duty

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's overnight launch has caused a big headache for premium players.

The first true casualty of the military simulator is the new free and subscription-based Elite service, which has buckled under the stress from "hundreds of thousands of players" who have registered, according to a statement from Activision Blizzard.

A comment from Reddit member "ButterflySammy" indicates that users are having trouble with clans or using some of the other Elite features: "You just can't set up any clans or use any of the other elite features on any platform." … Read more

Happy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Day! Actually, that probably means none of you are listening to our show today. You're likely at your local Costco, Sam's Club, or other restaurant supply depot stocking up on Twizzlers and Four Loko for the next two weeks of gaming hibernation.

But if you're ready for a break, today we'll tell you how to case business interiors for your next B&E using Google+ and GMaps, access the hidden panorama mode in the iOS5 camera app, pay $19 for a truly unlimited everything cell phone plan, and why you probably shouldn't let a cowboy doctor in the UK shine a laser in your beautiful brown eyes.

Stream or download today's podcast after the break!… Read more

Barnes & Noble just announced three new tablets that could extinguish the Amazon Kindle Fire--tune in to hear why you should care, and how to shop for the best device this holiday season. Also, happy birthday, Wilson!… Read more

Are you a gamer looking for a smartphone? Best Buy may be the spot for you.

The electronics big-box retailer is giving away an HTC smartphone to anyone who buys Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which comes out Tuesday. The smartphone options are the Evo 4G for Sprint Nextel, the Incredible 2 for Verizon Wireless, and the Inspire 4G for AT&T. The catch: you need to sign up for a two-year contract.

The promotion is part of a larger effort by Best Buy to raise consumer awareness about its mobile offerings as it looks to tap into … Read more

Get ready for another blockbuster Call of Duty launch.

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said in a research note yesterday that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which is scheduled to hit store shelves next week, will likely become the bestselling game this year, and could very well beat out its predecessor, Call of Duty: Black Ops, in total sales.

"If Modern Warfare 3 receives strong review scores, it should at least match predecessor Black Ops' sales (over 25 million units) due to the network effect," Pachter said. In a follow-up interview with IndustryGamers, Pachter said he thinks Modern Warfare 3 will outsell Black Ops by 10 percent during its first six weeks of availability and generate a total of $1.1 billion during that time.

If that happens, Modern Warfare 3 will become the bestselling game of all time, beating out Black Ops, which generated $1 billion during its first six weeks on store shelves. That title took the crown from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.… Read more

Parents have a new reason to be concerned about little Johnny spending hours blasting through Super Mario and Call of Duty. It now seems that playing video games is just a gateway to becoming a classical music fan.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra is unleashing "The Greatest Video Game Music" album on November 8 featuring classically reimagined tunes from Grand Theft Auto, World of Warcraft, Tetris, BioShock, Angry Birds, and many others.

Yes, the same orchestra that brought us hit albums such as "Mozart: The Violin Concertos" and "Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 9," is now tackling Splinter Cell and Legend of Zelda.… Read more

What was that I heard about the British being mild-mannered? A dad in England apparently didn't get the national memo.

According to a report in the Plymouth Herald, Mark Bradford admitted to attacking a teenager after the sharp-shooter took Bradford's character out during a round of Call of Duty online.

Bradford's breakdown came after the boy teased him about the triumph.

The attack broke up what otherwise might have been an unremarkable moment where both were playing on PlayStations from different residences and communicating over microphones.

Bradford, 46, reportedly drove to the teen's address to carry out the choking assault that resulted in a scratch and reddening of the boy's neck. It's funny when Homer Simpson does it to Bart, but the humor dries up quickly when it happens in the real world.

According to the report, Bradford, a father of three, may have some mental health issues. He is currently out on bail and is due back in court October 24.

Correction, 1:41 p.m.: The story originally misstated Bradford's relationship to the teen. The boy was not Bradford's son. … Read more

This week on preGame, we're sitting down with one of the year's most anticipated games, Gears of War 3. Tune in for a chunk of live gameplay from early on in the game. Then, we'll put the pedal to the metal in Burnout CRASH!, the latest downloadable title from EA's Criterion Games.

But before we hit the demos, we'll run through this week's news including new details on the Battlefield 3 beta, the PS Vita's battery life, and hands-on impressions with Batman: Arkham City.

Finally, make sure to listen carefully this week as we're giving away free digital copies of one of Mark and Jeff's favorite games of all time, Resident Evil 4, for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network!… Read more

Gamers rejoice. At Call of Duty XP, an event for fans of the game this past weekend, Activision announced that Microsoft will release a Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 bundle.

Like various other game-themed consoles, such as the Gears of War Xbox or the Tron controller, the bundle's design will resemble the theme of Infinity Ward's newest game.

The entire package will consist of two custom wireless controllers, a 320GB hard drive, a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a month's membership to Xbox Live Gold (for you to rack up your kill count), and custom startup/disc loading sounds (yes, the sounds are from the game).

There's no Kinect unit included, however. You'll have to purchase one separately to be able to have some Dance Central action when you're out of the war zone.

The bundle will be available on November 8 in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand and will retail for $399. Preorders are already being accepted.

(Source: Crave Asia) … Read more