Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

November 3, 2009

The seemingly constant storm clouds surrounding the upcoming Activision-published and Infinity Ward-developed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have not done much, if anything, to negatively influence pre-sales of the title.

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter thinks the title can reap global sales of in excess of $500 million in its first week of release reports Industry Gamers. Pachter also believes that the game could sell over 10.0 million units in this year’s fourth quarter.

Across the pond, MCVUK talks about the Modern Warfare 2 selling 1.7 million units in its first week at retail in the UK, citing pre-order numbers for the game at around 500,000 already. Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV currently holds the UK mark for unit sales in a week, with 926,000, a number that MW2 could obliterate. Factor in the rising price (suggested retail prices at least) of videogames in the UK and MW2 setting a record for gross dollars culled at launch seems almost a given.

In light of all the controversy surrounding the game, Destructoid posted a pair of opinion pieces, one stating why the author would support MW2 and the other stating why he wouldn’t.

From the “support” side, discussing "the scene" leaked to the Internet, Jim Sterling states, “Whether you approve of the scene, find it disturbing, love it or just don't care, I believe that this is a scene that needs to happen, and was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Brad Rice takes the “can’t support” side, arguing, “The way that the plot is likely being handled comes across with a lot of the wrong messages, and shows a poor method of thinking when it comes to the sensitivity of the issue.”

The lack of dedicated servers for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 upset computer gamers enough to start a petition, which has reached almost 180,000 signatures at the time of this post, up from 96,000 when we first covered the story two weeks ago. Unfortunately for PC gamers—as evidenced on a pretty nifty Amazon pre-order page detailing MW2 pre-orders (thanks Kotaku)—the PC version accounts for a small amount of sales versus its console brethren.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hits retail in the U.S. next Tuesday, November 10. Are you getting it? Did any of this controversy impact your decision?

Update: Via USA Today comes word that MW2 has officially broken the record for pre-orders at GameStop. Tony Bartel, EVP for Merchandising and Marketing told the paper, “As of today, the number of pre-order reservations we've taken for the game is the highest for any title we've ever sold in our 6,200 store network."

|Image Via TopatoCo|

Comments

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

To the surprise of no-one.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Why hasn't fox made a big deal yet?????

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

To be honest, as a platform for FPS, the PC is fading (which is, from my perspective, a good thing, the market is far over-saturated), which possibly explains the lower sales, the PC seems to be expanding more into games such as Management/God games, or RPG's, both of which can be difficult to implement on a console because of the limited input options on a basic system.

The FPS market for the PC is a long way from dead, but, personally, I'm glad to see less interest in 'point and shoot' games emerging for it, it really had turned into a case of 'same game, different graphics'.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

To tell the truth, the fps genre in general is over saturated, bloated like an insane cancer from Silent Hill 3.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

The PC sales are low due to consumer backlash over the lack of dedicated servers (a BIG deal with PC gamers.)

As for shooters being dead on them, they aren't. It's just dumbed-down console shite that's not doing so well. We get to enjoy the likes of Crysis or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. instead, the latter which I would take over ANYTHING the consoles have ever offered or show any signs of offering.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Well, I'd class STALKER, like Fallout, as being an RPG to be honest, whilst there are FPS elements in there, it's not a simple 'wait until the enemy is in the X and press the button' type games, which seemed to be re-iterated over and over again with shinier graphics.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

An RPG? STALKER? Have you actually PLAYED it? (Doubtful if you put it in the same class as Fallout 3, an RPG-lite.) GTA San Andreas had more RPG elements than STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl.

Not played STALKER Clear Sky, so I'm not so sure about that, but from what I gathered all that was really added was upgrade trees for weapons and armor.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Well, neither is Fallout entirely an RPG, as you noted, both of them have a mixture of the two (a common ingredient in RPG's that don't use swords etc). As for Stalker, I haven't played it much, I'll admit, but there are elements in there that effect the entire gameplay, not just the 'current' round, it's one long, stretched out game in the same environment not several short 'missions' in specially designed areas that seem to be the stock and trade of FPS games, also, Call of Pripyat adds a lot of new RPG elements, such as sleeping, and being able to continue the game beyond the plot-ending.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Crysis is just as much shit as the consoles get. As for S.t.a.l.k.e.r

It's good, but nothing that can't be done on a console...in fact, barring graphics and other cosmetics, there aren't any big fps games that can't be done on either PC or Console.

 

Also i would state that stalker could be considered RPG ins ome respects, the stat system, artifacts, and various variables such as hunger system, and inventory/weight management can be seen as indicitive of this.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

"Nothing that can't be done on consoles barring graphics and other cosmetics£ is still something that can't be done on consoles.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

But graphic have no great meanings for many.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Well gameplay sure doesn't with the console tards.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

I don't think we can really say the controversies haven't affected sales. We don't know what sales would have been like otherwise. They may have been substantially higher.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

I think you meant to say "lower" there. The word "substantially" would never have come into it, what with this being Modern Warfare 2 the "best game since Halo" according hype.

And "lower" because, well, every other time a game generates controversy it seems to have done BETTER than it would otherwise. Even Manhunt 2.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

“The way that the plot is likely being handled comes across with a lot of the wrong messages,"

Am I somehow reading this wrong, or he basically saying "I don't know what the plot is actually like, so I'm going to base my statements on my own uninformed opinion of what the plot could theoretically possibly maybe be."?

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Part of me wants to laugh, the other just wants to cry.

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I once had a dream about God. In it, he was looking down upon the planet and the havoc we recked and he said unto us, "Damn Kids get off my lawn!"

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Since you asked, the lack of dedicated servers and server list caused me to not buy it. I was already leaning towards not getting it but this solidified my decision. I barely play console games and an FPS is not what I want to play on a console since they're generally best on PC (unless the developer really messes up the port). So no MW2 for me. 

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

***Spoiler Alert in this Message regarding Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare***

 

I expect MW2 will sell pretty well on its own, regardless of the hype surrounding it.  Assuming it works fine out of box, I've heard it has a good story.  If its anything like COD4:MW, the game play for single player will be non-stop intensive action.  The multiplayer (in what ever form it takes, will be also alot of fun).

Of course, there will be groups that come out of the woodwork, saying this game is horrible and evil.  That it desentises children, and that would lead to school or mall shootings from copy cats.  The truth as most of us know is, there is no real factual studies that give this concept credibility.  The reason why groups and organizations (i.e. Fox News) will bring something like this, is to get their name in the news.  Just a bunch of idiots looking for something to stroke their fragile ego's.  That's all it really is: ego's.

Kids will see alot of things in their lives before they hit adulthood.  Drugs, death, disease, pain, suffering, and every other scourge mankind can think up.  Its in movies, literature, and every other form of medium mankind has created over its lifetime.  The role of us, as adults, is to teach correctly.  A game like MW2, could be used, as a teaching tool about life, in a controlled setting.  Or, we can demonize it, and force kids to learn about life the ultra hard way: up close and personal.  And as any of us know, that's often surrounded in tradegy.

Now, in COD4:MW2, there is a scene that the player can do something asa terrorists or in some way, behave as bloodthirsty and criminal as possible.  I dont know the scene, beyond what I've heard.  When I play the game, I'll make my own judgement.  But that is how a educated person should look at a story.  In addition, an educated person would look at what came before, as perhaps, a guideline.  In COD4, players got to see a nuclear bomb blowing up while in a chopper.  The scene after that, of the marine, shows that he survived the crash, only to craw out of the chopper, see the mushroom shaped cloud and die.  I thought that scene was both amazing and sad.  Amazing that such a scene was 'in my face', the detail of destruction, and the knowing (by the breathing) that the marine was in serious if not critical condition.  Sad, because he died, and there was nothing I, the player could do about it.

We could take that scene, and use it as a teaching tool, or demonize it.  Which sounds like the adult and mature way, and which is the children and immature way?  The game is rated 'M' for a reason.  Its mature content.  If children are playing it, then the blame falls directly to the parents or the guardians to explain themselves.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

When games have controversy, don't they sell even more than normal? Look at the GTA games.

When Jack Thompson runs his mouth, does anyone really care what he has to say anymore?

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

It has NOT changed my mind of wanting to get the game. I have already reserved my limited edition xbox360 with it. The new 360 w/it. & I am anticipating to play it!

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

I got the hardened copy reserved right now, but I may pick up a limited edition 360 on eBay later.

Do I care about all this 'controversy'?  No.  I really don't.  I'm surprised that THIS is what the controversy is come from: I thought surely there'd be more anger about references to Cain and Abel, the fact that one video shows a firefight taking place OUTSIDE THE WHITEHOUSE, etc. 

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

"I thought surely there'd be more anger about... the fact that one video shows a firefight taking place OUTSIDE THE WHITEHOUSE,"

That one happened 2-3 weeks ago, remember?

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

I wasn't near my computer 2-3 weeks ago: what did I miss?

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

Somebody brought it into the student lounge at school the other day, and after playing it, I wasn't impressed one single bit. I would file MW2 into the "Rent it" category. It's the same old crap in a different wrapper. Activision has become the next EA, no question about it.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

I still want to know what the sales for this game would be like if only the people "legally" meant to play it, played it. (I'm referring to all the 14 yr olds who play CoD and scream their little prepubescent voices over the mic.)

What do you think? Half?

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales

No suprised just because a bunch of old people whine and bitch about something dont understand doesnt mean anyone isnt going to preorder the game.

Never underestimate the power of idiots in large amounts.

Re: Controversy Doesn’t Affect MW2 Pre-Sales
"There is no bad press!" as Bela Lugosi used to say (in the movie Ed Wood by Tim Burton). ZAR.

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