activision

Treyarch teases Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 collector's editions

After last year's ho-hum (but nevertheless profitable) Modern Warfare 3 release, it honestly takes a healthy dose of caffeine to get excited about Call of Duty these days. However, Crave can't deny the cool factor in these Black Ops 2 collector's editions, available for pre-order before the game arrives November 13 for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 platforms.

Developer Treyarch put together two configurations -- a Hardened Edition and a Care Package ($79 and $179, respectively) -- that should mostly satisfy the Call of Duty junkies who love to incessantly purchase every iteration of the game. … Read more

Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer trailer drops, ends with mystery teaser

For most gamers, the summer is a time for self reflection on the busy season ahead. It's a time for us to gather our thoughts, to compose ourselves, and perhaps venture out to what most normal humans refer to as "outside."

Today we're reminded of what awaits us this holiday season with a first-ever multiplayer mode trailer for the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops II, due out on November 13.

Arguably the most sought-after element of Call of Duty games are their online modes, and the trailer above certainly packs in plenty of drool-worthy … Read more

Crush the zombie threat with your Sony Xperia smartphone

Perhaps killing virtual zombies will tempt you to buy a new Sony Android handset. The company just announced that the game Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies is now available for download on its Xperia S and Xperia Ion smartphones.

As part of an exclusive deal with Activision, the $6.99 title will be listed in the Google Play store for 30 days only for these new Sony devices plus the older Xperia Play phone. The game features 50 levels of zombie-killing action and is a port of the popular console software.

According to Sony, users can play in single-player … Read more

Activision CEO: Competitors' games 'are less than adequate'

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick took a shot at competitors during an earnings call with investors yesterday.

During the call, Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst asked Kotick why he believes Activision Blizzard is performing relatively well when the entire game industry "was down 30-something percent in the first half of the year."

Kotick first discussed issues with the "macroeconomic environment," saying that unemployment and other negative economic indicators are having an impact on the industry. But then he unloaded a shot directed squarely at his company's competitors.

"I think you have had, unfortunately, a … Read more

Vivendi faces trouble offloading Activision stake, report says

Vivendi is working on offloading its 61 percent stake in Activision, according to a new report.

The company has already contacted some companies to take its $8.1 billion stake in Activision, but so far, no firms have taken the bait, Bloomberg is reporting today, citing sources. The news outlet says that Vivendi tried setting up a deal with Microsoft, but the software giant has, for now, decided against it. Disney has also declined a deal offer.

Vivendi bought a stake in Activision back in 2007 for $1.7 billion. Since then, the company has watched Activision Blizzard become the … Read more

Google fills search with Zagat ratings

It's time to rate your world on Google+ Local, double down on secrets and lose the hashbang:

Google+ has teamed up with Zagat to add a new feature encouraging users to review local establishments. It's called Google+ Local, and even if you don't use Google+, you'll start to see these ratings pop up around Google search and maps.

Apple CEO Tim Cook shared some interesting comments at the D10 conference Tuesday. To summarize, Cook didn't say if Apple was working on a television set, he vowed that the company will "double down" on … Read more

Jury to hear No Doubt's case against Activision's Band Hero

No Doubt's lawsuit against Activision is going to be heard by a jury.

The pop rock band sued gaming giant Activision in 2009 on allegations that the company's game Band Hero lets players convert the avatars "into a virtual karaoke circus act." The case has been ongoing ever since, and today Superior Court Judge Ramona See ruled that the decision will now be up to a jury, according to the Associated Press.

The lawsuit was first brought when No Doubt claimed that Activision didn't tell the pop musicians that players would be able to unlock … Read more

Will we see Xbox 720 in 2013, PlayStation 4 in 2014?

There's no official word yet on the release date for the next-generation successors to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but a recent Los Angeles Times article suggests the launch timeframe for the next-generation gaming consoles could happen over the next several years.

The latest rumor originates from a recent lawsuit involving Activision that brought to light details of the company's publishing agreement with game developer Bungie.

The contract, a 10-year deal made between the two companies in 2010, indicates that Activision expects Bungie to launch a sci-fantasy, action shooter game code-named "Destiny" in November 2013 for the Xbox 360 as well as a specifically referenced Xbox 720. A game for the PlayStation 4 would arrive in 2014, as noted in the official agreement between Activision and Bungie.

So did that contract just inadvertently announce when we should expect the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles?… Read more

Diablo III woes plague launch day players

The epic Diablo III role-playing game experienced several hiccups on launch day today as players reported numerous errors preventing gameplay. Not long after the midnight launch, some concerned players hit parent company Blizzard's Battle.net support forums with concerns about "Error 3006," perhaps the worst error seen so far.

The bug, which only affects the Demon Hunter class, supposedly occurs when one equips a Templar follower with a shield early in the game. Performing this action reportedly causes the game to disconnect the player immediately, and then follows up with a disastrous repetitive "Error 75" that continuously prevents the user from further log-in. … Read more

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 -- the launch trailer sizzles

Mark your calendars. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 explodes in stores on November 13 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming systems.

Publisher Activision and developer Treyarch have revealed the next installment of the hugely popular first-person shooter with an enthralling new trailer that shows off the first fully futuristic Call of Duty game. Those ready to make the plunge can pre-order Black Ops 2, which costs the usual $59.99.

Set in the year 2025, the main story of Black Ops 2 revolves around the notion of a "21st Century Cold War."… Read more