Activision: Pay to play = NO WAY!!

Seriously. As if Activision weren't money-hungry fat-cats already... Now they are discussing whether they should force gamers to PAY for basic online play in all of their games. But of course, you know all about this, don't you? It is unavoidable, everyone is in an uproar about it. Personally, from the moment I heard about it, I knew that it would work. No one can say no to the pleasures and attractions of the Call of Duty franchise in particular, multiplayer will NOT die out, no matter how high Activision raises the bar. Clearly they have no concern about the consumers, as companies rarely do these days: this was such a jerk move, as many fans of Activision claimed when they turned their backs on the industry. Isn't it bad enough that we may have to pay for a service that is and should stay free? No. Even now, sparks are in the air that pre-owned games could possibly cost MORE for online access. Actually, this is also why Activision are pulling this stunt. Also, they know that Black Ops will roll in the big bucks, so they wanna milk that one as much as physically possible, just on the bare minimum of ripping everyone off and causing havoc everywhere. The real question is, will anyone fall for their money trap?

Well, all I can say for myself is that I really want to avoid it. WANT to. However, as a massive company, they know their audience's weak spots, and everyone who owns MW2, or at least owned WaW will get this game. There has always been a certain magic about the Call of Duty Series, something that fans cannot let go, even if they are forced to pay a ridiculous fee that is available for no cost right now. However, there are stronger gamers who won't let their "Gamer Pride" be shattered by this, and as a result, several boycotts have arisen ALREADY against Black Ops, and Activision's decision isn't even final yet!

Activision are either becoming evil or becoming stupid. Raising such a controversy isn't what gamers need right now, but is something that was unavoidable, unsighted in the past. This sudden possible change is going to affect gaming massively, especially for xbox live users, who pay for their console, the game, the ability to play online, the internet itself, and now the "privilege" to play the actual game online. Ridiculous. That is the only way to explain this debate. The worrying thing is, this is something that will appeal to all developer companies. If Activision pulls this off, and their games are successful after this, all developers may see this as a green light: every online game will require pay-to-play. All within the opportunity to gain more money, therefore making better games - fair enough, but is there anything in it for us? Well, unless they release DLC for free, or greatly improved multiplayer servers, this could very well be the apocalypse of modern-day gaming.