Despite people like Michael Pachter insisting that Call of Duty will eventually adopt a subscription-based model for its multiplayer, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg has definitively stated that its premier shooter franchise will always be free to play.
“Are we going to be charging for multiplayer? The answer is no,” states Hirshberg. “The experience you have out of the box, connecting with the online community to play Call of Duty is absolutely integral to the experience and we’ll never charge for that. It’s not going to be something we’ll attempt to monetize; it’s part of the package.”
At this rate, I don’t know why Activision would charge, and why some analysts pop such a boner over the thought of it. Activision makes so much money off of its downloadable content that it makes sense to get gamers hooked for free and sell map packs at $15 a pop.
I can’t see Activision risking that lucrative racket at this moment in time, but that’s why people like Hirshberg are businessmen and people like Pachter are analysts, I guess.
Activision: ‘We Will Never, Ever Charge’ for Call of Duty Multiplayer [Industry Gamers]
