Pre-order cards of Call of Duty: Black Ops II being sold by retail chain Target ended up revealing its release date to be 13th November, 2012. Developed by Treyarch for Activision, Black Ops II is the 9th game in the Call of Duty franchise, and a sequel to the 2010 title Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is among the most commercially-successful video games in history. A reveal trailer of the game is expected to be posted tomorrow.

This year's addition to the Call of Duty franchise is going to be Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, a sequel to the 2010 game developed by Treyarch. A source among retailers leaked a poster to Kotaku, which flashes a date, 05-02-12, along with a caption that reads "Return for Debriefing". Kotaku predicts that the date on the poster is more likely a reveal date than a release date. On a reveal date, Activision could post a reveal trailer of the game, along with sketchy information about the premise of the game's single-player campaign.

Apparently round one goes to Activision in the royal rumble between them and Infinity Ward founders and now ex-employees Jason West and Vincent Zampella over owed royalties. One of the two fraud charges levelled at Activision by former employees and Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vincent Zampella has been dismissed by a US court. The remarkable story of the corporate fallout between Activision and the development pair began in March 2010 when it was revealed that the publisher had both men frog marched out of the Infinity Ward offices. Several employees quit the developer amidst the mud slinging and bitterness of the dispute, with Activision later deciding to sue EA over the whole ordeal. Why EA? Well, claims were made that both West and Zampella were already in bed with Activision's arch rival long before the waters become turbulent. The fact that West and Zampella's new studio, Respawn Entertainment, signed a publishing deal with EA probably didn't help much either.

Once the dust had settled both sides laid bare their claims. Activision argues that the pair had already planned a defection to EA whilst still working on Modern Warfare 2. It currently wants $400m in compensation from EA. West and Zampella, meanwhile, say that they were sacked to save Activision the pain of paying them bonuses and royalties owed to them. Back in the present Activision's success in convincing State Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle to dismiss one of the fraud claims levelled against it is a success, for sure, but it's not enough to stop everyone being dragged into court on May 7th.

Apparently the war between the original creators of the Call of Duty franchise and Activision is going in front of a jury. The big "he said, the monolithic corporation said" video games kerfuffle of 2010, the fallout from Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vincent Zampella leaving Activision then signing up with Electronic Arts, is indeed going to trial. On Wednesday, a California Superior Court judge denied EA's motion for summary judgement on the complex lawsuit, as well as one from West and Zampella, meaning the big Call of Duty mess will go before a jury next year.

Microsoft has revealed the top 20 most popular games played on the Xbox 360 in 2011 based on numbers of unique users logged into Xbox LIVE (Silver and Gold members). Note that this gives a different result to the total playtime for a particular game, which has not been disclosed here. Unsurprisingly, the Call of Duty series dominates the chart, but what is sure to irk CoD detractors, but make fans very happy, is that a massive five of those positions are taken up by CoD - that's 25% of the rankings. Even CoD4: Modern Warfare which was released way back in 2007 sits at a very respectable number 14. However, top games Battlefield 3 and Skyrim did very well nonetheless, sitting at five and six respectively, with only Halo beating them at number 4. Can you guess which CoD game hit the top spot before looking at the chart?

Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 crossed the $1 billion mark in sales since its launch on November 8, 2011, according to Charttrack and retail customer sell-through information. Highlighting the trend of interactive entertainment gaining a greater hold of audiences worldwide, the game achieved this milestone in just 16 days, eclipsing the record set in 2009 by the feature film "Avatar," which reached the $1 billion milestone in 17 days.

While 2011 box office revenue is on the decline - down 4 percent this year at $9.4 billion, compared with $9.8 billion in 2010 -- the number of people purchasing and participating in gaming is on the rise, with no sign of slowing.(1) With more than 30 million gamers, the Call of Duty community now exceeds the combined populations of the cities of New York, London, Tokyo, Paris and Madrid.

Today, we brought you the depressing news that Activision are unlikely to bring the Call of Duty social network called Elite, to the PC platform, despite all their loyal PC gamers, who have bought every iteration of the game going and in particular helped them achieve their blockbuster sales of $400M last week. This delight came courtesy of this tweet:

@thejuggz We are working towards a universal Elite experience but we cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for the PC.

Well, what do you know, but it looks like Elite is coming to the PC platform after all. Yes, you heard that right. In a tweet a while later, Activision claim to have "misspoken", like this:

We misspoke. Our goal has always been to provide a free PC offering for ELITE. Stay tuned for an update as timing is still being determined.

So PC gamers will at least get the free version. Fantastic. Still second class, but better than nothing. Probably best to keep a close eye on those tweets and a sceptical outlook on this one until it happens. You couldn't make this stuff up.

Just over a week ago, we brought you frustrating news that the brand new Call of Duty Elite social network was going to be delayed for the PC, once again leaving the PC gaming crowd feeling like second class citizens compared to their console counterparts. Now, in a bitter blow, it appears that the Elite service may shut out loyal PC gamers altogether. Plus, as is typical of big companies, the message was delivered in the most terse and disrespectful way possible, via a short Twitter tweet:

@thejuggz We are working towards a universal Elite experience but we cannot guarantee if or when a version will be available for the PC.

So, that's it then, PC gamers may never get it and there's no explanation why. One can only surmise that it's due to the alleged "security issues" previously alluded to. Therefore, hopefuls will just have to wait on tenterhooks for an undefined period of time. So, the biggest sales launch in history isn't enough to convince the company to support the PC platform? It looks like detractors of the Call of Duty franchise have a very legitimate axe to grind this time, doesn't it? Probably the best way to view this unfortunate news is that the benefits weren't worth it anyway.

callofduty.com has published a blog entry from developer Infinity Ward / Sledgehammer detailing some of the features and improvements that will be in the upcoming MW3, to be released on November 8th:

I'm extremely excited about the PC version of Modern Warfare 3 this year, because we've been taking your feedback since Modern Warfare 2,and the franchise as a whole, on what you wanted to see in the PC version of Modern Warfare 3 and the team at Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games has put aton of emphasis on delivering a PC experience that brings in all the great things we added in Modern Warfare 2:
Lobby System, Matchmaking with a Party, Matchmaking for Public Games, Steam Integration (Friends List, Server Browser,Achievements, Join on Friends)
While combining it with your favorite features from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare:
Dedicated Servers (Join your favorite or set up your own,without any 3rd party hosting requirements), In-game Server Browser that allows you to filter by ping, map, gametype, hardcore, voice, password, and more. In addition, we're supporting PC specific features that give you even more control over your experience like RCON, Custom Game Saving, NoGFX / Audio Card Requirement on DS.exe, Voice Chat, and SSAO.

Today HIS unleashed the revolutionary new HIS Radeon HD 5830 iCooler V 1GB GDDR5 Turbo and Standard version. Combined with the high performance dual slot iCooler V and stellar overclocking performance, it delivers most affordable high performance graphics with ATI Eyefinity technology supported. Prepare to plug in for a ridiculously immersive HD gaming experience unlike anything you've ever seen.

iCooler V features a high performance dual slot cooler. It comes with excellent cooling setup, which transfer heat effectively from the GPU to the internal fins around the central fan. Thanks to the elegant design and smoothness of iCooler fan shroud, massive amount of cool air is drawn from the central cooler to cool down the internal fins directly.

VisionTek Products announced a technology partnership with Bigfoot Networks today in conjunction with the North American launch of the VisionTek Killer Xeno Pro Gaming Network Card. The introduction of this revolutionary gaming network card takes gaming to the next level with performance designed to enhance the online multiplayer experience. This new hardware caters to the growing online PC gaming audience and includes custom bandwidth controls to tailor the game play experience to the user's needs. When the dedicated Network Processing Unit (NPU) was born in the labs of Bigfoot Networks, VisionTek made plans to join forces for their next technology launch.

"My technology roots are grounded in the GPU, as the quintessential PC gaming hardware upgrade," said Michael Innes, COO & EVP of VisionTek Products, LLC, "It's too early to say that the NPU will overcome the GPU, but I do know it feels a lot like the advent of the PC graphics card. One thing is certain, online gaming is the dominant factor keeping the PC gaming platform alive."

Publisher Activision today announced its intention to release new downloadable multiplayer maps for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4. The content packs should arrive this spring. No mention of pricing, map details, or a PC release was made in the statement.

We're excited about the new maps, and the added gameplay variety, and we can't wait to wrap things up and get online with everyone,

said Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling.

Infinity Ward has released the mod tools for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The 603MB download includes everything required to make levels, models and mods for the game. To get people started, Infinity Ward has opened a Wiki with information on using the Call of Duty 4 version of the Radiant level editor. There's also a promise of frequent article additions.

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Aspyr Media announced today they will publish Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Mac. Developed by Infinity Ward and licensed by Activision, the Mac version is expected to be available in May 2008.

Featuring a tense storyline, filled with plot twists, the title thrusts players into battle like never before. With amazing special effects, including rim-lighting, depth of field, texture streaming and character self-shadowing, players are enlisted into one of the most photo-realistic gaming experiences imaginable.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Mac will soon be available for preorder through Aspyr's website for 49.99. For more information, fans can also visit the official CoD4 website.

Developer Infinity Ward has just released the 1.4 patch for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The changes are as follows:

• "Winter Crash", a holiday version of Multiplayer map "Crash"
• Improvements to the server browser
• Fixed some rare bullet accuracy issues for all weapons.
• For server admins: fixed user ban list not working correctly on servers. Ban.txt will be created in the main or fs_game directory

You can download the patch from here.

Developer Infinity Ward has just released the 1.3 patch for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

This patch addresses the issue reported by community member Uzi Kidding which now catches some files bypassing the pure client test. In addition this update will set properties so that Anti-lag is always enabled upon map loads, an optimization for Sniper Rifle accuracty at certain distances, as well a fix so text chat between rounds of multiplayer will no longer cut out at the end. The 1.3 patch will also include all previous fixes from previous patches.

You can download the patch from here.

This is the release of the v1.1 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare patch by Infinity Ward. This patch addresses the issue of Rank / Stat resets reported by users moving from a Modded / Un-ranked server to a non Modded / Ranked Server. This update is not intended to revert back to any previously lost rank, but to prevent the issue from happening in the future.

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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the new action-thriller from Infinity Ward and Activision, is heading to Steam. Beginning today, gamers may pre-purchase the game and begin the playing the moment it's made available on November 12. One of the most anticipated games of 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare arms gamers with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern day firepower and transports them to the most treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world.

Starting today gamers can enlist in Activision, Inc.'s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a gripping modern-day action-thriller that deploys them into heart-stopping battles across the world's most treacherous hotspots. Developed by Infinity Ward, the game is now available at retail outlets nationwide and delivers unprecedented high-definition graphics, piercing 5.1 surround sound and a dynamic community-oriented multiplayer experience. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is available now on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $59.99; the Windows PC version for $49.99. Also available for Nintendo DS, developed by n-Space and carries a suggested retail price of $29.99. Gamers also have the option to enhance the experience with a Limited Collector's Edition for the Xbox 360 and Windows PC. Each Collector's Edition includes a special hardcover book featuring never-before-seen imagery and artwork. The Xbox 360 version carries a suggested retail price of $69.99 and also features a bonus DVD exploring the British S.A.S. behind-the-scenes footage from developer, Infinity Ward. The Windows PC edition has a suggested retail price of $59.99 and includes a digital copy of the BradyGAMES Official Strategy Guide.

The lucky few who got to play the Call of Duty 4 beta, which promises to be the greatest thing to hit Xbox Live since Halo 2, will have to stop playing the game by September 30th. Fortunately for the true Call of Duty 4 aficionados, Infinity Ward is raising the level cap and unlocking additional content on September 28th. Thanks to the results of the Beta, Infinity Ward now has a full list of things they wish to add/remove from Call of Duty 4. The most serious changes include "adding a sensitivity slider, cracking down on map exploits, and improving matchmaking optimization to reduce lag". Infinity Ward gives a tantalizing hint as to when they will release the final version of the game: "Are We Gold Yet?"

Normally, the release of a game's cover art is not front page worthy. However, there's something special about this cover art: Infinity Ward did not design it. Infinity Ward instead left the task of designing (and voting on) a Call of Duty 4 cover to the gaming community. And so, the product of this collaboration is shown below. All versions of the game (PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PC, etc) have the same cover art. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is currently on track for a November 5th release.

IGN has released some videos for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. They are located in the PC section, but are marked with 360. So it makes it hard to say on which version they are showing. In one of the videos it states that the PC and PS3 version will be identical to each other. The game its self looks very promising, and could bring a lot fun to FPS fans when it is released.

You can check out the videos here.Source/Videos: IGN

The trailer for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has been released - you can download the 720p version via FilePlanet. It looks quite impressive and is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of the series. The download is a 35.3MB Quick Time Movie, with FilePlanet requiring free registration before you can download it (there may be queues). Apparently the footage is taken straight from the single player campaign so shows what gamers will actually be able to play - the game is also rumored to be PC only.

Infinity Ward, the driving force behind the development of the Call of Duty series (with Activision), did not do any work on the third Call of Duty installment. This is because they were too busy working on the fourth installment. Anyone who wants to see an in-depth look at Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had better be watching ESPN 10 A.M. PDT / 1 P.M. EDT on Saturday, the 28th.