Have you ever wanted to keep stats for your performances in shooters but were limited to just a few stats that the game keeps? Did you ever want to join clans and organize on something other than your console? Call of Duty Elite is a brand new subscription service that's being introduced to the series, allowing for deep stat tracking as well as serving as a platform for you to organize with friends and compare yourself to the rest of the world. While the trailer that was released promises something new and innovative, it really is something we've already seen before.

If anything, Call of Duty Elite is just an imitation of services already provided by games such as Killzone 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Those games tie into accounts on their servers, which allow all of your in-game progress to be instantly loaded onto the website. From there, you can track how much XP you've earned, see what weapons and gadgets you've unlocked, and form clans and such all on one single website. There are even features such as Bad Company 2's War Room that give you an overhead map to look at and place markers at strategic points you'd like to take over. Those strategies can then be saved and you can look through them while playing the game.

 

Call of Duty Elite essentially does the same thing as the previously mentioned services. Actually, I shouldn't say service because those games come equipped with that right from the start! Activision is simply getting to the party late and playing it off like they were there the whole time. It's not a bad thing that they are providing this service, as it is quite a helpful tool for those looking to improve their game. But fans of the series have been starting multiple forums, making gameplay videos, and tracking their own stats for a long time. If Activision thinks this service will help sell a lot more games, it won't really. 

 

The service is free, but there is a premium subscription that will have extra content added to it. While those details have yet to be announced, one thing we do know is that DLC will be free as part of the package. This is where I begin to take issue because all of the services of Call of Duty Elite should be free. Other games provide plenty of tools for you to look over and improve your game at no cost, so how can they justify putting a price on it? The only thing it could be good for is getting the DLC, but even that's a stretch.

 

There has been no price set for the premium subscription, but I imagine it to be in the neighborhood of $50 to $60 for the year. Typically, each Call of Duty title releases 2 map packs priced at $14.99 each, so half of the subscription would go towards purchasing those. Of course, you may not want to buy all of the map packs if you were to buy them a la carte, so you're already losing out on money. Whatever the other content for Call of Duty Elite ends up being, I find it hard to justify spending $30 on a few extra features.

 

This service is something gamers can opt-in if they choose to. That's good considering the subscription doesn't seem worth it to me if you were to pay for it. But Activision is taking something old and selling it as if it were brand new. For those who get suckered in, it's a brilliant idea on their account. However, I don't think the gaming community will be easily fooled and this will end up doing anything but bring in the big bucks.