We’re getting rid of the number in Call of Duty for a very specific reason. It’s because we want you to know that when you’re playing Call of Duty: World at War you’re playing the best shooter, the best WW2 game ever. Likewise when you’re playing Modern Warfare, likewise when you play any game that will be called Call of Duty.
Treyarch senior producer Noah Heller, discussing Call of Duty: World at War with VideoGamer.com.
When it comes to naming the Call of Duty games, there’s always something that ends up setting our teeth on edge, and this quote is no different. The idea that numbers or the lack thereof—in and of themselves—can communicate a game’s quality is risible, as the developers behind such titles as Spider-Man 3 (Metacritic rating on Xbox 360: 63) and Grand Theft Auto IV (Metacritic rating on Xbox 360: 98).
What’s left mostly unsaid in this piece is that savvy gamers believed that Treyarch’s Call of Duty console games were significantly inferior to those of series creator Infinity Ward. Following IW’s console debut with Call of Duty 2 (Metacritic rating on Xbox 360: 89), these more knowledgeable gamers were more likely to avoid the odd-numbered games—Treyarch’s titles like Call of Duty: Big Red One (Metacritic rating on Xbox: 78) and Call of Duty 3 (Metacritic rating on Xbox 360: 82)—and stick with IW games like Call of Duty 4 (Metacritic rating on Xbox 360: 94).
By removing the numbering, Activision is making sure that gamers can’t use that shorthand anymore. So consumers will now have to pay more attention to make sure they’re getting a Call of Duty game from the developer that they actually trust. It’s an amusing way for Treyarch to spin the series’ new nomenclature, however.
