Now Activision's Explained, Call Of Duty Elite Actually Sounds Like A Reasonable Option For Fans.

The package will cost US players $49.95 per year. Around $5 a month then.

Much of Call Of Duty Elite will be available to players for free. "Personal leaders boards, stat tracking, weapon analysis, 30-second HD video uploads, weapon perk sharing, screen shot sharing, even more,” Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling revealed.

The subscription fee, therefore, is value-added. It offers a $10 saving on the baseline cost of DLC packs for Modern Warfare 3, in addition to a few extra features.

One of those bonuses is clan support. Clans tied to a premium subscription will be able to go through a leveling process similar to individual players, gaining levels and unlocking new ranks.

In addition, premium members will get eight-times the storage space to store and share clips, and access to training clips from some of the best players in the world. Sounds fine, but we're not sure Elite's target audience is going to be hunting for tips.

Activision has about 20 DLC packs planned for Modern Warfare 3. Subscribers will receive a new piece of content every month, instead of quarterly map-packs. Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg said that players wanted more than just maps, and so the company will be offering new Spec-Ops missions, game modes and more.

“Members will also be able to participate in daily competitions for both real and virtual prizes – everything from badges and trophies to iPads and Jeeps,” he said.

But there's more: Elite members will also get access to specifically created content, such as the Noobtube, a collection of the best user-created videos complete with chatter from personalities such as Jason Bateman and Will Arnett.

Ultimately the model appears to be designed to lock Call Of Duty fans into pre-paying for DLC. While it sounds cynical when presented in that manner, it's smart from Activision's point of view.

And it's not all bad for consumers either. Not only do they get a regular flow of content and access to some compelling features, they also make a saving.

We think the offering's fine. It's certainly not going to appeal to everyone, but now Activision's explained what Elite actually includes, we imagine the uptake will be steady. For competitive Call Of Duty fans, the clan features alone will be a massive boon.

Update @ 21:03 BST: Activision's just told GamerZines that Elite will cost £34.99 per year in the UK.

[Thanks VG247 / Joystiq]