Inside Xbox is an episodic show that details the Xbox Live games, and Black Ops is one of them. The video has some new information about both Escalation and Call of the Dead, enjoy:
Blog
-
Escalation goes Hollywood.
You’ve heard of Black Ops’ Escalation Map Pack coming to Xbox Live first on May 3rd. One of the biggest stories to come out of the announcement of Escalation is not just the massive wealth of information about Call of the Dead, but also the fact that Activision went all out with Call of the Dead – it features some of the biggest Hollywood names.
SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 26, 2011 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Treyarch revealed today that famed horror and action stars Robert Englund, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Michael Rooker and Danny Trejo have joined the cast of Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation’s zombie level, Call of the Dead. The Call of the Dead zombie level and four all new multiplayer maps make up the second content pack, Escalation, for the record-setting game Call of Duty: Black Ops, launching first on Xbox LIVE on May 3rd. Dedicated to creating a Zombie experience like never before, the Call of the Dead storyline is inspired by none other than legendary horror writer and director, George A. Romero, who also stars as himself in the new level.
“Our latest zombie creation, Call of the Dead, is unreal!” says Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch. “We set out to create an exciting new zombie experience for fans of the genre that takes Zombies to an insane new level.”
“This is Treyarch’s tribute to the legendary George Romero, who truly defined the zombie genre and whose incredible work has been such an inspiration to our team,” says Dave Anthony, Call of Duty: Black Ops Director. “It was an absolute honor to work with such an amazing and talented cast whose passion and energy brought their characters instantly to life. Fans are going to love this.”
In addition to George A. Romero, whose credits include Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Land of the Dead, he is joined by Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose credits include the hit TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Cruel Intentions; Robert Englund, best known for originating the role of Freddy Krueger in the successful Nightmare on Elm Street franchise; Michael Rooker, most recently acclaimed for his work on AMC’s horror drama The Walking Dead; and Danny Trejo, who starred in 2010’s action-thriller Machete.
Published by Activision and developed by Treyarch, Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language. Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation content pack will launch first on Xbox LIVE on May 3rd. For additional Call of Duty updates and information, visit us on the web at the official Call of Duty website, and the official Call of Duty: Black Ops Facebook page, and also via Twitter @Treyarch.
Enjoy the trailer released by Activision:
-
Call of Duty Announcement Imminent
Its been quite a long time since we last heard of news surrounding Modern Warfare 3. An Activision representative tweeted on his twitter, that an announcement for Call of Duty was coming. We do know that a Black Ops: Escalation trailer was released, so April 27th marks the day that we get some info surrounding Modern Warfare 3 or at least a trailer. However, keep in mind, that last year, Black Ops was revealed at the end of the month [April 30th] as I have reported before. Activision’s rival, Electronic Arts got a head start this year when they aired gameplay footage online, and during a basketball game for Battlefield 3, but I don’t think Activision is deterred at all.
So, with all this in mind Gamertag Radio confirms exactly what I am saying: April 27th is a big day for players that have been anticipating a new Modern Warfare game.
Until then, the waiting continues.
-
Activision reveals Call of the Dead
When Treyarch let the world know that a new DLC was coming, everyone was excited. But there was one map that was left out of the escalation trailer; that map is called “Call of the Dead” and Treyarch is not even treating it as a map. Some sites, some sources are saying that Call of the Dead will become its own game. That speculation became even more evident, when a Call of the Dead trailer was released today. Why? See for yourself:
If you hadn’t figured it out by now, Call of the Dead is pack chock full of goodies: New characters, new zombies, and several types of zombies at that. The map has a boss, it seems. Making Call of the Dead one of the most epic maps ever released for a game.
But more than that, the map features big box-office names. Danny Trejo, an actor known for his anti-hero or antagonist; his on-screen appearances include Baywatch, Femme Fatale, some of the Dusk ’till Dawn movies, The X-Files, Walker Texas Ranger, most famously known for his role in Desperado, and his most recent movie is none other than Machete. He has also appeared in some video games, including Alone in the Dark 2, Def Jam: Fight for NY, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City [and Stories]. Robert Englund, an actor who has appeared in Freddy vs Jason, A Nightmare on Elm Street, [2005] The Batman, [2008] The Spectacular Spider-Man, [2008] Red, [2007] Black Swarm, Chuck, and Supernatural. Michael Rooker, an actor who appeared in Las Vegas, CSI: Miami, Psych, Burn Notice, Shark, and Jumper. He also appeared in games like The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, and Scarface: The World Is Yours. And George A. Romero is a writer, director and producer of many, many horror movies surrounded around dead zombies, his most recognizable movie is Dawn of the Dead. His inclusion comes off to me as a biggie, because Call of the Dead just so happens to be surrounded by a apocalyptic zombie/dead zombies story. If Call of the Dead sells really well, I think Romero is going to lend his talents to making the story, and direction of the game.
As for the story? An IMDB entry shows the following:
A shipwrecked crew of fearless explorers are hopelessly stranded in a remote abandoned Siberian outpost. Their dream of discovering the true origins of the mysterious Element 115 unravels into a Hellish nightmare hosted by hordes of ravenous Zombies. Written by Anonymous
And another entry shows this:
It’s anchors away for mayhem! In this epic tale of survival inspired by legendary writer and director George A. Romero, a group of four fearless explorers fight for their lives amidst an army of bloodthirsty Russian zombies. The story begins with our heroes stranded in the frozen wastelands of a forgotten Siberian outpost. On the hunt for the origins of the enigmatic Element 115, they head for the site of an ancient meteorite impact crater but their ship mysteriously runs aground. In the midst of a horrific snowstorm, our intrepid adventurers inadvertently unleash an unearthly horde of ravenous Zombies. From the island’s deserted lighthouse to a shipwrecked ocean liner and a precarious zip-line in between, it’s kill or be killed. And with shiploads of zombie Russian soldiers, scuba divers and sailors that rise out of the frozen ground and icy waters it’s not going to be easy, especially considering the deadly surprise that one particular (and somewhat notable) Zombie has in mind. Written by Anonymous
I don’t know about you, but that’s a pretty big reveal Treyarch just made. And all for one map. One single DLC map.
-
Treyarch reveals Escalation
Treyarch has been on a roll lately, selling 7 million units of Call of Duty: Black Ops in just 24 hours of sale. On the first week, Black Ops grossed 650 million dollars in the first week, and in just six weeks of sale, it raked 1 billion dollars in retail sales. In January, the first map pack was released, and sold more than 1.5 million. It’s a no brainer that Treyarch would release a new map pack. Today, Treyarch showed off the 5 new maps that will come with Escalation:
If you want to know what the maps are:
Battle it out in “Hotel”, on the roof of a Cuban luxury hotel and casino against the vivid backdrop of old Havana; “Convoy” delivers intense, close-quarters combat at the scene of an ambushed US military convoy; “Zoo” takes you on a wild ride in an abandoned Soviet Russian Zoo, with danger at every turn; “Stockpile” pits players in a remote Russian farm town housing secret WMD facilities.
So, what’s your decision? Escalation is going on Xbox Live first on May 3rd, and will cost at least 1200MSP.
-
Activision reveals Escalation
The first map pack has sold more than 1.7 million units in sales across the three major gaming services: Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and PC (That includes Steam.) First Strike sold so much that Treyarch decided to release the first details of a map pack called “Escalation,” which will release on Xbox Live first on May 3rd.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation Coming First to Xbox LIVE May 3
New Content Pack Follows Record Setting DLC Launch; Worldwide Invasion in 22 Days
SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The global phenomenon that is Call of Duty: Black Ops, which has set video game and entertainment records, is poised to raise the stakes on May 3rd with the release of its second content pack Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation. Call of Duty: Black Ops continues to attract millions of gamers around the world online, logging more than 2 billion hours played and counting. The game’s debut content pack, First Strike, shattered Xbox LIVE® launch records upon its release in February when it surpassed 1.4 million downloads in the first 24 hours alone. The follow up content pack, Escalation, will launch first on Xbox LIVE and features four all-new multiplayer maps, and a Zombies experience like none before it
“In crafting the Escalation multiplayer maps — Zoo, Convoy, Hotel and Stockpile — the team developed them to be distinct experiences in their own right, giving players the variety they crave in both setting and gameplay,” said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. “And I don’t want to spoil any surprises for Zombies fans, but Call of the Dead takes it to a whole new level.”
Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language. For additional Call of Duty updates, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops and also via Twitter @Treyarch.
Additionally, to celebrate the upcoming release of Escalation, Treyarch will host a Double XP weekend beginning Friday, May 6th.
Source: Press Release
Additionally, Treyarch released information on what the maps are:
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation downloadable content pack will launch worldwide, first on Xbox Live on May 3, 2011.
Escalation contains 5 all-new exceptionally varied maps; featuring 4 Multiplayer maps and an epic Zombies experience with all-new playable characters.
In Multiplayer, battle it out in “Hotel”, on the roof of a Cuban luxury hotel and casino against the vivid backdrop of old Havana; “Convoy” delivers intense, close-quarters combat at the scene of an ambushed US military convoy; “Zoo” takes you on a wild ride in an abandoned Soviet Russian Zoo, with danger at every turn; “Stockpile” pits players in a remote Russian farm town housing secret WMD facilities.
For Zombies fans, “Escalation” features a unique Zombies experience. We can’t wait to take the wraps off of our new Zombies map, Call of the Dead, a very special creation for all Zombies fans.
Additionally, to celebrate the upcoming release, there will be a Black Ops Double XP weekend beginning Friday, May 6th.
Source: Official Call of Duty Site
Stay tuned as we learn more of Black Ops: Escalation.
-
Activision shows off First Strike
Its been a month since First Strike has been revealed to the general public. In that time, PS3 got the First Strike “Content Pack.” Following that, PC users got First Strike, too. So, right now, everyone has Black Ops First Strike.
I would like to show the videos they released to the public in that time:
Ancension is a map that pits you inside a Russian asylum of sorts. Its basically a monkey test lab where they test their perfection, or send them to the outer space. Billed as the “authentic Russian Cosmonaut Monkey Zombies.” Enjoy:
Secondly, there’s also Berlin Wall. Treyarch released a music video for Berlin Wall, kind of odd for a first person shooter trailer ….I think. In any case, Berlin Wall puts you in Berlin’s battlefield, with buildings and whatnot. Enjoy:
Have you bought First Strike yet?
-
April 2011 reveals Modern Warfare 3?
Spoiler Warning: If you have not played and finished Modern Warfare 2, stop reading. You have been warned.
Modern Warfare 2 ended with a cliffhanger story. Task Force 141 were set up by General Shepherd, in an ambush mid-way through the game. Ghost was killed in action during the same setup ambush. Roach was with Ghost at the time, and was also killed in action. After learning of the betrayal by Shepherd, Soap and Price went after Shepherd and ultimately killed Shepherd. There is questions and speculation surrounding Ghost’s past, and future. The other question is: “Where in the world is Makarov?” As far as we know, Makarov is still alive, the last time we saw him when you played as an undercover CIA agent named Joseph Allen. So, as of right now, Makarov is on the loose.
Right around the release of Modern Warfare 2, there was a lot of talk and speculation surrounding Ghost. Everyone LOVED Ghost’s character, and even clamored for his own video game. There’s a comic book that released alongside the MW2 launch. To date, there has been only 6 episodes that chronicles Ghost’s story. Rumors have run rampant since the launch of the comic series, which was strengthened by a UK PlayStation magazine. [source]
There has been other rumblings, though. Many gaming websites reported that Ghost will have his own game, as in a spin-off. One of the sources dates back to the after the release of MW2. [source] However, many gaming websites are saying that the very next Modern Warfare game will be a prequel, many of these sources are pointing MW3 as that ‘prequel.’ They are saying that Modern Warfare 3 will feature Ghost’s story, well, at least some sections of it. We don’t know at this point, it’s pretty sparse. Up in the air, even.
And so, here we are. PSM3 is reporting that the sequel to the smash-hit MW2 will be getting a reveal in April, and they’re saying Activision is going to announce Modern Warfare 3 in the middle of next month. No date was given. [source]
Last year, Activision pulled back the veils of Black Ops on April 30th, so this wouldn’t be a surprise. Either way, we’re going to hear more information in 2 months from now, at E32011, which takes place on June 7th through June 9th.
-
The battle of the titans: Activision vs EA
It has been a very long war between Activision and Electronic Arts for the throne of being the biggest video game publisher in the video game industry today. This war was pretty silent, as both companies exchanged employees, exchanged blows, none of which were pushed to the breaking point. Until now.
Activision was among one of the survivors of the video game crash[s] of 1977 and 1983. Activision was one of the very first third-party video game publisher – thus making Activision one of the oldest video game companies next to Atari. Electronic Arts was founded before the 1983 crash, and still survives. Both companies have been shipping out world-class video games for more than 20 years.
Medal of Honor is a brand that Electronic Arts built, but in 2002 the Medal of Honor brand was on a decline due to strong competition in the First Person Shooter genre. One brand that emerged dominant in the genre was… Call of Duty, a Activision property. Released in 2003, Call of Duty emerged from the masses of World War II inspired video games. To date, Call of Duty has sold more than 55 million units worldwide; that includes Modern Warfare.
The year is 2007, the first person genre was oversaturated with the World War II theme. Gamers were bored with WWII, people wanted something new, something fresh. Infinity Ward took a calculated risk by creating a Modern shooter. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare revolutionized the first person shooter genre by incorporating RPG elements into the actual gameplay, it also introduced arcade-style killstreaks, and player perks. COD4 went on to sell more than 17 million units. In 2009, Modern Warfare 2 was released and grossed 550 million dollars in the first week of sales. Effectively dethroning Grand Theft Auto IV for best selling video game of all time.
Some of the employees of Infinity Ward were estatic about the numbers, but Activision was getting greedy and with-held the cash from Jason West, and Vince Zampella. This caused both West and Zampella to file a lawsuit against Activision. [source] In addition, 38 Infinity Ward employees also filed a lawsuit alleging the very same 550 million were with-held from them. [source]
Activision filed a counter-suit against West and Zampella alleging that both were trying to delay the development of Modern Warfare 3. [source] Meanwhile, Activision claims that both Zampella and West were having secret meetings with a “top-competitor.” [source] From the outset, Activision threw the first punch at Electronic Arts.
Vince and Jason respawned their own company. They also announced an agreement between the newly formed Respawn Entertainment studio and the world’s largest video game publisher Electronic Arts. [source] This meant that Respawn Entertainment becomes part of the EA Partners Program, and that Electronic Arts is the exclusive distributor and publisher of future Respawn Entertainment games. The contract between Respawn Entertainment and EA is an partnership agreement.
Keep in mind, that both Jason, and Vince were fired by Activision inside the company they originally founded. Infinity Ward was founded by Jason West, Grant Collier, and Vince Zampella, Activision acquired Infinity Ward in 2003. One question you may have on your mind would be, what’s the connection between Electronic Arts and the team at Infinity Ward? Well, Infinity Ward was founded by the very same team that developed Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Interesting? No? It’s ironic if you ask me.
In late 2010, Activision filed a cross-complaint amendment to include Electronic Arts as part of the defense, they allege that Electronic Arts negotiated with West and Zampella to break the contracts, establish Respawn, and join EA’s Partners Program. [source] The very next month, a federal judge ruled in favor of Activision by denying EA’s submission for dismissal from the West and Zampella case. [source] The judge cited Electronic Arts’ pursuit of confidential information from West and Zampella as the reason for rejecting the dismissal.
The war has just begun, and the case will be heard on May 23, 2011. That’s approximately one and a half week before E3 festivities begins.
-
Welcome to MW3Blog!
Welcome to MW3Blog! Our intention is to bring you up-to-date information about anything related to Modern Warfare 3! MW3Blog was founded to become the #1 source of Modern Warfare 3 news. On March 17th, 2011, CarlosX360 Co. Ltd. launched MW3Blog with the intention of giving readers all the hottest and the latest news surrounding Modern Warfare 3.
——————————————- Today is a big day for entrepreneur extraordinaire Carlos Morales! I embarked on a entrepreneurial journey 3 years ago, but today, I continue that journey by making one of the biggest and one of the riskiest acquisition [that I’ve made] to date. I bought MW3Blog from a friend, and fellow entrepreneur. I am actually the third person to own MW3Blog, and I intend to take the venture to places it has never has been before.
What works out is that I’m very experienced in what I do. I am not just an entrepreneur. I am a writer, so this works out well for a site like MW3Blog because one of my values is content is king, and quality is majesty.
—————————————— MW3Blog | MW4Blog | Modern Warfare 4 Blog Do you want to become part of the revolution? Contact the owner directly at carlos at mw3blog dot com
Modern Warfare is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. MW3Blog has no affiliations with Activision, nor Infinity Ward, nor Sledgehammer or Raven Software.