The official announcement for Activision's Call of Duty Elite service has been released, revealing a little bit more about the premium stand-alone service designed to enhance the company's popular games with various features. Elite is developed by Activision's new Beachhead studio and is basically a giant social network and matchmaking service for the Call of Duty franchise.
Many of Elite's features will be available free of charge, says Activision. The premium membership promises "state-of-the-art services, exclusive entertainment programming and all-inclusive game content for less than the cost of any comparable online entertainment service currently in the market." No specific pricing was revealed today, but some have suggested (as we reported earlier) that it will cost about as much as a Netflix subscription.
Here are the core components, from the press release:
- Connect: Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social network. Players can compete against friends, players of similar skill levels and players with similar interests, join groups, join clans, and play in organized tournaments. They can also track the performance, progress and activity of their entire network, both in the game itself, as well as through mobile and web interfaces. Elite will be an "always on" way for players to connect with the Call of Duty community.
- Compete: Call of Duty Elite establishes the most exciting, competitive environment in a multiplayer game. Players will have available a constant stream of events and competitions, tiered to group them with those with similar abilities. Both in-game and real-world prizes will be rewarded to all skill levels.
- Improve: Call of Duty Elite is like having a personal online coach. It provides players with a dynamic strategy guide that tracks their statistics and performances down to the most minute details. It can show gamers how they stack up against their friends or others in the community. Tools and information are provided so players can learn and up their game.
Elite will be accessible from several platforms including the web, through mobile devices, via your favorite game console, and in the game interface itself. The service will launch this fall with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but Activision will be showing off features this summer in a public beta test.
