During Activision’s financial conference for investors and analysts, Chief Operating Officer Coddy Johnson shed some light on Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and its battle royale mode called Blackout.
A novelty in its franchise
We have strong expectations for the game. We feel good about the development going on, we feel great about the interest from the community and the response from the fans.
Johnson mentioned that the game is based on the trend of deliver deep and engaging ongoing engagement for fans for which the series is known. The revealed events were seen by many people and very well received, and are gaining momentum. Activision is also seeing a surge of excitement in anticipation of today’s beta.
We’re also seeing tremendous interest in the new Blackout mode. We previewed it earlier this week and saw an overwhelmingly positive response in response to the trailer we put up. I think the fans are really hungry for it. And we’ve also seen it in the gaming tests we’ve done, both with our own teams and with confidential tests involving our consumers. There is this moment-to-moment creation that is occurring now. Many Call of Duty games of the past were scripted, but in this one players will generate the helicopter rides, the ATV and truck takedowns, the power-ups and abilities they encounter as they move around the map… This great experience is being put into hands of fans
He also mentioned that the content will be fun to play for hours, weeks and years. Activision is excited about the October release and they think it’s one of the best deliveries they have made of Call of Duty to date.
The competition will be tough this year
CFO Spencer Neumann was then asked about the risk and potentials that will come from the competition in the crowded holiday season. He mentioned that this question comes up often as it seems like every year there is strong gaming competition. This year may be more crowded than other times, but Activision is used to competition and “they really like the hand they play.”
According to Neumann, the primary factor that has led to the success of Activision’s games is their own quality and the innovation they bring to the experience. They have some of the most talented people in the industry and they make great games that people want to play no matter what’s going on.
They believe they are “extremely well positioned” in their portfolio to drive growth. He mentioned that Activision managed to achieve strong financial results in the context of strong consumer interest in battle royale games. This continues to be the case.
The battle royale attracts many players
The company is seeing an impact on some franchises primarily on engagement, with users seeming to split their time between Activision games and trying out some new ones. Having said that, battle royale games are highly incremental for the industry bringing in new players and participation. It’s making games more mainstream. Innovation and fresh content attract players and expand your community.
Activision “remains focused on driving innovation” in its own franchises and contentbringing excitement to existing and new players and encouraging engagement over long periods of time.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be on sale on October 12. His private multiplayer beta starts today on PlayStation 4, and he will have another one on his Blackout mode in September. If you want to participate you just have to reserve your copy.
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