Summary
As one of gaming’s biggest franchises,Call of Dutycontinues to bring in millions of dollars with each release, and it will likely continue to thrive for decades to come. With a successful free-to-play lineup inCall of Duty: WarzoneandCall of Duty Mobile, as well as yearly premium releases that offer paid cosmetics and battle passes,Call of Dutyhas established an extremely profitable business model. However, the series could thrive even more by revisiting a few concepts that worked extremely well, and exploring some new ones.
WithCall of Dutyand Activision as a whole now a part of the Xbox catalog, Microsoft could be looking for ways to get the most out of the series. With such a long history of classic games and modes to pull from, there is potential forCall of Dutyto expand in a number of directions, something that could be appealing for a brand that is built aroundXbox Game Pass. In particular, remasters, remakes, and spin-offs could be a winning approach forCall of Dutyand its many fans.
Bringing Back Call of Duty Campaign and Full Game Remasters
For a time,Call of Dutyreally seemed to be getting the ball rolling on the remaster front.Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s Zombies Chronicleswas a stellar celebration of the mode’s history, offering eight beautiful remakes in one pack that helpedBO3become the perfect Zombies mode. WithInfinite Warfarebeing divisive from the moment it was revealed, fans were given a full remaster ofCall of Duty 4to go to as an alternative, andModern Warfare Remastereddid extremely well. On a smaller scale,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remasteredsold tremendously, giving new and nostalgic fans access to a classic singleplayer mode.
For whatever reason, though, the remasters suddenly stopped. Zombies Chronicles 2 was rumored, but never came to fruition, and the same can be said forModern Warfare 3 Campaign Remastered. PerhapsCall of Duty’s new release planhad something to do with this shift, as going forward, pseudo-remakes likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3will supposedly launch every other year. It would be a shame if this was the case, though, as there is much to be gained from proper remakes of games and modes.
While Activision may want to save the newerCall of Dutygames for these “off-year”Call of Dutytitles, there is no reason that other experiences cannot be revived. For instance, with the series seemingly moving away from World War 2, and newer games likeWW2andVanguardstruggling to nail this setting, a full remake ofWorld at Warcould be a huge hit. Alternatively, a campaign remaster of the originalBlack Opsis overdue, as its twist-filled narrative arguably made it even better thanModern Warfare 2. As for Zombies Chronicles 2, the sales numbers of the original map pack is all the proof Activision should need to greenlight another set of map remakes.
Treating Call of Duty Zombies As Its Own Entity
Beyond more remasters of campaigns and full games, as well as the long overdue Zombies Chronicles 2, it is about time thatCall of DutyZombies gets its own game. Once again, this is something that leaked but has not yet become a reality, which is a shame since there is so much potential for a standaloneCall of DutyZombies project to be a huge hit. It could offer a true singleplayer Zombies mode instead of something likeBlack Ops 3’s Nightmares, while also collecting every past map in one package. It could house all theDead Ops Arcadeexperiences as well as Custom Zombies creation tools that grow deeper whenever Treyarch releases a new map with fresh assets. ACall of DutyZombies game could have its own in-game store to make it more profitable, while a dedicated team could constantly update it with events and maps to ensure it never gets old.
Ultimately, Activision does not need to change its existing model to makeCall of Dutyeven bigger than it already is. Considering how well the series is doing, there is no reason to make major adjustments. However, with so many studios existing under theActivision Blizzardbanner - and now new partners in all of Microsoft’s studios -Call of Dutyshould be able to branch out even further without damaging its existing setup. Campaign remasters do not require the bulk of Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, or Treyarch, while Raven has proven before it is capable of a full game remaster. As for Zombies, the team at Treyarch that works on the mode deserves to be uncoupled fromCall of Duty’s yearly releases, as it could likely accomplish so much more if it had extra freedom.
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