Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is already out and fans are expecting the game to be a massive success. There are those, however, who believe otherwise, especially with the PR storm Activision Blizzard is facing.
The first-person shooter game is set in a fictitious Middle Eastern country and across Europe. Its main narrative takes players to the ambiguous moral choices that only wars can offer. As for its multiplayer mode, it pits teams against each other in an attempt to obtain the most kills while being able to survive for as long as possible.
If similar shooting titles like Fortnite and Overwatch offer fantasy elements, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is meant to appeal to hardcore gamers. Notably, Activision Blizzard wants to tap into gamers who are into more realistic scenes.
Interestingly, analysts predict that the game will undoubtedly sell millions of copies and remain a mainstay hit for Activision Blizzard in the future. It is worth noting that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the fourth iteration the Modern Warfare series and among the dozens of releases in the huge Call of Duty franchise.
Call of Duty has proven itself to be the best-selling video game franchise in the United States, a feat it has conquered for 10 years in a row. This alone, according to Mat Piscatella, an analyst at NPD Group, is reason enough to make the game a huge hit. "It's not a question of if this Call of Duty will be a hit. The only question is how big a hit it will be," he said. He projected that the new title will be the best-selling game of 2019.
"It's as dependable a title as there is," said Michael Pachter, an analyst at private financial services firm Wedbush. He estimated that Activision Blizzard takes in about $1.3 billion a year from the Call of Duty franchise, which is basically 20% of its sales.
The game is a loose remake of the first Modern Warfare title released back in 2007. "There's a nostalgia factor for gamers of a certain age cohort whose formative experiences in gaming were playing titles like Call of Duty. You have good memories of these games," said Andrew Marok, VP of equity research at Nomura Instinet.
