Activision's very own Infinity Ward has shared its secrets with the world, explaining why Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was such a massive success. The magic formula is a mixture of in-house game engineering and an indie development approach.
Here is what Matt Rubin had to say on CoD4's technology:
"We develop everything in house as we think it’s not a good development/production idea to buy a new engine because you feel that one has more bells and whistles.
Our theory is to reiterate what we already do well and add the stuff that we want. We wrote our own physics engine, we didn’t use anyone else’s, and we do everything in house, so we’re never thinking now we’re gonna change over to this engine or that engine. It’s our own code so only we can make it work the way we want it to work, otherwise you get what somebody else thought you might want, and not what you really want."
Rubin also explained that Activision allows his team to develop games with an independent mindset, to take time and craft a complete gaming experience rather than rush something out of the door. He used this, however, to explain why Treyarch will be making the next one (boo):
"We make games independently. If it takes two years we will make a game in two years, if it takes three we’ll make it in three. We’ve been doing this long enough now that we’re in a really good rhythm for doing a game in two years, but as far as the specifics of one studio doing it one year and the other another year, it doesn’t really affect us."
I have no idea how to make a videogame, but I know Infinity Ward pulled out a blinder with Modern Warfare, so I'm inclined to go with whatever those guys say. It's just sad they won't be doing the next one.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
12:35 PM on 04.09.2008
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It is sad that COD 5 will be another COD 3... a shitty game made by someone else
I'm content to wait for COD6. I just hope they stick with the modern or go somewhere else other then WW2.
@Klytus
Why do you think it's overrated?
Anything popular is over-rated. It's the rule of the Internet, and you become ten times more cool if you say it.
@jim
But dismissing someones opinion out of hand is the coolest of all.
Opinions are easy to dismiss when they are just one word.
I mean seriously, the game drives the "PART OF A UNIT" crap through your skull but if you don't rambo to designated areas the enemies will not stop spawning.
And of course the stupid perk system, "LETS UNBALANCE THINGS FOR NEWBIES YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
CoD4 ain't overrated, it just sucks.
"Over-rated"
"I think its over-rated because I think its over-rated. GOTY? it played like any other decent FPS, the SP was 'one and done' and the MP, after the Beta and owning for 2 months, I found rather shallow."
Second one sounds better to me.
also, HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Game of the year!
So true. The Real COD gems are 2 and 4 so far. 1 and 3 are good, but you know....
It's silly to keep numbering the games when it is essentially two separate series. Especially if the next game really is set in WWII as rumored.
Who told you the maps are free? Sure, the Double XP was over around 5pm EST today (unless you left your Xbox on this whole time), but the maps are still 800 points.
Nice try.
my bad, before i got home it was sworn to me by some obviously untrustable individuals whom i have flogged for giving me this information, it will not happen again.
They said this same stuff when COD2 came out.
Well, I might have to eat my words. I just read on a Forum post at GFAQS that there IS in fact a way to finagle the maps for the price of on the house (sort of).
Without going into too much detail, it takes 2 gamer(tags)s and one account buying them.
I'm pretty sure that it's a bannable offense, so like one of the guys on that board said:
"Police station that way --->"
The M16, for instance, is one of the most well-balanced assault rifles in the game. It doesn't have auto-fire, true, but one or two good bursts are usually enough to take someone out, and it's much better than the G3 (which you get later). I'll admit that the starter shotgun does suck, though.
I certainly appreciate their decision to use their own graphic engine. Playing all these Unreal Engine games lately is really ticking me off, because they all have the same problem: Texture Popping. It's extremely noticeable and takes me out of the game every time I see it. But COD4 doesn't have that problem, and it still looks great while having a blazing fast framerate.
Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off bashing Halo 3 to prove how much better I am than all the drooling idiots who love it.