A leaked memo from Feburary reveals the wariness of executives over the lucrative IP. In the memo, CEO Eric Hirshberg asked a rhetorical question: ”Isn’t Call of Duty today just like Guitar Hero was a few years back?” The memo answered itself, ”This is a great question, and one we have thought about a lot. But there are several key differences between the two franchises worth considering. Guitar Hero quickly reached incredible heights, but then began a steady decline. Call of Duty, on the other hand, has steadily grown every single year of its seven-year existence.”
Hirschberg’s memo continued to state that the key in sustaining the Call of Duty was one word: quality. ”…We need to focus: on making games that constantly raise the quality bar; on staying ahead of the innovation curve; on surrounding the brand with a suite of services and an online community that makes our fans never want to leave. Entertainment franchises with staying power are rare. But Call of Duty shows all of the signs of being able to be one of them. It’s up to us.”
Activision and ex-Infinity Ward heads Vince Zampella and Jason West are locked in an acrimonious legal battle over the IP, while Call of Duty: Black Ops has been breaking sales records while receiving criticism over instability and overpriced DLC.
