2. Limited Scope
As I mentioned earlier, a few recent online modes have included an open world (to be fair, Rockstar are the prime purveyors of this concept) and from the moment I entered into one, I found it difficult to go back to the limited scope of CoDs online multiplayer. I mean, theres only so many times that I can walk around the same handful of maps before Im yearning for something new, especially these days, when having full-time work means I treasure my down-time. This limited scope shoots CoD in the foot for me; Id much rather gallop through Red Dead Redemption's vast, open world map (which is of course in itself one giant deathmatch map) and choose myself as to when I want to get more up close and personal with a specific multiplayer map. When CoD was fully at the top of its game, at around the Modern Warfare mark for my money, GTA IV had not yet been released (and wasnt for almost another year), but once it was, and I witnessed that first online open world in action, I was pulled away forever. Sure, CoD is still one of the heavy-hitters - theres enough brand trust and recognition now for that to be the case for years into the future but with this open-world concept coming more and more into its own of recent years, its certainly not without its fierce competitors.