Is Call of Duty 4 converting all the Halo 3 die-hards?
I recently visited my local GameStop retailer, and spoke briefly with a sales manager there (who very closely resembles the guitarist for Dragonforce, for those Guitar Hero III fans out there) who responded to my comment about taking a break from Halo 3 by saying, “Yeah, it seems that more and more Halo 3 die-hards are taking permanent breaks in favor of Call of Duty.” Why could one of the most popular first person shooter series in history be losing its strongest fans to a game of a completely different vein?
Though I have no evidence of this, here are a few thoughts as to why Halo 3 would be losing gamers to the uber-popular Call of Duty 4 (and as a blogger, before everyone begins a barrage of personal attacks for not having numbers to back my ideas up, I am allowed the prerogative of forming personal opinions and voicing them here).
1. More dynamic gameplay and tighter multiplayer – I hate to admit this, but Halo 3 is a barely more attractive version of Halo 2 with slightly better maps, more vehicles, new grenades, and a more expensive price tag. Bungie didn’t work very hard to make Halo 3 the game it could be, considering the revenue the previous two games earned, and it is suffering from it.
When you play Call of Duty, you are struck by an intensity that just doesn’t exist in Halo 3. Multiplayer modes are modes are better crafted for larger groups of players; big team matches have well-structured objectives, where Halo 3 big team games aren’t taken nearly as seriously.
2. Bungie keeps making bad game tweaks – Bungie has a bad habit that occurs, rather frequently, to the detriment of Halo 3 gamers: though with good intentions, Bungie loves to tweak gameplay and make little changes to the game in hopes of improving play. However, all that does is frustrate gamers who have adapted to a certain style and are forced to re-evaluate playing styles. Bungie hasn’t ever really grasped good online play (LAN play for the original Halo was the closest to good multiplayer Bungie has ever accomplished), and tweaking the game only frustrates those gamers who have settled into a comfortable style.
3. Call of Duty 4 is an excellent cross-platform title – Many 360 fans who once argued the reason they love the 360 is because of Halo 3 now have an excellent reason to pick up PS3 (and the subsequent Blu-Ray player) as there is a fantastic FPS title available. Of course, it is also available for Xbox 360; however, I personally know people who have ditched the 360 after being disappointed with Halo 3 because Call of Duty is available on the PS3, and let’s be honest…there isn’t much more to the 360 than Halo 3 and Mass Effect at this point in time.
All things considered, maybe those Halo die-hards who haven’t given Call of Duty the time of day should give it a try. Better multiplayer, more intense gameplay, and a reason to switch to the PS3 are all good excuses to try something new.
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49 Responses to “Is Call of Duty 4 converting all the Halo 3 die-hards?”
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January 12th, 2008
I have only played Halo 1 & 2 but imo COD:4 is vastly superior to them.
There is definitely little else being released exclusively on the 360 from now on to make someone choose one over a PS3. It had the better games up until now but the better exclusives and free online play is the reason the majority of people upgrading from the PS2 will go for a PS3 eventually. When you look at the exclusive titles due out over the next year or so it is so heavily stacked in favour of the PS3 it is ridiculous.
PS3
Metal Gear Solid 4 (Biggest stealth/action genre franchise ever)
Heavy Rain
Infamous
White Knight Chronicles
Haze
Final Fantasy 13 (Biggest RPG genre franchise ever)
LittleBigPlanet
Eight Days
FIA World Touring Car Championship
Gran Turismo 5 (Biggest racing genre franchise ever)
The Getaway 3
Ni-Oh
Red Dead Revolver 2
Killzone 2
The Agency
Tekken 6
Coded Arms: Assault
Resistance 2 Rise of Man
360
Banjo-Kazooie 3
Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2
Dogtag
Fable 2
Magna Carta 2
Mobile Ops: The One Year War
Ninja Gaiden 2
Too Human
I’m sure the 360 games will be quite good, maybe even excellent titles but is anybody seriously going to buy a 360 to play those instead of buying a PS3?
January 12th, 2008
Kevin,
I agree with you. The majority of great games coming out in 2008 will either be ps3 exclusives or some that are multiplatform, which will be in the ps3’s advantage, unless microsoft has tricks up their sleeve. But, even though, it is hard to stack up against the barrage of awesome ps3 games.
January 12th, 2008
This wouldn’t be surprising, Halo 3 didn’t really blow me away, however Call of Duty 4 was a shock for me. I was a ltitle disappointed with the third installment, but the fourth one is just mind-blowing.
And yes, you make a good point about the exclusives for the PS3 coming out in 2008.
Aside from Fable 2 and maybe Mass Effect, I have no reason to play my 360 anymore past those releases..
January 12th, 2008
You know people who ditched the 360 to play COD 4 on the PS3?? I think thats a lie… or at best a half truth (your not mentioning if there’s other reasons).
Whats the point of purchasing a different console that plays the game exactly the same. Not to mention that Xbox Live is still a better service then PSN (ok well maybe not with these recents Live troubles).
But it still doesn’t make sense to spend $400 for a game that you could already play on the 360. Your friends must have cash to burn…
January 12th, 2008
Ps3 games you missed:
LA Noire
God of War 3(very good chance of 08)
Afrika
Socom: Confrontation
Wardevil: Enigma
360:
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Halo Wars
Alan Wake
Lost Odyssey
Bully:Scholarship Edition(ps2 also)
Left 4 Dead
Huxley
Age of Conan
APB
January 12th, 2008
Why would anyone choose a PS3 over the 360 because of Call of Duty 4, it is on both systems. If they buy the 360 then they get both COD4 and HALO 3. You include maybe one good 360 title in that list and all the good ps3 titles. What about all the GTA IV exclusive material. Just because 2007 is over doesn’t mean that 360’s superior holiday lineup goes away. 2007 Lineup includes Gears of War, Dead Rising, Lost Planet, Halo 3, Call of Duty 2, 3, and 4, Saints Row, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 and 2, Scene It, The Project Gothem racing series, and the Forza Motor Sport racing series. Also amazing titles for 2008 and 2009 will be releasing exclusively for the 360. For example.. Turok, Gears of War 2, Dead Rising 2, Bioshock 2, Mass Effect 2, Halo Wars, Exclusive content for GTA IV, Alan Wake, Splinter Cell: Convictions and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 3. Include all the material when comparing please!
January 12th, 2008
I have both 360 & PS3 CoD4. Side-by-side, the PS3 version is clearer and moves smoother.
January 12th, 2008
Why would you dicth the 360 for the ps3 version. same game…identical rating on each system so why wod you leave? What would you rather play online XboxLive or PSN? LOL dumb question. Who wrote this aticle has valid points but Halo andMassEffect only games right now? Dude come on, dont be retarded.
January 13th, 2008
“…there isn’t much more to the 360 than Halo 3 and Mass Effect at this point in time.”
Seriously dude, get a real job.
January 13th, 2008
I agree with your post i am a ps3 fan through and through but i think your being a bit rough.
Where else can you find shooters with no storyline, bad voice acting and superheros with the personality of tennis ball.
January 13th, 2008
UP until recently the 360 was the place to go for games, but Sony has arrived. 2008 is looking real good, and with all the studios Sony has behind it, 2009 will follow suit. As far as online services, I think if you really look at both XBL and PSN, PSN is right at its heels. A few more features (which are slated for this year) and the PSN will have virtually everything Live offers and more (more being Home). Plus its free. Fanboyism aside, I think if you’re honest with yourself every console gamer should find the PS3 quite appealing. You’ll be getting a nice helping of each genre, more in-house exclusives, and you’ll still be getting a great deal of the same games the 360 will receive.
January 13th, 2008
This guy is obviously just trying to fan the flames of a fanboy war by giving half baked ideas and warped opinions. He’d be banned from most gaming websites, e.g. Gamespot, for trolling by now if he posted this jibberish up there.
January 13th, 2008
Never heard about blorge.com before this. One of the stupidest texts I have read for a while.
January 13th, 2008
@ Dman20000000
A game that is also released on the PC or PS2 is not a 360 exclusive you imbecile.
January 13th, 2008
How about gears 2? I personally don’t care for the game, but it will be huge.
January 13th, 2008
Wow – this guy is talking out of his ass; its like this article was written by a 7 year-old, a blind 7 year-old.
January 13th, 2008
this post was lame, you saying it like PS3 is superior to 360 every single way.
btw, if you into FPS, then the 360 is a console for you.
January 13th, 2008
this site should be called ps fanboy blog i mean cmon ditch the xbox 360 to go to the ps3 why the (f) would u pay 400$ to play the same game without mentioning the ps3 very very bright colors (not so cool) and there is only halo 3 and mass effect what a ps3 fanboy retard talk
January 13th, 2008
if you have no evidence or facts to back up your opinion, then stfu.
January 13th, 2008
On average 850,000 unique users log into and play Halo 3 within any 24 hour period. Halo is not losing population to any game let alone to COD4.
January 13th, 2008
and the ps3 has had controller problems for years, it overheats a lot more than the 360, and the 360 has Xbox Live.
January 13th, 2008
Also
Metal Gear Solid 4 is coming for 360…as far as i know.
And dont forget the many marketplace games =D
I have a PS3 and id choose my 360 over it any day as the online experience is much more enjoyable.
January 13th, 2008
Shut up, halo isn’t that great of a game.cod4 has way better story,graphics and gameplay.for a game that took three years to make and it’s the same as halo two doesn’t make me want a 360 anymore than a ps3. theres maybe 5 must have games for the 360 and cod4 isn’t one of them.i played it onboth systems and it was better on ps3
January 13th, 2008
I am sure that Bungie is laughing all the way to the bank when they read this story. Convert means that the person had bought Halo 3 in the first place which is all Bungie cares about. Halo 3 and COD 4 are two different games. For me, Halo 3 is for playing with my friends and COD $ is for when none of my friends are on xbox live,
January 13th, 2008
Umm.. besides Halo 3 and Mass Effect, going foward into 2008 Xbox 360 has some er… exclusive?..er games?… No? Oh yea that Banjo Kazo game where you control a Bear? Im sure thats going to be a hit….er…no?
January 13th, 2008
“Though I have no evidence of this…”
Hasn’t your mother told you what happens to little boys who talk out their asses?
They get a job working for Sony’s PR dept.
January 14th, 2008
….LOL…this article is hilarious. Not only is Call of Duty 4 on 360, but the 360 version has over 5X the sales of the PS3 version. Which means millions of more players to play with online, on xbox live! which is alot better than PSN. The 360 has the better controller for FPSs and to the guy thats says that the PS3 version looks better. Goto Gametrailers.com and download the HD head to head….you can plainly see that the 360 version has richer colors. and the Frames per second is 60 in both…so saying that it runs smoother on the ps3 is BS.
January 14th, 2008
Just had to ask….
Is this guy getting paid by Sony, or is he just pissed that the 360 version is flying off the shelves…and for the record COD4 is still #2 to Halo on Xbox live.
January 14th, 2008
But why bie a piece of overprices junk like the PS3 when I can play BOTH Halo 3 (which has an awesome multiplayer) AND COD4 (which has an awesome multiplayer) on the X360?
To spice it up you can throw in TF2 from Orange Box which has awesome multiplayer (unless we’re talking PS3 version, because the port sucks like most other ports), GRAW, R6, PDZ, COD2 (which still plays great), the exclusive and still awesome Gears of War and ton of other FPS.
You’re saying the COD4 has good multiplayer? Good, but that’s just another reason to favor the X360 if you’re an FPS diehard.
January 14th, 2008
BTW, your claims are pure verbal s#!t.
January 14th, 2008
BTW, what I can understand from your article is basically 3 claims:
1) COD 4 has More dynamic gameplay and tighter multiplayer:
This is:
a) wrong, because in terms of sheer numbers Halo 3 is more dynamic
b) misleading, because you claim big team battles are better on COD4 only because you personally can’t play well in a team in Halo 3. With good teammates both games deliver excellent tight gameplay (Halo 3 being slightly better BTW).
2) Bungie keeps making bad game tweaks:
This tweaks are balancing and perfercting the game. The fact that you can’t adjust to a more balanced game (perhaps because you found and abused a glitch that was fixed in a patch) says more about you as a gamer than it says about Bungie as a developer. Most gamers would love to have the game more balanced and fun to play.
3) Call of Duty 4 is an excellent cross-platform title
Now this is just stupid. X360 owners will not ditch Halo 3 because they can also buy the PC version of COD4 or (god forbidden) a crippled PS3 with the same game.
January 14th, 2008
mmm…why people worry so much for an article? I enjoy all current 3 systems. Your point is? get a life…..get a grib…i don’t care which console is better or more fun…..Wii = more casual games, Xbox 360 = flooded with FPS, not for me…but some nice RPG line up…PS3 = more mixed hardcore and RPG….only Uncharted really get me going….so…i guess each system have their pros and cons…..this is going to be an on going argument…forever. Chicken or egg first?
January 14th, 2008
Muhahah! All the stupid Xbots up in arms. My my how easy it is to toy with these mindless bots.
I especially like the comments made by Xbot Eric about 5x more sales on 360 than PS3.. hehe in his dream land. Oh and his delusion to go download the comparison video that 360 version is superior haha…. read and weep to those that doubt which version is superior:
“We had our best programmers on the PS3 [version of Call of Duty] and it shows,” Infinity Ward studio head Vince Zampella has bellowed. He’s been explaining why Sony’s edition has a bigger online capacity (24 max players vs 360’s 18) and, according to those with cyborg-eyes, improved visuals.
http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=2007112111543578009&releaseId=2007042715365068067
Ohhhhh BURRNNNN!!! Xbots REJOICE!
January 14th, 2008
I play both and enjoy both, but I haven’t seen any evidence of Halo 3 losing a fan base. Every night since Christmas between 9-midnight there are at least 450,000 gamers online playing Halo 3. On the nights I play COD4 there are a max of about 120,000. There are that many people in halo’s team slayer playlist alone. Even if there are more playing on the PS3 I can’t imagine the number is higher than 200,000. So based on number of gamers Halo…on one system beats COD4 on 2 systems.
As far as gameplay…I enjoy both but Halo is far better. I thought for sure Halo’s “save film” feature would ruin COD4 for me…I had become addicted to watching my Halo matches over and over again and I was sure not having it in COD4 would ruin the game for me. I was wrong. I don’t miss save film in COD4 at all…because everymatch plays out the same and every kill you have looks the same and every kills looks the same. Shoot a guy in the head – he crumples to the ground…shoot a guy in the chest – he crumples to the ground…blow a guy up with a grenade – he crumples to the ground. It all looks the same game in, game out. Go to Bungie’s favs to see the varieties of ways you can die in Halo. Plus COD4 comes down to who see who first…not exactly skill based. In halo if I come up on a guy who is better then me he can still spin around and kill me…yeah that sucks, but I appreciate the skill involved.
Also matchmaking in COD4 stinks compared to Halo matchmaking.
January 14th, 2008
I elaborate what I mean by skill. If I get a drop on a guy in Halo it doesn’t always mean I’ll get the kill. If I sneak up on someone who is better than me he’ll be able to turn – stick me with a grenade, no scope me with the sniper, or just out maneuver in a gun battle and get the kill. Like I said that sucks for me, but I appreciate how Halo rewards skill.
In COD4 if I get the drop on the guy I will always get the kill, because it takes 2-3 burst of fire to kill them…one burst if its in the head. Like I said its just a matter of who sees who first. Perfect example…I can go a full week playing no COD4 and join some friends and lead the team in kills. If I left Halo for a week, I’d likely get zero kills when I came back.
And for the matchmaking. I play with friends and we work well as a team. In COD4 the matchmaking is so bad that either we slaughter some poor saps or we are the poor saps getting slaughtered. The reason is because Matchmaking in COD4 is incapable of putting two evenly matched teams together. Halo’s ranking system means that if you are a skill level 30, you’ll be playing other level 30s, and the matches are always close and down to the wire…that makes it more fun than trouncing or being trounced 1000-450 in a ground war match.
January 14th, 2008
Well I must agree with you. After reading your blog really bungie has slacked when It comes to multiplayer and I’m a huge HALO die hard, and my self has converted to call of duty 4 but I don’t honestly no why. But its all about the fun. Now I do play halo 3 but halo 3 is just not as rewarding as cod 4. In halo 3 your lucky if you get one xp. Now that I think about it I only played it really for the story, which was awesome in my eyes. Great series in that sense.
Call of duty 4 has just been more compelling for me I just wished they had kept vehicles like they had in cod3.
http://gamertechclan.blogspot.com/
January 15th, 2008
triston you should not have any consol you are a cock ps3 is good and xbox 360 is good end of story
January 23rd, 2008
If your 360 dies that would probably be the best time to make the switch apparently M$ is going to stop repairing the 360 sorry guys maybe now is the time to buy a ps3
February 2nd, 2008
this guy who posted this is a ps3 fanboy cause 360 has tons of new games come on killzone2 an haze those both suck fallout 3 left 4 dead fable2
tons of new ones i love ps3 but ill take 360 over it an i bought cod4 for 360 i would never buy a console just for a game when i can get it on a console i already have who ever posted this ur a fuckin retard
February 5th, 2008
If u like video games, BUY A PC
if u dont like video games do u have friends? if u have RL friends get a Wii, if u have internet friends get a xbox360, if u have no friends get a PS3.
Enough said.
February 8th, 2008
Just a few things, first Batman haha have to agree with you there. Second Dan, couldn’t agree with you more man.
I myself was a die hard halo fan through and through, dating back to halo 1 days, and if anyone says that that game didn’t change the way that you look at FPS games you can shove it up your ass because you know it did. Halo 2 did disappoint in the beginning but once i discovered its fantastic online multi I was hooked. But now for the real battle, Halo 3 vs. CoD4.
I thought I would never pick up the CoD game ever because I loved halo so much but all of my friends were getting it and playing only that so I figured I might as well play it. So, I went and picked up my copy and was in aww. It was the cleanest, best looking game I had ever played gameplay was amazing everything seemed to outdo Halo. Then i really started getting into it and i thought i was never going to play Halo again. Then i started realizing the little things that makes Halo better.
Matchmaking sucks in CoD4 you get paired up with people of completely different skill than you making the game fun or just stupid. So it is almost never competitive, the only time i really get hardcore intense matches is when i play a clan match. Whoever sees who first is obviously going to get the kill which takes almost no skill, and in Halo I will kill you a majority of the time if you are shooting me first because i am better or visa versa.
Grenade throws in CoD4 are retarded, if you know where they are will you almost always get a kill int he beginning of a match and thats just retarded.
CoD gets extremely repetitive and its just too easy to get good at. Within 2 weeks I was beating my friends who were lvl 10 prestige and that just shouldn’t happen… my friends who are 50’s in halo still kick my ass even though I am a 46.
To just sum it up. If your looking for a fun game to play with your friends CoD4 is the way to go. Its more visually appealing, cleaner, and the gameplay is fun and casual. But, if you are looking for competitive and intense gameplay that makes you work solely as a team or you will lose, Halo 3 is the way to go. Personally after thinking i would never play Halo again because CoD4 was so good, I have currently stopped playing CoD4 and play Halo 3.
February 14th, 2008
Whoever said that Haze and Killzone 2 suck, you are an idiot. You are obviously mad that the 360 doesn’t have it. To those of you that say GayBox Live is better Than PSN you are retarted, who gives a rats ass about all that other shit, eberyone is online for one reason and one reason only, to play the game, not brag about stupid shit.
February 20th, 2008
List of PLAYSTATION 3 exclusives
* Afrika
* Angel Rings
* Coded Arms: Assault
* DC Universe
* Driver 5
* Eight Days
* Eye of Judgment
* Eyedentify
* Fifth Phantom Saga
* Final Fantasy XIII
* Final Fantasy Versus XIII
* God of War III
* Gradius 6
* Gran Turismo 5
* Heavenly Sword
* Hot Shots Golf 5
* Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier
* Killzone
* L.A. Noire
* Lair
* LittleBigPlanet
* Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
* Monster Kingdom
* Ni-Oh
* Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction
* SingStar
* SOCOM
* Tekken 6
* The Getaway 3
* Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
* Warhawk
* White Knight Story
* WipeOut
And many more to come all A++ games PS3 is a must have system for any gamer.
February 24th, 2008
umm wow this is freaking bogus….Get a real job and find some real friends…not the imaginary ones that buy ps3’s over 360’s because of CoD4.
By the way love your defficincy in saying only Halo 3 and Mass effect….what about metioning the fact that ps3 has like 9 games out in total
February 24th, 2008
ROFL @ that list of games STILL TO COME….you people keep waiting for sony to give you games to play on your poor ps3’s.KEEP WAITING
In the mean time you can go find some friends and get a proper job…unlike the fanboy who wrote this article.
BTW I have a Wii and its the only console my girlfriend would play.**Hint to all you losers with no friends**
February 27th, 2008
First of all, there is no reason you people can’t have a very colorful and exciting arguement/disagreement between video game consoles/games w/out name calling and put downs. I agree w/ some of the abovementioned statments and disagree w/ others but I don’t need to shove my opinions down other peoples throats and talk rudely to others about something as harmless as the pros and cons of different video games and consoles.
I have EVERY system except for a 360 and I never play my x-box. I am a die-hard pc gamer w/ a great love for my psp. I could get along great if I never had a console but I have to admit, I enjoy the ps3 for Rockband, Ridgeracer 7 and BLU-RAY movies. My wife is addicted to an on-line game called Pyotama where she is ranked 61st on-line. As for the Wii, we like wii sports, wii play and dance dance revolution.
My favorite game is Cod 4 for my pc and Star wars battlefront 2 for pc, ps2 and psp. I have over 20 psp games, 1/2 of which i still need to get into before I formally comment.
FPS games are my 1st choice. I have NOT played Halo except for a couple of lan parties when I was the only one w/ no experience and got powned perpetually si was no fun.
As far as my very uninformed opinion of 360 vs ps3: 360 was built as the ultimate gaming console and to that end, I am certain it is amazing regardless of pros and cons. ps3 has blu-ray and has HUGE potential which is getting better every day. We use it now as a divx player, dvd player as well ans surf the net, download new games, trailers….use the remote play feature w/ ps3 with psp and it’s FUN. I can load a huge buch of movies on the ps3 and watch via high speed on psp anywhere on earth. COOL! I also have an amazing dell xps M1710 gaming pc for cod 4. VERY cool!
February 28th, 2008
sorry guys but im gonna have 2 disagree. for one thing COD4 does not let two people play live on the same system. Another thing is that i think that the guns and player movement and shooting better on halo 3 than COD4. COD4 does have better graphics and campaign, although i would of liked it 2 be two player. Over all halo 3 is a better game.
March 5th, 2008
why the hell does everyone make fun of the guy that wrote this article, and Silvaback…you are a fucking dumbass- “umm wow this is freaking bogus….Get a real job and find some real friends…not the imaginary ones that buy ps3’s over 360’s because of CoD4.
By the way love your defficincy in saying only Halo 3 and Mass effect….what about metioning the fact that ps3 has like 9 games out in total”
neither you or the guy that wrote this have any evidence to back up your agument and you can’t make fun of him cause you were bored enough to be sitting on your ass at your computer reading his article…
March 11th, 2008
Did you all have a hand in the R&D of these consoles, are you the brain child behind it all. Just reading all your fanboy comments makes me realise your all retards