Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    Call of Duty: Black Ops

    Game » consists of 19 releases. Released Nov 09, 2010

    The seventh installment of the long-running action franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops puts players into the early era of the Cold War (including the Vietnam War) as a member of the United States black operations unit known as the SOG.

    What makes Call of Duty so great?

    • 67 results
    • 1
    • 2
    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #1  Edited By Soulderon

    So i have been wondering, what makes this franchise so much better then other first person shooters? 
    why everyone are so excited when a new COD comes out but not so much when a new Halo comes out or MOH?

    Avatar image for gunslingerpanda
    GunslingerPanda

    5263

    Forum Posts

    40

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #2  Edited By GunslingerPanda

    Marketing. That's literally all the series has going for it.

    Avatar image for mrskidders
    Mrskidders

    1298

    Forum Posts

    5

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #3  Edited By Mrskidders

    That's a fair question, ill have to get back to you on that...

    Avatar image for fjordson
    fjordson

    2571

    Forum Posts

    430

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 6

    #4  Edited By fjordson
    @Soulderon said:
    " but not so much when a new Halo comes out or MOH? "
    Not sure if serious.
    Avatar image for taliciadragonsong
    TaliciaDragonsong

    8734

    Forum Posts

    2

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 8

    #5  Edited By TaliciaDragonsong

    You're saying people weren't excited for Halo?
    Dunno where you where when Reach was hyped and released then!
     
    I have no clue why CoD is so coveted by all types of gamers, maybe since its easy and simple to approach, but hard and difficult to master ( stop laughing, seriously! )?

    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #6  Edited By Soulderon

     @GunslingerPanda said:

    " Marketing. That's literally all the series has going for it. "

     
    so do you think that the new modes in Ops are not innovative enough?
    Avatar image for foggel
    foggel

    2780

    Forum Posts

    531

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #7  Edited By foggel

    It's fun, and rewarding.
     
    Callsigns, killstreaks, levelling system.
     
    Operant conditioning :) There's a lot of it.

    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #8  Edited By Soulderon
    @TaliciaDragonsong said:
    " You're saying people weren't excited for Halo? Dunno where you where when Reach was hyped and released then!  I have no clue why CoD is so coveted by all types of gamers, maybe since its easy and simple to approach, but hard and difficult to master ( stop laughing, seriously! )? "
    if we really trying to compare the two by hype then yeah, gamers like's CoD more then Halo. 
    I also work at a video game store and I see the havoc when a new CoD is out.
    every time a new game is out, there's a mess!
    Avatar image for taliciadragonsong
    TaliciaDragonsong

    8734

    Forum Posts

    2

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 8

    #9  Edited By TaliciaDragonsong
    @Soulderon: 
    There's a difference in hyped media or hyped fans.
    I know for sure there's enough hyping in both camps of the games anyway.
    I used to work in a gamestore too and the Halo 3 launch almost did me in!
    Crazy those gamers!
    Avatar image for gunslingerpanda
    GunslingerPanda

    5263

    Forum Posts

    40

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #10  Edited By GunslingerPanda
    @Soulderon
     @GunslingerPanda said:

    " Marketing. That's literally all the series has going for it. "

     
    so do you think that the new modes in Ops are not innovative enough?
    I don't know, I've not followed anything CoD since Modern Travesty. For all I know Black Ops could be scathing social commentary on gender roles.
    Avatar image for beargirl1
    beargirl1

    12935

    Forum Posts

    14417

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 24

    #11  Edited By beargirl1

    i think the campaigns are really exciting and the multiplayer is long lasting and really fun. kill streaks are so much fun to get! 

    Avatar image for i_smell
    I_smell

    4221

    Forum Posts

    1650

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 5

    User Lists: 11

    #12  Edited By I_smell
    @Soulderon:
    I don't play this, but I think what gave Modern Warfare a huge splash was that:
     
    A: It was a great big army game. They're the kinda games that go over well with the mainstream- like guys who buy only GTA and football games every 12 months.
    B: It was MODERN warfare, and people are a lot more interested in the modern military now than they would be in another World War 2 or Vietnam game.
    and C: The multiplayer seems to be taking all the crazy collecting upgrade RPG stuff we've bin used to, and introducing it to the type of people who've never played anything like that. So I guess it came off as an awesome new way to do multiplayer.
     
    So I guess they did everything right, and made it mainstream.
    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #13  Edited By Soulderon
    @TaliciaDragonsong said:
    " @Soulderon:  There's a difference in hyped media or hyped fans. I know for sure there's enough hyping in both camps of the games anyway. I used to work in a gamestore too and the Halo 3 launch almost did me in! Crazy those gamers! "
    indeed we are :)
    Avatar image for boogey131
    Boogey131

    50

    Forum Posts

    49

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #14  Edited By Boogey131

    I don't think it's really possible to quantify how much hype a brand carries, so I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that COD is a more coveted series than Halo. 
     
    COD is so popular partially because of the feeling the game gives you when you play it and partially because of great marketing and word-of-mouth. Medal of Honor was proof that you need more than a modern war setting to elicit the type of response Call of Duty has received. With Modern Warfare, you had a shooter(which is probably the most popular genre of game amongst your average gamer) that made the basic action of firing a gun feel great. The amount of production that went into the series made it a great looking shooter with a summer action movie aesthetic and the multiplayer was balanced enough with a levelling system that gave the play an incentive to keep coming back with perks and prestige modes etc. 
     
    An even shorter answer is, what has made COD so great is Infinity Ward and their experience in the industry. Treyarch have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to play with a series that IW made popular. 

    Avatar image for startandpause
    StartAndPause

    115

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #15  Edited By StartAndPause

    Consistency.

    Avatar image for mooseymcman
    MooseyMcMan

    12791

    Forum Posts

    5577

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 13

    #16  Edited By MooseyMcMan

    The games are fun, and they have broad appeal. Since when did a game need to be anything other than fun? I mean, you could ask the same thing about any game series. "How come people are so excited when a new Mario game comes out?" 

    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #18  Edited By Soulderon
    @MooseyMcMan said:
    " The games are fun, and they have broad appeal. Since when did a game need to be anything other than fun? I mean, you could ask the same thing about any game series. "How come people are so excited when a new Mario game comes out?"  "
    no I can't really I don't see to many people talking about Bayonetta or even Venqished wich is a fantastic game.
    and you don't get the same reaction for Mario as well.
    my question was, what makes this franchise so different then other FPS's 
    Avatar image for quacktastic
    Quacktastic

    1065

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #19  Edited By Quacktastic
    @Soulderon:
    60fps reduces input lag to almost nothing, giving you really tight controls.  I like BC2 better than any CoD I've played including 4, but it's pretty clear what they do right.
    Avatar image for bionicmonster
    BionicMonster

    1046

    Forum Posts

    281

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #20  Edited By BionicMonster

    It's America personified in a video game.
    Violence
    Patriotism
    Consumerism (anyone want a new Jeep?)
    and Zombies.

    Avatar image for kibblez
    Kibblez

    774

    Forum Posts

    119

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 6

    User Lists: 1

    #21  Edited By Kibblez

    I don't get when people are so confused as to why this series does well. If you like this type of game, it's a lot of fun both offline and online. I don't like JRPGs a lot but I don't sit around going "DURP WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE THE FINAL FANTASY GAMES DURP HURP"

    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #22  Edited By Soulderon
    @Kibblez said:
    " I don't get when people are so confused as to why this series does well. If you like this type of game, it's a lot of fun both offline and online. I don't like JRPGs a lot but I don't sit around going "DURP WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE THE FINAL FANTASY GAMES DURP HURP" "
    but why is it better then other games in the genre?
    Avatar image for handsomedead
    HandsomeDead

    11853

    Forum Posts

    -1

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #23  Edited By HandsomeDead

    Some people are just idiots. Did the marketing push come before the game got good or after? I don't remember seeing shit for Call of Duty 2. CoD was, at heart, a playable Saving Private Ryan then when the move came to go modern military, it became a playable version of The Rock. With tight, responsive controls and gameplay that's both high on exciting set pieces and narrative, there's more to it than just guns, guns, guns. 

    Avatar image for thefreeman
    TheFreeMan

    2712

    Forum Posts

    1120

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #24  Edited By TheFreeMan

    CoD is just about the closest thing to get to a playable movie experience while still very much being a game. There are parts that everyone can go "oh yeah, remember when that happened?" as if it was Black Hawk Down or Saving Private Ryan or something, and the base mechanics work well. Without being hampered by  QTEs, it's the most balanced game/movie experience that games have ever had, that I've experienced (I haven't played Uncharted 2 though). People like their action, and CoD has a lot of that and it does it well for the most part (or at least it does it user-friendly enough for most people to enjoy it). After all the cinematic stuff, then it has a addictive multiplayer that's easy to get into (however dumb the community may be).

    Avatar image for ajamafalous
    ajamafalous

    13992

    Forum Posts

    905

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 9

    #25  Edited By ajamafalous

    You tell me; I don't enjoy the games at all.

    Avatar image for takua108
    takua108

    1596

    Forum Posts

    3503

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 16

    #26  Edited By takua108

    Ah, the Call of Duty franchise. While it's been going on for years now, it only really became a huge, "mainstream" hit with 4, WaW, and MW2. At this point, "Call of Duty" became "Halo," the default go-to "video game wherein dudes are shot by other dudes," as far as the mainstream was concerned. Most gamers don't consciously notice it, but I'd say that the 60FPS that pretty much every CoD game has had contributes to how "good" the game feels to play. And the little things like the clicking noise when you hit someone since 4, as well as the addictiveness of getting new killstreaks and perks and what have you as you level up (not to mention turning "prestige" into an accepted verb).  Oh, and throwing zombies in does nothing but help, because, as you know, everyone loves zombies.
     
    Combine all of these things with the longtime fan appreciation for the series and Activision's "keep putting more games with the 'X' brand name on it into the market until nobody gives a shit anymore, and then keep doing it for a few more years, just in case" mentality and marketing power, and it's not really that hard to see why this has been the biggest video game franchise over the past few years.

    Avatar image for ben99
    Ben99

    1199

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 0

    #27  Edited By Ben99
    @I_smell said:
    " @Soulderon: I don't play this, but I think what gave Modern Warfare a huge splash was that:  A: It was a great big army game. They're the kinda games that go over well with the mainstream- like guys who buy only GTA and football games every 12 months. B: It was MODERN warfare, and people are a lot more interested in the modern military now than they would be in another World War 2 or Vietnam game. and C: The multiplayer seems to be taking all the crazy collecting upgrade RPG stuff we've bin used to, and introducing it to the type of people who've never played anything like that. So I guess it came off as an awesome new way to do multiplayer.  So I guess they did everything right, and made it mainstream. "
    Thumbs up
    Avatar image for archscabby
    ArchScabby

    5876

    Forum Posts

    755

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 2

    #28  Edited By ArchScabby

    What makes Tiffany so great?  Just because she's super pretty, and has a cool car, Ken is interested in her. I want Ken to be with me!

    Avatar image for onno10
    Onno10

    394

    Forum Posts

    5

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #29  Edited By Onno10

    It's because everyone can't stop talking about these games they're so popular.
    Look at this it should give you an idea.

    No Caption Provided
     Also I love call of duty.
    Avatar image for lazyaza
    Lazyaza

    2584

    Forum Posts

    7938

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 27

    User Lists: 43

    #30  Edited By Lazyaza

    Military shooters = the movie Team America, in game form, but trying to be taken seriously.  Call of Duty is the most famous of the sub-genre so it sells alot. 

    Avatar image for pinworm45
    Pinworm45

    4069

    Forum Posts

    350

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #31  Edited By Pinworm45

    Tight controls, marketing, and the carrot-on-a-stick approach to multiplayer.

    Avatar image for pinworm45
    Pinworm45

    4069

    Forum Posts

    350

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    #32  Edited By Pinworm45
    @Onno10 said:
    " More importantly, why do we keep talking about Call of duty all the? It's because everyone can't stop talking about these games they're so popular.
    I mean look at this!
    No Caption Provided
    "
    To be fair, that's because people are going to those forums for the quest.
    Avatar image for onno10
    Onno10

    394

    Forum Posts

    5

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #33  Edited By Onno10
    @Pinworm45:
    Ah thanks, I didn't understand how the popular games' forums worked then.
    My bad I guess.
    Avatar image for deactivated-629f1f5a477d3
    deactivated-629f1f5a477d3

    108

    Forum Posts

    19

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    It's basically the 1st person shooter perfected for the 21st century. These games are a lot harder to make than they look. Just ask the Medal of Honor guys. They tried to get the formula, and they failed miserably. Same with 95% of every 1st person shooter coming off today.

    Avatar image for meteora
    meteora

    5844

    Forum Posts

    17

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 3

    #35  Edited By meteora
    @Soulderon: Because of marketing and multi-platforming. More people are excited if its on more than just one platform.
    Avatar image for reign
    reign

    276

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 5

    #36  Edited By reign
    @GunslingerPanda said:

    " Marketing. That's literally all the series has going for it. "

    Yup. That's it. Marketing sells millions of copies. That's why.  
     
    /sarcasm
     
    It's because the games feel so good. The shooting is as pure as it gets in the genre. There really isnt another game that feels quite like the CoD engine does. Bad Company is close, but it's still a little janky (but I love the game nonetheless).
    Avatar image for ssully
    SSully

    5753

    Forum Posts

    315

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    #37  Edited By SSully

    I mainly like COD games for their singleplayer portions, and to me it is because it pretty much encapsulates the perfect mixture of action that i dreamed about as a child. I used to play "guns" with my friends when i was little and we'd imagine we were our favorite action star and just shooting each other, what boy didnt when he was growing up? Even when i was alone i was pretend to act out my favorite action scenes from movies because i just thought it was cool. In Call of Duty you are thrown in the center of crazy situations and you get to pretty much live your child hood fantasy, you are the star. Sure the stories are usually crazy or dont make much sense, but the action is great! Ever since call of duty 1 the single player experience has delivered the same kind of intense thrill, and that is what always brings me back. Not the multiplayer. 

    Avatar image for j0n3s1
    J0n3s1

    293

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #38  Edited By J0n3s1

    Well first thing that comes in to my mind is marketing.

    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #39  Edited By Soulderon
    @TheFreeMan said:
    " CoD is just about the closest thing to get to a playable movie experience while still very much being a game. There are parts that everyone can go "oh yeah, remember when that happened?" as if it was Black Hawk Down or Saving Private Ryan or something, and the base mechanics work well. Without being hampered by  QTEs, it's the most balanced game/movie experience that games have ever had, that I've experienced (I haven't played Uncharted 2 though). People like their action, and CoD has a lot of that and it does it well for the most part (or at least it does it user-friendly enough for most people to enjoy it). After all the cinematic stuff, then it has a addictive multiplayer that's easy to get into (however dumb the community may be). "
    I agree with your point of view.
    Avatar image for reign
    reign

    276

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 5

    #40  Edited By reign
    @Meteora: @J0n3s1: The question wasn't "Why are the games financial successes" it was why are the games great. 
     
    We're talking quality of the product, not sales numbers.
    Avatar image for jimbo
    Jimbo

    10472

    Forum Posts

    2

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 3

    #41  Edited By Jimbo

    CoD4 was the game where it really became massive.  Everything since then you can just point back at CoD4 and (rightly) say their success stems from there - they haven't done anything drastically different since then.  
     
    So the question really is 'What made CoD4 so special?'  The answer to that is that it pretty much single-handedly revolutionized competitive multiplayer on the consoles, making persistent character progression the de facto standard across the market.  Couple that with what is widely considered to be one of the best single-player FPS campaigns ever made and you have a recipe for success.  They managed to please pretty much everybody - if you weren't a big multiplayer fan then it was still worth buying for the campaign, and vice versa.
     
    The runaway success of MW2 was a direct result of the almost universally positive word of mouth from CoD 4 and the (brilliant) marketing for MW2.  Nobody was waiting for reviews of MW2, they just bought it because everybody held the predecessor in such high regard and because of the super-slick marketing.
     
    Sure there will be some people who say none of the games are that great (there always will be, and a few of them will even genuinely feel that way), but who gives a fuck when you're selling about 15 million copies?

    Avatar image for ahmadmetallic
    AhmadMetallic

    19300

    Forum Posts

    -1

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 11

    #43  Edited By AhmadMetallic
    @Pinworm45 said:
    "  the carrot-on-a-stick approach to multiplayer. "
    you worded it so beautifully that i felt the need to touch myself after reading that
    Avatar image for geno
    Geno

    6767

    Forum Posts

    5538

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 15

    User Lists: 3

    #44  Edited By Geno

    No Caption Provided
    Avatar image for diamond
    Diamond

    8678

    Forum Posts

    533

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    #45  Edited By Diamond

    Simple gameplay for simple people *runs*
     
    Well honestly COD4 and MW2 had really great MP scoring / unlocking systems, that's the one thing that really stands out.

    Avatar image for kishan6
    kishan6

    1986

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #46  Edited By kishan6
    @foggel said:
    " It's fun, and rewarding.
     
    Callsigns, killstreaks, levelling system.
     
    Operant conditioning :) There's a lot of it. "
    i personally hate COD but this is pretty much true 
    @Soulderon
    said:
    "  @GunslingerPanda said:

    " Marketing. That's literally all the series has going for it. "

     so do you think that the new modes in Ops are not innovative enough? "
    What new modes 
    you mean the gimmick gametypes? 
    sticks and stones is stupid 
    Gun Game is cool but a straight rip off of gun game from css 
    one in the chamber is kind of cool but its not like the gameplay will be much different from other similar gametypes 
    sharpshooter is just dumb...
    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #47  Edited By Soulderon
    @REIGN said:
    " @Meteora: @J0n3s1: The question wasn't "Why are the games financial successes" it was why are the games great.  We're talking quality of the product, not sales numbers. "
    Right!...
    Avatar image for soulderon
    Soulderon

    141

    Forum Posts

    253

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 1

    User Lists: 1

    #48  Edited By Soulderon
    @kishan6 said:

    " @foggel said:

    " It's fun, and rewarding.
     
    Callsigns, killstreaks, levelling system.
     
    Operant conditioning :) There's a lot of it. "
    i personally hate COD but this is pretty much true 
    @Soulderon
    said:
    "  @GunslingerPanda said:

    " Marketing. That's literally all the series has going for it. "

     so do you think that the new modes in Ops are not innovative enough? "
    What new modes you mean the gimmick gametypes? sticks and stones is stupid Gun Game is cool but a straight rip off of gun game from css one in the chamber is kind of cool but its not like the gameplay will be much different from other similar gametypes sharpshooter is just dumb... "
    so I understand that you don't like the new " gimmick gametypes " as you call them.
    Avatar image for zombiespace
    ZombieSpace

    286

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #49  Edited By ZombieSpace

    I like it because of the fast paced action, simple but you can pull it apart and really go crazy with some of the perk stuff. Also leveling.

    Avatar image for kishan6
    kishan6

    1986

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #50  Edited By kishan6
    @Soulderon said:
    " @kishan6 said:

    " @foggel said:

    " It's fun, and rewarding.
     
    Callsigns, killstreaks, levelling system.
     
    Operant conditioning :) There's a lot of it. "
    i personally hate COD but this is pretty much true 
    @Soulderon
    said:
    "  @GunslingerPanda said:

    " Marketing. That's literally all the series has going for it. "

     so do you think that the new modes in Ops are not innovative enough? "
    What new modes you mean the gimmick gametypes? sticks and stones is stupid Gun Game is cool but a straight rip off of gun game from css one in the chamber is kind of cool but its not like the gameplay will be much different from other similar gametypes sharpshooter is just dumb... "
    so I understand that you don't like the new " gimmick gametypes " as you call them. "
    not all of them 
    but they are completely gimmicks 
    thats like saying zombies in halo isnt a gimmick

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.