The firm suggests it’s inevitable despite CEO Eric Hirshberg declaring they wouldn’t charge for Call of Duty multiplayer, saying its part of the package.
”Activision remains a top pick, primarily due to the company’s potential to create and monetize a second tier of multiplayer online gaming for its Call of Duty franchise,” note Wedbush analysts. ”We expect this to occur during the first quarter of 2011.”
It’s no secret that Bobby Kotick would love a subscription service to Call of Duty, but other big wigs at Activision are far more cautious. Already the publisher is making a huge mint from released map packs, raking in stellar profits for little development time.
Activision has decreed that no boxed Call of Duty release will carry with it a subscription requirement for multiplayer, as its online antics are part of the deal. Will the publisher look to a spin-off to fulfil their MMO Call of Duty ambitions?
