5 things Call of Duty must do to return to former glory

The Call of Duty series is one that is simply needs something fresh again. Sales are overall less than what they once were. Declining sales has become more and more common for the franchise. In an age of gaming where people complain, we are also at a point where people more often than ever actually question the value in a game. This value, is what is in question here. We are getting less for the same price, and has led some fans to be completely turned off to the series. Here are some things the Call of Duty series should take into consideration moving forward.

Dedicated Servers

It is time to give up on the listen (hybrid) servers or P2P servers. It is also time to stop telling us about dedicated servers and not actually delivering on them. With a game as big as Call of Duty, there is no reason we should not have the best treatment for online play. Also, wouldn’t it make sense to offer the best experience possible to the people who buy your game primarily for multiplayer, which I’d dare say is the majority of the fanbase? If your game is hosted on dedicated servers, the majority of complaints about lag and netcode will go out the window. Don’t we care enough to offer that to our fans? I’m no expert on these things, but I feel it is time for Activision to step it up. No better time than now being that Black Ops III will be a current-gen only game. Supposedly PC players are offered dedicated servers. These latest consoles are the closest to PC standards than they have ever been.

Want to save money on using dedicated servers to cut costs? Fine. I have an answer for you. Because the franchise is annual, do a rotation for the dedicated servers. Keep the servers active for the time the latest game is relevant and go back to P2P after the new game is released. Time to step your game up, Activision.

New Campaign Ideas

The Call of Duty campaigns are usually filled with explosions and over the top moments (insert Michael Bay comment here). I’d be willing to lose some of the action in favor of a story consisting of characters you actually care about. There are shooters out there with good stories. It can be done. Give us a cast of characters that people will talk about at one of various Game of the Year events this year. Put a love story into it. I’m just throwing things out of nowhere now but we need something new. Modern Warfare was respected for breaking away from the World War II campaigns that were done to death. It is that time again.

Remove Gun Camos/Pre-Order Incentives

Microtransactions need to exist, right? Some of us say no but let us assume that they do. Charging for things you literally have to do next to nothing extra within the game to offer to people is absurd. I should not have to pay for alternate camo colors for my favorite gun. Make them unlockable in-game. Only I will ever see this anyway and no other player is going to stop to look at my gun before shooting me in the face. Pre-order gun incentives are also lame. Not everyone agrees with the nature of pre-ordering games. Locking out a group of people who basically feel excluded due to not pre-ordering the game and not having access to a certain gun, is not cool. If you want those pre-orders and everyone does, find other ways to bring us in. Don’t punish people for not pre-ordering your game.

More Prestige Incentive

The above point is the perfect segue into this. Offer alternate costumes or guns for Prestiging instead of just a gloried emblem and taking all your previously earned guns away. This is pointless. We’ve been suckered into this excuse to keep playing long enough. Give us in-game incentives and/or achievements to Prestige ten times over. Make us want to Prestige. Not just because there is nothing better to do. Perhaps have Prestiging offer specific weapon challenges only available when you are at a certain level of Prestige. A true feeling of accomplishment is what is missing from going Prestige in Call of Duty.

More Maps Both Paid and Free

The game needs to ship with enough maps to keep people interested. Furthermore, future DLC content will be sure to offer more maps but only at a price. This means anyone wanting an experience has to pay for it. That won’t change, but what should, is a way to also make people that bought your game already a new experience, and not have to necessarily fork over more money to do it. Let’s say the first offering of paid DLC offers four maps. Perhaps offer two other maps for free as well via a patch update. Something for everyone that doesn’t lock out a select audience. This will also keep people playing your game which will lead to perhaps future purchases or their friends who want in on the action.

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Call of Duty isn’t a terrible franchise. It is not one that needs to die. However, it is a franchise that is simply just more of the same, year after year, and needs something new. You can only do the same thing for so long before you become tired of it. Bringing something new and exciting to the table will boost sales again and bring the series new life and perhaps even attract a new generation of fans. It is time to go back to the better days and realize it is that time again. A brand new game engine and dedicated servers are quick and easy suggestions that should go without saying. All in all, it is time for change before it becomes too late to deliver.