Pachter predicts Activision will monetize online play by year's end
American publisher will charge gamers for online play by the end of 2011, says Pachter.
It's no secret: Activison likes money. Chief operating officer Bobby Kotick has mentioned on multiple occasions that the publisher is actively looking for new ways to monetize its cash cow Call of Duty franchise.
Industry analyst Michael Pachter thinks this change will come soon, perhaps even before the end of this year. Pachter expects Activision to announced the companies new online approach during its third quarter financial briefing.
"I truly think the biggest surprise [this holiday] will be the launch of a premium service offering multiplayer online gaming. The publishers all are looking at this, and I think one of them will be bold enough to announce such a service by year-end," Pachter told IndustryGamers. "I'll be surprised if the price is low, and equally surprised if gamers accept it without complaint."
The company's 2010 flagship, Call of Duty: Black Ops, is due out in November.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Platform: Xbox 360
- Publisher: Treyarch
- Developer: Activision
- Release Date: 2010
