Yesterday, when I logged onto Xbox LIVE, I happened to notice that my Call of Duty: Elite subscription is set to expire next month. Then, I casually had a panic attack when I realized that I didn’t have a rock-solid plan in place that would ensure the maximum level of CoD enjoyment over the next twelve months. Luckily, you don’t have to have a similar experience, because I’m going to give you the rundown of Activision’s latest plan.
Yes, Elite is changing, but there’s really no need to worry. In essence, only the paid portion of the service is being yanked. Technically, Activision created the premium service to cater to the hardcore CoD fan, and members had access to more storage space (for videos and screenshots), events/challenges, and a year’s worth of map packs and DLC. However, aside from the DLC, all of the premium content will now become available without any additional fees.
Also, with the release of Black Ops 2, Activision is expanding the Elite service to include a collection of Black Ops specific features:
Player HQ – Track Call of Duty: Black Ops II performance with rich game statistics, including enhanced match information such as heat maps and recent match data; track challenges and extensively modify your classes like never before using Treyarch’s new Pick 10 Create-a-Class system.
Clan HQ – Join an existing clan or start your own, invite friends and then take part in Call of Duty: Black Ops II clan competitions with cool digital prizing.
Zombies Support – For the millions of Zombies fans out there, now you can track your Zombies personal statistics and compare it to other players’ around the world.
Call of Duty Elite TV – Launching with tablet support with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the new Call of Duty Elite TV will deliver a renewed community focus featuring developer tips and strategy programming, custom class overviews, and more.
Social Sharing and Notifications – With Call of Duty Elite’s new notification system, you can stay updated with what is going on in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, as well as communicate directly with your clan.
The only major thing that’s changing is the way you’ll purchase DLC. Treyarch is promising four major map packs for Black Ops 2. All of these will be available as an individual purchase, or via the Black Ops 2 Season Pass package. So Activision is basically going back to the tried-and-true method of delivering DLC rather than relying on the Elite Premium service.
I really enjoyed Call of Duty: Elite when it first hit the market, but it was really just a glorified way to check my stats. And considering that only 20% of CoD players had access to the premium content, I obviously wasn’t alone in my opinion.
Hopefully, by giving everyone access to the premium features, it will draw more people into the newly revamped league play system and encourage the community to grow.
Either way, I should probably go pick up a DLC season pass, as if Activision doesn’t already have enough of my money.
 | By Josh Engen Lead Contributor Date: November 7, 2012 |
*The views expressed within this article are solely the opinion of the author and do not express the views held by Cheat Code Central.*