Yes, You read that Title correctly
Call of Duty is one of the most historic and nostalgic game for gamers everywhere. Many people see Call of Duty as the game series that defined their childhoods and shaped who they are as people to this day. The Call of Duty community back in its prime numbered millions each with similar wants, needs, and backgrounds. Back in Call of Duty’s prime I can remember how much it dominated the lunchroom discourse and separated those whose parents let them have it and those who were kept isolated from everyone else. The game that started Call of Duty’s cultural peak could be argued for the original Modern Warfare 2, made by Warhammer Modern Warfare 2 kicked off a string of games that were universally loved by the Call of Duty community. Black Ops, Modern warfare 3, Black ops 2, all had long shelf lives after their releases and still hold nostalgia for gamers around the world. But probably the most iconic Call of Duty series would be the Modern Warfare series and of the 4 games Modern Warfare 2 by most is considered the best. Modern Warfare 2 came out in 2009 right on the cusp of the internet revolution, for the first time in Call of Duty’s life the sense of community present in the game moved outside of the game itself. People were posting montages on YouTube for the first time, clans centered around quick scoping began to rise and established themselves into current day large brands like Faze and Optic. Modern Warfare 2 saw the rise of many Call of Duty common day practices and memes that many gamers take for granted in modern times. Things like drop shoting, trolling or being toxic in gamechat, and the rise of quick scoping as a practice all began to find their footing in this CoD. Now the original Modern Warfare and World at War defiantly had vibrant large-scale communities that enjoyed the games. But when modern warfare came out it was different, it was not just a game but an entire cultural phenomenon. No matter where you looked nobody could escape just hoe popular this game was. It was all over the internet, advertised everywhere you looked, and all your friends played. As an 8-year-old at the time I was not allowed to play it originally (thanks mom and dad) but I still own a copy of the original on the Xbox 360. The gameplay still holds up with the classic Call of Duty formula of fast paced tight gun play. This is where we get to current day with the upcoming release of Modern Warfare 2. From the jump I do not like how the name is the exact same as the original game with no distinctions. I get that they kind of reset the series with the fourth game “Modern Warfare” but the naming scheme is a little confusing especially when the game with the same name you are releasing is possibly the most popular Call of Duty of all time.
How the new Modern Warfare can Live up to the Hype
The most important aspect for any Call of Duty is to get the fans and community of the old games back on your side. Most of the fans from the old days have moved on to different games at this point. But everyone loves a bit of nostalgia here and there so doing anything within your power to capture some of the magic of the original Modern warfare 2 would be a good start. They already have started out on the right foot here by bringing back multiple old guns from the original game including possibly the most infamous Call of Duty weapon of all time the Intervention. Old montage watchers and makers will remember this gun as well as any who used to quick scope, tricks hot or try to make it into a sniping clan. So recapturing nostalgia is one portion that needs to be taken but it’s not the most important. The game still actually needs to be a good game that is fun to play. All the nostalgia and hype in the world won’t be able to keep a game alive for more than the first month. If call of Duty wants this game to be a long-term success like their old games, they are going to have to make the game consistently fun to play. This includes painstaking balances of Maps, perks, guns, kill streaks, and many more aspects that go into the online first-person shooter genre. It’s going to take a consistent team that is constantly updating the game to remove bugs and potentially add new content in order to keep the game feeling fresh. I can’t stress enough how the game balance will affect the lifespan of this game. Many of us have seen how the Call of Dutys of recent years have burned out and died after a strong launch. It is also no secret that Call of Duty as a series has moved away from the epicenter of gaming and culture in recent years. After the hot streak spanning from modern warfare 2 until Black ops 2, only Call of Duty Warzone and the remake of the original Modern Warfare have had any actual traction of success. The Call of Duty Brand still is extremely strong especially among 18–30-year-olds who associate positive childhood feelings with the Brand. With Branding this strong a comeback is always possible, it’s just going to require a product that consumers are going to want to play. At least up until now (knock on wood) in the Modern warfare series, they have never released a bad game. I also think many gamers simply wish for this next Call of Duty to be good. I know many people associate some of their most positive gaming memories with the Call of Duty brand so living up to that hype will be a difficult task but if they can accomplish it they will surely reap many benefits
