Is the Future of Gaming Being Determined by COD: Infinite Warfare?

If you’re an avid videogame fan, you know 2016 has been a momentous year for games, especially first person shooters. Blizzard has joined the FPS rat race with arguably the most replay-able shooter in “Overwatch.” The TItanfall franchise looks to grab new fans and keep old ones with the promise of free downloadable content for “Titanfall 2,” and the EA has reclaimed that signature Battlefield feel with their newest installment, the WW1-based “Battlefield 1.” But perhaps the biggest and most-polarizing release of the year has yet to come out. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is slated for release this Friday (November 4th), and the entire gaming world is split on whether this game will be another reputable edition to an already impressive franchise or more of the same stale and arguably awful gameplay.

The debate on the Call of Duty brand’s new and unloved place in the world of gaming began with its reveal trailer. It wasn't anything atypical really, as Infinite Warfare is a game placed in the future, like several Call of Duty games at this point. However, since the gaming community’s hive mind opinion on releases can be akin to brutal mob justice, gamers who are fed up with the unrealistic and futuristic setting, quickly made IW’s reveal trailer the most disliked YouTube video in the history of the internet. This sent video game snobs into a frenzy, with some choosing to symbolize that giant dislike bar as a sign that gamers won’t take whatever rehashed idea is given to them by these massive gaming studios, while others are claiming that the mindless groupthink of the gaming community is ultimately what has attributed to Infinite Warfare’s bad PR.

Then there are those who choose to look at the stats. Preorder numbers for IW are sitting at about 300,000 and the beta-testing player base a few weekends ago was almost just as high. This shows, that much like people griping about the latest iPhone’s flaws, potential buyers of Infinite Warfare will be complaining all the way through the checkout line. Do you plan to pick up the 13th Call of Duty game? How do you feel about Activision and Infinity Ward’s choice to continue a trend that’s been received poorly just because the numbers still look profitable? And should video games be seen as more of an art form that respects its fan base rather than a money-driven business? Help make your final decision by watching the E3 Single Player gameplay below!