Activision meanwhile seems humoured by it all, joking that EA mentions Call of Duty "more than we do" and thanks them for "assistance in building awareness".
“Certainly. The only question is when that day will be. And for me, the sooner the better," said EA Europe boss Jens Uwe Intat, asked if they'll reclaimed their FPS crown. A lot is riding on DICE's Battlefield 3 for 2011 but EA have other IP horses to bet on.
"It’s our champion this year, yes. But it is true that we have a few more in the genre, so we will see how many different franchises we will continue with in that space.”
Over in the Call of Duty camp, Activision's CEO of Publishing, Eric Hirshberg, gives the impression that they're not at all worried by the 'shot across the bow' from EA.
"Well, I think EA might talk about our games in the press more than we do. So, the first thing I say to them is ‘Thanks for the assistance in building awareness,” joked Hirshberg.
"But when you think about it, we’ve had tough competition every year for Call of Duty. It’s never been easy. This is one of the most competitive genres in one of the most competitive industries. Last year we had Halo: Reach and Medal of Honor, and it’s not like they weren’t amazing developers gunning for the top of this mountain either."
“And it’s the same this year – Gears of War is back along with lots of other games.”
“So, of course, we take all the competition really seriously. But at the end of the day I really mean it when I say we are focusing on the finish line, not the competition," he continued. "We are making the best game we can, and are throwing every resource, innovation and all the creativity we can at it. And hopefully that will maintain our position.”
Battlefield 3 releases on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this fall. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC November 8th.
