There’s no doubt that the Call of Duty franchise is popular but Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg thinks it goes even further, describing it as nothing less than this generation’s Star Wars.
Comparing something – anything – to Star Wars is just asking for trouble. Are you daring to suggest that the objection of your affection can somehow compare to the 1977 masterpiece that revolutionized the movie industry and redefined what it meant to be a sci-fi nerd? Or are you admitting, even if only subconsciously, that your work is unmitigated garbage, like the execrable “prequel trilogy” that followed? It’s pretty clear that Hirshberg is shooting for the former, but come on, really?
“The Call of Duty franchise is a force of nature. I think it is the closest thing this generation has to a Star Wars,” he told IGN. “I think it’s unique and bigger than any musical act or any movie franchise in that capacity.”
See? It’s a lose-lose situation. At best, you end up with people like me making jokes about “Meesa Soap!” and at worst, you gently remind people that maybe your stuff isn’t quite as awesome as you say it is after all. Hirshberg did, however, admit that Activision can’t just coast on the success of the past games if it wants to keep the series relevant. “The challenge with any franchise like that is staying a step ahead of people and keep surprising them and keeping it fresh,” he said.
Hopefully Activision will have better luck with that than LucasArts has. The newest addition to the Call of Duty series, Call of Duty: Black Ops is scheduled for release on November 9 for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.
