Seems to be shaping up a CoD rival. They'll have to completely reinvent the franchise after Airborn though *shudder*.

Definitely going after the CoD market. The difference being it's a real setting and more realistic graphics, but it doesn't seem like much else. I'm still gonna get it though, looks like enough fun.

There'll be a lot of people who essentially want to play CoD without supporting that name. And going against Black Ops, since IW is out of the picture, they have a fair chance of success - that said the CoD brand is still strong with casuals and Black Ops wears it pretty huge, unlike MW2 did.

There's just a lot of money to be made from being the top shooter nowadays. And still quite a bit for being extremely similar to the top shooter. I reckon Halo will probably take it this year though.

I think you hit the nail on the head there Nap, CoD has become a "casual gamers" franchise. Every other game I see ppl who obviously don't play much, so use lame tactics to make up for it. Even the game itself encourages camping and the like so much more than MW1 ever did.

Yeah, they are worth giving it a short, as there is a market there I think.

The only thing I find a bit strange is that EA is publishing this, who also publish the Bad Company franchise .. it's even got DICE doing the multiplayer component. So I don't know how they reconcile it without it crossing too much in Bad Company territory.

I'm just after a solid single player experience, maybe that is asking too much, ha.

They probably feel DICE are just the best they have at multiplayer. Bad Company I think fills the same sort of criteria, but the campaign is less blockbuster, less mainstream almost. That's where the two will feel different, the realistic (setting) campaign, serious business, and the almost cartoonish slapstick of bad company.

As for the multiplayer... not really sure. I can't comment since I didn't play the MoH beta, but it seems it's going for closer quarters (but still objective based, which DICE is good at), similar to CoD, whereas Battlefield typically gives you a bit of room to move. They'll want to be able to capture the same crowd as CoD but distinguish themselves from them at the same time. It'll be hard, I think, because say what you like but MW2 does pull you in greatly. Numbers spewing out everywhere, callsigns, emblems, levels, new guns, there's just so much content to work to that it's almost like playing some 'everybody wins' game at the casino.

I agree Pred, I love a good single player campaign, but so much focus is put into multiplayer because that's what's gonna last longer and attract more consumers I think. There are people still playing CoD4 multi every night. Map packs are a very real way of making money these days.

True, laughed when I saw Modern Warfare 2 for a "bargain $99" at JB Hifi months and months after release. They obviously can get away with it as enough newcomers will still be tempted to buy the game at that price, I assume pretty much for the multiplayer component. I guess the servers aren't cheap to run though for all those players, maybe that is the real reason they can't drop the price drastically.

That could be it. I'm sure from the publishers point of view, they know that people will keep paying that price for ages and ages. CoD4 only got a price drop to $50 about 2 months before MW2 came out which is just about unheard of (getting more common though). You know, apart from shitty retailers that never change their price.

Interesting, I've noticed that Twilight Princess on Wii is the exact same, it's still $89 everywhere I've seen it. I suppose AAA titles just attract that kind of attention.

The only thing I find a bit strange is that EA is publishing this, who also publish the Bad Company franchise .. it's even got DICE doing the multiplayer component. So I don't know how they reconcile it without it crossing too much in Bad Company territory.

Maybe cos BC2 is fail? Well, to be more exact - it's an extremely large scale, slower paced and highly team based game. I imagine MoH will be alot more akin to CoD, thus be different enough for gamers to want them at different times/moods. Also......BC2 is fail.