It surprises me sometimes how much I enjoyCall of Dutygames, including the recentCall of Duty: Black Ops 6. What used to be a passing interest became a series I was genuinely excited about, with the releases ofWWII,Cold War, and evenModern Warfare 2being memorable experiences for me. I imagine there are a lot of other people who not only loveCall of Duty, but have spent years getting hyped for each new entry.
However, this year has been a little different for me. Like many, I was burned by thefrankly terribleModern Warfare 3launch, disappointed not just by the lackluster campaign but also by the rather iterative multiplayer mode. It was an illuminating event, one that not only showed me what I love so much aboutCall of Dutybut also that perhaps it is no longer as monumental as it once was.
Call Of Duty No Longer Feels Like A Tent Pole Title
It Has Lost Its Luster Over The Years
When I was younger,Call of Dutyfelt like a tent pole franchise, something that everyone couldn’t live without. When I got to school, the only game that anyone talked about wasCall of Duty. Even those who chastised me for playing games actively playedCOD. My family weren’t as bothered byCall of Duty, as my siblings and I found ourselves more attracted to anime and colorful PS2 titles likeJak 2andOkami. However, even we religiously playedWorld at War, fighting one another on the Castle map, and getting irrationally creeped out in Asylum.
The older I got, the more popularCall of Dutyseemed to get, and eventually, I caved. I have never been someone who enjoys playing games online - so you can imagine my disappointment whenBlack Ops 6was revealed to be online only- and yet I found myself frequently playing matches against screaming teenagers inCall of Duty: WWIIandBlack Ops 3. However,by the time I truly started getting excited about yearly releases, it felt likeCall of Duty’spopularity began to dip.
Fortniteis obviously the biggest reason forCOD’s dip in popularityas it took center stage in the world of live-service games. However, Activision kept making mistakes, puttingless effort intoCODcampaigns, making frustrating multiplayer decisions, and eventually releasing what should have been DLC as a fully priced mainline release.Modern Warfare 3may have been the tipping point, but the writing had been on the wall long before then.
COD Still Sells Well But It Has Lost Its Edge
They Haven’t Felt Impactful For A While
Of course, many may be commenting thatCall of Dutyis selling better than ever, implying that it’s popularity still remains strong. In fact,Warzone 2.0continues to be one of the most popular battle royale titles to this day. So, it’s hard to claim thatCall of Dutyis no longer a popular or profitable series. However, I’m not saying thatCODis dead and everyone hates it now. Rather,what used to feel like a must-play game no longer really has that same appeal, at least to me. Somehow, I feel like I’m not alone.
The excitement around a newCall of Dutydoesn’t feel as prevalent as it used to be.It’s likely that a sense of fatigue has set in, especially as the time between launches doesn’t give players long to generate hype while still enjoying the current title. It also doesn’t help thatCall of Dutyis cannibalizing itself, repeating time periods and rebooting series while failing to innovate much beyond its visuals. This isn’t uncommon within the gaming industry, as many other franchises, includingAssassin’s Creed,FIFA- nowEA Sports FC- andFar Cry, among others, have suffered similar fates.
Do You Need To Play The Other Black Ops Games To Play Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the seventh game in the Black Ops subseries, which may make some players worry they have to play all the others.
It’s not particularly hard to imagine that players are getting a little tired of playing the same games over and over again. I know I’m growing exhausted with the state of live-service releases that continue to dominate despite theoutpouring of negativity towards them. However,Call of Dutyhas another enemy, and it’s not a competing series likeBattlefield. In fact,Call of Dutylargely remains unbeatable when it comes to first-person military shooters. Rather,Call of Duty’sgreatest enemy is simply other triple-A games, as its waning dominance is no longer as intimidating as it once was.
It Gives Other Games A Chance To Shine
October has always been a popular month for video games to drop, but it has largely been dominated by major releases, especiallyCall of Duty.However, this year,Black Ops 6wasn’t even the biggest game in its month, as October sawDragon Age: The Veilguard,Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered,Silent Hill 2,Metaphor: ReFantazio,Super Mario Party Jamboree,Red Dead Redemption’s PC port,Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, and so many more. It’s an incredible offering, one that appeals to fans of all genres while making the yearlyCODrelease feel less significant.
However, as much as I wantCODto improve, I’m not sure I want it to become as all-consuming again.
2023 saw less competition forCall of Duty, as the biggest releases aroundMW3’slaunch wereLike A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name,Super Mario RPG, andPersona 5 Tactica, all of which are great, but comparatively niche. However, even despite that lack of competition,MW3brokeCOD’s streakof being the best-selling game of the year, withHogwarts Legacysquarely taking its place.To me, this points toCall of Dutyno longer being the all-consuming juggernaut it once was, with other publishers feeling like they can release alongside it and still sell well.
Of course, people are more than capable of playing multiple games at once, butCall of Dutycompletely dominated people’s schedules, including mine. ACODrelease meant scrapping any plans I had for that week and devoting everything I had to it. You couldn’t tear me away from some of the past releases. Now, on the other hand, I honestly couldn’t care less. It’s not thatBlack Ops 6is bad, as reviews arehailing it as one of the bestCODgames. Rather,it no longer feels like I need to rush out and buy it day one.
The lessonCall of Dutyneeds to learn from this is to innovate.Black Ops 6’sbiggest criticism is that it doesn’t do enough differently, and that same criticism could be levied at many of the past games too. However, as much as I wantCODto improve, I’m not sure I want it to become as all-consuming again. I love the series, but it’s refreshing to see such variety released alongside it. I’ve played a bit ofCall of Duty:BlackOps 6, but frankly, I’m happy to leave it for a bit and try out some of October’s other amazing games.
