Two New Advertising Spots for Black Ops

With a big thanks to forum user and regular news-tipper khush33, we have a couple new TV spots for Black Ops. The first advertisement is for the Black Ops Edition Jeep Wrangler and can be seen below.

The second advertising spot comes courtesy of Wal-Mart and can be seen below. We’ve only got a few days left until launch and a ton of fun stuff planned for the next few weeks, before and after Black Ops hits shelves on November 9th. Be sure to check out our forum and get to know some of the community members, and see what we’re all about over there.

Thanks for checking in with us!

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Best Buy Chats with Black Ops Developers

Earlier today, Best Buy hosted a live chat with Black Ops developers Dan Bunting and David Vonderhaar. There were a lot of great transcriptions below. We weren’t able to get in on the even, but we believe we have a full transcript below. This transcript comes courtesty of kirby` over at the official Call of Duty Forum.

ThisGuy107 – What is the hardest thing about making a game that looks this great!?
DanBu – Great question ThisGuy107. I would say the hardest thing about making games like this is having to cut features that you love. We had a ton of fun making this game, and it’s a lot of hard work.

noobeffect – Will PC players see numbers or bars in the ping/latency column on the scoreboard?
DavidVo – Hi Noob. PC gamers have a ping column on the scoreboard. It refreshes really fast.

Jarsh019 – Are canadians in BO?
DanBu – Hi Jarsh. Only in the online lobbies.

karamvir – What level are you guys in Blackops currently :p
DanBu – Karamvir… I’m max prestige 15. But that’s only because I cheated.
DavidVo – Level 50, Prestige 15 of course on my main profile. But, most others are in the mid 20s. We are always starting fresh profiles to keep testing the rank progression.

apocalyptix81 – what server settings can we change on a ranked server on the pc side?
DavidVo – I saw a recent version of RCON. It’s a lot of settings for both rented ranked and even more for unrented ranked. I am working with @pcdev to get the FAQ updated. We haven’t released the full list but I think most PC server admins should be satisfied. Sorry, I mean a lot for rented UNRANKED.

Dispy – What took the longest time to make in Black ops (no spoilys please )
DanBu – Adding the currency system to the game was one of our biggest changes and took the longest time to implement and tune. It was a big change, but it was worth the effort and time put into it for sure.

the_FPS_KING – I totally would teach you something about FPSes if you gave me a chance lol…anyways, @David – Your twitter bio says “Just remember, when the game comes out we thought of it first.” Is this in reference to an aspect of the game that hasn’t been revealed yet? And if so, will you elaborate? Plz
DavidVo – I am sure you would. Honestly, I get asked this question a lot but have never answered it. The truth is pretty simple. A lot of people like to speculate and I like to wind them up. That simple.

chitownforlife – Will barebones PC use pistols as a secondary weapon?
DavidVo – Barebones is no different on the PC than it is on the consoles. Right now, we have all secondary weapons being available and most of those weapons are pistols. But it’s not specfically limited to pistols. Don’t fret tho. Most launchers need a lock on making them not so great vs infantry.

Lamonte – is FOV changeable in the pc version?.
DavidVo – Yes it is. The last time I looked at it personally you could take it to 80.

BlackhawkDDL – Unranked or Ranked for tatical realism servers on the pc?
DavidVo – For a PC gamer, I would think you would be happier with Unranked. Ranked does have hardcore and barebones, however. That’s fairly tatical in nature.

satansspawn – On PC can we run 9v9 on all game types or are we restricted for s&d
DavidVo – Absolutely. Most of the official ranked servers are set up this way right now.

F0dd3r – Would Treyarch be willing to balance perks, killstreaks and weapons post launch if they are deemed overpowered by the community?
DanBu – Hey F0dd3r. Absolutely. It’s always a controversial move to balance features post-launch… But, Treyarch has always been a big proponent of listening to the community and making changes that are popular.

ThisGuy107 – Is there any new features or changes to the online network that will either improve connection quality or make it easier for friends to play with each other?
DavidVo – Many to help you play with Friends. All versions of the game have a built in Friends list, for example. This can often be quicker than using the PSN or Xbox versions (for example).

LevelUpAdrian – I’ve purchased a ranked server for the PC version – if that’s full on launch night, is there a way to remotely kick people?
DanBu – Yo Adrian! Yes, you will be able to kick and ban from your ranked servers.

razdor – How will wager matches work on the PC? will it use dedicated servers that are up by Treyarch? if so, what will happen if all the slots in those servers are taken at one point?
DavidVo – We have officially ranked Wager Match servers. Once the 6 fill up, the server doesn’t allow anymore in. Think of it like a Dedicated Server with 6 slots.

Lionmouth – Will PC users be able to edit their MP configuration. If so, how in-depth (edit crosshair placement, fov, tweak Aim-Down-Scope settings)?
DanBu – You can edit the same configs that you’ve always been able to edit, but those changes are not supported by Treyarch.

Ovanite – What are the doing to keep the online multi from becoming a knife fest with every one using the commando perk.?
DavidVo – Great question. We don’t actually have the Commando perk in Call of Duty Black Ops.

ABC_Darth_Rogue – Can we create mixed playlists such as CTF and S&D on the same ranked server? Will the admin tool be included with the game or third party like RCON? Will you be allowing Steam to permit users who pre-purchase the game to pre-load the game files to avoid long download times?
DavidVo – You can tell the server which base Playlist and then you can do exclusions. So as long as we have a playlist with mixed modes, you’ll be able to customize from their. For example: Ditching a map you don’t want in rotation.

capzlol – Im really only going to play this game if its competitive and it probably wont be competitive until mod tools are out. So what time do you think mod tools will be released?
DanBu – No ETA on mod tools release yet…. The game will ship with highly competitive modes like hardcore, barebones, and any number of custom game modes that you create in the Custom Games editor. You’ve also got Wager Match which is crazy intense…. Most competitive I’ve felt playing a game in years.

papasmurf – im unsure about the reporting a cheat feature, how will you be able to look at thousands of reports? and what do you have inplace for bogus reports?
DanBu – What up Smurf… So, we have people at Treyarch who have a full-time job of monitoring all of the games you guys play… They also review the stats for cheaters reported by the game and cheaters reported by other players. There are all sorts of secret magical things happening behind the scenes to track cheaters.

blackmamba18 – So, I am more of a sniper…but I am really aggravated when one weapon type is 10x better and easier to use. Can you please explain how shotguns are being made into a balancd primary weapon?>
DavidVo – We have always felt that Shotguns are better as primary weapons instead of secondaries so you have to give up any hope of winning a mid or long range battle. It’s true they are deadly at close range for sure. But that doesn’t mean you can’t win if you have an assault rifle or smg. Remember they often have far less ammo or they have the rechamber time. Also, shotguns have fewer attachments than other weapons available to them.

Linage – In the FAQ thread on the forums in the PC section it said the Max players have not been finalized but that was some time ago. Is there now an answer to the Max amount of players we can have in Ranked and unranked servers on PC?
DanBu – Hello Linage… Current player counts are set to 18 players max on ranked and 24 on unranked, but these numbers are always tunable post-launch. We’ll be aggressively supporting the title post-launch.

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to stick around as we continue to count the days down until Black Ops. We’re under a week now, and very happy to be there. Check out the forum if you’re interested, a ton of Black Ops discussion there and oftentimes the news hits the forum before it gets a chance to make its way to the front page. See you next time!

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7 Ways to Be Prepared for Black Ops

Hello, all! Today we’re proud to bring you a piece written by our own senior forum moderator, Sinan. Sinan was kind enough to take this assignment, even though English is not his native language. He chose today, to focus on 7 ways that gamers can get prepared for November 9th. There are only 7 days left today! In one week, Black Ops will hit the shelves. So, what do you need to do to get prepared? Take it away, Sinan!

Only 7 days left. 7 long days before  Black Ops hits shelves on November 9th..Today, we are highlighting  7 ways to  get prepared for Call of Duty: Black Ops. We want to be ready for his masterpiece, don’t we? Okay, here are the 7 things you can do to get ready for D-Day of the gamers!!

Play Treyarch’s previous Call of Duty game, W@W, by this way, you can experience what Treyarch did to raise the bar from their previous CoD game and you can get an idea of what to expect. And also you’ll have an idea about  Reznov’s background. Viktor Reznov is a Russian squad leader of the Red Army in Call of Duty: World at War during World War II. He is also confirmed to play a major part in Call of Duty: Black Ops by Treyarch.

You don’t want to wait a very long line to get this game. What to do? Just pre order the Game. You can pre order Regular Edition, Hardened edition with 4 additional zombie maps or you can pre order Prestige edition, every gamers dream edition. This edition will feature a scaled down Rc-Xd remote controlled car. If you haven’t pre ordered it yet, check our Pre-Order page to get an idea.

Yes, rewatch all the Trailers, gameplay videos and footages that Treyarch has released so far to familiarize yourself with the game. We have seen lots of different maps multiple times. Watching trailers a couple of times might give you an advantage in multiplayer mode in first few days after the games release.

Stock!! You don’t want to get out and waste your time buying water and food when you could be playing One in The Chamber or experiencing new guns and perks.. And also do not forget to call your parents, girlfriend/boyfriend about you will be playing Black Ops next 20 hours. Do not make them wonder where are you..! You don’t want to break up with your girl friend for this game. Or do you!? If you don’t want, let them know what you will be doing for a long time. And also if you are working, call your boss and act like you are sick, get a two day break and PLAY!! (Just kidding, haha!)

Do not forget to check your favorite Black Ops site everyday. We will be posting a new count-down article each day. Also we are going to continue to bring you latest news related with BO. Also do not forget to sign-up to our forums. At our forums, we are discussing lots of different topics, so you might want to check there. And you can meet with all the cool writers and mods ( including the author of this one) and chat with them!!!

Have you ever wanted to meet with someone who makes video games that you play 20 hours a day? Well, if you live in the UK, like house music and want to meet Black Ops’ lead multiplayer designer, you’re lucky! David Vonderhaar is heading to London for Black Ops launch night, and is looking to meet up with a few CoD fans one evening this week. Head over to his thread on the CoDHQ for more info! http://www.callofduty.com/board/viewtopi…rimal91u02

We all know that Nazi Zombies in World at War was extremely addictive and fun to play, and stand still, that mode was a last minute addition to game. Developers had very little time when they were making Nazi Zombies in Waw and it was very good. Now they had an entire year to make it perfect. You may want to play Zombies in Waw again to prepare yourself to mysteries of Black Ops Zombies!!!!

And this is the end of our ‘7 ways to get ready for Black Ops’ Do not forget to read tomorrows article!! And Join our Forums!!!

P.S: Thanks for our forum admins Ed, Nate and Mike for their help. Also thanks to our Forum moderator Jamie for his helps too..

Be sure to stop by each week as we count the days off, one by one, until Black Ops is finally in our hands. That day can not come soon enough!

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4 Ways that Black Ops Improves Upon Modern Warfare 2

Welcome to the next article in our Countdown Series. As you can see, we are now only 4 days from the release of what potentially could be another record-breaking game, following in the footsteps of Modern Warfare 2 which was released only one year ago. The excitement we are feeling is much the same as this time last year, when we were so close to the release of Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2. Before we kick off with this article, let’s remind ourselves of the success of last year’s Call of Duty game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was certainly one of the most hyped games in history. In the build up to release, you couldn’t watch TV or use the Internet without adverts and commercials enticing you to buy the game. As a result, many, many millions of people were enticed. In the first 5 days of release, Modern Warfare 2 had smashed Grand Theft Auto IV’s previous record, earning a revenue of around $550 million. By January 2010, it had taken over $1 billion in sales.

So, with the game being such a massive hit with the entire world, is it possible that these records and benchmarks set by Infinity Ward could be met, or possibly even improved upon? Well, it was reported a while back that Black Ops had surpassed Modern Warfare 2's pre-order numbers, and while this hints at a possible record-breaker, pre-orders officially account for nothing.

However, even though the huge sales would not suggest this, Modern Warfare 2 quickly fell out of favour with many players. Whilst the game itself was undeniably excellent, after a few weeks, several new issues became apparent as players moved through the levels, including weapon imbalances, killstreak and perk combinations, and of course, boosting. Infinity Ward did begin to combat these problems, but after a dispute with producers Activision, many of the staff were fired or quit, meaning there was not much of a team remaining to release patches.

Now, on with the article. As the title suggests, we are going to look at four of the main ways that Black Ops may improve on Modern Warfare 2, not necessarily in sales, but more likely in gameplay.

One of the key issues that arose in Modern Warfare 2 is Multiplayer balance. Several weapons were, and still are, deemed as being ‘overpowered’, and some perk and killstreak combinations can frustrate players. Treyarch seems to have taken the community’s views into account when designing their Multiplayer, and this is reflected in several changes that they have made.

Weapon balance – David Vonderhaar has stated that every gun has it’s own advantages and disadvantages, and that higher levelled players who have access to more guns will not have any clear advantage based on the weapons they can choose.Killstreak balance – Remember the infamous Predator-Harrier-Chopper Gunner killstreak combo in Modern Warfare 2? Many players did not like the fact that when someone got a 5-killstreak, they just went and camped and let their Predator and Harrier jet do the work for them to get their Chopper Gunner or AC-130. Say goodbye to this in Black Ops, as kills you earn from killstreak rewards to do count to your killstreak, meaning that you must kill with your weapons or equipment to advance to the next killstreak reward.Perk balance – There were a fair few perks, and perk combinations, that received a lot of negative comments from the CoD community. Commando is one in particular, which enables the player to have an abnormally large knifing distance. The One Man Arm & Danger Close combination was also hated my many, which allowed users to constantly refill their explosives supply. The Black Ops perks have been reworked by a team at Treyarch Studios to ensure balance is retained. Notable factors that will please many people are; Commando, One Man Army, and Danger Close have all been removed, Scavenger now only replaces ammunition and equipment (no Grenade Launchers!), and Flak Jacket will protect you from most explosions. Get suited up with Flak Jacket!

Most people should now know about the new level of customisation is Black Ops. However, for the few people who are not aware of this, let’s recap. Treyarch have gone to new lengths to find suitable customisation options for their new Call of Duty title. Let’s have a look in a bit more detail at what we can expect to see in Black Ops;

First of all, the Perk One tier decides how your character looks, rather than the gun you choose. So if you choose Ghost, you will be wearing a ghillie suit, regardless of what gun you select. This now allows someone who wants to use an assault rifle to crawl around in long grass undetected.Titles and emblems are now gone. However, fully customisable emblems will be introduced, and a wide selection of backgrounds will be available, so your Player Card can be truly unique.Level 16 – The emblem you create can be stamped onto your gun.Level 19 – Your clan tag can be etched onto your weapon once you reach.Level 22 – All of Black Ops’ new camouflages are unlocked, and can be purchased in any order – no headshot challenges required. The golden camouflage makes a return.Level 25 – Red-dot and Reflex sights can be customised – both the reticle (dot) shape and the reticle colour can be customised. There are 7 reticle colours and over 30 different reticle shapes to choose from.Level 28 – The lens colour of your sight can also be changed. There are 6 lens coloursLevel 31 – Facepaints for your character are unlocked, and can be purchased in any order. There are over 20 different patterns.

All of this customisation will cost you your hard-earned CoD Points though, so make sure you spend them wisely! If you decide to Prestige, then you will lose everything except for any emblems you have created, including all of your CoD Points. Before Modern Warfare 2, many people were calling for a character customisation, but did not receive it – only customisable killstreaks and the regular headshot challenge camouflages were featured. Black Ops has seemingly answered this call.

A customised sight on an AUG

When it was announced that zombies would not make a reappearance in Modern Warfare 2, many players were disappointed, as the mode was certainly one of the most popular features of Call of Duty: World at War. However, we were promised a brand new co-op mode, called ‘Spec-Ops’, which could be played alone or with a friend online or via splitscreen. Many people enjoyed this game mode, but it did not have much replayability – once every mission was completed on Veteran, most people never played Spec-Ops again, because it seemed to lack the fun element that zombies had.

Zombies are back in Black Ops though, and they’re bigger than ever before! Three brand new zombie maps will ship with every edition of the game, including the brand new Dead Ops Arcade mode. Also, the Hardened and Prestige Editions will ship with a code that enables you to download the four World at War zombie maps, which have been updated to work with Treyarch’s improved game engine, and also features the new Black Ops weapons.

Please note that there has been a lot of leaked footage containing a significant number of spoilers regarding zombies, zombie maps and the Dead Ops Arcade mode. This site does not report on leaked footage. So if you have seen leaked footage, or have read spoilers, then we would appreciate it if comments regarding this could be kept off the front page. Thank you

Nazi Zombies Return to Black Ops

Back to the article..!

Probably the biggest problem in Modern Warfare 2 was boosting. Players were able to use a Tactical Insertion to spawn wherever they choose, therefore being able to spawn right next to a friend on the other team, who would headshot the ‘Tactical Insertor’ to gain killstreaks, camouflages, or just boost their Kill:Death ratio. Players would often hide in twos or three in low-traffic areas maps to boost quickly.

When it was announced that the Tactical Insertion would be featured in Black Ops, there was an initial uproar from a lot of fans. The Multiplayer design directors were barraged with questions about boosting, but Treyarch responded calmly. They told the community of the measures that have been taken to ensure that players cannot use the Tactical Insertion to boost.

Tactical Insertions cannot be used in Free For All, where the majority of boosting was performedBoosting for CoD Points in Wager Matches will be almost impossible, because all players are randomly selected, meaning no parties allowed.Players cannot invite friends into certain game modes where boosting could be commonplace, such as Free For All.Most interestingly, players can report boosters in Black Ops to Treyarch, who will use the new Theatre mode to see if the reported player was indeed boosting. The booster’s 10 most recent games can be viewed by the team at Treyarch Studios, and if somebody is deemed to be boosting, they will be banned immediately.

After looking at this, Treyarch seem to have taken the right steps towards kicking boosting out of Call of Duty. Boosting ruined Modern Warfare 2's online leaderboards, which meant that your rank was not representative of your skill level, as most of the players towards the top of the leaderboards boosted to get their score.

Say goodbye to boosting!

So there you have it, four reasons why Black Ops could potentially be a better game than Modern Warfare, and possibly even surpass it’s sales records. For now, we can only look at what Treyarch and Activision have showed us, but Black Ops sure looks to take all the best features of Modern Warfare 2, such as gameplay, fun, and intensity, and remove all of the features that many people feel ruined the biggest entertainment launch of all time. We will have to wait until November 9th and beyond to see if Call of Duty: Black Ops is as balanced and fair as Treyarch say it is, but if I were you, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they were exactly right!

Remember to look out for tomorrow’s entry in the Countdown Series, and past articles can be viewed here. Also, check out the Forum where we have ongoing discussion about the upcoming Black Ops! Thank you for taking the time to read this article, we hope you come back soon!

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Brand New OXM Sharpshooter Video

Hey everybody! Today, the guys at Official Magazine Magazine UK have uploaded a brand new gameplay video of a Black Ops Wager Match. The game in question is a ‘Sharpshooter’ match on the map ‘Radiation’. Whilst the player in the video does not perform too well, it certainly provides us with another insight into how the Sharpshooter Wager Match works, and how difficult it can be to do well with so few people on the map. Check out the full video, courtesy of OXM!

Thanks for checking in! We’ll be sure to bring you all of the news leading up to November 9th as it comes rolling in. Two weeks ago, we weren’t sure what the last week leading up to Black Ops would be like as far as news goes. We wondered, will there be a ton of news or will it be the calm before the storm?

We can see now that the news and info is going to keep rolling out at a very rapid pace, and we are more than prepared to keep on delivering the best quality articles, as soon as the news drops.

Thanks for visiting!

Source: OXM

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Metallica to Headline Black Ops Event Plus GameSpots MP Walkthrough

It was recently learned that the California hard rock legends Metallica are set to headline Treyarch/Activisions Black Ops Launch event. The event is scheduled to take place on November 4th, just a couple days away, in Santa Monica, California.

Alongside Metallica’s performance, the event will also feature a salute to the 6 branches of the United States Armed Forces and will raise $1 million for the Call of Duty Endowment. If you are unfamiliar, the Call of Duty Endowment is a public benefit corporation founded by Activision-Blizzard that helps soldiers in their conversion back to civilian life. Many soldiers, upon returning home from service, find that they are having a difficult time in transitioning from a military career into a civilian career. The CoD Endowment aims to assist these soldiers in settling down.

We’ll be sure to post any coverage available of the event, and wrap up all that we learn and are able to see, as well as any clips of Kirk and James’ mind-bending solos.

The good folks over at GameSpot were lucky enough to get a hands-on with Black Ops’ multiplayer and have posted a walkthrough of their experiences. Check out the full video below, courtesy of GameSpot.

Thanks for checking in, as always! Be sure to head over to the community forum for some great Black Ops discussion.

Source: Activision | GameSpot

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Gunnar Optiks’ Black Ops Glasses

American eyewear designer and manufacturer, Gunnar Optiks, is set to relase a custom designed pair of Black Ops Gaming Glasses. Gunnar designs high-grade digital eyewear for many applications, specifically for gaming. Dan Amrich, aka OneOfSwords, recently posted a great entry into his blog talking about the glasses and including several pictures.

Why would you need gaming glasses? Gunnar’s digital eyewear provides a more clear contrast and visual detail, an improvement in visual performance and has provided an increase in productivity in business environments. In a gaming sense, Gunnar’s line of eyewear increases the visual quality of the image on your TV screen or PC monitor and should assist in your performance accordingly.

Here are a few images, courtesy of OneOfSwords.

What are your thoughts on Gunnar’s Black Ops Eyewear? Planning on picking up a pair? Gunnar should be releasing some more info soon, as well as pricing and retail locations. Thanks for checking in!

Check out OneOfSwords for more images and the original blog entry!

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6 Styles of Play To Consider For Black Ops

Another unfamiliar name writing today: Ed! A little background: I started up CoD Black Ops News and used to be Site Admin – those who participated in the live-blog on Sept 1st may remember me – but now I’m just helping out. All those articles in the past written by ‘admin’ were me! So, without further ado…

Many Call of Duty players like to specialize in a particular style of play. There’s rushers, snipers and heavy gunmen, to name a few. In today’s Black Ops countdown article, I’m going to be taking you through a few new play-styles to consider.

Fuelled by montages on YouTube, sniping in Call of Duty has gradually been redefined as the ‘party trick’ play-style. The focus has shifted from long-range support play to run-’n'-gun quickscoping with 360 ladder-shots to boot. However, Treyarch have affirmed that they’re combatting quickscoping in Black Ops, for better or for worse. Rather than give an opinion on this tweak, I’ve decided to propose a return to good-old fashioned marksman sniping.

Primary weapon: Dragunov w/ Variable Zoom Scope attachment

Secondary weapon: ASP

Equipment: Claymore

Lethal grenade: Tomahawk

Tactical grenade: Smoke

Perk 1: Ghost

Perk 2: Scout

Perk 3: Marathon

This class should enable you to sneak around, undetected (thanks to the Ghost perk), in order to pick the best location you can find. From there, the Scout perk will allow you to hold your breath for that extra second in order to score a one-shot kill, while the Variable Zoom Scope will let you pick off the most distant of enemies. Finally, Marathon will allow you to sprint off and find another position before the opposition get wise to your hiding place. Just to be sure, though, use your claymore to protect your back.

There was a vocal minority of players that were disappointed over Infinity Ward’s decision to include the M21 EBR sniper rifle (strictly a fictional gun) in the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, while omitting its assault rifle brother and namesake, the M14 EBR. They’ll be pleased to hear that the M14 returns in Black Ops, together with a vintage wooden look.

Primary weapon: M14 w/ custom red dot sight

Secondary weapon: Python

Equipment: C4

Lethal grenade: Frag

Tactical grenade: Decoy

Perk 1: Scavenger

Perk 2: Steady Aim

Perk 3: Second Chance

This class has something for every situation. First off, the M14 is a high-damage weapon, and, coupled with a custom red dot sight, will be capable of killing enemies at range. However, when surprised at close-quarters, the Steady Aim perk will allow you to hip-fire and get yourself out of some tricky situations. In objective games, the combination of the Decoy tactical grenade and C4 will allow you to set a trap: plant your C4 in a doorway or corridor and then use the Decoy to draw enemies out.

Finally, the combination of Second Chance and the high-powered Python handgun should allow you to snag some last-ditch kills.

Although Juggernaut won’t be returning as a health-boosting perk, it doesn’t stop you from emulating the armoured-up baddies of Modern Warfare 2 Spec Ops! The Juggernaut class packs plenty of firepower, but not much pace…

Primary weapon: M60 w/ Grip

Secondary weapon: China Lake Grenade Launcher

Equipment: Radar Scrambler

Lethal grenade: Semtex

Tactical grenade: Nova Gas

Perk 1: Flak Jacket

Perk 2: Hardened

Perk 3: Tactical Mask

Sporting the famous M60 light machine gun, often seen mounted on helicopters, you’ll be able to tear through enemies with this class. Chuck Nova Gas into a crowded corridor and mow them down, as they stumble around blindly. Deploy your Radar Scrambler to add to their confusion. Hardened will allow you to spray through walls in order to catch those hiding in cover, while Tactical Mask and Flak Jacket will render you almost immune to explosives and stun grenades. If you run out of ammo, switch to your China Lake and decimate multiple hostiles with a single explosive round.

Rushing is not a new play-style, but it’ll be as thriving as ever in Black Ops. The basic premise of rushing is to be light, nimble and quick, so that they can sprint behind enemy lines and catch them out.

Primary weapon: MPL w/ Silencer

Secondary weapon: Ballistic Knife

Equipment: Motion Detector

Lethal grenade: Semtex

Tactical grenade: Flashbang

Perk 1: Lightweight

Perk 2: Steady Aim

Perk 3: Marathon

The combination of Marathon and Lightweight will make this class faster than Usain Bolt (don’t quote me on that!). Steady Aim will allow you to spray from the hip with more accuracy, giving you a split-second advantage when you surprise the enemy in their spawn. Both your weapons are silenced, so you needn’t worry about picking your shots. Set the Motion Detector by your A or C flag on Domination, and sprint back if you’re alerted that someone’s trying to capture it. Finally, the Ballistic Knife will allow for stealthy kills if you want to keep a low profile.

The Shotgun was a secondary weapon in Modern Warfare 2, much to the surprise of many players. However, it’s reclaimed its original place as a primary weapon in CoD: Black Ops. Shotgunning, like rushing with an SMG, relies on the element of surprise. If you get the first shot in, you should get the kill – but venture out into the open and you’ll have little protection from snipers.

Primary weapon: SPAS-12  w/ Grip

Secondary weapon: Crossbow w/ Scope

Equipment: C4

Lethal grenade: Frag

Tactical grenade: Concussion

Perk 1: Lightweight

Perk 2: Steady Aim

Perk 3: Ninja

Although similar to the ‘Catch me if you can’ class, this class also packs a crossbow for longer range kills. Steady Aim decreases the spread of your shotgun pellets, making a one-shot kill more likely. Ninja will make your footsteps silent, so you can sneak up on enemies. The Concussion tactical grenade (formerly known as a stun grenade) will slow down your enemy if they’re just out of range, and Lightweight will allow you to take advantage of this in order to take your shot from close range.

In team-based objective games such as Domination and Capture the Flag, you need to put the good of the team before yourself. To recognize this, Treyarch have removed Kill per Death ratios from objective games, in order to encourage players not to focus on their personal kills but on the team’s objective. Here’s a class that’ll make you popular with your team-mates:

Primary weapon: Enfield w/ custom red dot sight

Secondary weapon: RPG

Equipment: Camera Spike

Lethal grenade: Semtex

Tactical grenade: Flashbang

Perk 1: Hardline

Perk 2: Sleight of Hand

Perk 3: Hacker

This class packs power and precision: the Enfield with your choice of sight will allow you to pick off the bomb planter from a suitable vantage point, while the RPG will allow you to blast away several enemies capturing a flag on Domination. The Camera Spike equipment will help you to watch your back in case of flanking. Hardline helps you to earn those killstreaks sooner (equip UAV in order to help your team discover enemies with only a 2-killstreak), while Hacker will allow you to warn your team of the opposition’s claymores. Finally, Sleight of Hand will give you an all-important quicker reload-time.

That’s all for today! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the next article in our countdown series. 6 days to go!

PS: A big thanks to Jamie, a moderator over at the forums, for sourcing those images.

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Black Ops’ Soundtrack and Valkyrie Rocket Info

Treyarch and Activision recently announced that Sean Murray, the composer who provided much of the soundtrack to World at War, has returned to compose the soundtrack for Black Ops. An excerpt from the press release can be found below.

“SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) revealed today that the soundtrack to the most anticipated game of the year, Treyarch’s Call of Duty®: Black Ops, will also be available for download starting November 9th.  Featuring the music of renowned film composer, Sean Murray, the digital-only soundtrack includes 30 tracks available through iTunes and other major digital media retailers.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops soundtrack, part of a digital distribution agreement between Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Fontana, the award-winning independent sales, marketing and distribution division of Universal Music Group, will be available for purchase online for a retail price of $11.99 per entire soundtrack or $.99 per track.

Sean Murray, one of the entertainment industry’s most esteemed musical talents, reunites with Treyarch for the Call of Duty: Black Ops soundtrack, an encore to his Call of Duty®: World at War composition.”

Players may remember portions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Dies Irae featured in World at War, towards the end in the Red Army portion of the campaign. We know that Activision has licensing to use some Cold War era music, so it won’t be strictly a composed score.

COD HQ, the official Call of Duty message board and notice center, has updated with some more intel on Valkyrie Rockets, the 8-kill streak reward. The full post can be found below, courtesy of COD HQ.

The objective is in sight, but your backup’s been taken out and there’s no time to wait for reinforcements. Two defenders carelessly wait by the capture point, but a third more carefully covers the flag from a balcony above. You need something that can take out the grouped soldiers.

Enter the Valkyrie Rockets.

The Valkyrie Rockets killstreak is accessible after 7 kills. Activate it to call in a Care Package drop with a launcher and two rockets. Equip the launcher and move to an open position. Now things get interesting.

After launching a rocket, you retain control over its trajectory. It travels at high speeds, but it’s got a lot of mobility. Swerve around obstacles and over rooftops. Enemies are highlighted for easy kills. If you need to cover ground quickly, the rocket even has a boost function, plus a manual detonation trigger for extra power and control.

The Valkyrie Rockets killstreak is particularly effective when defending objectives from a distance. Blasting an enemy off a Domination point or a flag, or quickly clearing enemy headquarters is vastly more satisfying with the Valkyrie Rockets. Use their mobility to surprise enemies and prevent your targets from retaliating.

How will you use the Valkyrie Rockets? Will you save them to defend and assault objectives, wait for groups of enemies to open themselves up to fire, or simply let loose into the open skies, guiding the rocket across the map and into the enemy lines?

We’re certainly anxious to try out our Valkyrie Rockets on November 9th, and we hope you’ll join us in counting down these last few days until release! Be sure to check out our forum for some captivating discussion on all things Black Ops.

Thanks for checking in with us!

Source: COD HQ | Activision PR

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer - GameSpot Now Playing

5 Things to Expect from the Campaign

Hello, again, gang. Today, in our continued Countdown to Black Ops, we bring you an editorial from our Forum Administrator, Mike! He will be touching on one of the most overlooked parts of Black Ops, the campaign! Too many people don’t ever play campaign, or only get to it after a few months of Multiplayer and Co-op. With all of the brilliance going into Treyarch’s passionate and captivating campaign mode, it is a shame to see it go unplayed by so many people. With those few words, I will pass it on over to Mike.

Five days to go! Really, who here isn’t excited? I don’t think anyone is raising their hands, so, on with today’s countdown article!

I was reading through the comments on one of the previous articles, and I saw a whole string of replies talking about how some of our readers were planning to play the games campaign first for a variety of reasons. Many users of our forums will know that I could not agree more! Yes, multiplayer is the part of the game that will keep you coming back over and over again for a long time, but it is the story-driven campaign where the developers can really stretch their creativity and show their true talent at the art of creating an engaging and well worth playing video game. The SinglePlayer campaign of Black Ops promises to be one of the best yet. And so here are the FIVE things that you should expect from Black Ops campaign! (NOTE: CoD Black Ops News does not report on any leaked material, so all the items in this list are either speculation or details released BY Treyarch!)

Black Ops is taking Call of Duty to a relatively un-touched time era in video games, the Cold War. It was a time of controversy and strained international relations. The United States and the USSR were constantly at each others throats, just waiting to finally attack the other. In reality, it is a miracle that the Cold War never escalated into all-out war. However, Black Ops will look deeper into the Cold War. It will show covert operations and missions that only conspiracy theorists could believe. Of course, the story is fictional, and we have no idea what really happened during the Cold War that was hidden from the public, but one thing is for sure… It is an awesome setting for a video game!

Treyarch showed with Call of Duty: World at War that they are not against using violence and language to help in the telling of the game’s story. Black Ops is almost certain to continue in that same vein, and explicative are expected to be aplenty, and violence will be prevalent. Treyarch has even said that they had to tone down the violence, as even they felt it went too far. One must also remember that conflicts during this time period, most notably the Vietnam War, were notorious for being controversial and violent. Anyone who has seen one of the many popular Vietnam war films that have been released over the years since the wars conclusion, or has seen pictures or heard retelling of the war from it’s veterans and will know exactly what I am talking about. It only makes sense that Treyarch will portray this same level of content in Black Ops. If not overdone, things like this can actually help a game’s story get it’s message across, and that is no doubt the approach Treyarch is taking.

The big theme for Black Ops is deniable operations and going “behind enemy lines” (something that Mark Lamia has made a point of telling us!). A lot of people, myself included, expect Treyarch to look at some of the most influential events of the Cold War Era and try to show us what might have happened that the public didn’t see. Some people may think of it as Treyarch creating their own conspiracy theories, but I feel that it is more speculation. We all love to imagine “what if…” and that is exactly what Treyarch is doing. Expect a lot of recognizable names and events to be mentioned! The Cold War was a controversial time, and Black Ops will almost certainly be using that to it’s advantage!

Especially early in the games development, a lot of people thought of the next Call of Duty as CoD: Vietnam. While Black Ops does have levels that take place in Vietnam, there will be plenty of other locals for you to fight in! The game will be taking players all around the globe, in various missions that go “behind enemy lines”. The trailers have show Washington D.C., Cuba, some sort of underwater location, and more! The deniable operations subject matter of Black Ops allows Treyarch nearly full freedom with the games plot, and they are taking advantage of that, creating a story that circles the globe! Expect plenty of diverse locations when we finally get to play the game in only a few more days!

Treayarch has shown through it’s trailers that they plan to tie the games story in with the real life history of the Cold War, and that includes a number of Political Figures. Two of these well known people have been highlighted in recent Black Ops trailers. These two are Robert McNamara and John F. Kennedy. Kennedy is the better known of the two. He was president for a rime of the Cold War era before being famously assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. McNamara, on the other hand, may be less familiar. He was Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense, and played a large role in much of the Cold War, helping to influence key events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he continued to serve under Lyndon B. Johnson after Kennedy’s Assassination. McNamara was spotted in the games SinglePlayer trailer, and Kennedy was spotted briefly during the Launch Trailer, among other key protagonists, leading us to believe that he may play a large role in the games plot.

Thanks for taking the time to read Mike’s editorial, and a big thanks to Mike for taking the time to write it! We hope you’ll check back with us, and visit our forum, as we’re sure that there are bound to be a few last minute interviews or surprises before Black Ops is released in just a few short days!

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13 Ways that Combat Training will Improve Your Game

Welcome to the second entry of our Countdown to Black Ops Articles. This post will point out just some of the ways that Combat Training will improve your skill in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

First things first though – an introduction to Combat Training! Those of you who have had anything to do with Call of Duty: Black Ops since the September 1st Multiplayer Reveal will probably know all about Combat Training. For those of you who have had your head in the sand, Combat Training is a brand new game mode that involves you fighting against enemy A.I! This can be played alone, or with a partner via splitscreen offline, or even co-operatively with friends online. Game modes include Free For All and Team Deathmatch. There will also be separate rank progressions in Combat Training and regular multiplayer.

This article covers the basics of Combat Training, and will provide anyone who is still sceptical about the new game mode with a number of reasons why Combat Training will have a very positive impact on your game.

Get into Multiplayer – Are you one of the few people who have never tried Call of Duty’s online component? Maybe you’ve dabbled with the multiplayer, but never really got into it… Or maybe you think you will not be good enough, and don’t want people yelling at you for being a ‘noob’… If you fit into one of these categories, then Combat Training is definitely right up your alley. The main reason Treyarch implemented Combat Training into Black Ops was to help people get involved in the multiplayer aspect; people who have never made the leap like so many millions have. Combat Training will provide everybody, from total beginners to experienced gamers, with a starting point in Black Ops’ multiplayer. Hesitant about Competitive MP? Test the waters with Combat Training!

Learn the Maps – A second way Combat Training will help your game is enabling you to learn the maps, including finding all the best places to set up a base with your team, or even the places to avoid that look like certain deathtraps. This was possible before in a private match, but Combat Training will greatly increase the effectiveness, providing you with enemies and team mates to observe or fight against.See the Maps’ Interactivity – Most, or all of Black Op’s maps will have some kind of interactivity, enabling players to activate something during gameplay to use to their advantage. For example, on ‘Launch‘, a rocket can be launched via a control panel. As the rocket takes off, it will fry anybody underneath. Conveniently, a bomb site for Search & Destroy is located directly underneath the rocket’s blasters. So, with Combat Training, you can play each map, and figure out how you think each map’s special interactivity can be used to your advantage! The Rocket lifting off on Launch

Improve Your Strategies & Tactics – After learning the maps, and their interactivity, you can continue to use Combat Training to further evolve the way you play Black Ops. You can try new tactics and strategies for Free For All and Team Deathmatch, and if they don’t work right away, then no matter, your online stats will not be affected.Alter Your Gameplay Style – Is your usual CoD playing style not doing so well in Black Ops? Maybe you feel like the gameplay is different, or the new maps don’t suit your play style as much… Combat Training is the perfect solution for you! You will be able to find a new play style, again without affecting your online stats. For example if you are a sniper, you can learn how to rush against the enemy A.I., or if you prefer to rush and that isn’t working, you can learn to play slower and more tactically.Practice Using New Weapons - Black Ops features many new weapons, most of which we have never seen in a Call of Duty game before. Therefore, it will take some time to get used to using them. For sure, old favourites like the AK-47 return, but there are many new assault rifles and sub-machine guns, to use. Also, shotguns return to being a Primary Weapon, and new special secondaries, namely the crossbow and the ballistic knife, are brand new, and will require practice to use effectively. Test your skills with the Crossbow

Use the New Equipment – Even more prominent than the new weapons in Black Ops is the new equipment. Tactical equipment such as the Jammer, Motion Sensor, and the Camera Spike will bring several new possibilities to Call of Duty. Combat Training will allow you to purchase them and find the best uses for them before you take them into competitive multiplayer.Learn the Effectiveness of Killstreaks – Killstreaks in the past have been very much ‘fire and forget’, but Call of Duty is now moving away from that with many user-controlled killstreaks. The Gunship is a prime example of this; an 11-killstreak, it allows you to take full control of a helicopter gunship, meaning that you can fly or hover wherever you like, and both rockets and minigun can be fired. Other examples include the RC-XD, Valkyrie Missile, and the new rare Care Package drops ‘Death Machine’ and ‘Grim Reaper’. Why not use some of these in Combat Training? Set the difficulty to easy so you can gain the killstreaks faster, and learn how to use them to their maximum potential.Create and Share Tactics with Friends – Combat Training can be played both online with friends and offline with a partner via splitscreen. You could use Combat Training to come up with new tactics working as a pair, and translate this into the competitive multiplayer. Teams are always more effective and more likely to crush the opposition if they work together, and Combat Training is the perfect basis for this.Improve Your Campaign – Scenario: You have become stuck on a mission in the Single player campaign, when trying to complete the game on Veteran difficulty. You do not want to lower the difficulty level, because you want the achievement/trophy for completing the campaign on Veteran. What do you do? Well now, rather than dying endlessly at the same spot, give Combat Training a try! There you will be able to not only improve your skills, but you will also be able to see how the enemy A.I. works, how they use cover, and look for signals that they might be about to shoot at you.Utilise the Dive Mechanic – A first for Call of Duty, the new Black Ops contains a new gameplay mechanic. When sprinting, if you hold the Crouch/Prone Button, then you will perform a new diving manoeuvre. This is primarily used for defence, to avoid someone’s gunfire or even to dive through windows to avoid killstreaks like the RC-XD or an airstrike. However, it is possible to use if for offence, even though it will take you a half-second to adjust your gun before you can fire. Combat Training will allow you to quickly get used to this new mechanic, and it will enable you to work out the best times to use it to maximum effectiveness. Learn to dive-to-prone like a champ - note the right side of this image

Improve Accuracy & Reaction Time – If your Call of Duty skills are anything like mine, I can guarantee that fairly often you see an enemy, bring your weapon up the shoulder and prepare to fire, but in that time he has already done the same and shoots you first. Well, Combat Training will provide us all with a perfect play area to improve our reaction time, and shooting accuracy. The difficulty can be set to easy if you are a beginner or if your accuracy and reactions are not up to par, and you can increase the difficulty as you improve to provide more of a challenge.Test things out! – Finally, the thirteenth way that Combat Training will improve your game is by giving you the ability to test new weapons, attachments, equipment, perks, and killstreaks. As mentioned in the beginning of this post, rank progression is separate in Combat Training and Online Multiplayer. This will mean that a player will be able to use CoD Points earned in Combat Training to buy things they aren’t sure about, without wasting their valuable Multiplayer CoD Points. For example, say you unlock FAMAS assault rifle in Multiplayer, you may think ‘should I be spending my points on this gun?’ If so, why not buy it in Combat Training, where you can test it out to see if you like it, without it having any negative effects on your Multiplayer stats!

There you have it, thirteen ways that Combat Training will evolve your Black Ops Multiplayer experience! Combat Training certainly is a fantastic edition into Call of Duty. While it may not be a new thing for a First-Person Shooter, it is certainly brand new to Call of Duty, and will surely be one of the best additions into the series to date. Everybody should use Combat Training at some point, even seasoned experts. Overall though, it provides a perfect basis to learn the extremely popular multiplayer component of the Call of Duty franchise if you have not experienced it before.

How much will your game improve? Find out November 9th, and be sure to head back here to report your success stories involving Combat Training! Feel free to share your own Combat Training tactics below, or over at our community forum. Just a note on our mathematics here: we are counting down the days using Pacific Daylight Time, the time zone that Treyarch/Activision are in and we are counting the current day, but not counting November 9th because there are zero days left on that day. So, if you count that out, you should end up with 1 day left on November 8th. Hope that explains our math a bit, we saw some confusion in the comments section.

Thanks, as always, for checking in with us!

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Co-op News Inbound? Plus Small Misc Updates

It is starting to look more and more like we will be getting our first real taste of what Black Ops’ co-op mode is going to be about pretty soon. By pretty soon, we mean this Sunday. Josh Olin recently tweeted that they have ‘one helluva #CODBlackOps launch trailer’ coming our direction this Sunday. We are also expecting GameTrailers to air part 4 of their Bonus Round feature, which we expect to feature co-op, but that is not confirmed.

A brief look at Zombies, via GKNova 6

As each video launches, we will have that up for you as soon as possible along with a review of what we were able to see. Here’s to hoping for some Zombies!

Call of Duty: Black Ops! This years Golden Joysticks award for the One to

One to Watch - Black Ops

Watch for 2010 went to Black Ops. These awards are voted on by us, the gaming community.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was awarded the Golden Joystick for Shooter of the Year. While some may argue that point, we definitely feel that Modern Warfare 2 earned this one.

Members of the Wii community have been getting pretty nervous lately. There has been an all-out drought concerning news for the Wii version of Black Ops. Sadly, this is the same story that was told for Modern Warfare Reflex and World at War. Members of the community were left in the dark until release was just days away. It seems that Treyarch and Activision have taken that route again, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Josh Olin said, via his Twitter account, that Wii news was on the way. Hopefully this will be sometime soon, and in the form of a trailer or images.

Stick around, however, because we’ll be continuing our Countdown to Black Ops each day and continuing to bring you the latest intel as it comes in. We’ve also got part 2 of our Strategy and Tactics Guide on the way, so be sure to check back for that in the coming days.

Thanks, as always, for checking in!

Source: CVG

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11 Killstreaks and How They Can Help You

Hello there, and welcome to the next installment in our Countdown to November 9th. Today, we’re bringing you a quick guide on Killstreak Rewards. This is an editorial, written by our very own Graphics Designer, Brushfire. Brushfire touches on some of the finer details of Black Ops’ Killstreak Rewards and provides some great insight as to their effective use. Check out Brushfires full editorial below.

Welcome to the next edition of the Countdown to Call of Duty: Black Ops. This article will detail some of the new killstreaks in Call of Duty: Black Ops and how exactly they can be used to benefit your game. A quick little run-down on the killstreaks on the game first: Killstreaks will not add towards your killstreakKillstreak will stackCustomized killstreaks will return from Modern Warfare 2Drivable vehicles will return in the form of some killstreaks

This information seems pretty basic, but it’s notable enough to include. So, without further ado, 11 Killstreaks and how they can help you!

RC-XD (3 killstreak): Many of you may be thinking “how exactly is this little toy car going to help me get kills?”, and I’ll be honest, I’m thinking the same thing. Some people view this as overpowered, some people view it as underpowered. Personally, I believe it to be the latter due to it’s difficult controlling and time limit. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be used very effectively, especially in certain game types such as Headquarters. You can easily drive this nifty little car straight to the Headquarters for a possible 4-5 kills! Of course, that’s hardly a guarantee but certainly possible.

The RC-XD is one example of an interactive killstreak reward

SAM Turret (4 killstreak): I honestly think that this will be one of the most unused and undermined killstreaks in the game, but it really shouldn’t be like that. In the past, if the enemy has had a strong killstreak reward out (Attack Helicopter, Harrier Strike, Chopper Gunner, AC-130) you’ve had to switch to a “Launcher class” and take it out. Well, that should no longer be the case! Simply run SAM Turret, and it’s only a 4 killstreak and it’ll take out almost any killstreak for you. It can take it everything in the air but the Blackbird, which can’t be shot down. Enemy Chopper Gunner on the way? Use your SAM Turret and it’ll shoot it down without a problem. In my honest opinion, a very useful killstreak.

Care Package (5 killstreak): You might be thinking, “uh, yeah, this isn’t a new killstreak reward…” which is very true. However, there are a few changes to it. For starters, it is now a 5 killstreak rather than a 4 killstreak. Why? Well, we could sit here and debate on that all day but the main reason is probably the “special weapons” you can now obtain from it: namely the Grim Reaper and the Death Machine. The Death Machine looks like a beefed up version of an LMG, and could be a very deadly killstreak reward if used properly. As far as we know, as no evidence as suggested otherwise, you can obtain any of the killstreak rewards through the care package. Chopper Gunner or Attack Dogs from a 5 killstreak? Who’s going to complain about that? Not only that, but complete with the use of Hardline Pro (second chance for a Care Package reward) if you’re not satisfied with your Care Package you can try again for a better reward.

Napalm Strike (5 kilstreak): This killstreak is very similar to the other 5 killstreaks in other games, such as the Airstrike in COD4, the Artillery Strike in World at War and the Precision Airstrke in MW2. However, while it is indeed very similar to them, it is not exactly the same. The Napalm Strike not only bombs the area but also sets it alight, meaning that even once the strike is complete you can still get kills through the fire burning people. Pretty useful.

Napalm: One of the many Killstreak Rewards with explosive power

Mortar Team (6 killstreak): I believe that this is definitely one of the best new killstreaks that there is. Why? It’s quite similar to the Napalm Strike in a few ways, minus the fire, except that you select 3 different locations for the mortars to land. This killstreak is extremely useful in Domination, as you can select A, B and C as the three locations for the mortar team to land. “We are losing Charlie!”? Sure, you could quickly put a Napalm Strike on the location, or you could try and get the opportunity to win back B at the same time. Definitely a very useful killstreak, and hopefully it will be used as such.

Valkyrie Rockets (7 killstreak): Another one of the controllable killstreaks. I see this as being quite similar to the RC-XD in terms of usefulness, but it’s better in a few ways. Namely, you have two tries instead of one. It’s a lot less unlikely that they’ll be destroyed on the way (RC-XD can be shot and explode before they reach you). They are airbourne, so there will be less trouble navigating. On the flip side, they become almost useless inside. They also have a larger explosion range. Again, like the RC-XD, they become very useful on tactical gamemodes like Headquarters as you can fire a rocket into the HQ and kill almost everyone capturing it.

The RC-XD offers mobile explosive power - note the Valkyrie Rocket in frame, as well

Blackbird (8 killstreak): Can easily be described as a “beefed up Spy Plane”. Not only does it show the location of the enemies, but also what direction they are headed in. A lot of people didn’t like UAV for that reason, as it only showed where they were- they could be running away from you or towards you and you wouldn’t have any idea until you got to them. Using the Blackbird allows you to have a distinct tactical advantage over the enemies. Not only that, but unlike the Spy Plane, it cannot be shot down by a Primary weapon, a Launcher or even the SAM Turret, so you’ll keep it out for as long as… well, however long it lasts.

SR-71 Blackbird

Rolling Thunder (8 killstreak): This carpet bomb airstrike is very similar to the Stealth Bomber in MW2. You select where to place it (the mini-map shows what direction the carpet strike will be going, too) and the Rolling Thunder comes in and bombs that area in a line. I can see this being useful on open-spaced, large maps with no buildings, as you could carpet bomb an area where the enemy may be and you’re bound to get someone. You’d use this killstreak very similarly to the Stealth Bomber in MW2, which is why I see it as being quite underused.

Chopper Gunner (9 killstreak): So, the Chopper Gunner is now a 9 killstreak rather than an 11 killstreak? Whoa! Well, for starters, due to the whole “killstreaks don’t add towards your killstreak” thing you’re quite unlikely to be seeing much of this anyway (which is actually more reasons for you to use that Care Package!). This killstreak may have been watered down, but it’s still quite deadly. You’re on a mounted turret inside a helicopter, meaning no infrared. Though really, this makes it quite a bit easier, as it’s much easier to see people. From the gameplay that I’ve seen of it, it’s still quite similar to the old killstreak but with more recoil. Should still be quite easy to obtain kills with on open-spaced maps.

Attack Dogs (11 killstreak): We send the dogs to do our work! Many of you may have been wondering why they are now an 11 killstreak as opposed to 7… as Josh Olin pointed out, they now have “sharper teeth”. Meaning, they are now a one-bite-kill rather than two. This makes them A LOT more deadly, as many people had trouble killing them back when they were a two-bite-kill. They are said to be very similar to the World at War dogs in every aspect other than that, so be prepared! Attack Dogs are useful to use over the Gunship as you can still run around and obtain kills while your dogs are out also getting you kills, so you aren’t as likely to be killed while trying to hide when activating the Gunship.

Gunship (11 killstreak): And finally, the Gunship! This is probably one of the most anticipated killstreak rewards, and it seems to be very similar, if not exactly the same, to the Hind Helicopter gameplay we saw in the Single Player reveal at E3. You can use both the rockets and the machine gun, similar to the AC-130 in MW2. However, this seems to be even more powerful than that as it doesn’t appear to have any cooldown time, nor does it use infrared. Although, you’re still very unlikely to see much of it because of the whole killstreaks don’t add towards your killstreak thing, but if by any mixture of luck and skill you do obtain this killstreak, it seems to be very powerful. It is useful to use over dogs as dogs can be [fairly] easily killed by multiple people, whereas the Gunship is in the air and there’s only one of them. You’re more likely to kill someone trying to shoot you down than your dog is. Whichever one you pick mainly becomes out of preference because of this, as they both have their ups and downs!

Well, that’s it! That’s simply my opinion on what some of the new killstreaks can provide you with, and that may differ to many other people’s, and we’ll only know for sure how exactly useful they can be on November 9th. Why don’t you share your opinion on the community forum? Hopefully we’ll see you over there! Ciao!

So, there we have that! Be sure to check back with us as we continue the Countdown. This Sunday is scheduled to be a pretty exciting day for Black Ops. Josh Olin, Treyarch’s Community Manager, has said that they are going to release a really exciting Launch trailer on Sunday. We’re also expecting part four of GameTrailers Bonus Round featuring Black Ops.

Be sure to stick around! Thanks for checking in.

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Custom Games Info & More!

Over at COD HQ and on Playstations US Blog, Josh Olin has posted a bit of new info and highlights some of the old info, as well. Namely, Josh focuses on Split-screen online and the customization of private games. It looks like thsi time around we’re going to get a whole host of options to customize our private matches. This is, of course, great news as it provides a ton of great choices for competitions, tournaments, etc. There’s a lot of great info, as you can read in the full COD HQ post below.

I’m Josh Olin (aka JD_2020), Treyarch’s Community Manager on Call of Duty: Black Ops. Today, I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of the features that Call of Duty: Black Ops will deliver fans when it launches on November 9th. A number of these features are ones that I think the community has been wanting for a long time, which is why we’ve worked really hard to deliver.. So let’s get started!

Multiplayer Online Split-Screen Support
Let’s get started with what I believe is the most unknown, yet confirmed, aspect to Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer — the online split-screen support we’ve re-introduced to the franchise! This applies to both the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3.

The Facts:

You can connect a 2nd controller and bring a Guest online (i.e. “JD_2020? & “JD_2020(1)”).Guests can rank up, earn unlocks, etc — all Guest progress goes away once signed out.(Xbox 360 only) You can bring a 2nd, Gold Xbox LIVE account online!(Xbox 360 only) Both players with full online accounts can rank-up while playing split-screen, as if on two separate consoles.

Custom Games Editor

Allow me to introduce the Black Ops Custom Games editor! Private Matches have never been this customizable. Players will have the ability to structure their games at all new levels of granularity. From variables as simple as Time Limit and Score Limit, or as deep as which weapons, Perks, and gear is available. You want a Pistols Only match? Make one! No longer do custom game modes rely on the “honor system”.

Furthermore, any Custom Game you create and configure can be placed in your File Share, for friends and the community-at-large to browse, download, and enjoy. You just might create the most addictive new game mode of all time from the comfort of your own living room!

In-Game Friends List
We’ve integrated a built-in Friends List into the in-game User Interface. You’ll be able to browse Recent Players, Friends, navigate their File Shares, Recent Games, Combat Records — all within this in-game menu system designed to streamline the social process within the game. Sending game invites and joining Friends’ games has never been simpler than in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Regional Matchmaking & Party Privacy
Call of Duty: Black Ops will support regional matchmaking filters on a global scale. So, no matter where you’re at in the world, you will have the ability to specify whether you want to match with players from other geographical regions, or only those local to you. This will make communication and lag a much less intrusive variable on your gameplay experience.

Additionally, given Black Ops will support joining games in progress via an even simpler built-in in-game Friends List interface, we’ll allow a Party leader to lock down his lobby to Invite Only, Friends Only, or even Close it altogether if he wants to be in complete control over who enters and exits the Party Lobby.

Emblems Do NOT Reset with Prestige
This one is pretty cut-and-dry — a frequently asked question is, “Will my kickass emblem I spent hours perfecting be lost when I prestige??” The answer is, “NO!” — Emblems are one of the only aspects of Black Ops MP that do not get a full reset upon entering Prestige. Things that will reset when you Prestige are: XP, COD Points, Challenge progressions, Loadouts, etc.

So that’s just a few of the lesser-known components to Call of Duty: Black Ops MP, officially confirmed in one location! What I just described applies to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PC — except for the Split Screen Online play. That’s just 360 and PS3.

Josh also blogged on PlayStations US Blog, and while he mainly stressed the same points, you are welcome to check that out here. Thanks for checking back with us! Be sure to come back each day as we’ll continue bringing you new entries into our Countdown to Black Ops series. Tomorrow’s article will feature a quick look into the past, with a timeline and a slight twist! More on that tomorrow, be sure to check out the forum if you’re looking for some Black Ops discussion and debate.

What kind of private matches are you guys planning out? Share your plans in the comments or, of course, at the forum.

Source: COD HQ | PlayStation US

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Black Ops: A Timeline in 12 Images

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Black Ops Nazi Zombies to feature non-WWII weapons

COD HQ just updated with a new notice, informing members of the community that the four original Nazi Zombie maps, featured in the Prestige and Hardened editions of Black Ops, have been upgraded pretty drastically.

They will now feature updated audio and visual enhancements and will support some of Black Ops’ exclusive weaponry! This means you will no longer be limited to World War II-era firearms. Read the full release below.

Drop your linen and start your grinnin’ all you Prestige and Hardened Edition zombie slayers out there. Straight out of World at War and upgraded for Call of Duty: Black Ops, Treyarch brings you the four Zombies maps that brought the zombie apocalypse to the Call of Duty world! What’s the rundown?

For those of you who pick up the Hardened or Prestige Edition, you’ll receive the original Zombies maps Nacht der Üntoten, Verrückt, Shi No Numa, and Der Riese from Call of Duty: World at War and its subsequent DLC map packs. The dev team went the extra mile to upgrade these maps with the amazing graphical and audio improvements that Black Ops brings to the Call of Duty franchise.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Dive to prone to avoid those meat-bags’ deadly swipes. Listen to Tank Dempsey and his band of zombie exterminators rattle off their killer one-liners in Nacht and Verrückt (you may recall, they didn’t debut until Shi No Numa). Pop open the Mystery Box for a plethora of – wait for it – some of the deadliest weapons that Black Ops has to offer! You read that right – AK-74u’s, M-16’s, RPK’s, Spas shotties – and those are just the tip of the iceberg. Now you can roam the asylum, swamp, and factory and fend off those maggot-sack hordes with some serious firepower. Need a little more oomph in the later rounds on Der Riese? Activate the Pack A Punch machine and upgrade your Black Ops weapons into some of the most devastating weapons the Call of Duty franchise has ever produced.

So grab the Hardened or Prestige Edition to add 4 more Zombies maps to the full Black Ops co-op experience. And for those of you who missed out on the original World at War Zombies maps, this is your chance to see what all of the Zombies buzz is about.

Be sure to check back with us later in the day, as we’ll be bringing you the first in a new series of exclusive articles. Thanks for checking in!

Special thanks to forum user ethood1999 for the tip!

Source: COD HQ

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9 Things To Watch Out For On Your First Day Of Multiplayer

Wow. Welcome to the single digits everyone! Nine days to go until we FINALLY get our hands on what very well may end up being the biggest game of the year, or even all time. And why do people expect such great feats from Black Ops? While the Campaign will no doubt be dramatic and gripping, It’s addictive and incredible Multiplayer is the big ticket item of course! The Call of Duty franchise has always had a history of being great multiplayer games, but Call of Duty 4 was the one that really kicked it up a notch! World at War and Modern Warfare 2 took the great success of CoD 4 and improved it (although some may debate that Modern Warfare 2 was an “improvement”…). But now Treyarch is looking to blow the roof off of Call of Duty Multiplayer all over again! So many refinements and new features, I’m sure that one of the biggest challenges the first few days of playing will be figuring out what to try first! And with all these new features at your disposal, we here at Call of Duty: Black Ops News figured we would give you a run down on what to be wary of when you jump into your first multiplayer matches in Black Ops when the game finally hits the street November 9th! So without further ado…

There are a lot of cool new killstreaks in Black Ops, but there is one that you know that everyone will be trying out (And we will cover the other ones a bit later…). Of course, that killstreak is the RC-XD. In case you are that one person who is unaware of what this is, it is basically an RC car with C4 strapped to it. You can drive the car all around the map, and then when you get in a good spot, BOOM! A lot of people are concerned that this killstreak will get abused by players, especially considering it only requires 3 kills in a row. But one thing is for sure. The RC-XD will be getting a lot of use in the first day or two of the games release, so be on the look out for a little RC car flying around the map, and try to avoid it.

In the world of First Person Shooters, Call of Duty has always been looked upon as a lone wolf, run-and-gun game, as opposed to other FPS franchises like BattleField, where teamwork is heavily encouraged. But it looks like Treyarch may be taking a few steps to change that designation, at least slightly. On the in-game HUD’s Mini Map, Treyarch has added coordinate grids to help players know where on the map they are, as well as where their fellow teammates are located. This has the potential to help in team-based games, allowing a player (If using a Microphone) to call out where they are. Say you run into half the enemy team held up in an area. Simply call out the coordinates and inform the rest of you’re team where the opposition is! Alternatively, teammates could call out where the enemy is NOT, so that you don’t have to worry about looking there.

It seems like whenever I talk to someone about Call of Duty, 90% of the time, they mention sniping. Sniper Rifles are just a big thing in Call of Duty, and there is no doubt in my mind that they will be a popular weapon of choice in Black Ops. Another thing is that Treyarch has been stressing the idea that they want to incorporate different height levels in their maps, so there should be no shortage of sniper spots on the higher levels of the maps. For these and other reasons, I expect to see a lot of snipers on day one of the games release, and you should be too (heck, maybe you’ll be one of them!)! But either way, be wary of not just you’re immediate surroundings, but also whether or not you are vulnerable to long range weapons.

Another BIG new feature that has CoD fan’s mouths watering is Theater Mode! Similar to tools like those included in the Halo games and Uncharted 2, Theater Mode will allow players to record, review, edit and share their multiplayer matches! And with so many people anxious to give the new feature a try, there is a very real possibility that you could end up on YouTube in the days of the games launch (Heck, maybe you’ll be the one posting the video!)! So that means always be aware… You’re on camera! But with all those cool new ways to customize your character, that shouldn’t be a problem…

Theater Mode Is Watching You...

With all these cool new game mechanics to try out, you very well may loose sight of one of the biggest additions to the games multiplayer mode. CoD Points! Who doesn’t like money, right? Even when it IS virtual. Once you enter the world of Black Ops Multiplayer, CoD Points are going to be a big part of you’re experience. You will be using them to get just about everything in-game. Weapons, killstreaks, facepaint… EVERYTHING!! So be aware of how many you have, and how many you are earning! And think twice when you go to buy something. You could always save that (virtual) cash for a nicer gun….

So while it won’t be the setting for every map (or even the majority), at least a couple maps will have a Vietnam setting. Now, think for a moment about the stereotypes (and realities) of the Vietnam War, and the terrain it was fought in. Any mental pictures come to mind? Well, if you have seen footage of the war, lush, dense jungles may easily come to mind. Well, from the footage we have seen, and the fact that the revealed Vietnam MP map is CALLED “Jungle”, I think it is safe to assume that we will see these environments in Black Ops. And any experienced player will know, the environment has a HUGE impact on the way you have to play the game! Dense foliage means that the enemy could be hiding anywhere. Expect snipers to be well concealed by the brush, and watch for ANYONE to be prone, just waiting for you to turn the corner. If you think that sounds bad, imagine how bad the war really was?

Welcome to Vietnam!

Obviously, the RCXD is the killstreak that EVERYONE is looking forward too, but there are a lot of other ones that you should be watching out for too! Some old favorites return, like the Attack Helicopter and the Sentry Gun, but other new killstreaks, like the SAM turret, Napalm Strike, Valkyrie Rocket, and Gunship promise to be devastating to whoever happens to be on their receiving end. Sam turret will make you think twice about calling in that air support. The Valkyrie rocket is for sure something to always be looking for, not just because you don’t want to get hit, but if you manage to dive out of the way of it just in time, you have on heck of an awesome Theater Mode highlight. And the Gunship poses to be a real pain for anyone in its path.. especially because the player controlling it can CHOOSE its path! For more on the game changing killstreak, check out yesterdays countdown article!

Players (especially those on PS3) should remember that last ears Modern Warfare 2 launch didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. Right after launch, there was a short period of time where PS3 users were unable to play the game, due to the massive server load from a higher than expected number of PS3 purchases. While we hope that Treyarch and Activision are ready for the heavy server load that will no doubt plague the launch of Black Ops, players on both console should be prepared for less than 100% reliability the first few day following the games release. However we hope that, considering the large investment that Activision has made promoting the game, they are more than prepared for the launch day rush!

Ok, now who DOESN’T want to try out that Crossbow or that Ballistic Knife in a Multiplayer Match? At this point, who knows how these weapons will affect gameplay. But one thing is for sure, people are going to find out fast! I expect that a lot of people will be making these “Special Secondaries” one of the first things they buy with their newly acquired CoD points (No matter HOW long they have to save!) Of course, who knows! Maybe they aren’t quite as amazing as you want them to be, and all those CoD points would have been wasted. I suggest you hop into a Wager Match of “Sticks and Stones”, where you get to try out these hype-building weapons while competing for more CoD points!

And that wraps up our 9 Things To Watch Out For On Your First Day Of Multiplayer! BE on the lookout for tomorrow’s countdown article, as we move ever closer to release day! In the meantime, feel free to join us over at our Community Forums!

Oh, and be sure to check out all of our previous countdown articles HERE!

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