Of the game franchises out there, few can measure up toCall of Dutyin terms of popularity. An absolute goliath, the annualized series regularly claims the top spot for yearly sales. As time has passed, though, there have been increasing calls for a return to form – but there’s a way for the franchise to honor tradition while moving forward, and one other series has already provided a perfect template.
TheHalofranchise was in a strange place in 2014. Teasers forHalo 5had garnered a mixed reaction, and the reception toHalo 4had created a negative stigma around343 Industries, largely due to how much it changed the franchise. EnterHalo: The Master Chief Collection,a compilation of the core games released in November 2014. While it had technical issues at launch, it gave fans an outlet to enjoy the series' roots.
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In the time since, 343 Industries has regularly updatedHalo: Master Chief Collectionwith new content, events, and a season pass structure that should become the industry standard. It’s also added two new games to the mix in the years sinceMaster Chief Collectionlaunched, namelyHalo 3: ODSTand the fan-favoriteHalo: Reach.The only mainlineHalogame that can’t be played in theMaster Chief CollectionisHalo 5,which would likely balloon the install to an unreasonable size if it were added.
The Call of Duty Collection
The ways thatCall of Dutywould benefit from a collection similar toThe Master Chief Collectionare fairly obvious. There’s a broad suite of classicCall of Dutygamesthat would fit together nicely in one little package, which fans have been dying to return to. While the franchise is peppered with sub-series likeBlack OpsandModern Warfare,that just means that there are more options to choose from when it comes to crafting a collection of games for fans to enjoy.
Black OpsandModern Warfareare the clear candidates for a collection, being the two most highly regarded of the franchises on offer. The pre-rebootModern Warfaregameshave less variation in them, but they’re also some of the most iconic games in the franchise, offering some of its most notable characters, maps, and weapons, while also being the series that many are the most nostalgic for.
Meanwhile,Black Opsis also a popular sub-franchise, but it might not be as good of a collection to roll with.Black Ops Cold Waris still the focus for Activision and Treyarch, andBlack Ops 3and newer are still relatively fresh in the minds of many. There’s less for fans to be nostalgic for, even though the variation in the past and near-future timelines would offer some more variation between the games included in a supposed collection.
Captain Price’s Spotlight
There’s no clearer choice for an iconicCall of Dutycharacter than Captain Price, the mustachioed hero of severalCall of Dutygames. He aligns nicely with theModern Warfaregames, being a central figure in each entry. While a case can also be made for Soap to take the lead, there’s been a heavy emphasis on Captain Price since theModern Warfarereboot dropped, so it makes more sense for him to be in the spotlight.
Ideally, a Captain Price collection would bundle together the original threeModern Warfaregames, plus any other games that Activision or Infinity Ward might want to add later on down the line. That would give fans access to three distinct campaigns, tons of multiplayer maps, weapons, and theSpec Ops mode. Altogether, it’s an impressive bundle of content, with the opportunity for more content to be added as time pressed on.
There are clear choices for new content to be added to the bundles too.Call of Dutymaps have changed a lot in the time since the originalModern Warfaregames released, with new icons that would be great fits for the series. For instance, Hijacked could be a wonderful addition to any of the three games. There’s also the potential for Operators, new weapons, and plenty of others that could make aCall of Dutycollection more popular, especially with a seasonal structure.
Warzone Might Already Be It
The question is whether or not Activision is willing to create a collection of olderCall of Dutygames when it can bank just as heavily onCall of Duty: Warzone.The free-to-play battle royale game has been a moneymaker for the company, rising to an incredible level of popularity since it launched.Warzonehas introduced content from older games, primarily in the form of Operators.
Elsewhere, recentCall of Dutygames have re-introduced classic maps to the mix, plus the occasional returning weapon. However,Modern Warfare, Warzone,andBlack Ops Cold Warall feel radically different to play than the older games in the series do, which muddies the waters of whether or not it really scratches the same itch as aCall of Dutycollection would.
The answer is no, not really, but Activision can already bank onWarzonebeing a success, so long as it’s able to maintain its current popularity. Over time, that popularity may fizzle out, which could open up the possibility of a collection, but it’s impossible to say what it would really take for Activision to pursue it, barring some disastrous game launch that shakes public perception of the franchise.
If fans really want something likeHalo: The Master Chief CollectionwithCall of Dutystylings, they need to be vocal about it.Modern Warfare 2multiplayer remasteredhas been a much-asked-for addition since the campaign portion of the game launched, but it may benefit fans to aim for something a bit more elaborate. There are no guarantees that it will happen, but anything is possible with enough support behind it.
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