Series on a slippery slope

Call of Duty isn't quite the infallible mega franchise it’s made out to be. Don’t worry, the series is still selling a ridiculous number of copies with each new iteration – but it appears its success has peaked.

That’s according to analyst firm Macquire Equities, who believe that sales for the most recent outing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 are 4.2 per cent lower than predecessor Black Ops.

It doesn’t sound like a lot, but the figure could signal a downturn for the series which hasn’t stopped growing since the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007.

To its credit, Activision has successfully capitalised on digital sales, with subscription service Call of Duty: Elite drumming up 1.5million subscribers since last November. But there’s a growing sense within gaming communities that the publisher cannot simply rest on its laurels anymore. Let’s hope this year’s inevitable release is a distinct change of direction for the series.