Last week, Infinity Ward announced that a cure for Modern Warfare 2 "mapathy" would be coming to Xbox Live on March 30th. Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling guested on the most recent episode of Xbox Live's Major Nelson Radio to provide details of the "Stimulus Package" map pack, and they confirm the leak from a few weeks ago. But don't get excited just yet.
According to an Xbox Live Marketplace listing, the Stimulus Package will comprise five levels: three all-new arenas, and two that are "slightly reworked" versions of "fan-favorites" from the original Modern Warfare:
New maps:
- "Bailout," a multi-level apartment complex
- "Storm," an open industrial park littered with heavy machinery
- "Salvage," a snowy junkyard fortified by stacked debris and crushed cars
Modern Warfare maps:
- "Crash," a war-torn urban environment
- "Overgrown," which features a massive dry creek bed
Activision and Infinity Ward have the audacity to charge 1200 Microsoft Points -- i.e., $15 -- for the map pack. This is outrageous enough when you consider that they priced the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare "Variety Map Pack" at $10 for four maps. But when you realize that you're paying 50% more and you're getting one fewer new map, well, then it becomes somewhat infuriating, if you ask me.
I'm sure Activision and Infinity Ward are charging this much because they know that people will pay it, if reluctantly. Let's do the math that they likely did: the MW2 user base consists of more than 25 million players, so even if only 20% of them buy the Stimulus Package, that's still $75 million of revenue.
I certainly won't be forking over the 15 bucks for these maps when they come to the PlayStation Network at the end of April. Will you?
Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Maps Priced at $15 [1UP]
XBLM listing reveals 5 maps, 2 CoD4 remakes in MW2 'Stimulus Package' DLC [Joystiq]
Show #353: Wil Wheaton, MW2 Stimulus Package and Supreme Commander [Major Nelson]
Contest:
11:30 PM on 03.14.2010
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1200 points? 15 bucks? For 3 new maps and 2 reboots?
Not supporting Activision just got a hell of a lot easier.
That's about the same as Killzone 2, Halo 3, Gears, etc. all charged, anyway, and they each sold pretty well.
Either way, I normally wait until a month or so later when they start putting together bundles...
Personally? I'm not buying it because of what went down with the Infinity Ward heads, plain and simple.
Activision's games are not good.
Well, in the last Cod game (World at War) they had that thing that if you didn't have the map it kicked you out of the lobby. Which sucked because they had like 3 map packs released and I think it was like 12 new maps in total. So, people that didn't have the new maps were pretty pissed.
I won't actually play it, I'll just download it.
Still isn't the worst value DLC ever. That dubious honor remains with the Halo Wars Strategic Options pack (three GAME MODES for $10, only one of which was any good).
I lol'd.
Im gonna try to wait it out until it drops in price...
Anyways, tis the seasons to spend my money on other games (FFXIII, God of War III, plus the slew of other great spring titles)
perhaps the price is a bad decision for targeting those who arent hardcore about MW2...
See kids, stay in school and you too can tun over a shitty game with a hot spots car!
Fuck Activision.
Fuck Activision.
Also, fuck Activision.