Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty is “Next-Gen First”

Speaking with IGN, Activision Publishing’s CEO, Eric Hirshberg, confirmed Sledgehammer’s upcoming Call of Duty game is being developed primarily for next-gen platforms. The news came after last week’s earnings call, during which Activision revealed that Sledgehammer was developing 2014’s Call of Duty game.

“Sledgehammer is approaching this as a next-gen-first development,” says Hirschberg. “Obviously in the console-transition year, anyone who developed a cross-generational game last year had to deal with the fact that the technology of the next-gen platforms was still coming into focus and changing quite a bit during the development process…. Now that we have the next-gen hardware out in the marketplace and solid, that is our primary development.”

[megazero12]

and they will still manage to reuse the same textures and assets.

[Palitera]

Ain't it beautiful that the community completely lost hope on them?

Still, ain't it curious that it keeps selling more than almost any game?

Argh!

[xHeavYx]

The sad thing is that, no matter how many things are wrong with COD, they keep making a ton of profit

[Destrania]

I know, I f'n hate it.

[NarooN]

Yep, even after so many gamers are well-aware of how bad this series has become, the game sells a bazillion copies every year anyway. It's just madness.

[Nocando]

I am still feeling the burn from buying Ghost. I am ashamed that I have contributed to furthering this god awful franchise.

[Akuma07]

And I have contributed to that.....

Not proud of it, not ashamed of it, it is what it is.

[alexkoepp]

How about instead of "next-gen first" you go "current generation only, not available on last generation platforms" and use the selling power of COD to stir up a nice wave of PS4 and X1 consoles and help last generation die and current generation flourish?

Who the F is Sledgehammer?

Edit -after reading the article, their solution to COD being stale is to bring in another studio so the other teams have more time to make their titles so you can still push a game every year? Wow, just wow... terrible solution

Just make or lease a new engine already...

[Pixel_Enemy]

Here's an idea.. Vote with your wallet. Don't like it? Don't buy it!

I haven't bought a COD since MW2 and I haven't looked back. I don't feel like I am missing out on much either.

[LOL_WUT]

So only ps4 and X1 confirmed? I'm ok with that... ;)

[jetlian]

Ghost real issue was perks and killstreaks changes. I still got value from the game. Extinction is better than zombies.

Guess ghost gonna be done by IW,Modern warfare by SH, and black ops by TA

[Dee_91]

a lot of people care about textures , reusing old assets, lame story etc.. A lot of people don't. Its like Justin beiber.Very popular, so a lot of people hate it but at the same time a lot of people love it... for what ever reasons..

[thereapersson]

Palitera, comments like yours are the reason why the "interesting" bubble was created.

[frostypants]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 Part 7

[famoussasjohn]

I wish the games were like Modern Warfare 1, those were the good days of COD.

[SaturdayNightBeaver]

Wait, ghosts was left for sequel right? I don't think we are going anywhere new in the future.. gonna be same shit ghosts 2 , hopefully they dont release on PC and waste my time

[escott013]

Watch, the bad guys will be the Russians again -_-

[Retard]

Iconic series... Die madden! Eek COD!

[Crazyglues]

What happen to Trearch I was really hoping to get my hands on Call of Duty Black Ops 27.... Dam.. -_-

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[Cloudyday71]

By developing for next-gen first it should mean they can optimize the game so that there is visual parity between Xbone and PS4.

[Ricegum]

Or they can continue to allow the PS4 to have the superior versions because it has superior hardware? That sounds more fair.

[Gamer1982]

What there basically saying is the same old drivel they been saying for years.. Its all PR BS..

[NYC_Gamer]

It's time for Activision to build an engine for COD and stop being cheap

[porkChop]

Why do you think they're switching to 3 year dev cycles? More time to improve/create engines, and more time to actually innovate. It'll likely be 1 year focused on engine development, and then 2 full years on game development. Sledgehammer's CoD will have been in development for 3 years by the time it comes out, so I'm expecting it to be a decent game.

Btw I agreed with you, they definitely need a new, proper next gen engine to work off of.

[Akuma07]

You don't know how it works.

The extra year is more likely to be used for more polish and more time to tweak the Quake 3 engine.

It would take 2-3 years for a dedicated team to complete building a brand new engine from the ground up, it is not a simple thing like you seem to think.

[porkChop]

@Akuma07, when I said "improve/create engines" I meant iterate new engine versions, not entirely new engines built from the ground up. That takes a ton of time that they don't have.

[Palitera]

I don't know. Every year their games are getting worse and worse, so if you let THESE teams do a brand new game, it might very be the worst CoD games ever.

After IW cracked, nothing really good was done.

[Patrick_pk44]

Are you not forgetting they used the new IW Engine and Havok? The developers are just pure shit at developing anything of quality.

[4ShotKing]

Hopefully this means a new engine for the franchse

[matgrowcott]

More likely that's why Treyarch have been given an extra year for their next game.

[Sevir]

Yeah, MW3-BO2-Ghost....

IW with Raven and Sledgehammer, then Treyarch, then IW with Neversoft and Raven. I was expecting Treyarch but Sledgehammer has been toiling away since MW3 and they are the ones leading the charge.

Next year should be Treyarch, and 2016 should be IW.

[USA007]

That's awful! Was really looking forward to the next Treyarch game this year! They seem to be the only ones able to do competitive gaming right. Ghosts is just ridiculous, how the maps are laid out and gun balance

[ichdich]

Titanfall will be the new addictive fun shooter. CoD sucks! After Ghost I'll never touch that shit again.

[WeAreLegion]

Totally agree. Sadly though, I think COD will be adding titans, jet packs, and wall running to keep up.

[ElementX]

I like Ghost MP. The last CoD game I played was MW3. I don't buy every CoD so the online doesn't get old.

[Black-Helghast]

Ghost is kinda alright. Most people hate on it cause it's cod and its the cool thing to do but I honestly like it a bit. Specially on PS4, dat 1080p is beautiful.

[AceBlazer13]

Ghost is shitloads better than MW3, that game was rancid.

[Cryptcuzz]

I have been enjoying CoD Ghosts MP on the PS4 as well. Never had gotten into it with the past games on the PS3, so I too am not fatigued by its gameplay like others have seem to be.

In their next game, I hope they improve how the spawning works. I hate how sometimes you would spawn from a death only to have someone blast you from the back shortly after.

I also hope they have better maps as well. Some of them are okay, but I feel like making maps that are catered to all game play modes is not the way to go. For example, they should have Team Deathmatch specific maps and Domination specific maps, etc.

[_FantasmA_]

Titanfail is COD with robots. They couldn't call it Call of Duty: Mech Warfare because then people wouldn't be suckered into buying it with the COD in the title.

[WilDRangeRrfc]

Pal I have PS4 as you obviously do(or PS3) don't be such a fanboy if it was on PS you would be shouting from rooftops,the fact your talking about it at all tells me your pissed its on MS platforms only!!!
We have great games also so stop contributing to this stupid fanboy fake war it's retarded

[qu1ckset]

It's not like they don't have the money , cod has made them millions!

[Ipunchbabiesforfun]

billions....

[Qwagy UK]

Oh great that means it will be developed for the machine with the lowest speed (Xbone) hope they utilise the power of the PS4 and not just a port!

[mhunterjr]

No, it means more likely means PC will be the lead platform, and the ps4 and xb1 will both receive ports, with the ps4 version performing better of the two.

[Beastforlifenoob]

When was the last time a big name game was purposfully built for PC?

[mhunterjr]

@beastforlifenoob

Wait what? Are you saying games are being accidentally built for PC?

Since both next gen consoles were released with PC like architectures, all we've been hearing about is how much easier multiplatform development will be . The simplest way, will be to port the PC version.

[Bob Dole]

@beast
Pretty sure Battlefield series are ported from PC.

[Ninjamonkey82]

Cod2 next gen -_- with reused cod waw dogs incoming to a next gen platform near you.

Someone with a brain tell me how I'm wrong?.

[Palitera]

Are you implying that a person without a brain might come and actually correct you?

[Ninjamonkey82]

Then I'll let you be the person that tells me then when have they ever used another engine?.

When have they ever went out off there ways to do something for the gamer that may affect there pockets?.

When have they added dedicated servers to a game that's been knocked around for years now on console and has raked in god knows how much money off people?.

Finally ending the rant on this what makes you think they will make any significant changes to a franchise they think works even though its now well past its sell buy date and feels old looks old?.

Only so much paint you can put on a crumbling foundation.

[Dirtnapstor]

I've been a sucker for the SP campaigns, but I hope for their sake they rebuild from the ground up. A fresh face will do (any of) the COD franchise good.
MP: I used to play MW1 & 2 religiously...the draw has fizzled out since.
Back to basics please.

[mhunterjr]

I'll believe it when I see it.

[GoodnessGreatness]

Stop buying these shit games people!

[Insomnia_84]

I waited until a saw a $40 deal. To me, that's what it's worth. Extinction turned out to be pretty fun. I never got into the zombies but Extinction is cool.

[windblowsagain]

It's time for COD to die.

It's a kids shooter.

[GameingmyLife]

Man im a big C.o.D. guy but this really scares me.... why wouldnt thay let Treyarch do the first full next gen COD.... this im sure will hurt the series..... but maybe thats Activision way of saying if it sucks... there excuse will be wait for the next one because these guy are new to this....

[dillhole]

I know it's probably an unpopular opinion but I still think there is a place for COD. There is nothing wrong with fast-paced arcade twitch shooters if they are done properly. I am at least hopeful that this one will do what Ghosts should have done.

[victorMaje]

I usually wait for IW's version of COD, unfortunately imho ghosts was a letdown...I wish MW1 & MW2 days would come back & I mean story-wise not just MP

[ssj27]

Hahaha funy to read the cod fanboys opinions..

The gane main devs are gone, meaning the IP will never be the same. The soul of the game is gone and the devs behind the IP are not good and very average or bad in term of quality.

Activision knows that the IP will die sooner than later and that is why they brought Destiny as a backup.

I understand that the game does a great job on making user's feel like they are playing the greatest and most fun gane ever, but that will stop once one sheep get out from the crowd the rest will wake up to.

Plus this are games, entertainment to keep us busy and mindless sheeps so we don't wake up and live out sad reality. That is why popular games get so much hate because they are damaging us by keeping us stupidly busy.

[Cryptcuzz]

"That is why popular games get so much hate because they are damaging us by keeping us stupidly busy"

A little self control goes a long way man, you should try it.

"Plus this are games, entertainment to keep us busy and mindless sheeps so we don't wake up and live out sad reality"

Idk about you, but my reality is pretty awesome.

[bornsinner]

the gameplays same as mw2 but these devs ruin it by putting their sledgehammer on it

[static360]

at least come up with a new engine for Christ sake.

[CuddlyREDRUM]

Either it is, or it isn't... not sure what "primarily" means. I have a feeling it is primarily going to look lackluster.

[ambientFLIER]

It better be at LEAST 900P on the XBox One.

[Outlaw1986]

They will probably rope me in again. :( But I'll try to wait for a sale like I did for Ghosts last year!!!

[Akuma07]

You mean just like how the last game featured a "brand new engine".

[BOLO]

Between Battlefield...COD...Titanfall. ..Killzone...Destiny...Halo...u pcoming Doom...Metro...Aliens: Isolation...Brothers in Arms...and finally Wolfenstein. The market is oversaturated with too many FPS's.

[Akira2020]

Let's face it....the average gamer absolutely out-numbers the hardcore gamer (hence why COD sells well each year). To them, every COD is fresh and new.

[aondaatje]

Good. The 7th Gen is holding the 8th gen back. When Devs truly start developing for 8th gen only will we start seeing really good games. Stop gimping games to get them on 360 and ps3 and reward the people that spent money on xb1 and ps4

[LordHiggens]

YAWWWWWNNNNNN

[Zefros]

that means no zombies before next year? i pass this game.

[DoggyBiscuit]

Activision should just let Treyarch make all the COD's

[beatled]

this time fish will actually poo in the water if you scare them

here's an early screenshot from the alpha version

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/XLsZ...

[kingdom18]

I disliked CoD before it was cool to dislike it...

[Darkwizard904]

I bet all of you who say CoD sucks, actually suck at the game.

[tjg59]

Hopefully everybody will be playing destiny instead of this

[WilDRangeRrfc]

To think before I got PS4 and BF4 I used to defend COD and say BF is shite.How wrong can you be,new to BF as it sucked on 360 but Conquest on PS4 is the best experience on console at the moment. Soooo much fun and variety,COD is ok for an hour of running and gunning but to say its stale and uninspiring is an understatement