Call of Duty’s annual release schedule means new entries hit the store shelves right before the holiday shopping kickoff. Typically it takes at least a few months post-launch before seeing any significant discounts on the latest entry in the blockbuster FPS franchise. Yet curiously, multiple retailers have already dropped prices on the recently released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – both digitally and physically. The rare first price drop comes mere weeks after debuting to mixed critical reception.
Evidently lackluster word-of-mouth has forced price cuts in hopes of driving engagement. Both PlayStation and Xbox online stores currently offer Modern Warfare III at 15% off for a copy of a digital cross-gen bundle. Meanwhile, Walmart and Amazon trim Standard Edition pricing by around 13% on console. Right now, PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X|S copies go for $60 rather than the usual $69.99 MSRP.
The best deal comes courtesy of QVC, where using the checkout code “HOLIDAY20” discounts the Standard Edition to $49.99 – a 29% price reduction. However, this fire sale is arguably telling about its post-launch sales momentum versus previous franchise entries, especially given Call of Duty typically maintains pricing through the subsequent holiday deal events. Clearly, Modern Warfare III has failed to resonate at the record-breaking levels Activision likely expected despite their claims.
In a desperate bid to stave off revenue shortfalls and prop up stagnating engagement metrics, aggressive price slashing aims to capture penny-pinching gift shoppers. But in reality, this year’s offering simply hasn’t garnered the same fervent fan reception or pop culture buzz as predecessors.
A lackluster single-player campaign and divisive multiplayer changes have left the yearly Call of Duty installment feeling derivative. And while monetization never gets in the way of revenue forecasts, diminishing hype spell a worrying trend.
In comparison to Modern Warfare 2, which was a record-breaking success, Modern Warfare 3 feels more like a rehash of Call of Duty: Vanguard. Sledgehammer Games’ previous Call of Duty title was fed by Activision to the wolves due to its low sales. It remains to be seen if the price cuts are enough to help salvage its reputation and keep its players for the foreseeable future.
For Activision, delivering an addictive and well-received Call of Duty remains paramount. Anything less risks irrevocably damaging the brand and fan loyalty, seen as sacred given fierce annual competition. Clearly this is no routine sale. It smacks of desperation by powers that be slowly losing their grip on the marquee shooter.
No more than two months after Modern Warfare 3 first became available to play, rumors have begun to emerge about Treyarch’s next Call of Duty game. This new entry will be the first in the franchise to have followed a four-year cycle if not longer. The expectations are high for it as it will be the first Call of Duty game to be in active development under Microsoft’s ownership.
Speaking of sales and discounts, Target Circle members can get an OG PlayStation 5 for the lowest price ever this Black Friday weekend.
