All Articles: Call of Duty: Black Ops III

No surprise there… Madden NFL 18 was the best-selling game in August 2017

It gets harder and harder every year to interpret the NFL rulebook, but one thing is always certain… the latest entry in the Madden NFL series will be the best-selling game in August.

That axiom held true once again this year, as The NPD Group declared that Madden NFL 18 was the best-selling game of last month. August 2017’s other big sellers include Grand Theft Auto V (#2), Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (#3), Splatoon 2 (#4), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#5), and the newly-launched Agents of Mayhem (#16).

You can read more about last month’s best-sellers and view the monthly Top 20 after the break. (more…)

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Splatoon 2 is swimming in green ink as the best-selling game from July 2017

The first year for Nintendo’s Switch continues to go swimmingly, and another exclusive release for the console has claimed the top spot in The NPD Group’s monthly tally of best-selling games.

Splatoon 2 was the top-selling game in July, beating out Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (#2) and a resurgent Grand Theft Auto V (#3). Three other Switch games managed to crack the Top 20, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#5), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#7), and Arms (#17).

According to GamesIndustry.biz, the Switch was also the best-selling console in July. Nintendo’s new device is so popular that it helped push monthly sales to $588 million, a 19% increase over July 2016.

The remainder of the Top 20 was made up of the usual suspects, including Tom Clancy games (Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege at #9 and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands at #11) and three Call of Duty games (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered at #12, Call of Duty: Black Ops III at #13, and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare at #15).

The NPD’s complete “Top 20 Best-Selling Games” from July 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)

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The 1-2 punch of Tekken 7 and Injustice 2 sit atop the best-selling games list for June 2017

Fighting game fans have proven, once again, that the genre is alive and well. According to the NPD Group’s recounting of the best-selling games in June, Tekken 7 (#1) and Injustice 2 (#2) took the top two spots. Nintendo’s bizarro take on the genre, Arms, also made a strong debut in the #5 spot.

Speaking of the Switch, Nintendo’s newest console continued to push the game industry to new heights in June, as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#6) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#7) stayed in the top ten.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella said: “The Nintendo Switch has been the catalyst for year-to-date growth. Year-to-date, hardware spending has grown 19% versus 2016 to $1.4 billion.”

However, older titles also performed well in June, including Grand Theft Auto V (#3), Overwatch (#9), and Minecraft (#17). 2015’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III (#12) even managed to outsell 2016’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (#15).

A complete look at the Top 20 for June 2017 can be found after the break. (more…)

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Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles now available for PC and Xbox One

You might have missed it during all the post-E3 hoopla, but the Zombies Chronicles expansion is now available to download for Call of Duty: Black Ops III on all platforms. Activision and Treyarch released the add-on earlier this week, giving PC and Xbox One owners the chance to replay their favorite Zombies maps from World at War, Black Ops, and Black Ops II:

Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: World at War
“Nacht der Untoten” (Abandoned Bunker), “Verruckt” (Wittenau Sanitorium), and “Shi No Numa” (Jungle Swamp)

Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops
“Kino Der Toten” (Theater of the Dead), “Ascension” (Soviet Cosmodrome), “Shangri-La” (Exotic Jungle Shrine), and “Moon” (Lunar Base)

Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops II
“Origins” (WWI France)

Zombies Chronicles Bonus Content

  • 20 Vials of Liquid Divinium
  • 2 All-New Whimsical GobbleGums
  • Exclusive Zombies Pack-A-Punch Weapon Camo

The Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombie Chronicles expansion can be purchased for $29.99, and a teaser trailer has been embedded above.

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CoD: Black Ops III’s Zombies Chronicles DLC launches on PS4 with two gameplay trailers

The Zombies Chronicles expansion for Call of Duty: Black Ops III is now available to download through the PlayStation Store, and PS4 players are able to relive eight remastered Zombies maps from World At War, Black Ops, and Black Ops II.

To celebrate, Activision has launched an “8 Days of the Undead” event, which gives players the chance to compete in a Headshot Challenge to unlock new Zombies Calling Cards. Participants will also receive new Weapon Camos and GobbleGums, as well as a week’s worth of Double XP Rewards. A grindhouse-style trailer for the “8 Days of the Undead” event, complete with some new gameplay footage, is embedded above.

Finally, Treyarch partnered with PlayStation Underground to unveil an expanded 16-minute gameplay walkthrough of Zombies Chronicles’s remastered maps. You can find it after the break. (more…)

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Here’s the first gameplay trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles

Activision and Treyarch unveiled the Zombies Chronicles expansion for Call of Duty: Black Ops III earlier this week, and now they’re back with a brand new gameplay trailer.

The Zombies Chronicles expansion goes back to the beginning of the popular co-op mode with eight rebuilt and remastered maps including “Nacht der Untoten,” “Verruckt,” “Shi No Numa,” “Kino Der Toten,” “Ascension,” “Shangri-La,” “Moon,” and “Origins.” It’ll be available to download for the PS4 on May 16, before coming to the PC and Xbox One later this Spring.

And in case you were wondering… yes, the trailer is soundtracked by a cover of Flock of Seagulls’s “I Ran (So Far Away).”

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Zombies Chronicles DLC will bring classic Zombies maps to CoD: Black Ops III on May 16

Activision and Treyarch have announced plans to bring even more Zombies action to Call of Duty: Black Ops III later this month. The Zombies Chronicles expansion will include eight classic Zombies maps, all of which have been “completely remastered from the ground-up” by Treyarch with “vibrant current-generation visuals, enhanced lighting, revamped character models and environments, and updated AI and audio systems”:

Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: World at War
“Nacht der Untoten” (Abandoned Bunker), “Verruckt” (Wittenau Sanitorium), and “Shi No Numa” (Jungle Swamp)

Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops
“Kino Der Toten” (Theater of the Dead), “Ascension” (Soviet Cosmodrome), “Shangri-La” (Exotic Jungle Shrine), and “Moon” (Lunar Base)

Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops II
“Origins” (WWI France)

Zombies Chronicles Bonus Content

  • 20 Vials of Liquid Divinium
  • 2 All-New Whimsical GobbleGums
  • Exclusive Zombies Pack-A-Punch Weapon Camo
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Dynamic System Theme (PS4 Only)

“Zombies Chronicles is really about the community that made Zombies what it has become today,” said Jason Blundell, the Co-Studio Head at Treyarch. “Together, we’ve been slaying the undead for nearly ten years, across different game consoles, and Zombies Chronicles is really about bringing all of those fans together. If you played these maps before on previous consoles, you’re getting a new, stunning and challenging experience – if it’s your first time, this is eight definitive experiences of our Zombies storyline, all in one place.”

As usual, PS4 players will get first crack at Zombies Chronicles, and it’ll be available to purchase through the PlayStation Store on May 16 for $29.99. PC and Xbox One owners will likely have to wait at least a month for their chance to download Zombies Chronicles.

Finally, Activision and Treyarch will celebrate the launch of the Zombies Chronicles expansion with “8 Days of the Undead,” an in-game event that offers players the chance to earn double XP rewards and engage in community challenges.

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CoD: Infinite Warfare, Battlefield 1, The Division are the best-selling games of 2016

The video game industry should definitely be celebrating right now, as The NPD Group has announced that consumers spent $30.4 billion on hardware, software, peripherals, and in-game purchases in 2016. This is a slight increase over 2015 revenues, which totaled a measly $30.2 billion.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella attributed some of this growth to the emergence of virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. He also cited the “cultural phenomenon” that was Pokemon Go and the subsequent release of Pokemon Sun and Moon on the 3DS.

“Growth in entertainment software consumer spend was seen across the mobile, PC, virtual reality, subscription, portable, and digital console segments,” Piscatella said. “Consumers have more options to purchase and enjoy entertainment software than ever before, while developers have more and easier ways of delivering that content. No matter the delivery platform, entertainment software has never been more engaging, diverse or accessible.”

However, none of those games managed to crack the top ten for 2016, which was once again dominated by Activision’s Call of Duty franchise. Even though it launched to less-than-stellar reviews and a negative fan reaction, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was still the best-selling game in 2016. Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III was also represented in the top ten, at #8.

Tom Clancy’s The Division (#3) and Overwatch (#7) proved that new franchises can still make some noise in the NPD’s annual ranking, but perennial best-sellers like NBA 2K17 (#4), Madden NFL 17 (#5), and FIFA 17 (#9) also sold well in 2016, as did strong sequels such as Battlefield 1 (#2) and Final Fantasy XV (#10).

You can find the NPD’s list of best-selling games throughout all of 2016 after the break. (more…)

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