Rumours began to surface over the weekend that Infinity Ward's latest entry into the Call of Duty series - which they are no doubt already hard at work on - is going to be called Ghosts, breaking away from the long-held Modern Warfare sub-title for something that, if all the rumours can be believed, would make for a rather different FPS experience indeed. The source also claims that the game will
only be released on the PC and next-gen consoles, a shock given the huge profitability the series has seen as mainstays on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in particular. However, given that Activision have stated numerous times that their next title will not keep up with the consistently record-breaking sales statistics of each successive title, perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised that the publisher has gone this route. The next generation of gaming is almost upon us, and it's an exciting time to be a gamer. Here are 10 reasons why an injection of new blood just might save the Call of Duty franchise...
10. No Pressure For Record Sales Figures
Given how much people complain that the Call of Duty franchise is a crass commercial enterprise and little else, it's refreshing to hear Activision concede of their own volition that sales figures are going to take a hit with the next game as it makes a leap towards next-generation platforms. While it's unquestionable that the publisher's bean-counters will still be keeping a close eye on the number of units sold, the fact that there's no pressure to top last year's momentous yield means that Infinity Ward can just focus on making the best game possible rather than nervously looking over their own shoulder as they prep things. The modus operandi to date has been to stick pretty cleanly to what works; though there have been incremental additions throughout the series, the core gameplay has changed very little, because it's massively popular and as long as it turns a huge profit, the natural mindset is, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Granted, this pressure will have likely returned by the time the second CoD game is released on next-gen platforms next year, but at least for now, it gives the franchise a little breathing room to gather itself.