COD.jpg (Photo : Deadline Hollywood )
Through a partnership with China's Tencent Holdings, Activision launched "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" for China's highly active gaming community on Tuesday.
Developed by the Raven Software company, the video game title remains in public beta, as Activision anticipates ongoing tweaks given the massive amount of likely patronage in the planet's largest video game market.
According to Activision, "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" was the highest-selling video game title last year, even though it was released late in the second half of 2014.
The title was launched in compatibility with all of the major gaming consoles, as well as PC, in early November, and the developers used two previous "Call of Duty" installments--"Modern Warfare" and "Black Ops," which were both bestsellers--as the basis for the new game. However, Activision is yet to publish the sales data from its latest "Call of Duty" title.
Tencent and Activision also produced a special promotional sequence for Chinese consumers, recruiting Chris Evans and a group of local gamers to undertake a "Call of Duty" mission. In an official statement, the California-based video game company said that "modes and maps, as well as Cyborgs" will be available in the online beta version, while tailored gaming experiences can be assembled with in-game items, which can be either bought or rented.
The chief executive of Activision, Eric Hirshberg, expressed confidence on the day of the China release, saying:
". . . an entire new audience of gamers will experience this ["Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare"] for the first time. We believe Call of Duty Online is going to be a game-changer for Chinese gamers."
As part of a comprehensive localization process, numerous alpha and closed beta tests were completed by Raven and Activision prior to Tuesday's launch to ensure an optimal experience for China's gamers.
