# AJS News - Call of Duty says NO MORE Back to BACK Games, Netflix says WB Games Worthless? & More! Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVIoWqiN34A Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/IVIoWqiN34A Generated: 2025-12-15T21:35:10.116+00:00 --- ## 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. ![Screenshot at 00:16: The host points out an advertisement for Xtra wallets offering up to 54% off during their Christmas Sale, linking the discussion of marketing spend to the broader themes of game industry finances.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IVIoWqiN34A/00-00-16.png) **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. ## Detailed Analysis The hosts of The Angry Joe Show discuss two major industry news items. First, they cover a report stating Activision is changing its Call of Duty release cadence, implying that Black Ops 8 will skip 2024, suggesting a shift away from yearly releases to a biennial cycle, possibly starting with Modern Warfare 4. The hosts express relief, noting that annual releases lead to rushed, low-quality games and that the community is tired of this yearly output. They reference past Call of Duty games (like Black Ops 4 and Modern Warfare 2019) and their associated community issues. Second, they address news about a major Square Enix shareholder denouncing the company's 'sluggish' revenue and profit margins, contrasting this with the massive financial investment in marketing, citing a report that a three-minute Game Awards trailer can cost developers up to $1 million. The hosts mock Square Enix's management for failing to value their game divisions properly, despite having beloved franchises like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. Throughout the discussion, they show gameplay footage from Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Kingdom Hearts III to illustrate the types of games they prefer over what they perceive as derivative annual shooters. The segment ends with the hosts thanking their sponsors and signing off. ### Industry News Analysis - Activision changing Call of Duty release schedule to a biennial cycle (skipping Black Ops 8 next year) - Square Enix shareholder denounces 'sluggish' revenue and profit margins - High cost of Game Awards trailers (up to $1 million for 3 minutes) is mocked as excessive marketing spend. ### Game Commentary - Final Fantasy - Hosts praise the gameplay of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (turn-based combat) and Final Fantasy XVI's potential, contrasting Square Enix's perceived mismanagement with their high-quality IPs. ### Game Commentary - Kingdom Hearts - Gameplay from Kingdom Hearts III is shown, specifically the Frozen world segments, leading to commentary about the game's quality. ### Game Commentary - Call of Duty/Titanfall - Gameplay from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is shown while criticizing the annual release cycle and lack of innovation, noting that the player-base is tired of the annual formula. ### Sponsor Readout - Hosts promote Xtra wallets Christmas sale (up to 54% off) and direct viewers to their Patreon and YouTube Join links. ![Screenshot at 00:16: Host points to an advertisement for Xtra wallets during the sponsor read.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IVIoWqiN34A/00-00-16.png) ![Screenshot at 01:12: Gameplay footage of Final Fantasy Tactics showing the job class selection screen.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IVIoWqiN34A/00-01-12.png) ![Screenshot at 03:00: News article headline reads: 'After deciding not to charge $80 for The Outer Worlds 2, Xbox head says Microsoft will keep listening to fan feedback but has to run a "healthy business"'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IVIoWqiN34A/00-03-00.png) ![Screenshot at 07:07: Gameplay footage from Kingdom Hearts III showing Sora, Donald, and Goofy in the Frozen world.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IVIoWqiN34A/00-07-07.png) ![Screenshot at 17:37: Gameplay footage from Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare showing a large enemy Titan during a campaign mission.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IVIoWqiN34A/00-17-37.png)