AJS News - Call of Duty says NO MORE Back to BACK Games, Netflix says WB Games Worthless? & More!

Quick Overview

The Angry Joe Show crew discusses Activision's decision to stop releasing annual Call of Duty games, suggesting they will likely move to a two-year cycle starting with Modern Warfare 4, and critiques Square Enix for perceived mismanagement, noting that the $1 million cost for a three-minute Game Awards trailer highlights industry extravagance while major franchises like Final Fantasy XVI and Kingdom Hearts 3 are still highly anticipated, with the crew ultimately mocking Activision's perceived lack of creativity and poor game quality despite high marketing spend.

Key Points: Activision is reportedly changing its Call of Duty release schedule, meaning Black Ops 8 will not release next year (2024), likely signaling a move away from annual releases to a two-year cycle, possibly starting with Modern Warfare 4. A shareholder denounced Square Enix for 'sluggish' revenue and profit margins, noting the company's failure to attribute value to its game business, which contrasts with the high cost of marketing trailers. The cost for a three-minute Game Awards trailer reportedly reaches up to $1 million, with a 60-second spot costing up to $450,000, highlighting massive marketing expenditures in the industry. The crew expresses disappointment with Square Enix's perceived poor management of beloved franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, despite high-quality trailers for upcoming releases like Final Fantasy XVI. The discussion includes gameplay segments from Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Kingdom Hearts III, showcasing turn-based strategy and action combat. The hosts mock Activision's annual release cycle, suggesting it leads to rushed, low-quality games and derivative campaigns, contrasting it with the perceived quality of games like the Final Fantasy VII Remake. The episode concludes with the hosts joking about the high cost of marketing versus the perceived quality of some annual releases.

Context: This episode of The Angry Joe Show (AJS News) features three hosts discussing recent news from the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Activision's reported change in the Call of Duty release schedule and major shareholder criticism leveled against Square Enix for financial underperformance. The segment transitions between reacting to these news items and showing gameplay clips from Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Kingdom Hearts III to contextualize discussions about game quality and development practices.