"MW3" redirects here. For the 1999 video game, see MechWarrior 3.



Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3




Official box art



Developer(s)

Infinity Ward
Sledgehammer Games


Additional work by:[show]






Publisher(s)

Activision
Square Enix (Japan)[1]



Distributor(s)

Activision (retail)
Steam (online)



Designer(s)

Glen Schofield
Michael Condrey



Writer(s)

Paul Haggis
Will Staples[2]



Composer(s)

Brian Tyler



Series

Call of Duty



Engine

MW3 engine[3]



Version

1.04 (PS3)
1.04 (Xbox 360)



Platform(s)

Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360[4]
Wii[5]



Release date(s)



November 8, 2011[show]













Genre(s)

First-person shooter



Mode(s)

Single-player
Multiplayer



Rating(s)

ACB: MA15+
BBFC: 18
ESRB: M
PEGI: 18



Media/distribution

Optical disc
Digital download



System requirements
See Development section


Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (abbreviated as Call of Duty: MW3) is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, with Raven Software having assisted in development.[7] It is the third installment in the Modern Warfare series, a direct sequel to 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the eighth Call of Duty installment.

The game was released on November 8, 2011 in Europe and North America on Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3,[8] and Wii,[6] with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. In Australia, the Wii version will be released on November 23, 2011.[9] In Japan, Square Enix will handle this installment with a separate subtitled and dubbed version, as they did for Call of Duty: Black Ops. First, they will release a Japanese-subtitled version on November 17, 2011. Then, on December 22, 2011, they will release a Japanese-voice dubbed version. Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game sold 6.5 million copies in the US and UK alone and grossed $400 million, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time.[10][11][12]





Contents
[hide] 1 Gameplay 1.1 Campaign
1.2 Cooperative
1.3 Multiplayer
1.4 Call of Duty: Elite

2 Synopsis 2.1 Characters
2.2 Plot 2.2.1 Act 1
2.2.2 Act 2
2.2.3 Act 3


3 Development
4 Marketing
5 Release 5.1 Retail versions
5.2 Sales and revenue

6 Reception
7 References
8 External links


Gameplay

Like its predecessors, Modern Warfare 3 is a first-person shooter video game. Activision confirmed at Gamescom 2011, that Modern Warfare 3 on the PC has dedicated servers support.[13]

Campaign

The player assumes the role of various characters during the single-player campaign, changing perspectives throughout the progression of the story. Unlike its predecessors, the campaign is spread over different days. Each mission features a series of objectives that are displayed on the heads up display, which marks the direction and distance towards and from such objectives. Damage to the player is shown by blood splatter shown on the screen. The player's health regenerates as time passes. Objectives vary in their requirements, ranging from having the player arrive at a particular checkpoint, to eliminating enemies in a specified location, to standing their ground against enemy squadrons, and planting explosive charges on an enemy installation. The player is also accompanied by fellow soldiers who cannot be issued orders.

Cooperative

Modern Warfare 3 features a new mode, called Survival Mode. This game mode features one or two players fighting endless waves of enemies, with each wave becoming increasingly difficult. Despite being much compared to the World at War Nazi Zombies mode, enemies do not spawn at fixed locations like the zombies do; instead, they appear at tactical positions based on the current location of the player. The mode is available on all multiplayer maps in the game. In the mode, players earn "cash" for items such as weapons, upgrades, ammo, air/ground support and equipment.[14][15] Special Ops also returns from Modern Warfare 2. These challenge missions feature up to 48 stars, unlike its previous installment, which featured 69. Some weapons in Spec Ops are exclusive to that game mode, and are not available for play in Multiplayer mode.[16]

Multiplayer





The new "Recon Juggernaut" Pointstreak reward in Multiplayer Mode.
The entire Killstreak reward system has been revamped. Killstreaks are now known as Pointstreaks, and kills are no longer the only way to increase the player's pointstreak. Completing objectives such as planting the bomb in Search and Destroy or capturing a flag in Capture The Flag awards points towards the player's Pointstreak. Pointstreak rewards are organized into three different "strike packages" called Assault, Support, and Specialist. The Assault strike package works the same as the Killstreak reward system in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, offering rewards like the Predator drone and attack helicopters. The Support strike package offers support-style rewards, such as UAVs and SAM Turrets. Rewards from the Support category do not reset when the player dies, but accumulate over the course of a match. The Specialist strike package rewards players with perks of their choosing after every second consecutive kill. After eight kills, they receive every perk in the game, but reset back to none upon death.[17] Players are allowed to choose which Pointstreak rewards they want to use when they gain it during the match, rather than choosing them between rounds.

Along with revamping the entire Killstreak reward system, Modern Warfare 3 also has a completely modified Ranking and Unlocks system, which does not use a currency system for unlocks.[18] The player's primary weapon levels up alongside the player, and unlocks a number of "Proficiency" perks such as Attachments, (allows two attachments and is a successor to the "Bling" and "Warlord" perks), Kick (reduced recoil while aiming down the player's sight) and Focus (stay focused under fire). Only one Proficiency can be put on a primary weapon.[19] Another new addition is the ability to equip "Hybrid Scopes" on a weapon, such as a Red Dot Sight and a magnifier similar to an ACOG on the same weapon, and the player can switch between the scopes.[19] Modern Warfare 3 introduces a new "Prestige Shop" which will unlock only after the player has selected the option to prestige for the first time. The "Prestige Shop" allows Prestige players to use tokens they gain from using the Prestige option to buy exclusive features such as double XP and a extra custom weapon class.[20]

Several controversial perks in Modern Warfare 2, accused of being overpowered, have been removed in Modern Warfare 3. Diving from standing to prone, known as "dolphin diving", has been removed due to balancing issues.[21] Modern Warfare 3 will utilize Treyarch's hot fix system to fix bugs and glitches.[22] Modern Warfare 3 features a local and online split-screen option.[23]

Several new game modes have also been added:
"Kill Confirmed" requires players to collect floating dog tags from the corpse of a downed enemy before the kill can be registered. However, the opposing team can pick up the dog tag as well to deny the other team of a kill.
"Team Defender" requires both teams to try to capture a flag dropped by the first person who gets killed when the match starts, and hold it to gain double points per kill while the team without the flag only gets the default amount per kill.

Private matches also now include pre-made game modes including: "Infection" (where the infected kills enemies to recruit them to their team), "Drop Zone" (where the player must hold a drop zone for points and care packages), "Team Juggernaut" (each team plays alongside an AI Juggernaut character), "Gun Game" (be the first to get one kill with every gun in the game) and "One in the Chamber" (in which players are only allowed one pistol with one bullet and three lives where they can only get more bullets by killing other players). Along with this, players are allowed to create their own game modes with customized settings such as number of players and time limit.[17]

Call of Duty: Elite

Main article: Call of Duty: Elite

Call of Duty: Elite is a new free/subscription-based service developed by Beachhead Studios for the multiplayer portion of Modern Warfare 3 (as well as the previous installment in the series, Black Ops). It was first showcased at E3 2011 and was released on November 8th, 2011 to coincide with the release of Modern Warfare 3. The free version includes features such as lifetime statistics and social-networking integration. The subscription version is priced at $49.99 per year and includes monthly downloadable content, daily competitions with virtual and real life prizes, the ability to level up your clan, pro analysis and strategies, and more.[24]

Synopsis

Characters

The game sees the return of former Task Force 141 Cpt. John "Soap" MacTavish (voiced by Kevin McKidd), former SAS Cpt. John Price (Billy Murray) and Russian informant "Nikolai", who are on the run after killing the rogue U.S. Army Lt. General Shepherd, the antagonist of the previous game. However, for most of the game, the player will control Yuri, an ex-Spetsnaz soldier who joins Price on his hunt for Russian Ultranationalist Vladimir Makarov (Roman Varshavsky), and is revealed to be linked to the main story in more ways than one. As mentioned above, Makarov also reprises his role as the game's primary antagonist,[25] and has a new contact named Volk, a Russian bombmaker in Paris, France. Several new playable characters have been added, including: Delta Force operative Sgt. Derek "Frost" Westbrook; SAS operative Sgt. Marcus Burns; and Andrei Harkov, a Russian federal security agent tasked with protecting the Russian President.

New non-player characters (NPCs) include: Delta Force operatives Sandman (William Fichtner),[26] Truck (Idris Elba), and Grinch (Timothy Olyphant), who serve as Frost's squadmates. Captain MacMillain returns from Call of Duty 4 to provide Price and company with critical intelligence. Actor Craig Fairbrass, who originally voiced the characters Gaz and Ghost, returns to voice SAS operative Sergeant Wallcroft, who originally had a minor role in the first Modern Warfare.[27]

Plot

Act 1

On August 17, 2016, hours after killing General Shepherd, Captain John Price and Nikolai evacuate a dying John "Soap" MacTavish from Site Hotel Bravo, Afghanistan. They reach a safehouse run by Nikolais Loyalist allies in Himachal Pradesh, India. While Soap receives medical attention, Vladamir Makarov's forces storm the safehouse in an attempt to kill the three. Yuri, Nikolai's best soldier with a grudge against Makarov, aids Price in giving Soap medical help, and with securing a safe route to an extraction point out of the country. Together, the four are all that remains of the now-disavowed Task Force 141.

Meanwhile, actions by a Delta Force team call-signed "Metal 0-1", which includes Sgt. Derek "Frost" Westbrook, "Grinch", "Truck", and their C.O. "Sandman"(whom Soap, Price, and Ghost previously worked together with on Operation Kingfish to kill or capture Makarov), facilitates the Russian army's withdrawal from the invasion of Manhattan, New York. They start by destroying a jamming device on top of the New York Stock Exchange, then with hijacking a Russian Oscar II submarine in the East River to use its ordinance against its own fleet.

Two months later, in October, Russian President Boris Vorshevsky announces plans to make peace with the United States at a summit in Hamburg, Germany. However, the plan is derailed when Makarov's men hijack Vorshevsky's plane and force it into a crash landing at the airport. F.S.O. Agent Andrei Harkov attempts to secure Vorshevsky's safety, but is killed when Makarov himself appears inside the evac chopper. Makarov kidnaps the President, and plans to capture and torture his daughter, Alena, to force the President to give Makarov the launch codes for the Russian nuclear arsenal.

After Soap recovers enough to fight, Task Force 141 continues its attempts to apprehend Makarov. With help from Yuri, and from Price's former mentor and O.C., MacMillan, they follow Makarov's trail to an arms deal in Sierra Leone, and a warlord named Waraabe in Somalia, as weapons of unknown nature are distributed to Paris, Berlin, and London. Meanwhile, a British S.A.S. unit, including Sgt. Marcus Burns and Sgt. Wallcroft, is sent in to deal with the weapons, but discover one of the weapon's transports to be a decoy. Meanwhile, the real weapon, revealed to be biochemical, is detonated on a London street nearby, killing a young American family as it releases its toxic payload near Big Ben.

Act 2

Team Metal is later deployed to Hamburg to rescue the U.S. Vice President. Acting on intelligence by Price, they are later deployed to Paris in order to capture Russian bomb-maker Volk, and, after extracting information from him, locate Makarov in Hotel Lustig (loosely based on the Four Seasons Hotel) in Prague, where he is about to call a meeting with his top advisors. Sandman informs Price of this intel, and Price's team infiltrates the city. Once in Prague, Task Force 141 meets up with Loyalist Kamarov to attempt an assassination of Makarov. Yuri and Soap take an overwatch view from a church tower across from the hotel, while Price sneaks into the building itself. However, the plan goes awry when Kamarov himself is taken hostage and rigged with explosives. Price escapes the hotel just as Kamarov is blown up. Makarov reveals that he knows Yuri personally, saying that he "never should have come". Makarov had already predicted Yuri and Soap's overwatch spot and had it rigged with explosives, which he then detonates. Yuri and Soap avoid the explosion by jumping down to ground level, but Soap is mortally wounded due to the height he fell from the tower and a large chuck of debris falling on him, causing his knife wound to reopen. Yuri holds Soap and escapes with Price to a safe house. In his last moments, Soap tells Price that "Makarov...knows...Yuri," before dying. After leaving his M1191 pistol with Soap's body, an enraged Price punches Yuri down a staircase and holds him at gunpoint, demanding to know his connection with Makarov.

Yuri explains that he was a former Ultranationalist, and was present with Makarov at Prices assassination mission in 1996, evacuating Imran Zakhaev; detonating the nuclear device in the Middle East, which killed 30,000 Marines and the massacre at the Zakhaev International Airport in Russia. After witnessing the nuclear explosion kill thousands of people, Yuri attempted to stop the massacre at the airport by alerting the FSB there, but was restrained and shot in the stomach by Makarov before he could do anything else. Yuri's guilt of being unable to prevent the mass murder convinces Price that they are fighting for the same thing, deciding to keep his alliance with Yuri "for now."

Act 3

After infiltrating Makarov's castle in Prague and learning of Vorshevskys captivity, Price and Yuri alert Team Metal of an Ultranationalist plan to abduct Alena from a safehouse in Berlin. Team Metal is unable to prevent the kidnapping, but they are able to trace Makarov's Ultranationalists to a Siberian diamond mine. Team Metal (without the inclusion of Frost) and Task Force 141 launch a joint-rescue operation to save the Vorshevskys before Makarov gains the nuclear launch codes. Their actions ensure the safety of President Vorshevsky and Alena, and end the conflict between the United States and Russia. However, Sandman, Grinch, and Truck are killed during the extraction, when the mine collapses on them, much to Price's anguish.

On January 21st, 2017, 3 months after the end of World War III, Price and Yuri track Makarov to the Hotel Oasis (loosely based on the Burj Al Arab in Dubai) in the Arabian Peninsula. They assault the hotel wearing E.O.D. armor. On the hotel roof, Makarov attempts to escape on a helicopter, but Price jumps on, killing the two pilots and crashing the helicopter back onto the roof. A dazed Makarov prepares to execute an equally injured Price, but is distracted by Yuri; Makarov shoots and kills Yuri instead. Angered, Price takes advantage of the moment to tackle Makarov, wrapping a steel cable around his throat and tying it into a noose before he breaks through the glass ceiling of the roof, resulting in Makarov's death. Price lands on the floor just below and survives. As the police arrive on the scene, Price sits up in front of Makarovs hanging corpse and quitely smokes a cigar.

Development



[hide]System Requirements







Requirements



Microsoft Windows[28]



Operating system

Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7



CPU

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 processor or better



Memory

2 GB Ram



Graphics hardware

Shader 3.0 or better 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT/ATI Radeon X1950 or better



Sound hardware

DirectX 9.0C or later



A 2010 Q3 earnings call from Activision confirmed that the eighth installment of the franchise a FPS was currently in development by Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software and due for release "during the back half of 2011". This was revealed to be Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, with the latter developers co-developing multiplayer.[29] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was known to be in development after a legal dispute between Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella and Activision resulted in the pair being fired from the company. Several dozen Infinity Ward employees followed West and Zampella as a result of the ongoing dispute, causing Activision to enlist the services of Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software to assist development of the title.[30] The game was said to have been in development since only two weeks after the release of their previous game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.[7] Also reported was that Sledgehammer is aiming for a "bug free" first outing in the Call of Duty franchise, which also sets a goal for Metacritic review scores above 95 percent.[31] Modern Warfare 3 utilizes the MW3 Engine, unofficially the IW 5.0 Engine. Improvements include better streaming and audio.[3] Sledgehammer Games announced the game to be the first entry in the Modern Warfare series to have built-in support for color-blind gamers.[32]

The Official UK PlayStation Magazine lent credence to speculation that Modern Warfare 3 would be a prequel starring fan favourite character Ghost. The mag's informants strengthen a rumor which first reared its head online early in January 2011. On the Rumor Machine page in its issue (055), OPM points to "insider whispers" which suggest: "Infinity Ward's next Modern Warfare title will be a prequel, with Ghost in the lead role."[33] According to PSM3, the first snippet of Modern Warfare 3 gameplay would be revealed in mid-April. According to the publication's May 2011 issue, insider rumors say "the next in Activision's megaton FPS series will be announced in mid-April".[34]

On May 13, 2011, video game website Kotaku revealed the existence of Modern Warfare 3 following a massive leak. According to Kotaku, this leak came from multiple sources who may or may not work at Activision and Infinity Ward. The leak contained thorough information about the game, confirming that it would be a direct sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as well details regarding weapons, levels and modes found in the game.[35] In response to the leaks, Robert Bowling tweeted "A lot of hype & a lot of leaked info on MW3, some still accurate, some not. To avoid spoiling the experience, I'd wait for the real reveal." Just hours after the leaked assets appeared on Kotaku, four teaser trailers were released on the official Call of Duty YouTube page, separately titled "America", "England", "France" and "Germany", indicating the various locales of the game.[36]

Some confirmed voice actors include Tobey Maguire, William Fichtner, Corey Stoll, Christian Coulson, Roman Varshavsky, and Troy Baker. On October 12, 2011, Glen Schofield, Studio Head of Sledgehammer Games, confirmed via Twitter that Brian Tyler had composed the musical score for the game which had then been recorded by a symphony orchestra.

Marketing

On May 23, 2011, Activision released the first gameplay trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on YouTube ahead of its official premiere during the NBA Western Conference Finals.[37] On May 31, 2011, Activision announced Call of Duty: Elite, a brand new social service for the Call of Duty community to track and compare statistics, create videos and access premium content. The service is fully integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and launched on November 8th, 2011 to coincide with the game's release.[38] On June 6, 2011, 11:00AM (PDT), the first live gameplay demo of Modern Warfare 3 was presented by Robert Bowling and Glen Schofield at E3 2011. On June 14, 2011, 12:35PM (EST), the first live gameplay demo of the new Survival Mode was played by Jimmy Fallon and Simon Pegg on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.[39] On August 9, 2011, the trailer for the new Survival Mode was released on YouTube.[40] On September 2, 2011, the multiplayer world premiere trailer was released on Youtube.[41] On September 3, 2011, another multiplayer trailer was released on Youtube showing off the heads-up display along with various weapons, perks, and killstreaks.[42] On October 6, 2011, a second full-length cinematic trailer was released.[43] On October 22, 2011, the launch trailer was released.[44]

On July 19, 2011, UK distributor Lygo's unveiled a range of Turtle Beach Ear Force Modern Warfare 3 gaming headsets that launched in November 2011. The headsets are distinguished by custom audio presets designed by the audio teams at developers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games "in order to provide the ultimate immersion into the cinematic world of Modern Warfare 3".[45] On August 24, 2011, Activision revealed the official Modern Warfare 3 sunglasses. These Call of Duty-branded shades come from technology eyewear manufacturer GUNNAR - in a licensed partnership with Activision - and join its "Advanced Gaming Eyewear" line. It comes with a limited edition Modern Warfare 3 carrying case and cleaning cloth. The product is sold exclusively in North America at Best Buy retail locations and at select European retailers.[46] Microsoft released two limited edition Modern Warfare 3-themed accessories on October 11, 2011, a wireless controller and a wireless headset.[47] On September 2, 2011, Jeep announced a partnership with Activision for the 2nd year in a row, to make a special edition Modern Warfare 3 Jeep based on the Wrangler Rubicon model. The Jeep comes with various features including the interior and exterior being designed with a Modern Warfare 3 theme. Jeep dealers will started selling this model in November 2011.[48] On September 29, 2011, Munitio announced a partnership with Activision in order to make a special edition Modern Warfare 3 9mm "billet" earphone featuring the Modern Warfare 3 logo, among other things. The earphones were available for pre-order and were released on October 23, 2011.[49] On October 18, 2011, Logitech announced a partnership with Activision in order to make a special edition Modern Warfare 3 mouse and keyboard which features many things, including the Modern Warfare 3 logo.[50]

On August 24, 2011, the PepsiCo-owned brand Mountain Dew officially announced on their Facebook page that they would be promoting the game with their "Game Fuel" soda variants, which would be cherry-citrus-flavored (the original Game Fuel that promoted Halo 3 in 2007 and brought back in 2009 to promote World of Warcraft) and Tropical-flavored (a brand-new flavor that was tested by 500 Dew Labs members). The drinks feature codes to give the player double experience points in-game for a limited time depending on the size of the drink.[51] Another PepsiCo-owned brand, Doritos, are promoting the game with their "Cool Ranch" and "Nacho Cheese" flavors and also follow the same rules as the Mountain Dew promotion. Both promotions started on October 10, 2011 and will end on December 31, 2011.[52] In Australia, 500ml cans of V Energy Drink have been branded with the Modern Warfare 3 logo, along with a branded code which can be used for downloads and previews.[53]

To promote the game, Activision held a two day event called Call of Duty: Experience 2011 (Call of Duty: XP for short) which took place in Los Angeles, CA from September 2nd, 2011 to 3rd. It featured many things including the reveal of the new multiplayer which attendees were able to play for the first time. In addition, all attendees received the Hardened Edition for free as a gift for attending.[54]

Activision had planned to set-up an official website to promote the game, however the domain name "thetechgame.org" had already been taken and was used for an anti-Call of Duty website and redirecting users to Electronic Arts's upcoming game Battlefield 3. Activision filed a lawsuit against the site with the National Arbitration Forum costing US$2,600.[55] On September 8th, 2011, Activision had won the lawsuit and had acquired the rights to the domain name.[56]

At a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 VIP party in Amsterdam, dutch porn star and avid fan of the series, Kim Holland, was originally invited to attend the event until she was suddenly uninvited when Activision discovered her profession. In her blog, she shared her opinion and feelings towards Activision's sudden decision "People murdering people is neat, [...] but love-makers are dirty?" she wrote. Activision did not respond to any comments about the subject.[57]

In November 2011, actors Jonah Hill, Sam Worthington (who voiced the main character Alex Mason in Black Ops), and NBA athlete Dwight Howard starred in commercials advertising the game.[58]

Release

Two weeks before the release of the game, it was reported that half of the PC version had been uploaded online after being stolen from a warehouse in Fresno, California. Investigators working on behalf of Activision have been searching torrent websites for traces of the game as well as visiting people who had downloaded a copy across the United States and requesting that they remove it or they will face a fine of US$5000.[59]

As early as late October, reports were already surfacing about copies being sold early to people with gameplay videos uploaded online.[60] On November 3rd, 2011, it was reported that copies of the game were already being sold early in the United States. K-Mart had already started selling copies of the game before its scheduled release date with copies already appearing on eBay and Craigslist. This was due to an error made by one the shipping companies that told K-mart to sell copies of the game immediately after receiving the shipments. However, Activision contacted K-mart about this and had the issue resolved.[61]

French site TF1 News reported that a truck suffered a collision with a car on November 6, 2011 in Crteil, south Paris, before two masked individuals emerged from the car. The criminals reportedly used tear gas to neutralise the truck drivers before hopping in and making off with the video game shipment said to be worth 400,000 Euros. A separate report said the truck contained a delivery of 6000 copies of Modern Warfare 3.[62]

Shortly after the game's release, a man from Aurora, Colorado who did not receive a copy of the game at his local Best Buy, despite pre-ordering it, claimed to be so angry that he "could blow this place up". He was also reported as having threatened to shoot employees once they left the store. Lomon Sar, aged 31, was issued a citation and court summons by police responding to the disturbance. [63]

Retail versions





The contents of the Hardened Edition for Xbox 360.
Modern Warfare 3 was released in two different retail versions across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms: Standard and Hardened. The standard version consists of the game and an instructional manual, and is the only version available for the Microsoft Windows platform. Contents within the Hardened Edition include the game disc with "unique art", one year membership to Call of Duty: Elite, "special founder status" on Call of Duty: Elite which includes an exclusive in-game emblem, playercard, weapon camouflage, clan XP boost, and more exclusive benefits, premium collectible Steelbook case, exclusive PSN animated timeline theme for PS3 only, exclusive Spec Ops Juggernaut Xbox Live avatar outfit for Xbox 360 only, and a limited edition, collectible field journal, which chronicles "the entire saga with 100+ pages of authentic military sketches, diagrams, and written entries."[64]

Robert Bowling of Infinity Ward confirmed that there will be no Prestige Edition of Modern Warfare 3. In the past, the Prestige editions of previous Call of Duty games have included physical items such as a remote-controlled car for Black Ops, and a pair of night vision goggles and a life-sized plastic head to put them on for Modern Warfare 2.[65]

On August 19, 2011, UK retailer GAME announced an Intel Pack of Modern Warfare 3. It comes with a British special forces avatar for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, as well as a Brady strategy guide.[66] On September 3, 2011, Activision and Microsoft jointly announced a special, limited Modern Warfare 3 version of the Xbox 360 with a 320GB hard disk. The unit is designed by the Call of Duty team and includes two custom wireless controllers, a copy of Modern Warfare 3 and features custom sounds when the console is turned on/off or when the disc tray is ejected. A one month subscription to Xbox Live Gold is also included, as well as exclusive avatar items.[67]

Sales and revenue

Activision has said that it believes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 day-one shipments were the largest for any game ever. "The record number of pre-orders from Modern Warfare 3 drove the largest day-one shipments in our history, and in the industry's history," said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg during an earnings call on November 8, 2011. Hirshberg said more than 1.5 million people queued at 13,000 shops at midnight on Monday to buy Modern Warfare 3, "making it the largest retail release in Activision's history and in the industry's history".[68]

Activision reported sales figures for Modern Warfare 3 in the US and UK being more than 6.5 million copies sold on launch day and grossed $400 million in the US and UK alone in its first 24 hours, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time.[69] It is the third year in a row that the Call Of Duty series has broken the same record. Last year's Black Ops grossed $360 million on day one; in 2009, Modern Warfare 2 brought in $310 million.[70] Activision Blizzard president and CEO Robert Kotick stated that "the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we [Activision] achieved this record with sales from only two territories."[10]

The title grossed more than $775 million globally in its first five days of availability, exceeding the $650 million record set by last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops and the $550 million one achieved by 2009's Modern Warfare 2.[71] To be exact, it has beaten theatrical box office, book, and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell-through in dollars.[72]

Modern Warfare 3 topped the UK video game sales chart in its first week.[73]

Reception



[hide] Reception



Aggregate scores



Aggregator

Score



GameRankings

(PS3) 88.69%[74]
(X360) 89.64%[75]
(PC) 83.83%[76]



Metacritic

89/100 (X360)[77]
88/100 (PS3)[78]
82/100 (PC)[79]
63/100 (Wii)[80]



Review scores



Publication

Score



1UP.com

A- [81]



Game Informer

9/10[82]



GameSpot

8.5/10[83]



GameTrailers

9.3/10[84]



IGN

9/10[85]



Official Xbox Magazine

9.5/10[86]



The Daily Telegraph

[87]



Giant Bomb

[88]



Joystiq

[89]


Modern Warfare 3 has received generally positive reviews from critics, currently holding aggregated scores of 89% for the Xbox 360 version, 88% for the PS3 version, 82% for the PC version, and 63% for the Wii version on Metacritic.[77][78][79][80]

The Daily Telegraph gave the game's Xbox 360 version 5 stars out of 5, stating, "The series has always been renowned for elements like the excellent sound design, the gloss, polish and compulsion of its gameplay, but with Modern Warfare 3, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have created a game that not only lives up to the brand hype but exceeds it. A game where the mass appeal is justified, and the expectations are met."[87]

IGN gave the game's Xbox 360 version a 9.0 out of 10.0, pointing out that the game offers "great multiplayer, [a] fun campaign, tons of content, but [also] a forgettable story."[85]

GameSpot qualifies the game, stating that "the series' signature thrills have lost some of their luster. Modern Warfare 3 iterates rather than innovates, so the fun you have is familiar" but concludes its review by affirming that, "Fortunately, [the game is] also utterly engrossing and immensely satisfying, giving fans another reason to rejoice in this busy shooter season."[83].

The Wii version of the game has not gotten as positive reviews. IGN rated the game a 4.5 out of 10, blaming the lacking graphics and poor friend code system for bringing it down.[90]