The ‘Call of Duty tax’ means games media doesn’t cover COD the way it used to, Activision says

Key Points:

• Activision's CMO Tyler Bahl believes there is a "Call of Duty tax" in how traditional games media covers the franchise, suggesting long-term familiarity has led to underappreciation of the work behind each game.
• Bahl emphasized the massive scale of the franchise, highlighting 100 million free-to-play players, 500 million units sold, and a billion mobile downloads, which he feels are often overlooked or taken for granted.
• The marketing approach for the latest Call of Duty title focused on showcasing the development process and team dedication rather than flashy advertisements, aiming to remind audiences of the game's craftsmanship.
• Industry analyst Mat Piscatella noted a decline in purchase intent for Modern Warfare 4 compared to Black Ops 7 last year, with media narratives shifting blame for performance issues across different factors like Game Pass inclusion and competing games.
• Despite mixed coverage and expectations, ports of older Call of Duty titles like Black Ops and Black Ops II have performed strongly, indicating sustained franchise popularity.