Pachter: CoD Won't Die Unless They "Make A Bad Game"
So Guitar Hero is done. Because many blame publisher Activision of over-saturation, and considering the multiple upcoming Call of Duty projects, some think we'll see a repeat of history...
But in addition to some obvious differences between the two genres in question, top industry analysts don't see the megaton shooter franchise going the way of the dodo. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter told IndustryGamers that the two franchises really aren't comparable, and CoD continues to thrive on its gigantic community:
"I don’t think they are comparable at all. GH is a franchise that people buy once, because the peripherals are great. As it saturated the installed base, the only buyers were people who are new console purchasers, and the ‘fad’ appeared to wear off at the same time.
CoD, on the other hand, has a vibrant online community that keeps growing. When a new version comes out, the ‘network effect’ kicks in, and many people buy it because their friends have done so. The risk to the franchise is competition, not people tiring of the gameplay… CoD won’t fade unless Activision opens the door to competition by making a bad game."
This sounds about right. Although many are quick to point out the flaws in each title, there's no denying the decent level of quality and provided that remains, the fans will keep coming back. It also doesn't seem to matter that other arguably superior shooters exist; the likes of Battlefield, Halo, and Killzone haven't managed to derail the CoD train. In fact, CoD seems immune to competition.
And there are other reasons Call of Duty is very different in comparison to Guitar Hero. No, CoD ain't going anywhere.
Tags: activision, call of duty, cod, guitar hero
2/15/2011 9:16:24 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (69 posts)
MadKatBebop
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:08:18 PM
AshT
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:59:00 PM
Beamboom
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 9:31:50 AM
Lairfan
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 5:15:29 PM
NoSmokingBandit
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:07:07 PM
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My friend got a ps3 for christmas and bought Black Ops because his brother has it. He borrowed KZ2 from me for a few weeks and only played a little online because he said he didnt know what he was doing. Kz2's online isnt complicated, but i feel like COD is conditioning gamers to hate anything that isnt constant run-and-gun with no teamwork at all. I love KZ2's online because you have to pay attention 100% of the time and keep track of multiple objectives, changing spawn points, etc.
People like things that require no effort, so COD's online play will remain king even if there are tons better options all around it.
MadKatBebop
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:13:55 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:54:21 PM
frylock25
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:46:41 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 12:28:03 AM
frylock25
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 12:43:57 AM
Underdog15
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 9:00:44 AM
PasteNuggs
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:11:22 PM
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Bugzbunny109
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:23:57 PM
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By the way, does Patcher still think that game analysis is a job? lol
Last edited by Bugzbunny109 on 2/15/2011 10:26:26 PM
BIGRED15
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:25:16 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:55:46 PM
Lairfan
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 5:21:32 PM
As for the CoD nuts, World's right about that. They only care for the military shooters. Any other FPS doesn't seem to appeal to them. So in the end, most of these people will probably only glance at Crysis 2 and say how its not CoD or Halo before going right back to their favorite game.
Xbox_Killer
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:41:09 PM
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Lord carlos
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:02:55 PM
shadowpal2
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 10:29:41 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:51:38 PM
Reply
PorkChopGamer
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:10:27 PM
Snaaaake
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:43:57 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:44:48 PM
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/16/2011 12:01:52 AM
kraygen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 12:54:29 AM
PorkChopGamer
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 1:31:53 AM
kraygen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 4:24:08 AM
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 7:46:18 AM
PorkChopGamer
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 8:44:54 AM
Jawknee
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 9:53:02 AM
Snaaaake
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 10:09:57 AM
Temjin001
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 10:35:37 AM
I think many gamers on these boards recognize that there's a lot of other high quality games out there to be had and there's no way they could commit themselves to CoD (and maybe one other game) while all of these other great gaming experiences pass them by. It's like a waste and it's disparaging to think that so many are so close to playing those great experiences, but instead, are stuck in the black hole of CoD. It's also discouraging when critics also confuse the quality of game for it's heavy popularity. This issue is much more than CoD as a game, but how all of gaming humanity operates in these sort of conditions. It can be maddening.
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 12:51:18 PM
LA Noire looks like a great title that is somewhat risky as it isn't just a shootemup. I think we all benefit when games like this are made instead of yet another FPS that doesn't advance.
A good example of a game with promise to advance FPS would be Brink. The bottom line is games like FFXIII were made specifically with FPS style gaming in mind and it killed their own game. There is of course a place for shootemup bang bang games, but the fact that the most popular are essentially rehashes puts the kabash on creativity. That's what I meant.
I can't prove it out right, but that's just how I see things. I am not infallible though, just informed.
Temjin001
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 10:41:37 PM
If you mean more accesible for the less impatient, then I can agree to that as being a contributing variable. But I doubt it was ever S-E's intent to try and capture FPS-style gamers for FF13. If that was even your meaning.
I see about 4 valid contributors as POSSIBILITIES for FF13's wayward design.
In no particular order:
A) Inflating dev costs on a franchise that demands massive amounts of content. FF's have traditionally been much larger games than other titles, also yielding much higher quality production standards than most.
B) Expanding the franchise into two similar, but distinct, competing markets (Xbox & PS)
C) Creating a game for a storage medium that is much more restrictive resource wise (DVD)
D) Widening FF's appeal by making it more accessible to a broader range of gamer. (the dumbing down, twitch effect)
Temjin001
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:55:59 PM
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But how has WoW been doing? Hasn't it's install base kind of been stagnating? Maybe shrinking? I don't really know, I haven't looked at any hard numbers recently, but the MMORPG populace seem to have hit the ceiling several years ago.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 2/15/2011 10:56:25 PM
Lord carlos
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 10:59:06 PM
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Alienange
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:12:16 PM
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I certainly don't prefer Black Ops over the MW games, but to each their own. I just think Treyarch needs to figure out better map schemes. The gameplay keeps BO alive, but the mp maps... the majority are just big messes that lack fluidity.
Last edited by Alienange on 2/15/2011 11:12:44 PM
FatherSun
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 6:36:43 AM
You hit the nail on the head. COD is extremely accessible. Once you get the hang of it, it provides instant gratification of one of humans most basic levels.
Many people I know feel the same way about BO. Something about it just doesn't click with them. They returned to MW2. Although its current online state is a circus with all the CL and peoples stats being deleted at will. Crazy.
Jawknee
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 9:54:21 AM
Alienange
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 1:11:48 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:16:47 PM
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godsman
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 11:23:12 PM
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My Rockband and Guitar Hero game experience gets worse each year. I invested on the plastic instruments early. Each year more and better instruments releases. I am not getting the "full" experience like CoD each year because I refuse to upgrade my instruments.
crunchy_nut_kid
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 1:44:18 AM
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Kevin555
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 2:41:07 AM
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The headset abuse is cute sometimes but there is only so many times one can tolerate the ear burn of a bragging "pro camper". Granted, i suck balls at the multiplayer, i personally don't care that i do, but CoD elitists do care! This game is serious business to some people.
I like CoD, i don't love it but i enjoy it for what it is. I will continue to hire them to experience the campaigns but i would never buy the full games & spend hard earned dosh on them. It's just not worth it for me imo.
___________
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 2:58:36 AM
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COD will live on forever, well after they make 100 bad games let alone one!
ive said this once, twice, a million times, and ill say it again.
there could be a game of a guy taking a crap, thats the whole game just taking a crap, and it would break sales records as long as it has the halo, GTA, COD name slapped onto it!
Bloodysilence19
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 4:01:22 AM
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kraygen
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 4:25:58 AM
kevinater321
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 6:42:56 AM
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Excelsior1
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 8:43:23 AM
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i agree with a lot of the comments above, except i don't think cod is a bad game.
i don't think cod's ridiculous sales numbers are particularlly good for the industry though.
dirdiggler
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 10:31:48 AM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 12:56:42 PM
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"Good" is too subjective and without simple switchups (like players on the teams in Madden) the games still seem the same to me. I still think the market can get flustered by being flooded with the same thing.
BeezleDrop
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 1:12:57 PM
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It can sell but how is it raising the bar? How is it leading the genre? in sales? Irrelevant. There is nothing wrong with playing Cod but where is the tactical destruction? Where are the vehicles? Why is the sound design the worst ive heard from any shooter in cod?
They say the games run on "silky smooth" 60 fps but that sacrifices graphics, did you all know cod crap ops runs at 600p?
Excelsior1
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 1:48:47 PM
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i don't think there is anything that significantly differntiates it except for that rabid fanbase that seems willing to support the yearly installments. it has a rabid fanbase that seems to suck more and more in. there definitely is peer pressure involved here, and it's all about the multiplayer.
@beezle
sales are revelant. cod is probably sucking up so much sales it's snuffing out other games.
Jawknee
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 3:23:29 PM
Oyashiro
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 2:49:51 PM
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Excelsior1
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 6:22:06 PM
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BIGRED15
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 @ 6:31:15 PM
Reply
Beamboom
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 9:49:50 AM
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One can say that they don't like artists like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Iron Maiden, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Eminem or Far Too Loud.
... But you can't call them mediocre. COD is the Elvis of the gaming industry. Commercial, untouchable, got loads of fans but is not accepted amongst the establishment, those who regard themselves above the average Joe. Those who only enjoy the finer arts. Like opera, or poems.
... I guess Heavy Rain is the Tarja Turunen of the gaming world. I struggle to like opera, though I'd never call her "mediocre" or "crappy".
Lairfan
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 5:37:00 PM
You can't go around saying that any and every piece of crap is good out there. I know that just because I don't like it doesn't mean its bad, but if 99% of everyone else says its bad too, then its bad. Right now, it'd probably be 40% of gamers who dislike CoD, but that's still a pretty fair amount who don't like it and who give plenty of credence to it sucking.
BIGRED15
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 11:18:40 AM
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mid10smaradoarg
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 4:35:32 PM
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Lairfan
Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 5:42:01 PM
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So what'll probably happen is that people will think MW3 was a disappointment (even more so than MW2), and since Modern Warfares seem to be the most loved CoD games out there, people will start to believe that its going downhill and stop buying it. It doesn't matter if they ever release a good game after that, the decline will still happen. I've seen it happen with a crapload of other series, and it'll probably happen again.

Call of Duty: Black Ops









rogers71
Reply
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 9:33:25 PM