Call of Duty: Black Ops, which launched at midnight last night, is being tipped to become the biggest video game of the year and could reap revenues of more than US$1bn, judging by the success of its predecessor Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
The game is set in the Cold War era and puts the player in the heart of black ops taking place in Vietnam and various Warsaw Pact countries behind the Iron Curtain.
The game raises game developer Treyarch’s standing in a franchise usually dominated by another Call of Duty developer, Infinity Ward.
“From the beginning, we focused our entire studio on creating the most immersive Call of Duty experience ever,” said Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia.
“Treyarch wanted to give Call of Duty fans the ultimate entertainment package this year. Black Ops delivers an epic and cinematic single player experience, an incredibly deep multiplayer offering, and endless hours of co-op fun with Zombies.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops is playable on Windows PCs, the PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360.
Record pre-orders
The title’s launch culminates a record-setting campaign, as anticipation for Call of Duty: Black Ops has continued to soar, surpassing previous pre-order records.
“We set a new record with reservations on Call of Duty: Black Ops with more than any other title in GameStop’s history,” stated GameStop senior vice-president of merchandising, Bob McKenzie.
For the first time in the blockbuster series’ history, Call of Duty: Black Ops brings players the immersive action in 3D.
The title supports stereoscopic 3D via active shutter 3D glasses, delivering cinematically-intense, high-definition graphics set against a vivid audio backdrop in 5.1 surround sound, pulling players into the action like never before.
The game’s predecessor Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold in excess of 20 million units globally, grossing an estimated US$1bn for Activision.
