The latest entry in Activision’s blockbuster Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare III, faces harsh criticism from reviewers and fans alike for what many call a “rushed” and “underbaked” campaign mode. According to a new report at Bloomberg, Modern Warfare III was developed in just half the time of a typical Call of Duty game – around 1.5 years compared to the usual 3-year cycle.
This rushed schedule led to excessive crunch and stress for developers at Sledgehammer Games, the studio behind Modern Warfare III. Sources say that Sledgehammer had initially pitched a sequel to 2014’s Advanced Warfare, but Activision demanded they switch gears to produce another Modern Warfare title. This led to the bulk of Modern Warfare III being created in 18 months, an extremely condensed timeframe for a AAA blockbuster, let alone one on the scale of Modern Warfare III.
To meet the short deadline, Sledgehammer employees were required to work nights and weekends to get the game shipped on time. There were also workflow inefficiencies, as Sledgehammer had to collaborate with Infinity Ward, the studio that traditionally handles the Modern Warfare series.
According to the few reviews out currently, at the time of writing, the result is a disjointed campaign with a poorly constructed narrative. The story of Makarov’s continued terrorism feels rushed and unfinished compared to previous Modern Warfare games. Reviewers have called the campaign “underbaked” and a far cry from the epic single-player experiences that Call of Duty was once known for.
According to the report, getting Modern Warfare III out this holiday season was clearly the priority, even at the expense of polish and gameplay quality. The timed release also syncs up with new owner Microsoft’s first major debut of a Call of Duty title since acquiring Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.
But the gamble may have backfired, as fans threaten to boycott the game over resentment of Activision’s development crunch and lack of innovation. Only time will tell whether the Call of Duty formula of annual releases is finally starting to show signs of fatigue after years of being a top-selling franchise.
Update: Since posting the story, studio head, of Sledgehammer Games, Aaron Halon, released a statement in response to the report, where he detailing that “We’re proud to be the team to lead the way on Modern Warfare III. We have worked hard to deliver on this vision which has been years in the making. Anything said to the contrary is simply not true – this is our game and we cannot wait to play it online with all of you.”
