Ben-DutkaIt hasn't been officially announced yet but given recent evidence, it seems inevitable that Activision will announce Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 .
But given the buzz surrounding the impending unveiling, I'm wondering if even the most hardcore fans are just a little apathetic about this new entry. When Modern Warfare 3 was revealed, the CoD fans went crazy. It was basically a 100% approval rating clear across the board, as far as I could tell. But now, even the most ardent followers are wondering if it's time for a new engine, if Treyarch should've tried something new…
And so, we arrive at a very interesting question- What if Black Ops 2 doesn't break sales records? MW2 set the sales bar… Black Ops set it again…MW3 did it yet again last year. The trend is obvious. But if the sales actually slide back a little and this year's effort does not top last year's in terms of sales, is that significant? Would that represent the beginning of a decline that might actually have a negative impact on the franchise? Nothing is immune to burnout; just look at Guitar Hero . It may not have been quite as shockingly popular but eventually, even the most hardcore get a little tired of the same ol', same ol'.
Therefore, the sales take for Black Ops 2 should be worth analyzing. It'll also be interesting to see if any other title this year – perhaps Grand Theft Auto V – can challenge it for sales dominance. Thus far, over the past three or four years, no game has been able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with CoD. But things change…and they can change fast .
