Call of Duty: World at War ModTools Package v1.4 Update
Update to Call of Duty World at War Mod Tools to version 1.4.

This patch will update your retail install of Call of Duty World at War to version 1.5. It includes three new multiplayer maps, one new zombie map, and several bug fixes. You developers can also download the Mod Tools, link below.

Get the patch here!
Get the Mod Tools here!

According to Robert Bowling, community manager for Infinity Ward (a.k.a. FourZeroTwo), Call of Duty is definitely part of the new title. How can we be sure? Well, he shared this picture with us via his Twitter account.

See, now THAT is definitive. I had thought it strange that Infinity Ward or Activision would remove the CoD title from the game, since that links it into a seriously well-known franchise. Sure, it might confuse the issue of which Call of Duty game is coming next, but I’ll bet it will be totally worth it.

I can assure you all that most of us here at Gaming Today will be available online for you to shoot at on day one of Modern Warfare 2. I know that you will all be happy about that opportunity.

If you’re not familiar with Stardock’s digital distribution platform, Impulse, this would be a good time to give it a look. After all, they’re offering some great deals, like Call of Duty 4 for just $34.99 and Sins of a Solar Empire with its expansion for just $29.99.

The sale also includes titles like the complete Unreal series, Prototype, Red Faction Guerilla, and more. You can get your copy of Impulse and check out all the deals at ImpulseDriven.com

You can also see the full list of games on sale, along with their prices, after the break.

Here’s the full list of games Impulse has discounted for the weekend:

• Titan Quest – $3.99
• Red Faction Guerilla Pre-Order Bundle (RF1, RF2 and RFG) – $39.99 USD | $49.99 EUR | 34.99 GBP
• Sins of a Solar Empire + Entrenchment Bundle – $29.99
• Call of Duty 4 – $34.99
• Prototype – $44.99
• Street Fighter IV Pre-Order – $35.99
• King’s Bounty – $19.99
• Majesty Gold – $4.99
• Flock – $7.50
• Unreal Gold – $7.49
• Unreal II – $7.49
• Unreal Tournament 2004 – $11.29
• Unreal Tournament GotY – $7.49
• Unreal Tournament III – $22.49
• Unreal Pack – $33.79

According to MCV, Kotick said in an interview,

“I’m getting concerned about Sony – the PS3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation.

They have to cut the price, because if they don’t, the attach rates are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony. When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP too.”

That’s a big shot fired across Sony’s bow. So, will Sony take him seriously, and how will they respond?

According to Industry Gamers, Sony has already responded to Kotick’s statement (sort of) with the usual PR blurb, saying,

“PlayStation has tremendous momentum coming out of E3, and we are seeing positive growth with more than 350 titles slated to hit across all our platforms, including many anticipated games from our publishing partners. We enjoy healthy business relationships with and greatly value our publishing partners and are working closely with them to deliver the best entertainment experience.”

So what does all this mean? Basically, it means nothing. Activision is flexing their considerable muscle at Sony; probably in the hopes of getting a cut in their licensing fees, or a cut in the cost of the PS3 to increase sales of their games. Sony’s responding by touting how amazing their platform is, and saying nothing to respond to Kotick’s actual concerns.

This sort of thing isn’t all that unusual in the world of business. Besides, there are rumors flying of a $100 PS3 price cut to coincide with the release of Madden 10 in August, so Sony is likely to just ignore this and move forward as planned.

It’s unlikely that Activision will take any further steps unless the PlayStation situation worsens. After all, Call of Duty 4 alone sold 4.34 million copies on PS3, and PS3 is a leading seller in much of the world. Dropping support for the PS3 would be like cutting off their nose to spite their face.

So, taking all this into account, it all boils down to a bunch of corporate dick waving. Not all that original after all, is it?

You can view the COD: WaW Map Pack 2 Trailer for yourself along with a guided tour of design and gameplay for Corrosion, Bonzai, Sub Pens, and Shi No Numa after the break. CoD:WaW Map Pack 2will be available for download from Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store Thursday, June 11th.

Music fans have new bands and features to bump and grind to with Guitar Hero 5 and can explore new genres with DjHero. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is ready for show and sci-fi buffs can get their fill with Singularity and PROTOTYPE. I’m putting Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in with sci-fi because I can’t quite make the leap to call them superheroes. Get the full list complete with details on each game after the break.

Activision’s Full E3 Game Slate Includes:

Blur is set to revolutionize the racing genre as the ultimate wheel-to-wheel racing action experience with spectacular power-ups, real-world locations and over 60 licensed cars. The pick-up and play game drops players into heart-pumping, electrified racing action with 20 cars on track all targeting the finish line and battling each other as they trade paint and collect intense power-ups, including the ability to blast other cars out of the way with huge bursts of energy, boost their speed and more. Gamers can also engage in competitive and team-based multiplayer with up to 20 racers online, or on a single console via 4-player split-screen; plus create custom groups to design their own complete game mode. (Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®; not yet rated by the ESRB).

In DJ Hero, faces in the crowd are transformed into the life of the party as the game’s turntable controller – created exclusively for DJ Hero and featuring familiar DJ tools including a fully-rotating turntable, sample buttons, effects dial and cross fader – immerses fans into the authenticity of DJ culture and a sea of music. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems and Wii™ system from Nintendo; not yet rated by the ESRB).

Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to-date comprised of master tracks from 85 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic acts including Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that will be making their music video game debut. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii and PlayStation 2 system; not yet rated by the ESRB).

The greatest Super Hero™ action/RPG of all time is back with the world’s largest army of heroes and villains in Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance 2. Incorporating elements of the acclaimed Marvel Civil War storyline, the game allows players to choose their side and team up with revered heroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, Deadpool, Venom, Green Goblin and Captain America. Players can combine characters’ powers and unleash astonishing new attacks. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii, PlayStation 2 system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system and Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the ESRB).

On November 10, 2009, Infinity Ward will make its return with the release of Modern Warfare 2, the most-anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time, Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, which has sold more than 13 million copies to date. Modern Warfare 2 continues the gripping and heart-racing saga with an unprecedented level of action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB).

An all-new, third-person open-world/action game, PROTOTYPE lets gamers feel the power of being the ultimate shape-shifting weapon. You are the PROTOTYPE: Alex Mercer – a genetically mutated man without memory, armed with amazing shape-shifting abilities, hunting your way to discover what created you and determined to make those responsible pay. As Alex, gamers tear through a densely populated contemporary New York City with Parkour-style agility, consuming anybody that gets in their way…assuming their physical identity, memories and abilities. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; the game is rated “M” by the ESRB).

Singularity pits shooter and sci-fi fans against a devastating fracture in time. As players attempt to unravel a conspiracy, they must fight their way through ever-shifting epic sci-fi environments, occupied by Russian soldiers and time-ravaged creatures, while sudden time waves hurl them back and forth between 1950 and the present day. Use time as a weapon as you attempt to unravel the mystery and prevent a catastrophic event that threatens all humanity. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB).

Featuring an innovative skateboard-shaped controller, Tony Hawk: RIDE redefines the sports genre by offering a dynamic hands-free gaming experience. Using full motion sensing technology, players physically control the action by performing various movements and gestures on the board that directly translate into amazing tricks in the game in a variety of settings and half pipes. The new wireless skateboard controller provides an accessible and social gaming experience that allows players to feel what it’s really like to skate. Without complex button combinations or analog sticks, gamers can literally step on the board to play the game. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii; not yet rated by the ESRB).

Based on Hasbro’s legendary TRANSFORMERS property and Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures’ upcoming feature film, Transformers™: Revenge of the Fallen, the video game thrusts players into a battle for supremacy across the globe as either AUTOBOTS or DECEPTICONS to drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. Delivering more control than ever before, players can select from an extremely diverse range of playable TRANSFORMERS characters and jump straight into action as they instantly switch between robot, vehicle and weapon modes to fight for the preservation or annihilation of all mankind. Players can also fight the epic war between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS online in explosive, multiplayer combat. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Wii, PlayStation 2 system PSP system, Nintendo DS and Games for Windows; the game is rated “T” for the console and PC versions and “E10+” for the handheld versions by the ESRB).

Wolfenstein™ brings the Nazi’s dark obsession with the occult to life, by intertwining fast-paced, intense story-driven combat with a diverse sci-fi experience. As BJ Blazkowicz, a highly decorated member of the Office of Secret Actions (OSA), you are sent on a special mission into the heart of the Third Reich to investigate evidence that the SS hierarchy may possess a new and mysterious power. Wolfenstein is scheduled to be on store shelves on August 4, 2009. (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows; not yet rated by the ESRB; the game is rated “M” by the ESRB).

Hi! It’s Friday, and we’ve got another great product for you! Not only is Friday great because it’s the end of the work week, it’s also weekend deal time on Steam.

That’s right, for a limited time only, you can be treated to the latest Call of Duty title from Treyarch, World at War, for 50% off. Now, since I know that some of our readers struggle with math, that’s just $24.99. $24.99!

But wait, there’s more!

If you order within the next 2 days, we’ll throw in the recently released Map Pack 1 absolutely free! We’ll even waive processing and handling fees! So stop playing older Call of Duty games, and get your copy of World at War today! Here’s how to order!

Head over to Steam and grab your copy today!

Personally, I moved myself out of that era by spending an inordinate amount of time playing Battlefield: Vietnam. Now I hear that I might get a chance to return to those rice paddies in a Call of Duty title, and I have to admit to being intrigued at the idea.

According to That Videogame Blog, a ’source’ they trust has informed them that Activision is looking to license music for ‘Call of Duty 7.’ The choice of music, including some Vietnam-era music, Cuban music, African music, and Russian music. While I could see this pointing to Vietnam, it isn’t a confirmation yet.

But what other signs point to a change of locale for the venerable series, and why would Vietnam be a great setting for a Call of Duty game? Check after the break to find out.

I do recall that the Senior Producer of Call of Duty: World at War was quoted last year as saying that WaW was tying up the final battles of WWII, and that doing so would allow Call of Duty to “put the war to bed.” That would make some gamers happy, and some gamers irate.

I will say this. Vietnam as a war has a ton of potential from a game standpoint. It’s a different type of war than any other the US has fought. Not only the tactics and strategy. but the locale. Vietnam had everything from sandy beaches, to towering mountains, to harsh triple canopy jungle. Sometimes, a soldier might encounter all three in a single mission. Toss in the civialian populated areas outside the DMZ, and the likelihood that at least some of those civilians are actually Vietcong guerrillas in disguise, and you’ve got a recipe for one tense videogame.

Additionally, the Vietnam war included a large number of special operations units. I imagine this would be prime material for a Call of Duty game set in the time period. Treyarch could set the player as a member of the 1st Brigade 101st Airbone LRRPS, 3rd Special Operations Group, or any number of Special Forces units. There were also a ton of unit specific recon units, like Tiger Force. Any one of these would be an awesome backdrop for a campaign.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but I hope we see this come to pass. Call of Duty in Vietnam is definitely something I’d pay money to see.

Xbox LIVE Gold members will have a chance to take a shot at Fall Out Boy playing Call Of Duty: World At War. The Game with Fame – Fall Out Boy challenge is set for this weekend.

December 19th from 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. EST/11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. PT, members of Fall Out Boy will be on XBL under the GWF FallOutBoy gamertag. To get in on a game, send a friend request to GWF FallOutBoy, and be online by 1:30 EST/10:30 A.M. PT. More about Fall Out Boy follows the jump.

Fall Out Boy has just exited the studio after recording their fifth album, Folie à Deux. The single “I Don’t Care” is already on the air with Folie à Deux releasing tomorrow, December 16th. The Chicago band is headed by Patrick Stump on vocals and guitar with Pete Wentz on bass, Joe Trohman on guitar, and Andy Hurley on drums. They’re well known for their pop punk numbers including “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” which is offered as DLC for Rock Band 2.

Fall Out Boy is Xbox Live’s Artist of the Month for December. You can find more details on the band, Folie à Deux and their latest music videos on Xbox.com.

Infinity Ward has responded to forum users over on Xbox.com when asked why there has not been any information, let alone the release of some of the promised playlists for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Apparently this because Infinity Ward is hard a work on the next installment in the series, plus I guess they figure gamers have enough to do with Call of Duty: World at War burning up the charts.

Thanks to Adam over at The Gamer Limit who has kindly posted the discussion from the Xbox. com forums which started when a member was asking where the promised content was:

“Glad to hear you enjoyed CoD:WaW. As for DLC for our games, we did three map packs for Call of Duty 2, ending with an impressive number altogether. For Call of Duty 4, we focused on including as many maps as we could out of box, and had 16 from DAY 1 (adding four more later for a total 20 Maps total).

Personally, I prefer to give the community as much as possible out of the box instead of making them wait and pay extra for them later. However, whenever possible (like with COD2) we continue to make maps if our development process allows for it.

It’s a bit of a catch 22 in gaming. Of course as a gamer you always want more, more more. If you include them out of box (shipped with game for no extra cost) then it’s just ignored and people demand more. If you instead, decide to get the game out and then worry about beefing up the map selection via DLC, people say “don’t nickle and dime me” or “this should have been included in the shipped game”.

Perfect solution, ship with a load of maps (like we did) and also release a lot of DLC (for free). In a perfect world, that would be fantastic. Regretfully in a realistic development environment, it’s near impossible. Unless your Criterion of course, with their magical DLC fairies ; )

In all seriousness though, I hear ya, and We’re always working on improving our development process and planning to ensure that we can deliver more and more community support in the form of updates / DLC and other forms of support for our future games. We have big plans for our future (still currently unofficial) projects.”

The discussion continues after the jump.

When asked about the promised playlists, here was the reply:

“Regretfully the playlists never came to fruition, however that’s hardly a accurate depiction of the validity of community support. Community support goes so much deeper than just “playlist updates”. Good community support goes unnoticed, and unpraised, because it is done in a way to ensure that the shipped product includes the requests, features, and demands of the community out of box.

Community Support via the COD2 community helped shape and mold COD4 into the game it is, and community support via COD4 will help shape future Infinity Ward titles to ensure we’re always improving and including community wants and needs into future games.

Every level designer / texture artist / enviornmental artist / etc. working on a new map for a previous game is one less working on a map for a future game. Again going back to the, do you attempt to include as much as possible out of box for the people spending $60 and that goes to everyone, or do you focus on doing endless DLC for previous game, shipping with only a few maps, and beefing up MP via DLC after launch for a fee (which only a % of community people can enjoy due to internet connection / Xbox Live gold requirement). Regretfully that’s the harsh reality and shitty part of game development.

Since COD4 however, we’ve been focusing on expanding our team here at Infinity Ward and looking at our development cycle to see how it can be optimized and improved to make strides in how we can have the best of both worlds. A polished / stacked game at launch and a dedicated team for DLC post-launch while everyone else looks towards the future.”

At least gamers can take heart in the fact that they are hard at work on the next title.

The November NPD numbers are in for PC titles for the month, and it should come as no surprise that World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is on top–as a matter of fact it takes the top two spots out of the Top 20. If you look through the whole chart though, you will notice that World of Warcraft took five spots which is an indication that its popularity shows no wane in sight.

Call of Duty: World at War for the PC came in third, with Spore still pulling in the gamers and resting at number four, and Left 4 Dead took the number 8 spot which is a decent slot considering the PC powerhouses that are present on the chart.

1. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
2. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Collector’s Edition
3. Call of Duty: World At War
4. Spore
5. Fallout 3
6. World of Warcraft: Battle Chest
7. The Sims 2 Deluxe
8. Left 4 Dead
9. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Expansion Pack
10. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
11. World of Warcraft
12. The Sims 2 Mansion & Garden Stuff Expansion
13. Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy
14. EverQuest II: The Shadow Odyssey
15. Far Cry 2
16. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack
17. BioShock
18. Spore Creepty & Cute Parts Pack
19. IGT Slots: Little Green Men
20. Assassin’s Creed

(Thanks Shacknews)

The NPD numbers are in for November, and as far as console sales go, Gears of War 2 dominated the chart with 1.5 million units sold and Call of Duty: World at War coming in a very close second with 1.4 million in sales (for the Xbox 360 version).

Shockingly enough, Nintendo’s Wii Music came in last in the top 10, and while that in itself does not surprise me, the fact that it is even in the top 10 is what I am curious over. I suppose that the company’s stellar ad campaign was what did it, along with unsuspecting parents rushing out to buy the game on Black Friday because all the stores in their area were out of Rock Band 2 and World Tour. They probably thought that their kids would like it just as well, by they will unfortunately find out the hard way come Christmas morning.

Top Ten Games

1. Gears of War 2 (Epic, Xbox 360) – 1.56 million
2. Call of Duty: World at War (Treyarch, Xbox 360) – 1.41 million
3. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) – 796,000
4. Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii) – 697,000
5. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii) – 637,000
6. Call of Duty: World at War (Treyarch, PS3) – 597,000
7. Guitar Hero World Tour (Vicarious Visions, Wii) – 475,000
8. Left 4 Dead (Valve, Xbox 360) – 410,000
9. Resistance 2 (Insomniac, PS3) – 385,000
10. Wii Music (Nintendo, Wii) – 297,000

(Thanks VG247)

After a renewed start we had an interruption these last few weeks but rest assured Filefront is still hosting and promoting all the great user created and hosted content contributed to us. We return with a double length post highlighting some great mods and files for quite a few outstanding games including usual suspects like Half-Life 2, the Battlefield games and of course one of my favorite series “that I am really no good at yet still enjoy” – Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War

Highlights from this week’s column include mods for:

• Doom III – Wrathchild Act I (not ROE compatible), Revised Alphalabs
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – A Provost of the Nine Divines, More Nord Beards
• Battlefield 2 – Operation Peacekeeper, Allies Intent Extended
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R – Ballistics Mod
• Far Cry 2 – new maps: MP_Surf & Gold Rush

There are also links to other maps, mods and patches for many of your favorite PC modifiable games. Be sure to check it all out after the jump.

When you think of piracy lately, Spore comes to mind more so than anything else, and according to a post over on Actiontrip– Electronic Arts and Will Wright’s huge hit Spore is the biggest pirated game of 2008. I wonder if it has anything to do with the hoopla caused by the DRM restrictions EA imposed upon the title?

Whatever gamers reasoning for pirating these titles is, they are all listed in the order of most to least with the release date of the game next to the title. While looking this over, some of you may recall all of the money that Ubisoft claims they lost when Assassin’s Creed for the PC was pirated. The main reason that Assassin’s Creed was so highly pirated according to a lawsuit brought against OEM by Ubisoft, was because an employee took home a copy of Assassin’s Creed and uploaded it onto the internet six weeks before the game shipped in April 2008. Ubisoft claims that this led to over 700,000 pirated downloads of the title. Well, now that number is up to 1,070,000. Wow, just wow.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the list complied by TorrentFreak and posted on Actiontrip. Hopefully none of our readers have pirated any of these titles, but in reality it would be naive to think that you haven’t.

1. Spore:  1,700,000 -  Sept. 2008
2. The Sims 2:  1,150,000 – Sept. 2004
3. Assassins Creed: 1,070,000 – Nov 2007
4. Crysis: 940,000 – Nov 2007
5. Command & Conquer 3: 860,000 – Mar 2007
6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: 830,000 – Nov 2007
7. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: 740,000 – Jun 2005
8. Fallout 3: 645,000 – Oct 2008
9. Far Cry 2: 585,000 -  Oct 2008
10. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009: 470,000 – Oct. 2008

As of yesterday, gamers who own the Limited Collector’s Edition of Call of Duty: World at War can start earning double experience points when playing multiplayer until December 12.

To earn these extra points, you must have access to the “Double XP Officer’s Club” playlists on Xbox 360, as well as the general playlists if you are a PC user.

If you need more information on how to activate this, just check out the Call of Duty website.

Activision Blizzard sure knows how to get the speculation ball rolling, and with this latest bit of teasers and confirmations from the company during yesterday’s Massive Inc. event (advertising summit really) what they had to say is really not much of a surprise.

This meeting basically showcases games that would be great vehicles for in-game advertising, and the biggest one mentioned was one called Guitar Hero 5 (working/speculative title at this point) which was revealed as a screenshot featuring a Burger Kings ad next to the scrolling notes.

ActiBliz also confirmed what we already knew about the upcoming Tony Hawk game slated for an October 2009 release when a spokesman stated: “You’re not going to be playing this game with a controller in your hands”. This, however is old news to gamers who have been in the know regarding a “skateboard type” peripheral which is supposed to come with the game.

Confirmed during the event was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for Fall 2009, and while no details were forthcoming on the upcoming Call of Duty title, ActiBliz did acknowledged Bizarre Creations’ “Bond Racing” (no tile was mentioned) style game which would be heading to stores sometime in September 2009. The good thing about this Bond game though, is that there is no movie tie-in associated with it and for fans of racing games, another one is in the works which is being hailed as a “Mario Kart meets Forza”.

So there ya have it. A few teasers, a few confirmations and the expectation that in-game advertising will be prevalent throughout each one of them. Hooray for greed and constantly being bombarded with advertising no matter where you look. Formally known as the American Way, it is now just the way of the world.

(MTV Multiplayer)