unlock more weapons, more perks, and more features; including Clan Tags (lv. 12). This is the first of several level increases we’re going to do throughout the beta, so keep playing, and we’ll keep you informed of incoming updates. Thanks to everyone currently playing for the tremendous amount of feedback we’ve been receiving; Keep sending it, and we’ll see you online!" – Infinity Ward (as per Destructoid)

This is welcome news indeed. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t stop playing this game – it’s actually delayed. my progress in BioShock – and that’s saying something.

September 7, 2007 Posted by | Beta test, Call of Duty, FPS, Infinity Ward, Update, Woot!, Xbox 360 | Leave a comment

CALL OF DUTY 4 XBOX 360 MULTIPLAYER BETA UPDATE

Many of you may be feeling a “small” amount of frustration with the way the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare beta registration was handled yesterday. If you’re like me, all you got when you tried to register the site was problem after problem. You would think by now that companies would know it’s impossible to really survive any kind of a “first come, first serve” web registration system. Basically, the thing was doomed from the start…

Now before you think I’m going to go off on a rant, I’m not. You see, I was all ready to write an article about poor planning, the frustration and the ill will that problems like this cause, when Infinity Ward stepped up to the plate and decided to fix things. It all started with a post at Infinity Ward employee FourZeroTwo’s blog… (Please note: FourZeroTwo’s post is potentially NSFW due to language)

In a post that explained just how bothered the folks at Infinity Ward were about how the situation turned out – and more importantly, how they planned to remedy the situation, FourZeroTwo announced that the Call of Duty 4 website would be taken down for maintenance and that when it came back online, the company would take beta test applications for the next 24 hours before randomly selecting those lucky gamers who would get into the beta test.

Well, the Call of Duty 4 website is back online and, as promised, beta applications are being accepted once more. According to Infinity Ward, they will continue accepting applications until 10pm EST today, at which time they’ll begin the process of randomly selecting who gets into the beta and setting up a schedule of when those people will be getting their invites.

Let me say to any companies that may be reading this, this is how you handle customer service. Admit the problem, assure your customers you’re going to fix the issue, make sure that your customers are treated fairly and then keep them informed on the status of the problem. Initially, the whole experience left me with a very bitter taste in my mouth. While I was still going to buy Call of Duty 4, I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste my time filling out surveys or looking into other contests if this was going to be what I could expect. With one simple fix, Infinity Ward took that negative experience and boosted their reputation with many gamers.

Well done Infinity Ward, well done.

August 28, 2007 Posted by | Activision, Beta test, Call of Duty, Customer Service, FPS, Infinity Ward, Xbox 360 | Leave a comment

CALL OF DUTY 4 XBOX 360 MULTIPLAYER BETA REGISTRATION OPENS TODAY

This is going to be your last reminder on the subject, so pay attention! Registration for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta will be opening this afternoon. There’s still some confusion regarding the exact time applications will start to be accepted as the countdown timer indicates that registration will open at 12pm EST, while the text on the site states registration will be opening at 3pm EST (12pm PST).

According to the beta site, you will now if your application was processed successfully immediately, but an actual invite to the beta may take a few weeks. Keep that in mind before shooting off a million e-mails, ok?

August 27, 2007 Posted by | Activision, Beta test, Call of Duty, FPS, Infinity Ward, Xbox 360 | Leave a comment

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 4 MULTIPLAYER BETA REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY

Okay gang, it’s almost time for Activision to start taking applicants for the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta test. Registration is scheduled to open on Monday, August 27th at approximately 12:00pm EST via the game’s website at http://www.charlieoscardelta.com. I’m not sure how accurate the countdown timer at the site is, so be sure to check the site often so you don’t wind up missing out.

August 25, 2007 Posted by | Activision, Beta test, Call of Duty, FPS, Multiplayer, Xbox 360 | Leave a comment

LAZY DAY TRAILERS: CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE

Activision has released the latest trailer for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and what we find in this new video is that what we may have viewed as a smaller, regional conflict based on the previous trailer is actually just a small part of a far larger global crisis. While specific details as to the game’s plot still haven’t been made available, I think you’ll agree that with this second trailer, things are really starting to heat up.

One thing to note is that according to Activision, everything seen in this trailer is from actual gameplay footage.

Those of you who want to watch the above video in high-definition, download it to your computer or check out other Call of Duty 4 videos should head on over to GameTrailers.com. Call of Duty 4 is currently scheduled to release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC in late 2007 or early 2008.

July 8, 2007 Posted by | Activision, Call of Duty, FPS, Infinity Ward, Lazy Day Trailers, Video | Leave a comment

LAZY DAY TRAILERS: CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE

Back when Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was first announced, I voiced some concerns that the game was going to get away from the feel of just being another soldier in favor of an experience more akin to Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. I’m pleased to announce that having just watched the first gameplay footage of CoD4, it looks like Infinity Ward has indeed kept the game firmly fixed to it’s roots while simultaneously bringing it into the 21st century. Don’t believe me? Check it out below courtesy of GameTrailers.com;

Those of you interested in downloading the trailer you just watched in standard or high-definition should head over to the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare video page at GameTrailers.com and pick your poison.

June 21, 2007 Posted by | Call of Duty, FPS, Infinity Ward, Lazy Day Trailers, Video | Leave a comment

XBOX 360 CALL OF DUTY 2 INVASION PACK NOW AVAILABLE

As we reported on Tuesday, Activision has released a new multiplayer map pack for use with the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 2. The pack, dubbed the “Invasion Pack”, contains 5 new multiplayer maps and is available via the Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 points ($10).

June 29, 2006 Posted by | Activision, Call of Duty, Downloadable Content, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace | Leave a comment

CALL OF DUTY 2 INVASION PACK COMING THURSDAY

Team Xbox is reporting that sources inside Activision have advised them that the next map pack for the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 2 will be made available in the Xbox Live Marketplace this thursday at a cost of 800 points ($10) and will include 5 new multiplayer maps.

Check out the Team Xbox scoop here and ask yourself if five maps is really worth ten dollars.

June 27, 2006 Posted by | Activision, Call of Duty, Downloadable Content, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace | Leave a comment