Topic: The next Call of Duty

[sirean_syan]

It's in the future... and it smacks of Metal Gear Solid with some Deus Ex: HR styling. Maybe this is the year CoD becomes self aware.

[idolminds]

I gotta say, that looks rather interesting. Or at least more interesting than the previous CoD games have been to me.

[gpw11]

Sadly, the fanbase will probably think it sucks.

[Xessive]

This feels like a delayed response to Battlefield 2142. It certainly looks like an interesting turn for the franchise and it seems Treyarch want to be a hint more creative with it.

[Cools!]

Looks interesting. Though is it me or are the texture kind of low-res?

[scottws]

I could see that stuff in 2035 maybe, but not 2025.  You're telling me in 13 years the military is going to have some walker thing and some weird hoverplane things that look like something out of G.I. Joe?

Anyway, looks cool.

[angrykeebler]

I could see that stuff in 2035 maybe, but not 2025.  You're telling me in 13 years the military is going to have some walker thing and some weird hoverplane things that look like something out of G.I. Joe?

Anyway, looks cool.

We're already using a shit ton of unmanned drones to spy and fight for us. It is not outside the realm of possibility

[Pugnate]

I could see that stuff in 2035 maybe, but not 2025.  You're telling me in 13 years the military is going to have some walker thing and some weird hoverplane things that look like something out of G.I. Joe?

Anyway, looks cool.

Your comments piqued my interest and no way in hell is that happening so quickly. Then again, who knows.

It would be interesting to look at this thread 13 years from now. I bet someone will dig it up. I wonder where we will all be.

[angrykeebler]

Your comments piqued my interest and no way in hell is that happening so quickly. Then again, who knows.

It would be interesting to look at this thread 13 years from now. I bet someone will dig it up. I wonder where we will all be.

YOU WILL BE AT THE BOTTOM OF A BRIDGE




REMEMBER?

[scottws]

We're already using a shit ton of unmanned drones to spy and fight for us. It is not outside the realm of possibility

I'm not talking about the unmanned drones.  Those I could see.  I'm talking about that flying car/jet thing at 0:24.

[MysterD]

This feels like a delayed response to Battlefield 2142. It certainly looks like an interesting turn for the franchise and it seems Treyarch want to be a hint more creative with it.

What about GR: Future Soldier? 

[Xessive]

What about GR: Future Soldier? 

GR is just Ubisoft's way of trying to get in on the mainstream action. They've desecrated every last ounce of customer loyalty in their effort to try to compete with CoD and Battlefield hype.

[MysterD]

G4TV Previews on COD:BO2
Story & Setting Preview.
Single Player
Multiplayer

EDIT -> 5-24-2012:
Kotaku -> "Why Call of Duty Still Has Single-Player Campaigns".

[MysterD]

Kotaku -> Black Ops 2 to require Vista and above (DX11).
COD Website -> COD: Black Ops 2 - PC Specs Revealed & FAQS.

What are the Minimum System Requirements?
OS: Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core2 Duo E8200 2.66 GHz or AMD Phenom X3 8750 2.4 GHz
Memory: 2GB for 32-bit OS or 4GB for 64-bit OS
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 8800GT 512 MB or ATI Radeon HD 3870 512 MB
 
Can I run the game on Windows XP?
No, sorry. Since we upgraded the engine to use DirectX11, Windows XP is no longer supported. It requires Windows Vista or later.
 
Will the game actually be playable on my minimum spec machine?
Absolutely. We have tested extensively on a variety of hardware and we are very confident in the performance even at the minimum specs.
 
What engine is used for Black Ops II?
The Black Ops II engine builds upon the Black Ops engine with a number of improvements including performance optimizations, enhanced graphics, and proprietary anti-cheat technology.
 
What performance optimizations have you introduced for Black Ops II?
Performance has been a top priority for Black Ops II PC from day one and we have achieved significant improvements. We’ve improved the way the engine handles multiple threads. Additionally, we moved the engine from DX9 to DX11. The DX11 API is leaner than DX9 and requires less CPU time to do the same amount of work. It is important to point out that this benefits the entire range of supported GPUs, not just DX11 hardware. We have also added more “quality vs performance” options than ever before so you can customize your experience to either run faster or to satisfy your taste in eye candy.
 
You mentioned enhanced graphics for the PC version. Can you tell us more about that?
Black Ops II PC features enhanced lighting, shadows, antialiasing, bloom, depth of field, ambient occlusion, and other enhanced effects that are still in the works. And the game can run at higher resolutions and higher framerates on the PC.
 
Will there be a framerate cap?
No. Unless you want one. We have included an adjustable FPS cap slider in the game options. The minimum setting is OFF (no cap).

[Xessive]

That's odd. If DX11 is more efficient than DX9 why is it that DX9 always runs better framerates? I point to games like Dragon Age 2, Crysis 2, The Secret World, and various others. Simply switching on DX11 (without  turning on tessellation or any other DX11-specific features) the frames drop noticeably.

Also, does this mean the PC version is being developed semi-independently, it won't be a port? Current-gen consoles don't have and cannot support DX11 features. It stands to reason that if they shifted everything to exclusively use DX11 that they are developing the PC version with a more focused approach.

[MysterD]

Bluesnews -> Details on Black Ops 2 PC's Servers & Security.

On Black Ops 2 PC Servers & Security
[Sep 29, 2012, 12:09 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

A post on the Call of Duty Community Website outlines details on PC online security, matchmaking and servers in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Treyarch's upcoming military shooter sequel.
Here's a handy summary of key points courtesy of One Of Swords, where there's also a discussion of some of the negative backlash this has inspired:

All servers are dedicated servers, used for public matchmaking and league play.
There will be servers located around the globe.
You can’t rent a dedicated server; they’re just free for your use.
Anti-cheat is handled via VAC + Treyarch’s own proprietary tech working in tandem.
Treyarch has a “full-time dedicated anti-cheat team” to police the servers.
Server files will not be made available to the public. Treyarch runs them.
Mods will not be supported.

[MysterD]

Destructoid -> Season Pass (to include 4 packs) planned for Black Ops 2 at $50.
Destructoid -> COD Elite service will be FREE w/ Black Ops 2.

[W7RE]

The COD games have never had reasonably priced DLC. It's always 4-5 maps for $15. Now it's a season pass of 4 packs, for $50. It's technically a better deal than $60 by paying for them individually, but after the $30 season passes for Gears of War 3 and Borderlands 3, it just looks pricey.

[MysterD]

Black Ops 2 for X360 leaked out a week early.

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published Monday, 5 November 2012

The Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has leaked onto the internet a week ahead of release.

The game appeared on the usual websites for these things last night eight days before its 13th November release.

Now, YouTube is packed with gameplay videos, most of the new expanded Zombies mode. SPOILER WARNING: One of these is below.

Streams have also emerged. Responding, Treyarch design director David Vonderhaar took to Twitter to say: "If you are going to live-stream the game early, which I don't remotely recommend, you could at least be good at it. "

Then, "I'm really glad people are excited for the game. Legit streams coming up later this week and early next. Watch this space."

The news comes a week after reports claimed Black Ops 2 was sold early in Slovakia, although the Xbox 360 leak is thought to have originated from the US. Halo 4, out midnight tonight, leaked nearly a month before release.

Activision declined to comment when contacted by Eurogamer this morning.

[MysterD]

EGMNow -> Black Ops 2 PC's FOV capped to 80 b/c of "technical limitations".

[scottws]

80?  Yuck!  I like 120.  That's nowhere close.

[Xessive]

I'm happy at 90.

80 is low but certainly better than their usual 70-75. I'm actually curious as to what technical limitation could possibly affect this preference! It sounds like Bioware's BS about not supporting gamepads on PC.

[scottws]

Exactly.  Performance would decrease with a wider FOV, but I can't imagine there is a real technical limitation in the engine that explains why it is maxxed out at 80.

[MysterD]

Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Security & Enforcement Policy.

[MysterD]

Treyarch lists current known issues for Black Ops II PC.

Posted by pcdev on Nov 12, 2012 5:28 AM
Black Ops II PC
Known Issues - We have some fixes coming, but we wanted to make you aware of these issues right away in case they affect you:
 
A crash may occur if no DLC is owned when joining on a player that is in the Nuketown 2025 lobby.
Having both an on-board audio device and a PCI sound card enabled at the same time may result in a crash.
A crash may occur if the user tries to run the game without an audio device installed.
Changing resolution while livestreaming may result in a crash.
When viewing a film as a party, users may get a crash if the party leader leaves while the film is buffering.
Loading Movies might not play if a user unplugs a USB audio output device after the game has launched.
Users may lose functionality after locking their PC while a loading movie is playing
A steam error may appear after selecting update when prompted with a “Game Settings Have Changed” message. Launching the game again will resolve this.
 
Happy Fragging!
-pcdev-
twitter.com/pcdev

[MysterD]

PC Gamer -> Some copies of COD: Black Ops 2 from Retail have Mass Effect 2 on the second disc.

Gamers on the Steam community forums, Reddit and the Call of Duty forums are reporting that when they try to install disc 2 of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, they instead get Mass Effect 2. So that’s what Treyarch meant when they said they were adding moral choices to the campaign.

Early reports were confirmed when PCGamesN discovered a video by zeroiez (embedded above) showing him inserting a CoDBlOps2 disc into his machine before getting a prompt to install BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 instead.

Exactly how an EA game ended up in an Activision case is uncertain, but it’s possible the two publishing giants contract the same company to produce discs, and there was a disc image mixup at the factory. We’ve reached out to Activision for comment.

So far the error seems to have affected a relatively small number of people, but if you’re one of them your best bet is to use your CD key to download the game directly from Steam instead. I hope your internet is up to the task.

Meanwhile, we’ve got Martin hard at work playing the real Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for our review. He’s just gotten to the bit where you meet Garrus.

EDIT:
BioWare responds to this controversy...and offers a contest for FREE copy of the entire ME Trilogy PC for the first 50 that show-off their COD:BO2 PC Disc 2 issues.

Update: While Activision has yet to provide an official statement regarding Mass Effect 2 replacing Black Ops II for some players, Mass Effect developer BioWare has commented on the matter, offering free copies of the Mass Effect trilogy to affected players. In a statement on its official site, BioWare posted the following:

"Rumor has it that about a thousand customers who purchased Call of Duty: Black Ops II for PC today were also treated to a surprise copy of Mass Effect 2. If you were one of the affected, chances are you thought it was a mistake, but we prefer to think that it was an omen, and when the universe talks, you should listen.

If the universe thinks that you should be playing Mass Effect right now, who are we to argue? In fact, we want to help! The first fifty fans affected by this phenomenon to send us a picture holding their special disc 2 will receive a code for a FREE PC copy of Mass Effect Trilogy.

Remember, in order to qualify, YOU must be in the picture, and disc 2 of your Call of Duty: Black Ops II must be visible. Got it? Then send your photo to community@bioware.com and you could be playing your very own Mass Effect Trilogy in time for the weekend!"

[MysterD]

Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2
REVIEWS

METACRITIC -> X360; PC; PS3

Scored out of 10
GameTrailers -> 9.4
AusGamers -> 9.4
IGN -> 9.3
EGMNow -> 9.0
Machinima - Inside Gaming Daily -> 9
Destructoid -> 8.5
GameInformer -> 8.50
GameSpot -> 8.0 -- Video Review; Written review.
VideoGamer.com -> 8
Polygon -> 8
OXM UK -> 8
Metro UK -> 8.
Eurogamer -> 8

Scored out of 5
G4TV -> 4 1/2 stars.
GamesRadar -> 4 1/2
GiantBomb -> 4
Joystiq -> 4
The Telegraph -> 4
GameSpy -> 4

Scored out of 100
GamersTemple -> 92
GamingTrend -> 91
VentureBeat - GamesBeat -> 89
PC Gamer -> 71.

No score
RockPaperShotgun -> "Wot I Think" - SP Portion.
GameSpy -> Port Authority looks at PC features and PC support of COD:BO2.
Rev3 -> Black Ops 2 PC vs. XBox360 vs. PS3.
Forbes -> Part 1 - SP Campaign;
TotalBiscuit -> WTF is...Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Single Player?

[K-man]

You know what, good on Treyarch.  They were sort of the bastard child of the CoD series, but looks like they're forming their own identity.

[W7RE]

You know what, good on Treyarch.  They were sort of the bastard child of the CoD series, but looks like they're forming their own identity.

At least from the people I play with, and youtubers that I watch, Treyarch almost seems like the superior developer now. MW2 multiplayer was a mess of noob tubers, knife lungers, and glitches. I skipped MW3, but have heard often that it wasn't very good. People seemed to love Black Ops though (I did), and Black Ops 2 seems pretty solid as well.

Having not played MW1 much online, I definitely had a LOT more fun with Black Ops than I did with MW2. So much so that I waited on MW3 and just decided to pass it up after hearing impressions. I'm already having a lot of fun with Black Ops 2 as well.

[W7RE]

I was just looking at my weapon specific KDRs (which are all pretty bad lol), and found the list kind of funny:

0.95 - knife
0.86 - smg
0.85 - assault rifle
0.79 - shotgun
0.73 - smg

That doesn't count when you're holding a gun and do a quick swipe with your knife. That's when you have an empty weapon slot and switch to it, which leaves you holding a knife instead.

[MysterD]

EGMNow -> Activision says Black Ops 2 generated $500 million in 24 Hours.

[Xessive]

EGMNow -> Activision says Black Ops 2 generated $500 million in 24 Hours.

Yay, and I didn't contribute!

[MysterD]

Yay, and I didn't contribute!

Same here.
I still don't own World At War & Black Ops 1.

I need to eventually play MW3 SP.

[Xessive]

Hot n the heels of me stating that I did not contribute, my brother decided to gift it to me.

Far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth, I gladly accepted the generous gift,

[MysterD]

Hot n the heels of me stating that I did not contribute, my brother decided to gift it to me.

Far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth, I gladly accepted the generous gift,

Would <3 to hear your thoughts on the SP and MP, once you get around to giving it a whirl for good time period...
...especially if it takes you away from you constantly topping some of my scores in Prototype 2's RADNET DLC stat-tracking and score-tracking feature.

[W7RE]

Bad lag? Bad lag compensative? Who knows.

&feature=g-u-u




This happens to me a lot, but not always. It's sort of aggravating to turn a corner and fill someone's chest with buckshot from point blank range, only to have them unload on you afterward and you die. Then you watch the killcam, and it's like your shotgun round never went off.

[MysterD]

You mean, that isn't a new Slo-Mo DeathMatch MP Mode like FEAR1+2 had?