Archive for the ‘infinity ward’ Category
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
With Modern Warfare 2 news officially going from a trickle to a steady stream of content and info, I want to make it clear how to stay up to speed with all the latest news.
The internet is your friend & no matter if you’re looking for up to the minute details on what’s happening behind closed doors at Infinity Ward studios, or looking for the latest video asset for Modern Warfare 2. I’ll keep you connected with every aspect of Modern Warfare 2’s development via my social media geek prowess.
The internet’s a big place, but here are the key places to look for your MW2 news fix.
Choose your poison:
Official Modern Warfare 2 + Infinity Ward Forums
Join the Infinity Ward forums to join in on MW2 discussions with fellow community members, sign-up and get details on upcoming Community Events, and earn badges for both in-game achievements and forum based participation.
Official Infinity Ward YouTube Channel
Subscribe to get the latest videos, official trailers, perk videos, and dev diaries. Help shape future trailers and video content we create by sending us suggestions and ideas on what you’d like to see us make.
Modern Warfare 2 Facebook Page
Become a fan of Modern Warfare 2 on Facebook to connect with fellow MW2 fans and discuss the latest MW2 news shared on Facebook.
Follow Modern Warfare 2 Updates on Twitter
Get up to the minute details on what we’re doing behind closed doors at Infinity Ward studios as well as official updates on Modern Warfare 2. From designing the collectors edition, to a breakdown of what’s happening behind the scenes at E3. Twitter is an information junkies fix.
As many of you know, once your on Twitter you can also participate in the MW2 Live Twitter Feed. Tweet your opinion to the latest questions, vote on other users ideas, and track answers on the leaderboard. Current Question: What kind of videos do you want to see on http://www.youtube.com/infinityward?
Connect into one or all of those, and you’re guaranteed not to miss a single Modern Warfare 2 detail. The Infinity Ward & Modern Warfare 2 community expands much further than just our forums & this blog!
Tags: #MW2, community relations, feedback, infinity ward, Modern Warfare 2, social media
Posted in Modern Warfare 2, community, infinity ward, internetz | Comments
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
I’m currently dragging myself across Europe. Check out @fourzerotwo for updates as they happen.
DAY 1 - Arrived in London around 4pm on Sunday. A good 7 hours of sleep on the plane had me prime and ready to kick off our over seas adventure and pumped to see the sights of London. So what’s the first thing I see out of the cab? G4 TV host Adam Sessler’s smiling mug outside my hotel. Totally random and unrelated to my purpose in London and totally ironic that the first thing I see in London is something I could have stayed in Los Angeles and see all I wanted.
I later found out that Bethesda was in London as well with a few aces up their sleeves as well. Apparently announcing their new game, “Fallout: New Vegas” earlier than they would have liked as word leaked from their press conference like a flood and after one journo breaks embargo, it’s the wild west of game journalism. I felt for the guys, as there’s an art to how and when you release information on a game your working on. Just like a great game, it’s all about the pacing. You don’t want to blow your load right out of the gate. You want to build up to the climax and tease first. Gain interest in your story and characters gradually before you give em’ the farm. (sexual innuendos are totally in YOUR head, not mine!)
With that said, I feel bad that their big announcement was leaked earlier than they planned, but ah well, I’M HYPED!
I did a quick site check at our hotel to make sure things were up to snuff before meeting some acquaintances for dinner in downtown London (Covent Garden area) before getting an impromptu walking tour of London’s major sites by fans that were UK natives. It was late, but I got a chance to check out Big Ben, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace. Standard tourist affair really but was a great to get it in before we kicked off the real work Monday morning, as I knew we’d have no time to rest once the week got started.
DAY 2 - Monday started early (a bit too early for me) and fast. Luckily though I got too meet up with some familiar faces to start off from our friends @OPM_UK (Official Playstation Magazine UK), PC Zone, OXM UK and many others. What exactly we talked about I can’t say. As I said, it’s all about pacing with this type of stuff and trust me, it works on in your favor in the long the run. While the middle of the day is under wraps, dinner that night introduced me to a new love of mine…. MEXICAN DONUTS. An absurdly delicious and near-deadly of donuty-powdersugared-toffeetdipped dessert served at the restaurant in our hotel. While 2 could probably be considered unhealthy consumption of sugar, I snuck about 8 more orders onto the bill and stuffed my face like I was dying the next day. (which I felt like doing after the 9th Mexican Donut)
Ah… gluttony. My old friend.
DAY 3 - After I awoken from my sugar coma, we rounded out our trip to London with 3 more meetings from our benelux buds before making a mad dash to the EuroStar. A 300 mph train that goes underneath the english channel and across the French countryside into the heart of Paris. An awesome trip. By Day 3 my body was starting to feel the effects of jumping time zones and non-stop activity, but once we arrived in Paris and were met immediately off the train by the sight of 3 French soldiers with FAMAS rifle’s strapped to their chest on patrol of the EuroStar, I got hyped and thus got my second wind. I was ready to see what Paris had to offer and prep for 2 more days of adrenaline.
We did a site check then headed to our hotel before dinner with the ATVI France team. I laughed when they gave me an English menu at the restruant and realized it was oddly different from the original french version everyone else had. It seemed I was being profiled as the first item on the French menu was “Frog Legs” whereas the first item on my menu was “Cheese - Burger w/ French Fries”. Really? Do I look THAT american that you assume I’ll just want a Cheeseburger with fries?….. well YOU’RE RIGHT! I did want that!
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure where French Fries got their name or if France is related at all really, but these will the most killer Fries I’ve ever had. Fantastic homemade french fries. I also got a desert of ice cream in the form of French Vanilla (honestly, I wasn’t just eating food with ‘French’ in the title on purpose, it just worked out that way…… REALLY!).
Ended out the day back at the hotel fighting with the local wifi to try and receive some assets from the guys back at IW studio for approval. Once that was done, it’s time to get some well needed sleep before another 7 AM start to the 2 days in Paris. Rinse and repeat then we’re off to Germany!
/end
>Updates as they happen<
Tags: London, madrid, paris, stockholm
Posted in IW4, London, Modern Warfare 2, Playstation 3, UK, infinity ward, interview, life, twitter, video games, xbox 360 | Comments
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
SOURCE: GAMASUTRA
Check out the most recent feature on Gamasutra.com where one of our lead designers and I discuss Achievements in games.
Achievements are “like a topping on a pizza,” explains Robert Bowling, community manager at Infinity Ward. They enhance the gameplay experience and reward dedicated players for their effort and skill.
That is why unlocking all the potential points in a Call of Duty game is such a grueling process. They are badges of honor — particularly achievements like “Mile High Club,” says Bowling.
In reference to the question, “Do you design the game first, then worry about achievements, or do you design around achievements from the start?” - Achievements are “like toppings on a pizza”, as to say they are purely meant to enhance gameplay, not determine it. You make the pizza taste fantastic with it’s core ingredients, then you work on how to enhance that flavor in the same way you make the core game great, then comes the process of adding the extras.
Only 2.8 percent of the 10 million Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare players who have ever logged into Xbox Live have earned the achievement, which is awarded for completing COD4 on veteran difficulty.
Achievements like “Mile High Club” should be rare — perhaps only one per game, Bowling explains. “It is one of the hardest achievements to achieve and you lose some of that weight when they are all that hard. It would be more frustrating than fun.”
Players, however, complained that the achievements in Call of Duty 2 were too difficult to obtain, says Call of Duty 4 lead designer Zeid Rieke. All but three of the 13 achievements had to be completed on veteran difficulty. So the studio compromised for COD4.
What are your thoughts on it?
Read more about what we said as well as input from several other great developers on Gamasutra.com - Unlocking Achievements: Rewarding Skill with Player Incentives
Tags: achievements, editorial, feature, gamasutra
Posted in achievements, call of duty 4 modern warfare, infinity ward, interview, video games, xbox 360, xbox live | Comments
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
www.ModernWarfare2.com is LIVE with the first teaser for MW2.
Post and track trailer discussion at http://twitter.infinityward.com
or
Discuss the teaser at http://www.infinityward.com/forum/
Tags: gdc, infinity ward, Modern Warfare 2, teaser
Posted in GDC 09, Modern Warfare 2, community, infinity ward, twitter, video games | Comments
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
Plain and simple. The guys from Tango Down Gaming are the shit and they’re not messing around when it comes to making requests for what they’d like to see in Modern Warfare 2. I just met up with Stang98k and Unwashedmass - two old friends and just a few of the members from the Call of Duty clan TangoDownGaming who are made up solely of players over the age of 25.
The guys stopped by the Infinity Ward studios today to say hey and drop off the impressive gift you see above. See what I mean about not kidding around?! Why you ask? Well, the included encoded note says they merely want to show their appreciation. Their true motives? I think it’s bribery to attemp to coax us into adding some sort of Capture the Flag gametype back into the game. I have to say, I AM quite susceptible to both flattery AND bribery!
In all seriousness though, we REALLY appreciate this guys. The mere fact you guys are so devoted to our games is enough, but when you go above and beyond like this it’s seriously humbling and I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it. This is awesome, and I am already proudly displaying it in my office.
The guys told me they’re going to be looking for more members, so if you’re a hardcore mature COD player looking for some fellow guys to party up with and play some games without the general annoyance that come with pub matches online, then hit up http://www.tangodowngaming.com
Tags: tango down gaming
Posted in call of duty 4 modern warfare, community, infinity ward | Comments
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
THANK YOU! - To everyone who took the time to show your support and vote for the GAME Award of 2008. I just got back from BAFTAs last night, and have had a bit of time to re-coup from the whirlwind trip. While there, we were lucky enough to walk away with THREE BAFTAs (Best Gameplay, Best Story / Character, GAME Award of 2008). A feat that is absolutely humbling. Most importantly though, the GAME Award which is the only award voted on by the players really meant a lot because it meant all of YOU took the time out to show your support for what we’re trying to accomplish here at Infinity Ward.
At the end of the day, it’s all about how the players feel when they play the game. We make these games for all of you, so awards voted on by the people ALWAYS carry a lot of weight.
That said, the entire trip to London was fantastic. I met a lot of great people and was floored with how friendly EVERYONE I met was. I left with a fantastic impression of London and it’s people and can’t wait to return in the not too distant future. Be sure to check out the BAFTA’s official site for a complete list of everyone who won awards and check out some of the videos.
Thanks again to everyone who voted, and of course to the Academy for everything.
Tags: BAFTA, call of duty 4, London, modern warfare
Posted in London, UK, awards, call of duty 4 modern warfare, infinity ward | Comments
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
I’ve booked a last minute flight into London / Heathrow Airport for Sunday night to attend this year’s BAFTA Awards (http://www.bafta.org/) which will be held in London on Tuesday the 10th. We were blown away on Feb. 10th when this year’s BAFTA nominations were announced and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was up for 8 AWARDS, including:
- Best Game
- Best Multiplayer
- Best ACTION / ADVENTURE
- Artistic Achievement
- Best Story and Character
- Best Gameplay
- Best Use of Audio
and last but not least the GAME Year of 2008 Award! While the rest of the awards are voted upon and decided by the British Academy, the GAME Award is the only one voted on by the players ( http://www.baftagameaward.com/ ). Of course, it’s a great honor just to be nominated in the British Academy awards and I’ll be in Londay by 7 AM Monday morning ready to show our appreciation if we’re lucky enough to win. If you’re in the London area, drop me a line and say hey. As always I’ll be twittering live from the award ceremony via @fourzerotwo on Twitter.
Tags: awards, BAFTA, call of duty 4 modern warfare, London, UK
Posted in London, UK, awards, call of duty 4 modern warfare, infinity ward, life, video games | Comments
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
I’ve been advocating the power of Twitter pretty hardcore recently, especially the value in using it as a conversation tool and more importantly tracking those conversations and using the feedback contained within. That philosphy gave birth to http://twitter.infinityward.com . A Twitter web-app for tracking conversations and feedback for Modern Warfare 2 we’ve been developing behind the scenes.
The #MW2 app went live earlier today Yesterday, and within an hour has officially become the #1 most talked about topic on Twitter (just behind American Idol). I was blown away with the response to our first question, “Name one thing you’d like to see in Modern Warfare 2″ .
However, the ability to see real-time feedback and conversations about Modern Warfare 2 feeding through the app is only the beginning. The best part is the ability to vote on suggestions and rise in the ranks on the Leaderboards. Allowing us to quickly check the top rated suggestions, and reach out to the users with the best suggestions to hopefully include them in future events, beta tests, or community days.
How can you participate?
First and foremost, you can follow me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/fourzerotwo) and keep an eye out for the next question. It will also be visible at all times at http://twitter.infinityward.com under CURRENT QUESTION.
When a question is asked, all you have to do is tweet your answer / suggestion along with #MW2 .
What is #MW2?
#MW2 is the official Hashtag for Modern Warfare 2. Which means, anytime I,or anyone else, is talking about Modern Warfare 2 on Twitter, we’ll mark it with #MW2 so it can be tracked and included on the http://twitter.infinityward.com live feed as well as searched for on Twitter.
#MW2 Leaderboards
Once you’ve thrown your suggestion or comment about Modern Warfare 2 into the Live Feed, you can track and vote on other peoples suggestions, and track the top users on the #MW2 Leaderboard. It’s a great way to get recognized in the community and I’ll be using it to identify community members to reach out to in Call of Duty / Infinity Ward future events and projects.
Feedback on the App
This is a fairly unique social media experiment in terms of using it to solicit feedback for game design. So any comments, suggestions, or feedback on how to make the #MW2 app even better is always appreciated. I’m always looking for new ways to reach out to our players and strike up a conversation. Feel free to drop me a line at robert.bowling@fourzerotwo.com with any inquiries about the web app, or how you can help.
Tags: #MW2, app, call of duty, infinity ward, Modern Warfare 2, twitter
Posted in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, IW4, Modern Warfare 2, community, infinity ward, internetz, twitter | Comments
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009
Reviewing some radio-chatter VO we just finished recording for Modern Warfare 2 today.
“Cujo Two-One this is Vulture, solid copy on all.”
View / Reply to this Tweet on Twitter @fourzerotwo
Posted in infinity ward, twitter, video games | Comments
