With Lucas Arts and Interplay readying their Star Wars and Fallout MMO titles, respectively, could Activision's Call of Duty franchise be next in line? The company has flirted with the idea in the past, as it looks at different business models to monetize online gameplay, and if recent comments from Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick are any indication then a Call of Duty subscription based game could indeed be in the cards.
His comments were made in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, when asked what he would change about his company if he could make it happen with a snap of the fingers. Kotick mentioned the impressive response Call of Duty has received on platforms like Xbox Live, with around 1.7 billion hours of multiplayer gaming, and said an online subscription service for the franchise could really satisfy bigger audiences "with more inspired, creative opportunities."
He didn't get into details of how such an online world would work, so we can't say for sure if it's all wishful thinking, or if such a project is actually in the works. The company recently revealed it gets around 70% of its operating profit from non-console-based titles, which could be seen as a sign that they'll try to bring more of its properties to PC-based online models. When you consider the majority of that figure likely comes from the 11.5 million World of Warcraft players paying a $15 monthly fee, the idea of Activision spreading this model to other popular franchises sounds even more plausible.