With a deal poised to extend until next year (or is it this year?), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is unsurprisingly packing some PlayStation exclusives.
Already teased earlier this week, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s PlayStation-exclusive content for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 is the operator, Elodie “Lockpick” Micheaux.
Elodie, with a moniker like “Lockpick,” is presumably adept at…well, picking locks. Yet, word on the virtual streets is that she can tackle foes with a finesse that would make action heroes envious. Don’t get too comfy with her swanky blue camo suit, high-tech skull mask, and equally stylish weaponry.
Pre-ordering on PlayStation gets you this exclusive operator, which might be the last, as previously mentioned.
The impending union between Microsoft and Activision, expected to close on October 13, might just throw a wrench in the whole exclusivity game. Microsoft, with the mega-merger, has no plans to continue the exclusivity card beyond the current deal and making Call of Duty available on PlayStation and Nintendo for the foreseeable future.
This has serious implications. On one hand, it may signify a more inclusive future, where content is universally available, transcending platform boundaries. On the other hand, it poses questions on marketing strategies, platform allure, and consumer choices. If whispers from the industry corridors are to be believed, this might be the curtain call for exclusive bundles in the franchise’s storied history.
Moreover, amidst these strategic shifts, the game itself doesn’t fade into the background. Anticipation is mounting for its November 10 release, and its multiplayer beta is a significant topic of discussion among aficionados. The Lockpick bundle, with its intricate details, further heightens this anticipation, potentially marking PlayStation’s last exclusive.
It’s worth noting that the Xbox 360 had previously boasted of early access to Call of Duty map packs, creating an aura of exclusivity for its platform. However, all of this changed in 2015 when PlayStation, leveraging a deal with Activision, heralded its era of dominance. This dominance wasn’t without its detractors. The exclusivity of content, often seen as a lure for platform allegiance, raised eyebrows. Critics labeled it as bordering on anti-consumer, given the hefty financial commitment needed to access full content.
Moving award, Microsoft will be wise to avoid making exclusive content for the Xbox, lest it risks invoking the wrath of presumably the entire internet and the countless regulators that it had to appease just to make this deal happen.
Once the mega-merger is official, Microsoft is promising to bring Overwatch, Diablo, and Call of Duty to the Xbox Game Pass, but Blizzard doesn’t seem to be open to the idea – yet.
It remains to be seen if Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will come to the Nintendo Switch at a later date, or if the current deal between Microsoft and Nintendo will only start with the release of the Switch successor. Activision Blizzard believes that the next Nintendo platform will have similar performance to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
