Press Association
Sunday 12th February 2012
Call of Duty fans will be able to earn a virtual wage and gamble their hard-earned cash against other gamers in brutal new "wager" death matches.
At the multi-player press launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops in Los Angeles, Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia said the new online gambling system would give dedicated gamers even more reason to play online.
Lamia said: "One of the most exciting aspects about Call of Duty multi-player is the introduction of a currency system - COD points - which you get to earn through the game.
"You can put it on the line in these all new modes called wager matches where, in these free-for-all games, you put your money on the line and you ante up; it makes for a really exciting experience every time."
The top three players in each game pick up the cash pot - which can be spent on new weapons, armour, and camouflage - those falling outside the podium positions forfeit their stake. Black Ops also allows players more opportunity to customise their favourite weapons. Clan emblems can be emblazoned on the guns and even red dot laser sights can be changed to green smiley faces.
The kill streak rewards have been overhauled to match the game's 1960s setting. Rather than the precision Harrier strikes of Modern Warfare 2, players can now call down controllable gunship helicopters, launch napalm attacks, summon mortar crews or even get behind the wheels of a radio controlled car packed with explosives.
Developer Treyarch said it wanted to make multi-player gaming as accessible as possible and hopes to convince timid single-player gamers to take the plunge online.To help get new recruits through boot camp and up to frenetic speed of online play, Black Ops features a combat training mode where solo players or teams can practice their aim against computer enemies in a more forgiving environment.
Black Ops is the latest instalment of the Call of Duty franchise. Last year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 became the biggest entertainment launch in history selling millions of copies in its opening week. However, Black Ops swaps the futuristic combat of a modern battlefield for a Cold War-era game exploring the birth of elite special forces.
Lamia said: "It takes place during the Cold War, but it's not about the Cold War. It's about the secret wars and the deniable operations under the veil of that. These missions were conducted by the Black Ops, those guys were the original, the Godfathers of modern day tactical recon."
For realism, Treyarch called on the expertise of Black Ops veterans who have only recently been able to talk about their classified missions. Call of Duty: Black Ops hits shops on November 9.
