In the run up to this year's E3, Activision just dropped a bombshell – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will feature a premium monthly subscription called Call of Duty Elite. It's the first among its kind for a console game. As gamers get ready for the fallout, consider this: Call of Duty Elite could change the way people play, and pay for games, forever.
As of this writing, it isn't known how much this service will cost, or exactly what it will entail. What has been revealed, however, is that Elite will feature an expansive stat tracking system, social networking and access to any DLC released after the game's launch.
Players will be able to see data visualization of things like which weapons earned them how many kills on what map, from which spot they were most deadly, or where they were killed the most. The idea behind this is you can tighten up your skills by studying your stats – an attractive offer for hardcore CoD players.
Elite's social networking offers things like information about upcoming tournaments and contests, the ability to plan out events with your clan, or you can engage in CoD's oldest pastime – plain ol' shit talking. At its base, it's Facebook for Call of Duty fans. Something that many players will hate on the outside, but secretly crave on the inside.
The real meat – and I'm guessing this is what will initially push CoD players over the tipping point in favor of Elite – is that the subscription service includes access to any DLC released after Modern Warfare 3 drops.
Here's the bigger picture: Elite is only the first of many premium subscription services for console games.
Activision is doing the right thing here. It may not be popular right now, as no one likes the idea of paying a monthly subscription, but Elite will catch on because Activision is offering something that people already pay for (map packs) with added, useful tools (stat tracking and CoD branded social networking). Mind you, this whole thing could implode if Bobby Kotick decides he needs another level on his house today, and consequently makes the subscription too costly. With that in mind, Elite won't have to have a huge percentage of CoD's behemoth user base to turn a profit either. I'm willing to bet that Mr. Kotick would be beside himself with joy if 50% of people who buy Modern Warfare 3 also subscribe to Elite.
Let's not kid ourselves – other companies are already in board rooms drawing up their premium subscription services, assuming they didn't already have plans in place. And, much like today's DLC landscape, those subscriptions will be a mixed bag. It'll be up to developers and publisher to decide what they want to put out. Will “horse armor” happen? Probably. But, I think, more often than not, premium services like Elite will appease the hardcore crowd – whom any intelligent games company would be pursuing with this sort of thing. By that metric, premium services will be a success.
Before you blow up my twitter feed because I just tentatively approved of this monstrosity, take a second to think about it: this isn't the death of games, or a huge victory of soulless corporate types over oppressed game-players everywhere. It's the spreading of the “games as service” mantra that PC gaming companies like Valve and Blizzard have been touting for a few years now. You know, those two tiny PC gaming companies that made a couple of indie titles that one of your friends obsessed over?
Like any other company's services, it's up to the consumers to decide what's worth their $10 a month, and what's not – and I have a feeling consumer opinions are going to affect this thing heavily. Subscription services offer nearly instant feedback, and companies will be forced to listen to gamers even closer if they want to turn a profit with premium subscription services – so don't lament just yet. This could actually work out really well for those among us who are terribly opinionated (or obnoxiously loud).
Now, I'd like to point out that this gravy train could derail even quicker than its inevitable adoption by every corporate gaming company under the sun. If these services are no longer deemed premium, and become mandatory for the proper enjoyment of a game, expect a huge backlash. If a premium service grants one player advantage over another, in a competitive sense, expect some backlash. If a premium service doesn't offer some sort of useful tool (i.e. Elite's stat tracking, social networking, and DLC access) expect no one to care.
In the end, Elite will prove to be ground-breaking. It's the first in what I expect to be a long line of services that will change the way gamers play games, and developers create them. For better or for worse, premium services are here to stay.
