14 DAY TRIAL // Activision is really not mincing words when it comes to its videogame releases. Talking to the advertising firm TBWA\Chiat\Day, the publisher claimed that the launch of Modern Warfare 2, which is set for November 10 this year, would be “biggest entertainment launch of all time.”
The idea was that the agency should be preparing for it and should take advantage of it to increase the visibility of Activision. The claim comes as the publisher is increasing the hype level for Modern Warfare 2, even with some time to go before the game is out.
Videogame companies are well known to make such outrageous claims related to their biggest titles. A while ago, Microsoft used the same phrase when referring to the latest release of the Halo franchise, which was also at the time said to be the last (since overturned). Activision probably aims to sell more of Modern Warfare 2 than Halo 3 did, which is about 170 million dollars in the first day.
Modern Warfare 2 surely was one of the most interesting videogames shown at the recent E3 2009 but a survey related to buying intentions that Nielsen released since then did not feature the title in the top 10, which is a bit of a surprise. Ironically, Halo 3 ODST is the title that more than half of the gamers questioned intend to pick up on release, followed closely by God of War III from Sony.
Another survey, conducted before E3 by OTX and Gameplan Insights showed that Modern Warfare 2 was indeed one of the purchases that players planned to make, just behind that pesky Halo 3: ODST. But Activision's remarks, which are public now, have the potential to backfire. Gamers might see the optimism and boastings of the publisher as a turn off and that could make the release of Modern Warfare 2 less impressive.