Activision Opens Beta Enrollment For Call of Duty Elite
Never one to shy away from controversy, Activision has unveiled a site asking players to sign on for a beta test of the Call of Duty Elite service.
The service, which will launch in earnest alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this November, offers fans the opportunity to pay a monthly subscription fee for access to exclusive swag including in-game items, maps, and a host of social networking features.
The site itself is pretty self-explanatory. In exchange for an email address, console preference and date of birth, Activision promises to add your name to a "closed beta invite list." [http://www.callofduty.com/elite] Disregarding the firm's nebulous definition of "closed beta," it's nothing you haven't seen before, if you're at all familiar with how gaming betas work.
The baffling/hilarious bit is that this site would appear less than 24 hours after the Call of Duty Elite service was announced [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110483-Activision-Unveils-New-Call-of-Duty-Online-Service]. Reaction to the plan ranges wildly, from resigned indignation to dumbfounded amazement at the sheer cajones exhibited by the perceived cash grab. I think I have yet to witness anyone actually pleased by the idea, but I'm sure that exists somewhere.
The introduction of this beta website, also raises another important question: how does Activision intend to beta test its Call of Duty Elite service without its companion game? Will gamers be compiling data on Call of Duty: Black Ops, or will those admitted to the beta be playing Modern Warfare 3 well before the rest of us?
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Never one to shy away from controversy, Activision has unveiled a site asking players to sign on for a beta test of the Call of Duty Elite service.
The service, which will launch in earnest alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this November, offers fans the opportunity to pay a monthly subscription fee for access to exclusive swag including in-game items, maps, and a host of social networking features.
The site itself is pretty self-explanatory. In exchange for an email address, console preference and date of birth, Activision promises to add your name to a "closed beta invite list." [http://www.callofduty.com/elite] Disregarding the firm's nebulous definition of "closed beta," it's nothing you haven't seen before, if you're at all familiar with how gaming betas work.
The baffling/hilarious bit is that this site would appear less than 24 hours after the Call of Duty Elite service was announced [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110483-Activision-Unveils-New-Call-of-Duty-Online-Service]. Reaction to the plan ranges wildly, from resigned indignation to dumbfounded amazement at the sheer cajones exhibited by the perceived cash grab. I think I have yet to witness anyone actually pleased by the idea, but I'm sure that exists somewhere.
The introduction of this beta website, also raises another important question: how does Activision intend to beta test its Call of Duty Elite service without its companion game? Will gamers be compiling data on Call of Duty: Black Ops, or will those admitted to the beta be playing Modern Warfare 3 well before the rest of us?
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