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Activision's Hirshberg On Call Of Duty Remasters, The New Sony Relationship, And MLG
The remaster phenomenon that began last generation has been a crucial strategy for platform holders and publishers on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. A few companies haven't yet dipped a toe in those waters, among them Activision.
We asked Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg whether he and his team had considered revisiting past Call of Duty games or other titles from the company's back catalog. For those hoping for a Call of Duty 4 remake, you can keep a flicker of hope alive.
"If done well, I think [remasters] can be great," Hirshberg says. "You talk about nostalgia, and people have such connection to the games they love from the last cycle. They want to see what it would look like if someone did it right for this cycle. It's always the opportunity cost, meaning we need every body we can get to make the content we're already committed to for our new games. It's always a matter of finding great people to do that work. I would love to play Modern Warfare 1 or the original Black Ops. There's certainly a deep well there. No announcements, but it's something we talk about and think about a lot."
We also asked Hirshberg about the change in the Call of Duty DLC relationship. For years, map packs got a one month lead time on Xbox systems. This year marks a change, with PlayStation consoles getting the new content first.
Competitive Call of Duty is played primarily on Xbox consoles. With maps coming first to PlayStation, there is potential for a drastic change in the eSports landscape.
"Obviously, that matters. The muscle memory is a deep, physical connection to the controller that you're used to," Hirsberg says. But it's been a cross-platform game the entire time. We've had great players on both platforms the entire time. The partnership with Sony was the right decision at this time. They've been a great partner on Destiny, and they have a ton of momentum with the PS4 and really got behind this thing. They wanted to see that deal on their platform. We're going to make it work."
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