We here at Ripten are bemused by the talk of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare not being an HD resolution (that is 720p or more), because to our eyes the game is one of the best looking around, and is also an incredibly smooth experience. In a private conversation, we talked with an individual from Infinity Ward who will remain nameless.

A member of the gaming technical forum Beyond3d is well known for “counting the pixels” of next-gen games, and posting their supposed “true native” resolution. The fact is, lots of “next-gen” games aren’t rendered natively in HD. Many of these games are on the Xbox360 (from Tomb Raider, to PGR3), and since this console has extremely good scaling capabilities, most people don’t notice. That’s not to say that PS3 games aren’t upscaled either, but generally it’s scaling capabilities are not as strong, and so most scaling is to get games to the higher 1080p.

The first party title Halo3 was in fact rendered at 640p, getting Bungie into a little bit of bother, explaining that for their lighting engine they had to drop the resolution. To cut a long story short, it apparently all has to do with the EDRAM in the console which can not typically process the full 720p resolution if it is to be used. (Once again there are PS3 games that are upscaled…Conan for example is at a shockingly low resolution).

Well hey, 80 pixels isn’t very much is it? That’s what Bungie would tell us, but it’s not actually 80pixels, it’s nearing 200,000 pixels. Regardless, our opinion here is that, if it makes the game look better and run better, and the upscaling of the console is so good, then why not drop the resolution? Most people won’t even notice, and a lot of the gaming public don’t even have HD televisions (hard to believe I know, but it’s true).

So what of Call of Duty 4? Over at Beyond3d forums, it is being stated that the game is 600p on both the Xbox360 and the Playstation 3. Halo3 being “sub-HD” was quite controversial, most likely because the Playstation 3 fans began calling out the Xbox360 as lacking in power. This time, the game is on both consoles, and to be honest it looks incredible on both. So what does Infinity Ward have to say about this?

We recently had the chance to speak to an individual within Infinity Ward, and asked them point blank about the speculation regarding the sub-HD resolution concerns with Call of Duty 4.

We discussed the issue with them for a few moments on the phone, ultimately though they let us know that they wanted to present the question at hand to one of the developers in order to get us a more accurate response before issuing an official comment.

Perfectly understandable. Upon getting back to us though, they kindly explained that they would not be able to comment at this time regarding the matter.

So while the only official comment we have at the moment is one of “no comment”, it is our understanding based on our short conversation, that the resolution decision was made in an effort to maintain consistent and smooth framerate, and we aren’t talking about the 30 frames per second found in most next gen games. This is the shockingly good 60 frames per second variety, that makes Call of Duty 4 so smooth and realistic.

There are very few games that can achieve such incredible visuals and also hit 60fps, but Infinity Ward have achieved it, and if dropping to 600p helped them in any way, then our hats go off to them.

A new patch is available for Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4. Details regarding this update can be found below…

“This patch optimizes the Lean view offset issue, addressing the glitch reported by several community members and documented and sent in directly by community member GaretJax which is commonly referred to as the Left / Vertical Lean Glitch, in addition to preparing files for compatibility with the future release of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare™ Mod Tools. This patch will update all previous versions of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare™ to v1.2″

Source: infinityward.com

As an individual who spent countless hours playing Call of Duty 2, I was a little disappointed in the experience that was Call of Duty 3. This goes to show you that the importance of the developer behind the title is something that should never be overlooked. So while COD4 bids farewell to the WWII era, it emphatically welcomes the return of Infinity Ward, and I for one am glad to have them back at the helm.

Many will argue that a game set in the present dealing with war and terrorist threats is an exhibition of poor taste, and while those individuals are entitled to their opinions, I believe that Infinity Ward’s decision to make use of a fictitious plot revolving around Russian Ultranationalists was well executed, believable, and respectful to our troops. In fact, we are currently holding a COD4 contest on the site, and some of the photos we received show individuals decked out in their military gear, proof that the men and women in our armed forces clearly support the game.

Call of Duty 4 is an adrenaline rush from start to finish. From the moment you pick up your rifle and begin training for your first mission, you are sold on the world that Infinity Ward has developed. The training you undergo in COD4, while brief, is much more engaging then the previous iterations of the game. The twist this time around is that the results of your training will suggest to you what level of difficulty you should probably play the game at.

Loading time is well used and visually impressive

Once training is complete, you will be briefed on your first real world mission, and head out for action. The loading screens (and it pains me to call them that, because they are so well done that you forget you are waiting) are reminiscent of something you would see in an episode of 24. In fact, I kept uttering the words “I need the satellite footage Chloe” in my head while watching them on my screen during the brief intro/loading period before my first mission. Detailed and extremely well executed, the “loading screens” blend and even go as far as to enhance the overall experience of the game.

Your helicopter closes in on its target, and sends you rappelling through the night sky onto a vessel being pounded by rain and ocean waves. Lightning flashes sporadically, delivering stark shadows and intense spots of light, all of which test your senses from the moment your feet make contact with the deck below. Glass shatters as you take out the enemies within the captain’s quarters, and as you work your way down into the vessel, bullets pierce metal pipes, steam visibly emits, and the whistling sound wreaks havoc on your senses as you try to focus on the firefight at hand.

Special effects in COD4 are nothing short of amazing

The game’s superb use of camera angles further entrench you in the gameplay experience. While it may be seen as frustrating, the escape from the vessel is a perfect example of this. Infinity Wards creative manipulation during this scene almost makes you feel as if you are sliding off screen as you grip your controller and tilt your head trying to compensate for the effect. I don’t want to give too much away but trust me, these guys and girls really know their way around a camera.

The missions in Call of Duty 4 are varied in location, and although many are heavily plot driven this time around, they still require you to think quickly on your feet. Your perspective alters at several points during the game. Some perspectives will be offered more than once, while others are strictly one time “shots” only. While this has become a standard storytelling device used throughout the Call of Duty franchise, its execution in COD4 is unlike anything you have seen before.

Tread carefully, because enemies are extremely aware of their surroundings

Gameplay features and controls are in line with that of the previous COD titles, with the obvious difference being that this time around, you will have access to advanced weaponry and devices, such as our all time favorite — night vision. Infinity Ward’s on screen representation of this device is by far one of the best we have seen to date, as it reacts to light and shadow in a very believable manner.

In addition to the devices, the weapons in Call of Duty 4 showcase the developers meticulous attention to detail as well, and in my opinion, you will be hard-pressed to find anyone that does it better. Bullets now not only pierce enemies, but depending on the weapon you are carrying and the type of object your target is hiding behind, you can now potentially take out your enemies without having a direct line of site to them. In other words, you can shoot through stuff. The only feature that I would have liked to see that was not available is the ability to change the rate of fire on your weapon.

Visually, the game is stunning. Everything from the facial texture on an enemy to the kitchen wallpaper exhibit an attention to detail which sets Infinity Ward apart from others who attempt to claim their throne. Light fixtures flicker in the dark corners of rooms as you make your way through buildings, cautiously inspecting your surroundings.

Using your knife is faster than reloading and extremely satisfying

When it comes to audio, Infinity Ward put its best ear forward as well. From the top notch voice acting and well placed theme music, to the bone shattering bullet impacts and ear ringing explosions, the overall sound quality of COD4 will put your surround sound system to the test. If you do not yet own a surround sound system, or simply have not taken the time to set it up with your gaming console, shame on you, as you will essentially be missing out on a great deal of what this game has to offer.

Various difficulty levels are available and add to the depth and replay value of the single player mode. However, regardless of what level you chose, the enemies in COD4 have more advanced AI, and are much more powerful in general. One of the most noticeable enhancements in this area is the addition of what is referred to as “last stand” in the multiplayer mode. Enemies now have the ability to pull out their pistol and fire off a few rounds at you before biting the big one themselves. So it pays to tread carefully, because simply watching an enemy fall to the ground after a few bullets no longer ensures that they are in fact dead.

While the developers put a great deal of time into the enemy enhancements, they also did their part to reestablish balance by placing checkpoints in key locations. This ultimately gives gamers the ability to save their progress before and after some of the game’s most intense moments.

The single player mode will run you about five to eight hours, depending on how you choose to approach the game. I took my time with it, beating it in just under eight hours or so, and was very happy with the storyline as well as the overall length of the game. My personal view on the subject is that I would rather play a well executed and entertaining game that runs five to eight hours than a mediocre game that drags on for twenty. You may feel differently about this, and if so you may want to drop the final score a few tenths of a point.

Mix and match perks to create your own character class

A complete game in its own right, the multiplayer mode of COD4 will have you mixing and matching perks in your sleep. For the first time, gamers will be allowed to create their own character classes based on a three level hierarchy of “perks” such as “deep impact” which allows for deeper bullet penetration, or “juggernaut” which as the name implies, increases your health and makes you significantly harder to take down. Essentially, the more you achieve online, the higher your rank becomes. Each rank unlocks new perks, weapons, and weapon attachments.

In terms of multiplayer modes, COD4 includes free-for-all (kill everyone, first to reach score limit ends the game, top three win), team deathmatch (kill players on opposing team, first team to reach score limit wins), search and destroy (take turns defending and destroying an objective), sabotage (one bomb in the center of the map, grab it and destroy the enemies objective), domination (capture and hold designated positions to gain points), and finally, headquarters (capture the headquarters and defend it from the enemy).

Infinity Ward, with the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, tossed aside their WWII fatigues, and crashed an already saturated party of so called modern warfare experts. The developer reinvented themselves, and in the process raised the bar yet again.

While the PC and 360 versions of Call of Duty 4 got most of the attention durring the beta period, Playststion 3 owners can rest assured that the men and women at Infinity Ward were deep in the trenches, hard at work developing a PS3 experience that Sony fanboys would be proud to call their own.

We have been playing all three versions, and were so happy with the experience across the board that we sent Pete Blumel, Infinity Ward’s Associate Producer on Call of Duty 4 a quick note to congratulate him an his team. Being the nice guy that he is, Pete wrote us back, thanking us for the kind words and stating the following:

“We gave a lot of love to the PS3 and we hope PS3 owners really enjoy the game. Their game experience will not be lacking.”

When we first met Pete at this years E3, he assured us that they had multiple teams dedicated to each platform. The news impressed us, as most developers we came across seemed to be running away in fear of the Playststion 3. It turns out Infinity Ward’s decision to embrace Sony’s next gen gaming console has paid off. Congratulations Infinity Ward, and here’s to hoping that more developers follow in your combat boot wearing footsteps.

Be sure to check out our Call of Duty 4 “Rank up – Win Big” Contest, and check back tomorrow for our review of COD4.

First off, we want to thank our readers for all the support they have been showing us, Ripten has continued to grow since the site launched in May. As many of our regular visitors know, the ideas and general comments you have shared with us are already starting to make their way to the site.

In addition to what you see here, we are hard at work on a complete redesign of the site which will include personal pages for each reader compete with blog functionality and more. Again, we really appreciate your support, and now … on with the contest details!

This will be our first big promotion, and we want to send a special thanks to the amazing people over at Step-3 (Activision’s PR Department) for all the awesome stuff they are supplying us for this contest. Those guys (and girls) rule!

General (Grand Prize)
- Your choice of a PS3/360 or upgrade your PC with a $500 Best Buy Gift Card.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare video game in your choice of 360, PS3, or PC.
- Signed COD4 Art by the talented team at Infinity Ward
- COD4 Swag.

Colonel (Second Prize)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare video game in your choice of 360, PS3, or PC.

Major (Third Prize)
- COD4 Swag.

So if you haven’t figured it out by now, the theme of this contest is “Rank Up – Win Big”, and here is how it is going to work.

Step 1: Enlist in the contest
To enlist you must leave a comment below and include a valid email. No need to worry about receiving spam from us and we will NEVER sell your email addresses to anyone.

Step 2: Confirm your email
Send us an email from the address you used to sign up to riptencontest@gmail.com with the subject line reading “rank up – win big”. This will be used to confirm your entry.

Step 3: Work your way up the ranks
Unlock achievements from the list below and earn rank points. The more you do, the higher your rank becomes. When the contest closes, the top three highest ranks will win prizes with the highest rank taking home the grand prize listed above. That’s it. You have been supporting us, and this is our way to say thanks. Have fun and remember don’t do anything too crazy, we don’t want you getting hurt. Contest Ends November 10th, 2007 at Midnight EST. Winners will be contacted via email and announced on the site on Monday, November 12th.

Below are the achievements that you can unlock to earn points and increase your rank.

Create a fun video of yourself explaining what it is that you think makes the Call of Duty franchise so great, post it to youtube.com and email us the link at riptencontest@gmail.com with the subject line “cod 4 life”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 500 points

Video tape yourself holding up a sign that reads “Rank Up – Win Big” then proceed to beat a previous version of COD (the last few minutes are fine, do not tape the entire game), post it to youtube.com, and email us the link at riptencontest@gmail.com with the subject line “beat cod”. Times Allowed: You may submit this up to 3 times. Once for each previous installment. Point Value: 500 points each (Max 1500 points)

Dress up in military gear while holding a sign that reads “Rank Up – Win Big” and send it to us at riptencontest@gmail.com with the subject line “in uniform”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 400 points

We hid a orange soldier somewhere on the site. Find him and send an email to riptencontest@gmail.com including the the page he was on and the subject line “orange soldier”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 300 points

We hid a blue soldier somewhere on the site. Find him and send an email to riptencontest@gmail.com including the the page he was on and the subject line “blue soldier”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 300 points

We hid a green soldier somewhere on the site. Find him and send an email to riptencontest@gmail.com including the the page he was on and the subject line “green soldier”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 300 points

We hid a yellow soldier somewhere on the site. Find him and send an email to riptencontest@gmail.com including the the page he was on and the subject line “yellow soldier”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 300 points

We hid a purple soldier somewhere on the site. Find him and send an email to riptencontest@gmail.com including the the page he was on and the subject line “purple soldier”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 300 points

Draw a picture of what your ideal COD map would would look like. Be creative. You don’t have to be an artist, just give it a shot! When you are done, email it to us at riptencontest@gmail.com with the subject line “art”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 200 points

Find a landmark in your town (we aren’t too picky) and take a photo of yourself holding a sign that reads “Rank Up – Win Big – COD4″. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 100 points

Take a photo of yourself holding a sign that reads “Rank Up – Win Big – COD4″. Photo must be taken with your computer monitor visable and the screen must clearly display ripten.com. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 100 points

Send an email to riptencontest@gmail.com and tell us what you think sets the COD franchise apart from other first person shooters. The subject line must read “cod above the rest”. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 100 points

Send us an email to riptencontest@gmail.com with the subject line “advice” and tell us what you think would improve ripten.com and make the site better for you. After all, that is why we are here. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 100 points

Send us an email to riptencontest@gmail.com with the subject line “top ten fps” and list what you feel are the top ten FPS games of all time. Times Allowed: You may only submit this achievement once. Point Value: 100 points

RIPTEN.COM – RANK UP – WIN BIG CONTEST RULES

Anyone who has played video games in the 8 or 16-bit era remembers a genre that has since become the black sheep of 3D gaming culture: the platformer. Platformers made up a huge percentage of all console games and arcades of the day, and would all be started by one game in particular, that put it’s highly pixilated main character through every kind of death trap imaginable.

Pitfall was put out by Activision in 1982, and although the company had quite a few of successes before this, Pitfall was a tremendous hit for the company on the Atari 2600, and throughout the 80’s in general. Clones were quickly manufactured almost as soon as the game launched. Other Activision earlier games included KABOOM!, Chopper Command, and Ice Hockey.

In order to understand the importance of Activision’s role in gaming, it’s better to think about what the industry would have been like if they never existed. Mario would probably have never come along to save the failing market in 85’ and go on to sell tens of millions of copies. Simon Belmont would never have taken up his whip to defeat Dracula. Mega Man could have very well been made into a top down shooter, and Ryu Hyabusa may have never started his gap jumping, ninja-flipping quest for revenge.

The face of video games would have been altered forever, or even worse, the entire concept may have died back in 1983 like it was supposed to according to the so called experts. Yikes! Thankfully, Pitfall does exist, and the videogame industry may have avoided an abyss of endless black thanks to Harry and his vine swinging, cliff hanging, action packed adventures.

Activision has become more of a powerhouse publisher in recent years, snagging up young and talented individuals and companies from all over the world. The list of quality games these people are creating with the help of Activision is amazing. However, the lack of a truly lengthy library prevents them from making this list on their own. Until true independence can be established, they’ll just have to keep their current position under the corporate thumb.

A perfect example of this would be Infinity Ward, the ammunition behind the extreemly successful WWII Shooter Series, Call of Duty. The campaigns are fast paced, in your face, and laced with authenticity throughout. Next moth, the series abandons the WWII era making the move to Modern Warfafe with the release of the highly anticipated Call of Duty 4.

Neversoft is home to the genius that is Tony Hawk, the number one gaming franchise which has dominated the digital skating market for years. And Raven, was the creative force that gave us Hexen II, the Soldier of Fortune series, Quake 4, and the phenomenal 2002 title, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.

You can even become a rock god with Harmonix’ Guitar Hero. But could any of these companies make a top ten list on their own two legs? The answer is no. So, instead our number ten spot will belong to the mighty conglomerate that is Activision. So the first developer on our top ten list doesn’t develop anymore? Well, not exactly…

Activision, no matter how you look at it, has changed the face of gaming. Its development of the seminal game Pitfall would single handedly create a genre, save an industry, and pave the way for future innovators. Their acquisition and absorption of talented developers continues to set bar for quality software, and their role in that equation cannot be denounced. Also, the games being churned out by Activision and its developers continue to shape the next generation of gaming. Today, video games are a 6.2 billion dollar business. Activision is one of the few companies you have to thank for that. You’re welcome.

Must Haves:
Pitfall (Atari 2600)

Have Nots:
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (GBA)

Top Ten Developer List: 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

An open invite has just gone out courtesy of Activision and Infinity Ward! Select GameStop locations will be opening their doors allowing eager gamers to experience the single player version of the game hands on before the official release on November 6th.

To get in on the fun, be one of the first 100 to enlist on the scene at participating GameStop locations. Swag and prizes include a signed call sheet from Infinity Ward.

Here is the list of participating stores currently listed on GameStop.com (this list may change)

New York
Store# 1363 33rd/Broadway
1282 Broadway,10001
(212) 967-9070 Los Angeles
Store# 4619 Universal Citywalk
1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Ste 101, 91608
(818) 980-5766

Chicago
Store# 4866 Broadview Village
7550 Braodview Village Sq, 60155
708-410-1830 San Francisco
Store# 4437 San Francisco/Powell
151 Powell St, 94102
(415) 362-7601

Dallas-Ft Worth
Store# 815 Arlington B&N
934 East Copeland Road, 76011
(817) 261-8981 Houston-Galveston
Store# 4558 Woodlands Mall
1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, Space 2182, 77380
(281) 296-8315

Philadelphia
Store# 620 Whitman Plaza
330 Oregon Ave., 19148
(215) 271-9399 Washington DC
Store# 662 Smoketown Square
13277 Worth Avenue, 22192
(703) 492-8627

Atlanta
Store# 2373 Camp Creek
3662 Marketplace Blvd., 30344
(404) 349-5719 Minneapolis
Store# 606 Rosedale Commons
2480 Fairview Ave. N., 55113
(651) 638-9551

For more information, including an up to date list of participating GameStop locations, head on over to: http://www.gamestop.com/gs/cod4ftp/default.asp. Good luck.

Ok, the good ol’ boys (and girls) over at Infinity Ward have made the single player beta for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare available for everyone to download on the PC. It is approximately 1.37 GB, so if you want to download it, make sure you have a fast internet connection — or just set it, and forget it, like the Ronco Rotisserie.

After my download was complete, I fired up the self-extracting executable. In about 10 minutes or so, I was up and running. You enter the game, and it wants you to create a profile. No biggie, we’ve see this before. You click on “Play Demo” and then your mission starts.

You start off as a Marine, and while the mission is loading, you get an aerial overview of the terrain ahead. This is a much better use of the loading time than the note you read while waiting for COD2 to load, plus it’s pretty fun to watch.

For those of you who have seen the trailers, the mission should look very familiar. You start off in the middle of a war-torn highway as bullets whiz by your head. You end up running under buildings into the cover of dark where night vision will need to be enabled in order to proceed. Snap those bad boys on and you are in business.

I normally don’t like night vision goggles in games, but Infinity Wards on screen representation is done very well. A quick flip of a switch and you are in night vision goggle mode. The transition is very smooth, and killing people just looks cool when you are wearing them.

After a few objectives, you have to make it to the top of a building and use the “Javelin” to take out a few tanks. Now, I had no clue what the hell a Javelin was. I thought for a split second that they wanted me to throw a spear at them — what the hell? This is modern warfare?!? Well, I found the Javelin, and man was it cool. You lock on to a tank, shoot this thing, it fires, and after a secondary explosion sends it up in the air, it then flies right down and takes out the tank. Very cool.

After destroying a few tanks, your next objective is to protect one under heavy fire. You are part of a small group of marines surrounded by what appears to be a ton of enemies. I ended up just running around and shooting everything that moved, (Oh by the way, friendly fire is still not tolerated). There are a few more objectives, such as taking out a big gunner, (similar to taking out tanks in COD2) you have to run up, plant some C4, run away, and blow it up. No biggie there.

Then you have to call in an air-strike. When the helicopters come in, they just lay waste to everything. It is quite a site to witness. After which, you meet back up with your group, getting orders for your next mission, then bam, the demo is over. Hey, it had to end sometime, and it definitely leaves you wanting some more.

This thing was so intense it was scary. In terms of performance, it ran pretty good on my PC, which is not totally jacked up either. It has 2GB of RAM, and I am running a 64-bit processor, but that’s about it. It ran well, with no choppiness at all.

Once we get our hands on the full release, you can be sure we will play the hell out of it, and post a full review just as soon as our fingers cool down.

If you are interested in playing, head on over to www.charlieoscardelta.com and download it today. You will not regret it!

The Single Player demo of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is set to hit PC’s tomorrow, October 11th. Don’t be caught with your pants around your ankles when it does.

Make sure you check the specs of your PC against the official recommended and minimum specs courtesy of fourtwozero, Infinity Ward’s blogging informant.

And remember, if you don’t like what you see, you can always make a quick run to your local Best Buy — there are no excuses for being an unprepared soldier. Specs available after the jump.

Recommended Specs

CPU: 2.4 GHz dual core or better is recommended
RAM: 1GB for XP; 2GB for Vista is recommended
Harddrive: 8GB of free hard drive space
Video card: 3.0 Shader Support recommended. Nvidia Geforce 7800 or better or ATI Radeon X1800 or better

Required Minimum Specs

CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 2.4 GHz or AMD(R) Athlon(TM) 64 2800+ processor or any 1.8Ghz Dual Core Processor or better supported
RAM: 512MB RAM (768MB for Windows Vista)
Harddrive: 8GB of free hard drive space
Video card (generic): NVIDIA(R) Geforce(TM) 6600 or better or ATI(R) Radeon(R) 9800Pro or better

There you have it. Check back with us often as we will be following this blockbuster title very closely in the coming weeks.

Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4 will apparently not only look great but sound great too, as composers Stephen Barton and Harry Gregson-Williams are set to provide original scores for the upcoming title.

Gregson-Williams’ is known best for his work on Team America: World Police, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, and most recently The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Press release available in full after the jump.

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Award-Winning Composer Leads Soundtrack to Infinity Ward’s Epic Thriller

Santa Monica, CA – October 2, 2007 – Infinity Ward and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) have announced that award-winning Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™ will feature an original score by Stephen Barton with the Main Theme & Music Production provided by award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Gregson-Williams’ work has been featured in numerous feature films, television series, and videogames with credits including Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, Spy Game , The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Team America: World Police. The soundtrack for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was performed and recorded by a full orchestra, largely at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, England.

“Harry Gregson-Williams was the perfect choice to craft an immersive and rich soundtrack that matches the heightened atmosphere and tension of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,” says Grant Collier, Studio Head at Infinity Ward. “Harry’s wealth of experience, passion and intensity together with the talents of young composer, Stephen Barton, shine through in the score draws gamers deeper into the epic and cinematic experience that is Call of Duty 4.”

Infinity Ward has begun testing the PC version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare by bringing in random gamers to their studio. They recently brought in a group of Marines to test the game out on minimum spec PC’s. Great idea to bring in the troops but why not let them enjoy the game on a fully loaded PC — lord knows they deserve it.

Next up, IW plans to bring in a hardcore COD2 clan called “Shock’N'Awe” to test the hell out of the PC version. The 360 received a public beta and the PC is getting the royal treatment now, so when will we hear some PS3 news regarding the game? Stay tuned.

Source: Fourzerotwo.com

Angry fans that waited for the Call of Duty 4 Beta sign up today at noon soon realized that the site could not take the traffic and that it crashed again, just like it did when news of the beta was first announced.

According to a blog by an employee of Infinity Ward, the company hosting the site www.charlieoscardelta.com assured them that they had taken the proper measures to make sure that it would be able to take the traffic — obviously it could not.

We do have some good news though, according to the same blog, Infinity Ward is now promising that they will “take care of the community” of loyal fans by doing away with the first come first serve format. Instead, they will allow fans to sign up for a full 24 hours — of course the site itself has to be up and running first, and of 6PM EST it is not.

According to the blog post, they are working hard to get it back up, so our best advice at this point is to check www.charlieoscardelta.com often throughout the day … and night.

Source: Fourzerotwo.com

Update: Someone posted the link to fourzerotwo.com on digg.com and it hit the homepage so you likely will not be able to access the blog site for a while. Fear not, we have the blog information for you below.

8/27/07
Madness? This is BETA!!!

*warning* Bold words and profanity from this point on. Loose Lips Sink Ships.

QUICK-UPDATE:

First: I’m as pissed as you guys.

Second: Here’s the low down.

As the many of you who have stayed home from work, school, and neglected loved onces can attest to, CharlieOscarDelta.com has officially died. Today. Again. On Beta sign-up day. While we’re all waiting for the countdown timer to hit zero.

We were assured relentlessly time and time again by the company who runs and maintains Charlieoscardelta.com for us that they have adequately prepared the servers for this massive Beta roll-out.

That was fucking bullshit.

I’m not going to lie, I’m fucking mad as hell.

Fuck this first come first serve registration, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY.

NO MORE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. We will be taking care of the guys who’ve spent the last 6 months on the site, reading all of our updates, participating in our forums, and staying home all day today refreshing the site to get a token. UPDATE: That doesn’t mean post count, join date, or rank effect your chances for good or bad, it just means everyone will have an equal chance regardless of the site errors.

YOU WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF, and we will make sure that everyone has an equal chance to get into the beta REGARDLESS of depending on the the site.

So here’s the current plan. We are cracking whips and making sure the site gets back up and running. We’re going to do away with the first come, first serve and are going to have open registration for 24 hours.

So whether you’re able to get on the site within the hour, or log on at midnight tonight, you can sign-up and have an equal chance at a token.

We will then take that massive database of sign-ups over the next 24 hours, and distribute all available tokens to the members who sign-up.

We’re doing everything we can to make sure this site crash does not effect your chances for Beta glory.

So keep the comments, emails, and calls coming guys, it’s just fueling our fight to make sure you guys are taken care of.

CHECK BACK OFTEN FOR UPDATES, as I’ll keep you guys FULLY in the loop.

HEADS ARE ROLLIN’

Publisher Activision Inc. strummed in their 1st quarter earnings on Thursday to the tune of $27.8 million. That kind of green can buy enough web fluid for at least a few more Spider-Man videogame sequels.

The publisher shipped more than 8 million units of their new releases in the first quarter and are currently ranked as the number one independent software publisher ahead of videogame giant EA.

“We are very excited about our business and for our prospects for the year,” said Activision Chief Executive Robert Kotick in an interview.

Guitar Hero II and Spider-Man 3 helped to get Activision there, but with EA’s annual Madden release, they are going to need a strong second quarter to stay there. Duty calls, and Activision believes they are well equipped to answer.

Source: Forbes

The few, the proud, the unbelievably freakin’ lucky. Head on over to the official site for COD4 (charlieoscardelta.com) and if you manage to get the beta info pages to load, that is exactly how you will feel.

Yea, it seems that the announcement of Beta details has caused their site to get somewhat overloaded. On top of that a good amount of other sites are linking directly to their images (which doesn’t help) so visiting those sites won’t do you any good either … unless you want to stare at blank images that won’t be loading anytime soon.

Oh quit your belly achin’ we got you covered soldier! Get yourself together and review the information below … and if you EVER cry in our presence again we will beat you severely.

COD4: MW MP BETA DETAILS

Age: Must be 18 years of age or older to be eligible.

Lead Time: Infinity Ward urges fans not to worry as they promise to give everyone plenty of warning before the Beta goes live. Along with updates via the Beta HQ they will also be posting a countdown clock on their sites homepage.

Availability: Beta is first come first serve, spots will be limited. In other stay on your toes and be ready to move.

Region: Beta will start in the US. Other countries have yet to be decided.

Max Rank: Rank has been capped in the game and therefor you will not be able to unlock every item.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. What are those yellow numbers? How do Experience Points work?
In game you are going to see pretty yellow numbers pop up when you complete objectives, get kills, etc. These are your Experience Points. Experience Points add to your overall ranking during the match. Depending on the matchtype, you will get a different number of points for different actions.

And no, you will not be able to carry your rank over into the final game.

2. Does the Public Beta have matchmaking? How can I play with my friends?
Easy. Select ‘Xbox Live’ from the main menu and then choose ‘Find Game’. If you want to party up with your friends, select ‘Party Invite’ from the same menu. You can also jump into matches your friends are playing by selecting their gamertag through the Xbox 360 dashboard, Friend’s List and the option ‘Join Session in Progress’.

3. Main Menu

Xbox Live:
Find matches, Create A Class, Check your rankings, review progress on challenges, and play with your friends.

Controls:
Setup the controller to your personal preferences and alter game brightness.

Quit:
This is the option you are never going to want to choose.

4. Xbox Live Menu

a. Find Game:
Essentially the Beta’s ‘Go’ button. When you are ready for action, select this option, choose a game type, and unleash your skills.

b. Create a Class:
Build your custom classes. (See: Classes\Create A Class)

c. Barracks:
Check your rankings on the Leaderboards and your progress through Challenges, choose your Clan Tag, and even review your basic player statistics.

d. Party Invite:
Invite your friends to your party.

e. Message of the Day:
Check this section for important Beta updates.

5. Barracks Menu

Leaderboards:
Compare yourself to other players in the Beta in Score, Wins, Kills, and Accuracy. You can view the Global rankings, or limit your view to Friends.

Challenges:
Check your progress on various challenges. Complete these challenges to gain XP rewards and Weapon add-ons.

Clan Tag:
Set your clan tag.

CONTROLS:

Stick Layouts:
Default – Pictured below.
Southpaw – Switches functionality of the left and right thumbsticks.
Legacy – Swaps vertical functionality of the left and right thumbsticks.
Legacy Southpaw – Switches left and right thumbstick functionality of the Legacy layout.

Button Layout:
Default – Pictured below.
Tactical – Switches functionality of the right thumbstick click and the B button
Lefty – Switches functionality of the left and right shoulder buttons and triggers.

Sensitivity Options:
- Low
- Medium
- High
- Very High

Players also have the option to invert their joystick controls and enable/disable vibration.

WEAPONS:

Below are the weapons available to you in the Beta. Keep in mind, this is just a sampling of the full arsenal that will be available to you when the game ships.

ATTACHMENTS:

ACOG Scope: Enhanced zoom ACOG scope.

Grenade-Launcher: Grenade Launcher attachment for assult rifles. THIS ATTACHMENT REPLACED PERK 1.

Grip: Vertical foregrip for reduced recoil.

Red Dot Sight: Replace the iron sights with precision reflex sight.

Silencer: Invisible on GPS when firing, reduced muzzle flash, but shorter range.

GRENADES:

Flash: Device that blinds and deafens the target when detonated.

Smoke: Device that creates a smoke screen when detonated.

Stun: Device that disorients the target when detonated.

SNIPER RIFLES:

Dragunov SVD: Semi-automatic sniper rifle. Effective at long range.

M21: Semi-automatic sniper rifle. Effective at long range.

M40A3: Bolt-action sniper rifle. Effective at long range.

SHOTGUNS:

W1200: Pump action shotgun. Effective at close range.

SUB MACHINE GUNS:

Mini-Uzi: Fully automatic with high rate of fire. Effective at close to medium range.

MP5: Fully automatic with good accuracy. Effective at close to medium range.

Skorpion: Fully automatic with high rate of fire. Effective at close range.

SIDE ARMS:

M9: Semi-automatic with high capacity and power. Effective at close range.

M1911.45: Semi-automatic with medium capacity and power. Effective at close range.

USP.45: Semi-automatic with medium capacity and power. Effective at close range.

ASSAULT RIFLES:

AK-47: Fully automatic with high power. Effective at medium range.

G3: Single-fire with a high capacity. Effective at medium to long range.

M4 Carbine: Fully automatic with low recoil. Effective at medium range.

M16A4: Semi-automatic with three round burst fire. Effective at medium to long range.

LIGHT MACHINE GUNS:

M60E4: Fully automatic with high power. Effective at medium to long range.

M249.S.A.W: Fully automatic with high rate of fire. Effective at medium to long range.

RPD: Fully automatic with good accuracy. Effective at medium to long range.

CLASSES:

Create Class: Reach the rank of Private (rank 4) and you will unlock Create a Class. Here you can customize a class lead-out that fits your specific play-style. Create a Class is all about options—pick your primary weapons, side arms, grenades, attachments, weapon camouflages, and, maybe most importantly, Perks.

Default: Assault, Heavy Gunner, Sniper, Demolitions, Spec-Ops

PERKS:

Perks are how your custom class stands apart from the crowd. There might be a lot of people out there with the M21, but do they have it backed up by Stopping Power and Deep Impact?

There are three Perk groups, listed below. Note you can only select one Perk from each category in building your Create a Class. In the screenshot, our player has chosen Bomb Squad for his Perk 1 category, Stopping Power for Perk 2, and Deep Impact for Perk 3.

Remember, some weapon and attachment settings will limit your ability to equip certain Perks. For example, the Grenade Launcher attachment will fill your Perk 1 slot, meaning you will only get two active perks.

Check out the Beta’s Perks and what category they fall under below. And don’t forget, for the Beta we picked a bunch of our favorite Perks for you to give us feedback on – you’ll have many more Perks to choose from in the full-game.

PERK 1

Bomb Squad: Ability to seek out enemy explosives.
C4 x 2: Remote detonation explosive.
Claymore x 2: Trip activated explosive mine.
RPG-7 x 2: Rocket Launcher with 2 rockets.
Special Grenades x 3: 3 special grenades. No smoke.

PERK 2

Juggernaut Increased health.
Sleight of Hand: Faster reloading.
Sonic Boom: Higher explosive weapon damage.
Stopping Power: Increased bullet damage.
UAV Jammer: Undetectable on enemy radar.

PERK 3

Deep Impact: Deeper bullet penetration.
Extreme Conditioning: Sprint for longer distances
Last Stand: Pull out your pistol before dying.
Martyrdom: Drop a live grenade when killed.
Steady Aim: Increased hip-fire accuracy.

GAME MODES:

On the Beta you will have several Game Modes to pick from. Learn about each below:

Free-for-all
Every man for himself. Kill everyone.
Players: 6-12
Score Limit: 300
Points for kill: 5

Team Deathmatch
Use teamwork to kill enemy players and reach the score limit.
Players: 6-12
Score Limit: 750
Points for kill:10

Team Objective
Domination and Search and Destroy.
Capture flags in Domination, with respawning. Destroy and defend objectives in Search and Destroy, with no respawns.
Players: 6-12
Score Limit: 750
Points for kill:10

Team Tactical
Small Team Deathmatch and Search and Destroy. 2vv2 or 3v3.
Players: 6-12
Score Limit: 750
Points for kill:10

MAPS:

The Beta comes to you with three of our favorite maps – Overgrown, Crash and Vacant. Remember, it’s just a Beta – the full-game comes to you with many, many more maps. To learn more about the three maps included with the Beta, click on the links below. We’ve provided a description of each type of map.

Crash

Downed Sea Knight in a desert town. Fantastic team games.

Overgrown

Large overgrown rural Russian area. Sniper ghillie suits make for good cover.

Vacant

Deserted Russian office. Intense interior fighting.

We are working very hard to access the site and pull the information off. If you see a “PENDING UPDATE” that is because the area we are working on is still unaccessible. Keep checking back with us for updates throughout the day.

After a slight misstep with Call of Duty 3, which scored slightly lower on average with critics than Call of Duty 2, Activision has seemed to find its proper war footing in a modern setting in Call of Duty 4, at least according to the videogame-focused cable network G4.

Although the expo itself was held in a different format than usual, the pedigree of games on display this year were some of the very best, showcasing a 2007 holiday season packed with triple-A titles. Out of upcoming and highly anticipated titles like Halo 3, Heavenly Sword, Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, and Crysis, Call of Duty 4 took the top honors from G4 for its sharp graphics, realistic animations, and for finally moving the series past its World War II roots.

CoD4 also seems to have secured the best-in-show award from G4 because it’s a popular franchise with a lot of mainstream appeal, and the similarly positioned Halo 3 had a less than stellar showing in the form of a trailer (which got only a mildly enthusiastic reception) and single-player demonstrations (which were behind closed doors for the most part).

Of course, everyone has an opinion on which title had the best showing this year, and Ripten will round up all the picks to help you decide which games earned your five dollar pre-order.

We were lucky enough to sit down with Infinity Ward’s extremely busy Associate Producer (and all around nice guy), Pete Blumel to discuss the finer details of their upcoming can’t miss blockbuster release, Call Of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare.

We did our best with the audio on this interview, but this years E3 was a mad house of developers, designers, writers, camera men, and PR executives crammed into rooms the size of an airplane’s on board bathroom.

While the plush white carpets, elegant mood lighting, and free food were “very nice” to say the least, the rooms themselves were not very audio friendly. That said, we hope you can make it all out … crank up your volume, sit back, and try to enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Want to know more? Alright. In terms of plot, the game will be set in the present and in line with the console version although the playable characters will be different. When asked about the game, producer Sam Nouriani said..

“An ultra-nationalist military leader in Russia is raging a civil war while at the same time funding a coup in the Middle East…” He added, “You play as British SAS and US Marines in a variety of missions including the gunner in an AC130 gunship, crew member of a Blackhawk, machine gunner in a Humvee and of course as infantry in array of locations from the Middle East to Russia to the open waters in a cargo ship.”

The dual screen capability of the DS will make for a unique gameplay experience giving gamers a top screen dedicated solely to combat and a second screen allowing easy access to radar information, mission objectives, and view manipulation.

Gameplay will also get a boost from new mini-games that involve diffusing and placing charges exclusive to the DS, Humvee road chases, Blackhawk helicopter flying missions, and a multiplayer mode that allows up to four players to go head to head.

The graphics may not be able to live up to those on the next gen consoles but Nouriani promises DS gamers all the action and chaos followers of franchise have come to expect…

“Tons of stuff (will be) happening on the screen from huge firefights, mortars screaming down on you, tanks busting through walls, helicopters getting shot down, lighting strikes in the open water while you are taking out enemies on a rocking cargo ship…”

The news surrounding this title just keeps getting better and better and you can expect to play COD4 for the DS this autumn.

Source: IGN

Even the die hard WWII buffs will readily admit that COD3 fell short of the mark set by the previous two iterations of the game. In regards to their moving away from the WWII era into a more modern front, Infinity Ward was recently quoted saying…

“We wouldn’t have worked on it for seven years if we didn’t like it”

So while the team at Infinity Ward may have traded in their stick grenades and Thompson Sub Machine Guns for Mk 19 Grenade Launchers and Barrett M468’s they were very explicit in stating they in no way have lost their interest in the WWII genre.

That said, COD4 makes the jump to modern day warfare but that isn’t the only big change in store for fans of the franchise. Infinity Ward has called on the assistance of several TV writers in developing the plot for which they say this installment of the series will utilize immensely. This is definitely a change of pace from the previous iterations. While it is unknown who exactly they are working with, they made it clear that the plot will not revolve around the current events in the media today and instead will focus on a group known as the “Four Horsemen” and a fictitious Russian nationalist looking to restore the former glory of the Soviet Union.

No Matter How Much Things Change, They Stay The Same. As with the previous titles, your perspective will change several times in the game as you will find yourself playing multiple characters in multiple locations such as Russia and the Middle East. You will fight as a part of a larger unit which again keeps with the tradition of the series. Another innovation that has been retained from the recent games is the absence of a traditional health bar. If you pay close attention you may notice a few names from previous versions of COD as well.

Early missions are set in the black sea on board a large cargo boat. You arrive by chopper under the cover of night in the midst of a heavy thunderstorm and rope down on to the deck taking out the ships guards quickly and stealthily. This is where the heavy use of scripted events really becomes obvious.

As you progress through the story more traditional “open ended” combat situations arise in the later missions set in the middle east. One such mission takes place in a level known as “The Bog”. It tasks you and your unit with the responsibility of coming to the aid of another soldier (ala Saving Private Ryan) who is trapped in his Abrams tank. You will have to maneuver streets clearing enemies and securing buildings all in the name of rescuing the soldier in need.

In game cut scenes that resemble black-and-white news footage and elaborate loading screens complete with narration and full motion video are just a few of the things we have come to expect from Infinity Ward that set this title apart and help to entrench gamers in the game play experience.

Infinity Ward has created an impressive new graphics engine complete with its own physics system, dynamic lighting, special effects such as rain, dust winds, and other debris that will blow you away. Classic game play modes we have all come to love such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture The Flag return but new to COD4 are features that will allow you to customize the multiplayer game play to fit your style. For example, while there will be default classes such a Sniper, Medic, and Assault, you will now also be able to “create-a-class” as you advance through the game and gain experience allowing you to interchange weapons and abilities.

Each character will have three ability “perk” slots. The first of which focuses on accessories such as grenades, C4, silencers, etc. The second keys in on your physical attributes such as increased health, reaction time, and faster reload. The third and final set revolves around special characteristics such as stealth, accuracy, etc. When you are killed in game you will be able to see the perks equipped by the player who killed you and vice versus. That aught to be good for some trash talk amongst friend.

The action makes use of advanced weaponry, is set in intense modern settings, and never seems to stop – so take cover when you can because the opportunities in this game are few and far between. If you like non stop action then you will definitely want to pick this title up when it hits stores.