Bosses behind Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 have denied allegations that the game’s development was rushed with staff having to work weekends and evenings to get it finished.
Speaking to Bloomberg late last week, general manager of Call Of Duty Johanna Faries said that it was “wholly inaccurate” that the new game’s development timeline was shortened.
According to the same report though, a majority of Modern Warfare 3 was developed in just 16 months, with most mainline Call Of Duty titles taking closer to three years.
Bloomberg went on to report that the game was originally pitched to staff at Sledgehammer Games as an expansion to last year’s Modern Warfare 2 but it evolved into a full sequel during development to fill a gap in the release schedule, left by the delay of another COD title.
The report goes on to say that some Sledgehammer staff felt “betrayed” over the crunch, after they were promised they wouldn’t have to go through it again after Call Of Duty: Vanguard.
A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard denied the claims though, telling Bloomberg that Modern Warfare 3 was conceived as a “premium game” from the start.
The studio head of Sledgehammer Games, Aaron Halon said that the game was “a labour of love” and that his team has “worked hard to deliver on this vision, which has been years in the making.”
He went on to say team members may have been confused about Modern Warfare 3 being an expansion because the game is “a new type of direct sequel” to the previous game, with Modern Warfare 3 allowing players to transfer weapons and gear from 2022’s Modern Warfare 2.
Modern Warfare 3 is the first Call Of Duty game Activision Blizzard have released since their merger with Microsoft was approved. After the title was released last week though, fans have criticised both the three-hour campaign duration and the size of the 200gb installation needed to play.
In a three-star review NME wrote: “Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a patchwork of series highs and startling lows, but the fact that most people come here for multiplayer is a significant saving grace. The return of Modern Warfare 2’s beloved maps will scratch a nostalgic itch for long-time Call Of Duty fans, but just about everything outside of multiplayer will leave you wondering why this is a full-price game.”
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